The Bane of Olympus

The next morning…

The sun shined down on Mt. Olympus as its surrounding skies slowly transitioned from day to night. There was barely a cloud in sight, allowing beams of sunlight to hit each temple honoring a respective Olympian. Each one emitted a translucent glow of varying colors, including gold, silver, sapphire, purple, and many other divine sheens. Silver, obviously, came from the roof of Artemis' temple as it became more visible amongst the prevailing shadows. Although, there did appear to be some golden portions of the building once light cast over it at just the right angle.

Within the temple, it was still as dark as the night before. Some sunshine managed to break through the cracks, but for the most part, everything was cast in moonlit darkness. The ceiling, however, no longer possessed constellations. Instead, the once full moon replica transitioned into a crescent, emulating the lunar cycle typically seen on Earth. This made the entire room a bit darker than usual, surprisingly enough.

Artemis remained sound asleep in her bed. The goddess's orange hair was somewhat jostled haphazardly on top of her pillow, but her divine beauty was still perfectly maintained. Within a few seconds, her golden eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Well, I've slept better…" Artemis muttered to herself. She rubbed her forehead, trying to adjust her body in conjunction with the mattress. The bed was quite comfortable, but to the moon goddess, sleeping among her fellow Hunters was much more soothing by comparison. There just wasn't a better feeling than resting in a sleeping bag by the campfire, in her opinion.

Then again, Goku's obnoxiously loud snoring didn't help much either. She was surprised the whole temple didn't cave in from the intense rumbling it caused. Thankfully, at some point in the night, it seemed to abruptly stop. She had no idea why, but after enduring that torture for hours on end, she was grateful to have some peace and quiet again.

"I might as well get up and—" Just as Artemis tried to remove herself from the bedsheets, she was stopped by some hard object. She glanced to the left, noticing that Goku of all people was sleeping right next to her!

Her eyes widened in unbridled horror and outrage at this sight. However, the anger Artemis was currently feeling reached its zenith when she caught sight of another person cradling Goku's other arm. That person, disturbingly enough, was Aphrodite.

"W-What…the…hell?!" Artemis hissed in absolute shock. Harnessing the full extent of her Divine Form's power, the enraged moon goddess threw both Goku and Aphrodite out of bed.

"WAKE UP!" shouted Artemis.

"Gyaaah!"

"Eeeeeee!"

The two were sent flying across the room. While Aphrodite managed to land on her butt, Goku, unfortunately, smacked his face straight into the tiled floor.

"Owie…" The love goddess childishly rubbed her behind. Artemis just stood there, glaring down at her with murderous intent.

Aphrodite nervously chuckled. "Hehe. Guess I kinda deserved that, huh?"

"Does, "a goddess of your nature shouldn't even be near my temple in the first place", mean anything to you?! Even a goldfish could understand that!" Artemis fumed in reaffirmed agitation.

Goku slowly picked himself up, taking a few moments to rub his aching forehead. Funnily enough, there appeared to be faint markings of the tiled cracks left over from the impact.

"That's gonna be sore for a few days…" Goku muttered groggily. "I'm confused, Aphrodite. Didn't you agree to let me rest last night?"

"Word of advice, Goku. You should probably take Aphrodite's promises with a grain of salt." Artemis squinted her eyes at the love goddess. "She's been known to change opinion if it suits her own needs."

"Oh, come now! That's just unfair!" Aphrodite snapped back in defense. "If you must know, I changed my mind out of concern, not desire."

Even Goku looked a bit skeptical of Aphrodite's words. "Seriously? I told you I was fine, Aphrodite."

"I know, I know. And believe me, darling, I did do as you wished and kept myself away. However…"

"Go on." Artemis blankly replied.

"…that all changed once I heard Goku's incredibly monstrous snoring." The love goddess revealed.

Artemis glanced at Goku. Given the sheer volume of each snore, she couldn't really deny that the cause of Aphrodite's restlessness was pretty valid.

"I tried to sleep through the confounded rumbling, believe me, but it kept going and going and going and…"

"Okay, okay! I get the message." Artemis interjected with a raised hand signifying "stop".

Aphrodite huffed, feeling offended by Artemis's sudden interruption. She'd have to get her back the next time they had one of these little spats.

"Hmph. Rude." She grimaced. "Anyhow, the snoring got so incessant and fierce that I just had to get a better look at it firsthand. This was interfering with my beauty sleep, after all, and I obviously need to look my best for tomorrow."

She then suggestively placed one hand on her head and the other on her hip. As usual, her emerald eyes were sparkling with mischievous delight.

"And for, you know, someone special. Teehee." Aphrodite whispered while winking at Goku. He was too preoccupied with the thought of his snoring being insanely loud to notice.

Artemis groaned. In that moment, she seriously considered bringing out a barf bag. Then again, that would probably make this asinine conversation go on for much longer than it needed to, so she just kept her mouth shut.

"So, long story short and a few brushes of my gorgeous hair later, I tiptoed back to your temple and managed to get inside as quietly as possible." summarized Aphrodite. The nonchalant way she said this greatly disturbed Artemis.

"But, how exactly did you get inside? I need to know for…research purposes." Artemis uttered demandingly. Maybe the implementation of a new security system wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Oh, that's simple, really. You left the door open just a crack." Aphrodite jerked a thumb at the temple's entrance. The giant doorway was, in fact, not closed all the way.

Dumbfounded, Artemis gave a sour look at Goku. She knew he wasn't the sharpest sword in the armory, but this little error was particularly disappointing.

"You forgot to shut the door?"

"Look, I don't know how these temples work. This is the first one I've been in! I thought it would shut automatically like those ones at the Empire State Building." Goku tried to defend himself. Artemis still wasn't convinced, but she let it slide, anyway.

"I suppose I can't fault you for this, yes." Artemis lightly grumbled. "Though, don't make the same mistake again. You never know who could abruptly barge in, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Goku stood up straight with a firm salute. Artemis displayed the slightest hint of a smile before glaring back at her fellow Olympian goddess.

"I don't appreciate that tone you gave, Goku. He's not someone you can just boss around." Aphrodite said sternly.

"Just shut up and keep going, Aphrodite." Artemis barked, not having time for her antagonistic nonsense right now. The three of them all had more important matters to attend to, after all.

"Fine. As I was saying, I tiptoed into your temple, looked around, and saw something unthinkable." Artemis continued her account of what happened last night. "It was Goku sleeping with you in the same bed!"

"Wait…I could have sworn I was on the floor, though. That's weird." Goku scratched his head in puzzlement. Aphrodite, in response, hung her mouth open in shock.

"You made Goku sleep on the floor?! After all that he's gone through, that's how you treat him?" Aphrodite gasped as if the moon goddess committed a serious crime.

"Well, what did you expect? I vowed to be a virgin goddess and sleeping beside a man would jeopardize that status. And Goku is no exception, regardless of how kind and innocent he is." Artemis reminded the hedonistic goddess of her virtues. "Besides, he didn't really mind it at all."

"Of course he wouldn't mind! He's slept in the wilderness multiple times as a kid!" Aphrodite said.

"Well, what I mind is him somehow climbing into my bed in the middle of night. How I didn't notice that is beyond me." Artemis shook her head in befuddlement.

