As a new morning dawned in the present, Catra woke up.
She quickly gathered her hunting equipment with quiet resolve and planned to leave the tent. It was her last opportunity to achieve a successful hunt after all.
The girl still disliked the visceral idea of killing, but a more powerful drive compelled her. She needed to unravel the enigma of her mother's relationship with her father. And this was her chance to pry that door open.
Before leaving for the hunt though, Catra turned back towards her dad and a soft, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips. It had been some time since she allowed herself the quiet comfort of seeing him sleep, and a fragile peace settled within her in that fleeting moment.
Minutes later, a sharp gunshot ripped through the early morning quiet and brutally halted Rod's tormented dream.
As he pushed himself up and stretched his tired limbs, his gaze instinctively went to Catra's empty sleeping bag.
This meant she was out there alone, in a vast, wild canyon that was incredibly dangerous for someone so inexperienced. And due to that, he quickly dressed and left the tent with a surge of urgency.
Golden electricity flared into a brilliant aura around him before launching forward like a blur of crackling energy.
Deep within the sunlit canyon, a solitary buffalo lowered its head to drink from a shimmering pool. In the high branches of a nearby tree, a subtle movement stirred. It was Catra.
Her eye pressed to the scope of her rifle, aiming directly at the unsuspecting beast. Her body was still, save for the barest tremor in her hand. She had the perfect shot and all she needed to do was pull the trigger.
But she didn't want to though… not for her own safety, but a primal dread of the irreversible act of killing.
"How long until I feel normal doing this?"
"Will I one day come to like it?"
The terrifying thoughts swirled through her mind before violently snapping back to reality. She needed to know about her parents. She "needed" this.
"Come on, Catra! You can do this… just concentrate," she chanted internally while drawing a deep breath to prepare for the shot.
Just as the girl exhaled, a loud sound ripped through the atmosphere. It was Rod. He had run all the way there, shattering the sound barrier before abruptly stopping.
"CATRA!" he exclaimed.
Suddenly, the startled buffalo lifted its head and fixed his view on the man who had just appeared. This made Catra's concentration shatter, tearing away her gaze from the prey too.
And as her eyes snapped back to it, the buffalo ran away in a desperate escape.
While the beast lunged forward, Rod noticed it and ran. He reasoned that following it might lead to his daughter, but before passing the ancient tree where she was hidden, Catra moved.
The girl dissolved the sniper rifle back into her interlink, tensed her powerful legs, and launched herself from the branches while the Gun Hero looked up in surprise and watched her athletic figure move above.
With balletic precision, the girl shifted her body mid-air to get a clear view of the fleeing buffalo.
"A-4 Sniper Class Rifle!" she exclaimed as yellow energy erupted from her interlink and generated the lethal weapon.
In less than a second, the rifle materialized. Catra quickly grabbed it and brought it to her eye.
Rod saw the undeniable similarities between his daughter's fierce determination and that of his beloved wife. It was like a hallucinatory image of Elena flickered in his mind, smiling beside Catra as a silent guardian.
"Elena?" he whispered.
Then, Elena's voice resonated clearly in his head and cut through the roar of the wind.
I love you two so much… Please take care of each other… for me…
It made even more memories flood him: picking Catra up from kindergarten, watching her play basketball in middle school, a lovingly drawn Father's Day picture, keeping a protective eye on her camping trips, her high school graduation, and the quiet pride when she held her first toy gun.
It all culminated at that precise moment in front of him.
"She's gonna do it… her first kill…"
Catra exhaled as the world around her seemed to dim into a dark abyss, everything fading except her target. Then, she pulled the trigger.
A monstrous "BANG!" shattered the silence before the bullet slammed into the buffalo's head.
A few moments later, Catra's feet touched the earth directly in front of the fallen animal. She stared at its still form before kneeling and gently stroking its fur.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered.
With surprising strength, she hoisted the massive animal onto her shoulder and began walking towards her dad.
