Chapter 10

The next morning, Aladdin—Abu perched on his shoulder—led the twins through the bustling streets of Agrabah in search of breakfast. They needed energy for their upcoming journey to find their family, including their missing puppies. As they walked, Aladdin turned to the twins and asked, "What should we eat for breakfast? It'll be our last meal in Agrabah together, after all."

Drew hesitated before replying, "Why don't you decide?"

Aladdin grinned and accepted the suggestion. He scanned the market, his sharp eyes darting between the colorful stalls, until he spotted a merchant selling melons. "Follow me," he said, gesturing for the twins to keep up.

They climbed onto a nearby awning above the melon stall, where Aladdin explained the plan. Abu would provide a distraction while Aladdin and Drew worked together to grab two melons. Mike would assist Drew, though both twins looked uneasy. "Don't worry," Aladdin reassured them with a sly smile. "You'll do great."

Abu scampered down to the merchant and began his act, pulling faces and making mischief. The merchant, fully distracted, didn't notice as Aladdin nimbly grabbed the first melon. Drew, with Mike's help, carefully reached for the second. Their hearts pounded with nerves, but under Aladdin's watchful eye, they managed to snatch it without a hitch. Mike quickly helped pull Drew back up, and the twins breathed a sigh of relief, grateful they hadn't been caught.

"Nice work!" Aladdin said as Abu returned, grinning with pride. He broke his melon cleanly in half and handed one portion to Abu. Meanwhile, the twins struggled with their own melon, trying to split it without smashing it into a mess.

"Here, let me show you," Aladdin offered. He demonstrated the proper technique, and Drew mimicked him, successfully cracking their melon in two. "Thanks!" Drew said with a smile.

"It's no big deal," Aladdin replied with a grin. Then, holding up his half, he declared, "Breakfast is served, my friends."

The four of them settled down to eat. Drew and Mike hesitated at first, their consciences weighing heavy. Stealing wasn't something they liked, but in Agrabah's harsh reality, survival often demanded difficult choices. Reluctantly, they began eating. Mike discreetly broke off a piece for Jiminy, who perched on his shoulder. The tiny cricket nibbled it quietly, ensuring neither Aladdin nor Abu noticed.

As Aladdin ate, his gaze wandered, and he suddenly froze. In the crowd below, he spotted Jasmine, and it was love at first sight. Abu noticed Aladdin's dazed expression and tried snapping him back to reality, chittering and waving his little hands, but it was no use. Frustrated, Abu leaped onto Drew's shoulder, startling him.

"Hey!" Drew exclaimed, swatting at Abu before realizing what the monkey was pointing at. Drew followed Abu's gesture and, like Aladdin, his eyes landed on Jasmine. Aladdin's dreamy sigh confirmed he was completely smitten.

Drew felt his cheeks flush as he took in how stunning Jasmine was up close—it was entirely different from seeing her on a screen. For a moment, he was lost in admiration, but he quickly shook it off, reminding himself that Jasmine belonged with Aladdin. Besides, Drew wasn't interested in dating—at least, not yet.

Jasmine's enchanting moment was interrupted when a commotion drew their attention. She was being confronted by a merchant, furious that she had given an apple to a hungry little boy without paying. Alarm spread through Aladdin, Abu, Drew, Mike, and even Jiminy as the merchant's anger escalated.

Drew's breath caught in his throat—he remembered this scene from the movie, but the reality of it was far more intense. He wanted to warn Mike and Jiminy, but the events unfolded too quickly. The merchant grabbed Jasmine's arm, raising a scimitar, threatening to sever her hand. Drew, Jiminy, and Mike watched in horror, Mike especially paling at the gruesome possibility of witnessing such brutality.

But before the blade could fall, Aladdin sprang into action. He grabbed the merchant's arm and disarmed him. "Thank you, kind sir. I'm so glad you found her."

Then the scene played before them like in the movie as Aladdin helped Jasmine getting out of trouble by getting her to pretend to be his crazy sister.

Jasmine played along, as the merchant was confused that she claimed to know the sultan as Aladdin says she believes the monkey, Abu, is the sultan while the twins are his valets.

