Chapter 7: Love and War
Despite being confused by Artemis's swift change in attitude, Goku proceeded following her to Camp Half-Blood training area. Goku thought it best not to question the divine huntress's strange reaction to his compliment, so instead, he decided to pass the time by curiously perusing Camp Half-Blood's surrounding area. The Saiyan, of course, had never experienced any type of summer camp before, so everything about this place seemed fairy unique, even by the standards of what he's seen in his own universe. Goku noticed that a wide majority of the campers were seated in some type of mess hall. Each of them were around 12 to 18-years-old and were categorized into 12 individual tables that seemed to signify a respective god/goddess. These tables surrounded a large bonfire that some demi-children, to his aghast disbelief, were dropping large sums of food into.
"A-Artemis, why are those kids wasting all of that food?!" Goku gasped in utter horror, watching helplessly as sums of meat and grapes were swiftly burnt to a crisp. Artemis, still a bit perplexed from Goku's comment earlier, partially side-glanced at the overgrown goof and rolled her currently silver eyes.
"Offering meals is seen as a tribute to the other gods and I. The demigods of Camp Half-Blood are expected to partake in this tradition before every meal, especially dinners like this one. Calling it a waste isn't very respectful, Goku." The moon goddess scolded informatively, gesturing to the collective of orange-shirted children as they prepared to chow down after their respective offering was given. Goku shrunk a bit in embarrassment, feeling apologetic for his hunger-induced impulse.
"O-oh, alright. But, how does that work exactly? I thought the Olympians had their own food to eat." Goku desperately questioned, his brain unable to comprehend the concept of food being used for anything other than eating.
"Of course we do. We just like the smell of mortal delicacies from time to time. It helps soothe us in a way." Artemis calmly replied, breathing in and out to absorb the refreshing nourishment of newly scorched meat.
"That's… weird." Goku trailed off in bewilderment, quirking a single eyebrow at Artemis's visible look of content. Finished with inhaling the aroma of Camp Half-Blood's prepared meals, Artemis shook her head and slightly giggled at Goku's stunned reaction. This further caught the martial artist off-guard because from what little he's seen of her; Artemis didn't seem like the type to laugh very much. Even more bizarre was the fact that her laugh, despite its short duration, sounded fairly radiant and bubbly, admittedly unfitting of a cold, battle-hardened huntress such as herself. In this short moment, Goku couldn't help, but wonder if there was more to her personality than he previously assumed.
"Hehe I suppose you could think of it that way. Us gods do have our own peculiarities and quirks like any other living thing." Artemis honestly proclaimed with a close eyed smile. Her face then shifted back to its usual look of indifference and seriousness as both of them trudged closer to Camp Half-Blood's archery range.
"I guess that's true. The ones back in my universe were pretty odd too, now that I think about it." Goku agreed with Artemis's light-hearted sentiment, thinking back to his initial meeting with Supreme Kai and how ominous he appeared at first glance. Mentioning gods outside of the Greek, Egyptian, or Norse Pantheons immediately reignited Artemis's intrigue in Goku and the closely related circumstances of his upbringing.
"You've managed to interact with the creator deities of your own dimension?! What were they like?" Artemis backpedaled inquisitively, turning her head to stare into Goku's obsidian orbs. Goku just stroked his chin in response, trying his best to put the Kais' mysterious existence into words.
"W-Well, the closest thing I've come to meeting with a race of "gods" were the Kais. However, even now, I'm not certain if they could really be called that." Goku mused confoundedly, his eyes narrowed in deep concentration and puzzlement.
"How do you figure?" Artemis asked curiously.
"Don't get me wrong, the Kais are definitely capable of performing some amazing feats. Heck, one of them helped me learn the Kaioken about 10 years ago." Goku acknowledged respectfully with a small grin, showcasing his gratitude for what King Kai was able to teach him back in Otherworld. Artemis's eyes steadily widened at this new revelation.
"Really?! Your technique… was created by some sort of god?!" The moon goddess stuttered in abject amazement, her interest in said power multiplier now accentuated tenfold.
"Yeah, his name is King Kai and he lives in Otherworld, an alternate dimension where people go when they die. He's a pretty funny guy once you get to know him better, specifically when it comes to telling jokes and puns. I was actually on his planet before… erm… all of this stuff happened." Goku described the aforementioned Lord of Worlds in minor detail, awkwardly gesturing to the foreign world presiding around him. Purposefully neglecting to mention this so-called King Kai's juvenile fixation on bad puns, Artemis was unable to wrap her head around the fact that Goku visited this postmortem Otherworld multiple times over.
