Chapter 4: Rules

The next morning, Steve was making coffee and breakfast for everyone when Thor entered the kitchen.

"Great, I was about to go get Loki," said Steve. "I'll need the key."

"You know, a slave cannot eat at the same table as free men," said Thor counting the places around the tables.

"You want me to put them at a different table?"

"Slaves don't eat at the same time. Loki either eat before or after, but not at the same time. And never in sight of a free person. Also, usually, the slave prepares the meals and serves them."

"Does Loki know how to cook?"

"It is included in the training."

"Well, I won't make him cook just yet, but in the near future, maybe. I will serve him in his room now and I'll retrieve him after we eat."

Steve was about to leave with a tray of food when Thor stopped him.

"Slaves don't eat the same food as those who are free. I think oatmeal will be enough for him. And no fruits."

"He is pregnant and has a child already, I want to make sure they are all healthy." So Steve left with oatmeal and a few fruits.

oOo

In his room, Loki was awake, but not Alex. When Steve entered, Loki bow respectfully.

"After breakfast, Thor and I will unanchor you from the bed and have a long chat about the rules here. Enjoy your meal."

And Steve left, Loki shook Alex to wake him up gently.

"Breakfast is here."

Alex looked at the oatmeal, then as his father.

"I'll taste it first, okay."

Loki took a spoonful of oatmeal.

"It's midgardian, not bad. And it's warm. We have warm food Alex."

Loki fed Alex and himself. Then, Alex made a move to grab the fruits.

"No, we don't eat the fruits."

"Why?"

"Because fruits are not good for us."

"Why?"

"It just is."

"Why?"

"Listen Alex, today is a big day. We have a new master and he has friends."

"We will have to serve them all?"

"Yes, probably. And masters are not usually nice. So we have to be on our best behaviour today okay? I want you to listen to master Steve very carefully and do what he says. If you are in a room without me, I want you to do what you are told, okay?"

"Even if they want me to play with toys?"

"Yesterday, did they want you to play with toys?"

"I think so. But I didn't touch it, daddy."

"Good. If Steve wants you to take the toy, you do it. But we don't play, okay?"

"Okay... But it seems fun..."

"Alex, life is not fun. We have to work hard, keep our head down and do as masters say."

"Yes daddy."

"And don't ask them questions, except if you don't understand a task. But you can answer their questions."

"Okay."

"When Master Steve comes back, I want you to kneel on the ground and bow your head. Then keep your head down."

"Okay daddy."

"Good boy."

They finished eating in silence and wait for a while before Thor and Steve reentered the room. Alex sank to the ground and kneeled, Loki did his best to kneel on the bed, but it was more like sitting. He did bow his head in respect and submission.

"Loki, Alex. Thor, unlocked him, we'll talk in the living room."

Thor unanchored Loki from the bed and pulled the chains so the slave had to follow. Alex followed right behind his dad and Steve was last. The others were already sitting in the living room, a raven perched in a high corner. Thor pulled the chain down and Loki kneeled. Alex kneeled beside his father, mimicking his pose. Steve saw the way his two slaves acted and bowed his head.

"Okay, everyone is here, let's started. Loki, we came up with a set of rules for you. Some will be added later, when needed. Those rules are not like you are used to on Asgard, but the same principles apply. Friday will make a list of them and you will be able to see them if needed. Some rules also apply to your child, so he'd better be listening. First rule: you always kneel in presence of your better. That goes for both of you and everyone is your better. Second, you call me Master Steve or Captain. You call everyone else master too. Third, each morning, Friday will wake you up and give you a list of tasks. Slave working hours on Earth are of eight to ten hours per day. You start after breakfast until you have finished all your chores. Fourth, any Avengers can give you orders, but just the Avengers. You are our slaves. You will meet the other Avengers when they come back. Tony, you had something to add, I think."

"Yes. First, I want to ask Thor, what exactly are the chains for?"

"To prevent any and all escape attempt. Loki is volatile."

"But he had been wearing them for four years now."

"A bit more, but yes."

"And he hadn't attempted to escape in how long?"

"According to his file, the last time was a bit after Alex's birth."

"So three years. And the bond left Steve knows at all time exactly where Loki is?"

