Hunter Lefkowitz

Hunter Lefkowitz is a fifteen-year-old brain-damaged mutant who played a large role in the freak-versus-normal war.

Description
Hunter's physical description remains mostly unknown; however, Lana describes him as a tall boy covered in ticks with very long, very messy hair. After living in the wilderness, he is lean, stealthy and fast, and his aim is precise. Due to his brain damage, caused by Hank, he has lost most of his memories and half of his face doesn't work. He also has trouble remembering things, such as what he's currently doing, and he doesn't understand sarcasm, irony or small talk. Before his brain damage, Hunter was lazy and mocking. He is haunted by guilt after killing Harry.

Power and abilities
Hunter has the power of Heat Projection. This gives him the ability to project waves of heat from his hands which can cook people in a manner similar to a microwave. He can use this to painlessly kill animals by cooking their brains from within. This power doesn't work on himself and doesn't reach very far. It is also hard to aim.

Hunter is also an excellent hunter as well as a tracker. Due to his time in the wild, he has an acute sense of smell and can move almost silently. He is also skilled with a knife and has learnt many survival skills, such as starting fires or finding water.

Appearance
Hunter first appears in Sam's meeting regarding food, blaming him for Drake's raid. He then appears as the DJ at the McClub.
 * Hunger

Hunter is living with his friends Zil and Harry during the novel. Zil is jealous of his developing power, creating friction between them. Zil accuses Hunter of stealing a piece of beef jerky that Zil had, and the argument becomes violent when Zil picks up a fire poker to attack or kill Hunter, who panics and loses control of his powers. Harry throws himself in between his friends and gets "microwaved" by Hunter's powers.

Hunter flees to Astrid's house as Zil and other normals hunt him down. When Astrid and Edilio disperse the mob, Astrid sends him to get packs of ice, but he runs away instead.

He next appears hunting down and killing a deer with his powers to eat. Zil and the newly formed Human Crew track him down and attack, causing severe brain damage in the process. They hold a "trial" for him to make it justice, however he is unconscious and cannot reply, and then drag him to town to be hung. The Human Crew offers meat from the deer to any normal who helps them hang Hunter (and possibly Astrid) from the door of the church. They are saved by Orc, and Hunter is exiled to live outside of town. He decides to give Perdido Beach his spare meat, and this becomes his primary motive after he gets good at hunting.

Hunter has become a brain-damaged creature of the night. He and the coyotes leave each other alone. He finds the Human Crew at his mercy, but doesn't kill them as he is Hunter and not Boy Killer.
 * Lies

At some point, Hunter is stung by a greenie, and the scab turns green.

Later, he finds Sam running through the forest and offers him a cooked parrot. Sam suggests joining Hunter in the forest, and Hunter replies that he is Hunter but Sam is Sam. Sam admits that his full name is Samuel, who was a prophet in the Bible. He then leaves, and Hunter forgets to tell him about the scab.

Hunter plays a larger role again in Plague, where he has several viewpoints. He is still hunting to provide food for the kids in town, including hunting down a mountain lion, which nearly kills him before a bug growing out of Hunter's scab attacks it. He is officially working for Albert by now, and Roscoe brings him a wheelbarrow to put meat in every day. He mentions that Lana healed his brain as much as she could, but he will never be the same.
 * Plague

When Roscoe meets Hunter, he affectionately slaps Hunter on the shoulder, but the gut-roach bites him. Hunter, worried, visits Lana, who heals his injuries from the lion but cannot heal the bug. Hunter meets the town council on the highway, feeling like he is meeting the president, but they can't do anything except work out that Hunter's nerves have been disabled.

Sam, Jack, Dekka, and Taylor find Hunter in the woods during their trip to the lake. Hunter attempts to kill himself to get rid of the bugs that are emerging and eating him alive, but cannot use his own powers this way. He is killed in mercy by Sam.

Relationships
Sam and Hunter are friends and help each other numerous times, such as Hunter giving Sam a free meal and Sam killing Hunter out of mercy. Sam also considers joining Hunter in the forest, before Hunter reminds Sam what he is to Perdido Beach.
 * Sam

Even though Hunter is brain damaged, he has the sense to not waste Lana's time, and he brings tasty things for her to eat and guts for Patrick. Because of this, Lana likes Hunter and will heal him whenever he needs it. She also calls a meeting of the council to try and save him.
 * Lana

Hunter, Zil, Harry and Charlie used to be friends when they supported the same sports team. However, this interest that bound them together died when the FAYZ arrived, and Zil started getting jealous of Hunter's powers. When Zil accused Hunter of theft, he nearly kills him, and Hunter, in a panic, accidentally kills Harry. Zil blames Hunter for this and hunts him down with the Human Crew, before ordering Hank to give Hunter brain damage. He then tries to hang Hunter. However, Hunter refrains himself from killing Zil later on, believing it wouldn't be justified.
 * Zil

Albert sees Hunter as an employee; he sees most people as an employee. Hunter generally takes this in stride, viewing it as a way of life that he has to get Albert some meat. Albert only cares about Hunter's death because it means less food.
 * Albert

Like many people in the FAYZ, Hunter views Astrid as the smartest person in the FAYZ, and so he goes to her to hide from Zil. Unfortunately, he is followed by Hank, and Astrid sends him to help Edilio with ice packs. Hunter escapes, realizing that Astrid intends to lock him up. Later, Astrid doesn't tell him what's happening to him with the bugs out of mercy.
 * Astrid

Hunter originally tries to make banter with Duck, but as Duck is sensitive (which Hunter hadn't noticed) he viewed it as Hunter being rude. Later, Duck decides to give Hunter food when he's on the run, but when the Human Crew corner him he sinks into the ground face first. Hunter digs him out, but discovering he can float, Duck ditches Hunter.
 * Duck

Quotes
Hunter: Hunter to Sam: Hunter to Duck:
 * "I am the hunter."
 * "I have to get Albert some meat or he gets mad."
 * "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die-"
 * "But I'm Hunter and you're Sam."
 * "I'm Hunter. I'm not Boy Killer."
 * "Can the angels find me here so I can go to heaven?"
 * "I don’t know what’s happening. What’s happening, Sam?"
 * "It's freaks vs normals, Duck. And you're a freak."