"Hey, Ajax." Krillin's voice rang out beside the young warrior.
Ajax turned, curiosity flickering in his eyes as he tilted his head, waiting for his senpai to speak.
"Hey, man, I just wanted to thank you," Krillin began sincerely. "Without you, we wouldn't have lasted long enough for Goku to arrive. And, well, I guess we might not have been able to take down Vegeta without you either!"
Krillin's face lit up with a bright smile, his expression radiating genuine gratitude towards Ajax.
"You're… welcome? I mean, we're on the same side, so there's hardly anything you need to thank me for…"
Krillin laughed, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head at Ajax's response.
"Man, you're always so humble about these things."
"Anyway," he continued, "I don't know why you didn't tell everyone about the extra Senzu bean, but I trust you, buddy. You must've had your reasons, and that's good enough for me!"
Ajax's face momentarily twisted with discomfort, but the expression was so fleeting that it went unnoticed by Krillin. Ajax watched as the bald warrior lightly bumped his fist against his chest.
"I trust you with my life!" Krillin declared with a wink, his fist still resting on Ajax's chest. Then, as if remembering something urgent, he turned to leave, waving over his shoulder. "Oh, I gotta dash. I really need to call Maron. It's been a whole year since I last saw her! See ya later, Ajax!"
Ajax nodded, a small smile on his lips as he watched Krillin hurry away. "Take care, man!" he called out.
As Krillin's figure disappeared around the corner with a final wave, Ajax's expression turned somber. He gently touched the spot where Krillin had bumped his fist into his chest, rubbing it with his palm. A sigh escaped him as he stared at the empty hallway where Krillin had just been.
'Don't trust me with your life, Krillin. I would sacrifice you without too much hesitation if it meant everyone else's survival.'
With a sigh, Ajax turned and walked toward the hospital wing's other exit, his thoughts engulfed by the weight of the decisions he might have to make. He knew letting Krillin play his role was the right call, but the pressure of that decision still lingered in his mind regardless.
As Ajax walked down the hallway, he was forced to stop when a door further down the hall opened. Piccolo emerged, his expression as stern and unreadable as ever.
"I need to talk to you," Piccolo said brusquely, before turning and walking back into the room without waiting for a response.
Ajax blinked at the bluntness of the statement. Was he going to be assassinated?
The edges of his mouth curved slightly in amusement as the trace of humor within the thought spread through him. It certainly felt like it, given Piccolo's intense demeanor.
How did Piccolo even get in that room? Did he scramble in through the window?
Nonetheless, he followed Piccolo into the empty hospital room, glancing around briefly after closing the door behind him. This room, like Goku's, contained two beds, both unoccupied. The windows were shut, but the shades were wide open, allowing sunlight to pour in and illuminate the space with a warm, white glow.
Piccolo stood by the window, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on something distant beyond. Ajax felt a prickle of curiosity mixed with caution. Whatever Piccolo had to say, it was clearly important.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
Piccolo turned and walked to the center of the room, his back now facing the window. In this position, he blocked the sunlight, casting a shadow over Ajax. The angle made it seem as if he were looming ominously, his face obscured by shadows.
"You always have the perfect answer, don't you?" Piccolo's voice was low.
Ajax quirked an eyebrow, his amusement dimming as the contextual clues gathered to form a cohesive picture.
"Well, it pays off to always have a plan, no?"
"Hmph." Piccolo remained unyielding. "Krillin might have let you off the hook, but I haven't. Why didn't you disclose the other Senzu bean you had?"
"…it wasn't the right time," Ajax replied, tone measured but with a hint of tension. "Sometimes, revealing everything too soon can do more harm than good."
Piccolo took a step closer, his imposing figure casting a shadow.
"Explain your reasoning, then. Convince me why keeping it a secret was such a necessity."
"The battle was intense. We were stretched to our limits, and the Senzu beans were our last ace in the hole. If I had revealed it too soon, it might have been used prematurely, and we would have been left without any recourse if things went south." Ajax paused, collecting his thoughts before revealing the truth. "That particular bean was originally saved for Goku, to potentially give him a potential second wind against Vegeta."
Piccolo's gaze sharpened, scrutinizing Ajax's words. "I see, and you must have believed that we would demand you use it on us if you had told us of its existence."
"What?! No!" Ajax's protest was swift, his voice rising slightly in defense.
"So, if you knew we would understand, why keep it a secret?"
Ajax's mouth slammed shut as Piccolo's incisive logic landed with undeniable force. Oh…kay, he had walked straight into that one. While he had an explanation, Piccolo's verbal trap had immediately invalidated it.
"I—" Ajax started, his voice faltering momentarily. He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself. "I thought... no, I knew the bean was crucial. Yes, I kept it a secret, but not out of distrust. It was a calculated risk to ensure we had the best possible chance of surviving."
Piccolo folded his arms, his expression dripping with mock contemplation.
"I see, and naturally, you were the best judge of that critical moment. The only one capable of making such a decision!"
