32 - Showdown at Nullmart//Lea

"He's on the news all the time," Nora told her.

"She must not be from around here," the woman said.

"As I was saying," Mr. Foley began, clearly not amused at Lea's indifference towards politics. "I did in fact cover things up; but that is to maintain Paradox City's reputation as a charmingly weird city, not a dangerous place where plush monsters run amok."

"Sorry about that," Lea said casually.

"That was you?" the woman asked, gob-smacked. "I told you she's unhinged, Navy!"

"It wasn't my fault," Lea protested.

"Interesting," Mr. Foley said. "These stones are more powerful than I ever imagined."

"Which is why you should hand yours over to me immediately!" he commanded, as if it were already decided.

"You kidnapped our friend!" Lea said.

"After electrocuting him," Nora added.

"That was a necessary evil," Mr. Foley argued. "Right, Deanney?"

"Right," she said. "I happened to overhear you two talking about a little lightning strike on a mission, and I knew it was the only way to find out more."

"You could have killed him," Nora said angrily.

"But we didn't!" Mr. Foley said. "Because we are responsible adults who did not steal anything."

"Oh really," Nora said. "We might have stolen a Noiz from you a few months ago, but you stole a whole person!"

"You don't seem to understand," Navy shouted angrily. "You are just children, can you really stand there question our mayor's campaign to make Paradox City even better than before!"

"Na...vy," Paxton said weakly, his eyes fluttering. Navy's loud speech had woken him. "Where are we?"

"Goodness sakes," Mr. Foley said, putting his hand out. "This is taking too long! Give me the stones! As your mayor, I command you!"

"Can you even do that?" Deanney questioned, putting a hand to her head in frustration. "I told you we should have brought the nets and the black-ops team."

"The city can't afford any more blank cheques with 'miscellaneous' in the subject line!" Navy said curtly, ignoring Paxton's quiet moans.

Even as they grew louder and louder.

"What happened?" Paxton asked.

"Good ol' Navy here slipped you something in your ill-begotten doodle cakes," Deanney explained. "Which I have to say is a move I respect."

"Na...vy," Paxton said sadly. "You said you would serve..."

"The greatest man alive," Navy said, looking at Mr. Foley. "I've been serving him for two years now."

"Get your own mayor's aide, Man o' Manx," Mr. Foley said proudly.

"I trusted you," Paxton said, jumping out of the wheelchair with a start and pushing it aside.

"Paxton!" Lea and Nora yelled. Lea tried to rush forward, but Nora kept a firm grip on her hand.

"I guess I have no choice!" Mr. Foley said determinedly. "Navy!"

"Sir," Navy said, pulling a purple Noiz out of his pocket. It was on a chain just like each of theirs. Just as Mr. Foley grabbed it out of Navy's hands, Paxton reached up and grabbed the young man by his shoulders.

"Get away from me!" Navy shouted as the two scuffled. Lea waited with bated breath, unsure of what to do since Nora was still holding them back. After a few more seconds of struggling, Navy finally managed to push Paxton away.

"Navy!" Paxton managed to yell before tripping over his own feet and landing hard on the asphalt.

"You will hand those stones over whether you like it or not!" Mr. Foley said, pulling the chain over his neck as the Noiz in the center began to glow.