Chapter Five: A New Phenomenon.

Jasmine walked back and forth in front of the royal physician's office. Her whole world was shattering into pieces. She couldn't take the loss of another loved one. The Sultan had heart trouble this morning and the physician rush to his quarters to aid him. The rest of the early morning, the sultan had more tests with his health at the doctors office. Her fiance Aladdin had been missing for so long that she wasn't even sure that he loved her anymore. If he did love her enough then he wouldn't contact her or written a letter to her. A sign, any kind of sign that he would be still out there coming home to her. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together. How can he not tell her? How can he not come back? Jasmine felt as if Aladdin abandoned her that maybe her love wasn't enough. Her anger became to unforgiveness that made her heart into bitterness.
The sultan came out of the doctor's office. " That was a close call that I had this morning. I'm afraid that my heart is not ticking as it used to be. It don't want to have my worst fears to come true and leave you by yourself. Dearest, I have such deep concern for you. I want you to be taken care of. If Aladdin hadn't left then you guys would be married by now then I wouldn't have to worry so much."
Jasmine faked a smile across her face, " It's okay father. At least you're all right. For Aladdin, maybe it wasn't meant to be. It had to happen, sooner or later. It's better that, it ended before the wedding."
The sultan put his hand on her shoulder, " I'm sorry that you have to go through this."
" What's there to be to feel sorry about? I hardly miss him. I just have to go on like we ever even met." Jasmine lied through her teeth. " It's about time for me to move on."
" You're right. I'm going to have a royal ball for you. All the eligible bachelors will be invited. Whatever that appears to your liking. No pressure to you. Maybe someone better will come along."
Maybe her father was right, that someone better would come along. Even though Jasmine didn't like the idea of being marketed around like a piece of meat. She wanted to make her father happy. Moving on would be a great idea.

That afternoon Jasmine was at the marketplace with Sadira. They were shopping around for the royal ball this weekend. The atmosphere of the marketplace seemed to change. Jasmine noticed that the poverty level has been uplifted. There was no one begging in the streets. The families that were once struggling to survive were now cleanly clothed with money in their pockets. There wasn't a beggar in sight.
" Thank you for inviting to the ball. I'm so psyched to go. Whenever you get stuck with a boring prince just call on me and I'll bail you out." said Sadira.
" You're welcome. It's better to have someone I know then to be a stranger at my own party." Jasmine noticed a vendor that makes fruit salad. " Do you want something to eat?" Jasmine offered Sadira.
" First let the royal inspector see if it's alright to eat it." Sadira kids around.
Jasmine and Sadira sat down at the fountain. Jasmine noticed two little boys play heroes and villians.
" I'm Mozenrath! Lord of the Blacksands! I'm going to zap you with my powerful gauntlet! Zap! Zap! " said the little boy as he jumps pretending to fire from his arm.
Another little boy was wearing a bed sheet around his neck as a cape, " Oh yeah! I'm the Midnight Vigilante! I reflect your magic from my mirror wristbands! Zing! Zing!"
The little boy who played Mozenrath complained, " Hey! No fair! You're supposed to be Aladdin!"
" Well, the Midnight Vigilante is better!"
" Nah! Uh! How that be? The Midnight Vigilante can't be seen so you can't play him!"
" Yeah! Huh! I saw him! He saved my family from being robbed!"
" Oh! Yeah! What did you see?"
" A shadow."
" Midnight Vigilante?" Jasmine asked Sadira
" A protector of the people. He protects the innocent, helps the needy, and serves justice to the ones that are done wrong. He's the new phenomenon lately."
" An angel of the night. " a bystander jumped into the conversation. " He saved my baby from being kidnapped."
" I heard that he was an exiled man who is trying to get redemption." said another citizen
The crowd was getting bigger talking about the Midnight Vigilante. " The crime rate has been down, thanks to him." someone called out.
" They say he can't be seen and causes terror into the evildoers. The people that have seen him are arrested into the royal dungeon." said a rich merchant.