Ajax shook his head, frustration bubbling within. He knew he wasn't morally in the clear here, but having his words twisted only exacerbated the situation.
However, Piccolo didn't allow Ajax to respond, opting instead to deepen his "analysis".
"Odd, how you ultimately ate the Senzu bean reserved for Son Goku, hmm? It's almost as if you consider yourself more deserving of it than he was."
Ajax's fists clenched at his sides, his frustration reaching a boiling point.
"Don't project your intentions onto my actions, and lay off, Piccolo! Nappa was defeated, Vegeta was defeated, and everything resolved itself in the end!"
"Thank you for the reminder about the Saiyans," Piccolo remarked, a small sneer stretching across his face. "You wanted them to stay alive. Why?"
"I don't know what you're implying." Ajax carefully kept his face blank as he locked eyes with Piccolo.
Piccolo was venturing into dangerous territory, and revealing the truth about his past life was out of the question. That knowledge was his secret advantage, and if he told it to Piccolo, there was no guarantee the Namekian wouldn't share it with the others later on at some point. If that happened, all his carefully laid plans and preparations would go up in smoke.
Facing Ajax, Piccolo's eyes narrowed as he studied Ajax's impassive face, searching for any crack in his facade.
Ever since the battle with Raditz, something about Ajax had been unsettling to him. He just couldn't take Ajax's lie about the Special Beam Cannon out of his head.
During the confrontation with Raditz, Ajax had somehow known exactly what the Special Beam Cannon could do. He had even mimed the firing motion to Piccolo, urging him not to unleash it on Raditz when the latter had hesitated on the timing.
The thing was, if Ajax had been aware of the Special Beam Cannon's true nature, then it strongly implied that Ajax had known it would pierce through both Goku and Raditz. Lying about it afterward pointed to the existence of an ulterior motive. The ease and fluency with which the lie had been delivered implied that it was planned from the start.
However, he struggled to understand how Goku's death could benefit anyone, except perhaps Piccolo himself. To anyone else, the loss of Goku—who was undoubtedly one of the most powerful among them–was a senseless waste that dealt a severe blow to their collective morale, particularly in light of the imminent Saiyan invasion. What possible advantage could Ajax see in such a loss?
Despite his supposedly demonic nature, Piccolo found it baffling and disturbing that someone could somehow perceive a benefit where he, the literal Demon King, saw only detriment and grief.
And the cherry on top was Ajax's disturbing composure in the aftermath of the bitter struggle. It was as if he had been through it all once before, or if he had viewed the world through a lens of cold calculation, where every action and every person was mere part of a grand play.
After all, how could a young boy remain fearless in front of him, the Demon King? To be so eerily calm, that it had even unnerved Piccolo himself?
Then, a few days ago, he had seen that cold calculation flash once again when Ajax had left Tien to die, only to reveal that he had a Senzu Bean all along.
And that had somehow pissed Piccolo off a lot more than he thought it would.
But that wasn't even all. Against the Saiyans, Piccolo couldn't shake the nagging sensation that Ajax had been a little too insistent on keeping Nappa alive. Just a little too much to be natural, and a little too consistent to be a coincidence. It wasn't just a passing concern; Ajax had wanted Nappa to stay alive.
He didn't doubt that sparing the Saiyans served some purpose for Ajax. But much like with Goku's death a year ago, he just didn't know how.
"You don't know what I meant?" Piccolo almost snarled as he echoed Ajax's words back at him. "Bullshit! You had the perfect opportunity to neutralize Nappa when you had him dead to rights after your full recovery. You didn't take it. Not only that, but you actively went out of your way to save him when Vegeta launched his attack to eliminate both of you, putting yourself at risk in the process. You helped Goku negotiate that Prisoner of War nonsense. You specifically warned me against taking Nappa's life. And even in the heat of battle, when you could have aimed for Great Ape Vegeta's throat with your Kienzan, you aimed for his chest!"
Piccolo paused to take a breath, but he wasn't done.
"All these actions point to one conclusion: you wanted them alive. But why?" Piccolo's voice rose, a hint of accusation creeping in. "What is your motive? Why go to such lengths to preserve the lives of our enemies?"
Ajax felt the weight of Piccolo's scrutiny pressing down upon him like an oppressive force, his mind racing to process the overwhelming evidence arrayed against him. Each individual action, seemingly innocuous, now came together to form a vivid mosaic of his intentions. He found himself at a loss for words, having not even considered that his actions could be linked together in such a manner.
Piccolo's patience frayed rapidly as silence stretched, and he took a menacing step forward, his presence imposing.
"WHY?!" Piccolo's sudden demand thundered around the room, laden with frustration and confusion. "What is this obsession with keeping them alive?! Tell me!"
Ajax instinctively recoiled, taking an involuntary step back at Piccolo's intimidating approach. Caught off guard, he blurted out a response, his words rushed and unsteady.
"Nappa is still useful!"
The admission spilled from his lips before he could stop himself, a desperate attempt to offer some semblance of explanation.
