Unbound by Fate

Everyone gathered around the rec room's Ping-Pong table, preparing their discussion about the new prophecy. The front of the table was occupied by Dionysus and Chiron – whom was now inside his magical wheelchair – while Zoë and Bianca sat on the other side facing them. Goku, Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover, on the other hand, all sat along the right side of the table. The remaining head counselors for each cabin, Charles Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers, took the left. Ares's representative, as stated before, couldn't attend due to the Hunters beating the snot out of every demigod in that cabin.

Before they could begin, Dionysus waved his hand and provided everyone with snacks. This included Cheez Whiz, crackers, and multiple bottles of red wine.

Chiron sighed. "Remember your restrictions as camp director, Mr. D. And I don't think I need to remind you that most of these children are underage…"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it."

Sighing, the wine god snapped his fingers and turned each bottle into cans of Diet Coke. Nobody showed much interest in drinking it, but Goku, of course, helped himself to the Cheez Whiz. To everyone's disgust, he stuffed a bunch of crackers in his mouth and sprayed loads of cheese into it to wash them down.

"Wow. This stuff's great!"

Grover enthusiastically nodded his head in agreement. The satyr took his own crackers and, strangely enough, Ping-Pong balls while spraying each one with topping.

"I know, right? Cheez Whiz is the best!"

Annabeth and Thalia shook their heads in response to this behavior. This meeting was already off to a great start.

"This is the same guy who defeated Ares?" Beckendorf whispered over to Silena.

"Hard to believe my mom's interested in him, huh?" The daughter of Aphrodite giggled.

After another few painful seconds of slurping, chewing, and spraying, Zoë loudly cleared her throat.

"Ahem!"

Goku paused to look at the young Hesperide's piercing glare. Suddenly realizing the importance of this meeting, he quickly swallowed his food and motioned for her to begin speaking.

"Sorry…"

Composing herself, Zoë narrowed her brown eyes and glanced at each person in attendance. Her attention, however, was mainly drawn towards Dionysus and Chiron.

"There is no point in having such a meeting. The Hunters must leave immediately and save our goddess when there's still a chance to."

"And where will you go to do that exactly?" Chiron asked with a prominent frown on his lips.

"Where else? West!" Bianca replied. Her skin continued to glow as if she had bathed herself in liquid moonlight. "That's what the prophecy said. Seven shall go west to the goddess in chains. If me, Zoë, Phoebe, and four other hunters go, we'll be all set."

Thalia scoffed. It hadn't even been a day since the girl became a Hunter and she was already acting as arrogant as Zoë.

"Goku's the recipient of this prophecy, so you can't make that decision, Bianca. And besides, aren't you forgetting something? Campers and Hunters will unite before it is too late. This is a quest we're supposed to do together."

"Recipient or not, I refuse thy help! The Hunters do not need it!"

"Your. Nobody has said thy, in like, three hundred years, Zoë. Get with the times."

Goku scratched the back of his head in puzzlement.

"You mean people used to actually talk like that?"

Artemis's lieutenant grimaced, trying her best to form the other possessive pronoun correctly.

"Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, wondering why Zoë was still being so difficult.

"But the prophecy says that we need to unite before it is too late. That means if we don't work together, something bad could happen."

"Or maybe something bad is guaranteed to happen, Annie Bell. A new ally shall be found in the land without rain. Perhaps that means someone will perish and be replaced along the way… or perhaps not. It sounds rather unsettling, don't you think?" Dionysus mused with a cold, almost eager smirk.

Chiron sighed. "You could try to be a little more positive, Mr. D."

"Just giving my own two cents, my dear centaur. They'll be dealing with five alien warriors on this quest of theirs, so is it wrong to assume that they won't all make it out alive?"

Zoë bit her lower lip, grimacing. Based on her conversation with Goku and Chiron earlier this morning, she couldn't deny that the wine god made a valid point. Seven of the Hunters, including herself and Bianca, wouldn't stand a chance.

"Then it should be as I suggested earlier. Goku can accompany myself, Bianca, and five other Hunters on this quest. He is a camp counselor now, so by Campers, what if it refers to him too?" She said. "That last line also may point to his potential role in Lady Artemis's rescue."

Percy leaned back in his chair and folded one arm over the other.

"I don't know, Zoë. Calling Goku a 'camper' seems like a bit of a stretch, don't you think? He technically hasn't even started the job yet."

"And one shall hold the future in their hand…" Goku repeated to himself in thought. "That does sound like something I could do. At my trial, I did promise Zeus that I'd change the future he foresaw in his dreams."

"My dad had a dream of the future? What kind?" Thalia asked curiously. Everyone else was interested in understanding what Goku meant as well.

"A few days ago, Zeus saw a vision of me… possibly destroying Olympus. I guess I had a pink-haired Super Saiyan form, wore a gray version of my normal gi, and wielded a scythe made from dark purple energy." He then glanced down at the floor to process his thoughts. "Kronos had the same vision somehow and used it to give Aphrodite footage from my past six months ago. In a way, he basically set up everything with the intention of trapping me in your world. Artemis hunting me down, the fight with Ares, the trial itself… all of it was caused by him."

An awkward silence then permeated throughout the entire rec room. Even Dionysus felt disturbed by such a description, but in all fairness, he didn't care much for the martial artist to begin with. He could only tolerate his presence at best.

"So that's how Mom found about you…" Silena whispered.

Deep down, she could relate to being manipulated into causing some bad things to happen, but the young girl didn't say anything. The guilt would start to eat her up inside like before.

"But that… whole scenario just doesn't seem real. You helped save Camp Half-Blood from Ares, so why would you ever do something so awful later on?"

Chiron gravely stroked his beard. Things kept going from bad to worse, in his opinion.

"The scythe points to my father's involvement. He intends to claim you as a vessel, correct?"

