"Well… isn't that interesting?"

Aladdin couldn't help but gasp as he spun around, frowning when his Master stepped out of the darkness and tilted his head to one side.

"So… does Hercules have any weaknesses?"

Aladdin felt a shudder run up and down his spine at the question. "I-I-I… what are you talking about?"

Jafar stepped closer, a sly smirk on his face. "You must have a hearing problem… there's no room for a servant who can't here." His face turned serious, "Does Hercules have any weaknesses?"

"I-I-I- "

"Stop stammering boy and tell me!"

Aladdin flinched back at the anger, yelping as the bare skin of his arms made contact with the cool marble, his Master practically pinning him to the wall with how close he was now. Jafar seemed almost amused at his fear, one bony hand coming up to grab his chin, "You seem to be forgetting a teensy-wincey, ever so crucial, little tiny detail? I OWN YOU!"

…..

"Ah…" Phil groaned as he slowly came to, "…. Ah, I think I got another horn! The kid's going to be doing laps for a month for this!"

"… if I sing, you name that tune."

Phil frowned at the unfamiliar voice, peeking his head around the corner and frowning at what he saw. Aladdin was practically pinned against a nearby wall by an older man, who had a death-grip on the boy's chin.

Now Phil wasn't a big fan of Aladdin… but he didn't deserve that treatment.

"If I say I want Hercules's head on a platter, you say…"

"… Leave me alone!" Aladdin tried to struggle free, "Why are you doing this?"

Phil knew his face was pale. Someone wanted Hercules dead and they were trying to get Aladdin to do it.

Aladdin was holding out for now, but there was every chance he would break soon… and it would break Hercules when he did.

Without hearing the rest of the conversation, he raced off, heading back to the training arena.

….

"You hear that?" Jafar whispered, "That's the sound of your freedom, fluttering out of the window forever."

Smokey red butterflies hovered in front of Aladdin's face for a few seconds before he brushed them away, "I-I don't care!" he straightened up, "I-I won't let you hurt him!"

"So, worked up over another man… what would your fellow countrymen think?"

The threat was obvious, but Aladdin remained strong. "I don't care…I'm keeping him safe."

"Naïve little boy!"

The flower still in his hands, Aladdin just shook his hand, "You can't stop him… he has no weakness! He's going to- " The hand around his throat stopped him in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat as Jafar leaned in close.

"No weaknesses hmmm?" Jafar smirked, "Actually… I really think that he does." He plucked the flower from Aladdin's hands, and at his simple touch, the flower withered and died.

The meaning was clear.

…..

Phil didn't know how long he stood there, watching Hercules race around the training course in glee, leaping over obstacles and cartwheeling around, all with a beaming smile on his face.

He almost didn't want to tell him.

"Hey Phil!" Hercules finally spotted him, a grin on his face, "Where'd you go?"

"Kid, we need to talk."

Hercules clearly wasn't listening to him, the grin still on his face. "Oh Phil, I've just had the best day of my life!" He leapt up into the air, before landing some training equipment, a dozy look on his face, "He's perfect."

"Hercules! I'm trying to speak to you! Get down here!"

"Down? How can I get down when I'm feeling so up?!"

As Hercules launched himself high into the air, neither he or Phil noticed Pegasus following a gorgeous horse into a separate area.

Neither of them heard Pegaus yelp of alarm.

"I really need to talk to you kid!"

Hercules was still on cloud nine, practically bouncing over to Phil and lifting him into a big hug, "And if it wasn't for you, I would never have met him!"

As Hercules continued to babbled in glee, trying to banter with Phil, the satyr tried to speak to him.

"Listen to me! Aladdin's- "

"- a dream come true?"

"Not exactly, he's- "

"- more handsome than Apollo?"

"No, he's- "

"- the most wonderful- "

"- HE'S GOING TO BETRAY YOU!"

Hercules stopped in his tracks as Phil grabbed his wrists and screamed in his face, remaining silent as Phil continued.

"His Master wants you dead and Aladdin won't have any choice but to obey him kid!"

"S-Stop kidding around Phil."

"I'm not kidding around!"

"I know you're upset about today, but you can't just- "

"- You're not getting the point kid!"

"Phil, I think I might actually love him!"

"Yeah, he might love you… but he'll love his freedom more!"

"Shut up!"

"Wait and see kid. He's just going to betray you- "

"- Shut up- "

"- He'll lie to you and- "

"- SHUT UP!" With the anger finally erupting, Hercules reared his fist back and punched Phil across the face, sending him flying back into some training equipment.

The anger was gone as quickly as it came.

"Phil…" Hercules whispered, suddenly realising what he'd done, "… Phil, I-I'm sorry."

Phil ignored him, slowly pushing himself to his feet. "Alright…" he whispered, turning away from Hercules, "… Alright. You don't want to listen to the truth, fine!"

He then went to leave.

"Phil? Where are you going?"

"Home… I'm done with this town."

