"Alright, looks like everyone is here," Nappa casually announced, his hands coming together in a clap.
Though the Z Fighters' gaze remained warily on the Saiyan intruders, Nappa's abrupt and resonant clap still commanded the undivided attention of the assembled warriors. In an instant, the atmosphere crackled with tension as Earth's defenders realized that the decisive moment was upon them.
"Introductions!" Nappa declared in a booming voice, not unlike that of a drill sergeant's authoritative bellow. "This is Prince Vegeta, heir apparent and Crown Prince of all Saiyans!"
"And I'm Nappa, Commander General of Saiyan Forces," he added, the introduction delivered with crisp precision. The collective gaze of the Z fighters shifted between the two Saiyan warriors, sizing them up as adversaries to be reckoned with.
"Hold on, you're the commander of what, exactly? Aren't you two supposed to be the last remaining Saiyans? Are you telling me you command your Prince around?" Yamcha, using humor to mask his unease, chimed in once again.
Nappa's face soured as he heard Vegeta 'clear his throat' behind him, aware that Vegeta was silently laughing at his expense. This smartass was fortunate to taunt him instead of Vegeta, or there would be bits and pieces of him scattered everywhere.
"Alright smartass, I'll let that one slide, but if you keep running your mouth, you'll be the first to taste the consequences."
Immediately after, Nappa raised his hand, a gesture that robbed the Z fighters, especially Yamcha, of their chance to respond.
"Also, please spare us the formalities and do not introduce yourselves to us. We don't genuinely don't care. We introduced ourselves not out of politeness but to merely inform you who the harbingers of your demise will be. We are the most formidable adversaries you will ever confront in your entire lives, but in contrast, you bunch will be nothing more than another faceless, insignificant group of weaklings to us."
A wave of fury swept through the small assembly, fueled by a collective surge of indignation at Nappa's contemptuous words. The Saiyan's dismissal of the Z Fighters had touched a nerve, awakening their resolve to demonstrate their prowess against their enemies. An audible commotion ensued, a blend of angry murmurs and frustrated gestures.
However, Nappa paid no heed to the rising discontent, having weathered far more vehement outbursts on a regular basis. Instead, he calmly raised his hand to his face and pressed a button on his scouter with practiced ease. The device emitted a beep, systematically scanning the assembly, and in an instant, Nappa's gaze was augmented by the scouter's data.
"Perhaps you think you're all hot shit, but truth be told, you lot are nothing too impressive. The Namekian registers at a decent 2300, the tri–clops at 1750, and the rest of you hover at or beneath Raditz's caliber. Not bad at all for a backwater planet but not up to snuff when pitted against elites like us."
"Don't make the same mistake as Raditz, you imbecile," Vegeta rebuked Nappa, his stern voice dripping with annoyance.
An "aha!" expression of comprehension illuminated Nappa's face at Vegeta's timely reminder. Oops, looks like he had forgotten to factor that crucial piece of information Raditz had reported to them into his assessment.
"That's right! These pipsqueaks can raise their power levels above what's detected like Jeice! These initial readings are probably somewhat misleading, then." With a bright smile adorning his features, Nappa turned to Vegeta with an affirmative thumbs-up. "Thanks, Vegeta!"
Vegeta, in contrast, responded to the gesture with his customary disdain. A scornful "hmph" escaped him as he turned his back from the Z Fighters and strode off in a clear display of their insignificance.
A few paces away, Vegeta kicked the ground at a calculated angle, exerting a controlled force that sent a boulder jutting upwards like the fang of an animal. He then settled against the earth, his position a blend of seated and leaning, and closed his eyes in imposing contemplation.
Vegeta's dismissive demeanor left Nappa rather exasperated. "Alright, alright, I get it. They're not worth your time. I'll take care of it, geez."
Nappa turned back to the Z Fighters, his body language morphing into something rather menacing.
"Listen closely, you embryos," Nappa declared, his eyes turning sharp and penetrating as they swept over the Z Fighters. "While I see how a sorry lot like you managed to take down Raditz, understand that I am in an entirely different league! Like Vegeta, I too have standards! You must demonstrate a minimum level of power to even have the honor of fighting me, so we'll play a little game– a preliminary round if you will."
With deliberate showmanship, Nappa retrieved a small, inconspicuous tube from his battle armor. The transparent vial contained six seeds resembling green peas that rattled around as Nappa displayed it openly.
With a dramatic flair, Nappa planted each seed in the wasteland soil below, cheerfully humming a tune that none of the Z Fighters recognized. A second vial, filled with a vivid green liquid, emerged from Nappa's armor. As he poured the liquid over freshly sown seeds, the soil rapidly absorbed the substance, and the dirt stirred subtly.
"Whoever manages to take out one of these has the glory of fighting a high-class Saiyan warrior–," Nappa emphasized his statement by pointing his thumb at himself, a prideful grin illuminating his features like a beacon. "–Me!"
