Ventures in Earth's Metropolis(Open)

[Neylo Zig]

The odd red alien stood in an alleyway in one of Earth's largest cities, if not its largest. West City seemed to have the highest level of technology of any of the places Neylo had seen on Earth so far. It also had one of the densest populations he'd seen from the planet as well. Most of the people seemed as mundane as the rest, though, which disheartened him a bit. He was hoping to find more interesting people like the fellow from South City that he met.

He strode along with his hands in his pockets, coming out of the alley. He casually walked along the sidewalk, staring at the various buildings around him. Occasionally one of the shops would catch his eye and he would 'window shop,' but he had a limited supply of funds. He couldn't go spending everything he had on frivolities. He was considering going to one of the restaurants this place had to get some food, though. His stomach was starting to feel empty.

[Future Gohan]

Gohan didn't know where else to go from this city. He had been to Capsule Corporation and while Trunks had recognized his face, he hadn't known of his past. He felt like he was alone in this large world. The half breed saiyan didn't want to risk going to where his mother and father had lived, fearing that they wouldn't know either or that Goku would still be dead. So instead of attempting to find people he knew, he walked around the familiar yet different city.

Gohan walked around, his expression impartial to all of the beings around him. It was nearly overwhelming to be in the presence of so many living beings again. He didn't even have to be on constant alert for insane androids that might go on killing sprees... for now. He couldn't even force himself to relax though. In Other World, there was nothing bad that could happen, yet here it felt like there was a bomb around every corner just waiting to go off. Gohan knew he was just being paranoid but it was a hard feeling to overcome. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, staring vacantly at the sky.

[Neylo Zig]

A young man bumped into Neylo as he was staring into one of the shop windows. Neylo stumbled to his left a couple of steps before turning to see who had bumped into him. "Sorry, mate. I shouldn'a been standin' in the walkway. You alrigh'?" If the young man fell, Neylo would extend a hand to help him to his feet. If not, he would extend his hand anyway for a friendly shake. "Why the intense face, mate?"

He kept his other hand in his pants pocket as he waited for the hand shake. He might as well talk to somebody to keep from being bored, and this guy bumping into him was at least a conversation starter. The expression the guy had on his face seemed to say that he was having some troubles of his own, anyway. Maybe they could confide in each other without worries, as strangers.

[Future Gohan]

Gohan took a few steps back when a red skinned man bumped into him. "It's fine. I should have been paying attention." He said, his mind still yearning to try to sort out his predicament. He glanced down at the extended hand, quickly shaking it for a moment. He didn't know why the man would do that before he had even introduced himself but it wasn't like it mattered. "I'm fine..." He looked what appeared to be an alien over for a moment. He reminded him of Jeice, although this alien's hair was more of a blonde than a white.

"I'm thinking of the past." Gohan said, he turned to face the stranger, his eyes searching the red man's face. "My name is Gohan." His tone was rather blunt, not very conversational at all, yet he had responded without needing to. The half saiyan glanced around the street for a moment, wondering if this was a chance encounter or perhaps a prearranged meeting. Gohan measured the other man as he waited for a reply, unsure of whether or not this man was a fighter.

[Neylo Zig]

"My name's Neylo Zig. Glad to have bumped into ya, Gohan." He inserted his hand into his pocket when they stopped shaking. He paused for a moment looking the young earthling over for a moment. The kid's missin' an arm. What could have caused such an injury? Is tha' the past he was thinkin' abou'? The red man looked a little concerned, and decided to speak because of that concern, "No' tha' i's any o' my business, mate, bu' could the thing you're thinkin' abou' be the reason you're missin' an arm? I don' mean to be so straightforward abou' i', bu' I'm no' a fan o' beatin' around the bush."

He mentally grimaced at what he just said. It was terribly lacking in tact, though he did remain honest in what he said. And truthfully trying to be nice about it wasn't going to make it any easier on the young man. Though he did feel sympathy for the earthling, he would not be anything other than honest with him. And those words are what came to mind given the young man's appearance and his reply to the initial question Neylo had asked.

[Future Gohan]

Gohan glanced down at the arm that ended just below his shoulder. It still felt as if it was there at times but he had grown accustomed to it for the most part. "I suppose that's part of it. Although I was mostly thinking about my father. Some times I wish he was still here." The young saiyan looked down at the ground, wondering if he was still, in this strange world. What would father do in my situation? Gohan could only wonder that question to himself, not ready to open himself up to the possibility that Goku was still alive here.

