Minecraft Story Mode Season 3, Episode 2: Friends and Foes

Part 16: An Appointment With the Mayor of Champion City

 Romeo's eyes opened. Everything around him was an incomprehensible blur of colors, but he was conscious.

"Oh, thank Notch!" Jesse whispered. Romeo tried to look at her, but it was difficult when the world was spinning so much that he couldn't even find her face. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Jesse asked nervously.

The spinning stopped, but Romeo's surroundings were still extremely blurry.

"Seven, maybe? I don't know," Romeo sighed. He heard Jesse inhale and exhale heavily.

Romeo assumed that Jesse looked worried. He had to guess her expressions because he couldn't see her face.

"Romeo, I'm holding up three," Jesse told him. Romeo could now see the three fingers Jesse was holding up, although they were still a bit blurry. Then suddenly his vision cleared completely.

Jesse definitely looked worried.

"My vision just cleared up a second ago. I'm fine now," Romeo assured. He tried to stand and managed to do so despite the fact that his legs wobbled a bit.

Jesse rose to her feet and glanced at the entrance to Lizzie's backyard.

Olivia and Radar had arrived. They walked into Lizzie's backyard and joined the group.

"Jesse, we know what potion was in the glass bottle that the accomplice dropped," Radar stated. He took a deep breath. "It's potion of poison. We're dealing with someone who's willing to hurt people."

"Huh. Interesting. Yeah, that's definitely out of the norm for villains. Most of them are approachable, jovial, and playful folks who just want to be your friend and like hugs, fireworks, and pretty castles," Petra replied sarcastically.

She gave Romeo a quick glance before turning her attention back to Radar. Romeo couldn't help but snicker.

"Why were you guys gone so long? Ivor's house is really close and it shouldn't take that long to test one potion bottle, right?" Axel questioned.

"Ivor's daughter tested it. She talked. A lot," Olivia sighed. Petra crossed her arms.

"Yeah, I hate it when people do that. You're there to get something done and they act like they have all day to talk when-" Petra began.

"Ahem. I'd like to have a moment with the Admin, if that's all right," Stella piped up. Petra glared at her.

"You literally just interrupted me," Petra told her.

"I know, but I really don't care that much," Stella retorted. She straightened her shirt collar and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. She confidently strolled over to Romeo and gently guided him over to a quiet spot in the backyard.

"Ugh. Stella is just the worst. Jesse, you're giving her a chance but she hasn't changed at all. I mean, Romeo's making progress so I get why you think he's worth your time and energy... but Stella? It's like she's not even making an effort to be a pleasant person to be around," Petra muttered.

"People don't change overnight, Petra. And while Stella does still have her issues, she's trying to be friendly with everyone except you. And she's probably just being rude to you because she sees it as retaliation for every insult you give her," Jesse responded. Petra nodded slowly.

"Okay, I'll try to be nicer to Stella... but the second she decides to give me nothing but her crap in return I'll stop," Petra stated.

In their quiet spot of the backyard, Romeo and Stella were silent for a moment before Stella decided to break the ice.

"So... I was wondering what time you're going to help restore Champion City to its former glory," Stella said.

Champion City. The city he'd destroyed during his time as Jesse just to show Axel and Olivia he could destroy their cities if they ever decided to leave him.

Sure, he'd teleported the citizens out of the range of the explosion before he blew up the city... but he'd still destroyed their homes without a second thought.

Romeo tried not to cry as he thought of exactly how terrible he'd been. He didn't want to show weakness.

"Three o'clock should work," Romeo told her. He began to walk away in an effort to escape before Stella saw him cry.

"Yoohoo! Mr. Admin, sir, there's still a bit more I want to discuss," Stella called out.

Stella was the only person left who still called him "the Admin." Not as a joke, not out of spite, not out of fear, not out of habit... it was because she still respected him and still saw him as "the Admin"- an assertive paragon of power who had everything under control - not weak, insecure, and helpless Romeo.

Romeo stopped in his tracks and walked back to Stella.

"I was also wondering if you could make sure that everything is rebuilt the exact way it was- you know, that way so my citizens aren't moved into completely different homes," Stella added. Suddenly her arrogance and chipper business-like tone began to crack. "For now they're living in Beacontown... trying the best they can to adjust. Jesse's so generous for letting the inhabitants of Champion City live in her rental homes until their real homes are rebuilt, but I can tell they're struggling. They're not used to Beacontown's quirky atmosphere," Stella continued gloomily. Romeo noticed that her eyes were watering. "I- I keep on trying to make them feel more at home but my best isn't enough and they're worried that things will never be the same again. I feel like I- I've failed them..." Stella stammered. She wiped her eyes and plastered a smug smirk on her face. "Well, maybe other mayors would think like that... but I'm Stella, Founder of Champion City, and my best is obviously better than enough. I always succeed, no matter what the situation." Stella somehow managed to fake a smile.

Romeo reached out to hug her, but Stella gracefully backed away.

"Listen, I'm flattered that you care enough to hug me... but I really don't need it. I don't know what part of our conversation just now told you that I did," Stella replied.

Romeo knew exactly what she was doing: hiding her pain to save her reputation as a confident and formidable leader who didn't need anyone's help.

Romeo decided that if she didn't want help, he would respect her choice.

"My mistake. I thought that your pity for other mayors who would be lost in a situation like yours was you worrying about how you were going to handle things, but I guess I was wrong," Romeo answered. Stella grinned at him.

"Exactly. Now how about we join Jesse and the others?" Stella suggested.

Romeo and Stella walked back to the group.

"Ro, I think now would be a good time to reinterrogate our remaining suspects," Jesse said. The corners of Romeo's mouth turned upwards.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Romeo agreed.