Episode 13: Revelation

“Jess, this is not what it looks like,” Jim attempted, before sighing and relenting almost immediately. “Oh, who am I kidding? It’s exactly what it looks like.”

“Well, I guess that cat’s outta the bag,” Fluffy remarked, realising too late that he had spoken in front of Jess, causing him to cover his mouth with his paws as Jim glared daggers at him. “FLUFFY!” he hissed.

“Wait, Fluffy can talk?” Jess said, before her face broke out into a broad grin. “Cooool!”

Jim found it a bit odd that his daughter seemed more shocked about his being a superhero than about the fact that their pet possessed the power of speech, but he was too exhausted to care, at this point.

“Dude, I can’t believe my own father is a magical boy!” Jess gushed, before pouting in disappointment. “I wish I was a magical girl . . .”

“Jess, I want you to go to your room and forget about all of this,” Jim said very sternly. “This never happened, alright?”

“Sorry, Dad,” Jess retorted, folding her arms, “but there’s no way that’s happening.”

“Can’t put the cat back in the back now,” Fluffy agreed.

“Quiet, you!” Jim hissed.

“Fluffy’s right, Dad; I can’t just roll over and make like everything’s normal,” Jess said. “I mean, come on! This is, like, the most exciting thing that’s happened in my life, ever, and you want me just to forget about it?!”

“Jess, you know full well that this is for your own safety,” Jim sighed.

“No, but, Dad, don’t you see? I can help you!” Jess argued. “Think about it: who knows more about magical girls than me? No one, right? I’m practically an expert! So who better to help you protect the city than someone who knows more about magical girls than most ever will in their lifetime?”

“She makes a good point,” Fluffy remarked.

Jim thought long and hard about what to do. On the one hand, it’d be absolutely insane for him to have a thirteen-year-old girl so closely linked to his superhero persona, not to mention incredibly dangerous and irresponsible as the sole parent to said thirteen-year-old girl.

But, on the other hand, Jess wasn’t lying when she said she was an expert on all things magical girl. Jim had seen her curiosity for the genre grow into a full-on obsession over the better half of a year and if there was any way for him to figure out how to do this whole superhero thing right, Jess would probably be his best bet.

Jim then exhaled deeply. He had made his decision.