▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 ━︎━︎ 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎"𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 always have to criticize me for everything I do? You know, I try very hard and I never get the credit I deserve!" Ray ranted, pacing back and forth. Rosanna followed his movements with her eyes. "This is unfair!"

     "I wasn't criticizing you." Rosanna scoffed. "I was stating the obvious."

     "Same thing!"

     Rosanna rolled her eyes. "You're being dramatic again."

     "I am not being dramatic!" He stomped his foot. Rosanna rose a brow, motioning a hand towards him. He pointed a finger at her. "There you go again with that criticization."

     "Oh wow, I didn't know you knew such a big word." Rosanna mocked.

    "Are you calling me dumb? Did she―︎" Ray looked around. "There's no one here to witness that my own daughter bullies me."

     Rosanna smiled. "Only because you let me bully you." Ray stared at her before grabbing onto her and tickling her. She laughed loudly, squirming in his grip. "Stop! Stop!" She kept giggling. "Okay, okay, I'll stop." He stopped and she smiled, catching her breath.

     He pressed a kiss to her temple and ruffled her hair. "What do you want for supper, kiddo?"

     Rosanna shrugged. "Chinese?"

     He snapped his fingers. "You read my mind." He placed the order and got there food, handing her a box of noodles before he took his own. He turned on the news from that night, watching it with disdain.

    "We're live in downtown Swellview, where the Phone Shark has―︎" Ray rewound the video clip towards the beginning. "But you keep failing. Doesn't that bug you?" Rosanna frowned at the news reporter. Her dad was trying his best, he wasn't perfect and sometimes she wished people would wake up and realize that even though he was indestructible, he was still human.

     The elevator door opened and Rosanna turned her head, spotting Henry. She offered him a small wave and he gave a strained smile in return. She frowned. "Ray?" Henry turned to the man.

     Ray turned his head to face him. "Henry. I didn't know you were working today." He pulled out his small device from the back of his pants. "Did I butt beep you?"

     Henry let out a short fake laugh. "Nah. Uh. . . can I talk to you about something?"

     Ray panicked. "Uh. . . babies come from the baby store." Rosanna glanced at him with furrowed brows.

     "Uh. . . it's not about that."

     His shoulder relaxed as he let out a breath. "Oh. Whew. What's up?"

     "You know my friend Charlotte?" Henry asked and Rosanna examined him, a frown pulling at her lips when she noticed how nervous he was.

     "Yeah."

     "Yeah, well, she's, like, really smart."

     Ray perked up. "Oh, like Rosie smart?" He looked at Rosanna. "There you go, a brainiac just like you." Rosanna pulled a face and Ray threw up his hands.

     "No one is Rosanna smart." Henry dismissed. Instantly, a blush rose to her cheeks. "Uh, anyways, she. . . kinda figured out. . . um."

     "Figured out what?" Ray asked.

     "That, um. . . I'm Kid Danger." Henry chortled and Rosanna choked. She covered her mouth with the nook of her arm as she roughly coughed. "Isn't that kooky?"

     Ray nodded. "Yeah. What'd you tell her?"

     "That I am. . . Kid Danger."

     He nodded again. "Ohhh. Interesting."

     "Yeah. You're not mad right?"

     Rosanna's eyes kept switching between the two. Ray waved a hand. "Mad? No." He laughed. Henry smiled and Ray's face grew serious. "You're fired." He stood up and walked past Henry. Rosanna deeply frowned, her heart aching in her chest. She'd really hoped this one would work out.

     Henry's eyes widened. "Fired?" He spun to face him.

     "That's right. You can leave your watch on the table there."

     Henry panicked. "But I swear I didn't want to tell her. She figured it out."

     "Henry." Ray's voice was stern. It was a tone of voice that Rosanna never liked, it instantly made her grow tense. "You took an oath."

     "I know, but. . ."

     "You promised me you wouldn't tell anyone. And I trusted you to keep that promise." Ray walked towards him. "When trust is broken, it can never be fixed."

     "Yes it can." Henry quickly argued.

