*Phew! Sorry for the delay, but here's the final rewrite of Goku and the Olympians Chapters 1-10. It took a long, long time to write, so hope you guys enjoy it.
Chapter 10: Trial by Fury (Rewrite)
Ares's defeat brought upon a state of unrest throughout Camp Half-Blood. Not only was the Combat Arena left in ruins, but various trees in the forest were also burned to a crisp due to said god's attacks and droplets of fallen ichor. These trees were uprooted from the ground as well, forcing nearby satyrs and dryads to work on putting them back in place.
Unfortunately, due to it being around 10:30 at night, cleanup duty would need to be postponed until tomorrow morning. There was a strict rule about all campers being in bed by 11, so they couldn't risk going ahead of schedule. Even a colossal battle between Goku and the god of war could not deter the camp from following its oldest traditions.
Another factor preventing the campgrounds from being repaired was Goku's unconscious form. Due to the extent of his injuries, he had been knocked out for close to an hour now. Hestia had to move his body toward the Dining Pavilion's bonfire, so she had time to heal some of them. She additionally created a soothing aroma that would help him sleep through the pain a bit better.
Aphrodite was, obviously, worried sick about him. She wouldn't leave his side no matter what was said or done to prevent it.
"Get over yourself, Mom. The guy just went head-to-head with an Olympian god and won!" Drew said with annoyed click of her tongue. "He deserves some rest."
Before the love goddess could say anything in reply, Goku's eyes slowly, but surely fluttered open. He was a little delirious, but still awake, nonetheless.
"Shh! He's waking up!" Lacy whispered in excitement. She took after her mother and stayed close to Goku as well.
"Ugh. What happened? Last thing I remember was Ares turning into dust or something like that."
Aphrodite suddenly got emotional and hugged the Saiyan martial artist's body for dear life. Goku was pushed back a couple inches from the impact.
"Oof!"
"Oh, Goku! I'm so glad you're alright!"
He didn't quite know how to react to this gesture, so he just smiled and lightly patted her on the back.
"Hehe. Don't be silly, Aphrodite. Of course I'm alright. If I can survive Majin Buu, I definitely wasn't going to die by someone like Ares's hands."
"O-Okay. Just… please don't scare me like that again. I don't know what I'd do if I lost both you… and Ares at the same time…"
Nodding in understanding, Goku took a good look at his surroundings. He winced at the destroyed Combat Arena, feeling remorseful for the utter chaos and mayhem his fight with Ares caused. He also noticed the two separate groups standing before him; Artemis was accompanied by the Hunters on one side while Aphrodite's demigod children stood behind their mother on another. They each glared at one other, demonstrating their different perceptions of love visually.
Lacy, on the other hand, kept peering at Goku in awestruck amazement. The girl's brief glimpse of Super Saiyan 2 left a lasting impression on her, even if she didn't get to see it in action against Ares's Divine Form.
Hestia, noticing the pureblood Saiyan's discomfort, thought it best to help soothe his worries. She waved at him and continued emitting pleasant aromas around his more serious injuries.
"Don't look so down on yourself, Goku. Ares lost control and caused a wide majority of the damages himself. None of this your fault."
She then smiled at him, sporting a fiery, inviting gleam in her flaming red eyes.
"I know, but if I didn't let that dark ki take control of Ares, I probably could have ended this fight a lot sooner. And well, caused a lot less damage to my own body."
"You won in the end. That's all that matters." Hestia stressed in a kind tone. She then gestured to the spots where Ares stabbed, punched, and burned him. "Besides, I've already went through the trouble of closing up some of your wounds. Hope you can notice the difference."
Like she said, Goku noticed that his injuries were, in fact, taken care of. His body and face were clear of any notable bloodstains as well, a sentiment which the Saiyan greatly appreciated.
"Heck yeah, I do. Thanks a bunch, Hestia!"
The goddess of the hearth giggled. "You're very welcome."
Aphrodite puffed up her cheeks witnessing this "intimate" moment between them. She would have said something if not for Dionysus and Chiron's sudden appearance. The wine god took a final sip of his Diet Coke and lazily tossed it over his shoulder. The satyrs and dryads were not pleased by this action in the slightest, but he, of course, didn't care.
"Sheesh. If you could have ended this fight even sooner than you did, I don't think I want to imagine what you're like at full power." Dionysus grimaced. "You basically swatted Ares's Divine Form around like a housefly with that damn Super Saiyan thing of yours. Even I have to give you props for that one."
Chiron nodded in agreement. He lightly stroked his beard while inspecting Goku from afar.
"Indeed. Such a feat is quite… astounding by mortal standards."
Artemis stood up to share her own thoughts on the matter.
"Astounding doesn't begin to describe what Goku did. He singlehandedly defeated Ares in an uncontrollable state that made him far stronger and dangerous than usual. I cannot blame my father for sending the Hunters and I to capture him personally… even if he is innocent."
In annoyance, Aphrodite stood next to the Saiyan martial artist protectively. She assumed the moon goddess would attempt to turn on Goku any moment now.
"So what then, Artemis? Are you going to be against him in this stupid, nonsensical trial?"
The goddess of the hunt sighed at her fellow Olympian's spiteful attitude. It seemed like they'd never see eye-to-eye on any subject, including a person they both expressed admiration for.
"It's not that simple, Aphrodite. While I now understand that Goku is a gentle soul who won't pose an immediate threat to any of us, the same cannot be said for the other Olympians." She said truthfully. "Like Ares mentioned, my father, especially, will take his defeat as a declaration of war and jump at the opportunity to eliminate him at all costs. His dream and the Second Titanomachy's looming presences will not make this trial a fair one in the slightest."
Her half-brother's demise would certainly give Zeus more of an incentive to either trap Goku in Tartarus for all eternity or stop all bodily functions with a flick of his finger. Reality warping, in general, was a power all gods had the advantage in. Even Aphrodite could be capable of such a power during times of great stress.
From Goku's perspective, this was the second time a full-blown war was brought up in conversation. He saw some battles take place in Aphrodite's memories, but the existence of a current one wasn't mentioned until now. Maybe it was because she didn't have much involvement with it? The details are a bit too vague to say for certain. Even the name, Titanomachy, sounded foreign to him.
"Titanowhat now? It that what you call your fight against Kronos?"
A moment of uncomfortable silence then filled the air. Goku's unfamiliarity with Kronos and his Titan brethren was an issue they'd need to address pronto. The Titan Lord was, supposedly, eager to claim Goku as his next vessel, so the man needed to know more about this incoming threat before anything went awry.
Being aware of his existence beforehand, Kronos likely got the idea to pluck new allies from alternate universes and timelines as well. Many of them could be just as strong, if not stronger than Goku himself, especially if they originated from his own universe. Such a grim possibility would inevitably be discussed on Olympus once the trial began.
Artemis tilted her head to study Goku further. She squinted her silver eyes curiously, not expecting Goku's knowledge to be so limited. She assumed that Aphrodite would try to reveal key information about this Earth to better protect Goku, but then again, that was giving her far too much credit. The love goddess's mind, of course, was focused on doing something else at the time. Even an oblivious manchild like Goku could tell what her initial intentions were.
"I see. You really don't know much about our world or its history then, do you?" Artemis muttered.
"Not at all. But, to be fair, I've only been in this world for about a day." The martial artist replied. "The only stuff I know about you, Aphrodite, Hestia, and the others was gathered from reading Aphrodite's mind earlier today."
The goddess's eyes slightly widened at the mere idea of Goku being telepathic.
"You… can read minds?"
"Yep! I was able to take a look at Aphrodite's memories by placing my hand over her head. Been able to do it since the trip to Namek… uh…" Goku paused, attempting to count with his fingers. "…however many years ago that was. Hehe."
Although Artemis was unnerved by this ability, Dionysus, on the other hand, found the whole situation in general pretty hilarious.
"And you chose to use such a power on Aphrodite of all people? Pfft! HAHAHAHA! You poor, clueless bastard!"
Considering how many sexual encounters she's had in the past millennia, he probably wanted to gauge his own eyes out at the end out of sheer discomfort alone. That's what the wine god would do if he were in Goku's shoes, at least.
"Seriously, Dionysus? I'm still here, you know?" The love goddess growled. Dionysus, not caring about her feelings in the slightest, simply snorted as a response.
"Just being honest. We've slept with each other a few times and even I wouldn't want to relive those… moments back-to-back."
Goku, admittedly, wasn't aware of that detail. "Huh? You guys were together?"
Aphrodite shyly rubbed her arm and nodded. She felt a bit guilty sharing details about her past affairs and, for a lack of a better term, sexcapades.
"Yes. I'd be lying if I said we weren't… a couple at one point."
Dionysus rolled his eyes. "That was literally ancient history. And besides, Aphrodite's slept with myself, Ares, Hermes, Poseidon, and… pretty much anyone who isn't Hephaestus. So take anything she says about you being the "love of her life" with a grain of salt, kid. She's been around the block thousands of times and has just as many kids to back it up. You're not anything special to her, even if you did manage to kick Ares's ass."
The goddess of love was appalled by the absolute callousness laced within her fellow Olympian's words. She couldn't deny the amount of romantic partners and children she's had, of course, but her feelings for Goku were, unquestionably, genuine. It was the first time where she didn't want to break someone's heart and cast them aside.
Witnessing Ares's defeat was enough to show her that some changes need to be made. Becoming a better person was the only way to earn Goku's love and affection.
"Yeah. Seeing all of that stuff wasn't a fun experience, if that's what you mean. I've never read the mind of someone that old before, so it was super overwhelming."
Since Krillin's lifespan was obviously a lot shorter than a goddess's, he saw hundreds upon thousands of memories flash before his eyes upon contact. Aphrodite, however, did not like being reminded of her age and audibly gasped in appalment.
"G-Goku! Don't call me old!"
"Oh, whoops! That's not what I was trying to say. Sorry, Aphrodite." The Saiyan said while waving both hands in front of him. "It's just that, considering your age and all, I get it. I won't hold your past… um… relationships against you or anything. I personally don't agree with what you did to your husband, but… I never had an unhappy marriage or was forced to marry someone I didn't love. Even if she did kinda rope me into a promise I wasn't aware of, I still grew to love Chi-Chi… and part of me always will."
Aphrodite felt her heart skip a beat. All her doubts about Goku being able to love her slowly began to fade away in that moment.
"Really? It doesn't bother you?"
"Of course not! You're still my friend, Aphrodite. I care more about how you act now, not how you were back then. If I were that judgmental, most of my friends wouldn't even be… well, friends of mine." Goku chuckled. He then studied her youthful appearance, trying to figure out something to say that would make her happy. "And don't worry about your age. You still look pretty good for a thousand-year-old goddess… I guess."
It was a bit weird to compliment someone, especially another woman, about their appearance. Apart from Chi-Chi, he never really bothered paying attention to that kind of stuff. His obliviousness got in the way of noticing those details.
Aphrodite's cheeks burned a bright red. She didn't think it was possible to love Goku even more, but low and behold, it happened. All it took was one single compliment about her appearance.
"M-Me? Pretty good?" She then swooned while resting both hands together along her left cheek. "Oh, my Goku! You're such a charmer!"
"Hehe. You're welcome."
Artemis curiously darted her eyes from him to Aphrodite. She placed a hand underneath them, recalling what Goku said about their color a few hours ago.
Wonder how she'd react if I told her Goku complimented me first.
While she somewhat smirked at such a thought, Zoë wasn't anywhere close to being as amused by Aphrodite's behavior. She sneered in disgust, not understanding the purpose of fawning over a man. The girl crossed her arms and displayed a clear look of pity, more so towards this pathetic display of affection than Aphrodite herself.
"All thou speak is flattery, Son Goku. I bet thy enjoyment of Aphrodite's filthy antics was overwhelming for thee, rather than the actual discomfort involved. It's typical for a male such as thyself." Zoë grunted. "All men are a bunch of perverted pigs who can't control themselves. Ares set that example during this battle of yours and I'm certain thou are no different…"
Aphrodite glared at her. "Flattery?!"
She wouldn't stand to let a little man-hating shrew like Zoë Nightshade insult her Goku without good reason. She confidently waltzed up to the girl and pointed a finger right in her face.
"Alright, look here, Little Miss Feminazi! Goku is the last person you should even think of calling a pervert! If you wish to insult him without any evidence to back up your sexist nonsense, then be prepared to face my wrath!"
Zoë was taken aback by the goddess's hostile reactions. Nonetheless, she flipped her braid of hair back into place and scoffed.
"You are a frivolous goddess who favors sexual pleasure over thy own self-respect. Why should I listen to anything thou just said?"
Aphrodite's eyes glowed with magenta energy. "You arrogant little—"
Before she could forcibly try to turn the girl into an animal or worse, Silena held Aphrodite back by her shoulders. Drew and Lacy also helped keep her mother's anger under control.
"She's not worth it, Mom. It's not like these 'little girls' could even begin to understand what it means to love someone, anyway." She said. As the head counselor, the Hunters' denouncement of love and romance was, after all, greatly disrespectful to her.
Phoebe shook her head and shrugged.
"The love given to us by Lady Artemis is far more worthwhile than any man could possibly offer. Relying on men in such a way is disgraceful."
Drew rolled her eyes, finding such a statement ridiculous. "Right. Like remaining virgins for the rest of your life is so worthwhile."
"How dare you?! Our chastity is a privilege bestowed to us by Artemis herself!"
The children of Aphrodite and the Hunters of Artemis then began to exchange rapid-fire insults with one another. Phoebe, in particular, had to suppress the urge to punch Drew square across the face.
Hestia quickly stood in between each group before this yelling session got even further out of hand. She glanced from one group to another, frowning in a stern, serious manner. As the eldest Olympian goddess, solving public spats like this one were her specialty.
"Please settle down, everyone. We have more important matters to worry about." She said. "And arguing over your own interpretations of love shouldn't be one of them."
The two groups then begrudgingly complied with Hestia's orders and stood back a bit. Zoë, however, still felt somewhat confused by this statement.
"But understanding thou a virgin goddess too? Shouldn't thee agree with our side of the argument?"
Hestia shook her head. Her perceptions of love were notably different compared to her fellow virgins, Artemis and Athena.
"I may have remained chaste for these past few centuries, yes, but that doesn't mean love is a concept I completely denounce, child. I merely never saw an interest in experiencing marriage or motherhood myself." The goddess of the hearth continued. She glanced over at Goku with a small grin on her face. "Overseeing the development of old and new families is what I'm best at. It's why Goku's relationship with his wife and two sons caught my attention, in particular."
Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't entirely impossible for her to feel love for someone, even the romantic kind. There was just never any person she truly cared for beyond friendship or familial attachment. This especially applied to her former suitors, Poseidon and Apollo. Their countless, unrequited advances, in fact, led to her developing a child-like form, so her disinterest in romance was made more obvious.
Goku, however, was an exception. He was, by far, the most interesting man she's ever happened to come across throughout the existing multiverse. His purity and genuine care for his loved ones was definitely an appealing characteristic from her perspective. Getting to more about him, in fact, wasn't something she would be all that against.
"Since it's his fate that's being determined here in the first place, try to save these trivial arguments for another time. Is that clear?"
Her warm, yet stern gaze produce a sensation of calming heat amongst the Hunters of Artemis and children of Aphrodite. Zoë, Phoebe, Silena, and Drew, despite their differences, were unable to resist its effects.
""""Crystal…"""" They all replied in unison.
Pleasing with her handiwork, Hestia smiled a tad bit wider in appreciation.
"That takes of care of that then."
"Still not sure how I should feel about all of this. Being watched by so many of you… gods is kinda weird." Goku muttered, glancing from her to Aphrodite in quick successions. They had likely the seen the most of his life compared to the other Olympians.