Goku rested a hand on his chin in deep thought. He then pointed his finger upwards in sudden realization.

"If I were to guess, it's probably cause of my sleepwalking. Chi-Chi and my sons caught me doing it at night. One time, I ate all the food in our fridge without me even knowing." Goku said amusedly. "Boy, Chi-Chi was so mad. Hehe."

Aphrodite quirked a brow in amusement. "Sleepwalking, huh? I'm surprised I didn't know about that."

"That's nothing. There was one time it got so bad that I started sleepfighting." Goku elaborated further. "You can't imagine how many tables and chairs I destroyed by doing that. It was pretty rough."

"Sleepfighting?! Heehee! I definitely need to see that in action, sweetie!" Aphrodite giggled. Her smile grew bigger just thinking of the goofball performing martial arts poses and techniques while sleeping.

"Trust me, I don't think you want to. Heh." Goku lightly chuckled. Artemis, on the other hand, was admittedly a bit unnerved by this fact.

"Good thing that didn't happen. I don't think there'd be anything left of this temple." Artemis thought nervously. If he were to, say, let loose a Kamehameha in the middle of the night, this temple would be completely obliterated without her even being aware.

Putting this thought aside, Artemis motioned for Aphrodite to continue. "Anything else to add?"

"Well, since you obviously weren't going to do anything to assist in soothing Goku, I took it upon myself, as the loving, affectionate goddess I am, to cradle his side and then, voila! His troublesome snoring came to an end!" Aphrodite clapped both hands together with a satisfied grin on her face. Her eyes then began to sparkle with adoration and lust. "I'm sure his dreams became more pleasant with me lying beside him as well. Mmmm."

"Huh. Guess I do feel a bit more rested than usual." Goku noted as he felt his joints were somewhat looser than usual. "So, thanks for doing that, Aphrodite. Even though you weren't supposed to be here and what not, I still appreciate it."

"Of course, sweetie! I'm willing to do anything for you and then some." Aphrodite stated whilst amorously gazing at Goku's eyes. "And by anything, I mean anything."

Goku blinked a few times with a small grin. The Saiyan wasn't sure if he should feel grateful or uncomfortable by this comment. Then again, that very same conflict of interest could be used to describe Aphrodite as a whole.

"While I do feel a tad bit grateful for you stopping that incessant rumbling, it still doesn't make your appearance here any less unacceptable. Kindly leave and wait for Goku outside." Artemis commanded, pointing her finger at the door with a stern, serious expression.

Aphrodite placed a hand over her chest in shock. "I help you get a better rest and that's how you repay me?! Hmph! Talk about inconsiderate."

Artemis, starting to lose her temper again, tensely reached for her bow and arrows. She also tied her hair down into a ponytail as usual.

"Me? I'm the inconsiderate one?! You couldn't even respect Goku's wishes and keep your dirty little fingers off of him for one night!" Artemis fumed in steadily growing frustration.

"D-Dirty fingers?! Ohoho! You did not just go there!" Aphrodite growled whilst pink energy steadily bubbled around her entire body.

Artemis smirked, looking down at the love goddess in pride. "Oh, I did. And I meant every word, you simpleminded beautician."

Aphrodite got up close to piercingly glare at her fellow goddess. "Errgh! Pompous hag!"

"Sex-crazed thespian!"

As Artemis and Aphrodite proceeded to hurl insults at one another, Goku slumped his shoulders in dismay. A whole lot of headaches could have been spared if Aphrodite just kept her own interests and concerns at bay.

"Oh, man. These two just can't stop arguing with one another…" Goku muttered under his breath. He exasperatedly rubbed a hand over his face, hoping that this current argument would stop sooner than later.

"Erm…am I interrupting something important?" Someone asked in confusion.

Goku and the two goddesses turned around to see Poseidon standing in the doorway. He was, as always, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and khakis.

Spotting a look of amusement in the sea god's green eyes, Artemis shoved Aphrodite away from her and attempted to compose herself.

"No, Poseidon. It's nothing important at all. Aphrodite was just about to leave…" Artemis replied, glaring daggers at the love goddess in question. "What brings you here, uncle? A visit from you is quite rare nowadays."

Poseidon chuckled. "I suppose it has been a long time. However, I'm only stopping by to speak with Goku for a moment, if that's alright with you."

Poseidon set his gaze directly on Goku, much to the Saiyan's surprise. He blankly pointing at himself, confused.

"Did I…uh…do something wrong?" Goku asked, wondering if he somehow offended Poseidon at the trial by mistake.

"Oh, not at all. I did vote for your stay at the trial, after all." Poseidon assured him. "I was mainly wondering if you could do a small favor for me."

Aphrodite clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tch, seriously? The poor man's been here for one day and you're already asking him do stuff?"

"It may seem a bit selfish, I suppose, but this favor isn't for my own benefit. It's for my son's." Poseidon proclaimed.

"Your son, huh?" Goku quirked a brow in curiosity.

"Yes. He's a 14-year-old demigod named Percy Jackson. Like you, he's been on many different adventures across the globe. One involved him retrieving Zeus' Master Bolt and another exploring the Sea of Monsters to find the Golden Fleece." Poseidon described his son's accomplishments. "He still has a lot left to learn, but I'm proud of all that he's achieved, regardless."

"Wow. He sounds like a pretty tough kid. Doing all that at his age isn't easy." A mildly impressed Goku said.

"He's an interesting one alright. Especially his relationship with a certain daughter of Athena. Teehee." Aphrodite giggled delightedly. "Their love lives are sure going to be juicy."

"From what I've heard, he's an impulsive and sarcastic loudmouth who doesn't use his head before jumping straight into battle. But, all the same, he is very brave for a demigod." Artemis recalled based on how her father described Percy and his exploits. Of course, she knew Zeus was a bit biased when it came to discussing his nephew, so she'd rather judge Percy in person when the time came for them to interact.

"I can't deny that does sound like Percy. That's why I want you, Goku, as the new counselor of Camp Half-Blood, to help guide him. As a warrior in your own right, you'd be the best candidate to make Percy address his own flaws and weaknesses." Poseidon requested with the utmost confidence.

Goku rested a hand on his chin. "Hmm, I see. I guess helping this Percy kid won't be too bad. It'll kinda be like the training I did with Gohan all over again."

Poseidon thought this was an apt comparison. Like Gohan, Percy had a huge amount of potential just waiting to be unleashed. He may have been significantly weaker than Gohan, but they still had a lot of similarities in terms of general character.

"The only problem is that I'm not sure what he looks like. He wasn't at Camp Half-Blood when I fought Ares, from what I remember." Goku pointed out.

"You're right. Percy, alongside Annabeth Chase, a daughter of Athena, and Thalia Grace, a daughter of Zeus, are currently on a mission to recruit two demigods from a school called Westover Hall, which is located in Bar Harbor, Maine. His mother, Sally Jackson, started driving them there yesterday." Poseidon informed him about Percy's current whereabouts. It was somewhat bittersweet to think about Sally, but their love was all in the past now. She had recently married a man named Paul Blofis, after all.

"Ooh, that explains why they weren't there. Interesting." Goku snapped his fingers in realization.