"If this King Kai has a planet in the afterlife as you've said, are you implying that—" Artemis pondered in growing disturbance and bafflement.
"I'm dead? Nah don't be ridiculous. However, I have died about two times in the past; both of which were done as sacrifices for the greater good." Goku assured with an amused grin, carelessly mentioning his prior confrontations with both Raditz and Cell. Artemis simply scoffed in a mix of shock and denial, not at all buying the validity of Goku's improbable claims. No matter powerful Goku truly was, mortals like him did not have the luxury, or curse, of eternal life and would inevitably pass away at some point.
"T-That's preposterous! No mortal should ever be able to escape death, let alone twice. Either you're lying to me or greatly exaggerating the circumstances of these "sacrifices" as you've called them." Artemis rashly accused with a defiant cross of her arms. Goku sighed at the goddess's prolonged skepticism and began to sport a somewhat serious grimace.
"Look, Artemis. I know it may seem hard to swallow, but keep in mind, I live in a universe far different than yours. The standards of death back home are probably more lenient than it is here. For one thing, we have magical objects known as the Dragon Balls." Goku calmly assured Artemis, utilizing items exclusive to his own world as foolproof evidence that he has died in the past.
"Dragon Balls?" Artemis quietly asked, tilting her head to the side with growing interest. Goku nodded in confirmation, preparing to introduce the very spheres that inadvertently led to the start of his extensive career as a martial artist.
"They're seven orange spheres created by a race of slug people known as the Namekians. Each of them have red stars that indicate their respective number such as the One-Star Ball, Two-Star Ball, Three-Star Ball, Four-Star Ball, and so on. When someone collects all of them, that person will gain the ability to summon Shenron, a ginormous dragon that can grant any wish ranging from immortality, money, and, in my case and many others, resurrection from the dead." Goku explained from memory, keeping his description of the Dragon Balls as short as possible without making their existence seem too complicated. Artemis was amazed by the sheer power these Dragon Balls were implied to possess, unnerved by the prospect of a normal human gaining immortality with just one simple command.
"So, you're saying that this Shenron was used to wish you back to life?" Artemis cautiously inquired.
"For the first time, yeah. I have a wicked smart friend named Bulma who created a radar that could track the Dragon Balls and identify where they were located on a map. Ever since I was about 12, we've been going on adventures to find them and make sure they didn't fall into the wrong hands. This eventually extended to Namek itself years later since we found out that the Namekians had their own set of Dragon Balls to find." Goku answered whilst nostalgically reminiscing about his initial journeys with Bulma, Yamcha, Oolong, and the others. As images of all his friends and family subconsciously emerged, he began to ponder how long it would take for him to return home, or if he would even be able to come back to begin with.
"Going on adventures at the age of 12?! He's more similar to Hercules and other heroes of old than I've realized. Come to think of it, a younger version of him wouldn't be that out-of-place among these demi-gods." Artemis thought to herself, tilting her head to observe the youngest inhabitants of Camp Half-Blood as they continued eating. Being an alien, Artemis inferred that Goku was most likely stronger than the average human even before his training began.
"Ahem, interesting. What makes these Dragon Balls different from the others, Goku?" The immortal huntress stated curiously, uncertain if both sets of Dragon Balls were wholly distinct from one another.
"Not much. While the Dragon Balls on Earth only had the ability to grant one wish, Namek's, which were a lot larger in size, could grant up to three. However, a major setback my friends and son, Gohan, had to deal with was that Porunga, the eternal dragon equivalent to Shenron, could only understand the native Namekian language and thus, could only be summoned by a member of that same species." Goku informed with a shrug, pointing out the Namekian Dragon Ball's various pros and cons. The word, "son", particularly caught Artemis's attention, but she decided to discuss the implications of Goku's family at some other point in time. After all, she could already spot the painted targets indicative of Camp Half-Blood's archery range within her line of sight.
