Chapter 1: Following the Stranger

"So, what's new in Agrabah?" Iago said, perched onto Jasmine's shoulder as she helped decorate the inside of a newly constructed row of houses in the quarter of Agrabah closest to the palace. "I give these new houses all of a day or two to survive against whatever enemy wants to destroy the city next. They might as well get in line."

"Stop talking like that, Iago," Jasmine said, frowning. "Besides, these houses are being constructed for people who don't have a place to live. We're trying to reach out and give people a chance to live better around the city so they don't have to be on the street. It's still not accommodating everyone, but at least it's a start."

Iago narrowed his eyes. "I think I can take a guess at whose idea that ended up being."

Aladdin eased up just past Iago, grinning as he announced "Yep, me - that's who!", which scared the bird enough to fall off Jasmine's shoulder. Jasmine and Aladdin laughed as Iago shook his wing at Aladdin.

"Stop scaring me like that!"

Aladdin shrugged. "What can I say, Iago - you've gotta pay more attention to your surroundings. You never know what might sneak up on you when you least expect it. Right, Abu?"

Abu screeched in agreement from Aladdin's shoulder, which made Iago roll his eyes.

As Iago flew off, Aladdin looked around the house that Jasmine had put the finishing touches on decorating. "This place looks great Jasmine. You guys spent all day decorating these yourselves?"

She nodded. "I'm amazed how well they turned out. Thanks to you and Genie building the furniture, I think they'll be a nice touch." Jasmine yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "But we might have to call it a day - it's almost nightfall."

"No kidding. I'm feeling sore myself. Genie's still building furniture and not even breaking a sweat. Although..." he paused, wincing as he leaned closer to Jasmine. "I think he might be going a little overboard on some of the decorating. Maybe you can talk to him."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh," Abu agreed, imitating a series of dramatic poses that were meant to imitate Genie as he deliberated over how to design a chair.

Jasmine laughed. "I think I can handle that, along with introducing the new tenants to their home."

As Jasmine walked out of the house, Aladdin found himself yawning as well, rubbing his sore shoulders. "So, Abu, you think we should call it a day and head back to the palace? I think Jasmine, Genie, and Carpet can take care of things here."

"Yeah, yeah!" Abu agreed.

"Well, that just leaves figuring out where Iago went. Hope I didn't scare him too much - I was only kidding." The two of them left the house, walking through the streets of Agrabah as the sky grew darker overhead.

"Iago? Iago! Come on, I didn't mean to make you mad! Where are you?" Aladdin called. No sooner than the prince had asked for Iago than the bird seemed to come out of nowhere, yelling and crashing right into Aladdin's chest. Aladdin winced, catching Iago in his hands just before the bird dropped to the sands.

"Okay...breathing...gotta breathe. Guys, guys! Shady person - 12:00, coming from that way." Iago pointed his wing behind him, barely speaking between breaths. "He...definitely did not...look like he was from around here."

"A shady guy? That doesn't really tell us anything," Aladdin said, raising a brow as he shared a look with Abu.

"I swear! He looked creepy! Weren't you the one telling me to watch my surroundings earlier?! He tried to grab me and started chasing me when I was just flyin' around and..." Iago yelled again, pointed his wing just beyond the curve of a group of buildings. "AHHHH! There he is! That's the guy!" Aladdin just barely saw the glimpse of a figure, who turned and ran out of sight.

The three of them stood in the middle of the street, confused, but Iago recovered faster than Aladdin and Abu.

"Waitaminute, first he was chasing me, and now he's runnin' away?! Oh, no, this bird is not lettin' that happen." Just as quickly as he'd came, Aladdin saw Iago fly from his grasp and rush after the running figure.

"Wait, Iago!" Aladdin groaned, looking at Abu. "I think we'd better follow him to make sure he doesn't get in trouble. Though whoever that guy was, he definitely wasn't too smart to try to steal something from the loudest parrot in the seven deserts."

The man with the tattered robe hid himself carefully in the shadows between buildings. He saw the loudmouth parrot fly right past him. It was odd, since just a moment before he'd tried to grab the parrot long enough to see if it was the bird that was rumored to be in the company of the prince of Agrabah. Sure enough, he had his answer when he saw the prince and his monkey not far from where the bird ended up. The man turned as soon as he'd seen them and ran the other direction.