     Ray grabbed one of the fortune cookie's they'd gotten with their dinner, handing it to him. "Open this cookie and read the fortune."

     Henry snapped the cookie, taking out the small slip of paper and reading it. "'When trust is broken, it can never be fixed.'"

     "Let's not argue with the Chinese." Ray said. "Goodbye, Henry." He walked away and as he did he sternly said, "Rosanna." Rosanna stood, her eyes meeting Henry's. There was a pleading look in his eyes but all she could do was frown and follow after her dad.

     "I'm sorry it didn't work out." Rosanna softly whispered, following her dad to his room. He sat on his bed and Rosanna sat beside him. She bit the inside of her cheek as she started messing with her hands. "I thought this one would work out."

     "It'll be alright, kid." Ray forced himself to say. "We'll have to switch your school."

     Rosanna sat up straighter. "What? Why?"

     Ray turned his head to look at her. "Rosie. . . he knows who you are. I'm sorry, but I can't risk you getting exposed."

     "But, Dad―︎"

     "No buts." Ray shook his head. "I'll call the school in the morning."

     Rosanna nodded as she softly said, "Okay." She stood up and walked towards the door, pausing in the entrance way. "I'm sure you want to be alone right now, but when you're up to it, if you want, we can watch a movie. I'll even let you pick." Ray gave a small nod and Rosanna frowned before leaving his room and headed to main entrance, taking a seat on the couch and turning on her show.

     Four episodes passed when the elevator door opened. Rosanna turned her head, sitting up straight when she saw Henry in his uniform. Henry came to a stop when he saw her. "Hey. . ."

     Rosanna gave stiff nod. "Henry. What are you doing here? And why are you in your uniform?"

     "You'll see." He scratched the back of his neck. "Hey, uh, I'm sorry about the whole. . . finding out thing. I know other people knowing effects you too, I'm sorry."

     "Yeah, well, I have to switch schools now because of it so. . . thanks for that."

     He winced, pressing his lips together. "You're Captain Man's daughter?" He said the question mostly to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. "We've went to school together for years. How could I have not known that?"

     She hummed. "So you do know we go to the same school, good to know."

     "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"

     "Well, because you never bothered to say hi." Rosanna replied. She stood up. "I'll go get my dad." She walked out of the room, knocking on his door. "Dad, Henry's here to see you."

     Ray opened the door, standing in his uniform. "Why?"

     Rosanna shrugged. "He didn't say." She walked out and her dad followed after her. When they made it back to Henry, he quickly showed Ray the video of him defeating the Phone Shark and how he gave Captain Man all of the credit.

     Ray paused the video and turned to Henry in disbelief. "You gave me all the credit."

     Henry shrugged. "Well, everyone's been giving you a hard time about not catching the Phone Shark. I figured I'd help you out."

     "Uh, excuse me. . ." Charlotte's voice made them all turn. Rosanna furrowed her brows. Had she been there the whole time? "I'm the one that found the Phone Shark."

     Henry nodded. "It's true, she did."

     Ray loudly groaned. "Charlotte, Charlotte." He walked towards her. "What am I gonna do with you?"

     Charlotte stood from the chair she was sitting in. "Uh, I think it's pretty obvious."

     "What's that?"

     "Give me a job here." Ray and Henry exchanged a look. "You guys need me."

     Ray held up a finger. "First, I want to know how you found the Phone Shark."

     "Well, I figured no guy with normal teeth can bite through a phone, right?" Charlotte asked. "So I started calling every dentist in Swellview until I found one who told me he had a patient who asked for a whole mouthful of titanium teeth."

     Ray hit his hands. "We should've called some dentists. Rosie, why didn't you tell us to do that?"

     "Because you told me not to get involved."

     "Right."

     Charlotte continued, "Then I hacked into the dentists computer files, got the guy's name, and searched him online."

     "Oh, we should've gone online!" Ray cried. "Rosie, why didn't you tell us to do that?"

     Rosanna rolled her eyes as she repeated, "Because you told me not to get involved!"