"Yeah… that's what everyone on Olympus – and even the hydra I destroyed – believes. And now with Artemis being captured, I have a feeling they're using her as bait, so I'll bring me and that Bane of Olympus thing to them…"

Percy glowered. "Or more specifically, to Bojack."

"Do not rule out the General's involvement either. He's solely to blame for Lady Artemis's imprisonment… and I will make him pay dearly for it!" Zoë growled, getting angrier at the mere thought of her awful excuse for a father. She then rested a single hand over her mouth. "I do not know what to make of this dream thou spoke of, but… I will put my trust in thee, Goku. Such a deplorable vision goes against thy character. I have come to understand that now…"

The Saiyan of Earth felt taken aback by this response. He wondered what could have happened to make her warm up to him like this.

"Which is why we cannot delay this quest further. This Friday is the winter solstice and Artemis must be present at Olympus by then. Reporting our findings about the Labyrinth and its connection to Kronos's minions will help proper action be taken against them. If she is absent, the other gods will decide nothing of the sort."

Dionysus snorted. "Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble making decisions, young lady?"

"Yes, Lord Dionysus."

He then smirked in amusement. "Just checking. You're exactly right."

"Guess she is. I think my trial would have lasted a lot longer if Artemis weren't there to help defend my actions." Goku admitted with a slight chuckle. "Makes me wonder what they were doing in the Hall of the Gods before I showed up there. Hehe."

"Well, your trial was one thing. The winter council is another matter entirely. It's a meeting so important that not even Mr. D can skip out on it." Chiron explained.

"Oh, joy," Dionysus cheered sarcastically. "Another dull annual meeting. I can't wait."

"No use complaining about it now. Today is Sunday, December 16th, so we have only a single week to find her at Mount Tamalpais. And most importantly, to locate the monster she was hunting… whatever it may be."

The centaur then wheeled himself backwards to get a look at everyone participating in the meeting.

"Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."

"Four and three." Percy suggested aloud. "Seven is an uneven number, but if we include Goku, there could be three Hunters and three people from Camp Half-Blood. I'd say that's more than fair."

"That does equal things out." Annabeth said.

"Yeah. It makes sense to me." Thalia agreed.

"I'd personally prefer to take all the Hunters. With Atlas and the Galaxy Soldiers as our enemies, strength in numbers is a key to success against them."

"To find Artemis, you'll need to retrace her footsteps." Chiron wisely suggested. "She likely tracked the scent of this rare, powerful monster as she moved west. You'll likely have to do the same. The bane of Olympus unbound by fate could mean a number of things, but one of them, in all likelihood, is learning from Artemis's unfortunate fate to unbind this creature from its hiding place and discover its current whereabouts."

He then continued, giving Zoë a ponderous, quizzical look.

"Think. What would your mistress say in this scenario? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent'. It's best to keep the group limited to seven. Just as the prophecy entails."

Artemis's lieutenant picked up a Ping-Pong paddle and intently studied it. Her grip tightened around its handle in frustration.

"You may be right, Chiron, but this monster – the Bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast, the Ophiotaurus, might be capable of or what it even looks like."

"We know it's a mix of a bull and a serpent, at least. That's one lead to go off of." Annabeth informed.

Dionysus flipped through a wine magazine while continuing to listen.

"Don't come to me for any answers. I'm a young god, so anything to do with the First Titanomachy or whatever is beyond my pay grade. Those ancient monsters and dusty titans make for terrible party conversation. I know that much from experience, believe me."

Percy then looked to his old mentor for information.

"Do you know anything about the Ophiotaurus, Chiron?"

"Unfortunately, no. I fear it could potentially be more elusive… and even more powerful than the ancient monsters I'm familiar with.

Annabeth distractedly played with her blonde locks. "Considering it can lead to Olympus's destruction with its burning entrails alone, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Welp, you guys have fun with that." Connor Stoll said with a shrug. "Better stick together before it's too late. That kind of line doesn't bode well for anyone involved in this quest."

His older brother, Travis, nodded. "Except for Goku… as long as he stays away from pink hair dye. That's so not your color, dude."

"A new ally shall be found in the land without rain," Beckendorf repeated. "Guess you'll be ending up in a desert somehow. Might want to pack some extra water just in case."

"And the Titan's Curse must one withstand," Silena said. "What could that mean?"

"Atlas is a Titan. It could have something to do with him."

Chiron and Zoë exchanged a nervous look with one another, but they didn't say anything. Anyone brave enough to go on this quest would find out soon enough.

Meanwhile, Grover focused on the last two lines of the prophecy while biting down on more Ping-Pong balls and Cheez Whiz-coated crackers.

"And one shall hold the future in their hand… you think this 'one' is the same person or two different people? Could there be a direct connection between these parts of the prophecy?"

There was a period of contemplative silence around the table. Those two lines could likely refer to anyone, even Luke and Annabeth. Percy didn't wish to think of that outcome, but it was possible. Goku and Artemis were already friends at this point, so it could be them too.

"That, Grover, is yet to be determined. If anything, this whole prophecy feels like a warning about the Bane of Olympus's power. I'd heed its words with caution, if I were you."

"Then we shouldn't fight against it," Silena replied in a soft tone of voice. "We should listen to what Percy said and have three campers leave with Goku."

Zoë glared at the daughter of Aphrodite and rolled her eyes.

"And I suppose you wish to volunteer?"

"I-I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters. Don't look at me!" Silena stammered. "It'd be nice to hang out with Goku some more, I admit, but it's better that I stay here and continue helping with repairs."

"Yes. A daughter of Aphrodite should not deal with something so important." The huntress scoffed. "After all, what would thy mother say if thou broke a nail?"

Silena would have got out of her chair and tackled Zoë if not for the Stoll brothers holding her back.

Thalia sniffed. "Real mature, Zoë…"

"Stop it," Beckendorf grunted. He usually didn't talk much, but his voice was quite deep and intimidating. "Let's start with the Hunters. Which three of you will go?"

Zoë stood up from her seat and immediately volunteered.

