The air inside the family camper was still, warm, and familiar, soft grey light pooling across the narrow table where Jax Zod (Barry Webb) sat alone. He hadn't been back long, but the quiet made the contrast even sharper.
Space had been cold, loud in its silence, punctuated only by alarms, communications from Janeway, and other crewmembers. It wasn't all bad. The moments standing in space, taking in the cosmos, right before his battle, were peaceful.
He smiled as he thought of the crew of the Voyager. His smile grew bigger when he thought of 7 of 9.
Now it was just him.
Just him… and the new weight in his limbs.
He flexed his hands slowly, watching the skin stretch over knuckles that felt denser than before, heavier in a way that made the world seem lighter by comparison. The mission with 7 of 9 had been short, but it had changed him. He could feel it in every line of muscle and in the clean, sharp focus behind his eyes.
With a slow exhale, he pulled up his personal interface. White-blue light flickered across his irises.
PERSONAL STATS (UPDATED)
Each stat glowed as the system displayed the before-and-after configuration:
Strength (STR): 28 (+1 → 29)
Dexterity (DEX): 18 (+1 → 19)
Constitution (CON): 30 (+1 → 31)
Intelligence (INT): 13 (+1 → 14)
Wisdom (WIS): 14 (+1 → 15)
Charisma (CHA): 20 (+1 → 21)
A soft hum left his chest. "So that's what direct sunlight in orbit does…or is it a reward from the system?"
He rolled his shoulders, testing the improved balance and elasticity. It fit, like he had grown into a slightly larger frame overnight.
Below the stats, another panel appeared.
Personal Points: 20
Check-In System Progress: 1,800 / 5,475 days
Goal: Escape Pod + Fortress Crystal
The progress bar was barely a third full, but it felt monumental. Another step toward the heritage he had only begun to understand.
Except… something was wrong.
His memories, the ones from before this life, were fading. Or, more accurately, the vague memories he had of the people in his chat group. He only had a fair sense that these people could be trusted. He knew they were 'fictional'? Now, even that sense was almost gone.
His eyes changed, and what had felt like unreality felt real. "Clean slate," he murmured. "Guess I'm just like everyone else now. Except, I still remember my old life, mostly."
A knock tapped on the camper door.
THE HOUSE POINTS CEREMONY
The Super Chat gathering chamber manifested around him—dozens of floating screens, couches arranged in a wide circle, and the ambient glow of the digital sky overhead. The rest of the group appeared in flashes of light.
Moderator McGonagall stood at the center, green robes crisp, expression stern but unmistakably proud.
"Attention, all of you," she called, projecting her voice with that signature mixture of steel and warmth. "We have our first commissioned mission and its first successful completion."
7 of 9 stood upright, hands behind her back, posture perfect. Jax hovered a little awkwardly beside her.
McGonagall continued, "To 7 of 9, for taking the initiative to request and lead the first mission, and for demonstrating exceptional adaptability outside her native continuum, 20 points to Ravenclaw!"
A shimmer of glowing emerald light flowed into the holographic hourglass representing her house.
7 of 9 tilted her head. "Acknowledged."
"And to Jax Zod," McGonagall said, turning toward him. Her eyes softened. "For accepting the mission, displaying extraordinary bravery, and acting selflessly to save the U.S.S. Voyager—10 points to Gryffindor!"
The chat room erupted in gentle applause.
"Furthermore," McGonagall added sharply, "for risking life and limb to prevent catastrophic loss of life… an additional 40 points to Gryffindor ."
Even Professor Danner whistled.
Goku's grin stretched wide. "I don't get it, but it sounds fun!"
Tsunade smiled shyly, "Keep this up, and you'll give the whole house a heart attack."
But McGonagall raised a hand. "Let it be noted, these are house points, not personal points."
Jax nodded. "Right. Makes sense."
7 of 9 added, "I have calculated a 56% probability that house point accumulation will affect future group privileges."
Diamond Jack laughed, "Translation: I'm winning."
Jax checked his personal points; he had his original ten points and four points as his commission. It was four more points than everyone else. Of course, 7 of 9 now had zero points. He remembered his promise and was ready to fulfill it.
A QUIET CELEBRATION
The team lingered for a while. Goku swapped stories with Lord Rohlan. Tsunade drank tea and laughed, listening to Goku's story. 7 of 9 asked Professor Danner perplexing questions about bloodline limits.
Jax stood off to the side, watching it all. Comfortable. Content.
7 of 9 eventually took note of Jax and maneuvered her window to his.
"Your performance on the mission was satisfactory," she said.
"…Thanks?" Jax blinked.
She paused, head tilting. "It was an attempt at encouragement."
"Oh." He smiled. "Then you did great too."
A faint warmth touched her cheeks, almost invisible, but it was there.
He hesitated. "Listen. I'm going to send out another mission soon. This time, I thought… maybe you could see my world."
She straightened. "Your offer is noted. However, Voyager has only just escaped the void. The crew requires all available hands."
"I figured you'd say that."
"I will inform you," she said, "when my schedule permits further collaboration."
Something hung between them, an unspoken spark, brief but real.
Then she shimmered out of the chat.
