Aladdin broke the surface of the water in the underground waterway when his body stopped spinning dizzily through the current. Luckily, he reached an area where the water was calmer, grabbed the ledge and pulled himself out. Coughing out the water that burned down his throat when he swallowed it, he managed to look around the area, and sighed.
"Well, one thing those U-serpents didn't count on - this street rat can swim. Only question now is how I got down here."
Aladdin couldn't remember much between his conversation with Ajan and the present, though he was aware that he'd been dreaming something particularly harrowing.
"That dream felt too real," he said, noticing his fez floating in the water, grabbing it to dump the water out. "Between fighting Jasmine and Genie sending me over the edge of a cliff - it must've been some side effect of the poison. I don't know what the U-serpents did to me, but I know one thing - I'm getting out of here."
As he stood, he heard the sound of voices coming from a set of nearby stairs. Not having many options for escape, Aladdin found a nearby boulder to hide behind as three large figures emerged in the area, carrying torches.
Aladdin recognized them as he looked from behind the boulder: The U-serpents.
Ajan sneered as he waved his torch around the area. "Any s-sign of him?"
Garan shook his head. "None. They were far more resourceful than we expected. But no matter. Versat will show himself eventually."
Aladdin could help but think the name Versat sounded familiar, but he couldn't figure where it came from.
"What about Aladdin?"
Faran laughed at Garan. "He doesn't s-stand a chance. It's only a matter of time before the conversion is complete. I have the hourglass-s to prove it."
Faran pulled an hourglass from beneath his robe, with the sands half empty. "Once the s-sands run out, the entity that's dominant will take form - permanently. The boy won't be able to fight it off, of this-s I am certain."
Aladdin raised an eyebrow. Fight what off? He winced and put a hand on his sore side, which he figured he must've hit something while he was in the water. Before he could think of anything else, he heard a familiar voice at the top of the stairs from where the U-serpents came.
"Hey, is it too much to ask that we have more light in here? I'm going blind!"
Aladdin frowned. That was definitely Iago.
"S-silence!" Garan shouted up the stairway, his voice echoing as it bounced off the walls. "We'll be the ones-s determining your fate. All in good time. I think we could use a course of a bird and monkey after our victory, wouldn't you agree?"
The other two U-serpents laughed heartily.
They've got Abu too, Aladdin thought, clenching his fists at his sides.
"Come, let us give Agrabah a night to remember." Ajan said, pressing a stone on the wall before walking off with Garan and Faran further down the underground passage.
Aladdin felt the room shake, some stony pebbles dropping from the ceiling. He had to cover his head with his arms to shield the effect, but he looked ahead quickly to realize the area to the stairway was quickly closing off. If Abu and Iago were in there, they'd be trapped in. He had no guarantee that pressing the stone in the wall would open the way again, so he did the first thing that came to mind.
Aladdin sprang to his feet, and ran, just managing to squeeze in before the area closed behind him.
"Oh terrific, just terrific. First I get chewed out for charity work and saying the wrong thing. Now I'm stuck in here with you, about to be their next dinner!" Iago shouted, though his view of Abu was upside down. The U-serpents put cuffs around his legs and wings, pinning him to the wall.
Abu, sitting below him in the prison room, only responded with a roll of his eyes and a heavy sigh.
That's when they both heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Abu screeched in panic.
"Oh no, they're coming back. They must've changed their minds. I'm too young for this," Iago said.
"Are you guys the only ones in here?" A familiar voice called just before emerging from the shadows into the light of the room.
Abu screeched happily as Aladdin studied the room and saw them a distance away.
Iago looked relieved. "Boy, are we glad to see you. Now can you please get me down from here, because apparently those snakes don't know a parrot from a bat!"
Aladdin helped both Iago and Abu out of their confines. "We've gotta get out of here and get back to Agrabah. The U-serpents are going to try to level the city again."
"Who isn't trying to level Agrabah? It's like it's some kind of fashion trend."
"Where's Jasmine, Genie, and Carpet? Are they here too?" Aladdin asked.
"Who else you think dragged me here to save you?" Iago said, but Abu quickly started screeching and shaking his fist at the parrot, who winced.
