Water.
Aladdin hates water.
And he's surrounded by it.
At least he's not submerged in it. They've landed on some sort of rocky island, just big enough to hold him, Ariel, Scar, and Dr. Facilier to stand... and fight.
Whatever the Shadow Man used to teleport them - magic dust or something of that matter - tosses him onto the rocky ground, and he rolls onto his side, wincing. Maybe coming through the portal after two bad guys was a bad idea. But there really wasn't another choice. For all he knows, they plan on killing Ariel, and if he let them that would not sit well with his friend Eric.
Ariel, on the other hand, can't decide if she's more angry or scared. The worst part about this is that Scar finally has what he wants - her. The mystery is about to be solved; she'll find out what it is he needs her for, whether its good or bad.
She sits up, peering across the expansive ocean. About a mile away, she can spot the beach, with figures doting the shoreline. She settles the conclusion that's where the rest of the gamers are. She isn't sure what's going to happen to them... Or her, for that matter. The unpredictability of this night is overwhelming her.
Scar paces around the surface of the wet rock, his expression unreadable. He regards both, dark eyes hard and cold. He gives a slight nod to Facilier, who's face is also a mask of indifference.
Ariel shambles onto her feet, heart pounding relentlessly. Her nails dig into her fisted palms, prepared to go down fighting if it comes to it. Ignoring the fear, ignoring the hatred, her gaze falls onto the Shadow Man, his appearance just as unsettling at Scar's.
"Here we are." Scar clicks his tongue, casually leaning against a vertical surface of the rock. "Alone at last. All of this could have been avoided if you had agreed to meet with me, Ariel."
The way he says her name, with such fervor, is sickening. Her jaw clenches. "You mean you wouldn't have killed my friends? Somehow I find that hard to believe."
He chuckles, his laugh much more relaxed and dazed than his clueless Hyena minions. "The ones I did kill, I did them a service. I'm sure the other two wish they were dead..."
The mystery behind his tone is so chilling, she's startled into silence. Who is he talking about? She watched them take Jim... But Mulan and Mason disappeared into thin air. What did Scar do to them?
"What are you talking about?" Aladdin presses, stepping forward.
Scar's gaze remains pinned on Ariel, sizing her up. "This isn't your fight, street rat. Don't get in my way." Voice low and cold, he gestures to his silent friend. "Facilier... The trident, please."
Facilier grins, his sparkling teeth shimmering in the false sunlight. He circles his hand in the air, a wisp of more smokey magic swirling into existence. And that's when Ariel sees it; his shadow doesn't copy his exact movements. Its dark form drifts against the stone, leisurely still. Almost as if it's not connected to him at all... Like it has a mind of its own.
Shards of ice pierce Ariel's drumming heart, frightened by the dark magic at play here. Then a long, pointed, golden object manifests into the man's bony fingers, and the burning rage crashing into her like a burst dam.
Without a single thought to tell her no, she throws herself at the man, hands outstretches for the trident. If she can just get a hold of it...
Her purified anger leads her crashing into the rocky wall, as Facilier easily steps out of her way. "Too slow." He comments humorously, tossing the golden shaft to Scar. Aladdin attempts to intercede, but an invisible forces shoves him off course. He collides with the ground, dumbfounded. Behind him, Facilier's disembodied shadow floats over his, and a yanking motion knocks him into the stone wall. He winces, head throbbing where it made contact with the wall, and attempts to lunge back at Scar, but finds he can't move. Somehow, Facilier's shadow has pinned him down, with inhuman strength that can only come by dark magic.