The man's vision blurred with tears as he watched his strong, yet vulnerable daughter carry the weight of her first kill.
That instant made him remember a late-night conversation with Elena where they watched their little girl sleep.
"Remember how I said we are all free spirits? Well, she is something more… something amazing… breathtaking," Elena's voice echoed in his mind.
Catching sight of her father's watering eyes, Catra's frown softened into an annoyed expression.
"Come on dad… you promised you would stop crying…" she said before rolling her eyes.
"I'm sorry… I'm just so proud of you, kiddo…"
"You also told me you would stop saying embarrassing things like that…"
Rod just stayed silent as his smile widened. She normally hated it when he uttered those sappy phrases, but in the secret chambers of her heart, she kind of liked it.
"But… Thanks, dad… now… let's go celebrate mom's anniversary together," she said with a smile before walking past him.
Her father quickly fell into step.
"Yeah, that sounds good… but I'll only stop crying if you call me daddy one more time."
"Shut up before you ruin the moment, dad!"
After walking for a few minutes, the scent of campfire drew them closer to their tent before Rod's eyes noticed a metallic glint beside their pickup truck.
Parked quietly behind their tent was a small aerial ship, and standing beside that, was Alf.
"Great…" Rod groaned after an annoyed expression crossed his face.
"You okay, dad?"
"I'm just fine, why don't you head towards the campfire and prepare everything for our breakfast?"
The girl nodded and walked away as Rod turned to face the metal robot.
His body was crafted from resilient metal plating and reinforced carbon fiber shields. In other words, it was an "off-duty" heavy defense suit.
"Hello Rod, I hope you have had a wonderful morning," Alf's synthesized voice was flat and precise.
The man stopped directly in front of him.
"Hey Alf, I don't suppose you remember what day this is?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"April 24th, your wife's death anniversary day," the machine stated factually.
"And you know that when we grieve, we like to be alone, right?"
"This could not wait."
"Of course it couldn't."
"Affirmative, Miss Alex sent me."
"I already told her that I'm done with all that Gun Hero business…"
"Alex disagrees, and so does the public. They believe in the hero you showed to be at the capital long ago, the hero that saved them from-" Alf began before Rod cut him off.
"The public's the public, they'll believe anything the government tells them. Don't tell me she sent you to get me because of my looks."
"Of course not, if she wanted a perfect organism, she already has a perfect being like me by her side," Alf retorted, a hint of genuine offense in his tone.
"You know you're a robot, right? How would that even work?"
"I am an independent AI unit above the capacity of ordinary human beings. I make no mistakes nor do I have difficulty accepting other humans, unlike you."
"I don't know, Alf, sounds like I hit a nerve in that chrome dome of yours," Rod responded with a teasing grin, "Either way, why would Alex need me if she has 'Your Majesty' to do her work?"
Alf remained silent for a second, but when his gaze snapped back to him, Rod was gone.
"You have got to be kidding me…" the machine murmured before walking towards the tent and seeing Catra preparing breakfast.
"Hi Alf! Just started making breakfast! Want some?" she asked with a bright smile.
"Good morning Catra, I hope you have been well. I am good, thank you. I do not require organic foods."
Before they could continue, Rod emerged from the tent holding two water bottles.
"Okay, I'm not saying that I accept, but if I theoretically were to do so, what is that supposed mission?" he asked, handing one bottle to Catra.
"Oh? A mission to the capital? Let's go! It's been sometime since I talked to Lofo!" Catra exclaimed excitedly.
"I'm not saying we are going… actually, now that you mention him, we aren't. Especially not today."
"What?!" the girl responded in disappointment.
Before their argument could escalate, Alf stepped in smoothly.
"Just listen. An Ice Giant in the northern sector of the country has been spotted destroying hundreds of acres of fertile land. We have attempted to reason with him but he doesn't seem to be responding to any of our peace greetings. The ice giant is getting closer to Naya and some small towns around there, so Miss Alex is worried people will get hurt."
