A burst of gold light erupted from Gohan, surrounding him in golden fire.

"Here for a rematch?" Gohan snarled. Ares sneered.

"Hardly." Before Gohan could even blink, Ares whirled and pointed his sword tip at Percy's neck.

"One move, brat. Just try it." Gohan hissed in frustration, his eyes darting between Ares and Percy.

The war god glanced at their friends. "At ease, people."
He snapped his fingers, and their weapons fell to the ground.

"This is a friendly meeting." He dug the point of his blade a little farther under Percy's chin. "Of course I'd like to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see these two brats. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady."

"What lady?" Thalia asked.

Ares looked over at her. "Well, well. I heard you were back."

He lowered his sword and pushed Percy away. Gohan snarled, stepped into a fighting position.

"Hold on." Percy held his hand out, before turning towards Ares.

"Swear on the Styx that you're not going to fight us." The flames in Ares' eyes intensified.

"Don't trust me?" Then, he bellowed in laughter.

"Smart brat. Fine. I swear on the Styx that I won't fight you. Tonight only." The sky rumbled, signaling that the deal was sealed. Gohan frowned at Percy, but the latter nodded. Gohan reluctantly sighed, and then the golden glow vanished as he turned back to his normal form.

"Thalia, daughter of Zeus," Ares mused. "You're not hanging out with very good company."

"I prefer some more than others." Thalia looked at Gohan when she said the last part.

"What's your business, Ares?" she asked. "Who's in the car?"

Ares smiled, enjoying the attention. "Oh, I doubt she wants to meet the rest of you. Particularly not them." He jutted his chin toward Zoe and Bianca. Then, he looked at Percy.

"She wants to talk to you first, sea brat. Then the freak. Why don't you all go get some tacos while you wait? I bet the monkey is dying to eat something."

"We will not leave these two alone with thee, Lord Ares," Zoe said.

"Besides," Grover managed, "the taco place is closed."

Ares snapped his fingers again. The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life. The boards flew off the door and the CLOSED sign flipped to OPEN. "You were saying, goat boy?" Gohan tried to keep a stubborn look on his face, but couldn't help but look longingly at the taco restaurant. The smell wasn't helping him. His stomach was betraying him. And it was obvious.

"Go on," Percy said. "I'll handle this." He looked at Gohan.

"I'll get you when I'm done."

"You heard the boy," Ares said. "He's big and strong. He's got things under control." Gohan gave Percy one last look, and then raced towards the restaurant. The doors flew open and a pair of bells dinged as Gohan raced in. The restaurant was completely empty. But there was a large buffet table in the center of the room, piled high with steaming tacos. It almost reached the top of the room. A fountain drink dispenser sat against the back wall, labeled with every soft drink possible. Gohan's mouth watered.

By the time the others entered the restaurant, Gohan had already piled three plates high with tacos and was scarfing them down like a madman.

"That… is the most disgusting thing that I've ever seen." Bianca stared. Zoe scoffed.

"Men. Their eating habits are… repulsive." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Gohan ignored them. All he cared about was filling that hungry void in his stomach. He took a break only to chug down a cupful of Classic Coke.

"So- mfff- delicious- can't-mmm- stop." One thing Gohan never got tired of in this world was just the sheer variety of food. He always seemed to find something new.

Just as Gohan finished scarfing down the third plate, the bells dinged. Gohan looked up to see Percy enter the restaurant. Gohan froze in the middle of a taco. Percy had a strange look on his face. It looked like… well, he couldn't describe it. Anger? Frustration? Numbness? Percy walked straight to Gohan, looking down, staring at his best friend.

"Uhhh… you okay?" Percy nodded slowly.

"You're up." Percy turned, but then glanced back.

"You might want to clean up first." Then, he walked to the buffet table and placed several tacos on a plate. Gohan frowned, but stood up and wiped his face. Giving a nervous look at Thalia and the Hunters, he stepped out of the restaurant. Ares was exactly where Gohan had left him, still smirking as he approached.

"Enjoy the tacos, brat?"

"What the heck did you do to Percy?" Gohan demanded. The war god grinned.

"Not a thing, like I promised. She just has that effect on mortal idiots like you." Gohan stared Ares down.

"If this is a trick… I'll make sure that you don't reform for a long, long time."

Ares regarded him with loathing, then opened the limousine door like a chauffeur.

"Get inside, punk," he said. "And mind your manners. She's not as forgiving of rudeness as I am."

When he saw her, the saiyan's jaw dropped. Gohan had been struck numb before. But that had always been out of fear. But this… this was different. He forgot his name. He forgot where he was. He even forgot how to speak in complete sentences.

She was wearing a red satin dress and her hair was curled in a cascade of ringlets. Her face was the most beautiful he'd ever seen: perfect makeup, dazzling eyes, a smile that would've lit up the dark side of the moon. Gohan couldn't even describe what she looked like.