Drew gave a small, uncertain nod, doing his best to play along, while Mike crossed his arms with a scowl. His expression screamed, This is just swell.

Just as the tension began to ease, Abu's antics caused a spill of stolen apples, which tumbled onto the ground in plain view. The merchant's face twisted in anger, and the group had no choice but to make a run for it.

They darted through the narrow streets of Agrabah, dodging merchants and weaving through crowds. Once they had a moment to breathe, Drew pulled Mike and Jiminy aside, whispering so Aladdin, Abu, and Jasmine wouldn't overhear. "This is the part where Aladdin takes Jasmine back to his place," he explained.

Mike's eyes widened. "We need to leave before that happens," he whispered back, but they never got the chance.

"Guys, I'm sorry," Aladdin called, interrupting their hushed conversation. "We need to retreat to my place before the guards catch us for the incident Abu caused."

Mike groaned. "I thought you promised to help us find a way out of Agrabah!" he argued, frustration clear in his voice.

Jasmine's curious eyes flicked between the twins, noting the tension in their exchange, even she can't hear what they're talking about.

Aladdin pulled the twins a little farther from Jasmine, his voice low but urgent. "Look, I'll make it up to you guys, I promise," he said, his eyes briefly drifting back to Jasmine, who was still standing a little ways off. "But I need to help this girl first. I mean, look at her—she's really beautiful."

Drew raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything, Aladdin continued, his excitement palpable. "Mike, you're going to help me out with anything I don't know, okay? I can't look like an idiot in front of her."

Mike groaned, clearly about to protest, but Aladdin turned to Drew next. "And you, Drew, you've got that fun, creative vibe, you know? You'll make her feel right at home."

Drew smiled, feeling a surge of confidence. He wasn't sure exactly what Aladdin meant, but he liked the sound of it. Fun and creative? That was definitely something he could work with.

Mike, on the other hand, was about to open his mouth and refuse again when Jasmine's voice interrupted him.

"I'd love to see more of Agrabah before we go to his place," she said, stepping closer. She had a curious glint in her eyes, and the way she spoke was gentle, almost shy.

Mike's eyes squinted in annoyance. "You don't even know his name, do you?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration, referring to Aladdin.

Jasmine shook her head, her eyes bright with innocence.

Drew, ever the optimist, grinned. "Sure! Why not? I mean, we were planning to leave today, but one more detour can't hurt, right?"

Mike shot him a look. "Noooononononono, nope, nope, and nope! We don't have time for this!" he said, his voice rising in agitation. "We've got a schedule to keep! Remember?"

But Jasmine, with her gentle, pleading expression, tilted her head slightly. "Please? Just a little longer? I promise it won't take much time."

Mike's resolve faltered. The innocence in her eyes, coupled with her beauty, was too much for him to ignore. With a deep sigh, he reluctantly caved. "Ugh, fine! But I'm not happy about it!" he muttered, throwing a look toward Aladdin.

Aladdin grinned widely. "Thanks, guys! Both of you are real lifesavers."

As they began walking, Mike couldn't help but mutter under his breath. "You owe us big time for this, Aladdin."

Aladdin, unphased, gave him a wink. "I'll make it worth your while. You'll see."

As the group made their way through the streets, Aladdin turned to Drew with a curious look. "So, is Mike always this grumpy?"

Drew shrugged, smiling faintly. "Ever since he turned twelve. He started becoming... well, this." He motioned to Mike, who was muttering angrily under his breath as he walked behind them. "He's just... figuring stuff out, I guess."

Aladdin chuckled, and they continued their walk through Agrabah, the city's sights, sounds, and smells surrounding them. Drew, however, couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He knew what was coming. The guards. They'll be at Aladdin's place shortly after we arrived there.

As the twins began giving Jasmine the tour with Aladdin, Drew's stomach twisted. He glanced at Mike, who was still muttering, his arms crossed tightly.

