Trial by Fury, Part 1 (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.