" Finally a city where the just is served. The Midnight Vigilante does a much better job than the royal guards. Now, that they guards are trying to beat the Midnight Vigilante at their own game." said an old man. " At least it's better for them to move than to eat baklava and drink fermented grape juice at their post."
The new hero in town fascinated Jasmine. She decided to investigate more about the Vigilante at the underground dungeon.
" Sorry princess. I can't let you in." said Faazal
" Why not? I just want to know what's the deal with the Midnight Vigilante. They say he can't be seen accept for the prisoners." demanded Jasmine.
" That Midnight Vigilante is a menace to society! He's taking my job! He should be behind these bars just like the rest of these freaks! He's out there prancing around like he's above the law." Rasoul complainedr
" Oh yeah? What have you done for Agrabah so far? I've never seen father sentenced so many prisoners before and the cells were practically packed."
" We were looking for your boyfriend." answered Rasoul.
Jasmine folded her arms, " I don't think that you were actually trying."
" Fine! Enter at your own risk!" Rasoul allowed her in.He changed his mind, " Wait! Let Faazal go with you. At least there's a bodyguard with you."
Jasmine walked into the jail cells with Faazal. The prisoners were making catcalls and getting rowdy like they never seen a female before. The princess ignored them and Faazal tried to make them calm down.
" Don't make me get him to go after you." said Faazal. The prisoners ignored Faazal's warning and they began to be rowdy. " Want to now a cool magic trick princess?"
" Sure." answered Jasmine.
" Midnight Vigilante." called out Faazal. They prisoners screamed in horror and cowered into their corner. " Take your pick."
Jasmine went up to a cell and asked, " What do you know about the Midnight Vigilante?"
" He's not with you is he?" asked the prisoner. Jasmine shook her head no. " He's a phantom ghost. My men were in the rich district breaking into a home. A cold wind brushed through us and there was no open window. A black shadow appeared in front of us. We raised out swords and they were snapped out of our hands. Men attacked him and the Midnight Vigilante fought dirty with fighting skills that I've never seen before. He is no man I tell you. He was more of a mystical being. I was by myself with no one to back me up. I ran for dear life. He popped in front of me. With a powerful punch, I was knocked out and I found myself tied up with my men in front of the captain quarters."
Another prisoner that Jasmine interviewed, his chamber was lighted up and he was afraid of the dark. " Whatever you do. Please don't let Rasoul turned off my lights. If the lights are off then the Midnight Vigilante will come and get me. " he cried.
" So what's your story?" Jasmine asked.
" I stole a purse from an old lady and running through the dark alleys which are my only escape from the guards. I have these night vision glasses to see my way. Before I could put them on I was ambushed, The Vigilante moved too quick for me to retaliate. I thought he was just a myth and that my friends were talking crazy about a phantom hero. He beat me up pretty bad and had me arrested. I'm happy that I'm here, this is my sanctuary."
Almost every person that Jasmine talked to was the same story as the last. Some prisoners wished to stay in the cells because it was safer and they could get a meal. They didn't want to deal with the Midnight Vigilante. Some prisoners want to retire their life of crime and try to live like ordinary citizens. If not he'll strike again. The only visual that they can make out is a shadow of a man.
Jasmine came to the menagerie and found Genie reading a Midnight Vigilante comic book. She grabbed the comic book from his hands. " Hey, Jas! I was getting to the good part!"
" You know about him too?" asked Jasmine.
" Know about him? I've got every merchandise and comic book that was made on him. " Genie zapped his collection to show Jasmine. From action figures, t-shirts, and collectibles. " Bruce Wayne used to read stories about the Midnight Vigilante as a child before he became Batman." He pulled a servant that was passing by and Genie was the cape crusader. He was eye to eye with him. " I'm Batman."
Even though that most of the merchandise showed a black shadow on it. Jasmine picked up the action figure and examined it. " There's something about him that I can't put my finger on."
" Maybe it's the dark, tall, and the mysterious type that makes the women swoon like a flower on a sweltering day." replied Genie
" I have to see him for myself. Genie, will you help me?"