Chapter 65 – To Infinity and Beyond!

~ Day of Launch: Hospital ~

Ajax blinked in disbelief as the man knelt before him, practically prostrating himself. The initial shock on Ajax's face gradually gave way to a carefully controlled blank expression, though it did little to mask his discomfort. 

He finished closing the door to Goku's hospital room, catching sight of Goku craning his neck in curiosity at the commotion outside. With a soft click, the door closed, leaving Ajax alone with the blonde man in the empty hospital hallway. 

As the silence stretched between them, Ajax struggled to find an appropriate response. He had never been one for grand displays of gratitude or adoration, and the man's gesture had left him feeling distinctly out of his element.

Ajax leaned down and extended a hand to help the man rise, seizing the moment to study the blonde man's face. The man looked haggard, but oddly familiar, with a stubbled chin and deep shadows under his eyes, giving him an overall disheveled appearance.

The tremor in the man's hands did not escape Ajax's notice, but he couldn't determine its cause. Perhaps it had been exhaustion, or it could have been the emotion that had driven the man to prostrate himself. 

Despite Ajax's extended hand, the man remained resolutely on his knees, refusing to rise. Seeing no other option, Ajax leaned down, grasped the man by the waist, and physically lifted him to his feet. 

Only after being manhandled and making eye contact with Ajax did the man finally begin to speak, his voice full of raw desperation.

"Kami! Please save my daughter! I'll do anything, I beg of you!"

With that, the man began to prostrate himself once more. 

Ajax's frown deepened at the man's action, and with a subtle flick of his finger, Ajax summoned a surge of external ki, creating a barrier of hardened air that halted the man's progress. 

Though the man had successfully landed on his knees again, he froze, unable to move further down as his movements were arrested by the unseen force. His eyes widened in shock as he straightened himself.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, the fervent desperation in the man's eyes flared, like a spark finally finding dry tinder after a journey across an entire ocean.

As if compelled by an unseen force, the man's entire story spilled forth. He recounted the harrowing Saiyan Invasion, his anguish and despair at the irreversible injury that befell his daughter, and the fierce stare-down he had with one of the invaders. He described reporting the desperate struggle in the wasteland, and the pivotal moment of Ajax's arrival—a beacon of light in the darkest night.

He also mentioned seeing the symbol of 'God' on Ajax's back, the primary reason he was here.

At that moment, Ajax recognized the man before him: Erason, the world-famous reporter, which would explain the sense of familiarity. Ajax had wondered who had captured such clear footage of the battle with Nappa, and now he had his answer. For now, though, he remained silent, allowing the man's narrative to unfold uninterrupted.

As Erason's story reached its end, his voice wavered, desperation giving way to grief. Tears welled in his eyes, tracing silent paths down his cheeks.

Ajax's eyelids fluttered shut as he exhaled slowly. Effortlessly, he reached out with his mind and snagged Kami's enormous mental presence, instantly establishing a connection with his mentor.

'Is this some kind of test?' Ajax's thoughts echoed through the vast distance, reaching Kami's consciousness directly. 'Is this another method to convince me to take up your offer for your position?'

The aged Namekian's ethereal voice echoed back, ancient and calm as always. 'No.'

Ho-ho! Ajax knew his mentor's true personality all too well to take such assurances at face value, but he decided to accept Kami's word for now. He leaned down, lifted Erason from his knees, and propped him back up.

"I'm not Kami, Mr. Erason," Ajax said, reaching out to brush away the dirt clinging to the reporter's shirt. "But I do have a solution for your daughter's condition."

Ajax continued even as Erason leaned in, hanging on every word.

"Return to this corridor every day starting a week from now. The solution will present itself when the patient in this room heals from his injuries."

Ajax was, of course, referring to Senzu Beans. While he wouldn't extend this offer to everyone, he also wouldn't turn away someone in need right before him. He wasn't sure if this girl was meant to die according to canon, but he didn't particularly care either. He had already discussed with Goku the importance of not wasting any resources during training, so they had enough to spare one.

Across from Ajax, Erason nodded fervently as hurried words of thanks rushed from his lips. 

