Chapter 45 – Vegeta, You’re Going to Lose

Ajax nimbly backpedaled from the colossal square cavity in the earth, the aftermath of his Kikoho, as dust and rock cascaded around him like surreal rain. He still hadn't figured out why the hole was square, by the way. Some phenomena, it seemed, were destined to remain a mystery.

As the dust settled, Ajax took a moment to steady himself with a series of deep breaths. That last exchange had been far too close for comfort. His agility had been just enough to clear the dissipating smoke before Nappa had charged in.

Had he taken even a single second longer, Nappa would have seen two of him and caught onto the true nature of his multi-form clone—a perilous outcome that could've cost Ajax dearly, as Nappa would have maintained his advantage.

Regaining his breath, Ajax sensed the intensity of Vegeta's gaze boring into his back. Upon facing the Saiyan Prince, Ajax met Vegeta's stoic eyes defiantly, casually noting that Vegeta, and the area surrounding him, were completely unaffected by the tumultuous battle that had just occurred.

Detecting motion, Ajax snapped his head back to Nappa. It looked like his combination attacks had taken a visible toll on the Saiyan General, who floated unsteadily out of the hole with a scowl. Nappa's left arm slightly dangled at his side, his armor was ravaged—shattered with a significant portion missing—and the other half of his mustache was gone. However, despite all of that, Nappa was raring to continue.

"Damn you! People like you are the reason why I'm bald!"

Ajax ignored Nappa's griping. Given Nappa's current condition, further battle would only lead to a lose-lose scenario. If he emerged victorious over Nappa, he would be left to contend with Vegeta. Game Over. Conversely, if he was defeated by Nappa, then it was also game over, since, you know, he lost.

With Vegeta's focus temporarily on him, Ajax knew this was a good moment to set the next phase of his plan in motion: psychological warfare. Carefully maintaining his calm, Ajax chose his next words carefully:

"You know, Nappa, Vegeta? The funny thing is, I haven't even revealed my full arsenal to you yet." That was a lie; Nappa had forced him to showcase a substantial part of it. "I could've ended this battle effortlessly at almost any time." That, on the other hand, was the truth.

Nappa's mouth opened, then closed, then opened again, cycling through those actions repeatedly as he visibly struggled to formulate a response.

"Why didn't you?" Vegeta took it upon himself to respond on Nappa's behalf.

Ajax moistened his lips, unfurling his response with careful ease as he attempted to manipulate the narrative in his favor.

"Simple. Goku–oh, I suppose you call him Kakarot–hadn't even arrived yet, and he is undeniably the strongest of us. He won't disappoint."

Vegeta, arms crossed in his customary posture, retorted with his usual skepticism and impatience. "And why should I bother waiting? I can fight him regardless of whether you're all alive or dead."

Ajax blinked. Okay, exploiting their desire for battle didn't work out. It's time to recalibrate his approach and go for plan B—pride. "Because, Vegeta, you're going to lose."

Vegeta's eyes instantly sharpened at the audacious statement like a nocturnal predator spotting its prey in the shadows of the night.

"Is that so?" Vegeta's response was sharp. A silent battle of wills ensued between the two warriors as their eyes met. Then, Vegeta's lips twisted upwards, revealing teeth, his expression mocking. "Interesting. You possess such confidence in Kakarot, enough to wager everything on a mere low-class warrior prevailing against the most powerful Saiyan in generations?"

Ajax kept Vegeta's gaze unflinchingly. "Don't you want to see for yourself?" 

Vegeta stared at Ajax for a painfully long moment. Then, Vegeta's lips curled from a mocking smile into a malevolent grin as the Saiyan Prince erupted in laughter.

"You know, the funny thing is, I know you're playing me– but you're right." Turning to Nappa, Vegeta outlined his plan. "Nappa, we're going to allow Kakarot some time to return. I want to see just how magical he is to inspire such steadfast faith. I will relish witnessing their faces crumble from despair when their hero lies broken before me. It will also provide us with the opportunity to confirm the authenticity of the Dragon Balls' power."

Once Nappa affirmed his consent, Vegeta shot a sidelong glance at Ajax. "How much longer until your so-called hero shows up?"

Well, Ajax saw no reason to downplay the estimated timeframe. "Four hours"

"My patience is limited," Vegeta immediately shot back.