"As for his appearance, I can help you with that." Poseidon said. His eyes glowed a brilliant blue as the sea god created pools of water from thin air. Manipulating the water with his hands, Poseidon melded it into a small, lifelike replica of Percy for Goku to examine. He was a young boy with jet black and the same sea-green eyes as his father. He also had a lean, muscular build that was accentuated by his orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

"He definitely looks like you, that's for sure." Goku commented, taking a closer look at Percy's main characteristics.

Poseidon beamed proudly as the water dispersed. "Yeah. The boy's a real chip off the old block, isn't he? Haha."

"He came from an old block?" Goku inquired in confusion. Poseidon's smile quickly turned into one of puzzlement at this comment.

"Figure of speech, Goku. Figure of speech." Artemis sighed heavily. It appeared that Goku still didn't fix that mistake after the trial.

Blinking a few times, Poseidon then cleared his throat. "Anyway, as a child of the Big Three, Percy is hunted down by monsters more frequently than other demigods. I fear that one of these monsters will eventually get the better of him someday, which concerns me."

Poseidon frowned, pointing directly at Goku with a serious expression.

"And this will get even worse with you in the picture. That hydra was only the first of many supremely powerful monsters that will start popping up in response to your immense power." Poseidon darkly exclaimed. "It's why your involvement in shaping Camp Half-Blood's growth is so important."

Taking a deep breath, he then held out his right hand in front of Goku. With this single handshake, Poseidon's request would be officially accepted.

"So, do you agree to help me with this, Goku? I promise that your duties won't go unrewarded." Poseidon inquired.

Goku paused for a moment, pondering over Poseidon's words. Although he would have preferred to see Percy's powers before making this kind of decision, the Z-Fighter ultimately figured this would be something he'd have to do as a camp counselor, regardless.

"I don't see why not. You've got a deal, Poseidon." Goku shook the Olympian god's hand with a small grin.

"Thank you, Goku. I'm sure Percy will be in good hands." Poseidon replied, grinning in a similar manner.

Pleased with how well this confrontation went, Poseidon slowly made his way towards the temple's exit.

"I recommend finding him at Westover Hall. Something sinister is taking root at that school, I believe, and he'll more than likely need all the help he can get." Poseidon advised cautiously.

Goku nodded his head. "I'll keep that in mind. See you later, Poseidon!"

Giving a slight wave of his hand, the sea god prepared to walk through the door, but stopped once he thought of another piece of information to bring up.

"Oh and I forgot to mention…" He turned his head to glance back at Artemis.

"Zeus wishes to speak with you privately, Artemis. He requires your services to hunt a dangerous, new foe relating to the war."

"A dangerous new foe? Are there any more details about it beyond that?" Artemis wondered.

"Possibly. You'll have to ask your dad once you meet with him." Her uncle stated with a small, casual shrug. "As for me, I'm heading back to Atlantis. Amphitrite might bring the whole damn city back to the surface if I'm not home soon."

Shivering at the thought of his wife's temper, Poseidon shut the door behind him and left Artemis' temple.

"Amphitrite?" Goku leaned over to Artemis and Aphrodite with interest. In that moment, Aphrodite tried her best not to laugh at Goku's butchered pronunciation of that name.

"She's Poseidon's wife and the Queen of the Sea. Amphitrite has a deep love for Poseidon, so she doesn't take his unexpected disappearances all that well." Artemis replied.

"Especially if he's out seeing another woman. Like Percy's mom, for instance." Aphrodite added with a slight giggle. "Word has it that Poseidon considered leaving Amphitrite for her once Percy was born."

Goku's eyes widened in surprise. "Woah, seriously? Poseidon must have loved this lady a lot then."

"I know, right? Isn't sacrificing all you have for the sake of love so romantic, Goku?" Aphrodite airily sighed while gazing into Goku's eyes.

"Uh…sure, I guess?" Goku stammered in confusion.

"There was nothing romantic about it. Poseidon knew staying with a mortal lover was forbidden, yet he made absurd promises that couldn't be kept. It's a good thing Sally Jackson was rational enough to reject such an offer." Artemis criticized her uncle's actions fourteen years prior.

"Oh, come now! As the love goddess, I know for a fact that Poseidon had genuine feelings for Sally back then. It made their brief union all the more tragic and amorous, especially with Percy being born as a result of it." Aphrodite denied portions of Artemis' claim.

The moon goddess scoffed, leaning her body against the wall. "Regardless of the feelings they shared, Poseidon still broke the oath he shared with my father and Hades. Father did, of course, break that promise as well, but time will tell which of their demigods sets the Great Prophecy into motion. Percy Jackson, in particular, is a likely candidate."

Goku brushed the back of his head, beginning to wonder what Artemis was referencing with this whole "oath" and "prophecy" situation.

"This god stuff's kinda hard to take in all at once. What's this Great Prophecy thing and what's it got to do with Percy?"

"Hmph. Normally, this information would be confidential outside of Mt. Olympus, but I suppose, as our new ally, you should know about it…" Artemis muttered to herself.

"The Great Prophecy was given to Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades about seventy years ago, during the time when World War II took place." Artemis glanced to the side, seeing Goku slowly raise his hand. "As to what that is, it's too complicated of a subject to discuss. You can find out about it on your own time."

Goku placed his hand back down, patiently waiting for Artemis to continue. It was hard for her to grasp that Goku was from a universe where a horrible conflict such as World War II never took place, but then again, his world had even greater horrors to endure.

"Anyway, the Oracle of Delphi foretold that one of their demigod children would determine the fate of Olympus. They would either save it or destroy it depending on what took place in the future. Do you wish to hear what the Oracle told them?"

Goku tentatively nodded his head. "If it'll help me understand it a bit more, then yeah. Go ahead."

"Alright. Here's what the Great Prophecy entails…" Artemis sighed. She then cleared her throat and uttered the old poem's six verses.

"A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days

Olympus to preserve or raze."

Goku remained silent, trying to think over the Great Prophecy's lines. Most of it seemed far too vague for his brain to keep up with.

"In layman's terms, it says that a demigod born to the Big Three will potentially contribute to Olympus's destruction once they reach the age of sixteen. The rest is currently up to interpretation." Artemis summarized the prophecy's main points.

"Percy is about fourteen at the moment, so there's only two years remaining until this prophecy is fulfilled. And with Thalia, there's only one." Aphrodite informed in slight concern.

"Now, you know why there was an oath that forbade my father and his brothers from having children with mortals. Unfortunately, they just couldn't restrain themselves for long." Artemis shook her head in disappointment. She couldn't help, but laugh at the fact that her father's own hypocrisy could potentially spell doom for all of Olympus. That is, if the Great Prophecy proved to be one-hundred percent accurate.

"Well, if I'll be training Percy like his dad requested, maybe I'll be able to make it so this prophecy doesn't go as planned. After all, I don't see some cursed sword killing him if he'll have over two years' worth of ki manipulation on hand." Goku pointed out determinedly.

"It's not as easy as it seems, Goku. Once a prophecy is uttered, events will neatly transpire in a way that fulfills its written verses. A foretold event could take place without anyone being aware that it even happened in the first place. That's how powerful the Oracle of Delphi's prophecies can be."