Meanwhile, deep inside the hidden lair within the Sultan's palace, Jafar and Iago were hunched over a strange contraption, the royal blue diamond glowing faintly within it. It was connected to an intricate machine designed to locate the "Diamond in the Rough."

Iago, visibly frustrated, squawked, "Why am I the one doing all the work?!" His voice echoed off the stone walls, as he moved the parts of the contraption like a treadmill.

Jafar, barely glancing at him, replied with cool detachment, "If you had hid the map like you were supposed to, you won't be doing much work." His tone was dismissive, and they both knew it was a lie.

Iago huffed. "I did hid the map! It just... disappeared!" He yelled, clearly irritated that Jafar wasn't even listening.

Ignoring his familiar's complaints, Jafar's eyes suddenly narrowed with interest as the contraption beeped and whirred to life. "I have found him," Jafar said, a sinister gleam in his eyes. "The Diamond in the Rough."

Iago's beak dropped in disbelief. "What? That kid? That's the one we've been waiting for?!" He flapped his wings wildly, but before he could protest further, he was sent hurling through the air, crashing into the stone wall. The machine jolted and stopped, its glowing light flickering before it powered down completely.

"Well, that was helpful," Jafar muttered with a smirk, watching Iago groan from the floor. "We'll just use the guards to pick him up." Iago, wincing in pain, begrudgingly nodded in agreement.

Jafar began to laugh, a dark, wicked sound that echoed in the room. But his laughter faltered when he noticed something odd—sparks from the contraption had landed on a pile of maps. His eyes narrowed, and his curiosity piqued.

With a quick wave of his staff, Jafar caused the dust particles around the maps to float toward him. He began to analyze them carefully, his brow furrowing as he sifted through the dust and the traces of presence left behind.

"Iago," he said slowly, his voice darker, more intrigued, "You might actually be telling the truth."

Iago's eyes widened in surprise. "What?!"

Jafar's voice became colder as he continued. "Someone has come here... and stolen the map. Wait—no... not just someone. It was twins." He paused, his mind racing as he examined the particles further. "But their presence... It's unlike anyone else in Agrabah... or anyone in the Disney Universe, for that matter."

Iago, still processing the unexpected turn of events, asked nervously, "Wh-what do you mean, 'different'?"

Jafar took a deep breath, looking at the particles that were suspended in the air. "I don't know, but it doesn't matter. If these twins know about the Lamp, they wouldn't have dared to invade my lair otherwise."

Iago's eyes widened in alarm. "Do you mean they could know about the Cave of Wonders? About the Lamp?" Panic crept into his voice. "But... we're the only ones who know about it! How could they...?"

Jafar frowned, his thoughts racing. "I don't know how they know, Iago. But we'll find out. I'll have the guards locate these twins also. Bringing them to me... alive. I'll have to find out exactly how they know about the Lamp—and why their presence is so different from everyone else's."

Iago trembled slightly, but nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, okay... but if they know about the Lamp, we might be in real trouble..."

The scene shifted as Jafar made his way to the palace's guard barracks. He approached Razoul, the head of the guards, who was standing in his usual position, stern and unflinching.

"I need you to locate this boy," Jafar ordered as he added the detailed description of Aladdin. "But alive. And placed in the dungeons."

Razoul's eyes narrowed, his expression unimpressed. "Aladdin? I know the boy. He's a street rat. What's the point of bringing him in alive? He should be beheaded for his crimes."

Jafar's voice turned cold, his eyes narrowing with dark intent, as he ignored his question. "There may be also some foreign twins in Agrabah. I want them brought to me alive as well. They took something from me—something important. And I don't want anyone else to know about it."

Razoul's face hardened as he processed this new information. He crossed his arms, considering Jafar's request carefully. "Twins, you say?" He paused, his expression shifting as realization slowly dawned on him. Yesterday when he had that dream.

It wasn't a dream at all! It is the same twins that I saw with that street rat the day before!

Then a small, devious smile began to form on Razoul's lips. "I know exactly who you're talking about."

Jafar's interest was piqued. "Go on," he urged, his voice low, dangerous.