"The two do share some features, though. After a wish or wishes are granted, both Dragon Balls turn to stone and need to recharge for about a year. They will also permanently turn to stone if their creator is killed or suddenly passes away. That factor was one of the reasons Bulma, Krillin, and Gohan had to travel to Namek after the Saiyans invaded Earth." Goku explained further, his expression contorted into a scowl of regret while speaking. Even to this very day, remembering the time Vegeta, Raditz, and Nappa first came to Earth was still a bit difficult to think about, especially concerning the initial deaths of his friends and himself. Artemis, immensely fascinated by the Dragon Balls' existence and limitations, quirked a brow at his mention of the Saiyans, already knowing of Goku's out-of-ordinary nature based on their prior conversation.
"Hmph both sets do sound quite dangerous. I'm assuming that the Saiyans' arrival on Earth had something to do with collecting the Dragon Balls for their own devices?" Artemis inferred from Goku's visible discomfort and body language, analyzing the spiky-haired Saiyan from head-to-toe with her steely gaze.
"Well, yeah. But, they only found out about them after Piccolo, a Namekian who used to be one of my greatest rivals back home, and I fought against Raditz. Originally, Raditz came to Earth just to look for one thing entirely separate from the Dragon Balls. The other two Saiyans, Vegeta and Nappa, were in another part of the galaxy all together." Goku confirmed Artemis's observational assertion, scowling at the projected image of Raditz's devilish smirk as it circled around his mind.
"What was he looking for exactly?" Artemis asked hesitantly, wondering what else a Saiyan could want besides planetary destruction or orbs could that grant anything they so desire. Goku closed his eyes and blew out a sigh, figuring that Artemis would need to find out more about himself regardless.
"Me. Raditz was my older brother and the one who revealed that I wasn't human like I once thought." Goku murmured listlessly, opening his obsidian orbs to glare at his feet. Artemis stood agape for a moment or two, shocked by the fact that the first Saiyan Goku came in contact with was his own brother.
"Like I said before, I've lived on Earth for most of my life. All of those adventures with Bulma, Krillin, and the rest were done thinking that I was a human just like them. I became a martial artist to become stronger, no question about it, but I also did it to protect those closest to me and make certain the place I called home wasn't jeopardized by monsters seeking more power than they rightfully deserved. Then, this… this scumbag shows up and claims that my sole purpose for being sent here was to destroy it! He then kidnapped Gohan and ordered me to kill hundreds of innocent people if I wanted to see him alive again! And do you think I was just going to let him waltz into my home and say such a thing without putting up a good fight first?! Heck no!" Goku shouted boisterously, sporting a battle-ready smirk and clenched fist. Artemis was even more astonished by Goku's lack of fear and cautiousness in this particular situation. It truly seemed like Goku viewed the fate of his loved ones as far more important than his own, even in situations where the opponent had a potential advantage in battle.
"Goku… Maybe there is something that makes you different from other males I've come across in the past. What exactly that is I'm not entirely certain, but finding out may need to be my next hunt…" Artemis proclaimed determinedly, displaying a small grin at the Saiyan warrior as his dampened mood was swiftly washed away.
"I see…" Artemis replied in a soft voice, honestly admiring his bravery in the face of danger. She squinted her silver eyes to fully examine Goku's chiseled face before regaining her focus on the intended goal she had in mind: seeing the Kaioken and Kamehameha techniques on full, uninterrupted display.
"You don't have to finish, Goku. Some information should be kept personal until the time is right to say otherwise." Artemis exclaimed understandingly, placing a hand in front of Goku's face as a sign for him to stop talking.
"Are you sure? The past doesn't really bother me all that much. I mean Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince and leader of that group I just talked about, is one of my closest friends now." Goku questioned uncertainly, crossing his arms with furrowed eyebrows. At the utterance of Vegeta's name, Artemis grew skeptical of the ruthless warrior being described as a "friend".
"Is that feeling mutual between the two of you? He was your, and the rest of Earth's, enemy after all." Artemis pointed out matter-of-factly, placing both hands on her hips. Goku scratched the back of his head and smiled goofily at this doubtful statement.
"He might not admit it, but I'd say so! Even the worst people can change for the better in some ways, Artemis. You might not know this, but most of my friends have been enemies at some point in life, Vegeta included. Heck, even Krillin didn't like me at first! Haha!" Goku chuckled amusedly, looking back on his year-long training with Krillin under Master Roshi and how different said monk used to act. Artemis rolled her eyes, stopping in place to peruse Camp Half-Blood's Archery Range.
