Author's warning: This is a character development chapter, but with some kick-butt action as well. It does NOT advance the plot. In standard American publishing, I would have "murdered my darling" as American editors say for deleting character building chapters without plot advancement. But this is the world of Wattpad, so for all those who like character development [and kick butt action scene that doesn't advance the plot]: HERE IT IS!

*****

"Load up. Cale has the food and Gabe has the drinks." Alex opened the doors to her tiny car. The brothers piled in, Alex bringing up the rear.

"When will we get to Jean Lafitte Park?" Rile said, a distinct whine in his voice.

"Don't start on me," Alex said, but she smiled. "This is a picnic. Eating out. In a park. Relaxing."

"Eating outside is not relaxing to me," Rile said. "That's my regular routine. Now eating in a restaurant, having my food served to me, and then all the cleaning done, that is relaxing."

"Alex and I made all the food," Cale started.

"Rile and I will perform the cleaning," Gabe finished.

Rile slumped in his seat in the back, arms crossed on his chest, for Gabe had pounced on 'shotgun' yet again. Alex started the car and before too long, the city sights fell behind them as she drove along the expressway.

Cale took the most interest in the view during the 45 minute drive to the Barataria Preserve portion of Jean Lafitte Park. The buildings grew scarcer and scarcer while the trees grew larger and larger. Soon the giant limbs were overhanging the road, the silver grey Spanish moss draped as if by a decorator. At the park entrance, Alex paid, accepted the map, and drove to the picnic grounds. She parked in a wooded corner, far from the rest of the parking lot, which was empty.

"Are you sure we have the place to ourselves?" Gabe asked as he scanned the horizon.

"Don't want to run into any killer Boy Scouts." Rile ran to the metal gym set, nimbly leapt to the top, and looked around.

"I asked the park ranger to reserve the farthest private picnic grounds," Alex assured him as she set up the table.

"All clear, Chief Sitting Bull," Rile called out.

"Lunch is on, brave Running Mouth," Alex called back to Rile.

"Serve me, squaw," he ordered as he leapt over to the table.

"Rile! That's very politically incorrect. What are you watching on TV? Do I need to cancel the cable?" Alex scolded.

"How about a truce until lunch is over?" Cale asked.

"White man speak with forked tongue," Rile replied.

"That's it. I'm cancelling the cable," Alex said.

"I'll stop." Rile sat down.

*****

After lunch, Alex stood and stretched. "I need a walk." She punched Gabe on the arm.

"What about us?" Rile asked.

"A post-lunch nap sounds good." Cale lay down on the blanket.

Alex smiled and watched as he wallowed around to become comfortable, scrunching up the blanket this way and that. At last he stopped with a sigh and relaxed.

"Lie in the sun like an old female." Rile strode into the woods.

"Let's sit by the water," Alex told Gabe.

"I thought you wanted to walk."

"Don't be so literal." She took him by the arm and led him over to the shore. She sat down under a copse of trees and dragged him down as well. "Tell me about your world without Rile's sarcastic comments."

*****

Rile picked his way along the trail, searching for his brother and Alex. He saw them at the lake and wanted some fun. The tough part was getting close enough for his attack. He waited a few minutes until Alex pointed to something on the lake. She and Gabe walked to investigate. Rile climbed a huge cypress tree. He grinned wickedly to himself as Alex and Gabe sat down underneath him. Alex lay down, head in Gabe's lap.

"Will these ever go away?" Gabe asked as he traced the scars that ran along her face and chin.

"Probably not," she said casually. "I don't care. They make me look tough."

He didn't reply, but ran his hand through the shorter side of her hair. "What's this?" He felt along a scar hidden by the growing hair.

"Craniotomy scar." The words flowed out of Alex in an uncharacteristic way.

"Crani-what?"

"Craniotomy. Surgical incision in the skull. For the implants," Alex said smoothly.

Gabe gazed at this new person. "You remember?"

"No!" Alex started to stand up, panic and confusion chasing away the unfamiliar persona.

Gabe coaxed her back down. "Still hurt?" he asked, gently touching her black eye to distract her. "I can't believe Rile was so careless as to hit your bad eye. His recklessness will be his downfall." His face clouded with distant anger.

Rile's face similarly became dark.

"Rile deserves more credit than you give him. He knows what he's doing. After all, he has you to be careful and plan, that's why you're such a great team. Besides, I won't recognize myself anymore without a black eye."

