Groans and struggling were heard and uttered as Bat-Hound and Brainy Barker were confined inside a huge bag.

"Aargh! What the--", Ace stopped himself, as he tried to move; scraping his paws over the fabric while trying to maybe tear it down, he sent a kick as he felt himself more and more twisted like a knot.

"We were ambushed, weren't we?", Brainy said, trying to remain calm in the situation.

"Stating the obvious, aren't you, Barker?!", the grey dog growled, growing irritated.

Brainy had to use every fiber of her soul to not roll her eyes annoyed. They both stayed silent for a while, before Ace returned to kicking and clawing around, trying to still find escape. "Stop! You shouldn't fool around so much! I doubt it with help us at all!", the Saluki yelled, staying in her position, trying not to move.

"How is doing nothing better than 'fooling around'?!", Bat-Hound yelled in return, clearly anxious.

"Instead of acting on impulse, shouldn't you think of a plan, detective?", Brainy retorted, "Like your partner would?!". The Great Dane growled deep inside of him before going completely silent and sitting still.

"Good", at least he respected her decision as lead--

Ace the Bathound emitted a booming bark as he leapt with his fangs wide open and bit into the brown fabric, pulling down his muzzle and actually ripping it open this time.

"Oh my gosh!", Brainy covered her mouth with her paw and was pushed outside along Ace from their captor.

They both fell to the nearby ground around them easily. Brainy was able to levitate herself in the air before reaching the hard floor and Ace gracefully rolled over before quickly standing on a battle stance, teeth showing and barking still present.

They were surprised to find themeselves completely alone.

But as Ace was fast and efficient to glance around, he spotted a looming shadow, soon disappearing between corners. Brainy gasped as she spotted it, too, running after it while Ace went right after her.

"Shadog!", Bat-Hound barked, knowing well it was said villian.

Shadog was the spirit of a dog, a Doberman, long gone and cursed to remain in shadows. Feeling alone and useless, his new purpose is causing chaos wherever he goes for the sake of it and he is technically impossible to catch since... well, he is a shadow.

Still, Ace and Brainy weren't quick to give up even when it came to impossible villians.

-
The two dogs ran after him. "I have to give him credit...", Ace muttered to the female alien next to him, "... he's got speed". The ghost was more than one step up ahead of Brainy and Bat-Hound which gave them great disadvantage in their chase.

"Seriously! Luckily, I think I may have found something that might make us seem less helpless...", Barker said, raising her sight over their heads. "Your magic pillow?", the grey Great Dane mix questioned with a sarcastic tone.

She jumped onto the pink floating object, motioning him with her paw to come, too. He refused with his head, shaking it, and explained himself, "I've got my own vehicle... that isn't unicorn pink".

"Do colors matter when it comes to catching a criminal?!", she shouted inside her head, so only she could hear her anger and frustration towards him.

But when you're Brainy, that's not the best option...

"Your ears... they're floating", Ace the Bat-Hound said, deadpan, as he stared at the other dog's fluffly, purple long ears, practically flying into the air with a reflection on the center.

"Huh. Is that a picture of you strangling me with Wonder Poodle's lasso?", the masked dog wondered out loud though inside he already knew Brainy didn't specially like him, he was teasing her, "How nice".

"O-oh my! I'm sorry! I apologize!", she freaked out, flustered that he saw her mad thoughts and deeply bowed her head as an apology.

The image over her head turned into Brainy basically tossing Ace aside from the harsh grip while waving her paw dismissively.

Her lime green eyes opened again after being closed shut with immense fear of starting a two-dog war when she felt a heavy, but gentle paw touch her head, "Whatever. No time for fake apologies, Barker. The ghost is still on the run on this strange planet... we still don't even know why were dumped here. But we have to put personal issues, and pride, aside and fight together, understood?", he told her.

After a long while of looking up at him wide-eyed, she nodded timidly, an almost unnoticeable blush tinting her cheeks.
-

After that, the planet had already let nightfall reach them and they both agreed they needed to camp in the same spot and rest so they could have new energies the next day to find Shadog.

Ace still called up his Bat-jet so he could accompany Brainy by flying while they followed the dark spirit.

"Shouldn't one of use stay up...? You know, in case Shadog ambushes us", Brainy Barker suggested in a really low voice while she accommodated herself in the ground.

"Hm. It isn't a bad idea. Go to sleep", he told her, the very tall dog walking past her form, head held high, "I'll take the first turn. Afterwards, you can take the next to look out", he flopped next to her, close enough for their fur to brush against each other.

For some reason, neither of them felt uncomfortable about it.

Ace felt protective over Brainy's soon asleep body as he guarded; specially when she unconsciously leaned in, delicately, over his left shoulder and snuggled into him.

Her ears rose to the air, revealing her dreams: in them she clearly looked like she was sleeping inside a cloud. Obviosuly, he must be a comfortable living pillow.

-
Please remember to hit the little star if you enjoy! 🌟