A new routine [Open]

[Echo/Mason]

Early morning. It was the time that everything would awaken from their slumber and go back to their life. In the city, the husband and wife might wake up and go to work. The kids may go to school. In the forest, the deer may go to graze in the grass. A lion may stalk that same deer for breakfast for it and it's cubs.

But this early morning already had an occupant, long before anyone else had waken up. A lone man was up training, trying and failing at meditating, and traverse the forest to learn it's lay outs. He considered his day almost half way over.

This man was an alien from planet Namek named Echo, in the human language. He came to the planet 3 years ago, on a mission of redemption, and had taken to the forest scene ever since. Partly for the calmness of it all.

Mostly because it was the same color as him.

At this time, Echo found himself sharing a spring with a lonely buck. The buck drank straight from the water, while Echo got down on one knee and picked the water up with his hands in a cup shape. He had his white hood up, masking the back of his head from anyone behind him, and the tip covered his top half of the face.

[Gohan]

High above the forest, a young half saiyan was flying over, escaping his daily morning routine of reading books in front of his mother. This kid was none other than Gohan, son of Goku. His recent trip to Namek still haunted his mind. The image of the cold dark being known as Frieza killing the ones he cared for echoed throughout his mind. It would take a while for Gohan to be able to forget those images, even then, a slight reminder could bring everything back. For now, it was best not to think of the past, and continue on thinking about the future, and what it has in store for Gohan and his friends.

It was early morning, and Gohan had no idea where to go. Flying off before anyone awoke had become a habit now. Gohan would usually go off training at this time, but today, he didn't feel like doing much. Today, Gohan had no motivation to train, nor study.

Looking down at the beautiful scenery of the forest, Gohan noticed two deer running along side each other. The place was so calm, so peaceful. It was hard to believe for Gohan that some people want to destroy this planet.

Flying over a small clearance in the forest, Gohan spotted a buck and a hooded man drinking from a spring. At first, Gohan had paid no attention. He had thought it was just a person residing in a forest. But after reading the man's energy and examining the figure, it resembled someone he knew. Gohan's emotions swelled up with joy. Descending onto the ground, Gohan couldn't help but smile. Once landing, Gohan watched as a namekian green hand scooped up some water for a drink.

"Hey mister piccolo! Where have you been?" Gohan exclaimed, his voice full of happiness and excitement.

[Echo/Mason]

Echo was in deep thought over a multitude of things. He had seemed to have run out of things to do in the forest was honestly contemplating a new setting. The city life wasn't for him. He didn't like being around a lot of people, and it was too noisy. The rocky areas were too uncomfortable and was better suited for training. Maybe a grassland. The only problem with that was there wasn't a lot of grasslands around.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear Gohan speak to him. Instead, he sensed him and quickly turned around, with a ki orb in his hand. Upon coming to terms that the child before him wasn't a threat, and how he could be seen as the threatening one, he closed his hands, the ki orb disappearing.

"Uhh....Sorry about that." Echo said lowly. He turned back around to face the lake. He figured at this point, the child would run off. Maybe if he was kind to the boy, he wouldn't get his family to come see the scary monster lurking in the forest.

"Just forget you saw me." He hoped the boy would nod and turn the other direction. He really wasn't in the mood to be hunted.

[Gohan]

When "Piccolo" didn't answer, Gohan got slightly suspicious. If anything, he should've sensed Gohan coming. As Gohan approached the namekian, he sensed a sudden spike in his energy. The namekian who he once thought was Piccolo, turned out to be someone else completely. Other than being namekian, him and Piccolo looked nothing alike. This man had no pupils in his eyes, making them completely white. He also had all these interesting tattoos everywhere. His facial structure was slightly different as well, and now that Gohan sensed more of his energy, he could definitely say, this was not Piccolo.

Gohan watched as the man held a ki orb in his hands. Gohan gulped, he didn't know what to do at this point. Once the namekian closed his fist, Gohan sighed in relief. So far, it seemed like this man was no enemy.

Turning around, the Namekian apologized. His voice resembled Piccolo's slightly, low and gruff. But there was something about him, something seemed strange. During his time in namek, Gohan had seen other namekians. For some reason, this one was much different than the others.

Gohan was asked to forget ever encountering this man, easier said than done. Gohan, being the curious little half saiyan that he is, ignored what the namekian said and just continued to smile.