"Mmhm. I suppose it is a tad strange. But such a situation could have been much worse."
"Yeah. I guess this trial thing proves that to be true."
He crossed both arms behind his head in deep contemplation. His fight with Ares, while entertaining, brought up far more questions than answers. For one, he still didn't even know where that dark ki inside Ares's body even originated from. It increased his Divine Power's strength exponentially, yet he didn't know why or how it did so.
Sighing, he absentmindedly glanced over at Camp Half-Blood's front entrance. It comprised of two marble columns that were ensnared by vines and some neighboring plant-life.
"Should we start heading out to Olympus now?"
"Well, given your prior injuries and how late it is, we could always try going in the morning."
Before anyone else, namely Artemis, could respond, an ear-splitting clap of thunder was heard coming from the skies above. Flashes of lightning encompassed the night sky, becoming even brighter with each consecutive strike.
Many demigods rushed to their cabins out of instinctual fear. There hadn't been a storm this bad since Zeus's Master Bolt went missing about two summers ago.
"Oh my," Hestia muttered, gazing up at the storm clouds forming above their heads. "That's not a good sign."
"Just as I've suspected. Father's patience is wearing thin." Artemis glowered.
The goddess of love scoffed.
"Typical old Zeus. Always complaining whenever things don't go his way."
Her foolish attempt at an insult was met with another thunderbolt striking down somewhere nearby. She then girlishly shrieked, fearing that the sky god managed to hear her somehow.
"You'd best hold your tongue, Aphrodite. You're already going to be in hot water once the others find out about your escape and Ares's defeat, especially his mother."
Aphrodite, after fixing up her tousled hair and dress, shrugged both shoulders with little concern. She was already on bad terms with the other Olympians, so there wasn't much left to lose on her end.
"Tsk. That ill-tempered hag can do whatever she wants for all I care. With my darling Goku here, she can't touch me!" She lovingly proclaimed. She then placed herself next to Goku's side and rubbed against his arm in an affectionate manner. He, of course, didn't know what to feel about this action besides confusion.
Artemis pinched the bridge of her and groaned.
"Why do I even bother?"
After taking a moment rub a hand over her face, she tightly secured her bow and quiver of arrows. Her long, orange ponytail flapped against the winds of Zeus's thunderstorm as she looked upon Goku. In the dark night, he noticed that her irises were glowing an even brighter, more translucent silver. They almost resembled two miniature full moons at first glance.
"I'm afraid we can't postpone this trial any longer, Goku. Are you ready to go?"
He gave her a small thumbs up. His shirt may have been left in tatters, but everything else about him, thanks to Hestia, was pretty much back to normal.
"Yep! I'm ready when you are, Artemis."
"Very well then. I, Hestia, and… ugh… Aphrodite will help escort you to Mount Olympus." She replied while nodding her head. "Expect the trial to begin shortly after your arrival, alright?"
"No prob! I'll try my best to understand Zeus and the others' points about… well, me, I guess. Hopefully I can resolve this whole issue with the bad dream too."
If Goku truly was stuck in this universe for the time being, he didn't want to make any enemies out of its inhabitants. He already regretted how his encounter with Ares turned out, after all.
Artemis nodded in slight sympathy.
"I'll have your word on that."
She'd still need to apologize for her unreasonable actions earlier. He had gone through so much grief and sorrow in the past, yet she unknowingly treated him like some insignificant animal for her to hunt down and incapacitate. Thankfully, Goku didn't seem the like the type of person to hold grudges or exact vengeance for past wrongs. Maybe that'd make the process of apologizing a bit easier for her.
Hestia walked up to Goku's side and smiled up at him.
"It won't be all bad. Believe it or not, there may be some Olympians who support your presence here."
"You think so? Huh. Wonder who those gods or goddesses could be." Goku thought curiously, trying to think of a reason for why the Olympians – minus Zeus and Hera – would want him to stick around.
"You'll have to wait and see."
She then paused to address Dionysus. He had lost interest in the conversation for a good several minutes now.
"You coming along, Dionysus? This trial technically requires your input as well."
Hestia did give up her throne on Olympus to him, so his opinion on the matter was, indeed, necessary to include. The wine god, however, did not agree with such a sentiment.
"No thanks. I'll sit this one out." He grunted in reply. "I'm not interested in witnessing a one-sided yelling session take place amongst the gods, especially with Okug being the focus of it."
He stretched out both arms, giving his aunt a look of sheer boredom. Yawning aloud, he then narrowed his eyes and glared up at the ensuing thunderstorm. He honestly couldn't care less if Zeus chewed him out for not attending the trial. It wasn't worth the effort.
"However, if Dad does ask about me, just say I vote for both sides of the argument. Whether he stays or ultimately leaves this universe, I don't really give much of a shit either way."
Hestia expected as much from Dionysus, so she didn't really see a purpose in persuading him to go. As a former alcoholic, he had a tendency to make up his mind quite fast.
"Fair enough. I'll let you how everything goes as soon as I return to camp."
"Works for me," The wine god grunted back. "Oh, and another thing…"
He raised up a single finger and pointed directly at Goku mere seconds later.
"If you do, by some miracle, win my old man's favor, you're picking up after Ares's mess and cleaning this place up! Got that, mortal?"
The martial artist blinked a few times in response to this request.
"Uhhh… sure, that's fine. I am partly responsible for everything that happened."
Nodding, Dionysus stuffed both hands into his pockets and passively spun around.
"Great. Wonderful. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go conk out in the Big House and get some much-needed shuteye." Dionysus said, waving farewell to Goku and the others with a passive raise of his hand. He also took the time glare at the Hunters of Artemis and Aphrodite's demigods before leaving.
"And all you brats better do the same thing! Get to bed and rest up! That includes you and your friends too, Nightshade!"
Zoë and her sisters-in-arms grew concerned by this prospect. Residing in an utterly contemptable place like Camp Half-Blood was something they could not accept.
"Go to bed? Here?! That's out of the question, Dionysus!"
"My word is law here, sweetheart. Deal with it."
Without another word, he shuffled toward the Big House and roughly slammed the door shut behind him as he walked in. Chiron was left to deal with the rest.
A dumbfounded Zoë could only look to Artemis for guidance.
"Art thou really going to leave us behind, my lady?"
"Afraid so. You and the girls aren't permitted to visit Olympus. The Empire State Building's elevator isn't big enough to fit all of you either."
"But us Hunters have just as much of a right to know about Goku's fate as thee. Can't thou make an exception just this once?"
Sadly, Artemis did not go back on her decision.
"That's how things have always been on Olympus, my dear lieutenant. I cannot go against its policies, even if it is concerning someone important like Goku." She then thinly smiled, resting a single hand on Zoë's shoulder to help comfort her. "Just for tonight, you girls can sleep in my cabin. The others should still be recovering in there, so I promise I won't be gone for very long."
Smiling back, Zoë kneeled down to the floor as a sign of respect.
"Understood, my lady. I will patiently wait for thy return."
"I will too." Phoebe added while adopting the same pose.
Artemis grinned some more. She couldn't help, but feel proud for their sense of loyalty in that moment.
"As expected of my hunters." She turned around to address the rest of her followers. "Follow Zoë and Phoebe's instructions while the trial is taking place, girls."
On command, the remaining Hunters all collectively bowed in perfect synchronization. Some even drew their bows as a physical sign of respect for their mistress.
"Yes, Lady Artemis!"
Seeing this, Drew stuck out her tongue and audibly gagged in disgust.
"Gross. What a bunch of kiss-ups…"
"It'd be nice if you could show me that type of devotion for a change, dear." Aphrodite muttered with a smile.
"No offense, Mom, but I'd rather throw up."
The goddess sighed. "Can't really say I'd be shocked if you did…"
Rolling her eyes, Drew rung her hair out in order to rid it of excess rainwater. Getting soaked was definitely one thing she despised with every fiber of her being. That and, of course, girls who claimed to be prettier than her, much like she assumed Silena did every so often.
Amongst Aphrodite's children, Lacy was the only one brave enough to step forward and address Goku directly. The blonde girl peeked up at him in nervousness.
"Um… Mr. Goku?"
He curiously locked eyes with the young demigod.
"Yeah? What's up, little girl?"
The low-class Saiyan then kneeled down to the ground, so him and Lacy could speak face-to-face. Feeling anxious, she rocked herself in place while avoiding direct eye contact.
"I-I… uh… I just wanted to wish you luck at the trial. It's not fair what the other gods are planning to do to you." She suddenly gained more confidence and beamed at him with a wide, enthusiastic grin. "So come back safe, okay? I really, really want to see more of those Super Saiyan thingies you used to fight Ares! They were awesome!"
Goku chuckled, reciprocating her smile in genuine appreciation.
"Thanks, kid! What's your name?"
"Lacy. I'm one of Aphrodite's daughters."
Aphrodite suppressed the urge to girlishly squeal at Goku's conversation with Lacy. His tendency to get along with kids made him even more desirable and attractive.
"Well, I can definitely see the resemblance, Lacy. Hehe."
Lacy's face lit up at the comparison between her and her mom's appearances. She always thought in her braces would get in the way of those features.
"R-Really? You think so?"
Goku affectionately pat her on the head, smiling. "Of course! I'll have to show you Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2 whenever I get back. Hope you look forward to it."
"I will! Good luck again, Mr. Goku! Teehee!" Lacy giggled in reply. Her cheeks were now burning a slight tinge of red.
"No need to be so formal. Just call me Goku."
"Okay… Goku!" Lacy nodded enthusiastically before rejoining her siblings. She had a slight spring in her step midstride. As per usual, Drew found such a display hilarious and worthy of contempt.
"Remember, Lacy. That guy could be our new stepdad soon." She jokingly repeated Aphrodite's own words to her.
"Hmph! Put a sock in it, Drew." Lacy spat, gaining enough confidence to defend herself against the half-Japanese diva's rude remarks.
"What… did you say to me?! Ergh! You're so going to get it, brace-face!"
Lacy, undeterred by such a baseless threat and insult, haughtily smirked at her.
"These braces might be part of my face, but at least I don't have makeup bleeding all over it!"
Drew gasped. She dabbed a few fingers on her face to see if this… terrifying claim was true. Unfortunately for her, some mascara was dripping along the sides of her face like Lacy said.
"That's it! Come here, you little—"
Before this argument could get even more heated, Silence abruptly scooted Lacy and Drew toward Cabin #10.
"Okay, that's enough, girls. Mr. D told us to go straight to bed once we get back to our cabin."
While Lacy and the others immediately followed her instructions, Drew still felt obligated to act rude and passive aggressive.
"Tsk. As you wish, Ms. Beauregard." She hissed while flicking her hair back and begrudgingly walking over to Aphrodite's cabin. The other demigods did the same as Lacy waved back at Aphrodite and Goku one last time.
Silena scrunched up her beautiful face in annoyance. She was starting to get frustrated by Drew's difficult, unruly behavior. She didn't even want to think what would happen if she somehow managed to become head counselor one day.
Breathily sighing, she fixed her blue eyes on Aphrodite and smiled.
"Best of luck on Olympus, Mom. Hopefully Goku's sentencing doesn't end up being too harsh." The young girl said. "He did save everyone at camp, after all."
The love goddess glumly nodded. "We'll see, sweetie. It could go either way at this point, so have faith."
After a moment of contemplative silence between mother and daughter, Silence opened the door leading into Cabin #10 and shut it behind her.
"So we're heading out now?" Goku asked.
"Afraid so. If we dare postpone this trial any longer, Zeus will throw an even more intense temper tantrum than this one." Hestia inferred based on prior experience.
"He's that impatient, huh? Hmmm…" The martial artist muttered to himself. Thinking over the fastest method of travel that could be used, a clever idea suddenly came to mind. "Oh, I've got it! Instead of walking all the way back to that Empire State Building place, how about we just use Instant Transmission?"
"Ah yes. That's your teleportation technique, is it not?" Artemis asked.
"Yep! Since that lady at the desk didn't seem human and her ki isn't as divine as you guys, she should be pretty easy to track down. I'll just need to focus." Goku exclaimed, noting the Mist's effects on mythological creatures.
Narrowing his eyes, he then placed two fingers on his forehead and keyed in on the woman's aforementioned ki signature. He siphoned through the various occupants living in Manhattan until, finally, Goku pinpointed her energy and exact location. She was, as expected, still working at the Empire State Building's front desk.
"Ah! There she is!" The alien warrior beamed. "Grab onto any part of my body, guys!"
Artemis proceeded to rest a hand on Goku's shoulder while Hestia latched onto his back. Aphrodite, on the other hand, took his words a bit too literally. She squinted her eyes and mischievously studied his body from top-to-bottom.
"Any part, you say? Mmmm."
The goddess of love then leeringly stared down at Goku's crotch, causing him to feel a bit uncomfortable. The fact that she started licking her lips didn't help much either.
"Uh… anywhere above the waist, I mean."
Aphrodite puffed up her cheeks and pouted at this correction.
"Hmph. You're no fun, dear."
Softly smiling in a more serious manner, she wrapped her arm around Goku's free one. He, of course, didn't show much of a reaction to it.
"How deplorable. Your mind is so deep in the gutter that it might as well become one with it." Artemis grunted in denouncement of the love goddess's inappropriate behavior.
"I was being playful! Lighten up, stick-in-the-mud."
Artemis grimaced. It was obvious that Aphrodite felt some remorse for taking Goku away from his home, but she still didn't seem any different from her selfish, immature self. It made the goddess of the hunt, much to her own surprise, concerned for Goku's personal wellbeing. After tragically losing his wife, he was, by far, the last man who deserved to be become Aphrodite's boytoy or one-night stand.
These childish jokes only served to exacerbate her annoyance further.
"This is a serious situation, Aphrodite. And one you inadvertently caused in the first place."
Hestia poked her head out from behind Goku's shoulders. Her small body was practically glued to Goku's gi as she used his shoulders as makeshift handlebars.
"Let's save this kind of talk for the trial, girls. We can't afford to waste any more time."
"I agree with that, but… why are you clinging onto me like that, Hestia?"
She shrugged with a grin on her face.
"No reason in particular, really. It's just more comfortable this way with my child form."
"Works for me." Goku replied. "Hang on tight, everybody!"
Fully locking onto Phyllis's energy, him and the three goddesses dematerialized into thin air. They all vanished in seconds, leaving no visible trace of their presences whatsoever.
Zoë and Phoebe, while somewhat taken aback by this bizarre spectacle, led the other Hunters of Artemis back to their cabin without another word. Chiron also felt somewhat relieved by Goku's departure. With him gone for the rest of the night, hopefully things at Camp Half-Blood could go back to normal. The same, however, could not be said for the Combat Arena. He wasn't sure if it would ever go back to the way it used to be.
The wise centaur trotted in a circle, attempting to take a closer look at the damages.
"Hm. Ares really did quite a number on this camp." He murmured in dismay. "I'm relieved that Goku ended up putting a stop to him in time, but… that dark energy they mentioned is still quite unsettling. Could this be my father's doing? If so, what could he have had to gain from corrupting Ares like this?"
While ponderously stroking his beard in thought, Chiron spotted something within the corner of his eye. He titled his head to see a shivering, visibly furious Clarisse La Rue hiding behind some trees. She was tightly holding Maimer in her hands as it glowed with red bolts of static electricity.
Her teeth were tightly clenched together in rage. It appeared that she had let a golden opportunity slip away.
"Any reason why you hesitated, Clarisse?"
The girl's eyes widened in surprise. She didn't think her hiding place would be so noticeable. "How did you know I was there?"
"I've trained heroes for centuries. It doesn't take much effort to spot a hidden combatant, even when their presence is well-concealed." Chiron explained. He examined the girl's current body language, noting that was she experiencing a lot of anger and pain in her heart. "Plus, your bloodlust is as clear as day. That's directed towards Son Goku, correct?"