"But, this prophecy was made seventy years ago. I doubt it predicted that I was going to be teleported here, right? Maybe there are certain events that just can't be foretold in this universe." Goku proclaimed.

Nodding along, Artemis placed a hand on her chin in thought. Goku's presence did make the Great Prophecy slightly less intimidating, at least.

"That is a good point. However, I fear your arrival will only escalate the Great Prophecy further, rather than negate it completely." Artemis said.

"What do you mean by that?" Goku asked.

"What I mean is that the Great Prophecy won't just disappear if it doesn't transpire as planned. It will change itself into a new version that better fits the current state of the world." Artemis exposited the more complex nature of the Oracle's future sight.

"So, you mean that…"

"Yes, Goku. There's a chance you could be involved in the Great Prophecy now, along with Percy, Thalia, and any children Hades might have had." Artemis replied in a stern, serious tone.

Goku took a step back in realization. If what Artemis just said was true, it appeared that things were becoming more and more complicated for him by the second. Fighting Ares seemed much simpler by comparison.

"Geez. Looks like following the Great Prophecy you just told me won't even be needed soon." Goku chuckled nervously.

Aphrodite came to Goku's side and gently rubbed his back. "Remember, there's still two years left until that prophecy comes into play. For now, you should think about your job at Camp Half-Blood and the trip to Westover Hall, okay?"

Goku glanced at Aphrodite. Sensing the affectionate sparkle in Aphrodite's emerald eyes, his worries were ever-so-slightly put at ease.

"Yeah. I guess you're right, Aphrodite." Goku smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Course I am, silly! Now, let's get you back to camp!" Aphrodite beamed excitedly.

She roughly dragged Goku toward the door and opened it, preparing to leave. Noticing that Aphrodite was trying to pretend she wasn't there, Artemis let out a low grunt of annoyance.

"One day, she'll get what's coming to her. I swear it." Artemis thought. Putting on her silver jacket and quiver of arrows, Artemis followed after the two and shut her temple's doors. It'd most likely be awhile until she went back there again, especially because of this whole incident.

The moon goddess then saw something out of the corner of her eye. She tilted her head to see Hephaestus with a massive toolkit in his possession. He must have been heading down to start repairing the Empire State Building's elevator as promised.

Although Artemis wasn't a vindictive person most of the time, this moment was definitely the good dose of karma Aphrodite deserved. She smirked, gazing at the back of Aphrodite's head.

"Not so fast, Aphrodite. Aren't you forgetting something?" Artemis asked.

Begrudgingly removing herself from Goku's body, Aphrodite spun around to glare at her fellow Olympian goddess.

"Oh, please. What could I possibly be forgetting—" Aphrodite's eyes widened in horror once she saw Hephaestus stomping over to them. The putrid stench of grease and oil suddenly invaded her nostrils, much to the love goddess' utter despair.

"Mornin', dear! You ready to do some good ol' fashioned community service?" Hephaestus buoyantly chuckled.

"B-But…B-But…" Aphrodite stuttered out in defeat. Comically large tears were starting to build up in her eyes.

"There are no "buts" about this, Aphrodite. This is part of your punishment from Zeus and as we all know; his word is law." Artemis firmly exclaimed. A part of her was offput seeing Aphrodite in such a pathetic state, but then again, she brought herself into this mess to begin with.

Aphrodite collapsed onto the floor, childishly whining that she didn't want to go.

"Aw, don't be like that. It'll only be for a few weeks at most. I'll even set up a schedule with Dionysus and Chiron, so you can work as a counselor sometime in between." Hephaestus halfheartedly comforted his wife. "Plus, you get to spend more time with me! Doesn't that sound nice?"

Aphrodite physically squirmed at such a thought. Spotting Goku, she crawled towards him and lovingly cradled one of his shoes.

"G-Goku, sweetheart? Please don't let him take me! I'm begging you! You wouldn't want me to get hurt in that scary old workshop, would you?" Aphrodite sniffled in desperation. Goku frowned, becoming a tad bit bothered by Aphrodite's tearful expression. Even with Chi-Chi, he wasn't exactly the best at handling these kinds of situations.

"I mean, it is your punishment, Aphrodite. I can't really do much about it." Goku shrugged absentmindedly.

Aphrodite's jaw dropped in shock. She really thought her crying routine would work this time.

"B-But, don't you want to make sure I'm safe and nothing bad happens to me? I'm your…friend, aren't I?" Aphrodite asked, attempting to guilt trip Goku into helping her out.

"Nothing bad's gonna happen to you. All you're really doing is working with some tools and whatnot. Besides, Hephaestus is your husband, so I doubt he'll do anything too serious." Goku assured with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Stunned beyond words, Aphrodite's whole body started to shake. Her prior sadness was replaced with sudden frustration and anger.

"Are…Are you serious?! Look at me, Goku! A beautiful, gentle girl like me can't be in some backwards, disgusting—" Hephaestus scooped Aphrodite off the ground, interrupting her tantrum. He gave Goku a thumbs up and grinned.

"Appreciate the vote of confidence, Goku! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking Ms. Bad Attitude over here to the Empire State Building. We have a lot of work to do on this new elevator." Hephaestus proclaimed. He then slowly limped away, holding Aphrodite along his shoulder as if she were luggage.

Furious, Aphrodite kicked and punched Hephaestus' shoulders. "Let go of me, you big oaf! I wasn't finished talking with Goku!"

Blissfully ignoring Aphrodite's verbal protests, Hephaestus kept moving onward without a care in the world. The love goddess outstretched her hands in an attempt to reach for Goku.

"NO WAIT! DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS, GOKU! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Aphrodite screamed. As she became less visible, Artemis lazily waved her hand.

"Finally. Maybe there will actually be some peace and quiet for a change…" Artemis whispered as she took a deep, satisfied breath.

"You think she'll be mad at me for this?" Goku asked.

"Probably. She's held grudges for much pettier reasons." Artemis grunted. She darted her golden eyes to peer straight into Goku's. "But, you shouldn't feel bad about not helping her. This punishment is fairly lenient for someone like my father, believe me. She was just being overdramatic as usual."

"If you say so. I just don't want her to give me the silent treatment once we start counseling together. That's bound to make things complicated." Goku said.

"I wouldn't worry about that. Although it may be superficial, Aphrodite, in her own way, does seem to care about you a lot. If anything, she was sad because she wouldn't be able to spend more time with you, not because of the punishment itself." Artemis explained the reasoning behind Aphrodite's behavior. This remark calmed Goku down somewhat.

"Guess that's a good way to put it. Thanks, Artemis." Goku said gratefully.

"Don't mention it. Now, before we can go, I need to speak with my father at the Hall of the Gods."

"Oh, right. Do you want me to come with you?" Goku inquired.

Artemis shook her head from side to side. "That's not necessary. It shouldn't be very long, so you can wait outside until I'm done."

"Okay. That's alright with me."

The two then made their way back to the Hall of Gods. After Goku sat down somewhere next to the entrance, Artemis silently walked into the temple to convene with Zeus.

The aforementioned sky god was still sitting down in his throne. Thanks to Hera's incessant screaming the night before, Zeus looked physically and emotionally drained. His eyes were bloodshot and had prominent bags under them, in spite of his immortal body. Although he didn't require sleep, rest did sound promising to him in that particular moment.

