Chapter 15
Batman paced the floor of the Avengers meeting rom in frustration. He had finally made it to where Alfred and Robin were and now these people wanted him to wait! They had started with introductions, followed by Zatanna undoing the spell Morgan had put on the man named Antman. He had promptly fallen on the floor, most likely out of pure exhaustion, then they all got together to strategize. Batman let out a frustrated sigh and promptly walked to the room they had assigned him.
When Superman came into his room, he found Batman packing his tools. "Bruce, what are you doing," Superman asked in surprise.
"What does it look like! I'm going to go save Alfred and Dick!"
"Bruce, I get that you're worried, but we have to do things calmly. Rushing in like thi…" Superman started to say but Batman cut in.
"No Clark, that's my family, the only family I really have, and I am GOING to save them! I lost my family once already, I won't go through it again," Batman said firmly. "You can't tell me that you wouldn't go if it wasn't Johnathan and Martha in there instead of Dick and Alfred," Batman accused.
Superman looked taken aback and hurt, but then sighed, "Do you really think you'll be any help to them when you rush in all half cocked like this? Aren't you always the one lecturing Dick about using his head and not his emotions?"
"Don't try to stop me Clark," he replied stepping up to the window and shooting his grappling hook and taking off.
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Alfred and Jarvis were in the kitchen fixing the food while Wintergreen worked on tea for Slade. Alfred kept looking over his shoulder every so often, a worried expression on his face, and Wintergreen sighed.
"I'm very sorry about your young master," Wintergreen said quietly, not looking up, "and for what Slade did to you in his anger. Slade means well…he's just had his eye on the boy for a while now. He believes your young master would make an excellent apprentice. I am sorry…"
"None of us can control anything that our masters choose to do," Alfred replied as he began to serve the cooked food onto the dishes.
"No, but you seem to be able to get your masters to listen to you, seeing as you raised them…" Wintergreen supplied as he mixed the tea and began to pour.
Alfred looked up quickly, "Wh…I do not know what you mean…If I am correct, I was brought here because I was the Justice League's butler," he said with a slight frown.
"Yes, well," Wintergreen sighed again, "I'm sorry to inform you, but Slade already knows of your masters and their identities...he was prepared to use that on the boy when this opportunity came along…"
Alfred looked up at Wintergreen, but before he could say anything, Jarvis, (ever the peacekeeper), spoke up. "We should serve the food now. These villains do not seem to be of the patient type. They will not be happy having to wait."
"You are of course right," Alfred replied picking up two trays of food and balancing them, one in each hand.
Wintergreen rushed forward, "Here, allow me to help you with that."
"No, no, thank you, I am fine, really," Alfred assured him with a weak smile to show he wasn't mad. "The Injustice League requested that I bring them dinner. I do not wish for them to direct their wrath at you for helping me."
Wintergreen sighed but nodded, he knew Alfred was absolutely right. The three of them walked out, Wintergreen in the lead with his tea for Slade, Jarvis behind him with a silver cart full of treats and plates to serve it on, and Alfred in the rear with two silver trays, one on each arm, with all the orders of food on them.
Alfred sat the first plate down in front of Lex, who smiled and patted him on the head and Alfred moved on, being careful to school his expression and hide any of his emotions. He was just about to serve Ivy when Joker stuck his foot out and tripped Alfred. Alfred tumbled and the food went flying. Most of the food landed at Harley and Ivy's feet, however, some landed on Alfred, and they let out a squeal of disgust.
"How DARE you, you clumsy fool! Is this the kind of thanks I get for releasing you from my control," Ivy billowed in rage!
"I am very sorry Miss Ivy, I shall clean it up right away," Alfred said rushing to pick up the mess.
"I don't think that's enough. I think we should punish him Red," Harley said with a frown and crossing her arms.
"No," Robin yelled trying to run to Alfred's aid but Slade held him tight and kept him back.
"You're right Harls, he's got to learn his place," she replied lifting Alfred to his feet and pulling him close to her so he had to look her in the eyes. "Old man, you no longer serve the Justice League, you now serve us. They may be willing to put up with this kind of mess up, but we are not," she added with anger.