Rile's expression softened, and he reconsidered his plan to surprise them, but the tree had other plans. With a tremendous crack, the branch gave way and he fell in front of them. He grinned at them from where he landed.

"Rile!" they both cried.

"You're as bad as a nosy little brother." Alex complained.

"He is a nosy little brother," Gabe said.

"All right. I'm sorry." Rile didn't sound it.

"Not good enough," Gabe advanced on him.

"I'm ready to wake up Cale. How about y'all?" she asked, for strong emotion brought out her Southern accent.

Gabe and Rile traded glares.

"C'mon, you two. It's too nice a day to start World War Three." She linked arms with Gabe and drew him along.

*****

"What a slacker," Alex observed when they reached the picnic area and saw Cale napping. "No wonder Rile pestered us. Get up."

"Why?" Cale asked, instantly alert.

Alex couldn't say that she wanted him to moderate between his two brothers. She was thinking of a good answer when a short, cut-off scream startled them. Alex vanished, the vegetation rocking in the wake of her speed burst.

The brothers caught up with Alex. She held a seven year old girl and was facing off against a beefy man in a sleeveless T-shirt that hung loosely over his beer belly. One prison tattoo on his arm proclaimed, "Bush caused Katrina."

"Give me back my girl," the man growled and advanced on Alex, who backed up.

"He's not my daddy," the little girl sobbed. "Please help me. It hurts so much when he says I'm bad."

All sanity left Alex's eyes. She saw Gabe and shoved the little girl into his arms. "My friend will keep you safe," she said. Angerflowed like molten gold from her head to her fingertips. Her vision doubled,tripled in acuity, everything in crystal clear focus. She opened and closed herhands, feeling the reflexes sharpen and quicken.

The little girl stared at Gabe, wide eyed.

"Ah . . . Alex," Gabe said, but Alex had stepped toward prison-tattoo. "Um . . . hello, little human. I'm here to help."

"You look like a dragon, kind of," the little girl sniffed, but she looked interested, not frightened. "Where are your wings and tail?"

Prison tattoo menaced Alex. "I'm taking her. You ain't stopping me."

Alex tilted her head, able to see the tiniest motions of his chest, his arms, able to predict his next move.

Target acquired.

This new voice in her head was robotic, like a computer locking on weapon systems. She didn't remember ever hearing it before, but it was oddly familiar. Her confidence surged higher.

"Think you can take me? You're good at beating up little girls, but can you beat up a bigger one?" Alex asked.

"Looks like someone already did. I'll slap you stupid and finish the job someone else started. Your friends, too."

"Like to see you try. It'll be fun. Make your move." Alex took another step forward and the man took out a knife from his back pocket. "That's it? For a minute I was afraid that you had a real weapon." Alex held out her hand and Rile placed a staff in it. Alex frowned at it and glanced at Rile.

"You need the edge," Rile explained.

"Staffs don't have edges," Alex snapped, but took the staff anyway.

"You need the extra distance a staff gives you. Don't you have a child molester to kill?" Rile asked.

"Alex, zap him and return this little human to her mother," Gabe ordered. "Once we find her."

Alex ignored Gabe. She gave the staff a single twirl, stopped it cold with her other hand, and stepped toward the man. He lunged and slashed. Alex sidestepped and clouted him with the staff. He stumbled forward, toward Gabe, and the little girl cried out in fear. Alex became a blur of motion, jabbing and beating the man. He fell to the ground and covered his head.

"Stop! Stop!" he cried.

"Do you stop when she begs you? Do you?" Alex screamed, rage now blinding her, blocking out any other voices in her head.

"Here," Rile plucked the staff from Alex's hands and handed her his dagger. "Don't play with your food. End him."

"What?" Alex looked up, still wild eyed.

"You heard me. Don't beat the slob to death. Make it quick."

"Rile!" Gabe snapped.

"Let her choose" Rile stepped between Gabe and Alex.

The little girl clutched Gabe's neck tighter. Alex's hand alternately tightened and loosed around the hilt of the knife. The man continued to cry and looked up at Alex.

"Why should I beat you any less than you did that girl?"

"You don't understand. I have poor self-esteem," he whimpered.

"Shut up. You make me sick. You should have poor self esteem because you're scum that molests a helpless child," Alex fingered the knife again.

"Will you wait all day?" Rile asked.

"Alex—" Gabe began.

"Alicia!!Alicia!!" Frantic voices reached them.

The little girl looked over at her name.