As the group neared Aladdin's home, with Jasmine, Abu, and Aladdin leading the way, Mike pulled Drew aside, his voice low to avoid being overheard by the others. "I can't believe you didn't warn me about that scene," Mike muttered, his frustration bubbling to the surface.

Drew winced. "Sorry, I... I forgot about it," he admitted, feeling slightly stupid, but he wasn't about to let Mike know that. If he did, he'd never hear the end of it.

Mike shot him a pointed look. "You forgot?" he hissed under his breath. "That's one of the most important scenes, Drew. One of the most important!"

Jiminy, perched on Mike's shoulder, sighed deeply and gave him a tired glance. "Come on, Mike. Give the your brother a break. Anyone could forget a small detail like that."

Mike snorted. "Not me." He crossed his arms, clearly irritated.

Drew rolled his eyes, and Jiminy let out a long, disappointed sigh. "Sometimes I wonder about you, Mike."

Meanwhile, Aladdin was setting a plank for Jasmine to get across a narrow gap between two buildings, with him on the other side after he used a pole to get there. His tone turning serious as he spoke to her. "You don't understand how dangerous Agrabah can be."

But before anyone could cross and without warning, Jasmine gracefully vaulted over the gap using a pole, landing gracefully on the other side.

The twins stopped in their tracks, mouths hanging open in surprise.

"Whoa..." Drew murmured, wide-eyed.

Aladdin stared after her, clearly impressed. "Hey," he said with a grin, his admiration for Jasmine growing.

The boys exchanged nervous glances, but with a deep breath, they slowly, cautiously crossed the makeshift bridge, each step filled with hesitation. Drew's heart was pounding as he tried to steady himself, and Mike's expression was as tense as ever. The whole ordeal was far less graceful for them than it had been for Jasmine.

Once safely across, Aladdin led Jasmine inside his home, the air inside feeling warm and welcoming. As they entered, Jasmine smiled and looked around, her eyes twinkling. "It's really kind of you to help the twins find their way back to their families," she said softly, her voice warm with gratitude. "And their puppies," she added with a small laugh. "You're the first person I've met who's ever gone so far to help someone... especially twins."

Aladdin gave a small, shy smile, but his gaze lingered on the twins, who were just entering the room behind them. That's when Mike, who had been fuming the entire time, spoke up, his voice sharp and unamused.

Mike's expression says "You still owe us, dude," his arms crossed tightly, glaring at Aladdin.

Drew shrugged, an indifferent expression on his face. Ignore Mike, he silently mouthed to Aladdin, though the situation was quickly escalating into a tense one.

Aladdin gave a sheepish, apologetic smile, the weight of the situation settling on him. "Sorry about this, guys," he said, looking at the twins with sincerity. "But don't worry. I still owe ya."

Before any more tension could build, Aladdin quickly turned back toward Jasmine and gestured toward the window, eager to change the subject, as he began to show Jasmine the view of the palace.

As Jasmine and Aladdin began to converse, Drew leaned in toward Mike and Jiminy, his voice a whisper. "The guards will be here any minute," he muttered quietly, his tone filled with urgency. Then he talks about how it leads to Aladdin's capture and eventually sometime later led to the Cave of Wonders, by Jafar in disguise.

Mike's eyes widened in alarm. If they don't get there before them, they'll miss their chance to sneak in when the entrance opens! "We need to leave immediately before they show up!" His voice was strained, panic creeping into his words.

Drew shook his head, his expression a mix of frustration and caution. "If we just up and leave like that, they'll get suspicious. They'll wonder why we're suddenly running."

Jiminy, still tucked away in Mike's shirt pocket, piped up, his tiny voice barely audible. "And it's also pretty rude not to say goodbye to your host. We can't just disappear without any explanation."

Mike glared at him, clearly irritated. "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly in the mood for pleasantries when we're about to get caught!"

But before any of them could argue further, they heard a voice—both voices, in fact—speak in unison: "Trapped."

Jasmine and Aladdin surprised by each other, stared deeply to one another.

Aladdin, coughed slightly to change the mood, asked, "So, where you from?"