Hercules was stunned for a few moments, before shaking his head and glaring at Phil's retreating back. "Fine! Leave! I-I don't need you here anyway!"

As he turned his attention back to training, he failed to hear Phil's parting words.

"I thought you were going to be the all-time champ… not the all-time chump."

Almost as soon as Phil was gone, the torches all blew out and an unfamiliar voice spoke from the shadows.

"Geez… what got his goat?"

Glancing up at a training bar, Hercules watched as a grey skin man with flaming blue hair suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of him.

"The name's Hades, Lord of the Dead, hey how you doing?"

"Not now…" Hercules turned away, only to take a step back when Hades reappeared in front of him.

"This won't take long kid, only a few seconds, and I'm a fast talker. You see, I've got this major deal in the works, call it a real-estate venture if you will. And Herc, can I call you Herc, you are always in the way."

"Leave me alone."

As Hercules tried to leave the scene, he was suddenly grabbed and twisted around, causing him to stare directly at the God.

"WHY YOU- "Hades let go and took several deep breaths, "… Hear me out, okay? I would be eternally grateful if you would just… take the day off from this hero business of yours?"

"Not going to happen."

Once again, Hercules tried to walk away, only to hear a sinister chuckling coming from behind him.

"I thought you might say that… so I have a little something to change your mind." Hades clicked his fingers and Aladdin appeared out of nowhere, fresh bruises on his face.

"Aladdin!"

"Hercules! Run, get awa- " He was gagged as chains wrapped around his entire body, causing him to fall to the ground, disappearing before Hercules could get to him.

"LET HIM GO!" Hercules growled, charging at Hades, frowning when he went straight through the God.

"Here's the deal…"Hades acted as though Hercules had never done anything, "… you give up your powers for twenty-four hours, let's say, the next twenty-four hours…" He clicked his fingers again and a gagged Aladdin appeared somewhere else, "… and Aladdin will be free. You'll kiss, dance, schmooze, come on… what d'ya say?"

Hercules glanced at Aladdin, before turning his attention back to Hades. "People- people are going to get hurt aren't they."

"Nah… well you know, it's a possibility, these things happen, war and all… but hey, what do you owe these people anyway?" Hades drifted over to Aladdin, gripping his face tightly and forcing him to look at Hercules, "Isn't Aladdin, precious little Aladdin, isn't he more important than them?"

"Stop it!"

"ISN'T HE?!"

Hercules was silent for a short period of time, before shaking his head and growling in frustration. "You've got to swear that he'll be safe from any harm, that he won't be hurt!"

"Fine, fine, fine…" Hades rolled his eyes, "… Aladdin will be safe, and if he does get hurt in the next twenty-four hours, then all your powers will be returned to you. Yada, yada, yada, how about we shake on it?"

Hercules hesitated.

"Look…" Hades snarled, "… I really don't have time for this, on a bit of schedule here and everything, so I need an answer NOW! Going once…"

Hercules glanced at Aladdin, who shook his head frantically.

"…. Going twice…"

"Alright!" Hercules finally gave in, holding out his hand as Hades whooped in glee.

"Yes! We're in business!"

Hades clasped Hercules's hand tight, smirking as a bright light filled the air and the younger man started to fall to his knees.

Hercules meanwhile, felt like his very life was being sucked from his body, his bones seeming to turn to jelly as he collapsed to the ground weakly.

As he tried to get to his feet, Hercules groaned as his knees wobbled dangerously under him, Hades sniggering to the side of him.

"You may feel a little queasy, it's perfectly natural… "The God lifted one of Hercules's heaviest weights into the air, "… maybe you should SIT DOWN!"

He flung the weights at Hercules, chuckled as they propelled the ex-demi-God to the ground, preventing him from getting to his feet. He strained and pushed at the weights, desperately trying to dislodge them as Hades strode closer.

"There you go…" the God sneered, "… now you're just like everybody else. Isn't it just peachy?" There was a pause, before Hades chuckled menacingly, "Oh, you're going to love this, one moment…." He got to his feet and turned his attention to the imprisoned Aladdin, "… Come on boy, a deal's a deal. You're off the hook."

With a snap of his fingers, the chains around Aladdin disappeared as Hercules slowly wriggled free of the weights.

"What do you think Herc?" Hades chuckled, summoning Aladdin closer and pulling him close, "… and they say the Greeks are the better actors!"

"Get off me!"

Hercules frowned, watching as Aladdin struggled to pull himself free…. Something was wrong with this situation.

"What-what do you mean?"

"I mean, he was working for me the whole time… duh!" Hades cackled.

Aladdin continued to shake his head, with Hercules making the same movement unconsciously.

"You're- you're lying!"

Kicking away two small figures as they chanted "The heroes a zero", Hercules watched as the demons morphed together and shifted into a parrot, as Hades shifted as well, changing into the form of a tall, dark-skinned man dressed in a smart, red and black.

"I'm his Master…" the man sneered, "… you are nothing to him."