"Good lord. Hera must have really done him in this time…" Artemis thought sympathetically. She fixed up her posture and stood directly in front of Zeus' throne.

"You…erm…wished to discuss something with me, father?" The moon goddess asked. Zeus jumped, suddenly realizing where he was.

"Oh! Yes, Artemis. Come a bit closer and I'll tell you the details." Zeus replied exhaustively.

Doing as she was told; Artemis marched forward and grew exponentially in terms of size. Now, she was about eyelevel with her father, albeit at a slightly shorter height.

"I'm sure Poseidon mentioned that I need you to hunt someone down?" Zeus asked as he tightly clasped his hands together.

"Mmhm. He referred to it as a dangerous, new foe." Artemis said.

"Well, that'd be an understatement, actually. It's not just any dangerous foe." Zeus paused to narrow his eyes in concern. "It's the Ophiotaurus."

Artemis gasped in recognition. "You mean…the Bane of Olympus? It's returned?"

"I'm not sure how, but yes. After one of my eagles retrieved its entrails during the First Titan War, the Ophiotaurus managed to reform over the past few centuries. And now, I'm not sure where it could be." Zeus explained his lack of knowledge on the Ophiotaurus' current whereabouts.

"So, you wish for me to track down the Ophiotaurus and kill it before the Titan Army burns its entrails?"

"Exactly that. If one of the Titans manages to burn it, they'll gain enough power to kill everyone on Olympus. Maybe even Goku as well." Zeus glowered. That last part was obviously debatable, but even Zeus wasn't entirely sure how much power could be gained from the Ophiotaurus' sacrifice.

"Speaking of which, should I tell Goku about this? He does have the ability to sense energy." Artemis questioned curiously. He would make the search for this creature less stressful by a longshot.

"Not yet. Goku has enough on his plate at the moment. The Bane of Olympus is your responsibility and I trust you enough as a hunter to successfully eliminate it. Understand?"

Artemis kneeled close to the floor and bowed in response.

"Understood, father. I won't let you down." Artemis declared with the utmost confidence.

Zeus warmly smiled. "That's a good girl. You can go now."

Artemis then stood up straight and shrunk back down to the size of an average human woman. While walking away, she glanced back at her dad's exhausted demeanor.

"Make sure to get some rest too. I think you need it." Artemis recommended. Zeus yawned as he casually shooed her away with his hand.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll keep that in mind, Artemis." Zeus grumbled.

Chuckling, Artemis officially exited the Hall of the Gods. She looked to the side to see Goku mildly dozing off. To her disgust, a bubble of snot was pulsating from within his nostrils.

"Wake up, Goku. It's time to get going." Artemis announced. The bubble from Goku's nose popped, instantly waking him up from his nap.

"Oh, the meeting's over already? What'd he tell you in there?" Goku asked as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes.

Artemis was hesitant to lie about her mission, so she figured telling Goku some small details about it wouldn't be too bad. She just wouldn't directly refer to the Ophiotaurus and its powers.

"Nothing too complex. He just wanted me to hunt down and kill this new monster working for the Titan Army." Artemis said.

"I see. Is this new monster pretty strong?" Goku inquired in excitement. With Ares still scattered, he'd need to find another opponent who could properly challenge him in a one-on-one fight.

"In a way, yes." Artemis briefly uttered.

"Cool! In that case, maybe I could help you—"

"No." Artemis interjected. Goku, not expecting this type of denial, was caught off-guard.

"I appreciate the offer, but for serious missions like this, I prefer to work alone. Even my own Hunters won't be able to assist me." Artemis attempted to justify her behavior.

Considering the amount of fights Goku has been in, he completely understood Artemis' mindset. Every warrior has had moments where they could only rely on their own abilities, and this one was no different

"Oh! No sweat then. Just figured I'd ask." Goku said in understanding.

"Again, I appreciate it." Artemis lightly grinned. "Now, with the elevator being under maintenance, I believe you could use your Instant Transmission ability from here, correct?"

Goku nodded. "Yep, I think so! I'll just need to track either Hestia or Dionysus's ki signatures first."

Goku then placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose, mentally scanning the world below for any abnormally high power levels. There were quite a few, some of which he couldn't even recognize due to their divine nature. However, once he felt a calm, soothing heat overwhelm his senses, Goku knew he found Hestia within Camp Half-Blood.

"There's one! Hang on tight, Artemis." Goku shouted. Once Artemis clasped the hem of Goku's gi, both of their forms dissipated and vanished into thin air.

Nearby, Zeus stood in front of the Hall of the Gods' entrance and watched them leave. Crossing both arms behind his back, the king of Olympus lightly frowned.

"Be careful, Artemis. I know you won't let me down." Zeus whispered hopefully. He then returned to his throne and, as Artemis recommended, took a nice, well-deserved catnap.

Back at Camp Half-Blood…

As soon as the sun rose, Dionysus immediately forced each camper to clean up the damages left behind by Goku and Ares' recent battle. This also included Zoë and the Hunters of Artemis, in spite of their extreme protest to such an action. However, as soon as Mr. D threatened to kick them all out of camp, they had to reluctantly comply with the wine god's orders. They were forced to refill some of the craters created by Ares' energy blasts, which was extremely humiliating for them, especially Zoë. Even though Ares was the main instigator of this entire conflict, the former Hesperide's hatred for Goku began to increase the longer she was forced to partake in this manual labor. In her eyes, the sooner Artemis came back from that accursed mortal's trial, the sooner she'd be able to escape this annoying cesspool they called a camp. Maybe she'd be lucky enough not to see Goku again either.

Everyone else in Camp Half-Blood was partaking in similarly stressful repair jobs. The Hephaestus Cabin, for example, were fixing up the Combat Arena with their construction equipment while satyrs, nymphs, and dryads were growing new plants over the ones that were completely incinerated upon impact. Ares Cabin helped lift the heavier pieces of rubble scattered along the campgrounds while other cabins fixed up the Mess Hall and its rearranged tables. In the same area, Hestia utilized the fumes of her hearth to keep everyone motivated and willing to contribute.

Dionysus, on the other hand, was relaxing in a chair outside of the Big House. With a can of Diet Coke in hand, the wine god cautiously monitored every single demigod to make certain they were still working. Ironically, he would not tolerate any slacking off on his watch.

"Chop, chop, people! This dump's not gonna fix itself!" Dionysus cried out. Chrion, who was using his horse body to transport supplies, blankly stared back at Mr. D.

"You could help contribute to the cleanup; you know?" Chiron grumbled. Dionysus clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Tch. I'm keeping these snotnosed brats motivated, Chiron. I'd say that's more than enough contribution in my book." Dionysus grunted. He then raised up his pop can to take a sip, but was interrupted by a stray arrow being shot straight through it.

"Woah!" The wine god yelped. He saw the arrow stick his drink straight into a nearby tree, causing his temperament to worsen considerably.

"Alright! Who shot that?!" Dionysus barked. He turned his head a few times until Zoë Nightshade came into view. The Hunters of Artemis giggled in amusement while their lieutenant sported a confident smirk.

"Oops. Looks like thy arrow slipped by accident. How silly of me." Zoë said sarcastically.