When she smiled at him, just for a moment she looked like Annabeth. Then, her blonde hair turned caramel with red streaks, making her look like…

"So you're the Otherworlder that has everyone all in a tizzy!" She looked him over and beamed.

"Uhhhhhh…" Gohan swallowed nervously. "Who… who are you?" she smiled.

"Why." the goddess said. "I am Aphrodite." His eyes widened.

"You're the goddess of love. Silena's mom." The goddess nodded.

"Yes. And I know who you are, Son Gohan." Gohan gulped. No one pronounced his name like that here. Aphrodite looked him up and down.

"So, you're the one who humiliated Ares when he stole that bolt."

"Ummm… you're not mad about that… are you?" The goddess beamed.

"Oh, of course not! That adorable lummox needed to be knocked down a peg! He's much more… passionate now.". Gohan slipped into the seat across from her.

He swallowed nervously. She smiled. "Aren't you sweet. Hold this, please."

She handed him a polished mirror the size of a dinner plate and had him hold it up for her. She leaned forward and dabbed at her lipstick.

"Do you know why you're here?" she asked. Gohan swallowed nervously. His tail twitched like crazy. Why couldn't he form a complete sentence? She was only a lady. A seriously beautiful lady. He never got like this with girls. Ever!

"I... I don't know," he managed. She frowned.

"Oh my." Aphrodite said. "Your naiveté is quite… adorable."

"Huh?" she leaned forward.

"Tell me, what are the girls like where you come from?"

"Ummm… I didn't really know any." The goddess' eyebrows rose.

"None?"

"Yeah… I kinda lived out in a forest my whole life. I didn't really go into the city much." The goddess smiled.

"My my, that explains quite a lot."

"Wait, explains what?"

Outside the car, Gohan could hear Ares chuckling. He had a feeling he could hear every word they said. The idea of him being out there made him angry.

"Look, I'm not exactly in the mood for talking about love-" Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes, all that. Not important." Gohan frowned.

"Still, I-"

"Tell me, why are you on this quest?" Gohan was taken aback.

"Well, to save Artemis-"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Oh, Artemis. Please. Talk about a hopeless case. I mean, if they were going to kidnap a goddess, she should be breathtakingly beautiful, don't you think? I pity the poor dears who have to imprison Artemis. Bo-ring!"

She made him hold the mirror a little higher. She seemed to have found a microscopic problem at the corner of her eye and dabbed at her mascara. " But my dear Otherworlder, that is why the others are on this quest. I'm more interested in you. So I'll asking you again: why are you on this quest?"

Gohan's heart pounded. He didn't want to answer, the answer just slipped out of his mouth. "Annabeth is in trouble."

Aphrodite beamed. "Exactly!"

"I have to save her," Gohan said. "No…. I need to save her." Aphrodite's eyes gleamed.

"That's so cute! But… tell me, why is it you have to be the one to save her?"

"I… I just need to!" Gohan shifted nervously in his seat.

"It- it's my fault she got captured to begin with. I need to make it right. I have to prove that-"

Aphrodite made a tsk-tsk sound. "Gohan, I'm on your side.

"I'm the reason you and your friend are here, after all."

He stared at her. "What?"

"The poisoned T-shirt the Stoll brothers gave Phoebe," she said. "Did you think that was an accident? Sending Blackjack to find Percy? Distracting those nasty harpies? Helping you both sneak out of the camp?"

"You did that?"

"Of course! Because really, how boring these Hunters are! A quest for some monster, blah blah blah. Saving Artemis. Let her stay lost, I say. But a quest for true love—"

"Wait a second, what?—"

"Oh, my dear. You don't need to say it."

He sputtered. "I don't know what—" Aphrodite smirked.

"Don't you?" Her eyes seemed to twinkle. Gohan's face flushed. He wasn't sure how he looked, probably like a tomato by that point.

"Then tell me, why is it you get so agitated every time that the son of Hermes is mentioned?" Gohan stiffened as a burst of lightning raced across his body. Aphrodite smiled.

"Because he's a traitor? A dirtbag, a monster, an asshole! A slick jerk who's making all of our lives miserable. I am so sick of the way that Thalia and Annabeth keep defending him! What is wrong with them?" Gohan's eyes blazed.

"Can you believe that Thalia had… had the nerve… to say that I was trying to come up with reasons that Luke is a monster? She said that I was jealous! Seriously? Me, jealous?" Gohan leaned forward, sparks dancing across his body. Aphrodite smiled, her hair shifting back to Annabeth's blonde curls.

"What in Tartarus do I have to be jealous of from that… that… asshole?! Annabeth deserves better! And she's never going to see sense until Luke is in the Field of Punishment where he belongs!" Aphrodite had a look of excitement on her face. And he could have sworn that the aura around the goddess seemed to be intensifying. She clapped her hands together.

"Put the mirror down," Aphrodite ordered. "I look fine." Gohan blinked several times, and then slowly lowered the mirror.

"What… what did you…"

"Oh, I simply coaxed out those pent-up emotions raging inside you. Quite the storm indeed." Then, Aphrodite smiled as her hair shifted back to carmel.

