Hunter Hires

Hunter Hires is the main protagonist for the web serial Mite.

## Personality

Hunter Hires is a teen that is full of self doubt and grows frustrated easily at team members and other people in general.

He seemingly adores his father, Keegan Hires, and is written as being unaware of a lot of heroes and villains and other going-ons that are outside of what directly involved his father.

He tries his best to stand up and preserve justice and truth and to protect others, often diving into things way above his head.

His initially written anger has been toned back to quick frustration.

He is based in Athena City.

## Relationships

### Family

###### Clara

At the start of the story, Hunter had a strained relationship with his mother, Clara Hires. She had turned to drinking following the apparent betrayal and murder of her husband Keegan Hires on international television.

The two would often argue, leading into screaming matches. Clara was overprotective of Hunter and the arguments would generally be about him wanting to become a Superhero.

After a showdown with Rampage, Copter and Woolpack, Clara couldn't help but be reminded of Keegan and agreed for Hunter to pursue being a hero.

##### Keegan

Keegan Hires is Hunter's deceased father. In Hunter's eyes, his father could do no wrong, he even has a poster of his father's team, The Victories, in his room.

Hunter is convinced that his father was framed when he was accused of betrayal and murdered on international television.

##### Bulldog

Bulldog is Hunter's great uncle on his father's side. Hunter has almost no relationship with him. Michael thought it may be a good idea for Hunter to train with family but that quickly proved wrong as Bulldog is a narcissist. Hunter punched his uncle when Bulldog insulted Clara, but it did nothing.

### Justice Punch

##### Silas

Silas is Hunter's best friend. The two have known each other for a few years and their families know each other.

The two wanted to be heroes together and even stopped Copter together in the first chapter.

Silas can read Hunter better than most and Hunter is patient and understanding with Silas.

The two seem to have different reasons with becoming heroes but they work together and respect each other well.

Hunter can sometimes be a little protective of Silas.

##### Jimena

Jimena attended the same school as Hunter and Silas but the three seemed to barely know each other.

Jimena helped Hunter and Silas in the fight against Toastar in the school cafeteria and she quickly joined the pair, mentored by Michael, in becoming a trio.

Hunter was at first quite stand-offish with Jimena, finding it hard to trust a team member that was pushed to join so quickly. He admitted to her who his father was in the art gallery when investigating the art thief, who ended up being Gauzelle.

Hunter doesn't agree with Jimena's harsher ways and the two came to heads, where Jimena ended up leaving the team for a little while.

After Jimena rejoined Justice Punch, the two have a better respect for each other. Jimena has even opened up about her past to Hunter.

Continuing to struggle with self doubt, Jimena has helped Hunter tackle his doubt and really understand they need to be friends, not just a team.

### Villains

##### Copter

Copter was the first villain that Hunter had ever apprehended. He and Silas worked together and Hunter used dust particles with iron filings to wreck Copter's copter pack. The elderly crook fell on top of a car and was gravely injured. Hunter and Silas were taken to a police station.

Hunter has fought him a few more times as a few of Hunter's earliest villains were brought together by a mysterious benefactor.

Not much has happened between these two as of late. Copter even called out to Hunter and Jimena once, complaining about being chased down by a new hero by the name of Button Ball.

##### Rampage

Hunter has had multiple run-ins with Rampage.

## Powers

Hunter has the power to manipulate dust particles. At first it was implied he had to touch the dust as he would gather it by hand during the fight with Toastar. But this small detail seems to have been waived by the author.

When training with Michael, it was discovered Hunter actually has a minute static field around his whole body and its the control of this that manipulates the dust particles.

In fights, his powers at first seemed to be almost ineffective. Hunter's entire method was to envelop someone's head with dust, obscuring their vision and making them sneeze. His range was very short. The confirmed distance changed a little, but seeming to be between 15-40 feet before the dust would just collapse.

However, during the fight with Doctor Flink, Hunter's powers suddenly grew stronger because his life was in danger.

Hunter now frequently constructs three dust lances that float around him at all times. He can wield each one individually. Its unclear on how strong these lances are, but he has parried Michael's rapier, speared mutant fish creatures and dented solid timber targets.

Hunter has shown some defensive capabilities as well. He was able to make a small shield that would dissipate after an attack. Its unclear just how much force the shield was able to take in that single hit.

Dust has also covered his neck to stop a vampire from feeding on him.

Hunter has also had basic hand-to-hand combat training while being mentored by Stick.