"Ergh! You damn Hunters are going get it one of these days! Mark my words!" Dionysus fumed as he shook his clenched fist. Zoë just rolled her eyes and continued filling up one of the craters.

"Hmph. I can see that they're very motivated." Chiron chuckled jokingly.

"Oh, chew a can and shut it, Chiron." Dionysus grumbled under his breath. He crossed his arms, continuing to observe the campers as they worked.

Suddenly, Goku and Artemis materialized near the spot Hestia was. Their return caused everyone in camp to pause and look upon them with considerable awe. Many of the campers didn't expect Goku to win his trial, but by some miracle, he came out relatively unscathed.

"Oh, wonderful. They let him live…" Dionysus sourly murmured. He slowly got up from his seat and walked over to greet the Saiyan goof in question.

Meanwhile, Zoë and the other Hunters widely smiled at the reemergence of their mistress. It may have been only a few hours since she left, but to them, being away from Artemis for any stretch of time felt like decades.

"Milady's back." Zoë whispered in relief. She then looked to the side, seeing Goku standing there with his typical goofy, dimwitted expression.

"And so is he. Figures." She spat disgustedly. Glaring at him from afar, Zoë slowly gathered all of the other Hunters and prepared to reunite with Artemis.

Goku himself analyzed the surrounding area. Camp Half-Blood looked a bit better than before, but it still needed a lot more work done in order to fully be back to normal.

"Man, I really should have blocked more of Ares' attacks." Goku gulped in an apologetic manner.

"There's nothing you can do about it now. This place will be fully repaired sooner or later, so don't worry about it." Artemis said whilst brushing some strands of orange hair out of her face.

"She's right, Goku. Camp Half-Blood is and always has been in good hands." Hestia kindly added. "Good morning, by the way. I hope you had a good sleep last night."

Goku peered down at the ground to see Hestia's childlike body standing before him. Her eyes were a bright, fiery orange as always.

"Morning, Hestia! I guess you could say I slept alright, but it was still…erm…kinda…" Goku hesitated to describe what took place at Artemis' temple.

Artemis interrupted the conversation by placing herself in front of Goku. "It's best not to talk about it. This morning was enough of a headache to experience, let alone describe."

"Ah, I see. This has something to do with Aphrodite then." Hestia presumed with a mischievous grin.

"Right on the money as per usual, Hestia." Artemis chuckled.

"Where is she anyhow? Before I left, she was heading off to her own temple, I believe." Hestia wondered in puzzlement. Preferring not to divulge any details about Aphrodite's little breaking-and-entering incident, Artemis just skipped toward the end of that lengthy explanation.

"She's going through her punishment right now. Hephaestus wanted to start working on the elevator immediately, and he just roped her along on the way there." Artemis factually recounted.

"Oh dear. That won't be a pleasant experience for Aphrodite." Hestia said in minor sympathy.

"It won't, but she deserves some form of comeuppance for her selfishness. Considering that it only takes a few weeks, Aphrodite's getting off with a relatively light sentence."

"A light sentence for you, I agree, but for Aphrodite, this type of heavy-duty maintenance might be her worst nightmare. Her looks and beauty are the things she cherishes the most, after all. Working down in a condensed, sweaty forge would dampen those qualities." Hestia said, taking Aphrodite's own perspective into account.

Artemis' feelings on the matter didn't seem to budge at all. "Like I said, she deserves to experience some form of discomfort for a change."

"Besides, Aphrodite gets to be a camp counselor at the same time. I'd personally find such a position demeaning and beneath me, but for Aphrodite, I'm sure she'll take advantage of it to bond with Goku." Artemis shrugged resolutely. Although she mentioned this piece of information in a casual manner, Dionysus did not respond to it the same way.

"Aphrodite's a what now?!" Dionysus choked out in shock. The demigods followed suit, forming a large circle around Goku, Artemis, and Hestia.

"Oh, right. Father mustn't have told you yet." Artemis murmured. She stood directly in front of Mr. D and gestured toward Goku.

"After the trial on Olympus, Zeus ultimately decided to make Goku and Aphrodite new counselors for Camp Half-Blood. Goku, specifically, will help Chiron train each of these demigods in preparation for the upcoming war against Kronos." Artemis explained the specifics of Goku's current standing.

The entire camp, including Chiron, were stunned by this news. Campers began talking amongst themselves, sharing their thoughts on Goku working here of all places. They knew he was insanely powerful, sure, but no one expected Zeus to acknowledge him as a potential ally so soon. Aphrodite becoming a counselor made this situation all the more stranger too.

Zoë Nightshade, in contrast, didn't like this one bit. Trusting an utter buffoon to train an entire army of demigods was a disaster waiting to happen. Although she may have disliked Camp Half-Blood, the world still relied on the demigods' skills in order to properly fend off Kronos and his Titan Army. Why would Zeus rely on the skills of one man to do such a thing?

"As if thy place couldn't get any worse…" Zoë groaned. Feeling irritated, she brushed her hair back and made her way over to the front of the crowd.

"A-Are you serious about this?" Dionysus stammered in disbelief. He tiredly rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was experiencing some kind of weird fever dream.

"Yep, it's true! I've even got the camp symbol on my new gi and everything. See?" Goku spun around and pointed at the back of his gi. Bending down, Dionysus squinted his eyes to see the black Pegasus symbol present on Goku's clothes, along with the initials, CHB, being displayed over his chest.

"Well, I'll be damned. Of course that old bastard wasn't going to tell me anything. Why would he? Feh!" Dionysus spat. He grumbled a slew of inaudible obscenities under his breath before tilting his head to address Chiron.

"What do you think, Chiron? You okay with this?" Dionysus asked.

Chiron stroked his beard in thought. "There's no way to really deny an order made by Zeus himself, but from an objective standpoint, Goku has proven himself to be an exceptionally skilled warrior. I believe his experience can prove quite useful in helping the campers become better, smarter combatants. So, I'd say enrolling him as a counselor wouldn't be all that bad of a decision."

Dionysus sniffed his nose. "Yeah. Guess you do have a point there."

Rudely stretching his arms out until a loud, satisfying crack was heard, Dionysus blankly stared at Goku and held out his hand.

"Welp, that's that then. Welcome to the family or whatever, Sudoku." Dionysus said. Goku repeated the wine god's gesture and enthusiastically shook his hand in an up-and-down motion. Many of the campers cheered in excitement, particularly Aphrodite Cabin, Hermes Cabin, and a few others. Ares Cabin and the Hunters of Artemis, in contrast, silently glared at the spot Goku stood.

"Thanks, Mr. D! And it's…er…Goku, remember?" Goku reminded him as he let go of the god's hand.

"That's what I said. Now, if Aphrodite's also going to be a counselor, care to explain where she is—"

"Pardon thy intrusion, milady, but I refuse to accept this!" Zoë yelled from the crowd. Shuffling through a few people, she finally managed to reach Artemis.

"Oh, joy. This ought to be good…" Dionysus sighed whilst rubbing his forehead.

Artemis examined Zoë's present form, knowing her long enough to realize she was clearly upset. Goku, unfortunately, wasn't observant enough to notice this.

"Hey there! Long time no see, Zo—"

"Shut up! I don't wish to speak with thee!" Zoë hissed. Goku shrunk back, looking somewhat hurt by the huntress's outburst.