"Okay, okay! I'll admit I was a little worried. By the way, did you see Versat on your way here? Cause we wanna make sure we don't tangle with him while we make our escape plan."
Aladdin's eyebrows raised. "Apparently the U-serpents are looking for him too, but I haven't seen anyone. Who's Versat again?"
Iago slapped his wing against his forehead. "Obviously he's a part of them! Scaly snake face, sharp fangs, ambulatory, purple eyes, long cloak? Ring any bells?"
Aladdin shook his head. "Nope, haven't seen him. As far as I know, there were only three members of the U-serpents. Now they're four?"
Abu nodded. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
"Well, I don't get it. The U-Serpents definitely said Versat was wherever you were. Then again, maybe better you haven't seen him, 'cause he freaked me out!" Iago followed.
"Where did you guys see him?" Aladdin asked, looking between Iago and Abu as they sat on each of his shoulders. Aladdin felt around the walls, looking for some kind of mechanism to get them out of the area, but nothing budged.
"On the way coming in," Iago said. "Though Versat sure tumbled off that cliff when Genie saved the princess. She gave him a nasty burn too..."
Aladdin's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
At the same moment, Aladdin's hand found a place in the wall where it slipped, opening a panel in the wall that lead to another set of stairs.
"Terrific, our way outta here," Iago started flying ahead of them, not really paying attention to Aladdin's question, which made Abu roll his eyes.
Aladdin looked at Abu. "Guess the only way we can go is up, Abu. But what happened with Jasmine and Genie? Did Versat attack them?"
Abu nodded and made a significant amount of hand gestures explaining what happened, at least what he'd seen before he'd been captured.
"So it wasn't a dream. But how did I...?" Aladdin wondered aloud, but shook his head. "I probably won't know until we meet back up with them. Let's just find a way to get out of here."
Aladdin took two steps forward, about to approach the foot of the stairs, when he suddenly sank to his knees. Abu screeched and whimpered worriedly.
"No...I'm okay. Just a little dizzy. I think the venom still hasn't worn off. Still, Ajan never really said what it'd do to me. It didn't kill me at least, but..."
It didn't kill you, but it certainly made your body very useful to me.
An echoing voice entered into Aladdin's thoughts.
"Who said that? Where are you?" Aladdin said, looking around the area. Abu looked confused.
"Wait, you didn't hear that?" Aladdin asked Abu, who only shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
He can't hear me like you can, Aladdin. As far as where I am - I'm you. Or did you forget the encounter you had with your friends-s? If only I'd had more time, I would've destroyed them. Or should I say, you would've destroyed them.
"No! You're lying!" Aladdin shouted.
You really think I am? You won't be able to fight it off for long. Very s-soon, I'll possess-s your body, and you will c-cease to exist. You only have until the sands run out of the hourglass, boy. Oh, that's right, I forgot to introduce myself - I am Versat.
Aladdin's eyes widened. Suddenly everything the U-serpents said earlier made a lot of sense. "No...it can't be..."
Aladdin broke from his thoughts when Abu suddenly started screeching loudly. Abu pointed at Aladdin's hands on the ground. When he looked down, Aladdin saw the cause and had about as much reason to panic.
Claws. Scales. His hands were starting to mold into the same guise as the U-serpents.
Aladdin felt a wave of dizziness hit him again, the same as before when Ajan had first told him of the curse. He realized that this was ten times worse than anything he ever could've thought of.
But as far as Aladdin was concerned, he was going to do everything he could to fight back.
Abu backed into a side of the staircase wall, looking at Aladdin as more of his body started transforming. But as far as Abu knew, Aladdin was still very much himself and struggling against the effect.
"I can't hold this off for long, but I can buy some time. Go, Abu, get out of here!"
Abu screeched in protest, but Aladdin shook his head.
"There's no time! You have to warn...hurry!" Aladdin shouted. But Aladdin's voice and form were soon replaced in the guise of a very familiar form, that started taking shape and forming in front of Abu.
Versat stared at the monkey with glowing purple eyes, laughing.
Abu screeched and ran up the stairs as fast as he could, with the U-serpent barreling after him.