"Yes Miss Ivy, I understand, and I assure you, it shan't hap…" Alfred started, nervously, but Ivy cut him off.
"I did not tell you that you could speak yet," Ivy said with a scowl. "As I said, the Justice League may put up with this behavior, but we will not! We are going to have to punish you so that you will learn from your actions!" She fired and then she pulled Alfred's face closer to hers, and before anyone could object, she kissed him. His eyes widened and she smirked, "Now clean this mess up, and then get back in that kitchen and make us more food, and then get back in here and serve it right!
Alfred seemed dazed for a moment, but then recomposed himself and nodded, "Yes Miss Ivy," he turned to walk out but one of her vines blocked his way and he turned back to her confused.
"We are your masters now and you will show us the respect you deserve!"
"Miss Ivy," Alfred asked confused.
"When we dismiss you, you will bow to us, as you would for Robin or Batman, or any of the other members of the Justice League," Ivy commanded.
Alfred paused, but knowing Ivy's poison would be catching up with him soon enough, as it was already coursing through him, he nodded, "Of course Miss Ivy," he bowed in a stately manner and smiled as her vines moved out of the way.
"Very good old man, now get to work," Ivy ordered.
Alfred hurried out of the room and came back a short while later with the things needed to clean up the mess. He worked quickly, and once he had cleaned up the mess, he picked up the basin of dishes that had fallen on the floor and hurried off to the kitchen.
"I don't understand, why was your kiss a punishment to the old man," Loki asked with a frown as Jarvis served Loki his food.
"Don't you know nothin' 'bout Red," Harley asked annoyed. "She ain't called Poison Ivy for nothin'."
"Easy Harls, he's not from our world, so he wouldn't know," Ivy said putting her hand on Harley's shoulder. "You see, I can do more than control the minds of men, making them nothing more then my pup, I can also kiss them and spread my poison throughout them…the only way to cure them is for me to kiss them again, and if I don't, then they will die," Ivy said with a smirk.
Jarvis looked up briefly at this, but then turned to face Zemo. "I have finished serving Sir, do I have your permission to take the serving dishes to the kitchen to clean them?"
"Yeah, sure," Zemo said with a wave of his hand. Jarvis quickly bowed and then took his silver cart and went back to the kitchen. Wintergreen whispered the request to go and watch over them to Slade, and he nodded slowly, so Wintergreen took off too.
"Barton, my Hawk," Loki called out, his Tessarect glowing brightly.
"Yes my master," Clint asked fisting his hand over his heart and then bowing on his knee respectfully.
"Go into the kitchen and watch the captives, if they try to escape, shoot them with your bow, if they try anything funny, shoot them, understand?"
"Yes master," he replied bowing respectfully.
"Good now go," Loki ordered and Clint bowed again and then walked out.
"Was there really a need for that," Slade asked annoyed, "I already sent my servant in to watch over them."
"Yes, well excuse me for not trusting him, but he is one of them," Loki replied.
"One of who," asked Slade annoyed now too.
"He is a butler, Deathstroke," Loki pointed out to Slade, "and he seems to be to trusting and kind to the other two, so I sent my servant to watch them."
"And I suppose your servant is much more trustworthy of keeping watch over our captives," Slade hissed through his teeth.
"Yes, he will not fail me," Loki stated with confidence.
"Have you forgotten that one of our captives is your servant's butler! What makes you so sure he will not betray us and help his butler get away," Slade demanded.
"Because DEATHSTROKE my Hawk is loyal to the end! He shall not betray me because I own Barton's mind and only I can free him," Loki spat back.
"My butler is just as loyal as your servant," Slade spat, "maybe even more so since he has no attachment to our captives."
Zemo rolled his eyes, "Enough of this! We are to fight the heroes, not each other, so save it!"
Loki and Slade both looked at Zemo with venom, (Slade still had Robin's arm tight in his grasp), when a loud crash interrupted them and everyone turned to face the noise.