"Three and a half?" 

"Don't push your luck. I will not wait that long just to prove you wrong. One hour," Vegeta declared, the intensity in his eyes leaving no room for further debate.

"What?! How does that even—fine, three hours!" Ajax swallowed with difficulty, nervous as he realized his attempt to negotiate for more time had backfired disastrously. He got too greedy and he's now forced to scavenge for a more reasonable duration.

Vegeta, however, remained resolute, unwilling to entertain any further waiting. "One hour," he repeated, his uncompromising tone marking the finality of his decision.

Ajax scowled as panic gripped him, a reaction that didn't escape Vegeta's notice. The Saiyan Prince narrowed his eyes at Ajax's unease.

"You're panicking. Clearly, you have no clue when Kakarot will show up. If you're bluffing, we might as well kill you right here."

"Of course, I'm panicking! You said one hour! He's on his way, but he won't be arriving that soon!"

"Hmph, very well. Two hours or now. Choose."

"...sigh. Fine, two hours," Caught between the threat of imminent death and a reduced timeframe, Ajax reluctantly conceded; resigned at his choice.

Nappa, who had patiently held back during the exchange to avoid interrupting Vegeta, finally erupted in outrage.

"Ajax, screw you! What do you mean you could've offed me whenever you pleased?!"

"What?" Ajax arched an eyebrow as he turned to Nappa, puzzled by the sudden outburst. It's just one thing after another today!

"I respected you and treated you like an equal, but you insult me instead? How dare you tarnish my pride like this!" Nappa bared his teeth, practically snarling out his words. "What are you playing at?!"

"What are you even talking about?" 

"When we Saiyans fight our equals, it's always full throttle! We give it our all! Holding back is an insult to your opponent and their strength! How dare you not unleash your full power against me? Am I not worthy of your respect?! Well, I don't need your damn pity!" Nappa's face twisted, and his clenched fists trembled with fury, wounded pride seething within.

"Okay…? You say you respect me and treat me as an equal, but aren't you also handicapping yourself by not using any Ki attacks?"

Nappa's anger instantly deflated as the realization washed over him, dissipating like air escaping a punctured balloon. "I, uh–" he stammered.

"Your anger has no ground to stand on, Nappa. It's only fair, considering you weren't fighting at your best either." Vegeta tapped his fingers against his arms as he leaned against his rock. "The native had only half of your power level, yet he played you like a fiddle. Stand down and accept your defeat. This battle belongs to him."

Nappa's demeanor shifted abruptly in response to Vegeta's words. Guilt washed over his features, and his eyes drifted everywhere but in Ajax's direction. "Look, shit, I didn't mean to do that, alright? I apologize for not going all out. I didn't intend to imply that you're weak, and I certainly didn't mean to insult your pride."

Ajax inclined his head slightly at the insight into the Saiyan's cultural values and acknowledged the sincerity in Nappa's words. Ajax can appreciate Nappa's readiness to admit fault. It speaks for his character when he willingly apologizes for his own mistakes. Too many people in the world don't.

"It's fine. Earth's values are slightly different than Saiyan values."

Following that, Vegeta closed his eyes, and his posture eased slightly as he leaned against the rock he had kicked up. Nappa followed Vegeta's lead and settled down beside the Saiyan Prince, tending to his injuries.

And so, the countdown began.

~ 45 minutes since Intermission ~ 

"And that's the rundown of everything that went down," Ajax finished his summary of events since his arrival.

"Dude, I can't believe you actually went toe-to-toe with him and almost beat him all on your own. Are you okay?" Krillin placed a hand on Ajax's shoulder with both amazement and concern.

"Yeah, just running low on ki. Fired off a Kikoho and lost a multi-form clone, so I just need a moment, or a few hours in full honesty, to recharge my energy," Ajax explained, exhaustion lining his voice. Suddenly, Ajax's head perked up as he recalled something he had neglected to mention to the group. "Oh, by the way, Yajirobe isn't coming."

"Are you fu*cking serious?" Tien wasn't the sole person to react, as a chorus of disappointed sighs and general, collective disbelief rippled through the group. The only exceptions were Piccolo and Gohan, as neither of the two was familiar with who Yajirobe was.

