Arianna’s POV

I was in the Man Cave with everyone and Dad was discussing budget cuts with us. Recently the Vice Mayor had decided to cut ninety percent of our budget and none of us liked it. The only reason it’s cut is because the vice mayor has decided to build a high speed railroad that costs ten billion dollars and this causes our budget to be cut.

“Today in the Man Cave we’re gonna be talking about budget cuts.” Dad began as he showed a picture of budget cuts on the screens. “What does it mean?”

Jade raised her hand. 

“Jade?”

“That our budget been cut?” She replied.

“Yes, and since the city of Swellview isn’t gonna be giving us nearly enough money to fight crime anymore, we’re gonna need to make some changes around here.” Dad concluded and I rested my head on Henry’s shoulder.

“Oh show them what you made me do to shnack machine!” Schwoz smiled and I played Sky Whale on my phone.

“I was just about to talk about that! God!” Dad snapped. “The Auto-Snacker is no longer free. As I will now demonstrate.” Dad put his hand on the snacker. “Tuna Pot Pie.”

I scrunch my nose at this. Who the heck eats Tuna.

“Tuna Pot Pie. Fifteen dollars.”

“Fifteen dollars?”

“For a pot pie dude!”

“Come on!”

“Well tough tuna!” Dad interrupted. “We don’t have enough money for employees to get free food anymore.”

Jade pouted at hearing about this.

“Now next.” He switched the screen to ‘bathroom fees’. “Going to the bathroom here will no longer be free.”

“What?!” 

“Is that even legal?!” 

“I gotta pay to use my own toilet!”

“You’re gonna change us to pee?!” Jade asked.

“Well yeah! Stuff like water, toilet paper, and cheese cost money!” Dad argued.

“Okay who eats cheese in the bathroom?” Henry asked, and us girls pointed to Jasper.

“Thanks a lot Ri!” Jasper exclaimed and I smirked at this. “I’m weird because I like eating cheese in the bathroom?” 

“You’re the only person who does it.”

JJ got up and approached Dad. “Okay if we’re really trying to save some money, then why don’t we make Schwoz quit using our come fighting budget to buy a bunch of crazy stuff for himself?!”

Schwoz’s mouth fell open and I grinned menacingly at this. “You’re always using the company credit card for your personal self.” I agreed with Charlotte.

“I don’t do that.” Schwoz protested and I scoffed at hearing this.

“Oh don’t yeah?” I asked and took Dad’s tablet. “Well then why don’t I just read off some of the things you spent our money on last month?”

“Oh why are you being mean to me?!” Schwoz protested and I shot a small energy ball at him and he ducked from being hit.

“Okay last month, Schwoz charged three hundred and fifty dollars for a gym membership to some place called, ‘Fatness to Fitness!” I read off and I looked up at Schwoz.

“I need it so I can get big muscles!” Schwoz  reasoned, lifting his non existing muscles.

“And how does you belonging in a gym help us fight crime?” I nodded my head at him and looked back on the tablet.

“Well…” Schwoz began and stood up. “What if you and Ray get captured? I might have to spring into action!”

“This is why Ria still has her suit.” Henry says and Dad nods his head, I also nod my head also.

“Oh okay.” JJ scoffed and I smiled at this.

“Oh and how many times have you been to this gym you joined?” Dad and I asked him in unison.

“I don’t know.” Schwoz shrugged. “Once.”

“Ugh.” Charlotte and JJ groaned at hearing this.

“When?

“Tomorrow.”

I went to lunge at him but Dad stopped me before I had the chance, and I tried fighting it but Dad didn’t bother letting go and I huffed.

“Alright, Schwoz!” Dad says walking with me still tightly in his grip. “You’re gonna pay us back every dollar that you spent on yourself!”

“No! I don’t have enough money to pay it all back!” Schwoz protested.

“Get a second job!” Dad suggested.

“Hey my Dad’s looking for a handy man to do some work around the house?” Henry offered stand up.

“Hush up I’m not doing that!”

“Hush up, yes you are Schwoz!” Dad objected using his voice.

“Why would you make me-”

“Put on a disguise, drive over to Henry’s house, and you do any job Henry’s father wants you to do!” Dad ordered him, and Schwoz groaned. “And whatever money you make, you bring it back here and you give it to me!”

“Maybe…”

“What?” Dad asks with wide eyes.

“Nothing! I didn’t say nothing!”

“Ray the Vice Mayor cut our budget by ninety percent.” Henry mentioned.

“So, you really think we’re gonna make that money back by paying for snacks and charging us to use the bathroom?” JJ asked him. 

“And by making Schwoz work part time jobs?” I chimed up, and Dad decided to let me go.

“No but I have an idea!” Dad began and we all looked at him. “A way for us to make more money!” He had his idea face, which consisted of him moving his tongue around.

“Why are you doing that with your tongue?” Henry asked him and Dad gave him a look.

