My memories would surge through my mind some quicker than others but some more like a movie or dreams drawn out and long. I was heading home from school, my parents wouldn't be home in a while and at the time I was dating a girl at the time. Of course I wanted to invite her over but things took a different route. The air felt heavy on my walk home I was honestly thinking that I was being followed by something. I wasn't sure what this feeling was but it felt bad I knew as soon as I'd get home I needed to get a weapon from my dad's shed. Right before I got home the feeling went away as if whatever was out lost interest but in this life a feeling like that should be taken seriously even if it goes away. I was on high alert once I got to my dad's shed, I opened up his weapons locker which has his famous seventh heaven gun but I knew I couldn't hold that let alone fire it. I went for the one he built for me (my dad had a way of personalizing weapons) it was a silver bow and he called it the Titan killer. The reason he called it that was because even though the draw string was only about 125lb the sting he used multipled the actual force by ten. He even said if he were to make one for hunters he would make the draw string up to a thousand or even more pull back causing it to kill almost anything in one shot. The closet quiver I saw was one you carried on your back and it held thirty arrows. Since my father made the arrows himself I grabbed my favorite which were called dragonite arrows. They were made from the marrow of a category one that resembles a dragon but doesn't have blood or even breath fire. They are a category 15 and are pretty rare from what I've heard but since they are massive their blood and marrow are made useful. The marrow hardens when they die turning into steel but way stronger, the blood stays in a liquid state and actually has great healing capabilities but is only used as a last resort due to the fact that these categories are rare. The arrows are pure metallic from the base of it all the way to the arrowhead causing them to be tough so they don't break upon impact. I take a sword with me just in case as a backup weapon but if you're not a hunter going face to face with categories isn't exactly plan A. After arming up I decided to go sit on my roof and wait, hoping it was just a bad feeling I just waited. It wasn't long until I saw some categories flying over head only category one the were like birds almost like bluejays but at least the size of cat. They weren't dangerous but they were quite bothersome and if their was less then thirty they would only cause small scratches. I had only seen two v formations I'm the air so I thought there was only fourteen to twenty but once they got further past the treeline that's when I realized I saw twelve v formations. I started growing nervous I felt my stomach harden, "there should not be this many" I said in my head I took out an arrow and readied myself. My bad feeling came back except it wasn't from the categories flying overhead it was coming from somewhere else. I took aim if there is this many I don't know if I'll have enough arrows to shoot them all I have to get two with one shot at least five different times. I was trying to catch them off guard letting out a slow breath I realease the first arrow then the second and the the third as soon as realease the fourth arrow the first arrow strikes (the only shot that did more than what I wanted it to do). The first arrow pierced four of them causing a panic, I realease the fifth arrow. The second only hits one the third and fourth were able to hit two and the fifth one missed completely. The categories were disoriented flying around in circles. I hear a door open from my right and my neighbor was coming outside with his gun.
"How many are there?" he yelled
"I count seventy-three" I said
He pulled up his gun and fired, from what I knew about my neighbor he was a young fit man maybe mid to late twenties. He had heard my dad was able to design guns so he asked my dad to build him one and he would pay he handsomely. and that's how my dad created the nine circles of hell gun. One of the things my dad asks a client is that they would have to bring a material or two that had great significant value, my dad would say 'you and your weapons are partners so their should be a connection." Our neighbor gave him a ruby fire stone (which are extremely rare.) My dad was in complete awe when he received it. The man had a reputation of being a rebel but I mean in this world you have to have some kind of a backbone. My dad created his weapon the nine circles I rifle that fired special ammo. He held it up and started to fire and in a rapid succession the body the categories started falling down. They knew they were in danger and flew off behind the clouds disappearing.