Just hearing his name made Clarisse's blood burn to a prominent boil.
"Who else?! That damn bastard scattered my dad and his pride into a million different pieces! By the time he reforms, he'll be the absolute laughing stock on Olympus!" She yelled. Because of Goku, the other demigods would no longer feel any sort of fear or respect for Ares. They'd just laugh and insult the god of war as if he were nothing, but a joke. "I wanted revenge the very moment my dad disappeared. That Goku needed to experience just as much pain as he inflicted. That's why I planned to strike him with Maimer the moment he woke up and tried to walk away! But…"
She looked down at the grass in firm resentment of her own cowardice and, ironically enough, fear.
"… I couldn't do it! It wasn't because of Aphrodite, Artemis, Hestia, or those prissy Hunters being there. I hesitated to strike him down myself… because… because…" Clarrise collapsed onto her knees and powerfully slammed Maimer into the ground. Her tears were left hidden by the storm's rainfall. "… I'M TOO DAMN WEAK! I can't do anything against someone like him! What kind of pathetic excuse for a daughter does that make me?!"
Chiron could only look upon Clarrise in remorse. It was rare to see her feel this powerless and broken inside. She was never really the type to get emotional, so this moment of weakness was rife for concern. The centaur tried to think of a way to ease her sorrows.
"I realize your father's defeat is difficult to grasp, Clarisse. But unfortunately, Goku is an entity he was not prepared to face in combat. None of the Olympians are, in fact. Why do you think this trial is being held to begin with?" He replied in a serious tone. "There's so much left to discover about him. His power, his origins, his home, his friends, his enemies, and most importantly, what reason he has to fight in the first place. That level of anonymity to him… is what made this a losing battle for Ares from the very beginning. And for all we know, that could be a factor… Kronos wishes to rely upon himself."
Snorting aloud, Clarisse picked herself up and removed Maimer from the soil below.
"Tsk. I don't give a rat's ass about who he is! If Kronos wants him or whatever, then Zeus should just toss the bastard into Tartarus and be done with it. Maybe that'll be enough to keep my dad's honor as a warrior intact."
Chiron found this statement a tad bit ironic, given the dark forces Ares used to increase his Divine Form's power.
"Hmph. Well, if you are so determined to preserve Ares's dignity, then I suggest improving your own strength. A true hero always knows when to better themselves, even when it seems like there is nothing left to work on."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Chiron. You're acting as if I wasn't doing that stuff already." Clarisse grunted with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"That's not what I was implying, Clarisse. In fact, you could say I have a specific proposition that could help enhance your current level of strength."
The daughter of Ares paused to glance at Chiron suspiciously.
"What are you getting at?"
He tentatively scanned the premises, making certain that no demigod or Hunter of Artemis was listening in.
"It's not a subject that can be discussed out in the open like this. It's a secret scouting mission that concerns the fate of Camp Half-Blood itself." The centaur whispered. "We'll discuss more about it in the Big House. Mr. D was meaning to ask you about it for quite some time now."
Clarisse's interest in this proposition was piqued at the mere mention of Dionysus being involved. If he came up with this mission, then it must have been a pretty big deal. The wine god was never one to hand out quests without good reason.
She then motioned for Chiron to lead her to the Big House.
"Alright. You've got my attention."
Upon reaching its front entrance, Chiron approached a magical wheelchair that was set alongside the building's doorway. He ran into it and transfigured his horse body into human legs. Afterwards, he opened the door and entered it.
Clarisse quietly followed him up the Big House's stairs, using a Maimer as a walking stick of some kind.
"Could you at least tell me where this scouting mission will take place?"
From inside, Chiron addressed Clarisse with a serious, momentarily disparaging gaze. He closed his eyes for a moment before motioning for the girl to listen in.
"Tell me, Clarisse. How much do you know about… the Labyrinth?"
Her eyes widened in shock. If this mission did indeed involve Daedalus' Labyrinth, there was definitely some trouble brewing. And she wondered if it correlated with Goku's appearance somehow.
Back in New York City…
Being late at night, the Empire State Building's was empty for the most part. Each of the businessmen and women that worked there all went home a few hours prior, so its elevators weren't now vacant. The only people left were security guards scattered throughout every story and Phyllis, the lobbyist Goku encountered earlier.
She typically didn't take the night shift, but due to Olympus going through a substantial crisis, desperate times called for desperate measures. In fact, she alone was personally tasked with being on the lookout for Artemis and Goku.
Unfortunately, even hours later, neither of them ever bothered to show up. She didn't know whether to feel annoyed or slightly relieved. From the very moment Goku exited Olympus's elevator, she knew there was something… unusual about him. There was, of course, the gravity-defying porcupine hair on his head, but even his martial arts uniform and general demeanor were a bit off. And despite his innocent-looking facial expressions, he was far from being characterized as such. He unquestionably had the eyes of a fierce warrior who was willing and able to put up a good fight if need be. It was the main reason why she reported him to Zeus, after all.
Regardless of what she felt, the portly nymph still wished that something interesting could happen. Sitting at a desk all day wasn't what she or anyone would consider their idea of fun. She yawned and rested her elbow on the desk in boredom.
"Figures. The trial of the millennia is about to start, yet here I am doing pointless deskwork… again…"
She slumped down into her seat and checked the time.
"Like come on. It's 11:00 already. If Lady Artemis and that Son Goku character were going to show up, they would have popped in and—"
Then, out of nowhere, Goku transported himself into the front lobby with Artemis, Aphrodite, and Hestia accompanying him. This caused Phyllis to girlishly scream in complete surprise.
"SWEET MOTHER GAEA!" She shrieked. The nymph flinched and was painfully flung out of her seat by accident. This scattered paperwork and miscellaneous items all over the place, much to Goku's confusion.
"Owwwww. That hurt…" Phyllis struggled to stand up straight and sported a look irritation on her face. "Stupid human disguise…"
After regaining her lost composure, she was met with the concerned stares of Artemis, Aphrodite, and Hestia. She grew speechless, not expecting to see so many Olympian goddesses at the same time. The lobbyist pointed from one goddess to another in quick succession.
"M-My gods! Lady Artemis? Lady Aphrodite? Lady Hestia?" She murmured. She was then further startled by Goku's returning presence, whom just nonchalantly waved at her as a greeting. "With you?!"
"It's Goku, by the way. Nice seeing you again."
Phyllis took a deep breath, replacing her prior nervousness with neutral indifference.
"I am fully aware who you are, Mr. Son. Lord Zeus has been waiting quite some time for your arrival."
"Yeah, I know. Let's just say I experienced some… erm…"
He struggled to put everything that took place between his arrival and now into words. From eating lunch with Aphrodite to "killing" a god of war in combat, this turned out to be a fairly eventful first day in this new universe.
"Technical difficulties. Very important and time-consuming difficulties." Aphrodite finished Goku's sentence with a nervous grin.
Phyllis nodded along and clasped her hands together.
"I see. That still won't be an acceptable enough excuse, though."
"We are well aware of that. Now, may you grant us access to Olympus, miss?" Artemis asked in a polite tone.
"Of course, Lady Artemis."
The nymph happily complied with the goddess of the hunt's request and handed a golden-black key card to her. The Greek letter, Ω, was imprinted directly in its center.
"Thank you."
Artemis lightly bowed in appreciation before walking past the elevator's security gates. Goku and the other two goddesses followed after her.
"Thanks for the help again, Phyllis!" The martial artist said while happily waving at her.
She grew puzzled once more, wondering why this alien was acting so calm and, for a lack of a better term, friendly towards his potential enemies.
"Sure…"
As Goku walked away, she shook her head and began picking up the various papers that fell off the desk. The Saiyan and the three goddesses then continued walking to their next destination.
He suddenly glowed his pace to glance back at the goddess of the hearth's orange, fiery eyes.
"You can get off of me now, Hestia. I probably won't be using Instant Transmission again."
She shrugged in ever-so-slight disappointment.
"I was planning to stay like this until we reached the Hall of the Gods, but if you say so."
With that, she hopped off Goku's back and began walking beside him. The man sheepishly rubbed the back of his head in an apologetic manner.
"Sorry about that. You were just getting a bit too heavy."
This may have offended her in any other situation, but she found Goku's way of saying it pretty amusing to say the least.
"That's not something you should say to a woman, Goku. Hehe."
Her child-like giggle was practically contagious for the adult Saiyan. He couldn't help, but join in and laugh along with her.
"Whoops! You're right. I made that same mistake back when Chi-Chi was pregnant with Gohan." He massaged his neck, almost feeling the impact of his wife's trusty frying pan from entire universes away. "She didn't take it too well. Haha."
Chi-Chi's temper was quite scary at times, but he loved that aspect of her personality, nonetheless. It was honestly a bit Saiyan-like in her own way, which Goku found attractive at times.
Aphrodite sighed by this casual mention of Goku's past life with Chi-Chi. She understood that it would take far more than just a day for him to move on from his wife, but for her, the goddess of love, it was still a frustrating experience to endure. Her intense, six-month long adoration for the man was simply too overwhelming.
She bit down on her lower lip, trying to think up some way to win Goku's heart. Although it may take months or even years for it to happen, she would continue to fight for his love and respect no matter what. Even Artemis and Hestia wouldn't stand in her way; if they continued to keep butting in, that is.
With Chi-Chi still on his mind, I'll need to bide my time and make sure I'm always there to support him emotionally. Keeping my advances more subtle than outright flirtatious is key for a man like Goku. He may be grieving inside, but I'll be there to mend his broken heart and establish my own special place within it. It'll proper push in the right direction towards gaining his love all to myself!
A genuine friendship with Goku would need to be established beforehand. Then, if all went well, feelings would naturally progress from that point onward. Deciding to keep these thoughts at bay for the time being, Aphrodite continued listening in on Goku's conversation with Hestia.
"You don't mess with a woman when she's pregnant, Goku. I know that well enough from helping my younger sister, Hera, give birth." The goddess of the hearth said. Just thinking about Hera's pregnancy with Ares made a prominent shiver go down her spine.
Goku's face grew curious at the mention of Hera. "Oh yeah. She's the Queen of Olympus, right? Wonder what she'll think about me…"
All three goddesses suddenly avoided eye contact with him.
"What? Was there something I said?"
Artemis glanced back at Goku with a stern expression on her face.
"Apologies if this sounds harsh, but in all likelihood, Hera will despise you the most."
Hestia and Aphrodite nodded their heads in unanimous agreement. The goddess of marriage had a foul temper that could even rival Zeus's.
"More than likely, yes. She doesn't take too kindly to outsiders… and those who end up threatening her children."
Goku lightly gulped. He didn't even think of that connection.
"But Ares was the one who started the fight. Hera won't hold that against me, right? Since I was acting in self-defense?"
These questions were followed up by a prolonged stint of awkward silence.
"Guys?"
Aphrodite rested a hand on Goku's shoulder and lightly squeezed it.
"That's just not the type of goddess Hera is, dear. She's always held for extremely petty reasons. All Olympians have at one point." She almost regretted to inform. Even the love goddess didn't want to be chewed up and spit out by Olympus's queen either. "You'll see that for yourself, eventually."
Goku slumped his shoulders and sighed aloud. If only Ares could have managed to survive their fight without being crumpled to dust.
"Not looking forward to meeting her then…"
All four of them then continued walking toward the Empire State Building's main elevator. Standing beside it was the same security guard Aphrodite "persuaded" into helping her bring Goku to this universe.
The overweight guard anxiously looked around, observing the premises in clear nervousness and discomfort. It appeared that the guilt of being involved in such a serious crime against Olympus was eating him up inside. The recent announcement of a trial at the Hall of the Gods didn't do much to calm his nerves.
Groaning over his unfortunate luck, the inexplicable sight of Aphrodite, Artemis, Hestia, and some random, spiky-haired buff dude made things even worse. He broke into a cold sweat and had no idea what to do. They were all coming his way.
Don't look at her. Don't look at her. Don't look at her. He thought while darting his eyes away from Aphrodite.
Artemis held out the key card and showed it to him.
"Bring us to the 600th floor, please."
"Y-Yes! Right away, milady!" The mustached security guard said.
He then shakily took the key card and place in a special built into the wall. With a soft clicking noise, the elevator doors leading to Mount Olympus were revealed to them. It glowed with an ethereal, otherworldly sheen of golden energy like before.
Aphrodite looked inside, noticing that four people couldn't really fit in there all at once.
"I have a feeling this is going to be a tight squeeze." Taking notice of the security guard's discomfort around her, she mischievously winked at him. "Not that I have a problem with that."
This wink and comment caused the security guard to squirm in even further discomfort.
Gods, they don't pay me enough for this job… The guard sighed whilst shaking his head. Actually, now that I think about it, do I even get paid at all?
As Artemis motioned for Goku and her fellow goddesses to pile in, the guard thought over his average salary or lack thereof. Deciding not to dwell on it, he ultimately shrugged his shoulders and got back to work. It's not like a disguised mythological creature like him needed money, anyway.
Eh, whatever. At least Lord Zeus didn't find out I was involved with that Goku guy's arrival. He thought in relief. His eyes then widened at the sound of thunder roaring from outside. The Empire State Building's lights ever-so-slightly flickered in response to said storm. O-Or did he?
Maybe his chances of being fired or struck by Zeus's Master Bolt weren't so farfetched, after all. He then sat back in his seat, praying that he wouldn't have to find out for himself.
Inside the elevator itself, the doors shut behind them as Artemis, Aphrodite, Hestia, and Goku all successfully entered it. It was a lot more contact and tight than he remembered it being. Just standing in the middle was enough for each goddess to accidentally press their bodies against him.
"Well, you were right about this elevator being tight, Aphrodite. You guys are smooshing me!" The martial artist said in a muffled voice. Hestia climbed atop his shoulders once more while Aphrodite and Artemis pushed back against his arms. The moon goddess found this situation mildly irritating, but the goddess of love, of course, felt the exact opposite.
"Told ya, sweetie! Don't worry, though. I promise to be gentle." Aphrodite whispered. She then snuggled further into Goku's side, much to Artemis's visible disgust. Scowling to herself, she pressed the command module's 600th button and stood back.
"Brace yourself, everyone."
The elevator, upon activation, uncontrollably shook from side to side and glowed with a golden, divine aura. After a few more moments of rabid reverberation, the elevator rocketed up to the Empire State Building's topmost floor. The number indicating which floor they were on cycled from 1 to 500 in mere seconds, showing them just how fast it was able to move.
Once the number, 600, popped up, the elevator dematerialized in a flash of blinding divine light. Reality itself distorted around Goku and the three goddesses while teleporting, making the laws of space-time difficult to comprehend.
Their very limbs seemed to squash and stretch in various, nigh-impossible position, causing Goku's eyes to spin around from extreme dizziness. Thankfully, due to his mastery of Instant Transmission, this similar type of teleportation wasn't too difficult to adjust to. Then again, he already experienced part of it when first arriving here.
Finally, in a massive sonic boom of erupting photons, the elevator's ascent came to a sudden, abrupt halt. Any sort of shaking and unrest it once went through had ended. While the trip felt much longer to Goku timewise, it, in actually, lasted about 1 second. That was how incredibly fast the elevator to Mount Olympus truly was, even when damaged by Goku's past usage. However, it still paled in comparison to the full capabilities of Goku's Instant Transmission technique. That didn't makes its mental strain any less exhausting, though.
"Man. Even going through it a second time made my head spin." He groaned.
The elevator's doors opened up, revealing a staircase made of puffy, white clouds. He tentatively placed one foot on the cloud, surprised that it could maintain his bodyweight without dissipating. It somewhat reminded him of how the Flying Nimbus worked, but far more widespread.