"Unfortunately," Ajax confirmed

Ajax's eyes traced the contours of a distant crater as his mind wandered. Fortunately, the rest of the group had brought him up to speed on developments during his brief absence, and only a few of the recounted events had captured his attention. Yamcha had somehow met his end again, this time at the hands of Vegeta. Despite it technically not being Yamcha's fault, the outcome was still the result of his overconfidence. Ajax shook his head in disbelief, apparently, it really was Yamcha's fate to get the short end of the stick.

Yamcha leads to the Prince of All Saiyans himself. This version of Vegeta seemed to be more bound by honor than the ruthless cruelty he was depicted to possess in the canon. All things considered, this was rather good news as honor tends to have individuals behave in relatively predictable, and, therefore, exploitable ways. RIP Yamcha, this is why information is important.

Unexpectedly, Nappa took a liking to Gohan and found himself in a mentorship role, which is something he should be able to exploit too later on. From what Ajax managed to hear of Nappa's lessons from Gohan, it was actually pretty good advice, all things considered. Can't say Ajax expected this outcome, though. 

On the topic of Saiyans, Gohan's tail remained missing, and Ajax was not holding onto hope that it might miraculously reappear at a convenient moment. Unfortunately, reality doesn't work like that, and such serendipitous moments exist only in stories.

Ajax registered all these details and he fine-tuned his enemies' mental profiles as well as his battle plans accordingly.

As he did so, Ajax distinctly sensed the intense looks Vegeta and Nappa were shooting him, one laden with cold calculation, the other tinged with bewilderment and disbelief. Even without direct eye contact, Ajax can perceive their curiosity and confusion at the seemingly inexplicable resurrection of their fallen foes, all reinvigorated and lively.

In the end, Ajax had to use both Senzu beans, dividing them into four halves. It was impossible for him to withhold said Senzu Beans after disclosing to everyone he possessed two; such an act would be far too callous, even for him.

Chiaotzu and Krillin each received half a Senzu bean, while Tien had the third. Unfortunately, it appeared that half a Senzu bean could only partially but not fully recover Tien's hand. Though it remained functional to some extent, it certainly was not dexterous by any sense of the word.

Initially, the plan was for Piccolo to utilize the last half of the Senzu bean, but the collective consensus had decided for Ajax to receive the precious resource to restore his own Ki instead. Though the rationale behind this decision was sound—Ajax being the strongest among them, and replenishing his energy would undoubtedly enhance their overall chances of success the most—the decision had left Ajax with a twinge of guilt. After all, he– sigh…never mind.

He hadn't eaten the remaining half of the bean just yet; there was another objective he wanted to achieve before doing so.

Abruptly, there was movement from the Saiyan's side. It appeared that Nappa was growing restless in the absence of anyone to engage with. All of the Z Fighters watched, tense, as a bored Nappa leisurely strolled over, directing his attention towards Gohan in particular, and nonchalantly took a seat among them.

The Z Fighters exchanged weird glances before awkwardly staring at Nappa as he settled in their midst, sticking out like a sore thumb. The entire time, Nappa, seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness he brought, sat casually as if his recent attempt to unalive everyone around him had never occurred.

With animated enthusiasm, he proceeded to engage Gohan in a spirited one-sided conversation about the young Saiyan's untapped potential.

"Haha, you've got the makings of greatness!" Nappa's eyes gleamed with genuine excitement as he envisioned a bright future for Gohan that only he could see. "I can train you to become an elite warrior, just like I trained Vegeta. Although, I have to admit that he didn't really need my training to grow to his current height."

Vegeta, who had been growing increasingly irritated at Nappa's fraternization, couldn't let that ambiguous comment slide. He shot Nappa a narrow, side-eyed glance—a look that Nappa, a seasoned navigator of the treacherous waters that is Vegeta's moods, promptly caught. Nappa immediately clarified.

"The current height of his power, I mean."

Piccolo squinted skeptically. He wasn't buying into this absurd show of camaraderie and had no intention of allowing Gohan to be duped by some sweet words. "Is this some kind of good guy, bad guy scam? Are you attempting to honeypot Gohan?"

At the statement, Krillin choked on nothing, coughing as he cleared his throat. "I think you've got the wrong idea about what a honey pot is, Piccolo," Krillin said with a startled laugh.

