I don't own Batman TAS characters
A scowl materialized on the Sewer King's face while he stood in front of many children. His eyes were on empty hands. *My children never returned with lots and lots of pretties for their king* he thought. The Sewer King refused to look back. *My pretty pet alligator is sick. Yes. Yes. Yes.*
The Sewer King remembered a dagger on a table. A dagger used for food. He was too worried about his sick pet to eat. Empty hands continued to cause him distress. His body became tense. He still scowled.
After turning to the table, the Sewer King approached it. He lifted the dagger before he returned to his children. The Sewer King saw their wide eyes. ''You returned without pretties. You must suffer. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. You must. You must,'' he said.
The children began to exchange glances. A girl turned and ran before the Sewer King seized her wrist. She faced him. Her eyes widened again after she saw the blade with a scowl. The girl struggled. Pigtails moved with her.
''Without pretties. Without hair.'' The Sewer King raised the dagger and brought it down on one of the girl's pigtails. He viewed the pigtail falling on the floor. He refused to glance at the empty hands another time. His eyes were on the trembling girl. The blade sliced off the other pigtail before it scraped the girl's entire head.
Tears ran down the other orphans' faces. Tears for their companion. Tears due to the Sewer King possibly punishing them next.
The girl collapsed on her knees. Many tears streamed down her face after her eyes settled on pigtails with every bit of hair. Her shoulders moved up and down. She lifted her pigtails and embraced them. The girl observed the other children approaching her with expressions of concern. Two children placed their arms around her.
''GO! RETURN TO THE STREETS! YOU WILL ALL SUFFER THE SAME CONSEQUENCES IF YOU RETURN WITH EMPTY HANDS ANOTHER TIME!'' the Sewer King shouted. His scowl was still present after the children ran.
The Sewer King approached the table again. After placing the dagger on the table, he abandoned them. He walked to another area of the sewer. The Sewer King saw the sick alligator and still scowled. His eyes remained on the alligator while it fell asleep every now and then. Concern filled them.
After walking to the alligator, the Sewer King crouched near it. He scratched the alligator's snout, but it never wagged its tail.
Tears replaced his scowl as soon as it closed its eyes and never opened them. The Sewer King sobbed. He wrapped his fingers around the alligator's claws. Without pretties. Without a pet.
THE END