Not a Betrayal

I Don't Care About Brian, Let Alone Some Cat

"You won't need this gun in everyday combat. Why do you want to learn this one?", Russell whined, stamping his foot, like a little boy, pretending to be tired.

He and Mason were at their weekly Saturday shooting session again, and Mason insisted he try a new type of gun because it was getting pretty boring. Mason smiled at himself, then looked back at Brian, who came to see his friend practice. Mason did not want to bring him considering that it was his and Russell's only private time, but Brian threw a fit fussing about how Mason had not been hanging out with him lately, since he met Russell.

"See how I told you he is like a baby?", Mason asked Brian, who was sitting on the bench behind them, blinking, astonished with whatever he is seeing.

"Do you want to kill anyone?", Brian asked, completely ignoring the sulking Russell.

"It's just basic survival skills, bub. Imagine a situation where hand-to-hand physical fight does not apply. This skill is a need!", Mason said, innocently, voice laced with intense excitement.

"Like an alien or zombie invasion?", Brian asked, seriously.

"Like dealing with the rivals of a dead mafia leader, whose middle child is clingy as fuck.", Mason said, his voice dead serious.

"Have some respect, he would have been your father-in-law, if not a dead mafia leader.", Russell said, a bit disappointed.

"No but seriously, you are nothing like your father!", Brian said, his attention shifting to Russell.

"Oh, I am like my mom, everyone says. Looks and everything. Chester is just like dad, a carbon copy, I would say. I meant the personality, obviously. His looks were like mom's. His mom, I mean. Actually we call each other's moms as mom. So people get confused.", Russell said, chuckling.

"Pretty comfortable family, I guess?", Mason asked, smiling.

"Yep. And that reminds me, mom wants to meet you.", Russell said, picking up the gun and aiming, with a flawlessly swift movement, "Although, I told her she will, only if you are okay with it."

Mason stayed silent, thinking. Then after Russell fired two perfect shots, he said, looking back at Mason, "Isn't it a waste that I cannot shoot at my enemy, even if I have a gun with me, Maple?"

"It's not a waste. It means you are good person! Although some consequences are fate, we all know, there's always an alternative way for the actions that led to those consequences...", Mason said, giving him a reassuring head tilt.

"Chester's mom said that to the three of us, when she was ill, on her deathbed.", Russell said, smiling back at him.

"And seems like one of the three did not learn it.", Brian said, standing up.

"Woah woah, wait a minute. That's my brother, you are talking about?", Russell said, laughing.

"Exactly, I am talking about that big asshole!", Brian said, his voice angry.

Russell smiled at himself and said, after a pause, smirking, mischief showing on his face, "I don't think he is that big, you know?"

"What do you mean?", Brian asked, confused.

"You know what I mean!", Russell said, giggling.

Mason laughed out loud realising what Russell meant. Brian stared at them before realising that Russell meant about Chester's peepee, and then he asked, laughing, "Don't tell me you saw him naked?"

"We were kids once, you know? Mom made us bath together at the same time for convenience!", Russell said, stifling his smile.

"I can't imagine the amount of water your family saved by doing that...", Mason said and they all laughed together, while Mason prepared to practice some more.