A Mirage of Victory

Ch 7: A New Secondary Mission

After they had defeated 'Aladdin', Mirage had relocated them back to the observation room, and restored them to their true height. Victory was sweet, and the after-effects were wonderfully blissful, like a refreshing sip of cold wine on a hot desert day. That had been just a taste of what was to come...

"That was exhilarating!" Jafar gushed.

Now he truly felt alive again. He'd always been sure of his desire for vengeance, but now it was completely invigorated. He could hardly wait to invade the real Agrabah and witness the life fading away in that boy's eyes...

Mirage, too, was incredibly satisfied by their little adventure. But she knew the next time they trained, it wouldn't be so easy. She hadn't even summoned the genie that time, or any of Aladdin's other numerous sidekicks. And even then, they would never compare to the real thing. Still, she too felt confident... the power they displayed was unmatchable!

Jafar chuckled darkly as he gazed down at the vision of the kingdom on the table. It had been restored to normal, no evidence of their invasion to be seen. "With our powers combined, Aladdin, his silly comrades, and all the forces of Agrabah won't stand a chance!"

"Absolutely... But as fun as that fantasy was," Mirage halted him. "If we are to beat him, we can't do it like that." The real Aladdin wouldn't be so easy to take down. She could replicate his image, but not his cleverness. "Blasting our way in isn't enough."

"Agreed. Instead, we must catch him off guard... infiltrate the palace! With disguises, perhaps?"

"Yes! Outwit that boy before he can outwit us!" Mirage met Jafar's eyes, her own glowing with malice and hunger for battle. "Then, we strike!"

The sorceress cackled darkly, and Jafar couldn't resist joining in. Their manic laughter echoed through the halls of Mirage's lair.

"I love the way you think!" Jafar exclaimed gleefully as their laughter died down.

Mirage turned her gaze on him, eyes wide.

The former vizier caught his breath and continued. "I never thought I'd meet another mind so sadistically cunning."

The faintest of smiles, barely detectable, formed on Mirage's lips then. Her eyes darted away from him, and the smile disappeared. But Jafar began to hear a soft low rumble.

"What was that?" He questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

"What was what?" The sorceress flicked her ear in his direction, but refused to acknowledge him beyond that. The rumble continued, coming from inside of her.

Ah. It clicked for Jafar then. A slow grin spread on his face. He bent, leaning down, close to her ear.

"You're purring..."

Immediately, the purr stopped. Mirage glanced at him, her pupils narrowed to slits.

"You're crazy."

The purr had delighted him. It was amusing, of course. But it also meant he had an effect on her, somehow. And it was... oddly endearing.

And though his primary mission had always been to take over Agrabah and exact his revenge... he now had a new, secondary mission.

To get her to do that again.

"...I'm beginning to think so." Jafar replied coolly, holding her gaze. He watched as her pupils began to dilate once more, and her lips began to part. Allah, everything she was doing was so tantalizing to him. It made him wonder how she would react if he...