Ignoring Krillin's comment, Piccolo remained focused on the important matter at hand. He looked at Gohan intently, attempting to silently communicate his concerns through his eyes.

"Don't associate yourself with the enemy. They are here with the intent to annihilate and lay waste to the entire planet."

To Piccolo's great irritation, Nappa continued with his enthusiastic conversation with Gohan as if Piccolo's words of caution had been mere background noise. Energetically, Nappa delved into the Saiyans' rich history, recounted their conquests, and the pride associated with being a member of the most powerful race in the universe.

Caught between Nappa's charismatic storytelling and Piccolo's stern warning, Gohan could only listen uncomfortably, nodding along not out of agreement but as a diplomatic gesture.

Ajax, visibly exasperated, rolled his eyes and tuned out Nappa's enthusiastic spiel. On top of the anxiety about whether Goku would arrive on time, he had to endure Nappa's zealous monologue on Saiyan propaganda and Gohan's latent potential too. Ugh. 

"You have immense potential–blah blah blah– I'll mold you into an elite warrior so remember my lessons–blah blah–that's the true Saiyan spirit–blah blah blah– I was once the Ace Royal Academy Trainer, so trust me when I say I know what I'm talking about!"

Ajax's head snapped in Nappa's direction. Wait, what was that?

Unaware of Ajax's sudden attention, Nappa carried on with his spirited narrative with an air of pride and nostalgia.

"I was once the foremost trainer in Saiyan society, with the highest number of elite warrior children successfully trained under my belt," Nappa laughed boastfully as he puffed out his chest with pride. " My track record was so exceptional that I earned the prestigious honor of being Prince Vegeta's personal mentor! I probably spent more time with Vegeta than King Vegeta himself, haha!"

Ajax was left utterly confounded. What the f*ck was this backstory? It was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing! Ajax gave Nappa a weird look, suddenly feeling like he was staring at a complete stranger. Were any of the things he thought he knew about Nappa even accurate?

Nappa was quick to notice Ajax's bewildered expression, misinterpreted it as disbelief, and swiftly arrived at an incorrect conclusion. Nappa's pride, seemingly wounded by Ajax's unspoken skepticism, began to smolder with indignation. "OI!"

Ajax concealed a subtle grimace at the Saiyan General's intense glare. Oof, he must have hit a nerve.

"Oh, you little shit!" Nappa jabbed a finger at his bald head and flexed his muscles with pride. "You took one glance at my bald head and these magnificent muscles, and immediately assumed I was some dumbass muscle-brained brute, didn't you? Well, screw you for judging me based on appearance! I'll have you know I'm an intellectual!"

Ajax thought he might have heard Vegeta clear his throat.

Nappa continued without missing a beat. "–at fighting!"

"No, I'm quite certain you're just a dumbass," Piccolo remarked drily.

"You—! You think you're all safe now, huh? I'll show you! Fight me!" Nappa surged to his feet, his face contorted with anger, unable to tolerate the disrespect from the Namekian of all people. As he stood, his left arm hung somewhat loosely.

"Nappa," Vegeta sternly snapped, leveling a sharp look toward his subordinate. "We don't break our word. We granted them two hours, so we'll abide by it. Control yourself."

Reluctantly complying with Vegeta's order, Nappa sank back into his seat on the ground with a thud. As Nappa took his seat, Piccolo couldn't resist throwing one final jab and snubbed Nappa again. "Listen to your superior, brute."

"Oh-ho, I'm going to enjoy killing you once we're through with the Dragon Balls, slug." Then, because Nappa didn't think his verbal parting shot was enough for the Namekian who had been a constant pain in his ass, he flipped Piccolo off too.

In the wake of that, there was nothing but mutual animosity as the two glared murder at each other.

Ajax flicked his eyes from Nappa and Piccolo's petty argument over to Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince's earlier statement had been very interesting. Ajax raised his voice, speaking to Vegeta a short distance away.

"Your word means a lot to you?"

Vegeta scoffed dismissively at the question but eventually replied, "I never break my promises."

Ajax shivered at the intensity of that declaration. It was clear he had touched upon something deeply significant to Vegeta. For now, though, Ajax was content with the assurance that Vegeta was committed to keeping his promise.