Jasmine hesitated before responding, her tone shifting, "What doe it matter? I ran away and I'm not going back."

Aladdin, brows furrowing in confusion, pressed on. "Really, how come?"

Drew, already knowing where this was headed, bit his lip. Here it comes, he thought, but he couldn't help feeling a little sad for Jasmine.

Jasmine's voice grew softer, more vulnerable. "My father's forcing me to get married," she replied.

"That's, that's awful," Aladdin said.

Just as Abu was about to snatch Jasmine's apple, Aladdin's gaze shifted to the twins. He raised an eyebrow, asking them, "Where you're from, is there such a thing as forced marriages?"

Abu, almost caught in the act, immediately scurried back to his usual spot, his little face flushed with embarrassment. He muttered something under his breath, glaring at Aladdin.

Drew, not missing a beat, answered, "Well, there are some arranged marriages, but mostly people get to choose who they want to marry." He paused for a moment, his thoughts drifting as he glanced at Mike, who had been oddly quiet. "Though, it's not always like that," he added quickly, deliberately leaving out certain nuances—like the fact that some places allowed for same-sex marriage. Drew knew that would complicate things, and honestly, it wasn't something he and his family minded. They'd always believed people had the right to choose who they loved, regardless of gender. But it wasn't something the twins really discussed, either. Although the twins, Nick, and Connor are straight.

Aladdin blinked in surprise, clearly impressed. "That's... that's really different from what we've got here," he said, looking at Drew with newfound respect.

Jasmine, smiling softly, added, "I wish that could happen here in Agrabah." Her voice was wistful, her gaze distant for a moment.

Mike, finally speaking up, muttered, "Well, it really depends on the culture. Some cultures don't do arranged marriages at all."

Jasmine turned toward him, her eyes lighting up with admiration. "You're quite insightful," she said, her voice warm, which caused Mike to puff out his chest a little, clearly pleased with the compliment.

Drew rolled his eyes, irritated by how much Mike's ego seemed to inflate with each word of praise. But then Jasmine turned to Drew with a soft smile. "Thank you for telling me that. I didn't know there were places where people are free to marry for love."

Drew blushed, rubbing the back of his neck, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Well, yeah... no problem."

Just then, Abu tried to make another grab at Jasmine's apple, his tiny paws reaching out sneakily. Aladdin, his eyes sharp, stopped him before he could succeed. "Abu!" he scolded, and the monkey immediately scurried back to his perch, muttering angrily under his breath.

Jasmine raised an eyebrow, glancing at Aladdin. "What did he say?"

Aladdin, with a quick, mischievous smile, answered, "He says it's not fair that you're being forced to get married."

As Aladdin and Jasmine moved closer, a soft, romantic energy filled the room. They shared a quiet moment, their eyes locked as they spoke in low tones, the chemistry palpable. Drew and Mike exchanged uncomfortable glances, both of them cringing slightly at the 'lovey-dovey' scene unfolding before them.

Jiminy, perched on Mike's shoulder, smiled warmly at the sight. "Ah, young love…" he said with a sigh, his tiny wings fluttering with approval.

Drew looked away, trying his best to block out the mushy scene. Mike, on the other hand, groaned in disgust. "Oh, come on, seriously?!" He quietly said while dramatically covered his eyes with one hand. "This is gross!"

But before Aladdin and Jasmine could kiss, the guards barged into Aladdin's home. The twins immediately went to Aladdin, Abu, and Jasmine as the two Agrabahns stood up saying unison, "They after me! They're after you?!"

Mike, his heart racing, let out a shout of intense worry. "Aw, crap?! What are we going to do now?! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!"

Jasmine then muttered her father must've sent the guards to look for her when Aladdin says, offering his hand. "Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?!"

Jasmine the hesitantly offered her and replied "Yes?"

Aladdin didn't waste a second. "Follow me!" he shouted to the twins, grabbing Jasmine's hand and pulling her toward the window.

"NOW JUMP!"

Without hesitation, he jumped, pulling Jasmine with him. The twins, still in shock, followed suit, just as the guards approached them quickly.