Alex blasted the man so that he fell limp. "I'm not God," she said. "It's not my place to decide whether he lives or dies. But I can make it a lot more difficult for him to molest little girls."

"Alex," Gabe warned and turned so that the girl was shielded from the view.

"Don't look if you're squeamish." Alex knelt on the man's arm. With a flick of the knife she cut the skin of his wrist and he screamed. "Sever these tendons and he loses the use of his fingers. The artery is pretty deep so I should miss them."

The man screamed as Alex performed her field surgery, but she clouted him in the head to keep him down.

"Alex, stop this instant," Gabe said.

"Stop barking orders at me," she said. "Sheesh, I thought you were a hunter. Can't stand to look at tendons. There, the first wrist is done. Now for the other. Rile, I could use some help."

"Alex, listen to me," Gabe said. "Rile, don't help her."

"I can't hear you over the screaming," Alex told Gabe. She looked down at prison tattoo. "Men, such wussies. Be quiet or I'll castrate you like you deserve."

"Alex, no," Gabe said, the volume of his voice increasing.

"I can't hear you either, Gabe," Rile said. "But I'm not helping with castration."

"Ha, gets 'em every time," Alex said with satisfaction as she carved open the man's left wrist and he passed out. "The doctors can stitch these tendons back together, Rile."

"Take a piece out." Rile pierced the exposed tendons with his claws. "Cut out a chunk between my claws."

"Cale, stop them," Gabe ordered.

"I haven't been able to pin Rile since his thirteenth dry season," Cale replied. "Alex isn't violating the Creator's laws. He forbids murder, rape, theft, and commands justice for these things." He circled behind Gabe so that he faced the little girl. "What's your favorite color?"

"Wrist flexor tendons, now the finger flexor tendons, and I'm done." Alex wiped the dagger on the man's shirt and handed it back to Rile.

"Impressive," he said.

"Thanks for your help."

The little girl alternated patting Gabe's muzzle, neck, and shoulders, feeling his soft hide, to his obvious embarrassment. "I hear Mommy. May I run to her?"

"I'll take you." Alex disengaged the girl from Gabe.

"If they're the dragons, are you the princess? Why didn't they save you?" Alicia asked.

"We already did that," Rile said.

"Excuse me," Alex retorted. "I believe that mutual saving was done."

"Alicia! Alicia!" the voices were closer.

"Mommy! Mommy!" the little girl shouted.

"Over here," Alex yelled, shooing off the brothers.

Two women crashed through the bushes. One shrieked and held out her arms. Alicia wiggled out of Alex's grip to run to her.

"Alicia!" the mother cried, hugged her, looked at Alex, and finally at the unconscious form on the ground. "Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?"

"He grabbed me, mommy, but the princess and the dragons saved me."

The mother looked at Alex, who shrugged and held up her hands helplessly.

"Not a princess. I knocked the jerk out, and he fell on a knife somewhere," Alex said. "Can you call the cops on your cell phone?"

"Of course. I'm Helen Crenshaw from the battered women's shelter," the other lady said and pulled out her cell phone. "Mr. Langston will have quite a few charges to face once he gets out of the hospital."

"Do you have enough without me pressing charges?" Alex asked. "I have my own difficulties with the authorities."

"If he did that to you, you should press charges," Helen said. "These men get away with abuse because women are too afraid to pursue justice."

"I'm not afraid and I took out my own justice," Alex replied. "But it's poor thanks for saving Alicia by turning me in to the authorities. Again, I ask, do you have enough to put him in jail without my testimony?"

"Just his presence violates the restraining order and will put him back in jail," Helen answered reluctantly. "Much less assaulting Alicia. But the more charges that are pressed, the more convictions he will receive and the longer he stays in prison."

"But he is going to prison," Alex said and Helen nodded.

"How do I explain this?" Helen gestured to the prone form.

"Vigilante," Alex answered. "One who ran off. Which I am about to do. Good luck."

*****

The second that they arrived at the picnic ground, Gabe asked, "Alex, what do you think you were doing?"

"Fulfilling every decent person's fantasy of pulping a child molester and maiming him so he can't do it again."

"You lost control back there." Gabe made it sound like a crime.

"Do you understand what that guy did to that little girl? Abusers like that need to be taught that they can't get away with it. They need to know that sometimes, just sometimes, there is justice in the world," Alex replied. "Amazing to learn that there are people lower than Morgan, huh? At least I'm an adult." Alex grabbed a drink and walked off toward the lake.

