Chapter 5 – Childhood Hero

Bulma stood impatiently outside the Capsule Corp building, her foot tapping rapidly while her arms crossed tightly. She sneaked a glance at her wristwatch. Fifteen minutes had already slipped by, and the person she was waiting for should've arrived by now. She strained her eyes, scanning the horizon, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Was that him? No, just a pterodactyl. How about that one? Bulma squinted, focusing on a distant black speck that gradually grew larger.

Soon enough, that tiny dot materialized into the figure of a man clad in an orange Gi, riding effortlessly atop a golden cloud. Before the nimbus could touch the ground, the man leaped off and came crashing down, creating two distinct craters with the impact of his feet. He dashed over to Bulma.

Goku's hands gripped her shoulders, shaking her gently but urgently. "Are you okay? Chi-Chi told me to get here as fast as I could! What's happening? Are there bad guys here? Is Piccolo here?!" With these words, Goku assumed a combat stance with a battle cry, his eyes darting around the front yard of Capsule Corp as if expecting an imminent threat.

Bulma dragged her hand over her face, equal parts exasperated and amused. "No, Goku, I appreciate the sentiment, but there's no danger!"

Goku snapped his head toward her. "There isn't? Oh." He abandoned his combat stance awkwardly, scratching his head with a sheepish look. "You scared me! Why didn't you tell Chi-Chi it was a non-dangerous urdency? She told me to tell me to come as fast as possible!"

Bulma rolled her eyes at her friend's earnestness. "It's pronounced 'ur-gen-cy.' And I did tell her. You would've heard if you'd stuck around long enough to listen!" She shook her head, her tone growing more serious. "It's great to see you again after all this time, Goku, but I need to talk to you about a situation."

Goku nodded. "Sure, what's up?" 

Bulma proceeded to recount the story of the young boy of nine who had waited outside Capsule Corp all night, detailing his motives and his wish. 

After hearing the story, Goku had an interesting expression on his face. "And what did you want me to do exactly? Punch him in the face?"

"No! Why would I- no! I wanted you to talk to him, to get your perspective." Bulma replied with a flabbergasted look on her face.

Goku rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm. And you chose to ask me, the person who ignored everyone's advice and spared Piccolo Jr.?"

"Ahh…" 

Goku chuckled at Bulma's awkward expression. "It's alright, I'll talk to him with you. I can try to sense whether his ki is dark or not, but unless it's extreme, it's not an indiction of much."

"Indication."

"That's what I said!" Goku replied with a grin, causing Bulma to roll her eyes.

Bulma's head perked up as she thought of a crucial detail, "Oh, and one more thing," she added. "He mentioned that his father was killed by the remnants of the Red Ribbon Army."

Goku tilted his head, his expression one of genuine surprise. "I had no idea they were still active."

"Me neither. Well, now I'll make it a priority to keep an eye out for any signs of their activities."

As they strolled back toward Capsule Corp, Bulma's lips suddenly curved mischievously as she flicked her gaze between the two pits and Goku. "Oh, and by the way, you're covering the repair costs for those craters in the lawn."

"Wait, what?!" 

***

In the guest room, Ajax had long finished his hot chocolate. He steepled his hands waiting nervously for Bulma to return. This has to work, otherwise, he wouldn't even get to start his plans. Ajax chewed on his fingernails in agitation, thinking about where things went wrong and how he could rescue the situation. Maybe he can name-drop Goku somehow? Would that make him more suspicious? Just then, Ajax saw movement in the corner of his eyes. He turned his head to see Bulma walking in followed by… oh.

A silent wheeze forced itself out of Ajax like someone had knocked the air out of him. Though the person before him isn't animated like he was in his memories, that sharp hairstyle, the iconic combination of orange Gi and blue undershirt, and that cheerful grin are all indicative of one person and one person only. Ajax gaped and stood up, the towel on his lap falling to the floor in a pile.

Goku, ever cheerful, did a two-finger salute. "Yo! I'm Son Goku, nice to meet ya!"

As if materializing from the pages of Ajax's dreams, his childhood hero, a living legend, stood before him in the flesh. And somehow, Goku is exactly how Ajax imagined him to be. Ajax's emotions, long kept in check, surged forth like a dam that had burst open. A lump formed in his throat, making words nearly impossible to utter. He felt his eyes tearing up as he stood before the individual he had idolized for as long as he could remember. It was a moment of profound elation, awe, and gratitude. His lifelong hero was no longer just a distant image but a flesh-and-blood person. That thought sent a jolt through Ajax as he was suddenly struck by the realization that everything he's experiencing is perfectly, undeniably, real.

"Thank you." Ajax managed to say, his voice cracking ever so slightly as thanks for the unfailing support Goku provided when Ajax was at the lowest points in his life. Then, without warning, Ajax bent at a perfect 90-degree angle, hoping that his actions would be able to express the deep respect and gratitude that he was sure his words couldn't.