And just like that, everyone else began logging out.
Jax stood alone once more.
TRAINING, RESTLESSNESS
Days passed.
Jax trained, pushing his upgraded physique through new thresholds—testing how much faster he could blow through the wind, how much harder he could punch through reinforced stone. His INT boost sharpened the world around him; sounds separated with cleaner clarity, patterns aligned themselves in battle simulations, and his problem-solving became instinctive.
Yet he felt… restless.
Maybe it was the disappearing memories. Maybe it was that moment with 7 of 9, or something else entirely.
He was running drills in the field his father bought, where he hid his ship, when his communicator flashed.
Incoming Message: Tsunade Senju
He tapped to accept.
Her face appeared anxious. The background was smoke, fire, and shouts.
"Jax, I need help."
His stomach dropped. "Tsunade? What happened?"
"The war's gotten worse." Her voice shook—not from fear, but from barely restrained fury. "My brother, Nawaki… he's taking insane risks. He thinks he's invincible. He's going to get himself killed."
Jax straightened completely. "Where is he?"
"On the front lines of the Grass border. Please." Her eyes softened. "I know you hate war. But I'm not asking you to fight a war. I'm asking you to save my brother."
Jax closed his eyes for a long second.
Then nodded. "I'll save people. That's all I want. You have my word."
Relief washed across her face. "Thank you. Truly."
Mission issued by Tsunade Senju.
Do you accept?
ARRIVAL IN THE WARZONE
The scent hit first, burning foliage, scorched metal, and the iron tang of blood.
Jax landed on a split tree stump overlooking a mud-soaked battlefield. Smoke curled from shattered kunai, broken spears, and ruptured earth. Explosive tags fizzled in the distance. The screams of wounded shinobi cut through the air.
And in the middle of it—
A boy with spiky short hair, a confident grin, and the Senju clan emblem on his jacket sprinted through the forest like it was a race.
Nawaki Senju.
The kid leapt into a clearing.
Right onto a pressure-triggered paper bomb lattice.
His foot was seconds from landing.
Jax blurred.
One second, he was on the stump.
Next, he was behind Nawaki, arm around his waist, ripping him backward as the trap detonated in a column of light and force.
The boy blinked in shock. "Wha—?! Who—?!"
Jax set him down gently.
Nawaki stared, then his face lit up like a sunrise.
"WOAH! You—YOU SAVED MY LIFE!" He grabbed Jax's arm like a starstruck rookie meeting his favorite hero. "Are you some kind of super shinobi? A legendary guardian? A—A Senju ally deity?!"
"…No," Jax said softly. "Just someone who didn't want to watch you die."
Nawaki's eyes sparkled. "Then you're the coolest person I've EVER met!"
Before Jax could reply, Tsunade appeared in a burst of smoke—eyes wide, breath catching when she saw them.
"N-Nawaki?" Her voice broke. "I thought— I thought you—"
"Relax, sis!" Nawaki beamed, pointing at Jax with both thumbs. "This guy saved me! And guess what? I've decided something!"
Tsunade blinked. "What?"
Nawaki marched right up to Jax's side, grabbed his arm again, and announced proudly:
"This man is the ONLY man I'll ever accept as your future husband!"
Tsunade froze.
Jax froze harder.
"…Excuse me?" Tsunade croaked.
Nawaki nodded vigorously. "Yep! Decision made! He's strong. He's smart. He didn't let me die. AND he looks cool! So there."
Tsunade buried her face in her hands. "Nawaki, not now—"
Jax felt his face heat. "I— uh— I think you're getting ahead of—"
"Nope!" Nawaki declared. "Destiny! I can FEEL it."
Tsunade shot Jax a sideways glare—half embarrassed, half intrigued despite herself.
He swallowed.
Very hard.
SETTING THE STAGE
The sky rumbled with distant detonations.
Tsunade took a steadying breath. "Thank you," she said quietly to Jax. "You saved him."
"I promised I would."
Her golden eyes lingered on him longer than before, thoughtful, appreciative… and questioning.
Jax forced himself to look away.
7 of 9's unreadable and beautiful face flickered through his mind.
Confusion twisted in his chest.
Not now, he told himself. Later.
Tsunade pointed toward the treeline. "We should get to cover. The fighting's getting worse by the hour. And… we could use someone like you."
Nawaki chimed in, "Yeah! You can help us end the war! Or at least help us save everyone! And then you can marry my sister!"
"Nawaki!"
"What? I'm being supportive!"
Jax couldn't help laughing.
Tsunade rolled her eyes, huffing, but the corners of her mouth curved up, just a little.
A warm, dangerous feeling stirred in Jax's chest.
7 of 9. Tsunade.
He didn't know what he was supposed to feel. And right now, he didn't have to. He would save who he could. He would face the war. He would find out who he was without his old memories.
And the rest… would come later.
For some reason, Jax placed his hands on his hips and focused toward where the heaviest sounds of battle came from, "This looks like a job for Superman!" Then he leapt away toward the fighting.
"Cooool!" Nawaki exclaimed, while Tsunade looked a little embarrassed. "He does look a little dashing," she muttered to herself.