West City & Capsule Corp
Alex reached West City after a few days of traveling. His low Ki reserves made flying unsustainable—he could barely stay in the air for more than a few minutes before exhausting himself. Forced to travel mostly on foot, he had to hunt small animals like rabbits and chickens, as well as forage for fruit after his rations ran out.
Now standing at the entrance of the massive city, he let out a breath. Alright. First stop—Capsule Corp.
But there was one problem. Bulma isn't just going to hand over the Dragon Radar to some random guy.
As he approached the dome-shaped Capsule Corporation building, he started brainstorming ways to convince her without raising suspicion. Before he could come up with a solid plan, a cheerful voice called out.
"Oh my, you must be one of Bulma's friends!"
Alex turned and saw a blonde woman—Mrs. Briefs, or Panchy, as he recalled from the series. Before he could even respond, she looped her arm around his and started leading him inside.
"Come in, come in! Bulma's inside with her friends!"
"Uh… you must be Mrs. Briefs?" Alex asked, caught off guard.
"Don't be so formal! Call me Panchy," she said with a warm smile.
Before he knew it, he was in the living room, waiting. A few minutes later, Bulma walked in—with Oolong following behind her.
"Uh… who are you?" Bulma asked, crossing her arms. "My mom said something about a friend, but I don't think we've ever met."
Alex could feel her eyes scanning him—his tattered clothes, the dirt from days of travel. He probably didn't look very convincing.
"Well, uh… you must be Miss Bulma. I actually came here to borrow the Dragon Radar," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
Bulma raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know about the Dragon Radar?"
Shit. "Goku told me about the Dragon Balls once, and, um…" Alex scrambled for an excuse, but before he could finish, Bulma clapped her hands together.
"Oh! You're a friend of Goku?" she said with a grin. "Why didn't you just say so? Wait here, I'll grab the radar."
As she walked off, Oolong narrowed his eyes at Alex. "Are you sure you're Goku's friend? Never heard of you before."
Alex forced a casual shrug. "Yeah, I met him a while back. If you don't believe me, you can ask him."
Oolong huffed but didn't press further. A moment later, Bulma returned with the Dragon Radar in hand.
"Here you go," she said, handing it to him.
Alex blinked. "Just like that?"
"Well, Goku always picks up random strays, so I figured you were just another one of his friends," Bulma said with a smirk. "Besides, it's not like I use the radar every day."
He took the device, resisting the urge to grin. That was way easier than expected.
"So, where did you say you met Goku?" she asked.
"Uh… he visited my village. Said something about traveling the world," Alex said quickly, stepping toward the door. "Anyway, thanks for the help. I should get going—"
Before he could leave, Bulma grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait! You look like hell," she said bluntly. "Why don't you stay here for the night, get cleaned up, and leave tomorrow?"
Alex hesitated. "I don't want to be a burden—"
Bulma waved him off. "Please, my dad keeps guests here all the time. And besides…" She glanced at Oolong. "Unlike some people, I know how to be polite."
Oolong grumbled. "You sure this is a good idea? We barely know him. What if he has bad intentions?"
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Oh, give it a rest! I mean, weren't you the pervert who used the Dragon Balls to wish for a pair of panties?"
Oolong turned red. "T-That was a long time ago!"
Bulma ignored him and turned back to Alex. "Anyway, you can stay. What's your name again?"
"Alex," he said. "I should've introduced myself earlier."
After a bit more conversation, Bulma led him to a guest room and handed him a change of clothes.
"These are Yamcha's. You two are about the same size," she said, pointing to the bathroom. "There's a shower in there. Use it."
Alex chuckled. "Got it."
---
The next morning, Alex left early. Bulma had packed him some food in a capsule, enough to last for quite some time. With the Dragon Radar in hand, he set out into the wilderness to find the first Dragon Ball.
After several days of travel, he found himself deep in a jungle as the sun began to set. He checked the radar—the signal was close. Just a little further.
As he stepped forward, a branch snapped under his foot.
Rustle.
Alex froze. The bushes around him shifted. In the dim light, he could barely make out the glint of several eyes staring at him from the darkness.
A low growl echoed through the jungle.
Alex swallowed. "Shit."
power level
Alex : 6
Oolong :4
Bulma : 5