"I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker."

"The big girl who likes to hit people on the head?" Travis asked.

"And the one who put arrows in my helmet?" Conner added.

"Yes," Zoë snapped at the two brothers. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing specific," Travis smirked mischievously. "Just that we have a T-shirt for her from the camp store."

To Goku's surprise, the Stoll's help up a big silver T-shirt that said ARTEMIS THE MOON GODDESS, FALL HUNTING TOUR 2002, with a huge list of national parks and other locations listed underneath. He didn't know whether to be confused by this outfit or the fact that these two demigods were clearly up to something. Their ki made such intentions pretty obvious.

"It's a collector's item. She was admiring it earlier. You want to give it to her?"

Unfortunately, she didn't suspect any wrongdoing and took the T-shirt with no questions asked. Goku was about to say something, but Percy stopped him at the last second.

"Don't. Let her find out herself."

Shrugging his shoulders, the martial artist continued listening in on the discussion.

"As I was saying," Zoë sighed, "I will take Phoebe and I wish for Bianca to go with us."

The twelve-year-old Hunter was stunned speechless. She looked almost proud, reluctant, and terrified all at the same time.

"Me? But… I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."

Despite her clear lack of resolve, Zoë rested a hand on her shoulder and insisted otherwise.

"You will do fine. There is no better way to prove thyself."

"I don't know about this, Zoë. This is Bianca's first quest… ever, right? What if she slips up and falls in battle?" Goku inquired in concern. He didn't want Nico to lose his older sister permanently, after all. There was a high chance that could happen with monsters like Bojack and his gang running around. "She'll be defenseless if I'm not there to protect her."

Bianca closed her mouth and gulped. These concerns were well-warranted.

"No… it's fine, Goku. Don't worry about it. I do want to prove myself…"

Zoë smiled proudly. "That's what I like to hear, sister."

The young demigod then tried her best to smile back, but it felt a bit forced. Goku had a feeling there were still some conflicted feelings circling inside her heart. Her partial abandonment of Nico was, in all likelihood, a primary source for them.

"And for campers?" Chiron asked.

"Me!"

Grover stood up so fast that he bumped the Ping-Pong table and flung crumbs off of his lap by accident. Most of the crumbs were small pieces of half-eaten Ping-Pong balls.

"Anything to help Artemis!"

"I think not, satyr. You are not even a half-blood." Zoë grunted disapprovingly.

"But he is still a camper," Thalia noted. "And he's got a satyr's senses and woodland magic. Can you play a tracker's song yet, Grover?"

"Absolutely!"

The Hunters' lieutenant looked somewhat impressed by this fact.

"Very well then. And the second camper?"

Thalia herself stood up next. "I'll go."

Suddenly, she grabbed ahold of Annabeth's arm and raised her hand.

"Annabeth here will be the third. We'll need her intelligence to help stick together as a group… and make up for Goku's obvious lack of it."

The daughter of Athena didn't appreciate being volunteered without her say in the matter, but she accepted it, nonetheless. It'd be nice to go on another quest with Thalia.

"Guess there's no grounds for me to argue against that."

Goku lightly chuckled at Thalia's last remark. "Me neither. Hehe."

Percy's eyes suddenly widened in shock. He just made up with Annabeth after their little argument a few hours, and now she was going to put herself in danger again? He couldn't believe Thalia of all people was okay with this.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a sec! Why aren't I going?!"

Thalia gave him a weird look. "Well, the deal was to include three campers, three Hunters, and Goku. You just didn't make the cut, Percy."

"Sorry, Seaweed Brain. It kinda makes more sense this way."

Grover was suddenly aware of the problem and twiddled with his thumbs.

"I mean, if Percy wants to go and keep an eye on you, Annabeth, I can stay here instead. I'm fine with him taking my place."

"He cannot and will not," Zoë refused. "He is a boy. I won't have Hunters traveling with a boy."

"You traveled here with me… on Apollo's bus, remember?"

"That was a matter of short-term emergency ordered by Artemis. I will not go across the country and fight many dangers in the company of a boy."

Percy was starting to get annoyed.

"That doesn't make any sense. Goku's a guy and so is Grover. What's the problem here?"

"Son Goku has special privileges granted to him by the gods of Olympus. His power is also necessary to defeat the Hera warrior, Bojack, and prevent Atlas from acquiring the Ophiotaurus's power for himself." Zoë explained in an equally irritated tone. "The satyr, on the other hand, does not count. He is not technically a boy like thou art."

Grover looked as he were punched in the gut. "Hey!"

"But my dad asked Goku to train me, right? It wouldn't make sense for me to stay at camp for an entire week while he, likely, starts training you guys. I have to be on this quest, whether you like it or not."

"What personal stake does thou have in it then? Is it concern for thy friend, Annabeth?"

Percy began to blush once everyone, including Annabeth, started blankly staring at him.

"N-No! I just… feel like I owe Artemis for helping us out at Westover Hall! Is that a bad thing?"

Annabeth placed both hands on her hips and narrowed her stormy gray eyes in annoyance.

"I can take care of myself, Percy. If I'm in any danger, Goku will be there to help protect me again. You're letting this concern get to your head! Snap out of it!"

"Yeah, lighten up. You don't always have to be the hero." Thalia said. "Save some fighting for the rest of us and take a break. I think you really need it."

Nobody came to Percy's defense. Even Goku didn't know what to say.

"But Annabeth, you—"

"The answer is no," Zoë said flatly. "I will take a satyr if I must, but never a male hero."

Chiron's frown ever-so-slightly deepened.

"This quest is to rescue Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions."

He then cleared his throat as Percy begrudgingly sat back down. Grover, Goku, and Annabeth looked at him sympathetically, but he didn't care enough to notice.

"It's settled then. Under the guidance of Son Goku, Thalia, Grover, and Annabeth will accompany Zoë, Bianca, and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods – present company included – be with you."

