Chapter 30 – Legacy of the Crane School

Ajax's words had seized the attention of the Z Fighters. The group, who had resumed their morning activities, now collectively pivoted toward the unfolding conversation, eager to witness the unfolding exchange.

Tien Shinhan spared Ajax a side glance as he finished up his morning stretches. 

"Good morning to you too, Ajax. You know that just Tien is fine." 

"I know. I'm just being formal for a formal request." Ajax took a deep breath. This is it. He executed a brief bow to Tien Shinhan. "I would like to learn from you." 

The peanut gallery around Ajax and Tien gasped in unison, strategically synchronizing their response for dramatic effect. Entertainment is a rare commodity on the Lookout, and by now, they were all like sharks attuned to the scent of blood, ready to pounce on anything even remotely resembling drama. And this time, blood is definitely in the water. They watched with bated breath in anticipation of Tien's response.

Tien paused his morning stretches, rising to face Ajax directly. The inquiry had genuinely caught him off guard. They were on Kami's Lookout after all, and it seemed inconceivable to him that he would be the preferred choice over Kami himself. It baffled him, to be honest. Is there some kind of ulterior motive here? What is Ajax after?

"You want me to teach you?" 

"Yes." 

"And what exactly are you expecting me to teach you?" 

"Tools and strategies to survive a battle. The mentality necessary to take down an enemy decisively. The skills and battle philosophy of the Crane School."

Tien frowned. Mentioning the Crane School had stirred up some uncomfortable memories. Those days were far behind him, and given the… 'conflict' that had unfolded between him and his former mentors, he had no interest in returning to that time either.

"I don't teach people how to kill." 

"Decisively does not necessarily mean death." 

"…why me?"

"I mean, who else? Apart from Chiaotzu, everyone else is a student of the Turtle School, and asking Chiaotzu is the same as asking you."

Tien, arms folded, continued to probe. "And why should I teach you?"

"Other than being at our strongest, so, you know, we don't meet our painful, gruesome, and gory demise at the hands of the Saiyans?" Ajax replied matter-of-factly, his expression as dry as the Sahara Desert.

Tien cast an amused look at the sass. "Yes, other than that. Why teach you, an alumnus of the Turtle School? The Crane School and The Turtle School did not keep the most amicable of relationships."

Ajax rolled his eyes. Who cares about that inter-school rivalry anymore? That stuff got old before the original Dragon Ball series reached its end. He quipped:

"Says the guy who knows our signature move, the Kamehameha." 

The peanut gallery accompanied Ajax's quip with a synchronized 'Ooooooh!" 

Ignoring the live audience soundtrack, Ajax could already tell, even at this point in the conversation, that Tien wasn't vehemently opposed to his proposition, and that was more than sufficient for him. It's time to go on the offensive. Shifting gears, Ajax altered the conversation's tone, adopting a more serious demeanor, and directed his focused gaze at Tien.

"All jokes aside, I have a question for you, Tien. How many noteworthy martial artists use the Crane School style right now?"

"Four. Shen, Tao, me, and Chiaotzu." 

"Martial Artists." 

"...me and Chiaotzu." 

"And how many people do you anticipate asking for your guidance on the techniques of the Crane School?" 

Tien narrowed his eyes at the response. "Are you insinuating that I am incapable of acquiring more students?"

Ajax shook his head, realizing his previous choices of words may have been less than ideal.

"Let me phrase that. How many individuals who have reached the lofty standards set by Korin or Kami, do you think will approach you for training in the Crane School Style?"

" ..." 

"Exactly. Even by those 'lofty standards', the Turtle School boasts Master Roshi, along with Yamcha, Krillin, Goku, and myself. Assuming everything doesn't go completely sideways, Gohan will be accepted as well. Even you carry our legacy by wielding the Kamehameha." Ajax tilted his head like a barn owl, maintaining unblinking eye contact with Tien Shinhan. "On the other hand, who, aside from you and Chiaotzu, possesses knowledge of the Dodon Ray, the Kikoho, or other signature moves of the Crane School?"

"…"

"No one. Should you and Chiaotzu fall in the upcoming battle, the duty of upholding the legacy of the Crane School will be left to the likes of Shen and Mercenary Tao."

A deep silence settled on those gathered, every member stunned by Ajax's words. They had realized by now that the conversation before them was more than some mere spectacle or inane drama. The gravity of the point Ajax made resonated, and none of them had fully grasped the situation of the Crane School until the very moment it was pointed out to them in such a manner.

"And you will uphold the legacy of the Crane School?" Tien inquired, unfolding his arms and fixing Ajax with a scrutinizing stare.

"If you'll have me."

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Yamcha interjected, "Hold on, you're already skilled in the Turtle Style! Why do you need the Crane Style too?"

"If you pour water on an oil fire, you'll only fuel the flames," Ajax replied, maintaining unbroken eye contact with Tien.

"Yeah, so?" Yamcha responded, confused and absentmindedly scratching his head.

Ajax sighed. What a drag.

