Present day
"You two worked together before that all happened!?" Rubble asked.
"Yeah... unfortunately. I thought I could trust him; we weren't only fellow soldiers, we were friends. Now that I look back, I realize he just used me for his own gain." Ace responded, lowering his head.
Chase laid his paw on Ace's back to comfort him, which cheered up the shepherd.
Back to the story
3 hours later.
Ace was in Adventure Bay, watching as the pups of the PAW Patrol helped around the small town. He examined everything, from Marshall's clumsiness, to Rocky's hatred for water. He paid extra attention to Skye's fear of eagle's, he was sure that'd be helpful to them eventually.
He was almost spotted multiple times by Skye, who was flying around in her helicopter, but he was able to dodge detection fairly easily as she was distracted with completing the missions. Once he was sure he found out enough about them he began returning to Foggybottom, when he was about halfway there he called Locke using his puptag.
"Hello?" Ace heard Locke say.
"Hello sir, I've gathered what I can about them and am returning to Base." Ace said to him.
"Alright, could you explain what you found out about each member? I'll get a notepad." Locke asked him, Ace could hear him pick up something.
"The mixed breed is afraid of water, the dalmatian is too clumsy for his own good, Chase seems to be allergic to cats. I'm not sure how we'd use that but I'm sure you'd come up with something, sir. And the cockapoo is deathly afraid of eagles by the looks of it." Ace informed him.
"I know a way we can use Chase's against him. When you return to Foggybottom, meet me at town hall." Locke told him.
"Yes sir." Ace said before ending the call.
45 minutes later.
Ace was in Foggybottom town hall, standing next to Locke. They waited for someone that Locke apparently knew well, though he wouldn't tell Ace who they were. Eventually, a door opened and they heard their names called, meaning it was their turn to meet with him. Locke and Ace entered the office and were greeted by a purple suit-clad man. The man looked up from his desk and saw the two, Ace noticed his expression immediately change upon seeing the canines. He even swore he heard him say 'damnit' under his breath.
"What do you want, Locke?" The man asked, clearly not wanting this interaction.
"Listen Humdinger, I know we don't exactly get along but I have an offer to propose to you." Locke said to him.
Humdinger leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow.
"It concerns the... PAW Patrol." Locke added.
Humdinger rolled his eyes. "What is it now? Have you decided to join them or something?" Humdinger asked.
"No, God no." Locke said. "Instead, I want to propose that we work together against them. Think about it, you hate them, I hate them; the enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all."
"You have a point, I do hate those mutts, but what could you possibly need me for? You made it plenty clear you saw me as an 'incompetent lackey'." Humdinger responded.
"Well, we don't necessarily need you, we need your kitten catastrophe crew. Specifically to deal with Chase should he ever intervene, which is likely, due to it being his team." Locke said.
Humdinger seriously considered helping him. He did indeed hate the PAW Patrol, but he also hated Locke. Ultimately, his hate for the PAW Patrol won out.
"Alright I'll let the kittens help." Locke smiled before Humdinger continued. "on one condition."
"Sure, sure. It's fair that there would be a price for your help." Locke responded. Ace looked at him, confused. Locke noticed this.
"Don't worry, It'll work out in our favor." Locke whispered to him.
Ace then decided to meet Locke outside. He waited at the front of the building for what felt like an eternity, but was in reality only about fifteen minutes. Ace eventually saw Locke leave the building with a smile on his face.
"How'd it go?" Ace asked.
"It went well, almost everything in our favor." Locke responded.
"Wow, I wasn't aware you were that good at negotiating, sir." Ace said to him.
"I'm not." Locke said. "He's not the sharpest tool in the shed." Locke whispered to him.
Ace looked up at the sky and noticed the day was once again coming to an end.
"Do you happen to have a place here I could spend the night at? That isn't a box in an alleyway, preferably." Ace asked him, referencing his past.
"Yeah, sorta. I just spend the nights in the office, most of the them falling asleep at my desk." Locke said to him.
"So you live at that office?" Ace asked.
"I guess, yeah." Locke responded.
"Is that allowed?" Ace asked the cockapoo.
"Humdinger doesn't care." Locke said to him.