     Ray snapped his fingers. "Right."

     Charlotte showed them her phone. "Oh, and his last update said, 'Off to my brother's wedding in Swellview Park. Hope they serve phones for dessert. LOL.'"

     "And then she called me," Henry finished.

     Ray threw his thumb towards Charlotte. "She's good."

     Henry nodded. "She is. She could really help us out around here."

     "So could I!" Rosanna called, raising a hand.

     "You're not allowed to get involved." Ray said.

     Rosanna sighed, slumping in a chair. "Why do I even bother?"

     Ray turned back to Henry. "Us?" He motioned between them.

     "Oh right. You fired me."

     Ray placed his hands on his hips, taking a few steps away from him. "Well, you broke the oath."

     "And I caught the Phone Shark." Henry added. "Come on, Ray, hire me back."

     Ray glanced at Rosanna and she gave him pleading eyes. "I don't want to switch schools."

     He stared at his daughter for another moment before rolling his eyes and sighing. "Alright, you're re-hired."

     "Yes!" Henry ran forwards, hugging him.

     Charlotte loudly cleared her throat. "Cough, cough, cough."

     Henry pulled away from Ray. "Oh, right. And what are you going to do about Charlotte?"

     Ray groaned. "Well, she knows you're Kid Danger, she knows who I am, she knows who my kid is―︎"

     Charlotte frowned. "Your kid? You have a kid?"

     Rosanna waved. "Hi." Charlotte pressed her lips together and nodded.

     "―︎and she knows where the Man Cave is 'cause you brought her down here."

     "So, what does that mean?" Charlotte asked.

     "That we either have to kill you." Ray said, holding up one finger.

     Rosanna's eyes widened. "Dad!"

     "Erase your brain." Ray held up a second finger.

     Rosanna sat up straight. "Dad!"

     "Or," he held up a third finger, "give you a job."

     "I vote job." Charlotte said.

     "We can really erase her brain?" Henry asked.

     Charlotte and Rosanna looked at him. "Dude!"

     "Wha―︎" Henry closed his mouth when he saw the looks he was receiving from both girls.

     "Alright, she can have a job here." Ray decided. Henry and Charlotte started to celebrate but Ray interrupted them. "If! She can pass the pickle test." Rosanna rolled her eyes.

     Bork, a very strong, very tall, and very terrifying man came down with a jar, a single pickle on the inside. He screwed the lid on tightly. "Thanks, Bork." Ray said. "Now, grunt and exit." Bork did as told. "Charlotte, you must now prove you're clever enough to work for Captain Man."

     "Uh, I found the Phone Shark."

     "Well, anyone could do that." Ray scoffed.

     Rosanna, who had grabbed popcorn, said mid crunch, "You two couldn't." They instantly shut her down and Rosanna only ate another handful of popcorn while Charlotte pointed at her as if to silently agree with her.

     "Now, to prove your worthiness, you must get that pickle out of that jar that Bork just power screwed shut." Ray explained.

     "How much time does she have?" Henry asked.

     "Exactly five min―︎" But before Ray could finish what he was saying, Charlotte picked up the jar and let it drop.

     The jar shattered and she grabbed the pickle, holding it out to Ray. "Here's your pickle." Rosanna silently chuckled.

     Ray took the pickle before staring at the shattered remains of the jar. "That was Bork's favorite jar."

     "Wait, is Charlotte hired?" Henry asked.

     "Yeah, yeah, she's hired. As long as Rosanna's cool with it." Ray walked out of the room.

     Rosanna rolled her eyes while Henry and Charlotte stared at her. "I really don't care." Rosanna replied. The two started cheering.

     "Wanna see something cool?" Henry quickly asked and Charlotte nodded. He led her over to the tubes. "Hug me." She shot him a look. "Just trust me." He pressed his belt buckle and the tube surrounded them. "Up the tube!" As they shot up, Charlotte screamed. Rosanna only smiled, shaking her head. It seems to her that life just got a little more interesting. She turned in her chair and turned on The Office.