"Hey mister...what's your name? I haven't seen any other namekians on earth other than Kami and Piccolo...." Gohan questioned. His tone was upbeat and happy, like that of a little kid who had just found something and is eager to figure out what it was.

[Echo/Mason]

"Hey mister...what's your name?"...

Echo stayed silent. He knew giving his name away to this child would do nothing besides get him attacked. Although he had to admit that he wasn't expecting the curiosity about the Monster of the Forest, or even for him to still be there. A part of Echo wanted to turn and talk to the child. But his instincts prevented him from doing so. For all he knew, this could have been some ruse. Nope. This namekian was too cautious for that. He stayed turned to the lake, getting another sip of water from his hand.

"I haven't seen any other namekians on earth other than Kami and Piccolo..."

This little bit, however, got Echo's attention. He even nearly choked on his water after hearing the child say the name of his race. He was more took by surprise by that fact, that he didn't even catch the names he said.

"You know of the Nameks?!" Echo turned to the child, his face still hidden under the shadow cast by his hood. This information, as far as he could tell, wasn't common knowledge to earthlings. They always called him a monster or a demon. Even his own people knew him as such. "There's more Nameks here?!" His voice was drenched in shock. Of all ways to begin a day, this one had to be the one that was at the bottom of his list. He had thought this planet void of all other extraterrestrial life besides humans.

"Who are you?" He had completely forgotten that he was asked first.
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[Gohan]

This strange namekian seemed to be completely surprised about Gohan's knowledge of his race. Not only that, but he was oblivious to the fact that there were more of his kind on the planet. Whoever this man was, he must have isolated himself away from everyone. Gohan examined the stranger a bit more. Is this man good at heart, or is he just another evil being out to destroy or take over the world? Gohan would find out soon. But for now, it seemed like he didn't mean any harm.

"Of course I know, I recently came back from Namek." Gohan replied to the namekian's first question. This man seemed to be clueless about the event that had recently occurred on Namek. This had to mean that this stranger must have came to earth before the arrival of the Z fighters and Frieza. The news of his planet is going to devastate him. "Why yes there is. There are two more Namekians on Earth. One is Kami and the other is my good friend and master Piccolo." Gohan replied to the second question.

Even though the stranger was reluctant to give Gohan his name, Gohan didn't hesitate to answer his questions. After all, he was the son of Goku. There wasn't much to worry about.

"My name is Gohan," Gohan replied, bowing his head as a sign of greeting.

[Echo/Mason]

Echo's mouth opened slightly in awe at the knowledge this kid had. Not only have he heard of his race, but has visited his planet as well! Gohan had piqued Echo's interest by several folds. He needed to know more about these Namekians on Earth.

"Tell me about Kami." He hastily asked. "Where could I find him?!" If there were really other Nameks on this planet, then they may be able to help Echo with a problem.

He had an over abundance of physical chi, and a lack of spiritual chi. This made his Ki harder to focus, and was a problem he wanted to resolve sooner rather than later. The other Nameks would be able to help him get answers that he would not figure out by himself. And seeing how going back to Namek wasn't an option for Echo, he had to take this chance.

Echo was now standing infront of the child. He moved his hand to remove his hood and reveal his full face. His single tattoo next to his left, pupilles, eye. He stood tall next to the child, but did his best to not come off as intimidating. That was usually easier said than done, however. Nameks naturally looked frightening to normal earthlings. But Gohan didn't seem to mind. He bowed back to Gohan.

"It is important that I meet these Namekians, Gohan." Echo said almost pleadingly. He wasn't the type to intimidate what he wanted from someone. If they were willing to talk, Echo would talk. However, his patience did get in the way of this before and caused him to get frustrated.

[Gohan]

The namekian had found himself shocked as Gohan spoke. It wasn't always that an earthling knew about other being throughout the universe, let alone visit their planet. Gohan wasn't surprised this man had questions. If Gohan were in his position, he would be asking the same thing. What did manage to surprise Gohan was the man's question about Kami. Gohan didn't know what to make of this man. If he was on this planet for a long time like Gohan had believed, how could he not know of Kami. Kami, who always looks down on Earth from his lookout must have known about this guy. Either way, Gohan would answer his questions.