However, before the meeting could be adjourned, Dionysus set his magazine down and shared his own thoughts on the matter. His bloodshot eyes were now aligned with Goku's.

"Just a moment, Chiron. I feel as if all of you are forgetting a single, highly important detail."

Everyone looked at each other, not expecting Dionysus to say anything else this entire meeting. In fact, he hadn't looked up from his magazine for the past few minutes or so.

"And what detail would that be, Mr. D?"

"That Son Goku's position as counselor is his punishment! It was declared by Zeus himself that he'd stay here to clean up the campgrounds and train our demigod brats." He took a hard swig of Diet Coke and gestured the pop can toward Goku in question. "So why should we allow him to openly go against his duties and rescue Artemis? It's giving Kronos exactly what he wants, right?"

Chiron didn't expect this level of hostility from the Olympian camp director. He was also surprised that Dionysus said his name correctly this time.

"It hasn't even been a day, Mr. D. Goku's strength is needed to fight these Galaxy Soldiers under the Titan Army's employ, so his role in this quest is essential. It simply can't be completed without him around."

Annabeth nodded.

"Exactly. It says Seven shall go west to the goddess in chains. If Goku isn't part of it, then that would only leave six of us. And prophecies like this can't be undone or fought against like this."

"Need I remind you that this quest is a rescue mission. You are meant to retrieve Artemis at Mount Tamalpais, find the Bane of Olympus, and go. No questions asked." The god of wine glowered. "I don't care what number of people the prophecy describes. The point is that Goku should not come and go as he pleases. Otherwise, he could fall into Kronos's possession… and we'll all be royally screwed beyond belief. I may have not attended that asinine trial of his, but my opinion about him was clear even before it started…"

Dionysus then darkly glared at Goku and exuded a thick, crippling aura of purple Divine Energy.

"I don't care what happens to you either way. But if you decide to go against your duties at camp, I won't stand back and let it happen. Don't be a hero."

Goku balled his fists. The god of wine's logic made sense, but it still didn't seem right to him. If Artemis needed to be rescued in only a week's time, why shouldn't he help out and go on this quest to find her? These six kids would be powerless without him.

"Look, I get that I promised Zeus that I'd be a counselor here, Dionysus... but I also promised to watch over Zoë, Bianca, and the other Hunters! I can't let them go out there alone." The Saiyan warrior said, pleading for the Olympian to listen to reason. "I'm not trying to be a hero or anything. I just want to help rescue my friend. It was my fault she got captured in the first place, so please… let me help her! I'll do anything you ask after the winter solstice is over!"

Dionysus studied the man's facial expressions. As much as he didn't want to admit it, his emotions were genuine. He really did feel responsible for Artemis's kidnapping and imprisonment.

"Hmph. Fine. Do as you please." The wine god murmured scornfully. "But if you happen to fail, don't even think about coming back to this camp. I doubt my father will give you any more chances… if another one of his children dies, because of you… and Kronos's schemes."

Silena brushed her long black hair back. "I mean, technically, Ares didn't die per se…"

"You get know what I meant, Salona!"

"I-It's Selena…"

Dionysus rolled his purple eyes. Having little interest in discussing this irksome little quest further, he crushed the Diet Coke can in his hands and stood up.

"Welp, this council is concluded then. Get ready for it or whatever."

As everyone filed out of the rec room one-by-one, Zoë took a moment to speak with Goku personally. She made sure Dionysus was out of earshot before doing so.

"Is something wrong, Zoë?"

"Not at all. I merely want to let thou know that… I appreciate thy willingness to help Lady Artemis. I'd be honored if thou could help train me on this quest." The lieutenant awkwardly requested. It required her to swallow every ounce of pride she had left to even say such a thing. "I believe that one technique will be quite… useful against Bojack and his followers."

Goku winced. He didn't like what she was implying at all.

"You're not ready for the Kaioken, Zoë. It's way too risky for someone as young as you are."

"I've lived far longer than thee have, Goku. I can at least try it out." The prominent coldness in her brown eyes then softened and became more desperate. "Please. Let me try."

The man then took Zoë's true age in mind. Despite being only fourteen-years-old physically, she had once lived several centuries ago before joining the Hunters of Artemis. He didn't know what kind of life she had, but it must have been filled with sadness and tragedy. There was, after all, a good reason why she hated Hercules and male heroes in general.

He still hadn't figured out what that reason was, unfortunately, but he'd do his best to fix that. This quest across the United States was a perfect opportunity for such a discussion to take place between them.

"Alright. You win," Goku sighed. "But you have go through the basics of ki control first, okay? It'll make the process of controlling the Kaioken a bit easier."

Zoë bobbed her head in appreciation and shared a rare smile with him.

"Thank you."

She then left the rec room to find Phoebe and discuss the quest's details with her. Goku did the same, but while walking, his thoughts were primarily focused on Dionysus. Something about his swift change in attitude didn't seem right to him. Perhaps there was a chance he got nervous about Zeus's dream and what events that entailed.

He ultimately shrugged his shoulders and went over to the Dining Pavilion to get something else to eat. Since his duties as camp counselor would be put on hold until next week, the only thing he could do was report to Hestia about what happened.

Having a talk with Percy might also be a good idea too. It didn't feel right that he was being excluded from going on the quest with Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover. He was looking forward to training him alongside the other demigods and Hunters.

"I wonder if there's any chance the seven doesn't include me. It could be three Hunters and four demigods, including Percy." He muttered to himself. "Guess all I can do is let the prophecy run its course."

As soon as he walked away from the Big House, Dionysus hung to the side of the building and narrowed his eyes in disgust. They glowed a bright purple hue, causing small grapevines to grow out of the ground and coil around his own two feet.

Typical hero. Doing whatever he pleases… without any due consequence.

Before this quest could begin, he'd need to put Goku's convictions to a little test of sorts.

