Dragon Ball: Enlisted

I sat cross-legged on my bed, trying to resist the temptation to just give up. My eyes were closed, my breathing steady—the perfect picture of serenity.

At least, on the outside.

'That is not what I was looking for,' I thought, the corner of my lips twitching. 'I mean, I'll take it, but I don't really have a use for this.'

My attempt at learning how to train within my mind was having… pretty terrible results. I didn't know how long I'd been sitting, but it felt like forever. Since I didn't really know how to even start the technique, the only thing meditation did for me was make me hyper-aware of how stiff my body felt.

Strangely, though, the longer I sat there, the more my ki stirred. Almost as if it was getting impatient with me, getting slowly more annoyed that I wasn't doing anything with it.

And, fair enough, I guess. It was pretty boring.

To get rid of that jittery feeling, I decided to play with my ki in interesting ways. One of which was to cycle it through my body at the same rhythm as the beat of my heart. 

The result?

o–o

[Ki Channeling]

Allows the user to temporarily increase ki control the longer they meditate.

o–o

Which was a pretty neat skill but I really didn't have a purpose for it yet. I guess it would be good if I know I'm gonna be fighting someone soon, but I wasn't planning on a real fight anytime soon.

At least the skill gave me a point in Spirit? Yay, my power level is slightly higher…

I slouched, letting out a sigh. 'I have no idea what I'm doing.'

But this wasn't my first time meditating without seeing much progress. I'd be damned if it would be the last.

I was here for a reason, and if that meant sitting in one place until my legs went numb, so be it.

I straightened my back and closed my eyes, forcing out a breath.

Image training—the idea of it was pretty simple. You visualize yourself fighting, simulate the battle in your head, and somehow, that translates to real improvement.

Except, so far, the only thing I'd improved at was sitting still and getting annoyed.

I tried to picture Edith in front of me, fists raised and that typical annoyed scowl on her face. I'm pretty sure I spent hours just thinking about that face to the point I actually wanted to punch her for a bit.

But no matter how much I focused my mind, the image stayed hazy. My imaginary punches were just that, imaginary. The whole thing felt awkward—like trying to swing at smoke.

I opened one eye, staring at the empty dorm room.

'This is stupid.'

But still, I forced my eyes shut again.

'Come on. Focus.'

I held the pose, letting silence settle in around me. My breathing slowed, but my mind drifted.

The door to my room creaked open, but I kept my eyes shut.

"Ah, Jyn," A familiar voice rumbled. "I've been meaning to speak with you."

I barely twitched.

"Not now," I muttered. "Trying to figure this out."

Heavy footsteps approached, stopping just in front of my bed.

"This is important. I came to offer you—" Wraak began, but he paused. Silence stretched for a moment before he spoke again, this time softer.

"My apologies. I didn't realize you were preparing for combat. Who is your sparring partner?'

'Huh?'

 "I'm not," I cracked an eye open, raising a brow. "Uh, preparing for a fight, I mean."

Wraak's brow furrowed, but he remained composed. "Strange. Your energy suggests otherwise."

I waved a hand dismissively. "I'm just meditating, trying to figure something out. That's all."

He hummed, letting the subject drop. With that conversation, I closed my eyes and—

"Wait!" I blurted out, my eyes snapping open. "You can sense ki? Like, you can actually feel my energy?"

Unless I was terribly mistaken, that was not a technique that those within the universe knew casually. There wasn't a single person in the entire Frieza Force who knew how to do it, and the fact that the Z-Fighters could do so baffled them.

Wraak had settled onto his bed, arms crossed over his chest. His gaze remained steady, calm as ever.

"It is difficult not to. Whatever meditation technique you're employing causes your energy to stir and growl like an engine left idling. Even now, it hums faintly with… potential." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Like the churning of clouds before a storm."

I don't know why he was so flowery with his words sometimes, but whatever. This was more important.

I sat up fully, barely able to contain the excitement bubbling up. "You have to teach me how to do that! Sensing ki—if I could figure that out, I would be able to…"

The words tumbled out before I could stop them, but as soon as they left my mouth, I hesitated. My enthusiasm faded just as quickly as it came.

If he could teach me how to sense ki, I could possibly use that to link my mind with someone and figure out Image Training that way. In the show, they'd spent time on the ship to Namek doing countless spars in their mind.