--

The next day

JJ’S POV

I was hungry with Ria and we went to the auto-snacker.

“Chicken wings.” Ria said to the auto snacker.

“Ten dollars.” The auto snacker replied back, and Ria pulled out ten dollars, and she got the wings out.

Five minutes later

“OMG, that meat was terrible!” Ria cried out in pain holding her stomach.

“Ehh! It’s so hot!” Jasper groaned inside a trash can filled with ice and Charlotte was in one beside him while a fan blew on him.

My sister was here also and she was on the other side of the couch that Ria was on. Sofia tried to make Ria feel better but that failed.

“Aye!” Ria says throwing up in the wastebasket, and I was putting her hair in a ponytail, and rubbed her back.

I had food poisoning also but not as bad as Ria has. My stomach isn’t that bad considering I only had chicken wings and Ria had the rest of them.

“I’m back! Whoa! Snizzle!” Me and Ria turned our heads to find Schwoz had returned and he was wearing a weird costume. “It’s so hot in here! Why’s it so hot?!”

“Ray said we can’t turn on the air conditioning because it costs too much money.” I explained and Schwoz groaned, dropping his bag.

“Ahhh!” Ria groaned, and I continued to rub her back soothingly.

“What’s wrong with Ari?” Schwoz asked.

“She has food poisoning.” Sofia remarked, fanning her face.

“I feel like I’m about to throw up.” Ria whined.

Right then Henry and Ray returned from the mission.

“Hey what’s going on-oh man! It’s hot in here!” Henry exclaimed and me and Ria saw a baby alligator in Ray’s arms.

“Yeah, well, get used to it!” Ray snapped as they walked down and Schwoz yelled hiding behind Jasper and Charlotte, who also screamed and I threw up not caring.

I saw that my sister left for her shift at Downtown Brown. Which is probably a good thing because they have air conditioning there and food that doesn’t give people food poisoning. If Ria wasn’t sick we would’ve been there a long time ago. Which we were but Ria wanted chicken wings instead. Which was fine also, we didn’t care. We were hungry.

“Why do you have an alligator?” I asked with slight excitement, because I love reptiles, especially alligators or crocodiles.

“Cuz it crawled into the playground at Swellview Elementary School.” Henry explained and I got up and walked towards Ray who had the alligator in his arms.

“Cool.” I said and the two superheroes gave me a look. 

“What I love alligators. Leave me alone!” I snapped at them and I gently grabbed the alligator and he didn’t even bite me.

“Why is that thing not biting you?” Schwoz asked with fear in his voice.

“Because they love me that’s why, and two I grew up with alligators and crocodiles in Mexico.” I explained and the alligator love bit me, and I giggled.

“Yeah and guess who had to capture it?” Ray said with irritation.

“Us.” Henry finished. “And then Ray charges the little kids eleven bucks to get them out.”

“I would’ve got more, but that’s all they had.” Ray remarked and I rolled my eyes playing with the alligator.

“Why didn’t you take him to animal control?” Charlotte asked.

“Cuz there is no animal control.” Ray answered. “The dumb Vice Mayor cut their budget too.”

“Ria…” Henry began with concern and kneeled down next to her, stroking her cheek with his gloved hand. “What’s going on! What’s wrong?”

“I ate bad meat!” Ria said and pointed to the auto snacker. “From the auto snacker.”

“Why did the auto snacker have bad meat?” Henry asked, stroking her hair.

“Cuz Ray told me and JJ to stock it with the cheapest meat we could find.” Jasper reasoned and I looked up from the alligator, with wide eyes.

“So what kind did you buy?” Henry asked with a glare at me and Jasper.

“Expired.” I mumbled, and Henry turned to me.

“What?!”

“Ahhh!” Ria groaned with agony.

“You fed my girlfriend expired meat?!” Henry exclaimed. “Really Ray? This is what we’re doing now? Not using air conditioning, babysitting alligators, taking money from little kids eating bad meat that poisoned my girlfriend?!”

“Ahhh!” Ria groaned loudly, and Henry looked at her with concern. 

“That’s it! That does it!” Ray snapped kicking Schwoz’s bag.

“What does what?” Henry asked.

“We’re not taking this anymore.” Ray concluded with anger, and I flinched a little. “We’re gonna go downtown, we’re gonna march right into the Vice Mayor’s office, and tell him he better give us our full budget or else, or else-”

“We’re gonna put an alligator down his pants!” Henry yelled and I raised my eyebrow.

“We’re gonna put an alligator down his-what!” Ray paused thinking about what Henry said.

“I don’t know man! It’s hot, my girlfriend’s hurting, let’s go!” Henry rambled before he rushed over to the tubes, and Ray joined Henry under the tubes

“What are we supposed to do with the alligator?” Schwoz gestured to the alligator that I had in my hands.

“JJ gets to keep it!” Ray remarked and I smiled at hearing this.

“Yay!”

“Up the tubes!”