At the Dining Pavilion…

After finishing his next meal, Goku finally got around to talking with Hestia again. He explained everything that happened, namely the meaning of the prophecy's contents, Dionysus's sudden change in mood, and Zoë's request to learn the Kaioken. It was a lot of information to take in all at once, but Hestia followed along just fine, regardless.

She smiled, tending the Dining Pavilion's central bonfire while listening to her friend talk.

"Sounds like it turned out to be just as eventful as your trial, hm?"

"Well, I probably wouldn't go that far, but it did get a little crazy. I still don't know what Mr. D's whole deal was."

Hestia fixed up her hood and brought some pleasant, comforting fumes over to Goku's nostrils. As always, it made him feel more relaxed.

"It's nothing you should worry too much about. Dionysus has always been temperamental and difficult to read." She replied. "Before this punishment, drinking wine was his own way of livening himself up a bit more, but now, thanks to Zeus, he can't rely on such a habit."

"Yeah. It must be hard for a Greek god of wine to drink something… well, other than the stuff he likes."

"More than hard, but you should know that wine isn't Dionysus's only domain, Goku. The grape-harvest, orchards, fertility, madness, parties, religious ecstasy, theater; all of these things are under his control." Hestia informed. "At one point, he even used to be mortal like yourself… and these demigods."

This fact only served to shock Goku. Given his poor treatment of Percy and the other campers, he assumed that Dionysus was naturally born a god like Ares.

"And he still managed to achieve that much power for himself? That's amazing!"

"Mortals ascending to godhood isn't as rare as you may think. Hercules did it, Dionysus did it, and who knows? You may be able to become a god too."

Goku chuckled at such a possibly. He may have had Super Saiyan 3 at his disposal, but that didn't make him some god or anything. He still had to get a whole lot stronger before that could happen.

"Hehe. I don't know about that part, Hestia, but it does sound cool."

"You've already beaten Ares's Villainous Mode with only a fraction of Super Saiyan 2's true power. If anyone could acquire divine levels of ki in the future, it'd be you. I'm sure of it." The goddess of the hearth warmly proclaimed. "You'll just have to continue training and breaking past your limitations… like you always have."

"Don't have to tell me that. I'm gonna need to train if I want to take down Bojack and Atlas. Something tells me that they're real bad news."

The goddess of the hearth shook her head and smiled up at him.

"You've faced Majin Buu in combat and lived to tell about it, Goku. I'm more than certain you'll save Artemis in the end. And I think she feels the same way deep down inside."

"I hope so. I… don't want anything to happen to her while I'm not there, Hestia. The sooner me and the others get on the road, the better, in my opinion."

"It won't be long until your quest begins. Enjoy yourself for now. You deserve to rest."

The Olympian goddess's kind words were exactly what he needed to hear. It felt like he could talk about anything with her. He toothily grinned and patted her on the head.

"Thanks, Hestia. I'll try to do that." He then noticed that Grover and Chiron were tailing after Percy somewhere away from the Dining Pavilion. He'd need to catch up with them before the day ended. "Anyway, I guess I'll need to get ready for this quest thing soon, so catch you later. Thanks again for talking with me."

She bowed her head, grinning appreciatively. "Likewise, Goku. Please be careful."

"Oh, I will. No need to—"

He was surprised to see Hestia hug his leg for a brief, yet extended moment. A part of her felt concerned for his safety, yet the man didn't seem to notice.

"I'm going to miss you these next few days." She quietly murmured. "Come back with Artemis, okay?"

Grinning, Goku crouched down to grab Hestia's back and return her gentle embrace. Even her small body felt warm and soothing to the touch.

"I'm gonna rescue Artemis no matter what. She'll be with you and the Olympians by Friday. I swear it."

The two then ended their hug as Goku ran to catch up with Percy, Grover, and Chiron. Hestia clasped her hands together in a momentary sign of prayer.

"Good luck, Goku."

After a few minutes, the martial artist ran into Poseidon Cabin unannounced. Grover had left sometime earlier, but Chiron – in his horse body – and the aforementioned son of Poseidon were still there. They seemed to be having a private conversation of some kind.

"Am I… interrupting anything?"

"Not at all," The centaur shook his head. "I was meaning to talk with you in private next, so this is good timing."

Percy laid down flat on his bed and crossed his arms. He glanced down at Goku with his sea-green eyes, looking, in some aspects, fairly exhausted.

"I'm fine, Goku. Annabeth was right about me being too concerned for her safety." He sighed. "I don't need to be on this quest… and that's fine. There's no reason for you, Grover, and Chiron to be worried about me. I mean, Grover would have chewed up my mattress if I didn't kick him out in time. He was that sad about… taking my place or something."

Goku slowly eyed Percy's mattress in curiosity. The centaur and demigod both deadpanned at him.

"And no. My mattress is not actually good to eat. He just chews up household objects whenever he gets upset."

The Saiyan almost looked disappointed by this response, but nevertheless, understood.

"Ohhh… right. Cause he's part-goat…"

"Exactly."

Chiron knelt down on his horse legs, so he was situated between Percy and Goku simultaneously.

"I don't pretend to understand these prophecies myself. Seven was an odd number, even for me." He softly admitted. "Annabeth is a good choice for this quest, I admit, but neither you or Thalia would really be my first choices."

Goku tilted his head. "Even Thalia?"

"She's impetuous, acts without thinking, and is too sure of herself. She and Percy are a lot alike in that regard. Together, they could be a dangerous combination, but when apart, they're far too risky in the decisions they make."

Percy stood up from his bed and frowned.

"Gee. Thanks a lot."

Smiling, he then glanced over at Goku with a confident gleam in his brown eyes.

"They could learn a lot from you. I believe the discipline and experience you've accrued as a martial artist could rub off on them. You could pass on abilities that even I, a legendary trainer of heroes, couldn't even dream of mastering."

"Like the Kamehameha Wave thing? Or Kaioken?" A long pause came after Percy mentioned those two techniques. "I heard some Hunters and campers arguing about them earlier. Not sure what they are, but they sound cool enough."