"As much as I'd like to know the exact circumstances pertaining to the start of that friendship, we're here." Artemis interrupted the Z-Fighter as she gestured to their presiding destination. The Archery Range housed about 10 wooden targets with five individual sections that divvied up specific points. As expected, many of the Hunters of Artemis who weren't healing in their respective cabin were practicing one after the other in a single file line. Arrow after arrow shot at each panel, whizzing about in every direction possible. However, the fastest and most precise shots, by far, were being shot by a newly recovered Zoë Nightshade. She placed about five arrows in her bow simultaneously, much to the increasing delight of her fellow huntresses. Braided dark brown hair gently flowing in the wind, Zoë gradually pulled the string of her bow back and prepared to fire.
"Grrragh!" Zoë Nightshade growled powerfully, launching each arrow at different targets. With expert marksmanship, all five arrowheads pierced through the bullseye without any sort of wear and tear. They were perfectly imprinted into the targets' wooden exterior, eliciting a round of applause from the observing Hunters and Artemis herself. Goku stood dumbfounded by this display, his eyes widened to their maximum capacity.
"Amazing as always, Zoë." Phoebe congratulated her fellow huntress with a soft pat on the back. Zoë, in the process of retrieving her nocked arrows from the Archery Range's targets, nodded in thanks.
"It was nothing. You and every huntress here are just as good as thy." Zoë modestly complimented her fellow archers with a warm smile. Noticing how kind and motivative Zoë was among her peers, Goku couldn't help, but wonder what her exact problem with him was. Even before their "fight", she was immensely aggressive towards him right off the bat.
"Wow. She's pretty good." Goku whispered over to Artemis, immensely impressed by Zoë's professional skills in archery. Artemis nodded enthusiastically; her red lips upturned into a proud smile.
"Yes. Zoë has been my lieutenant for centuries now. I couldn't ask for a better person to lead the Hunters in my probable absence." Artemis happily praised, addressing the feminine warrior like a mother to one of her own daughters.
"Oh. Do you think she's still mad about me knocking her out earlier?" Goku nervously whispered into her ear. Unfortunately for him, his voice was audible enough to elicit the attention of each huntress standing nearby, including Phoebe and the aforementioned Zoë. At the sight of said Saiyan, Zoë's thankful grin instantly regressed into an infuriated, contemptible snarl. Her black eyes narrowed dangerously, both of them burning with pure hatred and resentment as they closed in on Goku's now fearful expression.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Goku stammered uncomfortably with a sheepish, toothy grin. Artemis, already expecting this type of vitriolic reaction from the headstrong teen, cleared her throat and attempted to quell Zoë's temper.
"I see you've recovered just fine, Zoë. Did you rest well?" The moon goddess questioned in a calm manner. Zoë's mood swiftly brightened in the presence of her mistress, but she still continued to glare at Goku.
"Of course, milady. That chop to the neck was only a lucky shot and nothing more." Zoë scoffed condescendingly, downplaying the power of Goku's "attack" during their battle in Camp Half-Blood Forest. Goku winced a bit at this purposeful insult, beginning to wonder if beating this particular Hunter in one blow was such a good idea after all.
"Arrogance won't do you any good, Zoë. I didn't bring Goku here to start another fight against him." Artemis sternly mused. Knowing that Zoë's pride was wounded from her most recent defeat, Artemis remained neutral in order to ease the tension of this situation. In response, Zoë tightened her grip on the bow she was currently holding, causing small splinters of wood to be flung outward.
"Then why is thy alien even here? He's still our prisoner, no matter what he did to kill that so-called hydra!" An enraged Zoë fumed accusatively, pointing at Goku as if his intentions were wholly antagonistic and unworthy of any trust. Phoebe and the other Hunters of Artemis nodded along with their colleague's inquisition, grimacing at Goku with equal scorn. Artemis sighed apprehensively at this lack of cooperation amongst her sisters-in-arms, her silver eyes beginning to radiate with reinforced energy. As her gaze glowed more profoundly, the moon also began to shine brighter and brighter in synchronized unison. Goku, noticing this spectacle, blinked a few times in sudden stupefaction.
"ENOUGH!" Artemis shouted in a booming voice, her once glistening pupils replaced by sparks of whitish gray aura. A temporary shockwave of divine power was released from her entire body, silencing any arguments Zoë, Phoebe, and the Hunters might have had. This blast of moonlit radiation extended to even Camp Half-Blood's demigods, causing them to look up from their meals with interest and confusion.