"You're not alone, Goku. Aphrodite, in fact, got motion sickness the first time we started using this elevator. And by motion sickness, I mean the very bad kind." Hestia informed, rubbing her stomach to show what she meant.
Aphrodite placed both hands on her hips in embarrassment.
"TMI, Hestia! TMI!"
"Sorry. Couldn't resist." The goddess of the hearth giggled.
Artemis, being the first one to exist the elevator, gazed up at Olympus's peak in concern.
"Anyway, let's officially get down to business." She grunted. Looking over at Goku, she gestured to the entire domain with her right hand. "Welcome to Mount Olympus."
Goku marveled at the sheer size of Olympus, looking upon each temple and mythical inhabitant in sheer awe. His attention was particularly drawn to the mountain's peak, where a massive palace was located. This must be the building where his trial was going to be held.
"Wow! It sure it a lot bigger than Aphrodite's memories made it out to be."
Expecting this response, Artemis flipped her ponytail back and smirked. Her hair managed to smack Aphrodite straight across the face, much to the love goddess's annoyance.
"To be fair, everything is a lot smaller from the perspective of Aphrodite's mind."
"Really? You're joking about me being dumb now? Gee. How original."
The moon goddess glared at her. "I'm just being factual. Your shallow, self-centered view of the world and universe is what caused this mess in the first place."
Aphrodite took his insult in stride and fired back.
"Says the man-hating feminist." She retorted with a smug grin on her pink lips. "But you do make a good point. Everything is a lot smaller compared to myself."
She then proudly puffed out her chest, emphasizing the large size of each breast. Adding further insult to injury, the love goddess gestured to Artemis's comparatively smaller ones. This action caused Artemis to blush and cover herself in pure, reactionary anger.
"Grrgh! You putrid harlot!"
"Sexist prude!"
The two goddesses got into each other's faces, just barely suppressing the urge to fight one-on-one. Thankfully, Hestia was there to help calm them down.
"That's enough, girls. We have a trial to attend, remember?"
Artemis nodded, turning away from the goddess of love with a vindictive, yet serious frown.
"Right. Do forgive me for that minor setback, Hestia."
She darted her eyes toward Aphrodite at the word, 'minor', in that sentence. Aphrodite haughtily upturned her nose and stood beside Goku with crossed arms.
"Hmph!"
Ignoring her, Artemis cleared her throat and pointed to Olympus's peak.
"As I was saying, just follow up these stairs to the Hall of the Gods. I'll personally escort you there."
"Alright. Sounds good to me." Goku said.
The four then walked up one step after the other, making a slow, evenly paced trek across Mount Olympus. While moving, Artemis looked over at Goku's figure with a slight sense of guilt.
Well, if I wish to apologize, this is a good opportunity to do so. Not sure how to word this exactly, but I'll try my best… She thought. Apologizing to someone, especially a man like Goku, was quite a difficult task for her to perform. My honor as a hunter and warrior hinges on it.
She took a closer look at Goku's face, wondering how he could still smile after going through so much pain and tragedy in his life. He had endured so much hardship, yet still kept moving forward, regardless.
Despite the strict oath she set up for the Hunters and herself, Artemis couldn't quite suppress the admiration she felt for Goku in this moment. He stood tall and faced his potential doom with a goofy, carefree attitude. Such bravery would make this apology even more difficult to pull off.
This will definitely go against my views of men, but… I suppose there are always exceptions to the rule… he used to be…"
Remembering the only man she grew to respect was painful for Artemis, even thousands of years after his original demise. The fact that Goku and him shared some similarities didn't help much either.
Here goes.
Artemis took a deep breath and gained enough courage to speak with Goku man-to-goddess.
"Goku…"
"Yeah? What is it, Artemis?"
"I… I just wanted to apologize for what I've put you through these past few hours. After getting to know you more… and seeing you fight, I realize what my hunters and myself have done… was wrong. And maybe even a little misguided."
For a few moments, a glint of genuine remorse appeared in her silver eyes.
"I can't bring myself to believe what my father's vision foretold. In truth, a kind-hearted man… no, person like yourself doesn't deserve to be hunted down like some uncontrollable monster. I hope… you can find it in your heart to forgive me… for believing such an idea to be true."
Goku, Hestia, and Aphrodite were taken aback by this heartfelt statement. Artemis wasn't usually one to fall back on her own decisions like this. Due to how genuinely apologetic she appeared to feel, the Saiyan martial artist smiled at her.
"Don't sweat it, Artemis. You were just doing what was best for Olympus at the time. If someone weird showed up on my planet all of a sudden, I probably would have done the same thing."
Artemis's silver eyes widened in response.
"Y-You're not upset by it?"
"Why would I be? Remember, I agreed to attend this trial thingy of my own free will. It'll help me get to know more about you gods and stuff. I don't want to have a repeat of what happened with Ares and just needlessly fight for the sake of fighting." Goku explained, revealing that he wanted to form a compromise with the Olympians. He then clenched one of his fists in excitement. "Cause if I ended up scattering all of you guys, the opportunity for you to train and get stronger couldn't happen! I mean, Ares, at full power, was able to make me use Super Saiyan 2, so what kind of power could Zeus have? It'll be all sorts of fun to find out, no doubt! Hehe!"
While such a childish claim was absurd to say the least, Artemis couldn't help, but smile at him in amusement. His enthusiasm was just far too contagious for her to ignore.
"Hehe. You really are a strange one, Son Goku…" She lightly giggled, much to Goku's confusion.
"Strange? What do you mean?"
Artemis, reverting back to her stern, serious self, just shook her head dismissively.
"It's nothing. Let's just keep moving."
The group then continued walking, getting closer to reaching the Hall of the Gods.
You are indeed strange, Goku, but… that's what makes you so fascinating compared to other men I've met in the past. Artemis thought. Based on his demonstration of the Kaioken from x1 to x20, training with the martial artist would be an interesting experience she'd need to partake in soon. Perhaps this trial won't go as badly as I've predicted. Only Goku himself can be the judge of that, but I'm sure his character will be enough to win over the others' favor. Father, however, is another story entirely…
As she carried herself up the stairs, Olympus's peak became even more visible.
"Would you want me to get stronger too, Goku?" Aphrodite shyly asked.
"Of course! I can already tell you have loads of untapped potential. You were able to hold off Ares pretty well, after all, so maybe some of the other Olympians would be no different."
Goku lightly patted her on the back and smiled. Her cheeks immediately reddened in response to the slightest touch of his hand.
"T-Thank you, sweetie! I'll definitely keep that in mind!"
From her perspective, sparring with Goku didn't seem like such a way to strengthen their bond. Apart from food, training and exercise could be the true key to his heart. I'll see what I can do once this trial is over.
After widely smiling at him, the martial artist brought up a question he was meaning to ask Aphrodite since they first met.
"By the way, why do you keep calling me, sweetie, and those other names all the time?"
"No particular reason. It's just how I show affection to people… I care about the most." Aphrodite replied in a soft voice. "Do you not like it?"
She frowned, feeling somewhat saddened by Goku feeling uncomfortable with her little pet names. She was hoping he'd call her that too, eventually.
"Nah, I'm alright with it. It's just sorta… weird for me, if that makes any sense." He muttered. "Not because of you or anything, Aphrodite. It's mainly the fact that Chi-Chi called me that stuff all the time and… you know…"
Aphrodite hung her head a little lower and nodded in understanding.
"Oh. I see…"
Hestia lightly tugged on Goku's pant leg to help comfort him.
"I'm certain Chi-Chi is in a better place now. After all the time you've spent together, she deserves to be."
"Yeah. Hope so."
He knew for certain that she was in his universe's equivalent to Heaven by now. He'd have to come visit her there someday.
Artemis then placed a single hand in front of him, Aphrodite, and Hestia. They were now standing before the Hall of the Gods itself. It was a large palace akin to the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, but almost a few thousands of times bigger. Goku and the others were mere specks by comparison.
Extremely realistic statues of each Olympian, including Hestia's true, adult form, were also situated along either side of the staircase leading into the temple. These marble statues were accurately scaled in terms of proportions and size too.
Directly above them, an immense storm cloud in the shape of Zeus's face presided. It fiercely glared down at them, sporting vacant eyes that glowed electric blue with each consecutive strike of lightning. Artemis stared up at this recreation of her father in chagrin. It'd be difficult for to excuse her poor timing and lack of results.
"Well, we've arrived. It's now or never."
"Don't worry, Goku. I'll try to support you as much as I can." Aphrodite promised while brushing a hand down his shoulder.
"That is, if my father even allows you to participate."
"Oh please. Even Zeus can't stop me from defending Goku's honor!" The goddess of love proudly remarked.
Goku smiled at each goddess. "Thanks a lot, guys. I appreciate the help."
While Aphrodite and Hestia smiled back, Artemis sighed aloud in dismay. She really didn't want Goku to go through all of this drama. Even she couldn't handle some of their petty arguments at times.
"Save your thanks for when the trial is over, Goku."
The group then entered the Hall of the Gods, preparing to attend the trial that would decide Goku's fate in this new universe. If they were lucky, he'd be able to somehow win Zeus's favor and get off scot-free. Such a possibility would be equivalent to catching lightning in a bottle, unfortunately.
Within the Hall of the Gods…
Zeus tirelessly drummed a few fingers on his throne's armrest, still waiting for Artemis to bring the alien, Son Goku, before him. Hera, in contrast, could not contain her impatience any longer. She ground all ten of her purple fingernails across her throne's surface in absolute vitriol.
On top of humiliating her son in direct, hand-to-hand combat, Goku making her and the other Olympians wait was beyond inexcusable. The urge to toss him into Tartarus's pit had never been stronger.
"This is a waste of time, dear. We could have easily attacked him all at once and disposed of that foolish mortal for good." She glowered. "Yet instead, you decide to wait for Artemis to return…"
"Our powers combined may be enough to potentially vanquish Son Goku, yes, but remember who we are dealing with here. His Super Saiyan 3 form alone could match my own Divine Form in strength, and overpower the others'. And quite easily, if I might add." Zeus gravely replied. This third Super Saiyan form was, in a sense, Goku's own Divine Form and one that didn't even utilize divine energy. "As much as it infuriates me to no end, picking a fight with that Saiyan mortal will only spell disaster for us and Olympus itself. You don't wish for the dark future in my dream to become a reality, correct?"
He glared over at Hera with newly glowing blue eyes and a serious expression.
"I suppose you make a good point. Regardless of that prophetic vision, though, I still wish to see the brainless ape punished for all he's done." The goddess of marriage snapped.
Poseidon quirked a brow in surprise. It had been a hundred years since Hera was this angry towards something or, in Goku's case, someone.
"Patience is a virtue, Hera. Artemis has never failed in her duties before now. This circumstance should be no exception."
Hera rolled her eyes.
"Leave the words of wisdom to Athena, brother."
Poseidon rubbed his neck and sighed. Being unfavorably compared to his greatest rival made Hera's remark all the more hurtful.
"Sheesh. No need to be so cold about it."
Due to having heightened, battle-ready senses, Athena herself noticed four figures preparing to enter the Hall of the Gods all at once. She narrowed her gray eyes and addressed her fellow Olympians.
"He's arrived, Father."
This caused the remaining Olympian gods and goddesses to sigh in relief. Hell would surely break loose if Zeus had to wait another minute or more.
"Hmph! About time that infernal alien showed himself." Hera muttered.
Athena rested a palm over her chin in curiosity.
"I wonder what Son Goku could be like in person…"
Based on the footage that was shown via Iris Message, he had two sides to his personality: the thickheaded, goofy side and the confident, combat-oriented one. The latter, by far, was what drew her attention to Goku as a person. He may have been unintelligent at first glance, but on the battlefield, he was an absolute genius of the highest caliber.
Unfortunately, the goddess of wisdom would not be able to witness that behavior.
"WOAHHHH! THIS PLACE IS HUGE!"
The sound of Goku's voice managed to awaken a sleeping Apollo. His head spun around in various directions, trying to remember where he was and what was going on.
"GYAH! I'm up! I'm up! What's going on? Is Olympus Mons still erupting?!"
While the Olympians stood speechless hearing Goku's childless outburst, Artemis bared her fangs and bonked him on the head as hard as she possibly could.
"Shut up, you idiot!" The moon goddess fumed. "You're embarrassing me!"
Goku grabbed ahold of the prominent bruise on his head and groaned in pain.
"Owww! That hurt, Artemis!"
"Good! Maybe you'll heed my previous warnings now." Artemis coolly grunted. She then turned around to bow before Zeus's throne in a more serious manner.
"I've returned with Goku as requested, Father. I apologize for the delay. There was a slight change of plans back at Camp Half-Blood."
Zeus stroked his beard in thought. He knew full well what 'change of plans' his daughter was referring to.
"I understand, Artemis. You did a fine job as always." The sky god said. He then gestured to the throne positioned next to Apollo's. "Now, go sit on your throne. We'll need everyone gathered together for this trial to start."
Artemis stood up and nodded her head.
"As you wish, Father."
Before everyone's eyes, she changed her body's size, shape, and attire. She now wore a long, more feminine gray dress that covered her legs and feet. Her hair was now fully let down, revealing auburn locks that extended down beneath her shoulders. A royal tiara made of silver was placed atop her head as well. She now fully resembled the goddess of the moon in both demeanor and overall beauty.
Currently towering Goku in size, the now gigantic Artemis marched toward her throne with bow and arrows still in tow.
Aphrodite puffed up her cheeks in annoyance.
Like she even needed to change her outfit. What a showoff…
Goku, in contrast, was blown away by Artemis's new appearance. It was completely different from the usual ski jacket she once worse.
"Wow! I didn't know you could wear a dress!"
The goddess of the hunt glanced at Goku in annoyance, setting aside her divine weapons while doing so. Her bow and quiver leaned against either side of the throne once put down.
"Don't be foolish. This is merely how I appear as the goddess of the moon, Goku."
She then gracefully sat down, resting both arms on her throne's armrests. Additionally, the entire seat glowed a brighter, more heavenly silver in response to its owner's presence.
"Long time no see, sis! Did the girls miss me at all?" Apollo said with a playful wiggle of his eyebrows. Artemis sighed, no longer having the patience necessary to deal with her twin brother's attitude.
"Now's not the time, Apollo."
"Just trying to make conversation. Gotta warm us up for the serious talks were about to do, you know?"
Artemis deadpanned at her brother's joke with an unamused frown.
"Oh, you're trying to make puns now? How very ambitious of you."
Apollo kicked back in his seat and sported a wider, cockier smirk on his face.
"Eh, I try. It comes natural for someone as naturally awesome as I am."
The moon goddess rolled her eyes. "Or naturally as idiotic…"
With her now seated, Aphrodite's turn to be called out by Zeus came up. The king of Olympus grimaced at her.
"The same applies for you too. I don't how you managed to escape Ares's captivity or what events transpired after that, but as an Olympian goddess, you still need to be involved in the final sentencing of this trial." He proclaimed. "Is that clear?"
Not wishing to take any more of Zeus's crap, Aphrodite glared back at him. She'd only go along with this order for Goku's sake and no one else's.
"Yeah, yeah. I get the picture."
Lovingly batting her eyelashes, she planted a kiss on Goku's cheek. She, however, wouldn't give him the opportunity to wipe it so easily this time.
"Best of luck, Goku!"
Mirroring the transformation Artemis went through, Aphrodite's hair became a longer, smoother blonde when gigantic. Her dress changed from a pink tunic to a somewhat revealing white gown that emphasized her voluptuous figure. The goddess of love's wrists were also adorned with golden bracelets that glowed with magenta energy. Her eyes, on the other hand, remained an emerald green and her lips were just as pink as they were before.