"So, who's Sadie?" Gohan sputtered, his face red.

"H-how?" The goddess tapped the side of her head.

"My my… you have a thing for strong, fierce-minded girls, don't you?" Gohan was so red now that he looked like a lobster.

"Now listen, Gohan," Aphrodite said. "The Hunters are your enemies. Forget them and Artemis and the monster. That's not important. You just concentrate on finding and saving Annabeth." Gohan blinked, his mind focusing on the mention of Annabeth.

"Do you know where she is?"

Aphrodite waved her hand irritably. "No, no. I leave the details to you. But it's been centuries since we've had such a good, tragic love story!"

"Whoa, first of all, I never said anything about love. And second, what's up with tragic?!" The goddess's eyes gleamed.

"Isn't it such a beautiful story? Two souls who never should have met, crossed paths through a chance, a twist of fate? Drawn to each other, even when the entire world is against them?" She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes.

"Oh, even the mere thought makes me emotional." Gohan wasn't sure why, but he held up a box of Kleenex to the goddess. Actually, he wasn't even sure where he had gotten the box from.

"I… I don't know what you want from me."

"Love conquers all," Aphrodite promised. "Look at Helen and Paris. Did they let anything come between them?"

"Wait… didn't they start the Trojan War and get thousands of people killed?" "Pfft. That's not the point. Follow your heart. That's how you'll find Annabeth."

"But... I don't know where it's going. My heart, I mean."

She smiled sympathetically. She really was beautiful. And not just because she had a pretty face or anything. She believed in love so much, it was impossible not to feel giddy when she talked about it. Even if she thought he was the subject of a love story that belonged in a cheesy romance novel.

"Not knowing is half the fun," Aphrodite said. "Exquisitely painful, isn't it? Not being sure who you love and who loves you? Oh, it's so cute I'm going to cry."

"No, no," Gohan sputtered. "Please don't do that."

"And don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to let this be easy and boring for you. No, I have some wonderful surprises in store. Anguish. Indecision. Oh, you just wait. What a wonderful, complicated web of love!" Gohan groaned.

"First I've got Athena telling me to stay away from her daughter because she claims that I'll bring Annabeth pain and suffering, and now this." Aphrodite scoffed.

"Oh, Athena. Ignore that stubborn ass. She is the last… actually, second last, Artemis first. Okay, second from last one who should be giving any type of romantic advice. Just ignore her and go with your instinct." Gohan moaned in exasperation.

"Can't you guys please give me a break?" She giggled.

"I can tell you this much: a difficult choice looms in your future. And that choice will have a heavy cost."

"Oh wonderful. As if my life wasn't grim enough already."

"You're so cute. I wish all my daughters could break the heart of a boy as delightful as you. And I will say, it's not from a lack of trying on their part. You wouldn't believe how often they've prayed to me to try and win your heart." Aphrodite's eyes were tearing up.

"I... really did not need to know that."

"Oh... you are a special one. And the fact that he's here... well, that just makes things far more interesting. It's been a long, long time since he came here." Gohan stared at the goddess in confusion.

"What?"

"Now, you'd better go. Remember, follow your heart's desire. That's the key."

"Wait… who are you talking about? And what did you say to Percy earlier?" She smiled.

"Do be careful in my husband's territory, Gohan. Don't take anything. He is awfully fussy about his trinkets and trash."

"What?" Gohan asked.

At that moment, the car door opened and Ares grabbed his shoulder, pulling him out of the car and back into the desert night. His audience with the goddess of love was over.

"You're lucky, punk." Ares pushed Gohan away from the limo. "Be grateful."

"For what?"

"That we're being so nice. If it was up to me—"

"So why haven't you killed me? Though I gotta admit, we both know you'd lose. Again." Gohan shot back. It was a stupid thing to say to the god of war, but being around him always made him feel angry and reckless. Not to mention Aphrodite had already screwed with his emotions something fierce.

Ares nodded, like he'd finally said something intelligent.

"I'd love to kill you, seriously," he said. "But see, I got a situation. Word on Olympus is that you might start the biggest war in history. I can't risk messing that up. Besides, Aphrodite thinks you're some kinda soap-opera star or something. Got a real thing for you. Frankly, it makes me hate you even more. So if I kill you, that makes me look bad with her. But don't worry. I haven't forgotten my promise. Some day soon, kid—real soon— you're going to raise your sword to fight, and you're going to remember the wrath of Ares."

Gohan balled his fists. "Why wait? I beat you once. How's that face healing up?"

He grinned crookedly. "Not bad, punk. But you got nothing on the master of taunts. I'll start the fight when I'm good and ready. Until then... Get lost."

He snapped his fingers and the world did a three-sixty, spinning in a cloud of red dust. Gohan fell to the ground.

When he stood up again, the limousine was gone. The road, the taco restaurant, the whole town of Gila Claw was gone. Gohan and his friends were standing in the middle of the junkyard, mountains of scrap metal stretched out in every direction.