Ajax nodded to the reporter before turning on his heel to depart. He had somewhere to be after all, and he certainly couldn't afford to let everyone else blast off to Namek without him. Sensing Erason's presence trailing behind him, Ajax sighed inwardly, realizing he might have to leave in a non-conventional manner to shake his tail.

Swiftly, Ajax flung open the window at the end of the corridor and leaped out into the open air. By the time Erason rushed to lean his head out of the window, Ajax had already disappeared.

~ A Short While Later: Nearby the Takeoff Site ~

Ajax soared through the sky, the cool wind whipping past him as he headed towards the agreed-upon meeting point in the middle of literal nowhere. Despite being connected to Kami through their mental link, there was an uncharacteristic silence between them.

'Sigh. I can feel the judgment from your silence, disciple.'

Ajax rolled his eyes at Kami's statement. 

'I'm glad I could assist Erason. Truly, I am. Don't misunderstand me on that point. But I couldn't help but feel that the timing was... remarkably convenient, considering the topic of our earlier conversation in the chamber.'

There was a pregnant pause.

'I hope you're not insinuating what I suspect you're insinuating, my disciple,' Kami's voice carried a hint of mock indignation. 'I merely nudged him to the correct destination. I can hardly ignore such a sincere prayer.'

'Uh-huh, sure…' Ajax's words literally could not be more sarcastic. 

A brief silence followed as the conversation reached a natural lull. Then Kami's voice resumed, this time tinged with hopefulness.

'So… have you given any thought to my proposal?'

Ajax's response was immediate, "No."

The abruptness of Ajax's reply seemed to momentarily stun Kami into silence.

'Allergic to responsibility, you and Goku both! Would neither of you just let me retire in peace?' Kami grumbled, utterly exasperated at his potential successors' stubbornness. 

To be fair, Ajax might have seriously considered the offer if the position came with benefits. However, aside from access to the Otherworld and the responsibility of fielding prayers, there was little else to sweeten the deal. Not even a hint of God Ki or what it might be, despite the lofty title of "Kami."

With the ease gained from a single year of experience, Ajax brushed off Kami's grumblings, purposefully soaring towards the horizon where Bulma had instructed everyone to gather for takeoff. Before long, the unmistakable silhouette of the white, spiky Namekian ship came into view, nestled among the rolling hills and illuminated by the sun's rays.

A quick scan from above revealed that Bulma was busy tinkering with the controls inside the Namekian ship. She seemed to be conducting the final checkup before takeoff. 

Near the ship's entrance, Piccolo and Gohan were engaged in deep conversation, their voices indistinct from Ajax's distance. Ajax observed that Gohan had discarded the attire Chi-Chi had insisted he wear in canon, opting instead for a practical purple Gi that must have been supplied by Piccolo, given its style. It resembled what he would wear during the Cell Saga.

Gohan's choice of clothing was actually quite a relief. One less eyesore Ajax didn't have to subject his eyes to.

Meanwhile, Krillin was crouched in a shadowy corner behind a stack of luggage, acting particularly shady.

Now, Ajax just had to see what Krillin was up to. Descending from the sky, Ajax's footsteps barely made a sound as he touched down on the ground below. With a subtle command, he extinguished his ki the best he could. Whatever Krillin was up to, it had clearly captured his full attention, leaving him oblivious to the world around him.

Ajax crept up behind his senpai, careful to remain undetected as he peered over Krillin's shoulder to catch a glimpse of what was so engrossing. 

It was porn.

In hindsight, Ajax really shouldn't have been surprised at all.

Ajax's mouth quirked up as he sensed Kami's mental presence recoil and then retreat into the distance. Oh, he must've inadvertently transmitted his thoughts through their connection. Oops, perhaps he should be more careful about what he broadcasted.

His amusement only grew as Krillin still remained completely oblivious to his presence, flipping through the pages of his magazine nonchalantly

Ajax raised a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat, announcing his arrival.

"Ah, bringing along the 'truly essential' items, eh, senpai?" he quipped, his voice laced with playful sarcasm as he addressed Krillin.

Krillin jumped at the sound of Ajax's voice, his heart skipping a beat or three at the unexpected interruption. The magazine he had been reading so intently flew out of his hand in shock, fluttering through the air momentarily before being snatched back with lightning speed and shoved under his butt.