"That was uncalled for, Zoë. Goku's been through so much already, and this is how you treat him?" Artemis chastised her lieutenant's attitude.

Zoë looked down at the floor, frowning. "A-Apologies, milady. I know thy response was unjustifiably crude, but…"

She took a short breath before pointing directly at Goku in anger. Her brown eyes were brimming with the utmost hostility and disapproval.

"I…I just don't understand! Why would Lord Zeus entrust everything to him?! He's a selfish, idiotic man with too much power for his own good! He probably could have beaten Ares in an instant and prevented all of this destruction from happening, yet he didn't!" Zoë shouted confusedly. "He is no different than any other pigheaded hero from thy perspective!"

Artemis simply stood there, taking in the aggressive energy left by Zoë's words. She could tell Zoë wanted to get this off her chest for a long time now, even before Goku's position as counselor was even announced.

"I see. Goku's presence must be reminding her of what happened 2,000 years ago." Artemis mentally assumed. Even though Hercules' betrayal happened that long ago, it seemed Zoë held an intense grudge for any male "hero" who displayed similar characteristics. Goku, sadly, was no exception in this regard.

"So, tell me, milady. What do these demigods have to learn from him of all people? They'll just be doomed to repeat the same mistakes that Goku has made." Zoë aggressively scowled. She ground her teeth, glaring daggers at Goku as he continued standing there, dumbfounded.

Artemis, due to developing a better understanding of who Goku was, sighed and gently clasped Zoë's shoulder.

"They have much more to learn from Goku than you know, Zoë. Your knowledge of him is only skin-deep and I believe you're intelligent enough to realize that." Artemis informed in a low whisper.

"W-What? But, milady! Are thee going to tell me everything thy said was wrong?!" Zoë cried out.

In that moment, Goku stepped up closer to Zoë. She was surprised to see that he now had a serious, melancholic expression on his face.

"You are technically right, Zoë. When it comes to getting a good fight in, I can be pretty selfish. I could have knocked out Ares a bit faster, and I'm genuinely sorry for that, believe me." Goku affirmed apologetically.

"However, I wouldn't call myself a hero. Like I told the gods up in Olympus, I'm just a guy who likes to challenge strong opponents and protect those I care about while doing so. And sometimes, I do make mistakes that I end up facing the consequences for." Goku let out a small sigh tinged with regret. "I realized that the hard way with a monster called Cell."

"Cell?" Zoë questioned.

"I'll spare you the details, but Cell was one of the strongest opponents I've ever faced. He was some experiment made from the cells of myself, my friends, and my past enemies. His power accelerated to a point where I couldn't even beat him in a fair fight." Goku vividly recalled how terrifying Cell used to be. The inhabitants of Camp Half-Blood were a bit unnerved by this description. Was technology that advanced back in his universe?

"I gave it all I had against Cell, but in the end, I just wasn't strong enough. Since my son, Gohan, who was around your age at the time, had an insanely high potential just waiting to be unleashed, I figured having him fight Cell would be enough to awaken it." Goku said, hanging his head low in remembrance. "I was wrong."

Both Artemis and Zoë looked upon Goku in curiosity. Unlike the other Olympians, Artemis didn't know the full details behind Goku's fight against Cell and the errors he made back then. It was fairly concerning to witness Goku in such a dour, regretful state, even if she saw it a few times beforehand.

"Despite the training we went through, I failed to realize that Gohan wasn't like me. He didn't enjoy fighting like I did; he only fought to protect the world and our friends. That's why I was horrified to see Cell mercilessly beating down on Gohan in his Super Saiyan form. It gave me a sudden change of perspective that I should have experienced in the first place." Goku grimaced. He thought it best not to mention the part where he gave Cell a Senzu Bean before his match with Gohan. That moment would be a bit more difficult to explain or add reasoning to.

"Of course, Gohan did eventually unlock his potential and acquire Super Saiyan 2, but only because of a peaceful android's death at the hands of Cell. And unfortunately, Gohan became too cocky in his new form and failed to stop Cell from preparing to self-destruct in an attempt to destroy the world. That's where I had to make up for my own mistakes and teleport him to another planet, sacrificing myself in the process." Goku briefly described his second and most recent death. "After that, all I could do to help Gohan was keep motivating him from the afterlife. Defeating Cell was his achievement for the most part, and I couldn't be prouder."

Zoë was stunned speechless by this explanation. A Greek hero like Hercules would never even dream of acknowledging their own faults and making the ultimate sacrifice to make up for them. Goku might have had more complexity to him than she initially assumed.

"I…I had no idea." Zoë weakly muttered.

"So, while I'm not the smartest or most responsible person out there, I want you guys to learn from my past experiences and grow stronger in the process. I may not exactly be qualified for this whole counselor position, but I'll try my best to awaken the latent potential you all have as demigods." Goku promised with a more confident, optimistic demeanor. "Who knows? Maybe some of you will turn out as powerful as my son in the future. It all depends on how closely you follow my instructions."

To Goku's surprise, his speech seemed to leave a positive impression on the residents of Camp Half-Blood. They all broke out into a unanimous round of applause, much to his slight embarrassment. He supposed that comparing their progress to Gohan helped enhance their motivation somewhat.

Goku lightly chuckled in response. He then shared a genuine grin with Zoë as she continued staring at her feet in puzzlement.

"Hope that answers your question, Zoë." Goku said.

"It does. I-I might have misjudged thee." Zoë replied as she anxiously played with her braid. "However, I still don't trust thee completely. Thy will need to prove thine worth as an instructor first."

"Eh, no worries. I'll try not to let you down." Goku sniggered amusedly.

"Hmph. Thou should also keep thine distance from milady. Thou art have no business with the Hunters of Artemis apart from this trial." Zoë haughtily upturned her nose. "Leaving this dreaded camp behind won't come soon enough."

"Unfortunately, I wouldn't say that so soon, Zoë…" Artemis mentioned offhandedly. Zoë blinked a few times, confused by what her adoptive mother was implying.

"Huh? What does thou mean, milady?" Zoë asked.

Right as Artemis was about to explain, Dionysus interjected from the sidelines by loudly coughing multiple times into his hand. The sounds he made disgusted a lot of campers, especially the girls.

"Ahem! Well, that was a good little Ted Talk you had there, Goku, but training time will have to wait." Dionysus announced, gesturing to the tattered remains of Camp Half-Blood's once lively campgrounds. "There's still work to be done, if you recall!"

The demigods sheepishly stood in place, pretending as if they didn't hear what Mr. D said. Sadly for them, Dionysus turned his head to glare at them. One of his eyes even twitched from irritation alone.

"If you recall! Come on, people! Wake up! Breaktime's over!" Dionysus slapped his hands together in a chopping motion. "You'll get to train once this place is up and running again!"

Collectively groaning out curse words, all of the campers begrudgingly went back to renovating Camp Half-Blood. Most of them either exchanged quick glances at Goku or, in Lacy's case, enthusiastically waved at him.

"See you around, Goku! I'm so, so excited to have you as a counselor!" Lacy cheered in anticipation.

"Hehe. Thanks, Lacy." Goku waved back at the young daughter of Aphrodite.

