Start!
Seven days had passed since the Saiyan assault, both Nappa and Vegeta had awoken after the fourth day and whilst Vegeta was almost rabid with anger, Nappa was surprisingly sedated. Perhaps the knock to the head had blown a few screws loose.
Fasha had managed to eek into the group rather well, easily showing her years of combat experience to the gang, and more than earning her spot as top dog for a time, though it seemed this only spurred Raditz and Goku on more currently they were training to the bones out in the middle of nowhere.
Fasha explained that was the idea, show off some power and urge the others one to get even stronger. More power never did a Saiyan wrong.
Tien had been despondent, and refused to be in the same room as the invaders, understandably so, whilst Krillin had been taking some time to himself in order to mourn the loss of two close friends. That left Menma, Nappa, Fasha and Vegeta to converse.
Naturally Menma ignored the Prince and began grilling Nappa for information, apparently this 'Lord Frieza' was the strongest being in the galaxy, easily making any Saiyan obsolete with sheer power. Good information to have was that Frieza could apparently transform several times in order to access his full power.
Bulma and Dr. Briefs had come over to the hospital on Menma's tentative request, not exactly sure how the two would react to an almost stranger asking a favour of them because whilst Menma had fit in quite well with the other fighters he hadn't exactly had much time to chat with Bulma or her family.
Essentially his idea was to cannibalize the tech from the Saiyan pods and Scouters to build a new ship and new scouters whilst also putting that technology into human hands for the betterment of earth, single-man deployable space pods? Beautiful. Energy radars/communication devices/various other sight-based enhancements? Priceless.
Since Nappa was sufficiently cowed at that point Fasha was the Saiyan in charge, given Vegeta's current mental state.
Dr. Briefs was positively electric at the idea of working with such new technology and thanked the duo graciously, quickly giving his phone number and bidding them call him for an update. Bulma was a little frosty still, considering how she was rather enamoured with Yamcha it was understandable that she was adverse to socialising with those who killed him.
Either way, King Kai had gotten in touch with Menma and informed him that Yamcha and Chiaotzu had been allowed to train under him and were currently settling in on the old man's planet.
This information alone was enough to get Tien out of the throws of self pity , and to thanks to the Brief family, into surgery for his prosthetic arm. Which was not exactly seamless but still allowed him to function at near-maximum capacity, also gave him a mean hook.
So whilst the ship was being made for the trip to Namek and everyone was recovering Menma and Buu spent some time at home with his family, Fasha and Nappa had joined for dinner one night, that was not actually as bad as one thought it might be.
Flashback
Menma, garbed in a dark blue t-shirt and denim jeans with his mid-back length hair out of its ponytail sat on the couch whilst Buu was happily kicking his feet back and forth, laying on his stomach, watching TV.
Menma's little sister Haruhi was sitting on Buu's back, the little orange haired girl with bright blue eyes was just as enraptured as the excitable Majin.
Naruto, Menma's younger brother, a blond with azure eyes and odd whisker-shaped birthmarks on his cheeks was helping their father in the kitchen with dinner, whilst their mother was working on dessert.
Menma felt like a lazy ass for taking a night off of helping around the house but cautiously felt he'd earned it, considering just how sore his limbs were from working himself to the bone all day with Fasha and Nappa.
A knock on the door alerted the Uzumaki family guests had arrived, "Ooh! They strong!" Chimed Buu with excitement.
"Settle down, bud." Menma said with a chuckle, "I'm sure they'd be more than happy to almost die fighting you tomorrow."
"Yay!"
"Buu-chan, you scare me sometimes." Admitted Haruhi with a small frown.
"Buu sorry…"
Menma got up and walked over, "Anyone wanna hide the bodies?!" He asked loudly getting an audible groan from his mother and a chuckle from his father.
"Every time you answer the door!" Kushina said, long red hair tied away into a ponytail, her light purple eyes stared down her son with a visible glare to them.
"I am hilarious!" Blurted out the young adult with an intentionally obnoxious shout as the door was pulled open, "Why howdy strangers." He greeted with a toothy grin.
Fasha, wearing a dark red shirt with loose pants and thongs on, as she apparently wanted to see why it is her new comrade was wearing them on his feet so often.
