Soft Spot (Fluff)
The cape fanned out behind him, snapping in the wind as he sprinted across Gotham's rooftops. He'd been tracking this drug dealer for some nights now, and finally had a fresh trail. He'd leap from one roof to another and glance down, checking to make sure the piece of garbage hadn't disappeared.
Eventually, his quarry turned down an alley. Time to drop in. He fired the grapple at the fire escape at the end of the alley and jumped. He swung down towards the thug, accelerating at an alarming rate. The thug looked up, his eyes growing wide with terror, just before Batman's boot collided with his chest.
The dealer went down with enough force that he was immediately knocked out. Batman knelt beside him and felt for a pulse. Good. He'd drop by Gordon's and let him know. The commissioner would take care of the rest.
A small noise captured Batman's attention as he stood. He cocked his head as far towards it as the cowl would allow. There it was again: a slight scratching, a whimper. He looked down at the thug: still unconscious. He spun around, but the alley was empty. Still it persisted, a little louder this time, but still muffled. Batman turned to the door the thug was about to enter, strode forward, and pushed it open.
Just inside the door, but off to a corner on the left, was a box. Six sets of eyes stared out from it, blinking in the streetlamp light. The silhouette falling across them sent most ducking back into the box. A chorus of barks and whimpers emanated from it.
Puppies. Mostly pit bulls, by the look of them. The dealer had probably been on his way to pick them up. Dog fighting still abounded in this city. Batman scowled at the thought of these pups being trained to tear each other apart.
He sighed. He couldn't just leave them here. For one thing, they looked too malnourished to wait for the police. Part of it was just the human universal soft spot for baby animals. As nice as it would be to take them home, he just had no time to care for a litter of puppies. Alfred would have a heart attack anyway, he thought, smirking a little imagining the butler's reaction. He made a mental note to have Bruce Wayne donate to the Gotham Animal Rescue League tomorrow, and picked up the box. Even the bravest pups ducked down, cowering from the menacing mask above them.
"Don't worry," Batman murmured, "I'll take you somewhere safe, where you won't be scared anymore."
