"Are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself while I pop into the comic book store?" Caleb Cosgrove asks his little sister. They've traveled down to Isla del Kashmire on a Saturday Afternoon.

Colleen nods absentmindedly, already lost in the book that she brought along. The park is right next to the shop so Caleb won't be far away. It's a nice day and she'd rather be outside.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes. Gotta check if they have the new Action Cat comic!"

Caleb loves Action Cat, he named their kitten 'Action Cat' after the comic book character.

It's more than a few minutes. Colleen realizes as she finishes a chapter. Caleb is nowhere in sight. Colleen decides to set her book aside and play on the playground. It's what it's there for!

Youch! She doesn't quite stop herself at the bottom of the slide and falls onto her rear end. She probably should have worn trousers but hadn't planned on playing. She rubs her sore behind.

"Look at this prim princess!" she hears a belligerent call and turns to see two rough-looking boys about her age enter the playground just in time to see her fall.

"This is our playground! Who said you could use the slide? You can't even do it right!"

Colleen is taken aback at the audacity! It is a public park! Everyone's parents' taxes paid for it, so it couldn't belong to any one person or group!

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" the boys flank her and some other children hear the commotion and gather to watch the bullies; that's clearly what they are.

Her fight or flight reaction kicks in and she puts up her fists, "I don't need your permission! Get outta my face or I'll make you!"

They do not heed their advice and the one she's facing sneers at her and steps forward.

Colleen is the epitome of 'fuck around and find out' as she pops the same boy in the lip and he crumbles.

She whirls around on the other, "Do you feel lucky, punk?"

He takes a step back in surprise.

"Leenie, what is going on here?"

Caleb has finally returned. He takes in the scene with a displeased frown.

Colleen has never been so relieved to see Caleb in her life!

The boy with the busted lip picks himself up and looks defeated; his buddy seems defiant.

"I....I....they..." Colleen stumbles over her thoughts racing faster than her mouth.

The other kids seem to scatter behind her while she searches for words to explain.

She finally blurts, "They were trying to bully me off the playground! Please don't tell Mom and Dad I punched someone."

To her surprise, her brother smirks with approval. Caleb is usually a thoughtful and calm individual who frowns upon violence, just like her parents are. She had never been good with talking to other people, which is why she mostly avoided them.

"That was really uncool," Caleb crosses his arms and stares coldly at the boys; his smirk wipes away almost as fast as it had appeared.

They don't seem fazed or regretful for their actions.

This is cause for more drastic action from Caleb.

"Our dad is the Minister of Education in Kashmire. You better fuck off or else I'll tell him to get your teachers to give you extra homework for a month," Caleb points to where the bullies can 'fuck off' to.

What does that even mean? Colleen isn't used to hearing her brother make swears.

Colleen knows Caleb nor their dad has the power to carry out such a punishment, but the bullies seem convinced and skedaddle.

Boys are dumb.

"You handled yourself well out there, Kid," Caleb praises her as he treats her to lunch at a nearby diner.

"I think those kickboxing lessons helped," Colleen muses. Colleen didn't like all the lessons her mother had signed her up for, as she would rather read by herself as a hobby, but out of all of them, the kickboxing and self-defense lessons seemed most useful.

They order burgers and Caleb mentions, "I do feel though as I should remind you that Dad says de-escalation is the preferred method to resolve conflict."

"Yeah, I know. I just panicked!" Colleen admits with a squeak.

She actually feels really bad she made that kid's lip bleed.

When they arrive home, Colleen stops short of the front door and gives her big brother a hug, "Thanks for sticking up for me, Caleb."