He wasn't about to give away his intentions so easily. If anyone had suspicions of his attentions, he'd be held in a palace prison for a long time - or even executed. Agrabah would surely fall from what his visions had shown him. No, it had to be done, and he'd have to escape undetected.

"I know Iago few somewhere around here, I just heard him." The man heard the prince say not just a few steps from where he hid. He knew it was his moment to strike.

Now or never.

"Iago!" Aladdin called, but nothing answered him but the brief stirring of the night air through the streets.

Abu made a series of grumbling screeches as he folded his arms across his chest while sitting on Aladdin's shoulder.

"Yeah, tell me about it, Abu. All this for just a regular thief we don't even..." Aladdin trailed off as he thought he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He felt the hair rise at the back of his neck.

Someone was definitely watching them, he knew. He just wasn't sure who or why.

"...Aladdin?" Abu said, eyeing his friend carefully as Aladdin looked around, his body tensing.

The figure came rushing out of the darkness into the street illuminated by the moon. That's how Aladdin realized the figure had a knife, and that it was coming straight at him.

Abu yelped as the knife barely missed taking a patch of fur from his arm as Aladdin avoided the attack.

"Abu, get down!" Aladdin said, just before the figure took another swipe at Aladdin with his knife. But even as Aladdin dodged the knife, he wasn't fast enough to avoid the figure kicking him in the stomach, which knocked him off his feet and spinning a distance away on the sandy ground.

Abu was thrown from Aladdin's shoulder and to the ground, but he recovered fast enough to leap onto the stranger's shoulder just as he walked over to where Aladdin lay on the ground. He scratched at the stranger's back, which made the figure grunt a few times before reaching a hand back to grab Abu's tail and lift him to where his eyes glared at the monkey. Abu flinched, before grinning sheepishly and lifting his fez in greeting to the angry stranger.

"As much as I admire your loyalty to your friend," the man in the tattered robes said, "this is a matter in which you are better off not involved."

"Let him go!" Aladdin charged and knocked the stranger from his feet. Unfortunately, that left Abu spinning in midair, just before landing in a nearby pot in which the lid snapped on, preventing Abu from escaping.

Aladdin had the advantage at first with the stranger, pinning the man in the robes down by his hands on the ground.

"Whatever you're trying to rob us for, it's not worth this. Just stop fighting," Aladdin said.

The stranger's eyes seemed to dance with amusement. "It would be something if I were trying to rob you, but that's not why I'm here, Aladdin."

Aladdin's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

The stranger's chuckle rung low and deep. "It's hard not to know the Prince of Agrabah. Especially since I came here for you. Word seems to ring true. You're quick on your feet and know how to fight, like the mongrel of the street you once were."

"Mongrel?!" Aladdin's offense was short lived, however, when the stranger's boot connected with his rib, making him double over. It didn't make him fall, but it gave the stranger the advantage as he pushed Aladdin to a nearby alley wall, pinning one of Aladdin's arms behind his back. Aladdin used his free arm to push against the figure, stopping the odd blade barely a few inches from his chest. Aladdin noticed how strange the blade looked. It was an odd color, an onyx blade with a silver handle.

"You're only making this harder for yourself, boy. I'll use your own words against you: just stop fighting."

Aladdin found his advantage and pushed his attacker's arm off base, which ripped a part of Aladdin's tunic, but didn't harm him. He used his elbow to connect with the stranger's chest and stomach, which made the figure double back - but he didn't let go of the knife.

The figure responded with a move that was too quick as he used his leg to trip Aladdin from his feet, making him fall backward. Aladdin crashed into a nearby set of pots, one of them cracking under his weight. Aladdin grunted, and though his vision started blurring, he staggered to his feet again.

Not before the figure shoved him against the end wall of the alley, pinning Aladdin's body against it. "You're quite wrong. I'm not here to kill you."

Aladdin glared at him, speaking through his teeth. "Why then? Who are you?"

The figure's eyes narrowed a little, not so much angry as they were firm. "Good questions. Remember the name Zeta. As far as why I'm here, that's another matter." He leaned closer to Aladdin's ear, as if whispering a closely guarded secret. Aladdin could feel the stranger's breath on his ear. "Remember this, Aladdin - no matter what happens from here, I only mean to protect you. We will meet again, I promise."

Aladdin wasn't expecting that answer at all, so much that he was taken aback - a moment too long. Nor did he anticipate the rush of pain as Zeta plunged the dagger into his chest.