"Enough. Now, Son Goku may be our prisoner, but that doesn't mean any hostility should be shown towards him without good reason. Whether you like it or not, Goku only attacked in defense of our own unreasonable actions and even then, he still risked his life to save us from a highly dangerous hydra I haven't seen in years. That is why I tried talking with him instead, as any other good hunter would to gain more information about her prey." Artemis defended her decision to not keep Goku completely restrained in the cabin. The glow of Artemis's pupils and the moon consecutively dissipated as her agitation began to subside.
"But… he…" Zoë anxiously stammered, struggling to come with a good reason to object her point. Artemis took a deep breath and gently clasped Zoë's shoulder, kneeling closer to the ground, so they were both eye level with one another.
"Look. I realize that he humiliated you, Zoë, and your confidence is waning because of it. But, being needlessly bitter about one loss won't help you improve any more than you already have during these past one thousand years. Just hear what I have to say and you won't need to deal with comprehending Son Goku's power any longer. Understand?" Artemis lectured respectfully, staring into Zoë's eyes with the utmost patience and comfort. Zoë, thinking over her mistress's words, closed her eyes and begrudgingly nodded in agreement.
"Y-Yes, milady. I understand. F-Forgive me for jumping to conclusions." Zoë replied apologetically, bowing her head in a visible display of shame. Artemis simply smiled with gratitude and stood up straight once more. She then turned her head to address the surveying mass of Hunters currently sizing up Goku's form.
"Alright, with all that being said, I have requested that Goku give us a demonstration of the techniques he used to vanquish the hydra that attacked us earlier." Artemis audibly proclaimed, readjusting portions of her now black ponytail whilst speaking. Goku awkwardly waved at the group of teenaged girls with his usual dopey grin. This light-hearted greeting was unanimously ignored by every single huntress, all of which were crossing their arms in displeasure at the mere sight of said Saiyan.
"Techniques? As in plural?" One of the Hunters curiously wondered, not even bothering to look at Goku despite the inherent context of her question.
"Correct. One was used by him to kick the hydra while the other caused that blue expulsion of light which, supposedly, destroyed it." Artemis responded, numbering the occurrence of both abilities with her fingers.
"But, how is that humanly possible? Are all mortals able to produce such feats in his world?" Another hunter cautiously asked, rudely pointing at Goku with an exasperated look on her face. A widespread mass of chatter soon permeated in conjunction with this question, seemingly all of them relating to the same concern. Artemis pursed her lips and raised a hand upward to silence the female-centric group.
"Settle down, girls. All of your questions will be answered once Goku has a chance to speak. Gather behind me, so he has enough room to do so." Artemis ordered, motioning the Hunters to step a few away from the archery targets. All of the girls, Zoë and Phoebe included, did as their mistress commanded and huddled together into one large group. Now, Goku, not exactly knowing what to do next, stared at his viewing "audience" with a nervous expression. Despite being stronger than the Hunters of Artemis could ever dream of being, their looks of irritation and hatred were highly intimidating. However, they, thankfully, still didn't compare to the living nightmare that was Chi Chi's infamous death stare.
"Go ahead, Goku. As I've already said, my Hunters won't try to attack you like last time, so you have nothing to fear at the moment. Right?" Artemis soothed Goku's anxiousness, giving her archers the stink eye to make sure her point was made clear. Begrudgingly, the Hunters of Artemis all collectively dropped their bows, arrows, and weapons with deep sighs.
"Right." The Hunters of Artemis grumbled in unison, pouting resentfully as they waited for Goku's "demonstration" to start. Seeing that any possible distractions were left unlikely to appear, Goku cleared his throat and prepared to speak.
"Ahem ok then. Hmmm… How should I put this without making it sound too complicated?" Goku pondered to himself, cupping his chin in a deep thinking position. He stroked it a few times before raising his finger upward in a moment of eureka.
"Oh right! Have any of you, besides Artemis, heard of ki?" Goku collectively asked the group of elite huntresses. The Hunters of Artemis whispered to each other in puzzlement and confusion before Zoë took it upon herself to answer.
"Isn't that a term describing the energy from which all life forms are made up of? I believe it was a concept prevalent in Chinese culture and martial arts." Zoë replied hesitantly, confused by the extraterrestrial male's sudden mention of such an ancient concept like chi/qi. Goku nodded pleasantly in confirmation.