As the seeds Nappa planted continued to nestle into the earth, an unsettling tremor rippled through the soil, an ominous prelude to the awakening of an unknown threat.
"Just so you all know, each of these Saibamen boasts the equivalent fighting strength of Raditz!" Nappa's voice resonated, a smirk playing on his lips. Basking in the dramatic unveiling, he extended his arms in a triumphant horizontal 'V', as if presenting the Saibamen as some impressive invention to investors. "Behold! Our grunt soldiers, the Saibamen!"
In response, the Z Fighters tensed their bodies and seamlessly assumed their respective combat stances synchronously. Beads of sweat trickled down their faces as they drew in deep breaths at the impending unveiling of their next adversaries.
However, in a comical display of mistiming, Nappa found himself pointing enthusiastically at absolutely nothing for an embarrassingly long duration. The resulting awkward silence seemed to stretch into an eternity, causing the smirk on Nappa's face to transition from something brimming with confidence to an exceedingly uncomfortable one as the deafening silence persisted.
The earth beneath Nappa remained unresponsive to his dramatic introduction. Though the slight tremors beneath the surface continued, there were no immediate signs of the Saibamen's emergence. The Z Fighters exchanged bemused glances and valiantly tried to suppress amused smirks as they witnessed the unintentional comedic results of the Saiyan General's actions.
Nappa, growing increasingly awkward, looked down at the ground where he had sown the seeds. A frown creased his forehead as he kicked at the spots, attempting to kickstart the Saibamen into their much-anticipated debut. Under the impacts, the soil responded with greater movements, but there was still no sign of anything happening.
"F*cking embarrassing." Vegeta's frigid voice echoed from his spot a short distance away, where he remained casually leaning on the upturned boulder.
"Cut me a break, Vegeta. I don't know what their malfunction is. This doesn't normally happen." Nappa scratched his head in mild bewilderment and stared down at the ground with great intensity as if his stare alone would magically conjure the Saibamen. He glanced up at the Z Fighters with a hint of irritation. "Hold on, I'm having technical difficulties. The soil here must be utter shit."
Nappa swiftly retrieved the green liquid once more, this time pouring it generously over the spots where the seeds had been planted. As the additional fluid seeped into the ground, the subtle tremors beneath the surface of the soil intensified as the revitalizing energy seemed to surge through it. But the grand entrance that the Z Fighters were promised still did not occur.
Amid this interlude, a mental transmission came through the air, catching some of the Z Fighters off guard. Ajax's voice resonated within their minds; a telepathic connection spanning vast distances was now established.
'Hey guys, I just entered telepathic range,' Ajax's words echoed through their consciousness. A momentary pause followed before he continued, 'Feel free to disregard if you're in the middle of battle, but I'm on my way. I left Kami's Lookout a short while ago, and I've got two Senzu beans with me. I'll be arriving soon and Goku will be a few hours after me.'
'So, you didn't run after all, brat,' Piccolo's voice echoed with a subtle undertone of gruffness.
Ajax shot back at the speed of lightning with a wit he didn't know he had. 'Shut it, Piccolo Jr. I've got three years on you, so you're the real brat here.'
Among the Z Fighters, Krillin stifled a silent snicker at the comeback, while Yamcha's amusement was much less silent. In the background, Tien rolled all three of his eyes in exasperation at his pupil's words. But Piccolo, on the other hand, was not amused.
'You've gotten cocky, you little shit. How about you say that to my face?'
Ajax chose to outright ignore the Great Demon King, to Piccolo's immense ire. 'So, what's happening over there?'
'Nothing so far. The larger Saiyan, Nappa, planted some seeds in the ground for these things called Saibamen, but nothing is happening yet.' Krillin swiftly relayed the developing situation.
Ajax nodded at the information. Nice. Fortunately, he had managed to establish communications before anything of note happened. This stroke of luck gave him the opportunity to issue some carefully worded warnings about the upcoming battle that he hoped could make a strategic difference.
Yamcha, for one, could significantly improve his contributions in the battle compared to his rather underwhelming performance in canon. Fixing that is a simple matter.
'Listen up, everyone. These things are completely alien to us, so we're entirely in the dark about them and their abilities. Be careful! For all we know, they might even explode upon death, so stay on your guard until you're absolutely certain they're defeated!'
A murmur of acknowledgment rippled through the mental network as the Z Fighters responded to Ajax's warning with collective understanding. Despite the consensus, Ajax remained dissatisfied. He had issued this warning for a specific someone after all, and this individual's track record in the canon was less-than-impressive. Time to call someone out.
'I'm talking to you Yamcha! You've been getting too confident lately!'
'Come on, get off me, man! I'll be careful. Trust me, I got this!' Yamcha swiftly reassured.
Nope, Ajax does not trust those words at all.
'I swear to god, Yamcha, if you die before I arrive, I will kill you myself!' Ajax's patience wore thin as he growled his warning through the telepathic link. 'To everyone else, none of you are allowed to die either. If you get killed– walk it off. Good luck.'