"Uh-oh, Gabe, she said the 'M' word. You touched a sensitive topic. Good luck. You'll need it," Cale said.

Gabe walked to the spot where he and Alex had watched the water. Alex sat there and he sat down beside her.

"I didn't mean that the way it sounded," Gabe said.

Alex shrugged. "Males of my species never apologize, either."

"Can I have a sip? Rile kicked over my beverage," Gabe said.

Alex handed it to him but still looked over the water.

"Thanks. I assume pathogenic microbes are not interspecies compatible."

"No time like the present to find out, I say." Alex smiled.

"I hope you don't think that I came over here to . . ." Gabe's voice trailed off and now he looked over the water.

"I have no idea what to think when it comes to you." Alex drew her legs to her chest and rested her chin upon her knees.

"I try to explain myself when anyone asks, assuming we're not in the midst of combat."

"Why would understanding you help in combat?" Alex asked, surprised.

"We do seem to end up in the same battles. I suppose I'd prefer not to have you zap Rile and Cale anymore."

"You know that I feel badly about that." Alex put her head down on her knees. "Well, zapping Cale. I enjoy zapping Rile. The jerk."

"It did seem justified at the time and it saved my life. I think we can all forgive and move on."

Alex perked up and looked at him. "I agree, forget about the past and move on."

"Except Rile, of course. I mean me and my sane brother," Gabe added.

Alex laughed and Gabe smiled. They watched the water for a moment.

"At the risk of spoiling the first good mood you've been in since before lunch, I'm glad you didn't execute that baby man with the skin paint," Gabe said.

"Rile thought he needed offing." Alex's smile vanished.

"Don't get me wrong, Alex. Rile is the best at what he does. But he does not choose who needs to die unless he is being attacked. Rile may very well have been right. Would the police have agreed?"

"Unfortunately there is no death sentence for rape, child or otherwise," Alex said.

"I heard you say that you wished to avoid legal entanglements to one of the women who followed the girl. Wouldn't leaving a corpse have accomplished just that?"

"Leaving a corpse tends to excite local law enforcement," Alex admitted.

"That's why I'm the leader, not Rile. I think about these things. You said you weren't God. But sometimes we have to fill in for Him on occasion. I wouldn't have grieved an instant for the male. But one of my brothers might have been hurt breaking you out of the local lockup."

"Don't try to break me out, ever. Once I'm in their hands, it's all over. One agency contacts another and it ends badly for me, the freak with powers," Alex said with fervency.

"I'm the leader, and I make decisions for my team. But I will remember your suggestion," Gabe said.

Alex snorted. "I can see why Rile kicks at the traces, mighty leader."

"Rile does what Rile does because he is Rile. He tries my patience as a sword is tempered in the furnace. Leaders are not allowed to overly indulge their pique. So...he piques me. What's your excuse? Rile irks the living hell out of you. I've seen him do it. I suspect he cheats in your sparring sessions. Why do you put up with him?"

"Why not? He's your brother. I like his sarcasm and his honesty. Even if he is a jerk."

"That's odd. I find those are his most annoying traits," Gabe replied.

"Now that's odd. A leader should value honesty." Alex regarded Gabe closely.

"You must stop this habit of misquoting me to "catch" me. I said I didn't like those traits. He uses them like weapons. Sometimes they are valuable, however," Gabe said, un-phased by scrutiny.

"Who's trying to catch you? Not me," Alex said too quickly and looked away.

"I wasn't born yesterday," Gabe smiled.

"Hatched yesterday?" Alex asked.

"That, too. The human saying is 'born yesterday', so I used that."

"Do you like flying kites?" Alex dropped her gaze.

"I'm not sure I understand the concept. Do I fly in one?" Gabe asked. He scratched his muzzl, looking confused at the sudden change in topic.

"No, you fly it overhead. On a string."

"Sounds like fun. What keeps them up? Do they have a motor?"

"The wind. Getting them up is the hardest part, because you have to run pretty fast to gain sufficient airspeed," Alex pointed at a kite in the air.

"I understand. They're lighter than air?"

"Well, no, but they have a large surface area . . . are you a physicist or something on your world?"

"A leader must understand all he can of the world he is in. Is this not so in your world, Alex?"

"Military leaders, yes. Politicians just have to look and sound good, but can be utter morons otherwise," Alex said.

"Hence, your system of justice which releases child molesters to find more victims. I understand your rage, earlier. I'm sorry. We were discussing kites?"