As she suggestively sashayed toward her designated throne, more of Aphrodite's bare legs were left uncovered by the see-through dress. Whether or not this was done to intentionally grab Goku's attention couldn't be said for certain.
"Oho! Kissing another man in front of me this time, Aphrodite? You wound me so!" Hephaestus chuckled.
Aphrodite pursed her pink lips, feeling nauseous just looking upon her sorry excuse for a husband.
"What else is there to wound, you big oaf?"
The god of blacksmiths held a hand over her heart in exaggerated offense.
"Damn, dear. That's just uncalled for." He snorted, smacking a hand against his knee in amusement. His expression then, all of a sudden, grew more downcast and bitter. "Especially after everything I've done to make you happy…"
The goddess of love glared over at him.
"You could never make me happy. That's what you have to get through that thick, misshapen skull of yours."
Goku looked from Aphrodite to Hephaestus in confusion. To him, it seemed like their marriage was doomed from the start, yet only one of them tried to make it work. Not that he exactly blamed her for being married off to someone she didn't love, but he still felt a bit bad for the guy, nevertheless.
"Geez, Aphrodite. Aren't you being kinda harsh? You did cheat on him multiple times in the past, right? And I don't think it was because he mistreated or neglected you either."
Hearing this statement, Hephaestus and the other Olympians blankly stared at Goku in surprise. They never expected this man to defend one of them so casually.
Aphrodite, in particular, felt put on the spot. Normally, she didn't have any reason to justify being unfaithful to her soon-to-be ex-husband. They might as well have been divorced for thousands of years at this point.
"But… I thought you understood my feelings, Goku. I never loved Hephaestus and was stuck with an unhappy, passionless marriage to him, so why should I have—"
"Correction, Aphrodite. You never truly loved anyone, let alone either of my two sons." Hera scathingly glowered.
Apollo nodded along and lightly smirked in amusement.
"Yeah. Does this poor guy even have a clue who he's talking about? Aphrodite's the queen of sleeping around from one body to the next! Bahaha!" He said while holding a hand over his mouth. "And Dad seriously thinks someone this oblivious can be an enemy to us?"
Goku grew confused by their description of Aphrodite's character.
"Am I missing something here?"
Hera glared down at the man as if he were an insignificant bug just waiting to be squashed. His naivety only served to annoy her further.
"What you are missing, Son Goku, is a simple, undeniable fact about the so-called goddess of love. She was and still is a manipulative, sex-crazed whore who has no respect for the sanctity of marriage or long-term relationships in general. All she cares about is fulfilling her sick desires with any man she shows a desire for, whether that be god, mortal, or in your case, alien."
She then fixed up her long, black hair and fiercely glared over at Aphrodite.
"And once she's satiated her lustful urges, she'll cast them aside like lowly trash and lead her former lovers to their inevitable demise. It happened to my Ares and, make no mistake, it will eventually happen to you, mortal. Your existence is not special to her in any way, in spite of what lies she may have told."
The love goddess almost felt genuinely hurt by Hera's words. She held back tears and growled in anger.
"The only lies being told here are yours, Hera! You don't know anything about how I feel! And you never did!"
"Silence, wench! Your feelings mean nothing compared to the hurt my son must have felt when you broke his heart… and lured him towards his own destruction!"
At this point, Goku was starting to get annoyed. He stared up at Hera without showing any sort of fear whatsoever.
"You shouldn't talk to Aphrodite like that. It's not right."
One of the queen of Olympus's eyes began to twitch. The fact that this mortal even dared talk back to her was absolutely unacceptable behavior.
"What did you say to me?!"
Apollo nudged his twin sister's shoulder and gave her a wide, toothy grin.
"Gotta hand it to him, sis. Goku's pretty ballsy for standing up to Hera like that."
Ignoring his crude language, the goddess clasped her hands together and nodded in agreement.
"Yes. I suppose you could say he is quite courageous."
Despite fighting her, the hydra, and Ares straight in a row, Goku didn't show any hint of fear or hesitance in combat. His attitude was the quite opposite, in fact.
She then watched as the man acted as brave as ever and stood his ground against Hera.
"Sure, Aphrodite's cheated on Hephaestus and had a bunch of different relationships in the past… but so have most of you guys! How can you call her out for that when Zeus is just as bad or maybe even worse?" He pointed out. "And I get that your upset about Ares, but Aphrodite didn't mean for him chase her down to Camp Half-Blood and pick that fight with me. That was all him! She shouldn't be blamed for what happened down there."
Aphrodite held a hand over her mouth in disbelief.
"G-Goku…"
The other Olympians took some time to think over this point. Even Zeus himself couldn't deny that he was the most sex-crazed out of all of them. He had the thousands of different children – god and demigod alike – to prove it. It didn't excuse Aphrodite's sexual experiences per se, but it was quite hypocritical to condemn her for it, regardless.
The king of Olympus hummed to himself and rested a single hand along his cheek.
"Fair enough. I do agree that Hera's words were, in part, a tad out of line," He muttered in a reluctant tone. While speaking, he tried his best to ignore the fierce glare she was giving him from her throne. "However, what Aphrodite can be blamed for… is keeping your existence a secret for 6 whole months and then transporting you to our universe without permission. Even you, Son Goku, must admit that none of this farce would have happened if you weren't brought here in the first place."
"Yeah. I guess that's true…"
"It is undeniably true. Aphrodite, being the selfish fool that she is, inadvertently brought about the creation of a new, cataclysmic prophecy… just to satiate her own erotic fantasies about you and your utter hell of a universe! As a result of her actions, my son was the first to fall and I doubt he will be the last… if you continue to remain free." Hera sourly added. "I assume you are aware of my husband's dream, yes?"
Artemis sighed and calmly stood up from her throne.
"That's enough, Hera. You're bringing up circumstances that Goku had no control over."
The goddess of marriage raised an eyebrow.
"In what way? Did he not scatter Ares into millions of pieces and send him to Tartarus? He certainly had control over that outcome!"
"While that did indeed happen, the one who should be blamed for the results of that fight is Ares himself. He purposely shot Aphrodite out of the sky, challenged Goku to a fight, endangered the lives of Camp Half-Blood's inhabitants, and, most egregious of all, attempted to kill Goku before his trial could even begin!" Artemis replied. "So Goku had no choice to, but to fight in self-defense. Otherwise, he'd become yet another victim of Ares's needless thirst for bloodshed… and the strange, dark energy coursing through his veins!"
"Dark… energy?" Demeter interjected from her own throne in curiosity. "What are you talking about, Artemis?"
Zeus then recalled the glowing red eyes and purple aura that Ares sported during their first meeting. He suspected something was off about him, but now, his suspicions would, unfortunately, be proven accurate.
"Elaborate, Artemis. What did this so-called 'dark energy'… do to your brother?"
"I'm not entirely sure how to describe it, but in tandem with his hatred for Goku, a dark purple aura consumed Ares's body whole and changed his Divine Form… into something far more demonic. This metamorphosis caused him a great deal of pain, yet also increased his power exponentially…"
Hestia decided to chime in and give her own two cents.
"She's correct. This new level of power made him strong enough to challenge Goku's Super Saiyan 2 form." The goddess of the hearth said. "I don't know where this Villainous Mode came from myself, but… it was most certainly unleashed by someone else's influence… and one from our universe…"
Zeus gripped his armrests, knowing exactly who his eldest sister was alluding to.
"Then it's just as we've feared. Kronos does have an interest in claiming Son Goku's body for himself."
Athena narrowed her gray eyes. "But for how long, Father? Is there a chance Kronos knew about his existence for an even longer period of time than Aphrodite?"
Goku then vaguely remembered something the hydra told him before it was destroyed.
Many months ago, he saw a vision depicting you as the destroyer of Olympus and every immortal god or goddess in existence. He has now orchestrated many events from the shadows, both ensuring your entrapment in our universe and the creation of this ideal future my lord has seen.
His eyes widened. By many months, the hydra could have actually meant 6, the same amount of time it took for Aphrodite to view past moments of his life on repeat. It couldn't have been a coincidence.
"No. I think I know what happened," Goku said. "Kronos saw the vision of me… or evil me, I should say… destroying Olympus and then, somehow, made it so Aphrodite saw footage from my universe. All so she'd use the elevator to bring me… to him!"
The love goddess couldn't even speak. She wanted to deny Goku's statement, but considering that a random Iris Message appeared in her temple all those months ago, the evidence for such a possibility was undeniable.
"I-It can't be…" She whispered in growing despair. "My love for Goku… was all part of Kronos's plan?!"
Apollo scoffed and lazily crossed his arms.
"Don't be so surprised. Kronos's domain is time, guys. Of course, he'd manipulate events to create a sorta… self-fulfilling prophecy for himself. Ares, Aphrodite, Goku, and everyone, really… were all pawns for him from the start."
A serious glint then appeared in his fiery, golden eyes. Even he felt a bit annoyed by this sudden turn of events. He hated being played for a sap like this.
"Honestly, I bet he was banking on Goku fighting Ares, so he could witness his powers up-close and personal. That dark energy or whatever… was his doing, no doubt." He then yawned and stretched his arms. "Not that it matters. There's nothing we can do about it now, but wait for even more shit to hit the fan…"
"Why are you acting so lackadaisical about this, Apollo?! This is horrible, horrible news! My father had 6 whole months to plan ahead and prepare for this man's appearance!" Demeter fearfully shrieked. She began to stroke her straw blonde hair in an attempt to calm herself down.
Artemis shook her head.
"Regardless, with or without Kronos's influence, Ares would have fought Goku no matter. He's always been the most violent of us, by far." She spoke matter-of-factly. "His Villainous Mode only escalated the situation to even further levels of destruction."
"That I can't argue against. Ares was a time bomb just waiting to go off." Hermes, the messenger god admitted. "However, the mere clash between his new form and Super Saiyan 2 caused the entire galaxy to shake uncontrollably, Artemis. Could you imagine what would happen if Goku actually fought at full power? Or if someone as dangerous as Cell and Majin Buu formed an alliance with the Titan Army?"
Goku winced at the mention of his past enemies. Cell was an opponent he never managed to defeat while Buu was the most terrifying enemy he's faced up until now. He casually slaughtered all of humanity twice, once with the Human Extinction Attack and the second time using his Planet Burst technique. If someone even stronger than Majin Buu existed in this universe or his own, he definitely didn't want Kronos to be involved with them. That'd be far too much trouble for him to deal with, especially at his current power level.
"Well, if that does happen, then you can count on me to help out. I don't care if some Titan Lord jerk had a hand in getting me stranded here." Goku smirked and jerked a thumb at himself. "If I'm able to help Aphrodite, Artemis, and the kids at camp, then I'll gladly fight against any god or army that comes my way."
Hera balked at such a ridiculous proclamation.
"Preposterous! The only way you can help us is by willingly accepting your imprisonment in Tartarus! That way, you can share Ares's pain and stay far away from my tyrannical father's clutches."
"He's innocent until proven guilty, Hera. That's usually how these trials work." Hermes deadpanned.
"I am well aware of that! It doesn't make the final sentencing any less inevitable, Hermes!"
"If you say so. All I'm saying is that us gods can change overtime. Aphrodite seems a lot nicer around Goku, so maybe he's a good influence on her. Same with Artemis. I mean, before now, did you ever expect her to defend a mortal man of all people?"
Artemis suddenly looked embarrassed, causing her twin brother to chuckle loudly in amusement.
"HAHAHAHA! Good point, bro! The dude must be getting on Arty's good side somehow!"
The goddess of the hunt bared her fangs and had a light red flush to her cheeks. It was hard to notice, but mostly everyone, including Goku, saw it.
"I was merely stating the facts! Stop being an idiot, Brother!"
Before any more arguments could take place, Zeus repeatedly tapped his Master Bolt on the ground like a judge's gavel. Each tap was intense enough to proud a loud, earsplitting clap of electricity that reverberated off the Hall of the Gods' walls.
"Enough dawdling, everyone! Unsettling circumstances pertaining to Kronos aside, we haven't even officially started the trial yet." He then narrowed his electric blue eyes, causing each Olympian to fall silent.
Seeing that her fellow gods were agitated in some way, Hestia calmly made her way toward a large fireplace. It was known as the Hearth of the Gods, a magical, embroidered flame that she tended to at important meetings like this one. It glowed a fiery orange that signified the Olympians' sense of power and unity when seated together as one group.
She engulfed her hands in flames and placed them close to the hearth. Resisting its heat with relative ease, Hestia emitted a vivid trail of smoke from within the fire's very core. This cloud of calming fumes encircled each Olympian and their thrones, respectively.
"Here," the elder goddess said while controlling the smoke's path. "This should help put everyone's minds at ease."
Much like the hearth found at Camp Half-Blood, the gods embraced Hestia's aroma with contentment. Any sense of irritation and fear they once felt was replaced with calm serenity. Even Goku even took a whiff of the smoke before it dissipated.
Mm. Smells like Chi-Chi's cooking for some reason…
The familiar smell put a smile on his face, but also bittersweet at the same time.
Demeter blew out a pleasant sigh of relief. Her prior worries about Kronos were swiftly washed away in seconds. As she took in the pleasant aroma, various flowers blossomed around and near her throne.
"Thank you, Hestia. That actually feels rather nice…"
"No thanks are necessary. That's what the Hearth of the Gods is here for, after all."
Zeus, after getting over the odd, yet arousing smell he just inhaled, looked down at the small goddess.
"Not that I'm glad to see you here, Hestia, but… where is Dionysus?"
Hestia shrugged her shoulders.
"Dionysus decided to stay back at camp. He told you to count his vote for both sides of the argument since… well, the outcome wasn't something Dionysus showed much care for."
Zeus groaned in irritation. He had a feeling the wine god would neglect his godly duties like this. It was one of the main reasons he was punished to work at Camp Half-Blood to begin with.
"Typical of that lazy bum…" Making a mental note to punish his son even more severely next time, the god of the sky relaxed in his throne and grimaced. "Very well then. I suppose that's a good enough point to start this trial from."
Clearing his throat, he then titled his head downward to eye Goku's patiently waiting form.
"As you've probably guessed, I am Zeus, king of the Greek Pantheon and Olympus itself."
"Didn't have to tell me that. I already saw the lightning bolt in your hands, so it was kinda obvious." Goku bluntly replied.
"Hmph. How astute of you to notice, alien." The king of Olympus grumbled. "Anyways, since you've already been acquainted with Artemis, Hestia, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and… my other son, Ares, of course, the other Olympians will lead by their example and do the same."
He thought it best to start the trial with equal levels of knowledge on both sides. Goku agreed with that idea, even if he did gather some pieces of information from Aphrodite's memories.
"Sounds okay with me."
"Good. We'll go from throne to throne, starting with the closest one to mine."
Zeus then directed Goku's attention to his older brother and fellow member of the Big Three, Poseidon. His cerulean eyes were far less steely and piercing compared to the sky god.
"Greetings, Son Goku. I am known as Poseidon, god of the seas, earthquakes, and horses."
Woah! So does that mean you can control the entire oceans and water in general? That's awesome! You must be even stronger than Ares!"
"Hohoho! Far stronger, yes. I could even stand toe-to-toe with your Super Saiyan 3 form if I really wanted to." Poseidon chuckled before slightly relaxing his body. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't falter when keeping your own feats in mind, Goku. Some of them are quite impressive, even to someone as old as me."
Hearing this, Goku stood in a thinking position. "Eh, we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. I'm pretty sure there's some stuff you can do in a fight that I couldn't even think of pulling off. Ares, for example, made an entire volcano erupt with a wave of his hand!"