"And why hasn't she gone there to fix the problem? She's strong enough to take out a simple Ice Giant."
Catra's head snapped towards her father.
"We're not seriously gonna kill him, right?" she whispered.
Rod immediately turned to her before silently seeking Alf's support.
"We will first approach a peace negotiation. We hope that with Rod there, the Ice Giant will be compelled to comply. After all, the feats of the great Gun Hero have been heard all around the country, even by stubborn organisms like the Ice Giants,"
After hearing his words, Catra's gaze snapped back to her father while showcasing renewed hope.
"We have to help them!" she pleaded.
Rod's expression tightened. The AI used his daughter against him again, and it was severely annoying.
Just as he was about to respond though, an insistent beeping erupted from a radio on his belt. Catra quickly covered her ears due to the sound while Rod touched a few buttons in the device. Then, a shimmering hologram flickered to life.
"What is that about? Saved by the bell, Rod?" Alf asked with dry wit.
"That's trouble…" Catra murmured as a familiar worry creased her brow.
The discussion ceased. The machine boarded his ship while Rod and Catra launched forward on foot, their superhuman speed carrying them towards a small town built to drill for oil and mana.
They stopped in front of a small sheriff station where a bald man with a bushy mustache greeted them, then quickly headed towards a sealed-off room at the back of the building.
"What's the matter, Officer Wattz?" Rod asked as they walked.
"Well, it isn't really a fight, but more of a package that was sent from the capital for you," the officer responded, his expression etched with profound unease.
"A package?" Catra asked.
"Yes. A package is an object or a group of objects that are-" Alf began before the girl cut him off.
"Yeah, yeah, I know…"
They reached a heavy door, which Wattz pushed open.
The room was simple for sure. It was lined with packages, save for a single box resting on a desk in the center. But what truly caught their eyes was the putrid stench that permeated the air. It was an almost unbearable assault to Catra's beastwoman senses.
"Ew! It smells horrible here!" she exclaimed, clamping a hand over her nose.
Though something weird happened. Through the decay, a familiar scent pricked at her senses.
"It would be best if you waited outside, kid," Wattz said softly.
"Understood," Alf responded before grabbing Catra by the hand and moving her towards the exit.
"Wait, wait! I wanna see!"
"It'll only be a few minutes, kiddo. We'll be right out."
After Alf shut the door, the three men fixed their gazes on the box.
"Now, what is this?" Rod asked.
"You're gonna have to see it to believe it," Wattz responded grimly, handing a folded piece of paper to Rod, "Before you take a look inside, here is the note that came with it."
As the Gun Hero hesitated, Alf initiated a rapid scan.
"It is safe, Rod."
The man's fingers grasped the paper and unfolded it before a sickening stench erupted from its folds.
As his eyes fell upon the message scrawled in what appeared to be dried blood, an expression of soul-shattering shock contorted his face.
The words spelled out a single accusation: "YOU KILLED HER".
He stared for a few agonizing moments before thrusting the paper down, lunging towards the box and carefully lifting the lid.
An overwhelming wave of decomposition assaulted him. It took less than a second, but for Rod, time froze.
It was a beast-woman's severed head. A little blood stained the surrounding fabric that had so meticulously protected it. But it wasn't just any beast-woman's.
It was someone he knew, someone he had loved beyond measure. It was Elena's head. Her features were serene, as if in a quiet sleep. But the sight ripped through the very fabric of his soul.
"Oh lord…" Alf stated with a rare shock.
Wattz instinctively closed his eyes in a helpless gesture of sympathy while Rod just stood frozen. Only one question echoed in the desolate chambers of his mind like an anguished scream.
"WHO DID THIS?!" he thought.
He needed answers. He needed to find out how this unspeakable act had happened, and who was responsible.
"Alf…"
"Yes, Rod?"
"Tell Alex I'll meet her in the capital…"
Rod's voice strained as his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists and the veins on his forehead pulsed with overwhelming anger.