The sun beat down with an unrelenting glare as its rays scorched the small desert on the southern edge of Grand North. Dry wind swept across the landscape, carrying with it the taste of sand and dust.
Yet, a small forest clung to life and defied the harshness.
Within its shade, a scurry of turtles strolled along until a subtle shift in the air sent them retreating into the safety of their shells.
They felt it before they saw it—a sudden, immense pressure. A distortion of the very atmosphere.
Two figures blurred past them, moving with a speed that defied human limits, their forms visible for only a fleeting instant.
The man in the lead appeared to be in his mid-40s. He was dressed for the hunt in rugged brown jean pants, a simple button shirt, a warm poncho sweater, a scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, and a cowboy hat shielding him from the sun.
His jawline had a faint dusted beard, and his green eyes glinted with sharp intelligence.
The wind whipped through his puffy brown hair as he vaulted through the trees. It was the legendary Gun Hero: Rod Winger.
Trailing just behind him was Catra, a cheetah-like girl whose every movement was a symphony of predatory grace. Her fur was a rich orange. It was a color that complemented her short, dark brown hair and piercing brown eyes.
Though her slender and fit physique suggested the tender age of a teenager, she was far older.
She wore a specialized gray crop top and shorts, revealing glimpses of a red bandage-like material that wrapped her body from her legs to her neck.
Her focus was absolute as her eyes locked onto Rod's form, struggling to mirror his every leap and keep pace.
They burst from the treeline while the cool shade of the forest gave way to the blinding expanse of the desert.
In the distance, a massive herd of buffalo thundered across the dry earth, kicking up a cloud of ochre dust.
A grin split Rod's face as he slowed and 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 responded, showcasing a thread of nervousness.
Without a moment's hesitation, the girl activated the bio-metallic interlink on her arm.
"A3 grade 4 Sniper rifle," she commanded before a brilliant yellow energy flared from the device.
Such energy expanded and hardened in her hands until it formed a sleek, metallic sniper rifle, complete with a high-powered scope.
As they ran, the girl raised the heavy weapon while their feet barely seemed to touch the parched ground. She sighted through the scope and the herd of buffalo jumped into sharp focus.
Rod watched her every movement with a mixture of pride and concentration. He was her father after all, and it was his duty to pass on the traditions of the hunt.
It didn't take long before he noticed the slight tremor in her hands. It wasn't the strain of the rifle; it was fear. Raw and cold.
She had never fired a weapon like this with the intent to kill, as the thought of doing so always sent a chill of dread through her.
Noting this, a gentle smile touched Rod's lips while he moved closer and rested his hand on her shoulder. The girl immediately flinched at the contact before her eyes snapped to him.
"It's okay to be scared," Rod stated softly as he positioned himself behind her, "It comes naturally the first few times you hold a new weapon."
He guided her aim with fluid and sure movements.
"But as a gun user you gotta get accustomed to this. Remember, breathe in and breathe out," the man finished, his words becoming a calming mantra against the thunder of their own pace.
Catra held his gaze for a beat before a wave of determination washed over. She looked through the scope again and the world shrank to the powerful form of a single buffalo.
Time seemed to warp, slowing down as she took a deep breath and exhaled.
With the release of air, she squeezed the trigger and a deafening "BANG!" ripped through the canyon. Then everything went dark.
Hours later, Rod and Catra sat around a crackling bonfire under a blanket of stars that shone with an almost liquid brilliance. The rich and savory scent of roasting buffalo meat filled the cool night air.
Rod tended to their dinner while Catra stared into the flames with a troubled expression. The events of the day replayed in her mind like a loop of disappointment.
All her training and practice 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 thoughtfully and swallowing.
"With that mindset you won't kiddo," he said as an unwavering smile appeared in his face, "You gotta look at the positives."
Catra finally looked at him, disappointment plain on her face.
"Today you pulled the trigger!" Rod continued, "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 after crossing her arms defensively, "Not to mention how much mana I waste when generating the weapon. And well… I don't really want to kill animals…"
The man listened in silence before pushing himself up from the tree trunk he'd been sitting on.
"That may be true… but from my experience, pulling the trigger is always the hardest part of the hunt," He explained while his gaze 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 small gesture with his hands as a playful jab at her size.
"19 is young for you?" she asked with a hint of annoyance in her tone.
"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 gaze drifted to the sizzling meat on the fire while the cheetah girl remained quiet and absorbed his words.
"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 her hand moved to her chin.
Suddenly, an image of her parents in love flashed through her mind as a blush crept up her cheeks.
"LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE," her brain chanted in embarrassment.
The gun hero caught her blushing and his smile widened.
"Hey, you know how I always say we're a free spirit, 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…" Catra whispered, slowly reaching a hand out as if to comfort him.
"But that's a story for another time," the Gun Hero suddenly responded, turning back to his daughter with a mischievous smile.
"EEEEH?! HEY, NO FAIR!" she exclaimed before leaping to her feet from the cut down wooden tree trunk she was sitting in, "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!" the girl shot back, her face flushing with a mixture of anger and embarrassment at the memory, "I'm not a kid anymore!"
After their meal, they retired to the large tent they had 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 smile played on her face.
"What's up, kiddo?"
"You really messed up. All I needed was motivation and you just-" she began before a massive yawn cut her off.
"You really like to win, don't ya?" Rod asked, turning to her with a fond expression.
The man paused and simply looked at her while his heart swelled with fierce love.
He cherished these moments: seeing her beautiful eyes reflecting the soft glow of the lightbulb hanging from the tent's ceiling, her hair a soft halo around her face. It was perfect.
After a few seconds, Rod walked towards the tent flap only to stop before stepping outside and turning back.
"Hey kid…" he asked in a more serious tone.
"Yeah?"
A beat of silence passed.
"I love you."
Catra's eyes flew open and she shot up, grabbing her pillow in frustration.
"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 before hurling the pillow at his laughing face.
Rod stepped out of the tent and placed her pillow on a metal desk beside the bonfire. As he set it down, a crackle of energy filled the air.
Arcs of lightning danced around him and struck the ground, the desks, the dying fire, and the logs they had sat on earlier. This was his power: a field of raw lightning that amplified his speed, strength, and reflexes to superhuman levels.
He gazed at a small mountain in the distance that looked like a dark silhouette against the moonlit sky. Then he moved.
The man became a blur of motion that expertly weaved through trees and around rocks until reaching the summit in less than five seconds. He stood at the peak, bathed in the ethereal light of the moon.
"Free spirits, huh?" Rod murmured to the night sky while 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.