"Mmhm. Can't argue with there. Those are the differences that separate mortals from gods." "Everything related to our domain is able to be controlled by us. The sea's influence may not be unlimited, but I still bend it to my will."
He then finished speaking and gave Demeter, the opportunity to introduce herself next.
"My name is Demeter, goddess of the harvest, fertility, and agriculture." She said with a clearly forced grin. Even hours later, the environment damage he, his friends, and enemies caused was still on her mind. Him being targeted by her father, Kronos, made such thoughts even worse.
"So you're a farming goddess then?"
She frowned. "That's what agriculture means, yes."
"Oh, cool! I actually did some farming back home."
Not seeing this particular event be projected by Zeus's Iris Message, Demeter's interest was piqued.
"Really? What kind?"
"Radish farming. After I defeated Majin Buu, my wife, Chi-Chi, demanded that I make some extra money by growing radishes in our front yard. Then these two weird alien guys came and it sorta went downhill after that." Goku recalled with a nostalgic, goofy grin on his face. "It was fun while it lasted, though."
Demeter's expression soured once again. Any damage to a person's crops was not something she could tolerate. Well, if wasn't herself who caused that level of destruction, anyway, but to her, that was a notable exception to the rule. She was grieving over Persephone's disappearance at the time.
"Messing with someone's farmwork is no joke, Son Goku. I hope those aliens were properly dealt with."
"Oh, they were! Abo and Kado – or I think those what their names were – took a liking to the radishes too. It was kinda weird at first, but funny looking back on it. Hehe."
He continued to laugh, thinking about that small, bizarre adventure when Vegeta's younger brother came to visit. That was one of the last good moments Goku shared with Chi-Chi before her death, so he'd always cherish it for as long as possible.
"I can see why. That seems to be a pattern back in your universe."
For some reason, this man seemed to experience one bizarre event after another on a near-constant basis. Fighting an absurdly powerful, reality-warping thing like Majin Buu was the cream of the crop in that regard.
Goku tilted his head to the side, wondering what she meant by that.
"A pattern? How so?"
Demeter just shooed him away with a passive wave of her hand.
"Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Realizing that she wouldn't elaborate further than that, Goku fixed his eyes on the throne positioned right next to Demeter's. It was made up of human skulls and leathery skin.
"Ares's throne, huh?"
"Yes, and it would have been occupied if it weren't for you."
"Look, I just wanted a good fight with your son. I didn't mean for things to go that far," The Saiyan muttered in an almost remorseful tone. "Kronos's influence on his emotional state was just too strong. There was nothing else I could have done, but… scatter him, Hera."
Hera suddenly softened her glare, but not enough to quell the resentment she felt towards him. She quizzically gazed at him with callous chocolate brown eyes.
"It doesn't matter. The results of this trial will determine what happens to you next. That little fight with Ares will be the least of your problems."
"I know that…"
Although Goku was uncomfortable with Hera's coldness around him, he couldn't blame her for feeling that way. Grief was a difficult emotion to process for gods and mortals alike. Aphrodite, meanwhile, had to suppress the urge to pounce on her right then and there.
Sighing, the martial artist turned around to talk with Athena next. He could already tell by the Imperial Gold armor and helmet that she was a goddess who shouldn't be messed with. Her stormy gray eyes were reminiscent of Artemis's based on their intimidation factor alone.
"I'm pleased to finally make your acquaintance, Son Goku. I am Athena, the goddess of wisdom, battle strategy, defensive warfare, and skill." She explained in a cool, collected voice. "I also serve as the patron deity of what you mortals call arts and crafts."
Her eyes attentively scanned Goku's body and facial features, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable. Even Athena found herself impressed by the man's perfectly sculpted physique, even if he wasn't all that tall compared to her or any Olympian.
"Uh… thanks, I guess?"
"Why so hesitant to react? You have nothing to be afraid of here, besides Kronos and his followers. Judging from your performance in prior battles, you are most definitely someone who excels in battle strategy and improvisation. Unfortunately, that same level of genius doesn't apply to anything else, but fighting."
Despite her words wounding a bit of his pride, Goku knew full well that her assessment of him was true. He was far from being the sharpest knife in the drawer, so to speak.
"Yeah. Intelligence ain't my strong suit. That's where my son, Gohan, usually beats me at." He sheepishly admitted. "I am said to be smart where it counts, though."
"Smart… where it counts, hm? I'm assuming you mean your expert knowledge of martial arts?"
"Pretty much. I might not be very smart, but making split decisions in fights in something I do a lot. That has to be somewhat of an even tradeoff."
"I have to agree. Your fighting style is fairly versatile. From Earth to Namek and beyond, your skill has not wavered in the slightest." Athena said, sharing her respect for Goku as one warrior to another. "That requires the expertise of a true warrior. Your masters must be proud.
She then narrowed her eyes and icily glared at Goku, remembering the fact that Kronos would do anything to claim his body for himself. Getting rid of him, at first glance, appeared to be the most logical action they could resort to. She didn't personally agree with such a cowardly tactic, but in times of war, desperate measures needed to be taken.
"However, don't assume my compliments make me think of you as any less dangerous. I'll still need to further assess my thoughts about your… presence during this trial."
Her icy glare did not faulter and became even frostier by the second.
"Yeah, I get it. This trial thing hasn't even started yet, so do whatever you end up thinking is right. I won't hold it against you one way or the other, Athena."
Thought perplexed by Goku's lack of nervousness, her glare softened in response to his kind, considerate nature.
"I intend to do just that, Son Goku…"
She pursed her red lips, ponding over the positives and negatives he could bring to their universe. He's saved his own world time and time again, so why would this one be an exception? In the end, her father's final verdict would be the judge that.
Artemis observed her fellow virgin goddess's mannerisms. Given their similar personalities, she feared that Athena would end up making a lapse of judgement like she did at Camp Half-Blood. However, the goddess of wisdom has seen far more of Goku's past exploits and antics than she has, so it was difficult to say for certain.
It's not surprising that Athena views Goku this way. Being a warrior goddess like myself, she's not the type to take considerable risks. And he, unfortunately, is the biggest risk of them all.
Despite Goku not being her favorite person at the moment, Artemis would still attempt to give him a fair trial where he could properly defend himself and, with luck, prove Zeus's dream wrong. He deserved that much, at least.
She then watched Goku interact with Hephaestus next. It didn't turn out to be as awkward of a meeting as expected, thankfully.
"Have to admit, you've managed to impress me so far, Son Goku." The god of blacksmiths gruffly proclaimed.
"In what way?"
"Well, you not only defended me, Aphrodite's husband, but also continue to ignore her not-too-subtle advances. That's definitely a first for someone she considers a lover… or at least hopes to be one, given her previous behavior around ya."
Aphrodite jumped to the man's defense in annoyance.
"He has a good reason for that, you—"
"Calm down, Aphrodite. He didn't say anything wrong."
"But…"
At the sight of Goku's smiling face, she held back her retort and lightly grinned in return. Her cheeks were also now burning a bright, rosy red.
"A-Alright. I'll remain calm."
Hephaestus jerked a thumb at her, using that moment as evidence for what he was referring to.
"See what I mean? As much as I once loved Aphrodite in the past, I could never dream of having such an effect on her. Yet, oddly enough, you don't seem to reciprocate it at all; almost like a reverse of the relationship her and myself had, if you think about it. Bahaha!"
Goku sighed. He scratched the back of his head, wondering why a woman other than Chi-Chi had to develop feelings for him so fast. It was a situation he wished to deal with right now, especially since Aphrodite, for all intents and purposes, was his interdimensional stalker.
"Look, I do know Aphrodite likes me… that way. With her being the goddess of love and kissing my cheek so much, even I'm smart enough to realize that." He informed. He still knew next to nothing about romance or women in general, but being married to Chi-Chi for so many years made him more aware of certain… social cues. Being longtime friends with Bulma didn't hurt either. "I also know all about her past relationships… more or less."
Poseidon and Hermes awkwardly darted their eyes away from Aphrodite in slight embarrassment. It was best that Goku didn't know what kind of stuff they did with the goddess of love back in Ancient Greece.
"Hehe. That's news to me…" Being seated right next to one another, Aphrodite and Artemis both glared at the sun god in annoyance. "What?"
"The thing is that I just don't see an interest in pursuing 'love' or another relationship. I mean, it's not like I didn't notice her getting all affectionate around me, but we haven't even know each other for a day, you know? She may have seen moments from my life for 6 months, but that's not the same as actually talking with me in person."
Aphrodite, deep down, knew what he said was true, but that wouldn't stop her from changing his mind and winning Goku's affections.
"Regardless of that, though, I still her as a friend. Without her and that elevator in the Empire State Building, I would have still been moping over—"
"Over what?"
"Over my wife's death. She passed away 6 months ago… during the summer."
Apart from Aphrodite, Hestia, and Artemis, the Olympian became speechless. They, admittedly, didn't see that coming.
"Oh…" Hephaestus whispered, scratching the back of his head in discomfort. "Chi-Chi died, hm? Sorry for your loss…"
"How did this happen? If you don't mind me asking, that is." Demeter wondered. Her tone was difficult to determine, but it sounded sympathetic.
"It was from a hereditary disease. I wasn't sure what that word meant at the time, but Ox-King said her mom died from the same disease when Chi-Chi was a baby." It likely didn't come from Ox-King's side of the family since he never contracted it. "The doctor called it walking pneumonia or something like that."
Athena grimaced at the name.
"How unfortunate. All airflow to her lungs must have been blocked… without her realizing she even had pneumonia to begin with."
"That's right. By the time we got to the hospital, Chi-Chi was already close to unconscious and losing blood fast. There wasn't enough time to do proper treatment on her, so all I could say goodbye before…" He slightly began to choke up, holding back tears in his eyes. "… before she died in my arms."
Artemis sympathetically hung her mouth open, not knowing what she could say to him.
"Goku…"
Hermes raised an eyebrow. "But didn't you have the Earth and Namekian Dragon Balls to fall back on? Why couldn't you just revive her and be done with it?"
"Not sure how much you've seen of my past… erm… Hermes, right?"
He slightly tipped his winged helmet up and smirked.
"Yep. That's right. I'm the messenger god around these parts. I also specialize in trade, thievery, athleticism, and other more active, social stuff, but that's beside the point."
"Good to know," Goku replied with a glum, almost non-existent grin. "As I was saying, I'm not too sure how much you've seen of my past experiences, Hermes, but both sets of Dragon Balls have limitations to them. One limitation that shared by both of them is being unable to revive a person who dies of natural causes, including diseases and old age. That's why the future version of Trunks brought over the Heart Virus's antidote to my timeline, so I wouldn't permanently die from it."
Hermes's smirk was swiftly replaced with a frown, realizing the implications behind that particular rule.
"So what you're saying is that Chi-Chi…"
"Yeah. She's gone for good. No wish from the Dragon Balls can bring her back."
He then tightly clenched his fists and emitting traces of white, almost golden ki from his body.
"N-No matter how strong I've gotten over the years, I still couldn't save her. I'm sorry, Chi-Chi…"
Hera was dumbfounded. For the life of her, she couldn't understand how Goku was this depressed over his wife's death. Was she wrong about their marriage being unhappy? Did Chi-Chi truly love this man, regardless of what he did to go against her own wishes and feelings? It honestly didn't fit the negative perception she had of him.
He's that depressed over her fate? Him?! That man who once assumed a bride was some type of food to eat?" She thought in disbelief. The divine queen gripped the sides of her face, wondering what this revelation could mean for the trial going forward. This makes things… far more complicated. If he really did care for his wife and was happy with their marriage, would I even be able to punish him without betraying my own domain?
Admittedly, she had been hypocritical many times before, but the sanctity of marriage was something she never wished to defile. It was the main reason she remained faithful to Zeus and didn't go through with a possible divorce.
Even so, I… can't think like this! Swift justice for Ares's humiliation must be wrought upon that mortal! He still neglected Chi-Chi and their two sons for years…
She growled to herself with newfound vigor. Ares could be a pain sometimes, but anyone who dared make a mockery of his own pride would dearly pay, including a mortal man as 'righteous' as Goku. His apparent goodness, in fact, only served to make Hera dislike him even more. He reminded the goddess too much of her demigod stepson and former archenemy, Hercules, or Heracles as he used to be known in Ancient Greece.
Now that I think about it, Zeus wasn't any better with Hercules or his other demigod bastards. He and the others may be even worse than Goku as far as parenting goes… Hera then sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Dammit! I'm the queen of Olympus! What happens to Son Goku should mean absolutely nothing to me! Why should I be conflicted about this trial all of a sudden?!
Next to her, Zeus glared in response to Goku's erratic emotional state. While he did know what it felt like to lose a lover, he had long since been desensitized to the concept of death and thus, showed no remorse for this man's dilemma. He found the sight of such a powerful, formidable warrior moping about quite pathetic, to be honest.
"That's enough. Compose yourself, Son Goku." The god of the sky ordered authoritatively.
Goku complied with this order and took a deep breath to help calm himself down. After a few seconds, all of the small tears and feelings of sadness had disappeared.
"Right. Sorry to waste your time like that, Zeus."
He lowly bowed down as a sign of respect, much to Zeus's mild amusement. Aphrodite, on the other hand, clicked her tongue in disgust.
"Tsk. How rude! Don't you have a heart?!"
"This is a council meeting designed to determine the fate of our universe, not a pity party! I personally could care less about Son Goku's wife and her death! All I care about is ensuring that our reign as gods doesn't come to an abrupt, brutal to end!" Zeus bluntly flumed. He then pointed at Goku as multiple thunderbolts shot out of his throne in varying directions. "And according to my dream, this man could be the potential cause of it… if Kronos gains the upper hand in this war!"
Goku and the other Olympians then calmly remained silent.
"Now, give your introduction to Goku, so we can get on with this trial, Apollo."
"Will do, Dad." The god nodded before casually waving his hand at the Saiyan. "Welp, guess they saved the best for last, huh? I'm Apollo, the hot, totally awesome god of the sun, healing, light, poetry, reason, prophecy, blah, blah. It's all the cool stuff, basically."
After flaunting himself like some type of prize, Apollo leaned over to Artemis and wrapped an arm around her. She did not look pleased.
"And if it's not obvious already, I'm Arty big bro!"
"Twin brother, Apollo! How many times do I need to correct you before you remember that?!"
The moon goddess roughly freed herself from his firm grip.
"Awww, don't be like that. You're still my baby sister at heart!" Apollo laughed in amusement.
He then patted her shoulder, causing the goddess to piercingly glare at him with luminescent, silver eyes. They started to glow with divine energy.
"Get your hands off me! Do it again and I'll make the Hunters use you as target practice again!"
"Oh, whatever. I can still shoot circles around you girls." Apollo snorted. He then mischievously wiggled his eyebrows and got on his sister's bad side at a faster rate than normal.
"Ahem!"
Artemis froze at the sound of her father clearing his throat.
"My apologies, Father. I don't know what came over me."
"Ha! No regrets." Her brother snickered.
Goku found this argument between both siblings a bit funny, all things considered. He never had this kind of relationship with his own brother for… obvious reasons.
"Wow. Do you two fight like this all the time, Artemis?"
"Only when he annoys me," The goddess of the hunt said. "Which is sadly, almost every time we talk."
"Whatever. You still love me more than anything, sis."
"Love is a strong word. Aphrodite should know all about that."
The love goddess upturned her nose and huffed. She didn't even want to give Artemis attention for such a remark.
"At least I can actually experience love."
"Care to repeat that?"
Zeus darted his eyes from one goddess to another and coughed even louder this time.
"A-HEM!" Once they stopped arguing, he crossed his arms in a stern, serious tone. "Now… let us begin, Hestia."
She, still standing next to the Hearth of the Gods, went along with Zeus's signal and nodded.