A twinge of pain coursed through Ajax as he shifted uncomfortably in his spot. It reminded him of one thing he needed to take care of concerning Nappa. Unlike Vegeta, pride wasn't Nappa's defining trait, so Ajax had to devise a different approach. Fortunately, he knew just what to say to achieve his objective.

"Hey Nappa, can I take another look at that Storm-something Mantle of yours?"

Nappa disengaged from the intense glaring contest with Piccolo, turning his head toward Ajax. "No."

"But it was seriously badass! Besides, I'm sure Gohan would love to see it too!" Ajax subtly winked at Gohan whenever Nappa's attention wavered.

Nappa turned to Gohan, who had grasped the message and was nodding rather vigorously. Nappa stroked his chin in skepticism as his suspicious gaze darted between Gohan and Ajax repeatedly. His instincts informed him that he might be walking into a trap, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was.

"...fine," Nappa reluctantly conceded. With a theatrical flourish, he rose from his seat and a visible electrical aura enveloped him in a dramatic display of power.

That's exactly what Ajax wanted. Capitalizing on the moment, he advanced toward Nappa, grabbed the Saiyan's hands firmly, and started shaking them vigorously like an overenthusiastic fanboy at some meet-and-greet event. Ajax gritted his teeth as he endured the electricity surging through him.

Nappa, on the other hand, was taken aback by the unexpectedly bold and socially awkward gesture and instinctively attempted to retract his hands. However, Ajax's tight grip thwarted Nappa's attempt and trapped him in the extremely uncomfortable handshake.

As the electricity visibly dealt more and more damage to Ajax, Nappa's face contorted into an expression of clear disgust. Leaning backward in discomfort from Ajax's unsettling behavior, he held out his hands, still ensnared in Ajax's grasp, as if they had been contaminated with cooties.

"You're REALLY giving me Recoome vibes–" Nappa started, but abruptly cut himself short when he sensed Vegeta's killing intent directed at him. Realizing he was once again treading on sensitive grounds, he hastily corrected himself mid-sentence. "–I mean, You-Know-Who vibes, right now…"

As Ajax reached the threshold of his endurance, he finally released his grip on Nappa's hand. Involuntarily, he jerked away, all coordination lost as the electrical currents wreaked havoc on his nerves. Smoke began to rise from Ajax's form from the sheer heat as he erratically twitched and stumbled away from Nappa, resembling an uncoordinated marionette.

Watching all this with a dumbfounded expression, Nappa's jaw dropped in sheer, disgusted bamboozlement, his brain going into blue-screen mode as he struggled to comprehend the utter absurdity of Ajax's actions. In an extremely belated moment of clarity, Nappa's brain helpfully reminded him that this entire awkward situation could have been easily avoided if he had just turned his technique off. Freaking hindsight, where were you a minute ago?

With a casual flick of his mental switch, Nappa deactivated the technique, abruptly cutting off the flow of electricity around him.

Nappa's expression turned weird as he watched Ajax collapse to his knees. With an expression of genuine concern, he leaned down towards Gohan. "Gohan, please don't grow up to be weird like this one."

Shooting another uneasy glance at Ajax, Nappa shivered and swiftly speed-walked back toward Vegeta. He's not sure what's happening over here, but whatever it was, he doesn't want to be a part of it. You know, just in case it was contagious.

While Nappa swiftly returned to rejoin Vegeta, realization dawned on many Z Fighters as they understood the significance of Ajax's maneuver.

With Nappa's attention now diverted, Ajax took the opportunity to retrieve his half of the Senzu bean. Fumbling slightly, he placed it in his mouth, shifting the half Senzu bean within in his mouth before carefully biting down on it. He certainly doesn't want to make a mistake here.

In a flash, the Senzu bean worked its restorative magic. Most of the battle-inflicted injuries on Ajax vanished, and the damage of the earlier electrical shock disappeared as well. However, only a portion of his depleted Ki reserves had been replenished. As expected, he had only eaten half of the bean after all.

Ajax flexed his hand experimentally, testing his renewed strength. Excellent. His strategic move had been a success. If he faced Nappa's lightning again, it wouldn't pose the same challenge it had been in their prior encounter. Pleased with the outcome, Ajax couldn't suppress a satisfied smile. The icing on the cake? Nappa had absolutely no idea what just happened.