"One thing at a time, Percy. You're not ready for that level of ki manipulation yet."

The demigod leaned forward, resting a hand against his cheek.

"Right. Because I'm not going on the quest, hm?"

"That's not what I meant…"

"Perhaps this is for the best," Chiron mused thoughtfully. "You barely survived one encounter with the Hera swordsman, Kogu. I can't imagine the outcome would be much different if you fought him a second time. These adversaries are simply far too out of your league."

"Grover, Thalia, and the others didn't do much better either. If there really is four more of those guys out there, I can't help worrying what could happen to him. At least being part of the quest would allow me to do actually something…"

Bearing his teeth, Percy pulled out Riptide and glanced down at its pen form.

"It's no wonder Zoë doesn't want you to come along, I suppose. Not while you're carrying that particular weapon." Chiron said with a grimace.

"That particular weapon? Does Zoë have some connection to Percy's sword?" Goku asked.

She never once hinted at such an attachment during the battle at Westover Hall. Unless there was a chance she never got a good look at Riptide back then. Percy didn't know what Chiron meant either, but then he remembered something the centaur said to him upon receiving his sword for the first time.

It has a long and tragic history, which we need not go into.

The boy would have asked more questions related to that subject, but Chiron interrupted him by tossing a golden drachma from his saddlebag. Percy caught it with one of his hands.

"I suggest calling your mother, Percy. Let her know you're coming home in the morning. You can stay with her for the holidays." He instructed. "If we need you, we can call."

Goku brushed his hair to the side, feeling exasperated and uncertain how to handle this situation.

"I guess he'd be safter there, but I wouldn't rule him out just yet, Chiron. Poseidon was pretty adamant about him being my student." He reminded them, while thinking back to the prophecy's contents. "And one shall hold the future in their hand. That could be talking about anyone, but you never know. Maybe it's Percy. He is destined to play a big role in the Great Prophecy, right?"

Chiron hummed to himself in thought. He wasn't aware Goku knew about the Great Prophecy yet. He wondered if Artemis told him sometime after his trial on Olympus had ended.

"If that were truly the case, it could be referring to Thalia as well. She's also a child of the Big Three." The centaur said. "It'd be wise not to draw such conclusions, however. The quest hasn't begun yet."

"You know… what this Titan's curse is, don't you, Chiron?" Percy asked suspiciously.

Chiron's eyes and face darkened. Looking petrified by what the boy just asked him, he made the symbol of a claw over his heart and pushed outward. Goku didn't know what it meant, but apparently, it was an ancient gesture used to ward off evil. Percy heard Annabeth describe it to him in the past.

"Let us hope the prophecy does not mean what I think. Now, goodnight, Percy." Chiron trotted over to the door, glancing back at both him and Goku with grave, petrified eyes. "Are you coming too, Goku? You'll need to wake up early in the morning for your quest."

"Aw man. Early in the morning…"

He whined childishly before turning around to give Percy a single thumbs up.

"Welp, guess I'll call it a night then. Hope the talk with your mom goes okay."

"Sure…"

Taking a quick look at Chiron, Goku did something he hasn't done in a long time and sent a short telepathic message over to Percy's mind. He once did something similar to prevent Krillin from stabbing Vegeta with a katana back on Earth.

Don't leave yet, Percy. I'll think of something to get you involved with this quest. Just hang tight and stay close to camp.

What?! How are you—

Despite the demigod's confusion, Goku said nothing else in reply and winked at him. He then followed his fellow counselor outside Poseidon Cabin.

"Your time will come. I'm convinced of that." Chiron exclaimed while parting ways with the boy. "There's no need to rush."

As soon as the two counselors left, Percy looked dumbfounded. Telepathy wasn't an ability he expected Goku to have. He was still chock full of surprises, apparently. It made his borderline cryptic message even stranger.

Guess I'll see what Mom says first…

He then stood in front of the cabin's saltwater spring and, after taking a deep breath, threw the drachma into it.

"O goddess, accept my offering."

The saltwater's resulting mist shimmered and created a faint rainbow from the light in the cabin's bathroom.

"Show me Sally Jackson," He ordered. "Upper East Side, Manhattan."

With that, he'd then have a brief conversation with his mom and her new, unexpected companion, Paul Blofis. His name sounded more like blowfish to him, though. This conversation went on for some time before the boy slowly, but surely drifted off to sleep once it ended.

At around the same time, Goku and Chiron made it back to the Big House. The centaur had a feeling he shared some brief exchange with Percy, but he didn't know how or for what reason. Regardless, he decided not to say anything about it until morning.

"So you're sure Dionysus won't interfere at all? He did seem pretty mad about me leaving my position as counselor."

"Mr. D, as all gods usually are, is a complicated individual. It's not you he has an issue with per se, but what you, in some way, represent. He likely sees your involvement in this quest as a defiance against Zeus and the gods themselves." Chiron explained in a semi-informative way. "It's rather difficult to understand, I'm sure, but I suspect Zeus didn't want you involved in the search for the Bane of Olympus either. Correct?"

"No, he didn't. That's why Artemis kept it a secret at first." Goku affirmed. "But I don't have any interest in that thing, really. I just care about saving her."

Chiron rested a hand on Goku's shoulder and grinned from ear-to-ear.

"And with that kind of determination, I know she'll be in good hands."

The two camp counselors then called it a night. While Chiron slept inside as always, Goku insisted on sitting outside in one of the lawn chairs to 'keep watch'. That was yet another suspicious comment on the Saiyan's part, but the centaur ignored it once again.

He'd likely approve of whatever plan Goku was concocting inside his clever, yet, at times, infantile mind, anyways. The same, however, would not apply to Dionysus for obvious reasons.