"Not sure what a "Chinese" is, but you're right, Zoë! Hehe." Goku responded with an oblivious chuckle and closed eyelids. Zoë side-glanced at Phoebe, both high-ranking Hunters deadpanning at Goku's misuse of the term describing people from China.
"Is thou for real? How different is thy world from ours?" Zoë thought in disbelief, starting to wonder if Goku's original home was even an alternate version of Earth or not. Then again, like she assumed earlier, Goku could just be another moronic male who doesn't pay attention to his surroundings.
"You see, ki is a part of everyone and everything. People, animals, plants… all things that live and breathe are driven by one composite force of energy. Heck, I think even that hydra and the Greek gods themselves have it, Artemis included." Goku thoroughly described, jerking his thumb at Artemis to emphasize the supposed existence of her energy signature. The Hunters of Artemis gasped heavily at this surprising revelation.
"WHAT?!" The huntresses yelped in combined shock, never expecting a monster like the hydra to possess ki like human beings. Artemis, while less started by this news, was still interested in finding out what Goku had to say about her godly powers.
"What makes you say that, Goku?" Artemis inquired amusedly with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Well, back in my universe, certain martial artists can acquire an ability that allows them to mentally track the ki signatures of other people, especially those who are exceptionally powerful. Being one of those fighters, I was able to feel traces of your and Aphrodite's aura which, for you, was a bright silver color while Aphrodite had a pink, almost magenta looking one. It's how I knew you and the girls were following me in that forest a few hours ago." Goku said informatively, tapping on his forehead as he spoke. Artemis and her huntresses' eyes collectively widened in amazement at the existence of such a useful ability.
"So, that's how he dodged my arrow with such little effort. Astounding!" Artemis recalled the failure of her first shot in Camp Half-Blood Forest with newfound understanding.
"However, you and Aphrodite both had unique auras that were pretty difficult to track. I'm not sure how to describe them, but it's almost like they were a completely different type of ki or something." Goku commented in deep puzzlement, noting how Aphrodite's energy seemed to completely vanish when she traveled back to Mount Olympus. This odd phenomenon also occurred when Artemis shot him with that tranquilizer dart a few hours ago, her presence rendered unable to be seen by Goku for about 1 second or more.
"Hmph I suppose that is pretty strange. Maybe gods and goddesses don't have the same ki signatures as human beings? We are comparatively different in terms of status and physiology." Artemis presumed with a hint of uncertainty, wondering if her immortality and golden blood changed other aspects of her body as a whole, ki included. Goku nodded, but still scratched the back of his head in confusion.
"I guess that's a good enough explanation. I might have to find out more about this "new" ki later on." Goku passively shrugged with a disgruntled expression. He then shook his head and moved on with the demonstration Artemis requested.
"For now, I'll briefly show you the basics of ki usage before going into more detail about the Kaioken and Kamehameha Wave. They're more advanced techniques that require a lot of focus and training to execute properly." Goku noted seriously. Afterwards, he steadied his breathing and slowly placed both hands below the pectoral area. Yellow particles of ki sparked to life in the center of each hand, merging together to form one spherical mass. This sphere flashed an almost blinding light at Artemis and the Hunters, causing them to partially shield their eyes.
"See what's happening? By focusing energy into my hands, I can emit a small sphere of ki. As I harness more and more ki from my fingertips, this ball will gradually expand in terms of size." Goku described in great detail. He transmitted more of his life force into the ball, resulting in it becoming much bigger than before.
"And the larger it is…" Goku trailed off, placing the newly completed ki ball into the palm of his right hand. He then narrowed his eyes at a nearby tree residing in the distance and outstretched his arm. In a split second, the ki ball rocketed from his hand and smashed into the tree, causing it to explode upon impact! To the Hunters of Artemis's aghast horror, what used to be a tree was now a hefty pile of ashes scattering in the wind.
"…the more damage it will produce." Goku finished his sentence, staring at the results of his small attack in momentary silence. Artemis and the Hunters took a second to fully comprehend what they just saw, but thought it better not to say anything more. Goku's power was, as seen firsthand, truly a terrifying force to be reckoned with.
