Disclaimer: I do not own Robin, any of his supporting cast or any aspect of the Batman franchise. This story is a work of fanfiction. No profit is being made from it.
Ariana Dzerchenko smiled happily as she strolled casually along the streets, enjoying the warm sunshine and the soothing breeze that ruffled her long black hair.
What a beautiful day she thought. On days like this even Gotham seems like a normal city.
She had just finished an errand for her aunt and was now on her way home. When she got back, she was going to call Tim and see if he wanted to hang out with her. Thinking of her boyfriend made her smile widen. They had gone through some rocky patches but now things were finally going smoothly between them.
A sound reached her ears. She stopped and listened carefully. It was faint but she was sure that she could hear a low, plaintive crying.
She hesitated for a moment as she remembered this was still Gotham City, but she couldn't ignore what she was hearing. She followed the sound to an alley. Now she could definitely hear crying coming from down it but she couldn't see anyone. Quickly but cautiously, she hurried down the narrow pathway.
It took only a moment for her to find the source of the crying. Huddled behind a crate was a golden retriever puppy. It was thin and malnourished with an unkempt coat. The puppy lay down with its head between its front paws and whined faintly.
"Oh you poor little guy" Ariana cooed as she crouched in front of the puppy. "It's okay, don't be scared" she said softly.
The puppy continued to whine. She slowly reached forwards, taking care to not make any sudden moves that might scare it, and gently stroked its back while murmuring comfortingly. After a moment the puppy stopped whining and began to wag its tail happily.
"There, there. Everything's going to be okay" Ariana said tenderly as she picked it up and cradled it in her arms. She frowned as she saw that the puppy was in an even worse state than she had thought. The pads of its paws were cracked and sore-looking.
Just then she heard voices coming from further down the alley.
"Where is that stupid mutt?" growled a harsh, mean voice. "It's got to be around here somewhere."
"Why are we even bothering with this?" asked an equally mean voice. "It's just one scrawny puppy. The boss has tons."
"We're bothering because it's still worth money" said the first. "And every little helps." Both of them laughed nastily.
Alarmed by what she'd heard Ariana stood up and walked hastily back to the street and away from the alley. All the while she continued stroking the puppy and whispering gently to it so that it would stay calm. Once she was sure she'd gone far enough she found a payphone and dialed a very familiar number.
"Hello, Drake residence," said a voice she recognized as Mrs. Mcllvaine, the Drake family's live-in maid.
"Hello. It's Ariana. I'd like to speak with Tim please."
"Of course, dear. One moment." A few seconds later she heard Tim's voice.
"Hi Ari" he said cheerfully. "It's good to hear you again."
"Same to you Tim." She smiled again but then it dimmed as she remembered the current circumstances. "Could you come downtown and pick me up? I'm at the payphone on Dixon Street."
"I'll be right there. Ari, are you okay? Is anything wrong?"
"I'm fine. I'll explain everything when you get here."
"Okay. I'll be there in five. Bye."
"Bye." Ariana hung up and took a seat at a nearby bench. As she looked around warily, she stroked the puppy reassuringly. "Don't worry. I won't let those guys get you" she said.
The puppy wagged its tail faster as if in acknowledgement and she giggled softly.
Just a few minutes later Tim's car drove up and parked in front of her. As he got out, she noticed that he was scanning the area intently with an unusually intense look on his face. That intense look instantly became a warm smile as he saw her.
"Hi Ari."
"Hi Tim."
"Who's your new friend?" he asked as he reached over and scratched behind the puppy's ears. It licked his hand and he chuckled.
"I found him hiding behind a crate in an alley. We need to get him to a vet."
"Then let's go."
"Just let me call my aunt to let her know why I'm not back yet."
"Sure."
While Ariana made her call Tim took a closer look at the puppy. He was no vet but it was clear to him that the poor creature had been severely neglected.
Ariana hung up the phone and rejoined them. "Tim?" she said curiously as she saw how intently he was examining the puppy.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I was just trying to see if he had any injuries. There don't seem to be any but you're right, he's seriously underweight."
"There's a vet not far from here" she said.
"Lead the way Ari."
They got into the car and Tim drove off. The puppy whimpered faintly and Ariana scratched its ears. After a little while it calmed down.
"I wonder how he ended up on the streets. He doesn't have a collar" Tim commented. "That'll make it harder to find his owners."
"Actually Tim, I think that's for the best" she replied as she fussed the puppy.
"What do you mean?"
She told him what she had heard. As he listened Tim felt himself tense up as his mind began working overtime.
What if those guys had seen her? What if they had found her with the puppy before I got there? What if…?
Noticing this she put a hand on his shoulder. "Tim, it's okay. I'm fine. Everything's fine."
"Yeah, I know" he said as his tension eased. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"That's sweet Tim" she said. She leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. Only then did he fully relax.
The receptionist looked up from the book she was reading as Tim and Ariana entered. "How can I help you?" she asked.
Ariana held up the puppy. "I found him in an alley" she explained. "He needs help right away."
"I'll call Dr. McClay," said the receptionist.
While she was making the call Tim looked around. The veterinary clinic was a modest establishment but clean and clearly in good working order. The puppy would be cared for here.
A middle-aged woman with curly brown hair wearing a lab coat arrived a moment later. "I'm Dr. McClay" she said. "Thank you for bringing him in."
"We were happy to" Ariana replied as she handed the puppy over.
"Let's have a look at you" the vet said as she examined the dog, in particular the cracks on his paws. "Hmm, this little fellow looks like he came from a puppy mill."
"What's that?" Tim asked.
"Puppy mills are dog breeding facilities aimed at producing as many dogs as possible" Dr McClay explained, her expression darkening. "The owners only concern is profit, so often the dogs are kept in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions without proper food or care." She pointed at the cracked pads. "You see those? The dogs are often kept in cages with wire flooring to make cleaning up waste easier. That's why his paws are damaged."
"That's awful," said Ariana.
Not for the first time Tim thought how amazing it was that despite witnessing first-hand the worst of human nature, Ariana still remained such a sweet and caring girl. "Yeah, it sure is" he agreed. "But this little guy will be okay right?"
"I'll need to give him a more detailed examination to be certain but as far as I can tell yes, he will. We'll treat him and give him food and water. Once he's nursed back to health, he can go to an animal shelter so a good home can be found."
"I'm so glad," said Ariana.
"Me too," said Tim.
"Would you like me to drive you home Ari?" Tim asked as they left the clinic.
"Actually, I was going to call you when I got home and ask if you wanted to hang out" she said. "Seeing as you're here…"
"Sure" Tim said eagerly. "How does a lunch date and a walk in the park sound?"
"That sounds great" she said happily. They held hands as they walked back to Tim's car.
For the next few hours, they enjoyed a pleasant afternoon in each other's company. After chicken wings and fries at a local diner (with Tim paying naturally) they made the most of the good weather by visiting Gotham Park. All too soon it was time to go home.
"I had a wonderful time Tim" said Ariana as he parked outside of her aunt and uncle's house.
"Me too" he replied. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye."
Tim watched her as she got out of the car, walked up to the front door and went inside. He sighed blissfully.
As he started to drive home however, he frowned as the gears in his mind began to turn. He knew of course that not even Batman and Robin could right every wrong in Gotham. But the thought of innocent animals suffering because of selfish, greedy men, of nobody caring enough to help them…
What the heck he thought. There's no school tomorrow and things have been fairly quiet lately. Robin should be able to go on a side mission tonight.
His smile returned.