When the strange Namekian pulled off his hood, Gohan stared at the man's eyes. He had no pupils, just white eyes, and more tattoos were revealed. To Gohan, this was by far the coolest Namekian he has ever met next to Piccolo. As the man bowed back, Gohan didn't want to waste anymore of his time.

"Kami is an old Namekian, who lives up on Kami's tower. It's not too far from here. He's the guardian of Earth, he watches over everything! He can probably see us here right now!" Gohan explained. His knowledge of Kami all came from his friends and father. Gohan had never really had any one on one time with Kami. He's only ever been to the lookout once, and Kami didn't seem like the type of person that would sit down with Gohan and chat about his life.

"Well...I'm not too sure about Piccolo, he disappears at times so I don't know where he is. But I know where Kami is. I can show you where to find him and the lookout." Gohan continued. The man's reasons for wanting to find the other namekians on Earth were unclear. By the looks of things, he was just desperate to meet some of his own kind. Thinking your the only one of you kind on a Planet far from your own, with people thinking your a monster could be pretty difficult and lonely.

[Echo/Mason]

As the boy began to speak about the whereabouts of this 'Kami', Echo's shocked demeanor turned into one of determination. If Kami's Lookout wasn't too far, then he should definitely make a trip there. He didn't care what the trip brought, as long as he got answers to his questions.

"Yes! Please show me the way!" Echo was ready to leave then and there, his excitement getting the best of his manners. But only momentarily.

"Gohan. My name is Echo." Echo finally introduced himself to the young warrior. If at this point the child hadn't ran away, then he must have seen his people. And he sensed nothing but innocence in his chi, so he could be trusted.

Echo continued to speak. "Kami may be able to answer some questions I have. It's very important that we head there right away. The namek spoke calmly to Gohan. He could feel his impatience build slowly in the pit of his stomach, due to suppressed excitement.

[Gohan]

Gohan put on a heartwarming smile. It was good to see the man show some sort of emotion, happiness and excitement. The fact that Gohan had seemed to make a person, let alone a namekian, happy, brought Gohan some sense of joy. It seemed the man was all aboard to take the trip to Kami's lookout. It seems the man was in need of some question answering. Gohan was more than happy to bring the Namekian warrior named Echo to Kami.

"Its nice to meet you Echo" Gohan said in a joyful tone. Echo certainly did remind Gohan of Piccolo in a way. This made Gohan's mind at ease. If he were to meet a strange Namekian in the middle of nowhere, Gohan wouldn't be so kind at first. Something about Echo's energy made Gohan at ease. It was possibly due to the fact that Echo reminded Gohan of Piccolo.

"Okay, it's this way! Just follow me Echo!" Gohan said before lifting up off the ground. Gohan wasn't too sure the man was capable of flying, So Gohan didn't start on route yet. He remained still in the air, in hopes that Echo knew how to fly. If Echo didn't know how to fly, then they were in for a long walk.

The only worry Gohan had at this point was if Kami would even talk to Echo. Of course, he would be expecting their arrival if he was watching, but there was no 100% guarantee Kami would talk to Echo. Kami always seemed a bit strange to Gohan. The old guardian of Earth was very secretive, and never really seemed to socialize. All Gohan was hoping was that once they do get there, Kami would talk to him. If they went through with the trip for nothing, then that will just annoy both Gohan and Echo.

[Echo/Mason]

Echo watched as Gohan took off into the air. Well wasn't this kid full of surprises- he had believed that the earthlings were incapable of the most basic form of ki manipulation, flight. He smirked alittle in amusement. He pushed his ki forcefully downwards, jolting him into the air alittle, before he gradually rose to Gohan's level. "Lead the way." He said, waiting for the child to begin the journey.

Echo was prepared to meet any task Kami required. If it meant helping him accomplish his goal, then he would gladly do so. But something about Kami possibly being aware of his existence and not seeking him out concerned Echo. Could it possibly be a flaw in this boy's story? The namekian didn't think so. So maybe there was a possibility that he didn't find Echo ready enough to meet him. Either way, Echo was getting an audience with Kami. He didn't get this excited for nothing.

One of the problems that he may be able to help Echo with was his meditation problems. As far as being spiritually sound, Echo was far from it. The souls of the killed and absorbed Namekians haunted Echo. These dreams was accompanied by visions of his past self slaughtering the Namekians. The image haunted Echo, he caused his tattoos to burn, which he though signaled that the spirits were upset.