"Yes, let's fly them before my hormones and psychosis demand that I kill that bastard." Alex stood up.

"Is this flying of kites a matter of competition?"

"Sometimes. I bought fighting kites, not the flying kind," Alex replied.

"Fighting kites? Sounds intriguing. Have you done this before?"

Alex shook her head. "No, but I bought a book on it."

"Too bad. Perhaps we can still teach Rile a little humility, though."

"I wouldn't bet the farm on it," Rile said, stepping out from the underbrush.

"Hey, Rile," Alex said, unperturbed. She didn't have her head in Gabe's lap this time.

"One of these days, little brother, I'll rip out your—"

"Gabe, not leader talk," Alex said.

"Rile was listening to us, again."

"That 'I'm a leader' speech nearly put me to sleep, too," Rile said.

Alex hid her smile but said, "No one asked you to listen."

"No one ever does. Strange, that. Were you going to show me how kites fight?"

"No, you have to read the book, like everybody else," Alex said.

"I need no books to learn fighting, Alex. Show me the weapons we'll be using," Rile replied.

"Weapons? No, kites. You have to assemble them first," Alex said.

"Defeating someone who doesn't know the definition of the word weapon should not prove overly difficult. Show me to my kite, woman."

"Onward, and stuff the woman bit." Alex tried to kick Rile as she passed by.

"I thought you didn't do that sort of thing," Rile smirked, avoiding her kick.

"If you want to watch cable again, dragon boy, watch the snarky comments," Alex warned.

"I fear no mere woman. After I conquer you in the air, I will dazzle you with snarky comments until you promise to provide cable perpetually."

"Sure, right after pigs fly. Or you," Alex said, wondering how to aim the next kick successfully.

"If barbequed ribs flew, I'd learn. How hard can it be? You do it."

"You go right ahead, there, flightless one. I'll fly you up and you can learn on the way down."

"You admit you have wings. Can I see?"

"Sorry, small thermonuclear fission reactor. Not as attractive as your wings." Again the strange words rolled off Alex's tongue.

"Then let's skip the falling lessons. I think I can manage," Rile strode off before Alex could reply.

Five minutes later, Rile and Alex stared in disgust at the tangled remains of the kite.

"Take the pieces marked A and B and fit together at a 90 degree angle so that the slots marked O and P face opposite and outward. Okay?" Gabe looked up from the booklet when they didn't answer him. "What did you do? I just started reading the instructions to you."

"Time for Cale to get up," Rile declared. "He can read the instructions aloud while Gabe and I assemble them. He's a knob at building but good at reading."

They eagerly descended on Cale, who had resumed his nap. Cale was startled into wakefulness by his eager youngest brother.

"Wha-? Problems?" he asked as Rile dragged him to his feet.

"We can't assemble the kites and need your help." Alex was apologetic.

"You woke me up for kites? What are they?" Cale didn't sound angry.

"You're only reading the instructions aloud, He Who Is Useless At Building," Rile said.

"I noticed that you're asking for my help," Cale said.

"We are. Please." Alex handed him the booklet with a smile.

Before long, the two kites were laid out on the grass.

"Now to try them out." Rile rubbed his hands together. "I'll take the red one."

"Rile, Cale should pick first. If it wasn't for him we would have two expensive piles of firewood," Alex said.

"It's all right. I'll take the yellow." Cale unwound the strings on the hand controls.

Getting the kites airborne was not as easy as it sounded. Alex giggled at Rile's unsuccessful attempts. Cale learned from Rile's mistakes and the yellow kite was up in the air. The red one followed as Rile's pride was stung.

"Take that," Rile shouted.

The red kite dove after the yellow one. It swerved to avoid it and the fight was on. Rile may have been quicker, but Cale had taken the time to read the instructions and it wasn't long before the red kite was forced down.

"Beginner's luck," Rile told him.

Cale flicked his tongue at him.

"Look at this while Gabe and I try them." Alex opened the book to the page entitled Fighting Tactics. She could tell that Rile wanted to push it away, but some reasonable part of him won out, and he accepted the booklet.

The rest of the afternoon sped by as they played with the kites. When it was too dark to make out the kites clearly, they packed up and headed home.

*****

A/N : Did y'all enjoy it? Are you glad I didn't "murder my darling"? Or should I have?

Dedicated to @DianaTheThird

Who LOVES character development chapters.

And to EGTczarzenskawitz

Who loves justice

And to Geopum

For my amazing new banner on my profile!