Hiro and Baymax aid Jim as best they can, disarming and attacking villains with the vigor and strength needed to win. Hyenas rain down on them from all directions, and through the punching, kicking, and stabbing, Jim catches Scar's muscular form slipping away, disappearing down a staircase of ice, away from the battle.
Rage erupts around him; not just for kidnapping Kayley, but for tormenting so many innocent, poor souls. For terrorizing Ariel in the haunted house. For recruiting his dad.
There's too many men swamping him to even get close enough. Besides, Ariel asked him to wait. He's the secret weapon. If he attacks now, the the whole plan could fail.
So instead, he releases his rage on the Hyenas, leaving most of them with non-fatal wounds, but preventing them from fighting. Hiro directs Baymax with karate moves, but after a while, realizes Jim's got it all covered, and stands aside with quiet amusement.
The Hyenas have the disadvantage because, well, they're fighting an angry Jim. Nobody can will that fight. It's won in an instant, and Jim hardly breaks a sweat. Adrenaline still pumps through his veins as Hiro slips away with Baymax, off to pick up Mulan and execute the next stage of the plan.
Leaving Jim alone, with bruised bodies and his next opponent. Swinging his knife idly around his fingers, Jim sways forward, ears perked. "You can come out now." He calls, gaze shifting to various towers and icicles. At first, he's met by silence, before a thin, lanky man shuffles out of the shadows.
Jim hadn't met the Shadow Man the last time, but he'd heard plenty of stories. The man standing before him is taller, skinner, and creeper than Jim had expected. Granted, he's not wearing a necklace of bones or a jacket of human flesh, but the way he peers at Jim is freaky enough.
Twirling his blade, he inches forward, aware that the man makes no move to fight back, not yet. "Let's go this over with."
He charges across the icy floor, knife raised. Jim would have no problem carving it into Dr. Facilier's heart, but Eli made them promise they would not kill. Fine. Jim's cool with leaving his victims alive, if just barely.
As he nears, the witch doctor subtly slips a hand into his coat, his bony fingers curling around a pocket of dust. Jim catches the movement and grounds to a halt, too late. Before he can retreat, Facilier opens his palm, blowing into the pile of purple dust. It mists around Jim, overtaking him in an instant.
He covers his face with one arm, eyes squeezed shut as the dust collates around him, draping him in darkness. He coughs, accidentally inhaling the particles, and staggers away, alert and ready to fight back.
But when he opens his eyes, he's hit by a monstrous wave of confusion.
The ice palace is gone. Disappeared. Or rather, he's not there anymore. He's.... home. In the living room, branched off of the private quarters of the Benbow Inn. The windows are shadowed by a faint darkness, indicating it must be around twilight. The dining table is stacked high with plates and pans, overflowing with various types of food.
Rice. Corn. Turkey. Ham. Gravy. And so much more. Situated at one end of the table sits Sarah, her face bright with a happiness Jim hasn't seen in years. She laughs at something Kayley says, perched on Sarah's right. Kayley clings to Garrett's arm, who's smiling and sneaking a piece of biscuit to the hawk settled on his seat.
Directly across from Kayley is Vanellope, yammering on about how there needs to be more candy at this dinner. She nudges Hiro, sitting beside her, who plants a big kiss on her rosy cheek. Then, he makes a gesture to the figure on his other side.
Jim's breath catches in his throat. It can't be...
But it is.
Tadashi sits there, smiling, laughing, regarding his brother with so much love, it's overwhelming. He notices Jim, lingering off to the side, and waves him over, before picking up a pan of macaroni salad and offering it to the family.