Mount Tamalpais, San Francisco – Sunday, December 16th, 2007 (Age 775)

For several hours on end, Artemis continued to bear the weight of the heavens on her shoulders. Her severe injuries from the fight against Atlas had not yet healed, being nullified by Celestial Bronze chains that coiled around each wrist. Fresh ichor trickled from her lips, yet the goddess of the hunt did not cry out in pain.

She remained as strong as ever, even when put through a hopeless situation like this one. Unfortunately, the collapsing black rocks, overtime, were starting to take a significant toll on her body. It required all her remaining power as an Olympian goddess to stop herself from being crushed.

Bojack snorted. "A stubborn one, isn't she?"

"She gets that from her bastard of a father." Atlas said. His stone gray eyes narrowed at the mere thought of Zeus. "These… Olympians will pay the price for their arrogance once the Bane of Olympus ends up in our possession."

"You'll… never find it," Artemis spat in a fierce, yet exhausted tone. One of her eyes was closed shut due to fatigue. "And you won't defeat Goku. Your plan will fail."

The Titan and space pirate regarded her with the utmost disgust. She was far too beaten and worn down to take seriously.

"Ironic. You warn us about underestimating Son Goku, yet you, in turn, underestimate my own power." Bojack chuckled at her apparent hypocrisy. "Trust me, the abilities my men showed you in battle… don't even scratch the surface of what I'm capable of, goddess. You'll see for yourself soon enough… when that naïve Saiyan comes to rescue you. Hahaha!"

The moon goddess's golden eyes ever-so-slightly drooped in sadness. Knowing Goku, there was a high chance he would indeed come to her aid. Zoë would likely do the same, in spite of her insistence that neither of them come looking for her.

At the same time, Zangya tended to Kugo's wounds and gave him a chance to recover. He was still in pretty bad shape, but she managed to clean most of the blood staining his body. The female Hera, for a brief moment, sympathetically glanced back at Artemis.

Although they were enemies, the goddess still tried to reason with her and ask what drove her fierce loyalty to Bojack. It was a complicated situation that tied her and the space pirate together, yet after seeing the absolute agony Kogu was put through, the redheaded alien's loyalty began to waver a bit. Even her intense fear of Son Goku wasn't enough to cast off such doubts.

Sighing, she kneeled next Kogu's side and narrowed her blue eyes.

I'm beginning to wonder… if this is really what the people of Hera would have wanted for us. Is this is the type of legacy you wish to create, Master Bojack?

She then glanced over at Bujin and Bido. Much to her chagrin, they regarded Artemis's torture without a single care in the world. Their loyalty to Bojack's cause was, apparently, high enough to share his same thirst for vengeance and blood.

In a way, she couldn't blame them for that. Each of the Galaxy Soldiers, herself included, owed their very lives to him. The Hera Clan would have been completely extinct if not for his innate will to survive past their planet's destruction.

Of course, their planet was only destroyed because of Son Goku. And at the time, she was far too young to truly understand why he did it. Was everything the Time Patrol touted about his heroism and kindness a complete lie? Or did their timeline end up being plagued by the worst version of him?

Before she could continue ruminating over these questions, the demigod, Luke Castellan, had returned. He, as promised, came back with a newly reforged version of Kogu's Devilish Blade. It was now imbued with a blade made from Stygian Iron, a rare, terrifying metal that can absorb the essence of monsters, gods, Titans, demigods, and other immortal beings when struck by it. It also, ominously enough, glowed with dark purple energy.

"Took you long enough, Castellan." Atlas grunted. "This weapon better be worth the wait."

"Oh, believe me, it is. The Telekhines repaired it using some Stygian Iron ore they swiped from the Underworld." The son of Hermes smirked while showing off the Devilish Blade's new features. "This bad boy won't be getting snapped in two again. I can tell you that much."

Merely catching a glimpse of the weapon put Bojack on-edge. There was an evil, otherworldly ki encircling its blade that felt comparable to Kronos's. He couldn't tell if that was a positive improvement or the opposite.

"Hand it to Kogu, boy. I can tell there's something else… brewing inside that weapon."

Luke quirked a brow. "Something devilish, you mean?"

"Errgh! Just do it!"

A slight chill went down Luke's spine in response. Not wanting to irritate someone as strong as Bojack, he quickly walked over to Kogu's side and placed the Devilish Blade into his hands. The Hera swordsman was barely conscious, but he managed to clasp the sword's hilt, anyway.

"Are you alright, Kogu? Does it feel any different?" Zangya asked.

She gave him some room to stand back up and inspect the Devilish Blade a bit closer. Its black, purplish blade was much different from the legendary sword's original, metallic surface, but felt… stronger in a way.

"I don't know. But… just holding it… is enough to feel more and more power coursing through my veins!" Suddenly, dark ki was then transferred from the sword straight through his mind, body, and spirit simultaneously. "GRRRRRAAAAAGHH!"

An aura of fiery purple energy surrounded Kogu's body, healing any prior injury he sustained from holding up the sky. This abrupt boost in power sent out a shockwave throughout Mount Tamalpais that shook it from side to side, and almost knocked everyone off their feet. Even the surrounding area was illuminated by this evil aura's purple light.

"W-What the hell is happening to him, Master Bojack?!" Bido shouted. He, Zangya, and Bujin projected forcefields around themselves, so they wouldn't be caught in the crossfire. "Is this the Devilish Blade's doing?"

Atlas crossed his arms and smiled. He immediately recognized the handiwork of his uncle.

"That… and more than likely Lord Kronos's."

Zangya's eyes widened. "K-Kronos?"

Artemis shivered. She weakly turned her head to the side, noticing that Kogu was unlocking a new Villainous Mode similar to the one Ares used in his fight with Goku. She previously didn't think a mortal could wield such an awful form, yet now, one of them was.

But why? Kogu already failed to defeat Goku, so why grant him such an immense increase in power? It doesn't make sense.