"There's more than one way to put out a fire, Yamcha, and I don't have the luxury to have water as my only recourse."

Tien locked eyes with Ajax, meeting the intensity of the stare easily. At that moment, Tien observed the young boy before him. Really looked at him, perhaps for the very first time. This kid... has potential. At the very least, as far as mental strength goes, Ajax likely outshines even Tien himself. Surviving the Ultra Divine Water, abilities or not, was no small feat, and Tien had no confidence in replicating such an achievement. And as a potential student, Tien couldn't refute that he might not find a more promising pupil anywhere else.

"You know, I was already inclined towards helping you given the impending Saiyan invasion. I just wanted to understand your motivations and test your resolve." A slightly sadistic smile appeared on Tien's face. "However, unfortunately for you, you've truly convinced me. You want to be my student? Fine. You're in, but I'm not going to let you take your words back."

A feral grin mirroring Tien's spread across Ajax's face as he met the triclop's gaze. "You can save those words for someone else because I don't intend on taking them back. I stand by my commitments."

However, at this moment, a hand settled on Ajax's shoulder, firmly anchoring him in place. Ajax could feel the air around him stiffen and he grimaced, his face scrunching up like a kid who was caught with both hands in the cookie jar. He turned around, apprehensive, only to see Kami smiling sweetly and merrily down at him, the aged Namekian's eyes practically disappearing into slits. Oh no. Ajax had seen this expression before… on Chi-Chi. 

"So, you stand by your commitments? Is that so, my disciple?" Kami said calmly, still smiling. "It's rather disheartening to see you forsake me this way. Am I no longer satisfactory? Do I no longer excite you?"

Ajax grimaced even more at Kami's statement. 'Shiiiiit…!'

A surge of nerves gripped Ajax as he fumbled and stammered over his words in an attempt to explain himself, desperately trying to convey his thoughts without offending his mentor. He raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"I, um—I mean, you—I didn't, uh– this isn't—…" His voice trailed off awkwardly.

Tien, who was out of Ajax's sight having being behind him, arched an eyebrow at Kami. Sensing the cue from the elderly Namekian, he plunged into the conversation headfirst with an overly dramatic gasp.

"So, you're cheating on me?" Tien's voice oozed with mock offense and disbelief. "The disciple of Kami, the Turtle School, and now me too? Am I just your side chick?"

Ajax, caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events and comment, spun around and gaped at Tien. What in the f*ck is happening!? Is reality turning sideways or something? Is he the butt of a joke right now? However, at the sight of the seriousness etched across Tien's face, Ajax's confusion took on an air of genuine panic as he struggled to find the right words to placate all parties and defuse the escalating situation. He failed miserably.

Kami furrowed his ancient brow, deep in contemplation, as he turned to Mr. Popo with a quizzical expression.

"Mr. Popo, what's the term I'm searching for, of someone who has a foot in each boat? I'm afraid the word eludes me."

Mr. Popo, ever straightforward, didn't miss a beat in his response, "A man-wh*re."

"No, not that," Kami sweat-dropped, shaking his head with a small chuckle. "Unfaithful. That's the term I was searching for."

"Same difference."

Kami gave Mr. Popo an amused look.

Yamcha and Krillin, who had witnessed the subtle wink Kami had exchanged with Tien earlier as well as Ajax's still dumbfounded expression, finally reached their breaking point and erupted into laughter. The contagious mirth spread rapidly, infecting everyone, except Mr. Popo. Even Kami joined in, a fist held to his mouth with graceful poise and chuckling with a deep and hearty sound.

Amidst the joyous commotion, Ajax's panic instantly gave way to a deadpan expression. Clearly, he had been duped.

"HEY!"

Ajax's protest only fueled the laughter around him, amplifying the amusement of the others. Ajax crossed his arms, his deadpan expression now accompanied by a light pout. In truth, he was just glad it was all a jest.

Slowly but surely, Ajax found himself caught up in the infectious laughter, and his initial deadpan expression cracked, soon laughing along with the others.

Ajax allowed himself to enjoy this moment, as it was likely the last respite before the relentless grind truly began. He supposes that if this were an anime, this would be the perfect time for a training montage cutscene. Unfortunately, this was reality. There weren't going to be any flashy training sequences or dramatic musical accompaniments to help him pass the time.

Ajax felt himself relax. Alright. Time to get to work.

***

~ Cue: Remember the Name by Fort Minor ~

***

~ Three Months After Raditz's Arrival ~

"The Solar Flare requires you to channel your ki into a single focal point, much like the initial step of forming a ki blast. However, the key is to not condense it, as you would a Kamehameha." Tien explained, his arms folded across his chest and squinting for his own safety as he closely observed Ajax's execution of the technique.

Ajax furrowed his brow in concentration. With a determined look, he attempted to replicate the technique, channeling his ki as instructed. However, instead of a blinding burst of light, a pitifully feeble energy ball left his hands, floating wobbly before dissipating with a sad poof.

Tien's expression remained stoic, but a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.