Drew and Mike followed Aladdin, leaping after him as he jumped toward the hole in the roof. But their landing was far less graceful. Instead of sailing smoothly through the opening, both Drew and Mike missed their mark, their bodies colliding painfully with the ceiling.

"Oof!" Drew grunted as he and Mike tumbled off, their bodies skidding across the roof's surface. Jiminy, who had been hidden in Mike's shirt pocket, let out a grunt as he was jostled, clinging to the fabric for dear life. Then the twins fell off the roof and Luckily they crashed into a couple of fabric awnings to break their fall.

The impact wasn't catastrophic, but it certainly left its mark. Minor bruises formed on both Drew and Mike, but it wasn't enough to stop them from trying to regain their balance. The two of them groaned as they struggled to get up, groggily dusting themselves off.

At least we didn't fall all the way to the ground, Drew thought, eyeing the series of awnings that had broken their fall. They'd come to rest on the second one, which was flimsy but at least softened the blow. But still—that hurt.

Drew opened his mouth to speak, but Mike was already on his feet, his face twisted with frustration. "We need to get out of here, now," Mike hissed, grabbing Drew by the arm and pulling him toward the alley. "Before the guards show up and we get caught in the mess."

Drew jerked back, resisting. "What? No—Aladdin—"

Mike shot him a glare, his voice sharp. "He'll be fine. We've got to go. This is the part where he gets caught and send to the palace dungeon where he later meets Jafar in disguise—you said that, remember?"

Drew's fists clenched in frustration. "I know what I said!" he snapped, irritation creeping into his voice.

Mike was already starting to pull him further down the street, Jiminy, still perched on Mike's shoulder, says reassuringly to Drew. "It'll be okay. This is his story, remember."

Drew opened his mouth to argue again, his face tight with frustration, but he stopped. He wanted to help, but Mike's point—and Jiminy's calm insistence—knew that they're right.

He gritted his teeth, his fist shaking in frustration. The twins, along with Jiminy, then took off down the alley, the sound of Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine, and the guards still ringing in their ears. Drew couldn't help but glance back, feeling the weight of his decision. But he's knows Aladdin will be alright, just like in the movie.

As the twins, and Jiminy still hiding in Mike's shirt pocket, were scrambling to figure out where they were and how to find the way out of Agrabah, they hadn't run more than five minutes before Razoul and his guards cornered them. Aladdin wasn't with them, which led Drew to the conclusion that the palace guards must have already locked him up in the dungeons… and quite quickly, he might add.

Razoul sneered, confirming that he knew they were the ones in the palace and that they had stolen something from Jafar. Drew, Mike, and Jiminy exchanged a glance. Apparently Jafar hadn't told Razoul exactly what they'd taken, which made them wonder if the evil sorcerer had left out some important details. Either way, the fact that Jafar wanted them was not good news.

Drew felt a cold stab of panic when Razoul declared that Jafar had never said they were supposed to be delivered unharmed. The guards snickered ominously, their chuckles filling the air and raising the twins' dread to a new level.

Razoul stepped forward, signaling his men to push the twins back against the wall. Mike instinctively covered his face, bracing for a punch, while silently praying for some kind of miracle. Drew, on the other hand, was spiraling into panic. What now? But then, something Jiminy had once said flashed through his mind—"Singing can sometimes help you out of tricky situations."

Drew's panic shifted to a sly smirk as an idea took root in his mind. Without hesitation, he turned to Mike. "Follow my lead."

Mike blinked in confusion. "What? No, don't—"

But Drew wasn't listening. In one fluid motion, he launched into a confident rendition of his own version of the broadway version of Aladdin's "One Jump Ahead." His tone was upbeat, almost playful, as he adopted a slightly exaggerated version of Aladdin's swagger. Instead of singing about stealing to survive, Drew sang about him and his brother being hopelessly lost and needing directions to get home—without revealing that they were from the Real World, of course.

Mike's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious?" he hissed, but it was too late. Drew was already singing at full throttle, all confidence and flair.

