44 - Magic or Logic//Lea

"The Mooar Shee says that the Noiz are now under Cree's control," Paxton reminded them. "But it also says that she isn't adept at using music-based magic. Even if it has been shifted into pro-wish magic, she'll have a hard time wielding it."

"It would have been easier for her if all eight Noiz had been used and if those users had been weaponized. In that case, she would just use the weapons to carve her way out."

"Just like Allie said," Nora recalled.

"Yes, just like that," Paxton said. "But none of us ever got to weaponizing. Only I, Nora and Mr. Foley ever got close."

"Not close enough," Lea said, remembering how faint the strange noise had been when Paxton and Nora had raised their Volume compared to when the Noiz had droned above them earlier outside Lacombe's creamery.

"How can she tell?" Deanney asked.

"I can hear it," Lea said. "The sound the pull makes, I remember it from when I touched the Raw Noiz too; pulling me to Paradox Park."

"Yes," Navy said. "We're getting to that."

"Considering that, combined with the two unused Noiz, I'd revise my initial estimate of the seal breaking to eighty or so hours," Paxton said.

"So we have more time?" Nora asked.

"Not exactly," Navy said.

"We only have as much time as it takes her to activate the Gold and Silver Noiz," Paxton said. "That way, she can lock all the Noiz to her."

"According to this historical text, which reads more like a fantasy epic," Navy said. "Each Noiz was locked to a sorcerer or sorceress post-weaponization using anti-wish magic."

"Under wish magic, it's the opposite," Paxton explained. "All eight Noiz have to lock onto one person, and that person has to be previously connected with the Seal."

"Or a Noiz," Navy said.

"A Noiz?" Nora asked. "How would that work?"

"If the Noiz were all weaponized properly, attached to a person who was then turned into a weapon, we'd have no hope," Navy said.

"But the Noiz and the Seal work in the exact same way," Paxton said. "In fact, the Seal is just a ninth artificial Noiz."

"So if somebody bonded to a Noiz went into the seal," Navy said. "They could wrest control of the rest of the Noiz from the Witch Maiden."

"Do you think Mick could do it?" Deanney said.

"Yes," Paxton said. "In fact, a large part of our work was focused on figuring out why Cree hadn't weaponized Mr. Foley."

"So why hasn't she done it yet?" Lea said.

"We think he's resisting," Paxton clafified. "But he doesn't know he can take control of the Noiz."

"Cutting through all of this," Deanney said quietly. "You're saying we have to get someone in there to tell Mr. Foley that he can have exactly what he wanted as long as he defeats this witch girl first?"

"Unfortunately," Paxton confirmed.

"It's all we've got," Navy reminded them.

There was a long pause as they all considered replacing one megalomaniac with another.

"Okay then," Nora said. "Let's go!"

"Nora..." Paxton said quietly. "The person who utilizes the wish magic has to have a real wish in mind."

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"The only way the Witch Maiden will break the Seal is by wishing for it," Navy explained. "There's no doubt that we need somebody with strong wish, but we also need somebody with a strong connection to music to help Mr. Foley lure the Noiz to our side."

"What?" Lea asked, knowing what was coming next.

"I'm sorry Lea," Paxton said. "I think it has to be you."

-HEIST_ON-

As the first signs of dawn came to Paradox City, an unlikely team piled into an unassuming black van. Each had an earnest hope in their heart; hope that they could save their home before it was too late.

It was the citizen's first morning that under the shadow of the Witch Maiden Cree's seal. The Phantoms would make sure that it was also the last.

Paradox City was a strange place, where street names couldn't keep themselves straight and ice cream never tasted like it was meant to, but that was what made it Paradox City. It was the place where Lea's father had been arrested, but it was also the place where Lea herself had been saved by her friends.

Though on this particular morning she didn't feel quite safe.

One by one the Phantoms, Navy and Waco piled out of the van and stepped onto the grass of Paradox Park.

The outer perimeter was heavily guarded by the police, and an arrest warrant was still out for the mayor, so they had to be extra careful getting in. With Nora's knowledge of law-enforcement's tactics and Navy's knowledge of the city's more obscure shortcuts, they had somehow made it.

Six people stood on the grass in complete silence. This was an area where early birds would come to watch the sun rise and joggers would race through, but today it was a dull grey. It was as if the seal that wass swirling at the very centre of the park were draining all the light from everything close to it.

It threatened to swallow them up too.

Lea knew she could walk away from it. The Lea of a few weeks ago certainly would have. In her head she could see Old Lea strapping on her headphones and hitching a ride with Alejandra, but the New Lea had something she wanted to protect.

It wasn't just her father, or her brother. It didn't even stop at Paxton and Nora.

It was all of Paradox City. All that she was yet to discover about this wonderful place that she called home.

"Lea," Waco said suddenly.

"Ms. Allis," Navy said at the same time.

"I'm going now," she said, rushing off. Behind her she could feel movement, a sudden jostling. As she ran, she looked back to see Paxton and Nora being held off by Navy and Deanney.

"Come back!" Paxton yelled.

"You don't have to fix our mistakes!" Nora added.

Their crying faces were the last thing she saw as she entered the blackness.