"Not quite. You need to infuse more pressure and power than that. Maintain the same intensity of Ki as you would in a regular attack, but gather it without limiting its volume."

"Got it!"

***

~ Three Months, Two Weeks After Raditz's Arrival ~

A thin, luminous beam of Ki, resembling a laser, landed upon the tiles of the Lookout. The concentrated energy created a sizzling sound as it made contact with the surface, burning a small, smoking orifice into the once pristine marble.

"This is how you do the Dodon Ray!" Chiaotzu floated gracefully in the air, a small ball of energy crackling on his fingertips. "It's fast, hot, and requires almost no charge time."

Ajax observed attentively, absorbing the details of the technique. The Dodon Ray appeared to be a versatile technique for rapid and precise piercing strikes. He can see a lot of applications already.

"You can fire continuously if you only use a fraction of the energy you gathered," Chiaotzu continued. The small energy ball on his finger flared to life, and with a swift motion, he unleashed a rapid succession of Dodon Rays, each discharge puncturing the ground with miniature smoldering craters.

Ajax nodded, a hand resting on his chin. "A zombie and stream of yellow energy. We should call move this Charge Rifle instead."

"No, we're not. And I'm not a zombie."

"Say, can you pee out a Dodon Ray?"

"NO!" 

***

~ Six Months After Raditz's Arrival ~

Ajax collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion, rivulets of sweat tracing a path down his furrowed forehead as he panted heavily on all fours.

"Holy shit! That's draining as hell!"

"Yes, the Kikoho is not a technique you can use frequently. It drains your life energy, and overusing it will be fatal." Tien acknowledged, folding his arms.

"And that's why the attack must only be fired briefly, right?"

Tien nodded in agreement.

"Precisely. For a beam struggle, the Kamehameha would be the superior choice as it gives you the ability to continuously accumulate energy to ramp up its output even after firing it. You can also sustain it for a longer duration with almost no drawback. However, its weakness is that it requires some preparation time to initiate, and when fired with minimal charge time, it's relatively lackluster."

Ajax completed the thought. "And in contrast, the Kikoho has almost no charge time and hits about as hard as a well-charged Kamehameha, but it has ridiculously high energy requirements and you cannot change the output after firing it."

"Yes. The Kikoho is a high-risk, high-reward technique. But I need to warn you again, if you use the Kikoho for a prolonged beam clash, you will die from the drain before you can win said struggle."

Taking a seat, Ajax retrieved a notebook, contemplating, "Hmm, so use the Kikoho if you have no time to charge and need to hit the other guy as fast as you can, as hard as you can."

"Exactly."

"Got it, please teach me the Multi-Form technique next!" Ajax said with a mischievous grin, looking up from his notebook.

Tien sighed, a hint of amusement in his expression.

"God, you're insatiable."

***

~ Eight Months After Raditz's Arrival ~

"You've got it. That's the essence of telepathy– now, just practice." Kami, maintaining the telepathic connection, seated himself on a chair he magicked into existence out of thin air, nonchalantly chomping on a Senbei cracker.

"Cool. Can I try the external Ki control you've consistently applied to me next? You know, the alternative Kiai," Ajax continued the mental conversation.

"Hmm, I believe you've grasped enough of the fundamentals to give it a shot. It's not too dissimilar from the Multi-Form technique you're trying to learn from young Tien Shinhan," Kami spoke out loud, his voice slightly muffled due to his mouth stuffed full of Senbei Crackers. "Unlike the Multi-Form Technique, just maintain your Ki as energy instead of a physical form, and infuse your intent into it rather than allowing it to separate as an independent consciousness."

To Ajax's slight annoyance, Kami stopped after that explanation, choosing to leave it at those rather cryptic instructions. In the resulting silence, the only audible sounds were the crisp crunch of Senbei crackers and the faint screams of other Z Fighters training under Mr. Popo in the distance.

"That's all? You know, you weren't like this when we first arrived here. You seemed much more legendary, mysterious, and wise." 

"…" 

With unimpressed, half-lidded eyes, Kami wordlessly retrieved the staff resting beside his chair and deliberately tapped it against the floor. Instantly, a sudden paralysis gripped Ajax's body as the atmosphere surrounding him became as dense as stone. Undeterred, Ajax summoned a burst of Ki, his muscles flexing and veins pulsing as he gradually began to move inch by inch against the invisible restraint that bound him.

"Look, I can– move! I gotta be– grunt– good enough to– use the Time Chamber now!"

"Nice try, young Ajax."

***

~ Ten Months After Raditz's Arrival ~

Ajax examined the yellow disk of spinning energy hovering in his hands, a slight frown creasing his brow before shifting his gaze to Krillin.

"That's it?"

"Well, I'm sorry if my Kienzan doesn't live up to your lofty standards of difficulty!"

***

THE MASTERPLAN: 

Ask Tien to be mentor – (COMPLETED)

Learn Crane School's, Krillin's, and other useful techniques – (COMPLETED)

Learn what you can from Kami – (COMPLETED)