Ajax heard a startled laugh burst from Krillin before he severed the connection. It was a strategic move because once the Saibamen emerged, they wouldn't have the focus to maintain a telepathic conversation. Besides, it's not like he can see or hear what's happening through a telepathic link anyway.
Ajax squinted his eyes as he accelerated even more through the air, tightening his grip on the two Senzu beans in his hands. He had provided as much warning as he could without sounding like he knew more than he was letting on. If Yamcha dies again even with that explicit warning, then it's freaking fate.
Ajax's thoughts turned to his upcoming objectives in the impending battle. For now, they were relatively straightforward: keep everyone who's alive in the canon alive, keep Gohan alive (thanks Chi-Chi), and of course, keep himself alive. Fairly simple, yeah?
Well, there are more objectives than just those, but he can address them as they become relevant and as the circumstances evolve. For now, this is enough.
***
THE MASTERPLAN:
Keep everyone who's alive in canon alive - (PENDING)
Keep Gohan alive (added) – (PENDING)
Stay alive – (PENDING)
***
Following the telepathic exchange, the Z Fighters refocused on Nappa, who had been standing with crossed arms the entire time, tapping his foot impatiently. The Saibamen's bulbous heads, marked by veins and grotesque features, sluggishly surfaced from the soil, progressing about as fast as grass.
Amidst this, Yamcha capitalized on the moment for a swift strategic meeting. Leaning in toward the others and creating a miniature huddle, he whispered his suggestion.
"Shouldn't we strike now so we can get an advantage?"
Unfortunately, Yamcha's whispered suggestion did not go unnoticed by Nappa.
"If you pull that move, smartass, I'll kill you," Nappa gave a steely look, a growl punctuating his threat. Nappa spread his gaze from Yamcha to the collective assembly of Z Fighters, and his tone noticeably softened. "To the rest of you, thank you for your patience. Your honor is noted, but whichever one of you shit-stains decided that a wasteland was a brilliant battlefield deserves to die a most painful death."
Piccolo turned to the side with a smirk, and Nappa narrowed his eyes at the Namekian, having identified the culprit.
And so, they waited.
Fortunately, the wait was relatively brief because it appeared that the Saibamen had hit some critical point. The earth beneath them quivered, and with an explosive burst, they emerged from the ground, dripping with mysterious fluids that glistened under the sunlight. Hunched over, they radiated an aura of malevolence as their saliva oozed out from their hideous smiles. As the saliva made contact with the ground, it sizzled, sending a shiver down the Z Fighters' spines.
Nappa threw up his hands in a gesture that said, 'Finally!'
Gohan, the youngest of those gathered, involuntarily took a step back, unable to suppress his shiver. He felt fear as the image of the disgusting beings reflected in his eyes.
Yamcha, however, was much less reserved as he hissed his reaction.
"Yo, what in the f*ck are those?!"
The Saibamen, standing in eerie unity, seemed to revel in the attention they garnered. However, one of the six suddenly broke away from the collective.
With startling suddenness, this particular Saibaman started a quick and snappy dance, its movements oddly rhythmic and choreographed. Its body twisted and turned with an unnatural fluidity, its performance reaching a climax as it concluded in a 'heroic pose,' where it froze in place with a strangely composed and serious look on its face. It stood exceedingly out of place amongst its five brothers who continued to snarl like beasts.
The Z Fighters, witnessing this strange spectacle, exchanged perplexed glances. Ajax was 1000% right; these creatures were entirely alien and none of them remotely knew if this bizarre behavior was the norm. For all they know, this could be a mating dance.
Nappa, who had moments ago shown relief at finally moving past the awkwardness, now found himself at a loss for words once again. His raised hands that were poised to re-introduce the Saibamen froze mid-air at the Saibaman's dance. In the next instant, Nappa slapped his raised hand against his forehead and sighed, utterly exasperated.
"Goddamn it, Alpha. I told you not to do that. I swear to god, I left you with Ginyu once for, like, ten minutes, and you got infected by his stupidity…"
Nappa was just about emotionally done with this entire mess. In an effort to regain control of the situation, Nappa clapped his hands once more. His expression was carefully blank, completely refusing to acknowledge that any mishaps had unfolded.
"Alright, let's establish some ground rules. These will be one-on-one deathmatches, and it's first come, first served," Nappa declared. However, it became apparent that he had more to add as he gestured toward Piccolo and Tien, singling them out with pointed fingers. "Namekian, Three-Eyes, you two don't have to participate. Your power levels are higher, so the Saibamen can't win. I'll have them stick around for you in case you want to warm up or something. Your call."
Nappa stood in a momentary silence, his gaze traversing from one Z Fighter to another, waiting for a response. The seconds stretched into a minute, and Nappa's patience wore thin as he continued to wait for some form of acknowledgment from the Z Fighters. After what felt like an eternity passed, a flicker of disappointment crossed Nappa's face as he realized that no one would respond to him.
"Alright, fine, you party poopers. Decide among yourselves who wants to go first, and let's get this show on the road."