With that, I might be able to even do it alone with enough practice.

But… I didn't really talk to Wraak. We didn't know each other, and he didn't really owe me anything, especially not selfishly asking him to teach me a technique he probably figured out on his own.

I rubbed the back of my neck, forcing a quieter tone. "Actually… never mind. I got ahead of myself for a moment."

For a moment, Wraak was silent.

Then, slowly, his mouth pulled into a wide grin—a toothy, predatory curve that could probably terrify most people at first glance. Crocodile faces just didn't do 'friendly' very well.

"On the contrary," he said, the grin not fading. "This works perfectly with what I wanted to speak with you about."

I blinked. "It does?"

Wraak's grin lingered for a moment longer before he leaned back slightly, arms still crossed over his chest.

"Yes," he said, his voice steady but with a weight behind it. "I have been reflecting on the evaluation."

I tilted my head. "You mean how you got second place? I mean, good job, but what about it?"

His eyes narrowed, though not in anger—more like frustration at himself.

"I lost." He admitted.

"Uh," I was officially confused. "No, you didn't?"

Wraak shook his head. "Not in the official sense. I indeed did pass. But that success… while it was mine to claim, it was not the ranking I deserved."

I frowned. That didn't sound right. Wraak was one of the tougher recruits. If anyone was going to get second place, it was him.

"Come on," I said. "You're being too hard on yourself. You earned that spot as—"

"No," he cut me off, sharp but calm. "I only advanced in ranking because you surrendered your place."

The room fell quiet for a beat.

He met my gaze without hesitation. "Had you not forfeited your spot to save Edith, you would have reached the end before me. I was falling behind. The truth is simple—if you had remained in the race, I would not be where I am now."

I sat there for a moment, unsure how to respond. I hadn't really thought about how others felt about my choice to save her. 

But it made sense, the more I thought about it. This universe was the franchise that practically started the trope of prideful warriors who wouldn't take an unearned win.

I wasn't too hung up about such a thing, so I opened my mouth to apologize, but he gave me a look. I wasn't sure what that look meant, but I knew it hinted that he wasn't looking for reassurance.

"But," he continued, his gaze locking with mine, "That is why I am here."

I hesitated. "You want to… spar or something?"

"No," Wraak said, his voice low. "I wish to learn."

That caught me off guard.

"I have been forced to acknowledge you," he explained, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Your growth defies reason. I do not know how or why you are advancing so quickly, but I cannot afford to dwell on that. There is no value in envy."

He leaned forward; his eyes locked on mine.

"You may not have intended to surpass me, but that is what has happened," he said plainly. "The only thing I can do now is to continue training and take in the teachings of those stronger than me."

His toothy grin widened, a carnivorous sharpness to it.

"So, Jyn." He said, his voice rumbling with intent. "I propose a deal—if you share what you know, I will teach you the meditation techniques my father taught me. I lack the finesse to control energy externally. But internally, like attuning your ki to a sixth sense, I excel. On the other hand, you wield energy externally with potential I cannot yet match."

Wraak's grin lingered as he rose to his full height, casting a long shadow over the room. His arms unfolded, and with a deliberate, almost ceremonial air, he extended a clawed hand toward me.

"This," he said, his voice heavy with intent, "will be an exchange of knowledge."

The way he said it made it sound far more significant than just sparring or training. Like some pact was being forged here and now.

"What do you say, Jyn?" Wraak's eyes glinted faintly beneath the overhead light. "Shall we push each other to greater strength? Even if we didn't have much to learn from each other, a simple spar would benefit us both greatly, don't you think?"

I stared at his hand, hesitating for a moment. This guy was a way better fighter than me, and he even knew how to do things with his energy that should've been extremely difficult to learn without the guidance from an Earthling.

As far as raw talent went, he was far beyond me if I didn't have a system. I was getting along with effort and stubborn tenacity. Did I even deserve to train with him?

Could I really just—.

Blah. Blah. Blah. 

Who was I kidding? I wasn't gonna turn away free training from someone who didn't feel like they owed me anything.

My hand moved before I'd even made the conscious decision.

I grasped his outstretched hand, feeling the cold, rough texture of his scales beneath my palm.

"Yeah," I said, giving a firm shake. "I'm in."

--------

A/N: Idk why WN deleted this chapter, so I'll put it back.