Chapter 17

Alfred had been cured and taken to his room for the night. He passed out that night and didn't wake up until the next morning. When he woke up it was because someone was putting a wet wash cloth on his forehead. Alfred blinked the blurriness away and then saw that Jarvis and Wintergreen were both in the room and it was Wintergreen who was putting the wet wash cloth on his forehead.

"Welcome back ol' Chap," Wintergreen said with a smile.

"How long was I out for," Alfred asked tiredly.

"The whole afternoon yesterday and last night and all morning this morning," Jarvis said with a hint of worry.

Alfred groaned, "Miss Ivy left me with the poison for quite a long time, I was simply lucky to survive it."

Before any of them could continue, Zemo came in with a frown. "Alright, who's turn is it to go and feed that Bat character," he sounded annoyed.

"I'll go," Jarvis said standing up.

"No, allow me, I ought to earn my keep," Alfred muttered with a grunt as he slowly got to his feet, tiredness showing through him.

"I can't trust you," Zemo said with a frown.

"Then allow one of us to go with him," Jarvis added, "He'll need the help as he is still recovering from the poison…"

"Fine, just get it done already! We don't want anyone down with the prisoner too long! He broke in and we want him to know he's lost, just like the rest of those misguided heroes will lose because we have the ones they care about! We need you here in case we need to prove what we will do to you if they don't obey," Zemo growled in annoyance.

"Yes sir," Jarvis replied with a bow and Alfred bowed as well, with a little help from Jarvis.

Zemo roughly shoved the tray of food at Alfred's chest and almost would have knocked him down had it not been for Wintergreen behind him helping keep him upright. Alfred and Jarvis stumbled their way to the basement where the holding cells were and Alfred almost stopped dead at what he saw. Batman still had his mask on, thankfully, but was without his shirt or cape or belt and was chained with his wrists above his head and his ankles were also chained below, looking to make a giant X shape. They had also taken great care to chain his at the neck and around his waist where the belt would have been and around both kneecaps and there was a field around him to kill any electronic communication. It took Alfred several minutes to get past the locks in his cell as he brought the tray of food to Batnam.

"Ho…How is he suppose to eat his food," Alfred asked carefully looking at Jarvis confused.

"I'm not, it's a mockery. They know I can't feed my self in these restraints and that I can't get out of them, nor will they let me out of these restraints so most of the time it just sits on the floor and waits for them to pick it back up…" Batman growled and Alfred looked horrified.

"N…Not always…Once a day they let Wintergreen or I come down here to feed him by hand…And clean him up…"

"Clean him," Alfred asked confused.

"Meaning that I don't always get to eat the food, but the villains do so love to shove it on my face and make a mess and make a mockery of me because they managed to capture me. They never would have had Robin not caught me by surprise. I just can't figure why Robin would turn to work for them unless it's mind control," Batman frowned.

Alfred slowly looked up, "It's not mind control sir, it's blackmail or something similar…Miss Ivy kissed me…If Master Robin had not fought you and won, Miss Ivy told him she would not kiss me and save my life…He did it to save me…" Alfred said in a sad voice.

Batman looked at Alfred as if seeing him for the first time and saw all the cuts and bruises and the pain in his eyes and frowned. "Alfred what the HELL did they do to you," he growled in anger.

"I'm alright Master Br…Batman…I can't talk about it right now…We only have a short time before the villains come to collect us I would guess and I would like to make sure you get a proper meal for a change…Now stop fussing over me…"

"But you and Robin are in danger her and I can't do a damn thing about it!" He growled and Alfred forced a bite of mashed potatoes and gravy in his mouth.

"You need to eat sir. I will be fine, don't you worry about that. These chaps looked after me while I was out from Miss Ivy's poison…"

Batman looked at Jarvis for the first time and showed an actual smile, something Batman never showed, "Thank you for protecting him, he means the world to me and Robin…"

"You are most welcome Batman, sir, as I told him, we butlers have to stick together," Jarvis said with a smile in return as he watched Alfred feed Batman so carefully.

They had almost finished the tray of food when Morgan Le Fay and Amora came down for the butlers. They both placed a spell on them and the two men had no choice but to leave. Batman looked made but he could do nothing to help. Alfred and Jarvis were forced up to the common room to help clean up after the villains there. Alfred was having a hard time keeping his opinion in when he saw Robin sitting at Deathstroke's feet eating.

"See Deathstroke, I told you it was a good way to train bird boy. He learns humility by sitting at your feet and he learns to obey you, that he has to obey and his natural place is at your feet," Ivy said with a smirk. "You're free of your agreement now Bird Boy, you don't have to serve me anymore, you finished up working for me."

Robin jumped up as if to fight with her, anger clear in his eyes, but Ivy had reached over and grabbed Alfred, stroking his head as if he were a pet and Robin glared daggers at her but didn't say anything. Slade looked bored with the whole thing. Alfred stayed frozen with the vine wrapping up his leg and chose not to say anything because he didn't want to anger her. She continued to stroke his head.

"You're going to be a good little servant aren't you Alfie," she asked in a sickenly sweet voice.

Alfred stayed ridged, very away of the vine around his leg and the memory of her poison still fresh in his mind. "Yes Miss Ivy, I will serve you faithfully just as I did with the Justice League."

"Good, Harls took the liberty of bringing your food and since you were too lazy to make it, we made bird boy make it. It should taste good, but we have a new rule about your eating. Until you learn your place in this group, you will eat at our feet and you will not use your hands or silverware, only good and well behaved servants get that, you will have to earn it…" Ivy smiled as Harley sat the plate of food at Ivy's feet. Alfred still stood rigidly as Ivy continued to stroke his head as if petting her favorite plant or pet. Alfred said nothing as he waited. "Now Harley was nice enough to bring your food so I suggest you eat it. The other butler can clean up after us and wash the dishes while you eat."

