One of the series regulars (not Ryoga) becomes seperated from the others in a place far from home. A grim-and-gritty urban story but with a more or less happy ending. Mature subject matter warning applies.

Part 1: Stranger In Town
Part 2: The Unwanted
Part 3: A Familiar Face
Part 4: Words
Part 5: A Lesson In Honor
Extra: "Surreal Visions" parody
My invited contribution based on The (Sur)real World by RpM.
This was my first, and possibly last, attempt at gritty urban drama. At least I think if I do it again, it won't be with these characters.

I wrote this over less than a week, and I think it shows. Coming back and rereading more than a decade later, I wasn't nearly as happy with it as I was back then. There are some decent character moments, especially towards the end, but in general it feels like it's rushing to get through it, hitting all the key moments that it needs to but not really building a fleshed-out whole around them.

At the time I wrote this, I was heavily into a certain cartoon on MTV about two adolescent morons, to whom the two thugs in the story bear much too strong a resemblance. (It was much worse before commenter Jim Nutley wisely suggested I rewrite some of their dialog.)