Nappa was actually wearing a dark grey suit with a white dress shirt underneath and a black tie, it was odd to see the burly man dressed in such a dapper attire but the strangest part was the flowers under his arm.
Menma placed his hands on his cheeks and gasped, "Are those for me~!"
"No." Nappa said flatly, a smirk on his face.
"Break my heart why don'tcha. Well come on in, meet the family." Fasha nodded whilst Nappa bowed his head to enter the house, the two removed their footwear at the door.
Minato and Naruto turned to greet their guests, "Welcome to our home, I am Minato Uzumaki, this is my son Naruto." The little blond boy waved with a small smile on his face.
"Hello." Greeted the chibi.
"It's very nice to meet you sir, thank you for having us over." Nappa said with a smile that looked somewhat wrong on his face but nevertheless he extended his hand to greet the two blond males properly.
Minato's hand was easily engulfed by Nappa's but the man didn't even seem phased by it, Naruto took one of his fingers and shook that.
"Kushina, you need a hand back there?" Minato called out, "She'll just be a second." Assured the husband to the guests with a smile.
"Just finishing up the cake, hun!" Replied Kushina.
"Fasha." Greeted the black haired woman, offering her hand at the opening provided.
"A pleasure to meet you, Fasha." Minato said with another smile, Fasha wasn't sure if smiling this much was healthy, or if he was just in a good mood, it made her slightly uncomfortable.
"Hello, I'm Haruhi. This is Buu-chan." Greeted the smallest Uzumaki, Nappa turned and knelt down offering the bouquet, she gasped in delight.
"Hello there little Miss Haruhi, your older brother informed me you're quite the fan of flowers." The big man said with a grin, "I am Nappa, it's very nice to meet you."
"Ooh! You smooth!" Buu said with his own grin, giggling behind his gloves.
Menma, Fasha and Minato watched on in amusement, ears twitched as Kushina stepped out from the back room attached to the kitchen, wiping her hands off with a tea towel.
"Sorry about that, Kushina Uzumaki, a pleasure to meet you both." Greeted the redhead with an open and bright smile, Fasha's discomfort increased whilst Nappa quickly snapped to attention and accepted her handshake.
"It's so lovely to meet you, Mrs. Uzumaki. I am Nappa and this is Fasha. Your son has said nothing but good things about you." Nappa said with slight chuckle at her brow rising.
"All of them were lies, what'd I tell you about lyin' boy!" Snapped the woman, raising her hand.
"Please ma, don' beat me ag'in!" Pleaded Menma taking on a southern accent.
"Don't mind them, they're just as bad as eachother." Assured Minato with a wan smile.
"Huh… figured he must've got it from somewhere." Fasha said with a smirk, getting a chuckle from the black haired male, Minato began snickering to himself much to his wife's chagrin.
"Like you're any better." Groused Kushina, slugging Minato in the shoulder, the man chuckled sheepishly as she glared at him.
"Either way, I'd say first impressions have gone well." Menma said with a smirk as he stood up properly, "So Nappa… what's with the suit?"
"I'll have you know, before I became Vegeta's guardian I was a man of esteem and renown. I take no small pride in my appearance." Replied Nappa, straightening his back and dusting off a shoulder.
Menma nodded, "Fair enough."
Naruto took this time to dump his apron and zip around counter into the waiting area, "Menma said you guys are from space, is that true?" Stars in his eyes, set to burst with enthusiasm, typical eight year old stuff.
Fasha gave a simple, "Yep." Whilst popping the 'p'.
"Awesome…" Whispered the small child.
Dinner proceeded much like that, with Nappa being oddly polite and gentlemanly whilst Fasha was kind of just there because of the food. Dinner itself was home-made pizza, various toppings mostly consisting of meaty goodness, Kushina went the opposite way and had only vegetables. For some reasons she didn't eat meat on Fridays.
Dessert blew the Saiyan's minds, apparently they'd never had chocolate cake before, the fact that their was icing over the glaze saying 'Welcome to Earth' made of fudge may or may not have made the Saiyans melt into their chairs.