Krillin whipped around with a look of fear, though it dissolved quickly upon identifying who had caught him "with his pants down", so to speak. His tense posture relaxed, and he rubbed his neck with a sheepish, embarrassed grin. 

"What? I think I'm allowed to have some hobbies!" he protested.

Ajax shot Krillin an utterly unimpressed look, practically masterclass-worthy by itself. Ajax simply arched an eyebrow at Krillin's feeble defense, refusing to dignify the bald monk with a response. His dry expression had conveyed all that needed to be said.

"Hey, man, don't judge me. I'm going to be away for Kami knows how long, and Maron's got me all worked up." With a flourish, he pointed to a conspicuous red lipstick mark adorning his cheek and gave Ajax a proud look that all men understand. 

Then, Krillin allowed himself to indulge in a moment of reverie. "You know, I might just retire from martial arts after all of this is over and settle down. I mean, if Goku could do it, why can't I?"

"Good luck then."

Krillin seemed to not have heard Ajax's well-wishes. Ajax shook his head at Krillin's goofy smile. It was clear that his senpai had ventured into the dreamy depths of his memories, perhaps reliving moments shared with Maron.

He cast a glance of pity at his friend but remained silent. Sometimes, words were simply insufficient when it came to deep-seated emotions.

Timing was everything when it came to bursting Krillin's bubble regarding Maron, and right now was definitely not it. In fact, there would never be an appropriate time to pop that bubble. It wasn't as if Ajax could provide evidence, and without it, he'd only come off as the villain—a bad-mouther jinxing the couple.

With a sigh, Ajax resigned himself to the role of a silent observer in this matter. Whatever would happen, would happen. And who knew? Perhaps with all these changes, who's to say that Maron couldn't defy expectations and rewrite her future?

Ajax vigorously shook his head to clear his thoughts. It was then that his gaze caught a glimpse of something unexpected—a corner of the cover of the Doujinshi peeking out from beneath Krillin's butt. He quirked a brow. There were a lot of tentacles.

The corner of Ajax's mouth involuntarily twitched upwards in amusement.

Truly, reality is stranger than fiction.

"You misunderstood, senpai," Ajax remarked casually. "I'm not judging. I merely wanted to say that you're a man of culture and you have excellent taste."

Krillin was momentarily stunned out of his dreamy recollection by the unexpected compliment, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. Minding his manners, he managed to muster a reflexive word of thanks, his brain still struggling to catch up and understand what had been said and why he was thanking Ajax. 

"Oh, thank you."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Krillin suddenly felt that something was very wrong with Ajax's statement.

"Wait, wait, wait! You're, like, 13! Why do you sound like a seasoned veteran?! You're too young to be reading stuff like this!" Krillin exclaimed, wringing his hands in exasperation. "Oh god, no! How did you even get your hands on these?!" 

"Is that like a rhetorical question or are you really asking?" Ajax quipped, snickering at Krillin's flustered panic. "Did you forget who we trained under? That house probably had more porn in it than wood–and I spent more than a year in it." 

Krillin's face contorted into a mask of horror as he processed Ajax's nonchalant response. It dawned on him that perhaps Ajax had learned more than just martial arts techniques under Master Roshi's tutelage.

Krillin found himself speechless, overwhelmed with awkwardness at the realization that he and Master Roshi might have inadvertently exposed an innocent kid like Ajax to "culture". With embarrassed shame, he quietly resumed packing his belongings.

Occasionally, Krillin couldn't help but steal glances at Ajax, wincing each time at the barely contained, amused smile on his kōhai's lips. 

To be fair to Krillin, Ajax wasn't exactly a stranger to the world of "private literature". In his past life, he had delved into some pretty yabai reading materials, but all of that was firmly in the past now.

However, Ajax wasn't about to let the past hinder his amusement of the present. He found mischievous delight in giving Krillin the impression that he had been corrupted by their influence. What can he say? Krillin's discomfort was delicious.

Payback for throwing him under the bus–twice!

Before Ajax could tease Krillin more, Bulma's voice reached them from the ship, loud and clear.

"Alright everyone, everything is set! We can start packing now. Is Ajax here yet?"

"Present!"