"You talk in a similar manner to an alien I once met." Gohan spoke, wondering if perhaps this red skinned being came from the same race as Jeice. It wasn't too long of a stretch, seeing the skin and nearly white hair. He took a deep breath, wondering if he might have already revealed to much to this Neylo. "Nice to meet you as well." Gohan remembered when he always had someone to turn to. Piccolo, his father, Krillin, even Vegeta for a small time. All of them had protected him from dangers beyond number, yet he felt as if he was the one that should be doing the protecting now, yet for and from who?

[Neylo Zig]

Neylo looked away from Gohan and towards the ground. He lifted his left hand out of his pocket and scratched the back of his head, looking more than a little regretful that he'd brought up the topic. He didn't mean to stir up bad memories like that. Even though he had been so blunt about it before, he did feel a little remorse that he asked about something so serious after only having met the man. "Ehh...sorry, mate. I didn' mean to open any old wounds. An' I'm sorry abou' ya dad, too. Truth be told I've lost my fair share as well. Fifty years ago my home planet was taken by the World Trade Organization. I fough' against 'em, bu' I wasn' strong enough."

He turned back to look Gohan in the face again. "You me' someone like me? Wha' do ya mean by tha', Gohan?" Neylo was now confused. His planet was in a different quadrant of the universe. For Gohan to have met someone like him, there would have to be another race similar to his own or some of his people did a lot of traveling after the World Trade Organization took over their planet. And it also brought to light another question. Had Gohan done space traveling in the past?

[Future Gohan]

Gohan shook his head, "It's no problem Neylo. It's just something that I thought was resolved that no longer seems so permanent." He looked in the direction of Capsule Corporations, unable to see it from this position. He could feel this strange world calling him there and elsewhere, but he resisted it's calls for now. He knew that it was something he had to do but he was afraid at the moment. "Believe it or not, I know what it's like to have everything taken from you in a sudden and violent manner." He could remember Frieza quite clearly, although he wasn't nearly as dangerous as the androids were, those would be his first priority if any of them were encountered.

"Someone named Jeice. I met him once when I was much younger, long ago in the past." Gohan waved his hand, as if to dismiss it as irrelevant. He could imagine what had at the time seemed like a beast of enormous power, yet he had grown far stronger... and then weaker since then. He couldn't imagine that his power level was much higher than it had been when he had fought Recoome. He shook the memories from his head, attempting to focus on the present day. "Hasn't the World Trade Organization been destroyed for some time?" He asked, curious to hear the answer.

[Neylo Zig]

The conversation had been rather glum so far. Speaking of loss, memories of the past, and other such things was starting to bring Neylo down. His attitude did a one-eighty turn when Gohan said those last few words. The World Trade Organization had been destroyed? This was truly glorious news. While in the Other World Neylo wasn't kept up to date on what happened in the living universe. He smiled widely and shouted, "Yeah! I didn' know they'd been defeated. This lif's a huge burden off my hear'. Maybe my home can be a' peace again. After fifty long years I can rest easy."

He paused for a second, thinking he could at least give Gohan the whole story. Neylo didn't look anywhere near the age he actually would be if he'd lived as long as what he said suggested. "Remember how I said tha' I wasn' strong enough to figh' against the WTO's soldiers? Well I actually died that day. Until a few days ago I'd been in Other World. Then suddenly after fifty years I was back alive. And on this planet, too. I've been confused about where to go an' wha' to do ever since."

[Future Gohan]

Gohan nodded, glad that he could at least bring a little bit of joy into someone's day. "Yeah... about thirty years ago if I have the year right. A man named Goku, his son, and a few other people met Frieza upon the planet Namek. The fight was devastating, yet Goku managed to emerge victorious in the end. A year later Goku killed Frieza and his father King Cold. Soon afterwards he managed to kill Frieza's brother Cooler as well. As far as I know that ended the World Trade Organization." The young half saiyan shrugged, looking upwards at the sky. He shook his head, grinning at Neylo. "I'm not exactly clear upon all of the details though."

"I was about to ask how you could be over fifty and still look so useful... I suppose I'm in my thirties now, although my body is only twenty three. I had been dead for nine years and I've just recently been revived as well. It's a very interesting feeling after having rested in the Other World for nine years." Gohan grew a perplexed look upon his face for a moment as he recalled that when Tien had lost his arm, it had regrown when he was resurrected, yet he had come back with only one. Perhaps it had something to do with his having been long gone by the time he had been revived yet Tien's had been a recent wound when he had a died. "Don't worry. I'm just as confused as you are and I've lived here for most of my life."