"Already on it, Brother."
Utilizing her mastery of pyrokinesis, the goddess absorbed fire from the hearth and used it to trace out a large diagram in midair. This chart was split into two sides that each had one reddish orange tick mark.
"This will serve as a scoreboard of sorts. Being the eldest Olympian here, I'll serve as the tiebreaker and remain neutral." explained Hestia in a calm, soothing voice. "The current score is 1 for keeping Goku around and 1 for casting him out as an enemy. And both those tallies, of course, are for Dionysus's vote."
She then placed the diagram right next to her, so the process of tallying all the votes could be made easier.
"Wait a sec. Isn't there someone missing here?" Goku wondered, aimlessly scanning the Hall of the Gods for another, yet-to-be-seen Olympian.
"Dionysus, you mean? We've already established that he's a lazy, good-for-nothing drunk. There's no other reason why he couldn't show up." Hera grimaced.
"Well, to be fair, he only drinks Diet Coke now." Demeter said. "Zeus made certain of that during his punishment."
Dionysus's wild, drunken tirades were all, but a thing of the distant past at this point. She'd honestly prefer if it stayed that way for Camp Half-Blood, Olympus, and the entire world's sake.
The queen of Olympus shrugged her shoulders.
"Whether he's drunk on wine or drunk on caffeinated beverages, my point still stands either way."
Goku then shook his head, knowing that Dionysus wasn't the answer to his question.
"No, not him. There's someone else that guys didn't mention…" He reminded the Olympians. "Where's Hades? The god of the Underworld?"
Each god and goddess suddenly got uncomfortable. It wasn't everyday someone bothered to even care or ask about Hades's whereabouts, let alone a mortal man like Goku.
"My brother… doesn't have a traditional throne on Olympus like the rest of us do." Zeus awkwardly informed. "His resides in the Underworld… due to that being the place he rules over."
Goku scrunched up his face in confusion. Hades was likely equal in power to Poseidon and Zeus, so he assumed that his level of importance would be high on Olympus.
"Isn't that kinda unfair, though? Shouldn't he have a say in what's going on with this trial?"
"That's just how things have always been, Goku. Zeus, Hades, and I are all considered the Big Three, but he doesn't have a spot on Olympus for…erm… let's just say… personal reasons." Poseidon said. He nervously stroked his beard, trying to think of a better excuse for why Hades wasn't deemed true Olympian material. "Or complicated reasons, if you prefer that term…"
"Hmph! Serves that creep right for taking my angel of a daughter away from me!" Demeter hissed. Even thousands of years later, the goddess of agriculture still wasn't over Persephone's prior abduction and forced marriage.
"For Olympus's sake, Demeter! Just let it go! That happened centuries ago." Hermes groaned in annoyance. "Persephone's perfectly happy with Hades, so let them be. You still get to spend time with her every spring and summer, anyway."
The blonde-haired goddess almost looked offended by such a blunt statement.
"Well, excuse me if I'm not okay with their so-called marriage! Eating that pomegranate seed was the worst mistake of her immortal life!" She wailed sorrowfully with fresh tears in her eyes. "Now, where she is for half of the year! My beautiful little girl wasting away down in some fiery hellhole Hades calls home."
"To be fair, Hades didn't really ask to live there. He sorta got the short end of the stick." Apollo said sympathetically.
Considering how depressing and dreary of a place the Underworld could be, he understood why Hera grabbed an absolute bombshell like Persephone for himself.
"And what of it? That still doesn't change the fact that he kidnapped her. Is a mother being concerned over her child's wellbeing so wrong?!"
"No, Demeter," Hera turned her head to glare daggers at Goku. " It isn't."
Goku gulped, noting the similarities between Hera and Chi-Chi's respective tempers. Her fury was always at its highest point whenever he skipped out on a date with her to train instead.
"Will everyone please shut up about Hades already?!" Zeus roared. He then ground his teeth and burned figurative holes into Goku's head. "All you need to know about him, Son Goku, is that he has his own duties to attend to. I rule Olympus, Poseidon rules Atlantis, and Hades rules the Underworld. That's how it's been and always will be. End of story."
Goku raised his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. Forget I asked about him then."
"Besides, Hades does have a place on Olympus during more dire situations. This trial just wasn't important enough to require his involvement."
He then gestured to a poorly designed chair made of stone, which served as Hades's 'throne'. Goku could now understand why Hades didn't want to go anywhere near her.
"Or you just didn't want to speak with him…" Poseidon muttered under his breath.
"Like you're any different, Poseidon." Zeus grunted back. He then hummed to himself while stroking his black beard in thought. "Hm. Where was I? Oh… right. We should probably address the elephant in the room."
Goku absentmindedly looked around the Hall of the Gods for this so-called elephant in question. "What elephant? I don't see one anywhere."
Artemis groaned and roughly slapped her forehead in embarrassment. Zeus's eye, meanwhile, began to twitch hearing such a stupid response.
…he has to be mocking me.
"It's a figure of speech, Goku." Athena replied, being the only one bold enough to actually answer his question.
"Ohhhh…" Goku nodded his head. "…I still don't get it."
"How can one be so dense?! My husband's referring to your fight with Ares, you imbecile!" Hera angrily screeched.
"Oh. That? What about it?" The Saiyan asked. "We already know he was manipulated by Kronos and whatnot, so what's the big deal? It's not like he's really dead, right?"
"Care to elaborate further?" Zeus inquired.
"While I'm still not sure how this 'scattering' stuff works, I do know that you guys can't really die in a normal way… like I can. I may have done a number on him with Super Saiyan 2, but possibly after a few months or a little more, he should be good as new. Am I right?"
"That is how all gods function, yes," Athena affirmed. "But neither of us have ever experienced scattering before. For all we know, it could take years for Ares to fully regenerate. And potentially even more if this Villainous Mode caused him as much internal damage as you implied it did."
The goddess of wisdom then narrowed her gray eyes.
"That is why your battle with Ares was so rife for concern. A stronger version of the Olympian god of war… is not just anyone a mortal can walk away from and claim dominance over." She murmured in slight uneasiness. "Perhaps that's what Kronos intended to happen from the beginning. In a sense, it could have been any Olympian, but Ares – the hostile moron that he usually is – held the biggest grudge against you… next to Father."
"And that led to the evil ki overtaking his Divine Form. I get it, but… Ares still put up a good fight, regardless. There were times where I could have died if I didn't have access to Super Saiyan 2."
Goku then smirked and addressed all of the Olympians simultaneously.
"If the rest of your Divine Forms are anywhere near that strong or even stronger, I gotta a lot of work to do. Even Super Saiyan 3 has limits to its power at the moment."
Athena shared a ghost of a smile with him. She couldn't help, but admire his dedication to training and growing stronger than before. It's something she wished to work on as well.
Zeus, however, perceived this statement differently from his daughter. He could tell Goku was greatly underestimating his own power and potential as a mortal.
"Do not sell yourself short, Son Goku. Poseidon, Hades, and I, as the Big Three, can match Super Saiyan 3's strength in our True Divine Forms, but even the sheer might of Majin Buu… currently escapes our grasp. It was a miracle that you managed to vanquish such a terrifying monster." The king of Olympus glowered. "However, Kronos and the Titans' influence over this world is growing stronger by the day. They may, one day, surpass your own Super Saiyan forms… and achieve power even further beyond what was considered impossible."
His electric blue eyes then closed to ponder over these dire circumstances.
"You said Ares's… demonic Villainous Mode surpassed your normal Super Saiyan form and stood equally with Super Saiyan 2, correct?"
Goku tentatively nodded. "Yeah, that's right."
"My dream showed you using a Super Saiyan form with pink hair… surrounded by purple, almost bloodred aura. If that same purple energy was used to corrupt my son, then… that vision indeed shows Kronos using Villainous Mode… in tandem with your forms, Son Goku." The king of the gods revealed. "It's only the explanation for what I saw. The connection can't be a coincidence."
The Saiyan martial artist's eyes widened. Even he couldn't deny the similarities between Ares's transformation and this corrupt version of him.
"Yeah… I can't argue with that. They must be connected somehow."
Aphrodite inaudibly gasped. It sounded like Goku was already admitting defeat.
"No! You can't—"
"But even if that dream is real, it doesn't have to happen. The future has been changed before… and it can be changed again, Zeus!"
The Olympians were stunned speechless by such an odd statement. Hera, in particular, thought he was speaking in tongues.
"Change… a foretold prophecy?! What kind of blasphemous drivel are you—"
Zeus placed an arm in front of her to stop the marriage goddess from yelling.
"Explain yourself."
"You've all seen my memories. Years ago, Trunks used a time machine to help stop Dr. Gero and the Androids from destroying the world! He didn't predict Android 16, 19, or Cell's appearances, obviously, but without his help, I would have died from the Heart Virus. Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, and all of my other friends would be dead too." Goku recounted the events leading up to the battle against Cell and the Red Ribbon Army Androids. "We may have been from different timelines, but Trunks showed me that certain futures… aren't always destined to happen the way we expect them to. Even though Kronos can control time and maybe see certain events before they take place, I think there's still some things he can't predict. Like my friendship with Artemis, Hestia, and Aphrodite!"
The goddess of the hunt felt put on the spot, but continued listening, nonetheless.
"So maybe there is a chance I'll turn evil and destroy Olympus. I don't know for sure, but… bringing me here was the worst mistake Kronos could ever make. I'm not gonna let myself get controlled by some old, evil Titan guy, no matter what he does or plans to do. Not without a proper fight first!" He then slammed a fist into his open palm and smirked. "As long I'm still here, I'll do anything I can to help Olympus and your kids at Camp Half-Blood. I don't want to be an enemy to you guys."
"You'd defy fate itself… to help us?!"
Aphrodite practically leapt for joy hearing this.
"Yeah, you tell him, sweetie! That's my Goku!"
The amount of conviction laced within Goku's words was enough to make Apollo crack up. He could already tell this guy was going to be a lot of fun.
"BAHAHAHAHA! You're killing me, dude! As the god of prophecy himself, even I can commend for you for the lack of shits you have to give! Props, man!"
"Openly challenging Kronos like that… is stupid even for him…" Artemis whispered in dismay. She, however, still stop the smile on her face showing up.
Zeus felt taken aback. It had been a long time since a mortal genuinely shocked him. It made him wonder if that dream could be proven false, after all.
This man… He thought. Does Father even understand who he chose as a potential host? His will and determination is astounding!
The sky god tapped his Master Bolt against the ground once again. Everyone quieted down in response.
"Ahem. I admire your willingness to comply with our terms, Goku, but do not undermine the threat Kronos brings to this world and yourself. This universe – the cosmos – is vast and near-endless in terms of divine jurisdiction. Before us, it was ruled by the Titans and, before them, the Protogenoi, primordial deities who existed since the dawn of time itself."
He gazed at the heavens above, contemplatively thinking over the universe's deities, both past and present.
"Each generation of gods is, in certain aspects, stronger than the current one, meaning Kronos and his Titan Army are a force to be reckoned with. That's why it is imperative that Kronos does not regain his original form or claims you as his new vessel. Understand?"
"Yeah, I do," Goku replied in awe. "I just never thought this universe could be that big and have so much history. Makes things a lot more exciting, honestly."
"This is a global war we're talking about, mortal. Exciting is not the world I'd used to describe it."
The Saiyan narrowed his eyes. War wasn't something he had much experience with. His encounters with the Red Ribbon Army technically counted, but was too young to understand such a conflict at the time.
"Like it or not, Kronos is slowly, but surely regenerating. Titans, monsters, and even traitorous demigods have banded together to reclaim his right to rule over the cosmos. Your triumph over Ares and that hydra has now made you part of it… if you manage to roam free past this trial."
Hera scoffed. "Given his small brain, Kronos would gladly turn him into his puppet. Or, should I say, weapon."
"I know it may seem hard to believe, but you have nothing to worry about, Hera. I don't want to cause any trouble with you guys or Olympus itself."
"And how can we know that for certain?"
"You've seen most, if not all, of my previous fights. I might have made some mistakes here and there, but during those moments, did I ever do something morally evil or wrong? Or anything to harm innocent lives?"
Hera attempted to respond, but no words came out. She was uncertain how to answer Goku's question.
"Throughout the years, all I've ever done is fight to protect my friends and people who cant defend themselves. When Raditz asked me to slaughter hundreds of people in exchange for Gohan's safety, did I do it? No. I sacrificed my life, so Piccolo could use his Special Beam Cannon to kill my older brother once and for all." He explained in greater detail. "From King Piccolo to Majin Buu, I always manage to fight and defeat people who are considered evil or have done bad things. That includes Vegeta too."
He then takes a moment to look down at the floor and think before speaking again.
"I'm far from perfect, though. I've made some big, stupid mistakes. Making Gohan fight Cell in my place was one of them. That's a time where the Saiyan side of my mind emerged. Sometime I can't control it while fighting a strong opponent." Goku continued explaining his preferred method of combat. "But even when I get that urge to have a good fight, I still don't want anyone else harmed in the crossfire. That's why I went out of my way to deflect Ares's attacks from your kids at Camp Half-Blood. If it weren't for me, they would have been killed by him without any sort of remorse. That's how dangerous Ares became in our fight… even before his Villainous Mode fully activated itself."
Hera then grimaced in sudden understanding. She didn't know Ares had become that unhinged and violent so early on.
"I see. Then you had no choice, but to scatter him. Otherwise, Camp Half-Blood would have been destroyed by him…"
"I think so, yeah." Goku agreed with a light tilt of his head. "I'm glad the demigods and Artemis's hunters were unharmed in the end. Based on what I noticed at camp, they have a lot of potential to grow stronger. Someday, there's a chance they could even surpass you, their parents. Like Gohan initially did with me. Haha."
Zeus stroked his beard, looking intrigued.
A lot of potential to grow stronger, hm? Interesting…
Now considering such a factor in his head, he began to come up with a possible idea.
"That kinda came out the wrong way, but I think you guys get it."
"No need to apologize, Goku. Thank you for protecting my children." Demeter said with a kind smile and rosy cheeks. Even the martial artist could tell she was almost as beautiful as Aphrodite in terms of appearance. Maybe it had something to do with them both having long, blonde hair.
"Don't mention it, Demeter. Those kids all reminded me of my own sons, so it was the right thing to do."
"Your arguments appear reasonable enough, Son Goku. I suppose you could be considered heroic in your own right, so using a simple dream as an excuse to hunt you down and act hostile was… wrong on my part." Zeus reluctantly apologized for his foolhardy actions. "Sorry doesn't quite cut it as a response, but eh, I'll say it, anyway."
"Well, calling me a hero wouldn't be accurate either. I'm just a guy who wants to fight strong opponents and maintain peace as best I can. That's all." Goku said. If anything, protector was likely a better word to describe him. "But apology accepted, Zeus. Hehe."
"Fair enough, mortal. Let's get to the voting then, shall we?"
He was hoping this splitting headache would go away after this trial ended. Then again, one outcome might end with Hera screaming like a banshee, so maybe not.
"As always, you may provide an explanation for your vote, but it's not required." Zeus cleared his throat, signaling for Hestia to start tallying content onto the diagram. "Be prepared to mark these down."
"Already got you covered, Brother. Carry on."
Goku sighed and braced himself for the results of this trial.
Welp, guess this is it. Wonder what I should do after this is over…
Zeus raised up a single hand and glanced from one side of the council to another.
"All in favor of banishing Son Goku to Tartarus?"
Hera, Demeter, Hephaestus, and, surprisingly, Athena all raised their hands in kind. This might have been one of the only instances where Hephaestus agreed with his mother on a topic.
