'Well, this should be interesting at least.'
Granolah let out a series of rapid emerald blasts straight toward him. Each one had a subtle spin to them, giving them a piercing effect.
Knox stayed rooted in place.
Casually, he tilted his head left and right, letting the beams streak harmlessly by his face. Normally it would be impossible to accomplish that with how close the blasts were to each other, but his sheer speed made it effortless.
Then he cocked his head, his lips pulling into a grin.
Granolah's face darkened. "I'll make you take this seriously!" he snapped, rushing forward in a burst of speed.
He appeared in front of Knox mid-strike, his fists glowing with Ki. The Cerealian launched into a flurry of lightning-fast punches, each one targeted toward commonly known vital points. A jab to the eyes, a cross to a throat...
None of them landed.
Knox's grin faded as he matched Granolah's speed, yet still managing to brush the man's strikes aside with smooth movements. A soft push here, a sharp redirect there. Honestly, it was...
Disappointing.
"Is that all?" Knox remarked, his expression dipping into a frown. "This is kind of lackluster."
Granolah growled louder, his movements growing faster but no less ineffective.
Realizing the barrage wasn't working, he leapt back, pushing off Knox's chest with both feet to launch himself into the air. His scarf whipped around him as he ascended, before his hand snapped to grab it mid-flight.
Granolah flung the scarf toward Knox, the fabric unfurling to wrap tightly around his neck.
With an excited grin Granolah tugged at the scarf, pulling it taut. But in the same moment, Knox simply jerked his head back sharply, ripping him out of the sky and pulling Granolah toward him instead.
'He's in the air while I'm on the ground... did he really expect that to work?'
"Wha-"
When their faces were mere inches apart, Knox drove his forehead into Granolah's nose. A sickening crack echoed as Granolah's head snapped backward from the unexpected impact.
"Guh-!" Knox suddenly exclaimed.
Yet even as blood dripped from Granolah's face, he wasn't finished. At the same time he was brought forward, he'd brought two fingers forward in a split-second strike. His glowing fingertips aimed for Knox's stomach, jabbing precisely the same place he'd jabbed Goku in the manga.
Jumping back out of range, Granolah breathed hard through his bloody nose, grinning wickedly.
Dropping down to one Knee, Knox held a hand to his stomach.
Granolah smirked wider, pointing to his right eye. "This... is the sharpest eye in the universe," he said, his voice shaking a little. "I can see it all. Your blood flow. Muscle movements. Everything. And even a Saiyan as strong as you can't hide your vital points from my eyes. And now…" He raised his trembling hand toward Knox. "It's over."
Silence hung between them as Granolah stood there, waiting for Knox to inevitably collapse. His glare was laced with certainty, his breaths heavy but steady with confidence welling up in his chest.
...Knox snorted.
"Sorry, sorry, I just wanted to play a little prank," He said, standing up without any problems. He looked down at his stomach, then back up at Granolah. "But c'mon man, really? Didn't your people get killed for that eye? Why are you just explaining all of its abilities to me?"
Granolah's grin faltered.
Knox stood up straighter, stretched his shoulders slightly, and got ready to respond in kind.
"In any case, I don't have any weak points anymore." Mostly because of [Impact Resistance]. "But even if I did..."
Abruptly, Marzette was behind Granolah, a glowing Ki blade hovering dangerously close to his throat. His eyes widened as he looked down at it, clearly having forgotten that she was even there.
"You're way too tunnel-visioned," Knox quipped lazily, resting his hands behind his head as he watched the scene unfold. "Honestly, you're almost worse than Sasuke. Now, if you'd just listen-"
"HAH!" Granolah barked out sharply, releasing a burst of Ki from his body in all directions. The shockwave sent Marzette flying back, her feet leaving the ground as she tumbled through the air.
Her Ki blade clipped Granolah's shoulder, leaving a small but deep cut behind.
"Nngh-!" Granolah hissed as the wound bled freely. Without hesitation, he twisted mid-step and launched an emerald blast at Marzette as she flew backward.
Marzette's antennae bobbed as the energy shot toward her. Her body flipped gracefully in an instant, spinning to the side just so the blast could zip past her harmlessly. Her feet barely skimmed the ground as she landed in a crouch, her speed making her evasion look effortless.
Granolah turned back, teeth bared.
