"Moze… what was that?" Something was definitely off. Xerxes, who swam up to Mozenrath earlier, curled around his shoulders. He occasionally hissed at Aladdin, only to be shushed by Mozenrath. Aladdin ignored Xerxes, and turned to look at Mozenrath. "Moze…?" Was he seeing things, or did Mozenrath genuinely look scared?
"No good!" Xerxes voiced.
Mozenrath straightened himself as soon as he noticed he was being watched, and gave a blank expression. He felt Xerxes stiffen around his shoulders, and absentmindedly patted Xerxes' spine to his head. Xerxes nudged his hand for more pats. Mozenrath didn't have any answers, but he did have an inkling as to what the implications might mean. He glanced over Xerxes at Aladdin, then returned his attention to the scrying portal that was now closing.
"It seems you have your work cut out for you, Street Rat…" He hummed, smirking, but honestly…? He could taste bile in his mouth. He hadn't expected this sort of thing to happen, though he supposed he shouldn't be surprised. And if it was what he thought, or rather who he thought… He could feel his stomach turning. His throat became uncomfortably warm. He swallowed.
Xerxes clung to Mozenrath's shoulders. He was going to ask if his Master was sick, but thought better of it. He already had a bruise forming from being smacked against the wall. He was about to suggest something instead, but Mozenrath beat him to it. "Leave, Xerxes."
Xerxes looked at Mozenrath, hurt, but didn't say a word against him. Dejectedly, he swam past Aladdin. Giving him dirty looks until he wasn't in sight anymore.
Aladdin watched Xerxes leave, then returned his attention to Mozenrath. He could see Mozenrath's smirk beginning to drop. Were it any other time, he'd be glad to see the sorcerer being knocked down a peg or two. But if he wasn't the cause of this… whatever this is, and if it genuinely scares him… Aladdin knew he should be worried. "Moze," he took a step closer to him. "Look, I can't help if I don't know what it is." He was going to put a hand on Mozenrath's shoulder before he swatted him away. Aladdin frowned at him when he noticed Mozenrath glaring at him over his shoulder. Again. "Don't look at me like that! You're the one who looked like—"
"You need to leave, as well."
"What? Why?"
Why? It wasn't like he invited him anyway! "Because I won't have you staring over my shoulder as I work!" Mozenrath snapped at him. He opened a fiery, black-blue portal behind him.
"Wait! You're not even going to tell me what we're up against?" Both of them could feel the difference in air from the portal. Aladdin quickly looked behind him and saw it was set to the palace's throne room, where the Sultan, Jasmine, and Genie were currently gathered around, talking. He looked back at Mozenrath, to see him properly facing Aladdin.
"No, I'm not." He shoved Aladdin through the portal. While Aladdin, who lost his balance, grabbed onto Mozenrath's arm, dragging him with him. A shocked Carpet flew in after them.
Instead of falling into the throne room. Near the Genie. With no complete plan on how to capture him. Mozenrath was able to change the location at the last second. Instead of falling in the throne room, they fell into some back alleyway, away from most people. Though he was sure someone would be around to witness it.
Carpet managed to catch Aladdin within seconds of him hitting the ground. With a soft thud, Aladdin grunted then picked himself up. He smiled at Carpet, "thanks, Carpet!" Meanwhile there was a slightly louder thud, and a groan of pain next to him. Aladdin knelt on Carpet, while he folded his arms, and shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… I dunno, Moze… the way you hold yourself, the way you speak, and the type of place you live in… I'd never figured you'd be flirting with poverty. I thought you were married to your work; don't tell me you're divorcing her!"
The gauntlet reacted. Black-blue energy surrounded his fingers. Though Mozenrath held some of it off. He was only slightly annoyed. He didn't want to kill him. Yet. Mozenrath picked himself up, simply glanced over his shoulder at Aladdin, and blasted both Aladdin and Carpet from underneath them. Knocking Aladdin off Carpet, while Carpet just narrowly avoided having a hole singed through it. Instead, it only sustained fraying along the edge.
The energy he reserved from the blast still remained.
Mozenrath brushed himself off. "You forget yourself. You have everything you have because it was handed to you on a silver platter. In the end, you will always remain a street rat because you haven't worked, suffered, or earned anything. I earned, and deserve what I have because I worked and suffered to get it! Divorcing my work? Hardly. Though your type would be the type to divorce the rich for richer."