"I apologize for this, Goku, but in the war with Kronos, you'll only serve to be trouble for everyone else involved. After all, as shown with Cell, you've always had powerful enemies drawn to your presence. Our universe might not be so different, especially if the Titan Lord finds a way to corrupt your mind."
He could definitely understand this viewpoint. That was the main reason he originally stayed dead for seven years.
"There's no offense taken, Athena. Some hydra attracted to my power thanks to Kronos, so I can see where you're coming from."
"Right. I hope there's no ill will if this sentencing doesn't end up in your favor." Athena noted in momentary regret. Her storm gray eyes lost some of their coldness for a few moments. "Because I too… am grateful that you protected my children from Ares. Please keep that in mind."
"Don't worry. I'm not usually the type to hold grudges." Goku replied with a soft, cheerful grin. Athena nodded, accepting his promise to remain neutral.
This man's character is such an anomaly. He's a determined, fierce warrior in combat, yet so kind and… well, unintelligent outside of it. It makes me curious to learn how his mind functions…
The goddess of wisdom felt like Goku almost had a split-personality at times. It was a subject she wouldn't mind learning more about personally if she did, indeed, get a chance to talk with him again.
"No offense, Goku, but I can't afford to let the possibility of you going rogue and destroying this place come to pass. Plus, Aphrodite was kinda manipulated into loving you by Kronos, so I'm not sure if I should let that relationship develop so easily. Hope you get where I'm coming from."
"Yeah, no problem. She was and, I guess, still is your wife, so I can see why you'd be concerned. Losing a person you love can be difficult."
"Well said." The god of blacksmiths replied with a small smirk.
Overhearing this odd comment from Hephaestus, Aphrodite longingly reached out her hand and frowned.
But I never even agreed to marry him! Can't you understand… who I really wish to love deep down inside? For me?
Demeter then sheepishly rubbed her shoulder, feeling a tad guilty over her final decision.
"It's nothing against you yourself, Goku. My vote mainly comes from my concern for this planet's environment. All of the plants won't be safe with another fight of your world's caliber taking place."
Meanwhile, Hera indignantly turned away from Goku and refused to say anything.
"Hmph. My view of you hasn't changed, mortal. Don't you forget that."
With that portion of the voting over with, Hestia drew four additional tick marks with her fire.
"That's 5 votes for "banishing" Goku then. Thought there would be more than that, but I'm not complaining."
Hera slammed a fist on her armrest in outrage. Given Hestia's tone and the time she spent with Goku at Camp Half-Blood, the queen of Olympus could tell some bias was taking place.
"Stop putting air quotes on the word, banishing, Hestia! You're supposed to remain neutral!"
"No need to bite my head off, Sister. I'm only keeping Goku's strength in mind. He's traversed plains of existence like this many times before." Hestia chuckled in amusement. The goddess of the hearth then repositioned the diagram, nodding her head as a sign for Zeus to continue.
"Now, all in favor for having Goku stay here until he finds a proper way back to his own world?"
Aphrodite, Poseidon, Hermes, Apollo, and, after several extra seconds of thought, Artemis collectively raised their hands. The goddess of love placed her hand up almost too enthusiastically, much to Hera's chagrin.
"Wait a minute, Zeus. Aphrodite's vote shouldn't even count! She caused all this mess to begin with!"
"That's bullshit! I'm an Olympian too, so my vote should count, regardless!" Aphrodite growled angrily.
Hephaestus lightly brushed his fiery beard. "True, but in that case, shouldn't Ares count too? Given his defeat, I'd say he would unquestionably want to vote for Goku being banished."
Ares, whatever part of Tartarus his remains ended up in, was either pissed off at Goku, Kronos, a mixture of both, or himself.
"Fine. To make this easier, let's put Aphrodite as 'pro' and Ares as 'against'. Does that please everyone?" Zeus asked.
"Yes, it does, dear. Thank you." Hera said with a smug, victorious grin on her face.
"No way! That's so unfair!"
Artemis sighed and glanced over at her, attempting to maintain the trial's progression without any more interruptions. Aphrodite's incessant whining was one such interruption she disliked the most.
"Just get over it, Aphrodite. The final results won't be any different."
"Well, by counting Ares's vote, it's a straight tie for 6 and 6. So I suppose that leaves your final verdict, Zeus." Hestia said.
"Shouldn't you be able to vote too?" Goku inquired, still wondering why her and Hades were both left out of this meeting.
"Like I said before, Goku, I serve as a mediator and usually calm everyone down when arguments get too heated, ironically enough." She then brightly smiled at him with a twinkle in her warm, orange eyes. "But I did happen to vote, there's no question that I'd want to support you!"
Hera rolled her eyes. "So you are biased. Figures."
"I didn't deny it."
Zeus sat at his throne in relative silence. Thinking over Goku's determination to go against the vision seen in his dream, and protect Camp Half-Blood's demigods from Kronos, he came to a sudden realization about his potential role in the Second Titanomachy. In general, he was far more valuable as an ally than an enemy, especially based on how his battle against Ares's Divine Form and Villainous Mode went.
Just this once, the proud king of Olympus swallowed his pride and took a deep, almost uncertain breath.
"I cannot believe I'm saying this, but…" He muttered while wiping a hand over his face in exhaustion. "…you can stay here, Son Goku. I will ultimately allow it."
Hera's throne suddenly looked like it was on the cusp of blowing to smithereens.
"WHAT?!"
Purple divine energy sprouted from every portion of her body and throne, much to Goku's nervousness. He wondered if her Divine Form was even more powerful than her son's.
"But I'll allow you stay… on one condition." Zeus continued, raising his voice to drown out Hera's rage.
"A condition? What kind?"
"Since you've already spent some time at Camp Half-Blood, I'm requesting that you become a camp counselor alongside Chiron and Dionysus. That way, you can help our demigod children become stronger and better prepared for the inevitable battle against Kronos. You did wish to change the future shown in my dream, after all, so what better way to do that than by influencing our future generations firsthand." The king of Olympus proclaimed. It was a bizarre punishment, but it still restricted Goku's freedom, nevertheless. "Sound like a fair enough compromise?"
Artemis wasn't expecting her father to feel this way. In fact, it was the last outcome she expected this trial to end up with.
I didn't see this coming. Zoë, Phoebe, and the others definitely won't be pleased by it. She thought to herself in dismay. They already despised Camp Half-Blood as is, so how they would react to Goku's new position was anyone's guess.
Goku nodded along as he thought about the idea a bit more. He'd get to see Hestia more often, which was a bonus already.
"Huh. Guess it doesn't sound too bad." He said with a smile, figuring that getting a job like this was what Chi-Chi would have wanted. "Is it okay if I ask for something in return?"
Zeus raised one of his eyebrows.
"I suppose you could. What is it exactly?"
"Would Hephaestus be able to fix the elevator to Mount Olympus? I'm not sure if it can travel to my universe or other universes like before. It sorta got busted from King Kai's car… um… accidentally crashing into it."
"Hm. So that's why there was a huge dent in it…" Zeus muttered in realization.
"Yeah. When the elevator showed up on his planet, King Kai didn't press the brakes in time. Sorry about that."
The king of Olympus calmly darted his blue eyes towards Hephaestus.
"What do you think, son? Can it be fixed?"
"Eh, I should be able to, yeah. It may take a few weeks or a month to fully fix, though. I'll have to test out the kinks for dimensional travel, teleportation speed, and all that jazz."
Goku smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
"That's alright. Take all the time you need, Hephaestus. I'm in no hurry to leave."
"Will do. In the meantime, follow Zeus's orders and you'll be alright for now." The fire god suggested.
"I'll try my best. Hehe."
After Hestia broke down the diagram and sent its fire back into the Hearth of the Gods, Zeus clasped his hands together and inspected each Olympian.
"Any other objections to this verdict? No? Good. This meeting is adjourned."
He then clapped his hands together, producing a loud clap of thunder that echoed across all of Olympus and the dimensional plane it inhabited. The massive storm clouds surrounding the area were now completely dissolved, leaving a clear night sky in its place.
"Oh… and Aphrodite…" Zeus interjected, stopping the Olympians from leaving for their temples.
"What is it, Zeus? You going to lock me up in my temple again?" She snapped. Being a goddess of love, she obviously held way more grudges than Goku did.
"With that attitude, I'm considering it." The god of the sky snorted. "But no. Due to you being a victim of Kronos's influence and causing most of this conflict as a result, you'll be joining Son Goku as a counselor at Camp Half-Blood. It'll be similar to Dionysus's punishment, but more restrictive by comparison."
"Wait… A-Are you serious? I get… to be a counselor with Goku?!" Aphrodite stammered. Subconsciously, she performed multiple somersaults in sheer, uninhibited delight.
Yes, yes, yes… YESSSSSS! This is my golden opportunity to get closer to him! I can't believe this is really happening! It's a dream come—
"Well, yes, but also no. As further punishment, you'll also be helping Hephaestus fix the Empire State Building's elevator… in his undersea forge." Zeus revealed with devious, almost sadistic smirk.
"Eh?"
Suddenly, Aphrodite's dreams were shattered into millions of pieces. Being stuck with Hephaestus was already punishment enough, but having cyclopes walk close to her was even worse.
No, no, no… NOOOOO! Dammit, Zeus! There's always a catch with him!
She slumped her shoulders and gave him an innocent, yet hopeful grin.
"Do… I have a choice in the matter?"
"Nope. Have fun."
"Oh poop…" Aphrodite meekly whined in despair.
Hephaestus, being highly entertained by this punishment, leapt off his throne and shrunk down, so he could lecherously smack her in the butt.
"Consider this the honeymoon we never had. BAHAHAHA!"
Aphrodite blushed and placed both hands protector over her posterior in embarrassment.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll never touch me there again!" She hissed. Her face then became more perverted upon looking towards Goku. "Only my sweet Goku has the permission to do that."
The aforementioned Saiyan walked up to her and tilted his head in curiosity.
"Did you say my name, Aphrodite?"
"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." She lovingly swooned just hearing his voice. She was relieved that everything turned out okay in the end.
Zeus rolled his eyes, having of all this yelling for tonight.
"Now, since it's late at night and Camp Half-Blood has already closed down, you can sleep over at Artemis' temple for now." He stated while jerking a thumb toward the twelve temples scattered throughout Olympus.
Artemis sighed and rested a hand on her forehead. She had a feeling Zeus would single her out amongst the other Olympian goddesses.
Of course Father would do something like that…
She then reverted back to her original form and size, including the gray ski jacket. Tying her long, auburn hair into a ponytail, Artemis motioned for Goku to follow her down the Hall of the Gods' stairs.
"Very well then." She said while grabbing her bow and quiver of arrows. "Come along, Goku. I'll show you the way there."
The Saiyan warrior nodded with a cheerful, yet slightly offput smile on his face.
"Okay then. Thanks, Artemis."
As they prepared to make their exit from Olympus's main temple, the other Olympians called it a night as well. Athena, in particular, slowed her pace to observe Goku's figure with ever-increasing interest.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye on you, Son Goku. Especially if you happen to come in contact with Annabeth soon. The goddess of wisdom thought, wishing to see more of the man's strength on full display. She then adjusted the position of her spear and went in the opposite direction.
Apollo sprinted next to Artemis's side and gave her an 'ok' symbol with his fingers.
"Have fun with that, Arty! Haha!" He chuckled. "You too, Goku!"
He then quickly increased the speed of his stride, so Artemis couldn't do anything to fight back. Aphrodite did something similar by narrowing her eyes and following after the goddess of the hunt.
She mischievously beamed and leaned into the huntress's ear as close as possible.
"Looks like we're all having a little slumber party then, huh?"
The desperation in her voice is palpable, but Artemis refused to play along.
"You're not setting one foot in my temple, Aphrodite. Goku needs rest after all that's happened." She then inspected the martial artist's torn, eviscerate shirt and pants. "And some fresh clothes…"
The goddess of love huffed and placed both hands on her hips.
"What are you implying? I'd never take advantage of Goku like that!"
Not buying a single word her fellow Olympian just said, Artemis deadpanned at her whilst continuing to walk forward.
"Don't give me that look! I'm telling the truth!"
Goku anxiously looked from Aphrodite to Artemis, unsure how he could exactly calm both of them down.
"Stop it, girls. There's no need to argue."
Once Hestia left to closely trail after them, the Hall of the Gods was left occupied by Zeus, Poseidon, and Hera. Hera was a dormant volcano just waiting to erupt as she muttered ancient curse words under her breath.
"So, with everything that's happened so far, how do you think Goku's presence will affect the Great Prophecy, Brother? Do you think it will change to depict similar events to your dream?" The god of the seas wondered gravely.
If the Great Prophecy already spelled doom for Olympus, how would Goku, someone dangerous, unpredictable, and alien to this world, alter its predetermined contents?
"It'll change, no doubt. Whether your brat will still be influenced by it… is still difficult to say for certain, though, Poseidon."
Zeus didn't care if Percy Jackson either lived or died at this point. He and Goku would make an annoying pair for him to deal with later on. They were both prone to going against authority multiple times over.
"With Goku as a counselor at Camp Half-Blood, I agree that the course of Percy's quest will certainly take a drastic turn. The main question is… by how much?" Poseidon thought. "There's a high chance Thalia could come in contact with him too. She was freed from that tree this past summer."
Hearing the name of his once-thought-to-be-dead daughter was somewhat disheartening for Zeus. While her recent revival was nice to hear about, he feared that Thalia's role in the prophecy would bring even further danger upon her. He only wished that he could have been a better father to her in the past.
Thalia…
The king of Olympus then sighed heavily, trying to take the Grace family off his mind for the time being. It was too painful to think about sometimes.
"We can dwell on the Great Prophecy later. For now, I have more important matters to address…"
As he turned his head toward Hera, the goddess of marriage burst forth with all the pent up anger and fury she could muster. Her long, black hair stood on end, erupting with immense bursts of purple divine energy.
"ARE YOU A DAMN IDIOT?! HOW COULD YOU LET THAT MORTAL ROAM FREE AFTER EVERYTHING YOU'VE SEEN IN YOUR DREAM AND—"
Zeus slumped down in his seat, trying to drown out as much of Hera's yelling frenzy as he possibly could.
"This is going to be a long night."
Seeing this as his cue to leave, Poseidon parted from his own throne with a look of sympathy. His wife, Amphitrite, acted the same way sometimes, especially when Percy was first born and he considered marrying his mother, Sally Jackson.
"Good luck, Brother."
After Zeus gave him a weak salute, the god of the seas existed the Hall of the Gods like everyone else. He then took a moment to pause, spotting Goku, Artemis, Hestia, and, strangely enough, Aphrodite all walking toward the moon goddess's temple. He squinted both of his sea-green eyes in semi-fascination.
Percy and Goku meeting one another, hm? I wonder if I should do something about this for his benefit.
Goku seemed like a nice enough person, so maybe requesting him to keep an eye on Percy could be a plausible idea. The boy definitely needed some extra training if he wanted to stand a chance against the Titan Army.
I can wait until morning. Hopefully Amphitrite doesn't chew me out for staying over on Olympus for an extra night.
Coming to that final decision, Poseidon yawned and walked down the stairs to his respective temple. From that point onward, the course of Goku's adventures in this new, mysterious universe would drastically change.
Goku, now being an indirect ally of the entire Greek pantheon, was about to experience a journey he's never quite seen before. And all of it would be under the watchful, all-seeing eye of the former ruler of the cosmos, Kronos.
*And that's the end of the new Chapter 10! The main differences lie in some additional scenes and changes to the dialogue. I wanted to include more content, but this chapter was already getting too long as is.
I'll be making some minor edits to Chapters 11-16 after this rewrite, but after that, I'll only focus on writing new chapters from now on. Hope you're looking forward to Chapter 19 and more soon.