It was infinitely amusing to see Nappa reduced to a joyful, blubbering mess when it came to dessert.
Apparently the big guy had a thing for chocolate.
End Flashback
Having guests over was fun.
Goku had called everyone up to 'Kami's Lookout' to oversee the Dragonball Wish, it was an event to be sure.
Menma had arrived rather early, as he was initially concerned he'd not be able to find the damn thing, turns out… pretty easy to find.
He was greeted by what appeared to be a coal skinned genie with a white turban, purple vest, white pants and curl-toed shoes. He was watering a flower garden that appeared to have been lovingly tended to, considering how vibrant and colourful all the flowers therein were.
He was greeted also by the sight of Goku, Gohan, along with Raditz and Krillin. Apparently Raditz had been staying at Kame House and had even taken a liking to Master Roshi, Launch, Krillin, Oolong and Turtle, finding the rambunctious household greatly appealing.
Menma could see the appeal but given how anti-people he'd become in recent years, which one wouldn't really guess considering how social he'd been the past year, he'd probably burn out of all the social stimulation.
"Good morning Mr. Menma." Greeted Gohan, upon seeing the older male, with a smile and a small bow.
"Mornin' kiddo." Menma gave in return, patting the kids head with a grin. "Mornin Carrot Cake." This was directed at Goku who just sighed at the nickname, Raditz just grinned broadly at his brother's annoyance.
"Really?" Questioned Goku.
"Really really." Menma said with a chuckle as he pat his friend on the back, "Don't take it to heart, Goku. We all know Chi-Chi loves 'Carrots'." The younger male said whilst wiggling his eyebrows, with a cheeky grin on his face.
Raditz guffawed loudly as he turned from Kakarot and leant over to steady his shaking frame, his shoulders were jumping but no noise was really escaping the older Saiyan.
Goku looked to Menma, then to Raditz before his face grew hot and he punched Menma's shoulder, "That's my wife you're talkin' about!"
Menma's only response was to laugh as his friend frowned at the teasing, "Ah, c'mon Goku. If I ever get a wife you get one free shot, promise." Assured the human with a few loose chuckles snaking out as he spoke.
Fasha, Nappa and Vegeta appeared soonafter.
Vegeta, minus one organic arm and a given a few days to calm the fuck down had been mollified somewhat, that being said he still spat at Menma's feet and refused to even look him in the eye, he was fitted out with a mechanical arm courtesy of the Brief's kindness.
Menma didn't comment on the choice, it wasn't his to make and whatever reservations he had with Vegeta being autonomous were reneged when Fasha gave him her word she'd keep an eye on the Prince, if only to resolve the humans anxiety.
Though it appeared Vegeta harboured immense shame over his synthetic limb as he wore a shoulder cape to cover it up.
"That's when happens when you kill my friends and invade my planet." Menma thought at the time, a visible frown on his face. Sure, outright killing the prince might have been more benevolent than allowing him to stew in the fact that he'd been brought low and crushed underneath the boot of a human, but Menma was nothing if not vindictive.
Piccolo arrived not long after followed by Krillin, and Tien. A visible tension began to grow in the air when Tien spotted Nappa and Vegeta, he made it abundantly clear to the others he wanted nothing to do with the Saiyans.
Though Tien's arrival did remind Menma of something, he turned to Goku and quietly asked, "If we can't wish back Chiaotzu with these Dragonballs, what can we do?"
"I don't know… maybe we could ask, Kami!" Goku grinned broadly, as though the idea had only just come to him, he quickly scampered off into the Lookout to retrieve the elder and his attendant.
"So, Piccolo, how's the mornin' treating ya?" Menma questioned, as he moved over to the new group to wish them a good morning.
"Can't complain." Offered the Namekian with a shrug, he saw a smirk grow on his friends face and scowled, "Stall the sass little boy."
"Sorry we can't all be seven foot you giant fucking stringbean." Shot back Menma with a scowl of his own, the two kept these expressions before smirking at one another and shaking hands, "Quality banter, Piccolo. As always."
"You two are so weird." Observed Krillin with a sigh, a patch still over his new scar to let it heal properly.
"Hardly." Menma defended, "I'd say out of the group Piccolo and I are most reasonable of the lot."