Piccolo's narrowed eyes bore into Ajax.
"Useful?" he echoed, his voice cold and calculating. "What an interesting choice of words. How, precisely, is he useful?"
Regrettably, Ajax found himself at an impasse. There was no real way he could answer that question without revealing more than he should.
"…I can't tell you that, Piccolo."
A beat of silence passed between the two, but Piccolo's waning patience did not allow Ajax to evade the question. With a rough shove, Piccolo slammed Ajax against the wall, his grip firm and unyielding against Ajax's injured chest.
"Are you a spy?" Piccolo hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "Are you in cahoots with someone? With the Saiyans? With the Frieza Force? With another party?!"
"No, I'm not! You know I'm not! I just don't want to kill them unnecessarily; they are still redeemable!"
That was the truth. Despite Vegeta's numerous fuck ups along the way, he had indeed turned a new leaf and emerged as a critical ally to the Z fighters.
"Oh, and Tien Shinhan wasn't redeemable?" Piccolo countered sharply. "What evils did he commit exactly?"
Ajax bristled at Piccolo's implication, but the accusation cut deep, the words slicing through Ajax's defenses with surgical precision. He winced, unable to refute the truth in Piccolo's scathing assessment.
But Piccolo's tirade wasn't over. His voice rose in anger, the words coming fast and fierce.
"Also, 'redeemable'? Do you think I'm stupid? You're not Son Goku! You lack his empathy, his compassion. You stood by as Son Goku sacrificed himself, you watched as Tien Shinhan, your mentor, died while you held a Senzu in your mouth! So don't give me all this bullshit and give me the TRUTH!!"
Ajax felt his world lurch at Piccolo's searing rebuke. He stumbled backward against the wall; his eyes wide with shock as he stared at Piccolo's furious visage. Finally, the dam burst, and Ajax's words spilled forth in a desperate rush.
"It's going to be fine! We can get them back!"
But Piccolo's rage only intensified at Ajax's words.
"When did something like death become so trivial to you?!" Piccolo's spat the words out like venom, his eyes blazing with unbridled anger. "It's going to be okay. Ridiculous!! Is that the lie you tell yourself? That everything will work out? Maybe even convinced yourself that their deaths are necessary?"
Ajax flinched as if struck by the far too accurate jab, but his own anger finally boiled over at Piccolo's interrogation. Clenching his jaw, he bristled with defiance and shoved Piccolo away, creating some distance between them.
"Lay off! They'll be fine! We can wish them back with the Namekian Dragon Balls!" Ajax snapped; his voice tinged with irritation.
"And how could you have known that?"
"I–!" Ajax began, but Piccolo's interruption was swift and decisive.
"Every person I've asked to describe you so far portrayed you as someone who avoids unnecessary risks. Do you truly expect me to believe that you willingly took on this gamble, banking on the Namekian Dragon Ball to solve our problems? Or that they even exist at all? Where is this confidence and certainty coming from?!"
"…"
Piccolo sneered at the silence.
"Even if the Namekian Dragon Balls do exist, who gave you the right to choose who lives and who dies? Who is useful?" Piccolo's voice was low, his teeth bared as he leaned in, his face mere inches from Ajax's. "But I will tell you who thinks they do. The Demon Clan. My father, Piccolo Daimao. Raditz. Nappa. Vegeta. Shall I continue?"
Piccolo stared at Ajax, who kept his gaze fixed on the ground, his breaths coming in jagged intervals. Ajax trembled, overwhelmed by the torrent of truthful accusations.
Piccolo studied Ajax for a while longer, unaffected by the visible distress before him. He was not some goody-two-shoes who sugarcoated his words or whispered sweet nothings. He unapologetically called things as he saw them, blunt and direct. If Ajax couldn't handle the harsh truths laid bare before him, then that was his own problem, not Piccolo's.
It was clear now though, given Ajax's state, that he wasn't going to receive any answers. Piccolo could begrudgingly accept tabling the matter for the time being. The young boy's sole saving grace was that while he may not be a trustworthy ally, he was, at the very least, not the enemy. Yet.
And also, he disliked having eavesdroppers.
In any case, there was no point in prolonging the confrontation any further. He had no time to waste on those who couldn't face the harsh realities of their own choices. And so, Piccolo decided to give his final scathing verdict.
"You are dangerous. You are not trustworthy. You will gladly watch your friends die if their deaths serve a purpose. You, Ajax. You are just a child with an inflated ego and delusion of grandeur. And I cannot trust you." With a dismissive gesture, Piccolo brushed past Ajax, striding away. "Keep your secrets if you'd like, but don't pretend to be all buddy-buddy when you're more than happy to see them die without lifting a single finger to help."
Before exiting the room entirely, Piccolo paused, delivering one final warning over his shoulder.
"But know this, Ajax: you better watch yourself. I'm keeping my eyes on you."
Immediately after, Piccolo left, slamming the door shut behind him and leaving Ajax alone in the suffocating silence of his own guilt.