"That was way too many" my neighbor said to me
"It was, there's not a hunter in this area or else they would've seen them before hand" I say
We just looked at each other, there should have been a hunter at least one and not even a few blocks from here there a hunter tower. Which usually has a higher vantage point (one of the only reasons I felt safe living in the area at the time). My neighbor decided to go to his bunker since he didn't trust the government ones, even offered to share it with me once my parents got home. I decided to go to the hunter tower against better judgement. Grabbing more arrows and even two leg quivers that way I could carry more and a medium sized med pack just in case. The tower wasn't that far away but every turn felt like a gamble so it was slow going. I reached the tower only fifteen minutes after leaving my house and had not spotted anything ... like anything... no categories... people... nothing just empty roads and silence. The silence where you can hear your own heartbeat and it shakes you to the core. 'Where are the hunters" I asked myself. It was odd I usually pass one on my walk home. If I had to guess the biggest population swell would be at the school due to the fact that I left early because I had a free period and everyone else would be getting out now. I decided to head in that direction, maybe my hunch was right just maybe I could hold off some categories until help arrived. It was a good ten minute walk but I didn't take it fast I took it slowly to make sure I wasn't being followed or I wouldn't be able to be noticed. Hallway there I heard something it sounded like someone breathing it was quick and shallow. I walked over to a couple bushes where I see a hunter laying down hiding. He was in real bad shape it looked like something has taken his leg and his arm had claw marks on it. He wasn't even focused on me so I knew his wounds were making him delirious so I had to act fast. First I grabbed the cauterizing knife from the med bag and cauterized his leg of course this made him scream in pain. I quickly moved my hand over his mouth so it's not too loud. After the wound was completely closed off I started to clean it up and bandage it, then I looked at his arms the claw marks weren't too deep but if they got infected he would surely lose them. His left arm was easy but on his right arm part of the claw was stuck in there and I had to pull it out. It was so deep that I know he was in such pain but he was starting to show signs of appreciation. After I got done with his wounds there was only one thing left to do. I pulled out a orange syringed taking off the safety cap and injecting him right in the chest with adrenaline.As if he was never hurt he sat up straight and looked to be confused.
He looked down at his arms and his now missing leg.
"Where am i" he said genuinely lost
"right now kind of in the middle of nowhere we need to get you to a bunker you won't survive with anymore injuries." I said
He looked down once again and nodded
I was able to get him up on my shoulder. Back then the HUD didn't show civilians more than the location of the bunkers, there was no AI to give at least some sort of helpful suggests available to the public. The closest bunker was about five blocks away from us. He grabbed my phone and started to mess with it my HUD was starting to glitch.
"What are you doing" I asked
"Look kid I'm not just gonna sit on by while a teenager saves my ass and possibly more people and do nothing" he said
I looked back at him and I already knew that he had figured out that I wasn't going back home or staying with him in the bunker.
"I'm gonna give you any advantage that you can get" he said putting back the phone on my arm.
The screen started to flash program loading as a loading bar quickly appeared loaded completely then disappeared. That's when everything came into focus my vision was more than better there was a small map even a metallic Ai voice came on.
"Objective move injured to bunker" it said
"What did you do" I asked
"I gave you a tactical advantage over low levels categories" he said and handed me one of his guns. I took it knowing I wouldn't be able to use my bow with him on my shoulder he did the same. The slow walk there was filled with silence and dread filled the air as we started to hear certain territorial calls from categories. We were nearing the bunker when I saw a small category step right in front of it. It looked like a cat but bigger more like a panther but unlike panthers these run in packs they actually react to anything canine related which as you can guess humans are on that list. As I remember from the categories class in my school these things are territorial the were more like nomads. They traveled from place to place in search of food. It's silver fur was reflective meaning it was having a steady diet when they don't have one their fur turns a full gray color. it was not as muscular as most of the pack is which means it was a scout built to be fast but not strong enough to take down pray. They were used for finding safe places to rest and to coral prey. I set down the hunter and aimed the bow at the category once I let go at the draw string it turned to me but it was already too late I pierced it's neck the force of the arrow knocked it over and it flailed on the ground for a few minutes before it died. I picked the hunter back up and we made our way to the bunker. The bunkers were always quite sophisticated as we approach the bunker brings out a stand and I place my phone on there causing the bunker to unlock. The hatch opens and a woman comes out.
"Is it over" she asked
" I don't know or think so but this man is hurt and he can't do his job I've stabilized him but he needs rest. I say to her.
She takes him and he starts climbing down the stairs when he turns back.
"What's your name and why do this?" he asks me
"My name is Roxas and I'm doing this because right now there is no one who can do this and there are a lot of people who are in danger." I say
I close the hatch and I head out for my first of the record mission.