Goku's face froze in a deer-in-headlights look, forming a perfect ('o') expression. His hands instinctively shot out, as if to catch Ajax. While Goku is widely known as the champion of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budōkai, he is rarely, if ever, greeted with such profound gratitude and reverence. The depth of emotion in the boy's reaction caught him completely off guard, leaving him unsure of how to react. He desperately turned his gaze to Bulma, repeatedly pleading for assistance with his eyes, the 'PLEASE help me!' conveyed clearly within them.

Bulma, understanding Goku's predicament, walked over and gently propped Ajax back up. She immediately noticed the redness in Ajax's eyes, and the young boy appeared to be on the verge of tears. With a more compassionate tone, she inquired, "What are you thanking Goku for? I do believe this is your first meeting, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Ajax said, his voice now much calmer, though it still carried traces of trembling, "Goku is the champion of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budōkai, and renowned for defeating Demon Lord Piccolo Jr." He paused for a moment, choosing his next words carefully, "However, secretly, I also suspected that Goku was precisely that mysterious martial artist who forced the Red Ribbon Army to its knees. Am I wrong?"

Of course, young Ajax did not know that his mysterious martial artist and the Champion Son Goku were the same person. Pages after pages in young Ajax's diary had been filled with theories and speculation on the identity of his hero. The Ajax here and now, however, is an entirely different matter altogether. With the unique advantage he holds due to his foreknowledge, he knows without a shadow of a doubt that the enigmatic figure who defeated the Red Ribbon Army in the rumors is precisely the Son Goku standing before him. Exposing this knowledge at an opportune moment was one of the measures Ajax had devised to twist this precarious situation in his favor.

As Ajax spoke, Goku took a sudden intake of breath in surprise. He hadn't expected anyone outside of his closest friends and allies to know about his involvement in the defeat of the Red Ribbon Army. Goku hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in affirmation.

"Yes, that was me." A tinge of guilt flickered across his expression as he continued, "I'm sorry that I didn't do a good enough job though, given how— you know..."

"Please don't apologize; you couldn't have known." Ajax quickly reassured; his voice filled with what he hoped was understanding.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ajax noticed that Bulma had significantly relaxed her guard. The suspicious glint in her eyes had softened noticeably, and, oh boy, was Ajax happy to see that. His emotional response had been an instinctive reaction to seeing his childhood hero, and his gratitude towards Goku had actually been for the act of inspiring Ajax to move forward during the worst moments of his life. However, Bulma and Goku couldn't have known that. To them, Ajax's emotional display must have appeared unmistakably genuine. This was one happy misunderstanding that he had no intention of clearing up.

An enveloping silence settled over the guest room after the awkward apology, the stillness filling the space as each person within the room struggled to think of what to say next.

Goku scrutinized Ajax from head to toe, his brows furrowing in concern, and broke the silence. "I meant to say this earlier, but you don't look very healthy."

Bulma, quick to react to Goku's complete lack of social awareness, delivered a quick slap to the back of his head and offered an apology on his behalf. "Don't mind him, he's a bit of a dumbass."

Ajax chuckled and blinked away whatever remained of his tears. He reassured them, "It's alright."

Goku joined in with a hearty laugh, his infectious enthusiasm brightening the atmosphere. "See? Everything is okay!" Goku turned his attention back to Ajax, "Bulma filled me in on the situation. So, you want to have a healthy and strong body, huh?"

Ajax nodded his confirmation. That's exactly what he wants. Well, that and a little more but he can't reveal that now and reset all the progress he's made so far.

Seeing the confirmation, Goku returned the nod and put a hand on his waist.

"I don't think you're a bad person. I can sense that your ki is a little wonky, and you've been carrying sadness for a long time, but you're not evil." He turns to Bulma, "Say, Bulma, do you still have the radar? I don't think anyone has made a wish for a while now."

"Yeah, I have it in the back," Bulma replied, dropping all guard she had earlier.

"Don't you worry, we'll find the Dragon Balls for you. This is as good a reason for a wish as you can get. Just wait, we'll locate them all for you real soon!"

At Goku's statement, Ajax felt a rush of relief wash over him. He's done it! Ajax bowed his head. "I don't know how I can thank you for your help."

Bulma leaned over and affectionately ruffled Ajax's hair, her smile reassuring. "No need for thanks. We're doing this because we want to."

'This is weird', Ajax couldn't help but think to himself. Considering he's around the same age as Bulma mentally, he's not quite sure how to feel about this. On the outside, however, Ajax merely grinned playfully as he gently slapped Bulma's hand away with a hint of childish defiance.

"Don't treat me like a kid!" Ajax complained.

"Ha! That's exactly what a kid would say."

THE MASTERPLAN:

Get in contact with the main cast (COMPLETED)

Get on Bulma's good side to use Dragon Radar (COMPLETED)