"Oh really?" Questioned Tien, crossing his arms.
"We've got a troop of aliens with the ability to get souped up by celestial bodies standing across from us on a floating lookout run by an ancient alien and a black genie man with a stare that tears at the soul. You have three eyes, I'm still not sure if that third one even functions, Krillin doesn't have a nose and can cut anything in the galaxy in half with a magic pizza. Piccolo is a slug man and I can tap into the power of an ancient dead god." Menma counted off this little list on his fingers.
"Why don't you have a nose?" Asked Piccolo with a curious, risen brow.
"Piccolo! You can't just ask someone why they don't have a nose!" Tien admonished.
"Hey Krillin, why don't you have a nose?" Menma questioned with a single risen brow.
"Menma!" Snapped Tien with a frown.
"Dunno, never really thought about it." Admitted Krillin with a shrug.
"Fair 'nuff." Menma said with a shrug but paused as he heard steps, coming from within the lookout was a wrinkled Namekian wearing a long white robe with a red kanji on the chest, a white cloak over his shoulders clasped around his neck and an ancient looking wooden staff in his hand.
"Now, if you're all prepared I'll summoned the dragon." Said the elder Namek, Piccolo grunted at his words and turned to look out over the lands below, Krillin and Tien joined Goku towards the centre of the
The entire event made each inch of Menma's skin tingle from the sheer electricity in the air, hair stood on end as the dragon boomed, "You summon the eternal dragon Shenron, speak your wish and I shall grant it!"
"We wish for the people killed in Saiyan invasion to be returned to life!" Shouted out Goku in return, clear and concise.
Shenron's eyes glowed for a moment, his great emerald and gold scaled body twisting as he channeled his otherworldly power, before the glow settled, "I cannot do this. I can only return one being to life, such is the limits of my creator."
How interesting.
"I was greatly taxed when I created Shenron… perhaps there is another solution, unless someone else has a wish they'd like to propose." Menma immediately stepped forward with a big, shit-eating grin on his face, Raditz rolled his eyes with a smile of his own on his face.
"Great dragon, I've a question before I speak my wish!" Bellowed the human, Shenron's mighty gaze lowered and peered into his very soul.
"Speak your question quickly, I grow weary of this meaninglessness." Grumpy old worm.
"As you may know, the Saiyan body posses a great power, the Zenkai. Is there any way to give this ability to us humans so we may stand on an equal footing to our extra-terrestrial comrades?"
"No. Such a thing requires a body fit to house such a unique trait, the Saiyans are the only beings with the endurance and hardiness to sustain such an ability without their bodies shutting down from the shock." Informed Shenron, his breath like waves of tempered heat that sent Menma's hair back.
"Very well then... if I wish to become a Saiyan, could you do it?" Questioned Menma once more, quieter this time, as he cupped his chin in thought.
"...It would take a great amount of strain, on both our parts, your body would be unresponsive until the change was finalised and a great amount of care would have to be taken to ensure you do not spontaneously decompose from the rapid change to your cellular structure… but yes, I could do this. Though know that once you change, there is no going back, is this your wish?" Spoke Shenron.
The stipulations gave him pause but Menma considered the pros and the cons, if he could gain a body able to hold off the possible damage of great boosts like a Zenkai, he'd extend his timer on his absorption capacity substantially.
"This human filth thinks I'll allow him to sully our people!?" Snapped Vegeta as he strode forward, vertigo hit the prince as he suddenly was thrown ass over head and landed on his face, Mr. Popo and Kami narrowed their gazes at the human before the dragon, they had sensed a very familiar kind of energy from him for a moment there.
The perturbing part was that the young man seemed completely unaware it had even occurred.
"I'll take the risk, Shenron. I wish to become a Pure-blooded Saiyan." Shenron's gaze intensified as the human was sent to his knees, experiencing a pain like no other, as his body suddenly went limp and he lost all sense of feeling, taste, even sight. But he was not rendered unconscious.
The others were given sight to Menma's limp body being picked up by a hard case of what appeared to be amber crystal, it settled over his body, Kami and Mr. Popo looked around, feeling that familiar sensation once more but could not pinpoint it.
