The sun beat down on a small desert at the southern edge of Grand North. Its rays were accompanied by a dry wind that swept across the landscape and left the taste of sand and dust in its wake.
Yet, a small forest clung to life and defied the harshness. A scurry of turtles strolled along within its shade until a subtle shift in the air sent them retreating to the safety of their shells.
They felt it before seeing it—a sudden, immense pressure. A distortion of the very atmosphere caused by two figures that blurred past them.
The man in the lead appeared to be in his mid-forties. He was dressed for the hunt in rugged brown jeans, a simple button shirt, a warm poncho sweater, a scarf, and a cowboy hat that shielded him from the sun.
It was the legendary Gun Hero: Rod Winger.
Trailing just behind him was Catra, a cheetah-like girl whose movement was a symphony of predatory grace. She wore a specialized crop top and shorts that revealed glimpses of a red bandage-like material underneath, wrapping her body from the legs to the neck. Her face was covered with rich orange fur: a color that complemented her short, dark brown hair and piercing brown eyes.
Though her slender physique suggested the age of a teenager, she was far older. And life experience made her focus on Rod's form, struggling to mirror his every leap.
They burst from the treeline, giving way to the expanse of the desert.
It was there where a massive herd of buffalo thundered across the dry earth in the distance, kicking up a cloud of ochre dust.
That simple fact made a grin split Rod's face. Their prey was waiting for them, and it was time to act. He slowly allowed his daughter to draw alongside him.
"Alright kiddo, It's showtime!" he boomed with encouraging warmth, "Show me what you've got!"
"Okay!" Catra nervously responded.
The girl activated the bio-metallic interlink on her arm.
"A-3 Grade 4 Sniper Rifle," she commanded before a brilliant yellow energy flared from the device.
Such energy expanded and hardened in her hands until forming a sleek, metallic sniper rifle, complete with a high-powered scope.
As they ran, the girl raised the weapon and looked through the scope. The herd of buffalo jumped into sharp focus.
Catra didn't notice, but when she aimed, Rod watched her every movement with a mixture of pride and concentration. She was his daughter after all, and he had a duty to pass on the hunt's tradition.
It didn't take long before the man noticed a slight tremor in her hands. It wasn't the strain of the rifle; it was fear. Raw and cold. She'd never fired a weapon like this with the intent to kill. The thought of doing so always sent a chill of dread through her.
Noting this, Rod moved closer and rested his hand on her shoulder. The gesture made Catra flinch and her eyes snapped to him.
"It's okay to be scared," he stated softly when positioning himself behind her, "It comes naturally the first few times you hold a new weapon."
His hands guided her aim with fluid movements.
"But as a gun user you gotta get accustomed to this. Remember, breathe in and breathe out."
Catra held his gaze for a beat before a wave of determination washed over. She looked through the scope again and focused on one single buffalo. The hyper fixation of her instincts made time slow down and allowed her to take one deep breath.
She squeezed the trigger and closed her eyes.
BANG!
Hours passed and Rod and Catra sat around a crackling bonfire under stars that shone with liquid brilliance. The rich and savory scent of roasting buffalo meat filled the night air above their campfire and made them reflect on the importance of that day.
Rod tended to their dinner. Catra stared into the flames, reliving the earlier events in her mind like a loop of disappointment. All her training had felt meaningless the moment she'd looked into the eyes of an innocent animal.
"I don't think I can do it, dad…" she murmured, unable to meet his eyes, "I don't know if I can complete the hunt."
Rod paused with a piece of meat halfway in his mouth before chewing and swallowing.
"With that mindset you won't kiddo," he said with a smile, "You gotta look at the positives."
Catra finally turned to him.
"Today you pulled the trigger! Yesterday you couldn't do that, so progress is being made."
"I know, but pulling the trigger and actually aiming while moving are two different things," the cheetah girl argued and crossed her arms, "Not to mention how much mana I waste when generating the weapon. And well… I don't really want to kill animals…"
"That may be true… but from my experience, pulling the trigger is always the hardest part of the hunt," He explained when his focus grew distant, "When I was young, I was just like you. I was afraid of taking my first life. It wasn't till I met your mother when I actually used a rifle… and I was 22 years old. You're 19, which means you have a big advantage age wise."
He made a playful jab at her size.
"19 is young for you?" the girl annoyingly asked.
"Taking your first life is something hard. Believe me, I was against the idea at first, but when I met your mom she made me see why we do this."
Rod's eyes drifted to the sizzling meat on the fire.
"As gun users we gotta make sure that in the heat of battle we overcome that fear so that we can save and protect the people that are dear to us," the man finished, his thoughts clearly on his wife.
Those were her words, echoing through time.
"When you met mom, huh?" Catra asked after rubbing her chin.
Suddenly, an image of her parents in love flashed through her mind and a blush crept up her cheeks.
"LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE," her brain chanted in embarrassment.
It was an action that made her father's grin widen.
"Hey, you know how I always say we're free spirits, right?"
Catra nodded.
"Well, back then I wasn't that free… back then… I didn't see the world as I do now…" Rod murmured while his eyes turned towards the star-dusted sky.
"Dad…"
"BUT that's a story for another time," the Gun Hero suddenly responded.
"EEEEH?! HEY, NO FAIR!" Catra exclaimed before leaping to her feet from the wooden tree trunk she was sitting on, "You can't just leave me like this! Tell me more!"
"You better get your first hunt kill tomorrow or you might have to wait for the next hunting season in 7 months… OR… you gotta call me daddy like when you were little."
"I'm not gonna do that and you know it! I'm not a kid anymore!"
After their meal, both retired to a large tent they set up earlier. Catra snuggled into her sleeping bag in her pajamas and watched Rod remove his scarf.
"Hey, dad?" she asked as a cheeky smirk played on her face.
"What's up, kiddo?"
"You really messed up. All I needed was motivation and you just-" Catra began until a massive yawn cut her off.
"You really like to win, don't ya?"
The man paused and simply looked at her. He cherished these moments: seeing her beautiful eyes reflecting the soft glow of the ceiling light, her hair a soft halo around her face. It was perfect.
A few seconds passed and Rod walked towards the tent flap, only to stop and turn to face his daughter.
"Hey kid…" he asked in a more serious tone.
"Yeah?"
A beat of silence…
"I love you."
Catra's eyes immediately flew open and her body shot up.
"DAD! Stop saying things like that! You love embarrassing me don't you? First in front of my friends and now in private! AGAIN!" she exclaimed, throwing her own pillow at his laughing face.
Afterwards, Rod stepped out of the tent and placed her pillow on a metal desk beside the bonfire. That's when a crackle of energy started filling the air.
Arcs of lightning danced around him. They struck the ground, the desks, the dying fire, and the logs they sat on earlier. This was his power: a field of lightning that amplified speed, strength, and reflexes to superhuman levels.
He gazed at a distant mountain that looked like a dark silhouette against the moonlit sky… Then he moved.
The man became a streak that expertly weaved through trees and rocks until reaching its summit in less than five seconds. He now stood at the peak, bathed in the moonlight.
"Free spirits, huh?" Rod murmured to the night sky as his mind drifted back to a past that still hurt.
A place where a single gunshot had changed his life forever: Pax and Lux Gun Academy.