[Neylo Zig]

Neylo nodded in agreement with Gohan's statements. "I'm all too familiar with the Cold family an' their tyrannical ways. To think tha' a figh'er from this quadran' defea'ed Freiza...Clearly I've been underestimatin' the people o' this galaxy. Goku....Why does tha' name soun' so familiar to me, though? I coulda swore someone by tha' name fough' a guy named Pikkon in the Other World tournament." He crossed his arms and shook his head, as if dismissing the thought.

I know, mate. I's so strange comin' back like I did. If I'd been livin' this whole time I'd look old enough to be me own granddad compared to how I look now. An' the feelin' of comin' back was so surreal...I can' even describe i', really." He chuckled at that. It seemed like he and Gohan were in similar situations. They'd been worried about events of the past and they'd both somehow been brought back to life. "So wha' do a couple o' guys like you an' me do with this second chance, Gohan? Wha' do we do righ' now, even?"

[Future Gohan]

"I wouldn't know about the battles in Other World. I'd had enough of that while I was alive. Never watched the tournaments or fought in them." Gohan could remember King Kai approaching him with the offer once, yet he didn't want to fight any more. He didn't want the incredible rage that came every time he went Super Saiyan. Pikkon sounded remarkably like Piccolo though, was it possible that both of them were dead in this reality as well as the one that he had come from? It was the most depressing thought that had forced its way into his head since he had arrived here, but he wouldn't let it bring him down. He had to be stronger to help the others.

"It's almost like everything is different. This isn't the planet that I remember." Gohan muttered in response to the Neylo's words. He couldn't really portray with words how it felt to be thrown into a world where all of his friends and his family were no longer dead. "I've got to be stronger. I have to be strong enough to prevent things like what happened when I was killed. I don't want anyone else to have to experience that." He nodded confidently to himself, hoping that he could manage to destroy the androids and anything else that would hope to threaten Earth.

[Neylo Zig]

"I never go' to figh' in the Other World tournaments either, mate. I's a pretty big honor from wha' I've heard. Especially for those fighters tha' make i' to the semi-finals." He shrugged after saying this and added, "I couldn' muster the will to figh' in a tournament for no reason anyway. I figh' so I can be strong enough to defend the universe from evil. Since I was already dead at the time, fightin' didn' seem tha' important."

Listening to the words of his new acquaintance yet again he finds himself in agreement with the one armed man. He nods and replies, "Jus' like I was sayin'. Now tha' I've go' another sho' a' life, I'm gonna pick up where I left off." He pauses momentarily until a question pops into his head again. "Would you mind trainin' with me some time, Gohan? We share similar goals, and I'd be' you're one tough warrior. Tha's jus' wha' I need to keep goin'. Someone strong to challenge me and able to keep me motivated."

[Future Gohan]

"I've heard similar things. King Kai and some other Kais bring their best warriors and see whose the best trainer. I've always wondered what would happen if a contestant won that wasn't trained by one of them. It would be interesting to see how they would react." The half saiyan looked over his counterpart, wondering how powerful Neylo had been before he had died. Gohan was confident that he could defeat the warrior now, although it made him wonder if this red skinned being had also suffered a major decrease in power level while he had been in Other World. "Especially after you had just died attempting to save everyone's lives yet you had failed." He said, wondering if he had trained Trunks enough to be able to handle the androids.

Gohan nodded, "Exactly where I left off." He said, deadly intent in his words. He wasn't going to let the androids off easily. "Training? Yes... I need a partner as well. I have to gain enough power to turn Super Saiyan." He said, clenching his only hand tightly as he remembered the intense rush of power he had always felt when transforming. Not only of power, but of anger as well. He had always thought of it as righteous fury and he now carried it in his heart when he wasn't a Super Saiyan. It was good for his confidence.

[Neylo Zig]

Neylo let the man talk freely, not wanting to make the conversation one-sided. Truthfully he was glad to have found a kindred spirit of sorts. Gohan seemed to have been through a lot of similar ordeals to what Neylo, himself, had been through. He appeared to be just as serious and passionate about continuing to protect the weak and the innocent, and setting things right that had been wronged. He understood the magnitude of this second chance, too. That was another crucial fact that Neylo was glad for.

When the young man mentioned 'Super Saiyan' Neylo's eyes widened. He couldn't mean the form that another North Quadrant warrior transformed into during one of the tournaments...could he? "You could become a Super Saiyan? One o' the guys tha' made i' to the finals in an Other World Tournament was said to have used a form o' the same name, and he was incredibly strong. He was from this quadrant, too, I think."