He hoped that Kami would at least hear him out.

[Gohan]

Gohan watched as Echo rose to his level in flight. Gohan just smiled. Now that they were both on the same level, it was time to set off to Kami's lookout. Gohan turned his back to Echo before speeding off towards Kami's lookout. It was obvious to Gohan that Echo was excited to see Kami. The reasons for his excitement was unknown, but Gohan was sure that this man had something troubling him. The one thing that seemed to trouble Gohan was this man's knowledge on Earth and the current state of Namek. His curiosity started to grow as he turned around to catch a glimpse of the Namekian. Not telling Echo about his planet wouldn't be right. If Gohan kept quiet, then it would just make Gohan feel guilt.

Gohan slowed down a bit so that he fly directly beside Echo. Gohan looked over to Echo, examining his Tattoo's.

"How long have you been on Earth?" Gohan questioned. Gohan knew the namekian couldn't have landed on Earth recently. It was only logical that the namekian has been here for a while. But the fact that he seems to know nothing about Earth confused Gohan. How could someone spend so much time on a Planet and barely know anything of it. If Echo did in fact spend all his time in the forests, then it was about time he got out. There was a lot this Namekian had to hear, and Gohan was going to tell him everything he needs to know.

[Echo/Mason]

After they took off, Echo's excitement began to dissipate and become replaced with determination. He was getting back into his normal state of mind, following his instincts and losing his curiosity in favor of a saner mind. He flew as if Gohan wasn't there, until the child flew back to have a conversation.

"How long have you been on Earth?" Echo picked up on the childs curiosity. The question of his personal life and dealings were kept very close to Echo, and for good reason. Shockingly, he had made some enemies on his road to redemption. He was sought out by different groups either for his ability to intimidate and beat anyone who was deemed 'bad'. Most of these quests ended with Echo not killing someone, and then be hunted by both groups. He had succeeded in evading them by sticking to the wilderness. If you didn't know the wild, it was like one giant labyrinth.

"A few years." Echo stayed as vague as he could. He didn't feel it was necessary to clarify on his answer. For one, it didn't relate to their adventure. He wanted to keep as much of his life a secret for as long as he could.

"How much farther is this 'look out'?" The monster asked, a little impatient. He wanted to see this Kami now, and every second that they weren't there bothered him.

[Gohan]

"A few years."

Gohan couldn't help but feel sorry for this namekian warrior. Him being on earth for a few years means he has no idea what has happened to Namek, and what evil tyrant destroyed it. Gohan was lucky enough to survive, it was all thanks to his father. Gohan took a few moments to collect his thoughts. Gohan hates being the bearer of bad news, but sooner or later this man would find out. Gohan had no idea how to explain to this man that namek had been destroyed. Telling him now could set him off in an outrage. Gohan knew nothing of this man, so Gohan decided to wait. Once they reach Kami's lookout, that is when Gohan will tell him. Being accompanied by Kami would probably make it all easier.

"How much farther is this 'look out'?"

"Not too far away. We should be able to see it in a few minutes. It's kinda hard to miss!" Gohan replied trying not to sound gloomy.

Gohan was right about only being a few minutes away however. As they continued their flight, Gohan saw the figure of the lookout in the distance. At their level of flight, the top was a long way up. It seems that every trip Gohan took to the lookout, it always ended up being a journey. This was probably the second or third time he has ever actually been on top of the lookout. It would be nice to see Kami again. After all, Piccolo and Kami were once the same being. Training with Piccolo could make both Kami and Gohan closer on spiritual terms.

"There it is! Up ahead!" Gohan exclaimed pointing his index finger towards the lookout. As they were getting closer, Gohan started flying more upwards. The top was pretty far away, being so close yet so far would probably frustrate the namekian warrior flying beside him.

[Echo/Mason]

Echo stopped and looked at the long pole extending from the ground and into the heavens above. He had figured this place was high up, but him and Gohan were already a good deal above the trees, and this tower seemed to extend upwards forever. However, Gohan insisted that it wasn't that far away. Echo stayed patient. If it wasn't going to be too long, then it would be pointless to throw a fit now.

"So how high does this thing go?" Echo asked, taking Gohan's lead and flew upwards, now going straight up. There wasn't much to do, and conversation seemed less awkward than silence.

"How can someone see anything from this high up?" Echo shot out. The question was, more or less, was to himself.