Knox was already inches in front of him.
In a blur of speed, Knox grabbed Granolah by the hair, yanking him up in the air with ease.
"Bad," Knox said coldly. "Don't interrupt me."
With that, Knox slammed Granolah face-first into the ground with a sound like two boulders slamming into each other.
Before Granolah could attempt to rise, Knox slammed his face down again and again. Each collision was deliberate, powerful enough to leave Granolah dazed but controlled so that it wouldn't cause permanent damage.
Granolah groaned into the dirt, trying to push himself up. "G-get off me!"
Knox sighed, shaking his head like a disappointed parent. "Get a grip, man." With a slight pull, he lifted Granolah's head just enough for the dirt to crumble away. Knox's fingers slipped beneath his Visor, lifting it just a touch to reveal his hazel irises beneath. "I'm. not. a. Saiyan."
He let Granolah get a good look at him before continuing. "If I was a Saiyan, you'd already be dead. Hell, I could've popped your head off countless times by now."
He dropped the Cerealian, the man hitting the ground with a dull thud. Knox straightened up and took a step back, dusting off his clothes.
Granolah groaned, dragging himself onto his hands and knees. His head hung low, sweat dripping from his chin onto the dusty ground. Slowly, he got to his feet, clutching his shoulder where the Ki blade from earlier had nicked him.
'Heh. Classic Vegeta pose.'
Breathing heavily, he kept his eye on Knox with a strained look on his face as if reassessing the situation.
"Then... who are you?" Granolah managed, his voice hoarse as he shot Knox a guarded glare. "And what do you want with me?"
"Finally," Knox rolled his eyes. "I was wondering when you were going to start applying those critical thinking skills of yours. You've gotta chill out."
Granolah didn't respond, merely looking at him with a stern look on his face.
"But, for starters, my name is Knox," he continued. "And my friend here is known as Marzette. And we are not your enemies, so you don't need to be so defensive."
Granolah didn't lower his guard, but he stood frozen as Knox stepped forward.
"You see, we have similar goals, you and I."
Knox continued, holding his outstretched hand steady.
"And I want your help in accomplishing mine."
Granolah narrowed his eyes, his exhausted body tense. Dust swirled faintly at their feet as silence stretched between them.
Then he pressed harder against his bleeding shoulder, glaring all the while.
"You think you can just... show up, throw me around and demand I help you? Are you insane? And if you aren't a Saiyan then what are you?! Because to me, you just sound like a crazy person looking for a fight!"
Knox frowned. "I didn't demand anything of you. And you attacked first, you know?"
"That's only because you look like a damn Saiyan!" Granolah growled. "And take off that blindfold, you look ridiculous!"
With a squint of his eyes, Knox had a quick realization.
'This isn't gonna work.' Granolah was so focused on the past that he couldn't see the present with any sort of logic. 'Just seeing a Saiyan look-alike is probably making him see ghosts.'
It was time to switch tactics.
"Haaahh," Knox sighed theatrically. "You're such a disappointment."
"What did you say?!" Granolah snarled.
"My goal is to kill that bastard Frieza," He dropped all pretenses. "And as far as I knew, so was yours. Except now I see that you've just been hiding out here, wasting away, while I've actually been out there doing something about it.
Granolah tensed at those words. "You don't know anything about me!"
"Oh, don't I?" Knox shot back. He took another step forward, forcing Granolah to instinctively take one backward. "I know a lot about you, Cerealian. You think I'm here by chance? Please. I know who you are, and I know what has been done to your people. I also know that no matter how long you fight, no matter how much you train, you're not gonna take him down alone."
Granolah flinched but quickly masked it with a snarl. "And you think you can?"
Knox suddenly stopped, his grin fading into something dangerously calm. His smirk was replaced by a cold, deadly intensity as his voice dropped lower.
"No," Knox replied simply, his hazel eyes gleaming faintly behind the Visor. "We can."
He watched as Granolah's stern expression faltered for a moment, those words poking on a crack in his stubborn armor.
Just one more push and he might give in.
"And honestly? You're just... pitiful," Knox commented casually, as if speaking about the weather. "You've been so blinded by your hatred for Frieza and Saiyans, you missed the bigger picture."
Granolah's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"The Heeters. They're the ones who orchestrated your planet's destruction. Frieza might have pulled the trigger, but they schemed to make it possible. And you've been dancing to their tune ever since."