"I love Jasmine! That's something you'll never be able to understand since no one has ever loved you!"
"Love is an easily exploitable weakness. So, thank you for being in love, Aladdin. Very much appreciated."
Aladdin gawked at him, then huffed. He raised an eyebrow, and folded his arms at Mozenrath the instant he saw him open another portal, and heard him quietly wince. The portal closed itself. Something told Aladdin that wasn't supposed to happen. "Mozenrath, if you're really not behind this, then it's in your best interest to actually tell me what's going on. I can help you to an extent, but you can just forget about it if you're going to be difficult."
"What are you blabbering about now, Street Rat!? I'm not in the mood." Mozenrath's arm felt like it was on fire. And now he thought about it, he had been using a lot of magic the past few days.
"I don't think you realise that you're something of an infamous terrorist, as far as Agrabah is concerned. One that – "
"Something? Please. Have a little more respect for your future Overlord. I am entirely an infamous terrorist that Agrabah should fear." His voice betrayed no hints of pain. He closed his eyes. The fire was beginning to subside, making way for him to feel the gauntlet feed off his essence, and body. He knew it would wear off in a minute or two. He's been through it enough times. He would lose more of his body because of it, but it would be worth it. He agreed to the parasitic symbiosis, after all. A pound of flesh; the price of power.
"I'll be forced to stop you. Again."
"Just like old times, hmm?" That insufferable smirk…
Aladdin could feel his blood pressure rise. He clenched his hands into fists tightly. His nails bitting into his palms. He took a few seconds to collect himself. Anger wasn't going to help him with dealing with Mozenrath. It never did. "It doesn't have to be, Mozenrath." He started with gritted teeth. Then unclenched his hands, and continued as calmly as possible. "You could just leave Agrabah, and the Seven Deserts alone."
Mozenrath didn't answer. Leaving them alone wasn't an option. He may have simply wanted it before, but now he needs it. Leaving them alone isn't even in the realm of possibility. Mozenrath wanted to live.
"Moze? Are you hearing me?"
"I am."
"Well?"
"Well what?" He opened his eyes, glancing in Aladdin's direction.
Aladdin rolled his eyes. He sighed exasperatedly before slowly asking. "One, are you going to co-operate? And two, will you leave Agrabah, and the Seven Deserts alone?"
Yes, and no. "Yes."
"To?"
"Both." He didn't exactly lie.
He sighed again. This time in relief. He didn't know if he believed him, but he felt a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Even if he did lie to him, at least things can move forward. And that it seemed like they could figure this out. At least for now. "Good…"
The feeling subsided more quickly than Mozenrath expected. Which either meant his body was getting used to it, or there was less of him to give. He would have to think about that later. Mozenrath turned to look at Aladdin, resting his chin on his left hand. Assessing him. Aladdin frowned at him. Mozenrath smirked. He may have defeated him multiple times, through the help of his friends and that damnable djinn, but never alone. He was right when he said he wouldn't survive an encounter with him alone, let alone someone more powerful… Let alone someone more powerful with the gauntlet. A body like his would be more useful alive, but he could still make use of it in death. His smirk grew. "Alright, you want to know oh-so-badly? I suppose I can make an attendance to your funeral, and raise you as a mamluk. It would be quite the spectacle, wouldn't you say? Agrabah's greatest hero a shambling horror? How can I possibly resist?"
"Mozenrath…" He gritted his teeth at him.
"If you're so determined to die, and serve me, then that's 'Master' to you." And to further show his transparency, Mozenrath started walking out of the back alleyway towards the marketplace. "Now come, I'll explain as we go along."
Aladdin blinked. "What?" Mozenrath didn't stop, so Aladdin jogged to catch up to him. "Moze, what part of 'you're a wanted terrorist' don't you understand?"
"I understand more than you think I do, Aladdin. I was learning spells in dead languages since before you learned to crawl."
"Pfft. Yeah, right. Look, I know you think you're some sort of prodigy, but you're barely older than me."
"Again, that's more your problem than mine."
Aladdin glared at him as he walked beside him. "You're insufferable!"
"Thank you. And your stench isn't quite as bad as it usually is." Mozenrath said flatly.
He didn't smell, did he…? Aladdin stopped as Mozenrath continued walking, and lifted an arm to smell his armpit. Nothing. He dropped his arm to his side. Then huffed and gave Mozenrath a dirty look. He did not smell.