The suddenness of the crystallization shocked those seeing it, none but the old guardian and his companion were even able to feel a tickle of the energy used to create it.
"It feels like the young man but… thicker, darker. More morose, what manner of creature has done this?" Thought Kami with concern, as the Z-fighters huddled around the crystallized form of their friend.
"Is this supposed to happen?" Questioned Krillin as he gently rocked the crystalline formation.
"No, though I've only seen a wish like this once. An old man who wished to have a young body, a new body entirely. He was reduced to dust." Informed Kami, "Whatever force is looking over your friend, they are incredibly powerful, Goku."
"Hoo boy, that's worrying." Muttered Goku as he rubbed his head.
"Buu is going to be pissed." Tien said, Krillin suddenly gulped loudly, Fasha facepalmed loudly.
"Not it!" Raditz said suddenly touching a finger to his nose, all followed suit with Krillin being the last.
"No fair!" Snapped the human with a frown, the Saiyan chuckled and shrugged.
"Life isn't fair, small man." Raditz replied with a grin.
Elsewhere
The same figure from a week ago stood on the air itself, his thick cloak billowing in the winds, dark red eyes peering out from under his hood, a second figure stood beside him, a woman with pale blue skin peeking out underneath her own cloak, painted fingernails clutched around a staff.
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Questioned the woman.
"I'd prefer he picks his own fate, rather than having one forced upon him. If my helping can nudge him along that path, I'm content." Said the cloaked man with a gruff, raspy voice. It sounded akin to rattling metal to the ears.
"Ooh, so mysterious." The woman goaded gently as she swatted his shoulder.
"It's part of my charm." The man agreed with a nod, "Besides, with this he can avoid the… unpleasantness that could have occurred."
"I know a certain Supreme Kai of Time that will try to stop us from polluting another universe." The woman said with no small amount of amusement.
"She can goddamn well try, I'm not letting him become a meaningless matyr." Rumbled the man with a snarl.
"I love it when you get all protective." The woman nearly purred with a pleasant smile lighting up her face.
"I'll show you somethin you can love."
Later
"What you mean!? Mema not rock, he Mema!" Bellowed Buu as he steamed like a kettle, Krillin sweatdropped as Buu had come up to the Lookout, the Human Z-Fighters had remained, along with Goku and Raditz who were chatting with Kami about a few things, Fasha and Nappa had taken Vegeta away to settle his mood.
"Look, Buu I'm really sorry but when Menma made his wish he suddenly just turned into… rock." Krillin explained lamely, sighing heavily. Not really sure how to explain the difference to someone as childlike as Buu.
"You stupid! This not rock! This amber! Stupid baldy!" Buu said with a screech tapping the 'rock, "Mema like caterpla! Small but getting big, Stupid Baldy!"
"Wait what?" Krillin questioned with an owlish blink.
"Caterpla, small little bug. Amber is like cocoon, Mema getting bigger while inside." Buu said, slower this time, like he was explaining it to a baby.
"Wait if you knew what I meant why are you getting mad at me!?" Demanded Krillin throwing his arms up in frustration.
"Because you stupid! It not rock, is amber!"
Majin Buu ladies and gentleman, the most dangerous being in the multiverse… apparently.
Later-er.
Mr. Popo had led Piccolo and Goku towards the old ship Kami had secret away many years ago, and by proxy, Bulma and Dr. Briefs. Who began recovering the ship, outfitting it with new human/saiyan engineering along with a few necessities thanks to Capsule Corp.
Like beds, a quartet of fully stocked fridges, enough to feed even a small army of Saiyans, Dr. Briefs and Bulma were more than aware of Son Goku's eating habits, and calculated accordingly.
The preparation for the trip was smooth, everyone in the group took shifts looking over the amber-trapped man they'd befriended, roughly five days after the wish the amber began to crack, and three more days after that it began to fall away, almost visible streams of energy began to float out of the amber prison.
Four days after that, so twelve days since the wish was made, Krillin was given sight of his friend finally freed from the amber, Krillin called Kami and Mr. Popo in and they too were given the view.