Granolah froze, his mouth slightly agape. "...What did you just say?"
Knox's expression didn't soften. "Every time you've been out here brooding and picking fights with ghosts, they've been laughing at you, calling you pathetic while they profit off the ruin they created."
"Shut up!" Granolah barked, his grip tightening around his injured shoulder as his Ki flared up. "You're lying!"
Knox chuckled darkly. "Why would I lie about that? I don't need you. It would be nice, but it's not like you have anything I want. You were just the strongest pilot I could find on short notice because I can't fly my own damn ship."
Granolah blinked, stunned by the blunt admission. And then, to Knox's surprise, he actually laughed. "Of course! After all your lies and slander, at least you admit something close to the truth!"
He turned on his heel, starting to walk away.
"I'm done here. I need to get this wound patched up," Granolah said over his shoulder with venom laced in every word. "I don't have time to entertain you scammers."
"The Heeter thing wasn't a lie," Knox continued. "And I can prove it."
The Cerealian paused in his step, unable to help himself. His irritated curiosity was clear, despite himself.
"How?" Granolah demanded after a long pause.
"Simple. I just need to know their location, and I can retrieve the evidence."
Granolah visibly clenched his hand. "And what if you don't find anything?"
Knox's smirk returned, sharper this time. "Oh, trust me. I will. But just so we're clear; When I prove I'm right, you're coming with us. No more brooding on mountains and being generally angsty. We'll kill Frieza, and whatever evil Saiyans are left, and be done with it. Deal?"
The silence between them was thick with tension as Granolah stared at the ground. Then, with a low growl of annoyance, he slowly raised his hand in a finger gun toward Knox without turning around.
"Fine," he said flatly. "But don't expect this to matter. You're strong, but you're not remotely strong enough to deal with the Heeters yourself. Even with your pet assassin."
With that, Granolah fired a beam of energy straight toward Knox. It wasn't an attack but something far more precise. The emerald beam crackled and swirled as it hit Knox's forehead, streaking information straight into his mind.
Knox closed his eyes as the Heeters' location was imprinted in his head. A mental map so vivid it felt like he'd already flown there countless times before.
When he opened his eyes back open, Granolah had already flown away.
'That technique could be dangerous,' He thought, watching him disappear into the distance. 'If someone had an absurd amount of knowledge they could just transfer all of it at once, like Unlimited Void.'
Then again, if you had that much knowledge, you wouldn't need that technique to hurt someone.
His thoughts were interrupted when Marzette strolled up beside him. "Well," she said dryly. "I'm assuming that didn't go as planned?"
"Went perfectly, actually," Knox corrected. "Got him to agree as long as we find evidence he's being duped by an employer of his."
"How are we going to do that?" Then she tilted her head. "And... how do you know so much about this guy? I thought he was an Earthling, but you called him a Cerealian. And he didn't seem to know anything about us."
"Oh, that's easy," Knox replied flippantly. "He gave me their location, so we'll just go get the evidence from their base. And the Heeters are business partners with Frieza, so it's rather obvious that they arranged for his planet to be conquered by them."
"...And you figured that out on your own?" Marzette questioned, staring intently at him. "If it's that obvious, shouldn't he have pieced that together by now?"
Knox shrugged. "I guess he's not as perceptive as he thinks he is."
Marzette blankly stared at him for a full ten seconds before she responded flatly.
"I see."
Knox had no idea what she was thinking, but he had a question of his own. "Speaking of him, though, you got a good look at his power, right?"
The two took to the air, flying back to their ship leisurely.
"Yes, why?"
He gestured vaguely in the air. "Just curious. On a scale, where would you say his power ranks?"
Marzette let out a low hum of consideration. "I'd say…" she began slowly, "he's slightly stronger than the Saiyan we last fought. About as powerful, but more refined in terms of precision and technique."
"Oh?" He looked at her, his eyes gleaming with playful interest. "And what if you fought him? Would you lose?"
Marzette let out what sounded like a snort, a Ki blade crackling along her arm as she replied.
"Nah," she said casually. "I'd win."
__________
A/N: For some reason, the "publish timer"---the button that lets the author schedule chapters ahead of time, is complete garbage. It posts silently, so no one will be notified that the story updated.
This website gives me a headache...