I take another swing of my usual shit water that the bar keep gives me this isn't my usual bar, but the alcohol tastes like shit all the same. I take a look at the wanted poster on the desk in front of me the poster reads George Greenhorn. Under the name it reads "The Brown Bear" likely a street name, or epithet most criminals have one. The poster shows a picture of a fat man with a large brown beard, and an eye patch. The bounty is four gold pieces enough to afford a few days rent for my shit box of a house, and some food for tonight. I am a bounty hunter for Brafton city, but for low level thugs like him the city just wants them dealt with, and in most cases that means dead.
The bounty hunters of this city are in a sense like the police you might find in other cities, and the city pays us to clean up the crime. The city itself is crime ridden, and always has been since I was a kid living on the streets, but the bounty hunters at least help to clean up a never ending mess. I am waiting in this guys favorite bar for him to show up, so I can turn his blood in for some quick money. Crimes are ranked in this city on a bounty list, but you wont normally get a bounty for just any crime. Sometimes petty crimes are either forgiven, or the city themselves personally send someone out to look into it.
Bounties that are issued for someone however are like a death sentence a reward is put out for that person depending on the crime. Once that reward is put out the city doesn't care what happens to them as long as they are dealt with. I am now 24 years old, and have been doing this for about two years now. I never used to be a bounty hunter, but hey I used to work in a landfill, and despite the trauma/hazards that come with the job it works for me better. I do what I need to in order to survive hell that is why I learned how to shoot a gun a few years back. Once I lost my job with the landfill I truly reached rock bottom, but I pooled my money together, and bought this baby. The gun to my side felt good it was a five shot revolver something very few people had in this city. This gun that I have lovingly named "Bingo" has served me well, and even has special bullets that I can use.
My moment of reminisce was interrupted when the door to the bar swung open a fat man walked into the bar, and sat on one of the tables behind me. The few amount of people in the bar cleared out once they saw the man, and his goons. I had briefly turned to give the man a quick glance, but once I realized it was my guy I just kept my eyes forward. The bar keep knew the men, and seemed to serve the men their usual drinks, and then went back to the bar. The men were talking loudly about their earnings apparently they peddled drugs, and other goods on the streets. I never cared about what the men did to earn their bounty the only thing I cared about was getting my money.
I learned one thing in my few years of hunting always take your bounty by surprise one false move can lead to death. I had a few close calls when I was getting started that caused me more than a few broken bones. That being said my skillset was best for taking weaker thugs like these guys by surprise, and killing them without much risk. I think it was time to get started I downed another shot of the piss water I was accustomed too. I put my hand on my side grabbed my gun, and turned around to face the five soon to be dead men.
I raised my gun in the air, and pointed it at my target first the man in front of me began moving in slow motion. The movements of the men in front of me slowed to 1/4 their usual speed, and I raised my gun to shoot the men. George was the first to notice me raise my gun, his face contorted from a smile to a frown, but it was far too late. I shot at George, and the men around the table the bullets flied out at speeds I could physically see. They entered Georges skull right in the place I wanted, and the three men around him I also landed direct hits. I accidently missed the last man to the right of George, and it only grazes his shoulder. Dammit I am not always the best shot even with a lot of time to work with, but oh well I have something for him.
I grab the glass I was just holding at the bar, and take a second to aim it at the last man I throw it towards his head. The man just seemed to react to the first shot, and now has something else hurling towards him. I lose no time, and walk up to George, I need a bloody fingerprint to turn in at the bounty office on my way home. Time flows normally again as I walk up to George, I check his pulse seems he is dead, and next to me I hear a loud cry as my glass connects with the other man's head. I pay no mind to him, and pull out a small envelope. I open it up inside is a small piece of paper, and a small knife I use for my job. I cut George's finger, make sure it is covered in blood, and press it hard up against the piece of paper.
I stand up from the desk, and look at the man I just threw glass at no point in killing him he seems incapacitated. I try not kill unnecessarily if possible I see no reason this city needs more bodies, and I walk back to the bar. The bar keep seemed surprised at first, but regains his composure after all you need thick skin to survive in this city. I put a silver piece on the top of the bar, and walk towards the exit. The city usually cleans up messes like the one I just left that is one of the perks of working as a hunter I don't have to clean up shit. I walked down a dimly lit street the power I just used is normal in this city, and honestly isn't super practical outside this job.
Each person is granted one ability by birth, this power is called a grave, because this power is passed down though genes. I never met my parents, so I can only assume this was the power that one of them gave to me by birth. The power I have isn't the ability to slow down time, but rather slow down my own perception of time. Each grave is classified, and given a name based on what it does. The skill I have for example is called sentinel brain, and is considered a class C skill, so it really is nothing special. The man I just killed George Greenhorn had a different power from what I remember he could turn into a bear. I think I could of read it wrong though maybe he could only turn his hands into bear claws. George was an easy mark for me though transformation takes a few seconds to work, and George didn't even get a single second.
The night is in full swing as a walk down the street it isn't lit well by the street lights, but I spot a familiar building ahead of me. I spot a small brick building the sign on the front of the building I can somewhat make out over the street lights. The sign reads, "West Bounty Office" I walk in to the familiar building. Inside the place is lit up, and a woman is sitting behind a wooden desk she is glued to some papers in front of her. I call out, "Hey Ruby working late again?" The office is open 24/7, but I usually do a lot of my business at night, so I see Ruby here a lot. The woman behind the counter is about my age 24, has silver long hair, blue eyes, and looks sleep deprived.
The woman shoots me a glance, "Hey Soran not working late this is my usual time. Got another for me?" Not very social as usual, but hey she's kind of cute, so I don't really mind that much. I take out the envelope, and hand it to Ruby who takes it without much thought. I explain, "Big one to end out the week four gold coins please." Ruby raises an eyebrow, "By big one do you mean for you? You only ever take on D rank class criminals, this one is like barely C rank, but alright Soran I will get you the money." I admit I am a little hurt that she thinks so little of me, but hey I can't really handle much more than George here with my power. Ruby takes out the paper I gave her, and she does her own paper work as a I wait patiently.
In about 5 minutes Ruby is done, and she hands me a fabric coin purse that has the gold I earned for the job inside. I take the money, "Well it's been a pleasure I take the money Ruby gave me, and head out the door into the night again." I walk down the street back to my home since it is late making sure the money is all there first. I usually take small jobs since my power, and skills are only effective if I take my opponents off guard, and fill them full of lead before they can react. My place is actually really close to the office, so I walk up to my small brick apartment on the west edge of town. The place isn't really that big, and I share the small two story apartment with one other person who lives upstairs. I rent this place directly off the city since the local government here pretty much controls a lot of aspects of daily living. I enter my place with the key, and I am beat, so I head directly to my room to sleep. I notice a piece of paper sticking out in the crack of the front door that I myself didnt place, but I am so tired that I collapse into bed without a care in the world.