Ajax raised his hand like an eager student during attendance and popped his head over the stack of boxes that had concealed him and Krillin. He spotted Bulma holding a clipboard just outside the spaceship, nodding at him as she caught sight of him.

Bulma wasted no time barking out another order, addressing the assembled group collectively.

"Personal inventory check! Food, clothes, Dragon Radars, and any personal capsules! We're not turning around if you forgot something!"

Noises of affirmation rang through the small clearing, accompanied by the rustling of bags and the clinking of items as each person checked off their list.

Bulma's voice cut through the air again, this time with a hint of frustration. "And why are we lugging around these crates and barrels full of fruit? They're useless!"

Gohan winced at Bulma's sharp tone, knowing he was about to face the music for his decision to bring the fruits along.

"Fruits provide important nutrition!" Gohan explained earnestly, projecting his voice as he gestured toward each fruit in turn. "Oranges offer Vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Bananas are rich in potassium for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Apples are packed with fiber, aiding digestion. And berries are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants…"

Gohan trailed off, sensing the weight of everyone's gaze fixed on him. Heat rose to his cheeks, a blush of embarrassment coloring his features as he felt judged by their collective scrutiny.

"…and because my mom wanted me to bring them…" Gohan added, his voice barely audible even to Piccolo, who stood right beside him.

"Fine, whatever. You're responsible for them!" Bulma declared abruptly, losing interest in the conversation as she briskly moved on to the next item on her checklist.

"Emergency measures, oxygen masks, and space suits are all accounted for…" Bulma muttered to herself, ticking off items on her clipboard. Her gaze swept around the clearing as she checked off a few more items.

"Everyone said their goodbyes?" Bulma directed her attention back to Gohan. "You sorted everything out with your mom? I won't be getting a call from her asking about you?"

Gohan nodded.

"Excellent!" Bulma picked up nearby box off the ground. "Then, let's get bustling, people!"

With a swift motion, she tossed the box to Piccolo, who stood nearby.

Piccolo's eyebrow arched in surprise as he effortlessly caught the box with one hand. For a moment, it seemed as though he might protest, his lips parting to speak. However, after a brief pause, he simply shook his head, opting for silence instead.

Slightly curious, Piccolo casually glanced into the box. As his eyes scanned the contents, his initial calm demeanor was abruptly shattered. Almost immediately, his expression froze in shock, and he recoiled instinctively, dropping the box as if it had turned into molten lava beneath his touch. 

The abrupt noise drew the attention of everyone present, their conversations and activities coming to an abrupt halt as they turned to investigate the disturbance. 

Piccolo, having moved a considerable distance from the box, stood with tense muscles and wide eyes. His posture suggested he was ready to confront some formidable adversary lurking within the confines of the box.

At the exact spot where Piccolo had stood moments before, the fallen box had crumpled under the force of its drop. With agonizing slowness, a pink rice cooker rolled out from within.

All eyes remained fixed on the pink rice cooker, their gazes lingering for a moment too long before eventually shifting back to Piccolo, who had managed to regain his composure.

Gone was his earlier panic, replaced now by a sense of resignation tinged with a hint of embarrassment. He coughed into his fist, a feeble attempt to dispel the awkwardness, before turning his face aside in an effort to avoid scrutiny.

"Inherited trauma," Piccolo finally bit out in way of an explanation in the ensuing silence. 

Under silent snickers and barely hidden smiles, everyone swiftly worked to capsule the gathered items. There was an unspoken agreement to expedite the process, a shared desire to leave behind the awkwardness of the moment and focus on the task at hand. Within minutes, preparations for takeoff were completed.

"Is everyone ready?" Bulma called out from the pilot seat. 

After receiving confirmation, Bulma wasted no time initiating the takeoff sequence. As her fingers danced across the controls, the hum of machinery filled the cabin and the ship began to rumble, vibrations coursing through its frame.

'Ahoy, bitches.' Ajax thought to himself as he felt the spaceship rumble. He let a small grin spread across his face as his thoughts wandered to an amusing place. "Ajax: space pirate."

With a roar of engines, the ship surged upwards, catapulting itself from Earth and into the atmosphere, soon disappearing into the glittering stars beyond.