Menma's body had visible changed, all the muscles on his body seemed to tense and relax with each breath, as though it were trying to work out kinks without moving, his hair was noticeably shaggier, and the slack tail flopped out next to him was black instead of the traditional brown.
Menma suddenly snapped up, eyes wide and breathing greedily, gulping air quickly, Krillin went forward, touching his shoulder to try and calm him down, but it appeared the young man was having something equivalent to a panic attack.
His pupils were the size of pinpricks he quickly raced out of the bed he was nestled in, shredding the sheets with the speed of his movement and bowling over the human, the elder namek, and the djinn.
Menma leapt off the side of the Lookout and burst off with a sonic boom, "I've gotta go after him, Kami can you try and get the others?"
"I believe his energy output will handle that, but I'll do what I can." Kami said, Krillin thanked the man as he too jumped off into a mad dash through the air.
Wasteland
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Menma screamed out as he released copious amounts of backed up energy, his whole body was sparking with wild energy, the ground beneath him crumbled as though it was fleeing from him.
"Still too much..!" Menma bit out through grit teeth, "Get! OUT! OF! ME!" Throwing his arms up the newly-minted Saiyan released an earth-quakingly powerful blast into the atmosphere, a great jetstream of dark green energy splitting the heavens.
All on his side of the planet were shielding their eyes from the great green glow that suddenly encompassed the world, the violent scream resonating from it put the fear of god into the residents of earth.
And then suddenly…
It stopped.
Menma's feet touched the ground, his pounding heartbeat thumping in his ears like a meaty drum, he vaguely heard several other feet touching the ground, breathing through his nose and letting out air through his mouth he kept his eyes shut to try and centre himself.
"So, it worked…" He distantly heard Fasha speak in his general direction.
"Menma… you all good now buddy?" Krillin questioned hopefully.
"Yeah…" The rough voice sounded foreign to his ears, "Just needed… to get all that outta me."
"That was incredible! How'd you hide all that energy away?" Goku's enthusiastic question mollified any heat in Menma's core for the moment.
Opening his eyes revealing the frigid amethyst orbs to his friends, "I absorb the energy in the air, if I don't release it regularly I'll either explode, or my body will completely shut down."
"Ooh boy…" Goku muttered.
"So… how strong would you say you are now?" Raditz questioned with crossed arms, he could feel it but he could also feel more, like a slumbering beast.
"Buu!" Menma exclaimed sharply, the pink creature snapped to attention, "Wanna play?" The vicious grin on the Saiyain's face made the pink blob grin widely.
"Yay!"
Hours Later
All were witness to the savage beating the two laid down upon one another, Nappa and Fasha were sweating under the pressure, Vegeta was gobsmacked that some abomination of magic could become so powerful by shadowing his people.
The Z-Fighters watched with calculated interest, it appeared that even with his already incredible power from being a human, and the boost that becoming a Saiyan apparently gave him, Menma was still no true match for Buu, the pink creature was giving back whatever he got with five times the power.
That being said, it was much better than anyone else could do, no matter how many times the Saiyan sparred with Buu it usually didn't last long enough to get much out of the Zenkai as the pink creature was trying not to kill them.
Menma's bruised and battered form collapsed finally, after what felt like days but in reality was probably four hours, his stamina finally giving out. He fell asleep in the dirt with a smile on his face, Buu whiped his brow and picked up his beloved friend.
"Mema's napping now, we go to green people soon, yes?" Buu questioned with a quirked 'brow'.
"Yep! Bulma said the ship will be done in a few more days." Goku assured with a thumbs up.
"Ok! Bye-bye!"
Menma dreamt of plowing some blonde woman whilst firing blasts across a planet, laying waste to all things before him that night, a grin seemingly welded to his face the entire time.
Responses:
Guest: Listen up ya sperglord, just make an actual account if you're gonna say provocative shit like that, because responding to Guest reviews like this is a pain.
ByyBeats: That was part of what Menma suggested, either become Saiyans or just adapt the human body to have a Zenkai through wishes, the idea is that it'd be up to each character.
Silver Crow: Immortality is the easy way out, removes tension. The Dragon Balls already do that, Immortality would make each encounter trivial at best, and dry at worst.
Raxychaz!