Simultaneously, Artemis placed a hand in front of Zoë and the other Hunters to prevent them from continuing their work. They sighed at their leader in shared relief.

"Stay with me, girls. I need to discuss something with Dionysus here." Artemis instructed.

Dionysus raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? And what would that be?"

"Actually, it's sort of two things, now that I think about it. The first thing concerns Aphrodite. She's currently helping Hephaestus fix the dimensional elevator to Mt. Olympus in his forge, so while she'll still be a counselor, it will only be on certain days of the week. Hephaestus will come around to give you a schedule for the next few weeks, I believe."

"Is that her punishment for stringing along Goku here?" Dionysus jerked a thumb at Goku. He then broke out into a fit of laughter. "Pffft! Hahahaha! Damn! Dad really didn't hold back with that one. That's brutal."

"I mean, it's not really that funny. She looked pretty upset about it." Goku stated nervously.

"Considering that Aphrodite and Hephaestus can't stand one another, it's pretty damn hilarious, actually. Almost feels like the setup for a bad sitcom." Dionysus snickered.

"Sit…com? Is that some kind of new food?" Goku ignorantly asked.

"You really need to get out more…" Dionysus grunted. He then peered back at Artemis.

"Since I'll be getting a schedule soon, I guess that's that for now. What's the second thing then?" The wine god inquired. Seeing that important business was being attended to, Chiron trotted up to him and stood a few feet away from his side.

"The second thing concerns Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace, and Annabeth Chase's trip to Westover Hall. This morning, Poseidon paid a visit to my temple and requested that Goku watch over him."

"Ugh. Peter Johnson? That moron?" Dionysus seethed in absolute disgust. "Normally, I wouldn't have outside influences help out with certain quests, but considering what's going on at that school, I'll make an exception."

"What's wrong with the school?" Goku asked quizzically.

"First off, it's located in Maine, which already raises some red flags. Second, it's a military academy reported to have been overrun by monsters, which yet again raises even more red flags. And third, two demigod siblings of questionable origins have been spotted there. It's just one place filled to the brim with bad vibes." Dionysus listed off the questionable conditions of Westover Hall.

"I see. Poseidon did mention something evil was taking root over there." Artemis mused to herself.

"Yeah. A school dance. Hehe." Dionysus laughed. Artemis just gave him a cold, disapproving stare in response.

"Oh, come on! Lighten up." Dionysus snapped. He then composed himself and mirthlessly crossed his arms. "Anyway, if you want to follow after Waterboy, be my guest. Just make sure you contribute to cleaning up this mess when or if you come back."

"That includes you too, Spike. You already promised to help out, so consider this your first duty as counselor." Dionysus declared.

Goku smiled and gave the wine god a mock salute. "Gotcha covered, Dionysus."

"Good. Come along then, Chiron. Let's start preparing Goku's paperwork." Dionysus said. He motioned for Chiron to follow behind him as he walked toward the Big House.

"Uh…did you just say paperwork?" Goku stuttered nervously. The poor Saiyan wasn't sure if he heard him correctly.

"Filling that out's your second duty as counselor. Sounds fun, right? Haha." Dionysus chortled evilly.

As Mr. D got further away from view, Goku collapsed onto the floor and entered a temporary fetal position. His face looked almost completely drained of color.

"Aw, man. I can't even remember the last time I filled out a piece of paper. This is gonna stink." Goku whined. Fortunately, his blubbering came to an end once Chiron's centaur body stood before him.

"Watch over Percy for me, Goku. He has a habit of recklessly putting his life on the line, even when it isn't necessary to do so." Chiron asked out of concern for his pupil's safety. Goku nodded his head in understanding.

"He'll be in good hands, Chiron. I'll make sure of it."

"Thank you. I look forward to working with you in the future." Chiron nodded back. He then trotted away, converting his horse half into a wheelchair, so he could fit into the Big House once more.

With that, Goku, Hestia, Artemis, and her Hunters stood behind while everyone else proceeded to perform manual labor.

"So…we're going to help Goku reach Westover Hall, milady?" Phoebe hesitated to ask.

"Yes. Mainly because there might be some hints relating to the mission Zeus recently gave me within Bar Harbor, Maine." Artemis replied.

"A new mission? Of what kind?" Zoë asked in sudden perplexment.

"There's a new monster out there that could turn the tide of the war. My father wishes for me to slay this beast before the Titans get their hands on it." Artemis vaguely revealed the details of her most recent hunt.

"Plus, I don't really know which energy signatures to look for in that area, so Instant Transmission won't work this time around. Sorry!" Goku sheepishly laughed in minor embarrassment.

The Hunters of Artemis sourly glowered at Goku's innocent response. It was hard to believe this was the same man who willingly sacrificed himself to stop an enemy he couldn't defeat. To them, Goku might as well have two separate personalities inhabiting one body.

"Guess it can't be helped then. It wouldn't be right to disobey milady's orders." Zoë sighed in acceptance of these terms.

"Lead the way, milady. Thyself and the others will follow thee to Maine as efficiently as possible." Zoë assured her mistress. She straightened the position of her bow and arrows, an action that was repeated by Phoebe and everyone else.

Artemis proudly grinned at the sight of their synchronized movement. She then cautiously darted her golden eyes toward Goku.

"Your level of speed is far above any of us, but try to keep up with the trail we leave behind. My Hunters and I will use our tracking abilities to pave the way towards Bar Harbor." Artemis requested.

"How long will that take?" Goku asked.

"Given the distance between New York and Maine, I'd say a few hours at most. We've always been able to cover long distances with little to no rest, so this one shouldn't be too difficult at all."

"Alright. Good to know." Goku gave out a thumbs up to signify that he understood. He then crouched down a bit to speak with Hestia.

"Sorry for the brief reunion, Hestia, but I guess we'll be seeing each other more often once I start my job as a counselor." Goku said.

"That's quite alright, Goku. I wish you luck with finding Percy." Hestia warmly grinned. "Good luck with your mission as well, Artemis."

"Thank you, Hestia." Artemis said. Directly afterwards, Artemis's eyes glowed a brilliant golden hue. The moon goddess slowly tapped into traces of divine, silver energy and then, after getting into a running stance, she quietly signaled for her followers to do the same.

"No time to waste. Let's move." Artemis shouted. She dashed forward, leaving Camp Half-Blood behind to navigate the nearby forest. The Hunters, with the exception of those still healing in her cabin, all followed in perfect, uninterrupted unison.

Goku stayed behind for a second, waiting to get a perfect trace of Artemis's ki signature. As soon as he found it, Goku blanketed himself in an aura of white ki and levitated off the ground.

"Later, Hestia!" Goku waved at the goddess of the hearth. He then rocketed out of the camp at blinding speeds, becoming so fast that his entire body looked as if it completely vanished.

Unfortunately, the resulting backlash of this flight caused chunks of soil and dirt to fly all over the place. Everyone cried out in anguish after the realizing that the mess was slightly worse than before.

A trickle of sweat beaded down Hestia's forehead. "I think Goku got a bit too ahead of himself there…"

Smiling in amusement, Hestia moseyed on back to her hearth and started spreading gentle, soothing scents throughout the camp. At this point, everyone was probably going to need double the usual dosage.