Then suddenly music began happening in the background as the entire group of guards was singing along, completely caught up in the absurdity of it all. This scene before Mike baffles him with his eyes widen and his jaw dropped.

Jiminy, however, watched in silence, his cricket eyes gleaming with approval. He was impressed by Drew's quick thinking. Well done, he thought, he remembered my advice.

Taking advantage of the unexpected lull in aggression, Drew grabbed Mike's wrist, pulling him along as they dashed away from the guards. Jiminy clung to Drew's shirt pocket as the three of them sprinted through the streets, the sound of their voices blending into the chaotic melody. They kept running until the guards were out of sight, then, without missing a beat, Drew steered them down a narrow alley in the opposite direction.

He just sang the verse "around the block," when suddenly, until they crashed into a mysterious robbed hooded figure as the three of them fell down the steps. For a good thirty seconds, the world spun in a blur of noise and motion as they crashed to the bottom in a heap, the music coming to a screeching halt.

Drew, Mike, and the mysterious hooded figure groaned in pain as they slowly got to their feet. Drew was about to offer an apology for the chaotic tumble, but his words caught in his throat when both he and Mike noticed the twin daggers hanging from the figure's belt. The two stared at the weapons for a moment, their eyes wide, before they both screamed in pure terror:

""AAAAAAHHHHHHH!? ASASSIAN'SCREEDSASSIASANFROMASASSIAN'SCREED!?""

The hooded figure, who stood just slightly taller than Drew, blinked in confusion. "What?" the figure said, clearly taken aback by the reaction.

Without another word, the twins turned and bolted in fear, convinced they had narrowly escaped some kind of deadly assassin.

Unbeknownst to them, Jiminy had fallen out of Mike's shirt-pocket during the chaos. As Drew and Mike raced off, the little cricket was left behind. The hooded figure bent down and scooped Jiminy up, startling him out of his dazed confusion. But when the figure got a closer look at the cricket, Jiminy's eyes widened in surprise. He recognized the figure—no fear in his tiny heart.

As the twins kept running, still in a panic, Mike muttered, "I can't believe we survived an encounter with a random killer."

But no sooner had they said that than they bumped into something much worse.

They collided with a wall of guards, the same ones they had narrowly escaped earlier. The music from before began to swell again, building back up like a dramatic overture.

Drew's expression twisted into one of resigned dread. Uh-oh...

Mike, on the other hand, froze in frustration, waving his hands in the air. "OH COME ON!"

The two of them stood there, eyes wide as they realized their escape was cut short.

Drew, without missing a beat, launched into his singing again, with musical background returning as well, as they dodged the guards' capture yet again as they continued running, this time aiming for the top of Agrabah's Gate Wall. It was the only place they could go—the gates were a common entry and exit point for travelers. But as they reached the top of the gat wall, they found themselves cornered by the guards.

Just as it seemed they were done for, Drew's sharp eyes caught sight of a camel just outside the gates. Without hesitation, he grabbed Mike's hand and pulled him toward it, singing the verse "All we gotta do is jump!", leaped from the top of the wall and onto the camel's back.

The camel, startled by their sudden appearance, bolted into the desert, kicking up a storm of sand as it galloped away from Agrabah, carrying the twins on its back. Drew, still riding high on adrenaline, sang the last verse of his impromptu song with a grin: "Sometimes, it's way too easy!"

Mike, however, was not as amused. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, his teeth grinding in frustration. With a furious growl, he raised his fist and smacked the backside of Drew's head, causing the song to end perfectly with high note.

"Ow!" Drew yelped, rubbing the spot where Mike had hit him. "WHAT THE HECK, MIKE?! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

Mike glared at him, still fuming. "YOU ALMOST GOT US KILLED!"

Drew shot him a defensive look. "Hey! I saved our butts back there."

Mike's response was a sharp exhale of exasperation. "Yeah, but don't do that without warning me next time! For crying out loud, Drew—your recklessness and irritating confidence are going to get us all killed!"

Drew muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. "Killjoy…"

The twins rode deeper into the desert, the vast expanse stretching endlessly before them, with only the sound of the camel's hooves and the wind to break the silence between them.