The Forty Thieves immediately grouped together, preparing to make an escape.
"Not on my watch."
Observing the scene from afar, Aladdin swiftly released his magical energy into the courtyard. Instantly, a powerful invisible force descended upon the Forty Thieves, suppressing and holding them in place as though they had been frozen in time.
"ARREST THEM!!" Aladdin shouted, giving his orders to the soldiers.
"It seems Al is getting serious. I'd better handle this quickly," Genie said, hopping off the horse and transforming back to his normal form.
He placed his hands together and stretched his knuckles.
"Alright, guys. Playtime's over."
He pointed his index fingers at the horses, and a bright energy beam shot out and zapped them. Instantly, they became docile and lay on the ground.
He continued to zap them with the same energy beam, one by one, like a cowboy taking trick shots. The beams moved like a homing beacon toward their targets, sometimes splitting up and hitting multiple targets at once, until all the horses were calm and lying peacefully on the ground.
Then, Genie turned his attention to the intruders.
However, he realised that Aladdin and the soldiers had already dealt with them.
"Wulff!! That was close," he said, wiping imaginary sweat beads from his head with the back of his blue hand.
"Nice work, Abu. You got them running on their ten toes… Turning into a wonder monkey, I see," Genie turned to Abu and gave him a high five. Then a low five, before giving a friendly, tricky handshake.
"They didn't stand a chance," Abu folded his hands and said with a snort and a confident expression.
Aladdin teleported all forty thieves to the underground dungeon at once and chained them before vanishing into thin air.
"What happened?"
"AHH!! I can't see!!"
"Where am I?" Sa'Luk said, looking around him before realising that he was in a prison along with the other members of the Forty Thieves, all bound in chains.
"Cassim!" He immediately spotted the leader of the Forty Thieves, also bound in chains and tied to the wall.
"Hey, guys?" Cassim waved his chained hands at them with a wry smile.
"The mission was supposed to be a quick one, but it seems that Prince Aladdin of Ababwa was a much larger threat than we had initially anticipated. Don't worry, though, I've contacted reinforcements, and they are on their way."
He had seen Prince Aladdin when he teleported and chained them before they could return to their senses, before teleporting out of the room once more.
Sa'Luk swallowed what he wanted to say and scowled because he knew who the reinforcement Cassim was talking about. Although he had his doubts, he believed that she was indeed capable of getting them out of here.
However, that would mean their mission was a failure, and with the brothers they had lost, this mission was a massive loss.
"When we get out of here, we'll have to reconsider whether you're still competent enough to hold the position as the leader of the Forty Thieves. Because a leader who cannot protect his own is not fit to lead," Sa'Luk said, before going silent.
Cassim frowned, but after looking at the other faces of the Forty Thieves, still conscious, whose expressions wore faint traces of tiredness and disappointment, he remained silent and released a withdrawn sigh.
"Unfortunately, that won't be happening anytime soon," he muttered under his breath, putting together a plan in his mind.
Back at the wedding altar,
Aladdin appeared beside Genie, Abu, and Carpet.
The guards had already led the guests to safe rooms, and it was up to them to decide whether they wanted to remain in hiding or leave the Kingdom. He was also going to have the soldiers protect them, whichever decision they chose.
He didn't want them to regret attending his wedding. Although he would appreciate it if they decided to stay, nonetheless.
"Genie, I need you to look after Jasmine and the others. Make sure that no one enters or leaves the palace until I give the order," Aladdin turned to Genie and said.
"Understood, Commander." Genie turned into a soldier wearing a black special force uniform with a rifle strapped to his side and said with a salute.
Hundreds of Genies wearing the same costume appeared behind him and gave the salute.
Genie transformed back into his normal form, teleported beside Aladdin, and whispered into his ear, "Who are we supposed to be protecting them from?"
"I received information from the leader of the Forty Thieves that they have an accomplice, known as Nasira, a powerful sorceress. I don't know how powerful she is, but she might be strong enough to pose a threat even to you, Genie," Aladdin responded, shaking his head.
"So, you have to stay here and ensure that Jasmine and the others are safe."
"That's serious." Genie's expression turned to a mixture of shock and surprise, clearly not having expected such a revelation. "Are you sure that you can handle this alone, pal?"
"I'm not entirely sure. But I'm certain that I can figure something out. Remember, I'm also not that easy to handle," Aladdin responded with a confident smile.
It would be dangerous if she got hold of Genie and sealed him back in the Cave of Wonders, or worse, back into a lamp and had him grant her wishes.
So, he wanted to have Genie on the defensive line, which would be the same as having an impregnable fortress, rather than taking a risk by placing him on the frontlines.
"Okay, then. I'll see to it that the premises are secure and report back any suspicious activity," Genie transformed back into his special forces attire, wearing a much more serious expression on his face as he stood at attention in salute.
"If you need any help, don't hesitate to let us know. The boys and I will be there in a jiffy to take care of that good-for-nothing villain," he leaned in and whispered audibly.
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