The two pups eventually arrived back at the office, just in time before it got dark. When they entered the building Locke tossed a key toward Ace, who managed to catch it.
"What's this for?" Ace asked.
"Your own room. It's upstairs and down the left hallway." Locke told him before going upstairs and to his office.
Ace followed the instructions and went down the hallway, trying the key on every room he encountered until, finally, one door unlocked. He pushed it open and saw a room similar to Locke's, though much emptier. There obviously wasn't a bed to fall asleep on but he was already used to having to sleep without one.
The next day
Ace woke up early in the morning; it wasn't the best sleep he had, but it certainly wasn't the worst. After all, he hadn't been woken up by a mortar landing near him, so he saw this as a straight improvement.
He stood up and left his room; he wanted to explore Foggybottom a bit more. Locke wasn't going to give him a mission for at least another hour or two, Mostly because he was still asleep. Ace exited the building and began walking down the sidewalk, as he was walking he was thinking about what Locke said about the PAW Patrol secretly being evil, he still wanted to believe him but he has yet to see any proof about this groups intenions, so far, it seemed like they meant good.
Ace was so lost in his thoughts that he bumped into someone; Ace quickly went to apologize.
"I'm sorry, I was distracted, are you okay?" Ace apologize to them.
"Yeah, don't worry. Are you, sir?" The person asked.
Ace stared at the person in silence for a few seconds, noticing that they were a pure white husky. He was too distracted to answer.
"Hello? sir?" The husky tried getting his attention.
Ace snapped back to reality. "Oh u-uhh yes, yes I'm okay." Ace responded.
"Alright..." The husky was eyeing him, like they could recognize him. "Who are you, exactly?" The husky asked.
"I-Im Ace." Ace responded.
"Okay, so I don't recognize you." Ace heard the husky whisper to themself. "I'm Sierra Tundra, nice to meet you." Sierra said, holding her paw out toward him.
"Nice to meet you, too?" Ace said, shaking her paw.
"So, what brings you in town? We don't get many visitors here." Sierra asked him.
"Oh umm, I'm just exploring around the area." Ace replied.
"Are you now? Have you visited the bay?" Sierra asked.
"Yes actually, it was the first place I visited." Ace responded, he then heard his puptag turn on and Locke ask him to return. "Oh, seems like I gotta go, cya Sierra." Ace told her before beginning to walk away.
"Alright, I might as well come with." Sierra said, Ace glanced over at her after hearing this and noticed she was wearing the same iron cross Locke had, and it even matched the one he currently wore.
"Hey Sierra, do you happen to know a guy named... Locke?" Ace asked.
Sierra glared at him from the corner of her eye. "Actually, yes I do." Sierra responded. "He buys stuff from me all the time."
"Buys stuff? You work at a store nearby?" Ace asked.
Sierra was silent for a few seconds, clearly trying to find a way to word her response. "S-Sure, you could say that." Sierra said. "Though it's more of an 'underground store'." Ace heard her whisper, this made him really suspicious of her.
Ace eventually returned with Sierra following him; he entered the building and went up to Locke's office. When he entered, Locke looked up at him and then looked at Sierra, surprised at first but then smiling, as if they were old friends.
"Oh Ace, I see you met Sierra." Locke said to him.
"I did." Ace replied.
"Nice to meet you again, Locke." Sierra said to him.
"You too." Locke responded.
Ace looked at the two, confused. "Does she work for you as well?" Ace asked.
"She doesn't 'work' for me but she does help me, hence why she had a tag." Locke replied.
"I develop new technology to assist... certain people." Sierra told him.
"Certain people? like friends?" Ace questioned.
"Ehh sorta." Sierra responded.
"Anyway. Ace, I've been reading over what you've told me." Locke said while raising a small notepad in the air. "And I have a plan, but there's one thing we need to do first."
"And that is?" Ace asked.
"We need to sabotage something of theirs," Locke said. "Specifically, one of their vehicles."
Ace stood there looking at him; he hadn't sabotaged anything in a long time, but he did vaguely know how to. "Okay... What is it?" Ace asked.
"Nothing major, just a Helicopter."