Within the span of a few minutes, Kogu's transformation was complete. His eyes now glowed a pupilless bloodred and his muscles expanded to the same size as his previous Full Power state. Sharp black markings were situated underneath his eyelids as an ominous purple aura flowed in tandem with the energy of his new Devilish Blade. The rest of his appearance remained the same, but looked more unstable than ever before.

This Dark Evolution of sorts, like with Ares, increased his power exponentially. He wasn't quite at the same level as Bojack or Atlas, obviously, but strong enough to take down the other Galaxy Soldiers with relative ease.

The main caveat to such a form, however, was Kogu's clear loss of sanity. He sported a sinister, conniving grin and snickered to himself.

Bujin grinned mischievously. "Oh? What's so funny?"

"Your power. It now pales in comparison to mine… and my sword's."

The impish Hera flinched, feeling just a tad bit annoyed by that comment. He didn't let it show on his face, though, and continued smirking.

"My, my. Quite cocky now, aren't we?"

Luke took a tentative step back from Kogu in nervousness. He then regained his composure and took a short, yet deep breath.

"Guess the Telekhines had more help than I thought. No wonder it's flowing with so much dark energy…"

Atlas nodded his head. He looked quite pleased with the results of Kogu's 'awakening'.

"Should be just enough to challenge Artemis's Hunters on their little quest to find her," The Titan General curled his lips in sheer anticipation. "How does that sound, little goddess? You think Son Goku will be a match for our forces?"

Kogu glowered. He was looking forward to slicing Goku's head clean off his body. Maybe then his pride as the Galaxy Soldiers' swordsman could be reclaimed.

The goddess of the hunt, at first, said nothing. She then tilted her head up to glare at Atlas without any ounce of fear or hesitation. Silver energy surround her body, in spite of the Celestial Bronze chains' dampening effects.

"Goku already prevailed against Ares's corrupted Divine Form… without even requiring his strongest form. If he does succeed in reaching Mount Tamalpais before the winter solstice begins, be prepared to face his wrath. He'll fight every single one of you… until I am set free."

Atlas's boisterous laughter echoed across the dark mountaintop. The ground shook in response, causing more rocks to collapse on top of Artemis. Her body instinctively convulsed from the resulting backlash.

"Gah!"

"Such feelings of hope are greatly misplaced, my young goddess," The Titan General chuckled. He then stroked his chin in amusement. "Right about now, I'd say your darling attendants are beginning their quest to find you. They, like the Saiyan, shall play directly into my hands… and ensure our victory before this war can even begin!"

Composing himself, Atlas silently motioned for Bojack, Luke, Kogu, Bujin, and Bido to follow him. Zangya, meanwhile, was reluctant to go with them. She didn't wish to experience another humiliating defeat so soon after her fight with Artemis.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your would-be rescuers and make their quest… challenging."

Bojack evilly smirked at this statement. He then glanced back at Zangya with little regard.

"Stay here and watch over the goddess for now. Is that understood?"

She loyally bowed her head. "Y-Yes, Master Bojack. Of course."

Bido gritted his teeth. He didn't like the idea of leaving Artemis alone with only one subordinate. She, after all, managed to take Atlas, Zangya, Bujin, and himself all at once in her Divine Form.

"You sure that's wise? Zangya has always been the weakest of us next to Kogu. There's a possibility she could slip up and lead to the Olympian's escape."

Bojack took a few steps forward to think over this situation. Although Zangya was, to say the least, acting quite weird lately, he still trusted in her abilities, nonetheless. There was also a chance Artemis would be less hostile around a fellow woman. Atlas did say she had a habit of believing that women were superior to men, so it would make sense.

"Son Goku won't be taken down so easily. We'll need as many men as possible just incapacitate the damn fool." The Hera mercenary logically surmised. His face then darkened, recalling his tragic past once again. "Battling one-on-one would be complete suicide. I won't make that same mistake again. And I'm sure Kogu agrees."

Kogu felt the spot in his stomach where Goku punched him and nodded.

"Ergh. Yeah, I do. The Psycho Threads were necessary to capture Artemis, so it should be no different… when intending to kill Son Goku."

Luke uncomfortably brushed his blonde hair back.

"Persevering his corpse is all that's required for Kronos's plans to work, so yeah, kill away. Just don't harm Annabeth… and Thalia, alright?"

"As if you have any grounds to give out orders, but very well. We're in need of Thalia Grace's services, anyway." Atlas replied.

The son of Hermes almost looked guilty for a moment or two, but he didn't let it show on his face. Deep down, he would be happy to see Thalia and Annabeth again.

"Right…"

The group of six then flew off of Mount Tamalpais to track down the Bane of Olympus and Goku's current whereabouts. Bido was stuck flying Luke around, much to his chagrin, so he purposely made the flight as rough and uncomfortable as possible. The demigod, of course, did not appreciate being put through that.

With them gone, all that remained were Artemis, Zangya, and a large group of Scythian Dracaena. The dracaena could best be described as humanoid, reptilian female warriors with twin serpent trunks for legs. They primarily wielded spears as weapons and wore strong suits of Greek battle armor. Artemis didn't encounter many of the dracaena yet, but they were evenly spread throughout Mount Tamalpais's peak and mountain range.

Zangya relaxed her shoulders and sighed. Keeping her distance, she sat down to closely watch Artemis lift up the heavens. The goddess of the hunt looked away from the Hera, feeling too frustrated with her current situation to care what she thought or did.

"Protect them for me, Goku. That's all I ask…"

Squinting her blue eyes in bewilderment, Zangya rested a hand against her cheek and tried to ignore Artemis's soft groans of pain. It looked as though she'd be waiting a long time for Bojack and the others to return, unfortunately.

That would give her some time to think over her exact purpose for being here. Testing out her own Full Power state wouldn't hurt either.

I wonder. What could have made Son Goku so determined to save her?

To her surprise, a single stray tear fell from Artemis's remaining, less swollen eye as the heavens' weight became even heavier. It then dissipated, converting into a silver droplet dipped with moonlight.

And what makes this goddess trust him so much?