"Yes, it's a bit weird to be honest," answered Steve.

"You'll get use to it," said Thor.

"But if we were to give him a tracker that will taser him if he is somewhere he's not supposed to be, it will prevent all escape attempts with the added bonus that we won't have to be bothered by the chains. Could that be possible, Thor?" asked Tony.

The reason Loki tried to escape that last time, after months of not doing it, was because he wanted Alex to be away from him, away from his life. Alex didn't deserve to be a slave and Loki just wanted to get him to a good life, or not so miserable. Then, the trainers caught them and told Loki they will hurt Alex if Loki didn't obey. In the end, Loki started to be a good slave so Alex would not suffer.

"Yes, I think it would be possible. If your tracker is as good as you say," responded Thor.

"Well, good news because I have the tracker already. So listen up, Loki, if you tried to open a widow or a door to the outside or find yourself somewhere you are not supposed to, this will electrocute you. Won't be fun. And we will all know it. It will give you a not so soft warning before being more intense. So, Thor, Steve, you agree to remove the chains and let me install the tracker?"

"Sure."

"Yes. But you put the tracker first. We won't give him the opportunity."

"Loki, could you please give me your ankle," asked Tony.

Loki turned and extends his ankle. Tony installed the tracker and made sure it was well-adjusted. Then, Thor started to remove the chains, he touched each lock and they just open like magic, which was probably the case. Loki bowed his head respectfully as a thank you; it's not like he could talk.

"Good, one thing down. Next stop, punishments. So Loki, this point is important. Like Steve said, you will have a list of tasks to complete, which should take between 8 to 10 hours each day. If you have not finished to whole list, you will have to finish them before you start the next list, and you won't get more time to finish them all. In other words, don't slack. Your working hours are between eight and eight. Other than that, you are in your room. So by eight o'clock at night, if you have not finished your work, you will have more to do the next day. But your work should only take you about 8 or 10 hours. If you finished early, you have free time to do what you want."

This time, Loki did not speak because of the shock, but he looked up to Tony. A slave with free time, that was unheard of. Or maybe they just told him how long it should take when it was actually longer. He was sure he would not have much free time.

"During your work, Alex can follow you around and help, but sometime, we might have other tasks for him."

Knowing Odin was listening via proxy — or raven —, they couldn't say yet that they want to educate Alex and have him live a normal life.

"However, if you are to be punished, you won't be able to work during that time, so that means extra hours the next days. Now, your punishment will be to spend some time downstairs in a cell, locked up. Might not sound too bad yet, but you won't have any contact with the exterior and Alex won't be with you."

Oh, they too were going to use Alex against him. They could do whatever they want to his child and he won't be aware of it because he will be in a cage. It might not be whipping or worst, the pillory, but not knowing what was happening to Alex was even worst. And they just said it was a cell, corporal punishment could still happen.

"Nothing will happen to you when you're in the cell. However, that's time you won't get to work, which means more work hours and less free time."

Oh, so the cage was more like an incentive not to disobey or there will be more work. And who knows what will happen if he didn't finish his work?

"So depending on the severity of your misdeed, you will spend between three and twenty-four hours in the cage — but if you misbehave a lot, it could be up to a week in the cage — with no clock, no contact, just a cot and a toilet. We will not starve you, but you will be knowing Alex is with us."

Oh, Loki will be the perfect slave after hearing that! He will do anything for Alex. It was bad enough when he was being punished and Alex knew his dad was hurt. And if he was to spend a day or more down there, Alex will be scared. He had to behave for Alex. And he will do it. He just wishes he could tell them that.

He felt Alex shivered next to him. The boy was scared. Loki had tried countless times to make it all better for Alex, but how do you tell a kid he is to be a slave because his own father did something bad?

"Those are the only rules for now," said Steve. "Do you understand them?"

"Yes master. I will obey and respect all of you."

"Okay, today, I don't have tasks for you. However, I want you to go with Banner and have a medical exam. That goes for both of you."

Of course Loki didn't want to be any closer to the good doctor, knowing about the other guy. But he would obey and he would follow every direction so the green one would not attack Alex. And if it comes to that, Loki would do everything in his power — magicless power — so that Alex would not be in the path of the beast.