Without warning, Ivy shoved Alfred to the floor and he grunted but otherwise showed no emotion. Before anything else could happen, two vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around Alfred's wrists and securely tied them together. Ivy put her foot on Alfred's back to prevent him from getting back up and so he sighed, bending down to the plate on the floor and began to eat the food there. He hated it, it was humiliating, but he kept his well composed manner and didn't give anything away. He looked up briefly to see one of the Injustice League members recording this, but still Alfred kept his dignified manner, not letting anything escape.

"See that Justice League, your dear ol' butler Alfie is doing such a good job as our pet," Joker purred before the camera was practically shoved in Alfred's face. Alfred refused to show any emotion, he would not be the reason any of the other members of the Justice League got captured, like Batman. "How's the food Alfie," Joker asked with a wide grin. Alfred said nothing and it took everything in him not to look annoyed. Joker's smile turned into a frown, "Why so quiet today pet? You were so loud last night screaming in pain from Ivy's poison…" Still Alfred said noting and Joker growled in anger and shoved Alfred's face down in the place, smearing the food all over his face. "Bet it tastes better that way," Joker laughed. He kept Alfred's face forced in the food and didn't let up as he turned back to the camera and smiled again. "Justice League, give up or far worse will befall your dear ol' Alfie, I might just have to carve a smile in his face." With that Joker ended the transmission and let Alfred up.

"Go back to your room Ol' man, we're done with you," Zemo said in an unimpressed voice. Alfred was slowly allowed to get up and leave, though the vines holding his hands were still in place.

"Alfred, are you alright," Robin asked in worry. It had killed Robin to watch all that, but Slade had had a death grip around him the whole time and he couldn't help Alfred no matter how hard he had tried to escape.

"I'm fine Master Robin," Alfred replied calmly.

"Harley, my puddin', why don't you follow the ol' man and make sure he finds his way to his room safe enough," Joker said with a chuckle.

"Right-a-roonie Mistah Jay," Harley said with a smile, "Lets go Alfie, your room awaits."

Alfred said nothing as they walked away. Harley kept talking to him but still he said nothing. He followed the many hallways and up the stairs and through more hallways until he finally made it to his and Jarvis' room and stopped. "Well, whacha waitin' for," Harley asked.

"I can't open the door Miss Harley, my hands are still tied behind my back from Miss Ivy's ivy," Alfred stated calmly.

"Hummm, sounds like a personal problem to me. Guess you'll just have to open the door with your mouth," She said with a smile.

"You have to be joking," Alfred said with a frown.

"Nope, Mistah Jay is the one who tells the jokes, I am very serious. You'll just have to use your mouth," she said, her smile widening. "Well go on, I'm not going to wait out here all day…"

Alfred frowned. He figured the worst of it would have been in the common room with all the villians watching him, but here and now, Harley wanted him to make a mockery of himself. To open the door with his mouth, he'd have to get down on his knees and try to use his teeth to move the handle down enough to open the door. It was humiliating. Still, he knew Harley wouldn't leave until he did so and he was tired of her watching him. The longer they stood out there waiting for him to open the door, the longer she had to think up new ways to torment him, or worse, Master Richard or Master Bruce, or rather their alter egos as no one here seemed to know them behind the mask.

Finally, Alfred sighed and got down on his knees in front of the door. He frowned, but slowly he managed to wrap his mouth around the door knob and use his teeth to anchor it and turning his head to the left, he managed to open the door. He spit the door knob out with disgust, frowning as he got up from his knees when he saw a startled Wintergreen watching them.

"What is going on here," Wintergreen asked.

"Oh, ol' Alfie here was just showing me how good he is with his mouth." Harley paused, looking at Wintergreen, "Ain't you Deathstroke's butler? Wha'cha doin' down here? Thought you were in Deathstroke's suite…"

"Yes, well he is training the boy all day and this is the best place to make tea as that Jarvis fellow always keeps the best stash here. We Englishmen know our tea and how to make it, so I was working on making myself a cup," Wintergreen replied smoothly.

"Whatever, well, Alfie's back for the night, so have fun with your sleepover or whatever this is. Imma watch the other ol' guy clean, it's fun takin' advantage of the heroes play things," Harley said shoving Alfred forward, (who had only just gotten up on his feet and her push had caused him to lose his balance and fall again), and skipping away happily.

Once she was out of sight, Wintergreen hurried to Alfred's side, "Here ol' chap, let me help you up and help you clean your face, you look a mess. Let me help you…What on earth did they do to you?"

Alfred could hear the worry in the other man's face and shrugged, "It's fine, they just shoved my face in my food, apparently I have to eat like a dog until I learn my place…I just need to clean my face up and I will be fine…"

"Well, let me cut your wrists free at least. I would hate to take away your range of motion like that. After all, you can't serve their every need if you can't use your hands…"

Alfred smiled at Wintergreen as he freed Alfred's hands and smiled, "Thanks." Alfred walked over to the sink and began to wash his face as Jarvis came in.

"Are you alright," Jarvis asked.

"Yeah, just fine, but we'd better get some rest, they'll most likely come get us bright and early tomorrow morning, and I am guessing that since I was the target today to get the Justice League's attention, you will be their target tomorrow…" Alfred warned. "You take the bed tonight and I will take the couch. I was on the bed all day yesterday with the poison in me, it's your turn," Alfred said with a warm smile.

"Yes, you both get some rest, I will see if I can be the one to come and get you in the morning so there is less pain and humiliation," Wintergreen added.

"Goodnight," They all said and went to their own beds for the night.