"Once you manage to create a ball of ki like that one, everything else will come naturally. Flying, however, takes about as much, if not more, dedication to pull off well." Goku strictly apprised, remembering the first time he learned how to fly during his fight with Piccolo at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.
"In order to fly, you'll need to focus traces of ki to your feet and the ground beneath them. After that, all it takes is deep concentration and a calm, dedicated mind." Goku stood in place with near-perfect posture, using his ki to propel gusts of wind towards the soil below. He then began to levitate, his whole body pushing itself upward until said Saiyan was fully hovering in mid-air.
"Are thou suggesting that anyone with this ki had the potential to fly all along?! Without wings or wind manipulation?!" Zoë questioned erratically; her shrunken black orbs solely focused on Goku's nonchalant defiance of gravity. Goku floated a bit closer to Artemis's lieutenant and lightly grinned in agreement.
"With enough practice, yeah. People can acquire it at different points in their life, though, regardless of age or even strength. For example, while I learned to fly at 18-years-old, my son, Gohan, was able to do it at the age of 5. Then again, the opponents I fought as a kid were a lot weaker than the ones he had to encounter." Goku replied encouragingly, recalling the immense power Gohan once possessed as a child. He still, however, held a bit of regret for the amount of traumatic experiences and adversaries Gohan was forced to experience at that age. Frieza was, by far, much worse than the Red Ribbon Army or Mercenary Tao ever were back in the day.
"A-A 5-year-old boy? Being able to fly and fight others in combat? Thou must be joking…" Zoë scoffed at the utter ludicrousness of such an idea.
"Gohan wasn't an ordinary kid, Zoë. He held all sorts of raw fighting potential that made him surpass me at around the age of 9 or so. I, of course, did catch up, but that was only because Gohan wished to finish his studies and become a scholar. He did just as his… mom wanted him to and then some." Goku commended his eldest son's accomplishments with immense pride, both fighting and non-fighting alike. Once again, he hesitated somewhat at the mention of Chi Chi, but managed to continue speaking without sadness. However, Artemis was just as observant as the last time and took extra note of Goku's underlying anguish.
"There it is again. A forlorn look of grief seems to appear every time he mentions one specific person. Could Gohan's mother, his wife, be that special someone he lost before Aphrodite sent him here?" Artemis inferred from Goku's implied body language, sympathetically grimacing in regards to his hidden pain. Artemis herself wasn't exactly a stranger to losing friends and loved ones, so she could fully understand where Goku was coming from.
"Really? That's… interesting." Zoë muttered doubtfully, unable to believe that a 9-year-old child could stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Goku or her own mistress. If Goku could best Artemis in battle with little to no effort, he was truly on another level that couldn't easily be attained by ordinary standards.
"It's not entirely impossible, Zoë. Hercules was able to strangle two snakes when he was just an infant." One of the Hunters acknowledged as a notable example of how strong the children of immensely powerful beings could become. Zoë entire body stiffened at the open mention of said mythological hero, her face burning a dark red. She slowly turned towards her fellow immortal, grinding her teeth in a constant back and forth motion.
"What did I tell thou about saying that gods forsaken name in thy presence?! Don't EVER speak of him again! GOT IT?!" Zoë fumed angrily, shaking uncontrollably at the mere thought of Zeus's legendary son. Portions of her dark brown hair stuck out in sporadic directions, seemingly reacting in tandem with Zoë's unbridled fury. Artemis sighed heavily at her sudden outburst, implying that Zoë has acted out like this on a multitude of occasions.
"Y-Yikes. Sorry, Zoë. I just thought it fit as an example." The archer timidly apologized, playing with her thumbs in a mix of regret and embarrassment. Zoë huffed in disgust, haughtily wafting her hair backward as she turned away from the younger girl.
"Well, thou thought wrong!" Zoë grunted lowly, folding her arms with a deep scowl of annoyance and hurt. A cloud of guilt hung over the unfortunate huntress's head while the others glanced at Zoë's back in remorse. Goku, not exactly understanding why she was so upset about this Hercules guy, awkwardly looked from left to right in search of answers.
"Uh… What was that about?" Goku questioned concernedly, landing back onto the ground as he did so. Zoë side-glanced at the uninformed Saiyan, glaring at him with a searing intensity that couldn't easily be matched by ordinary means.
"Feh! Like that's any of thy concern. Just finish this up, so thou can go back to where thou belong!" Zoë scowled bitterly, dangerously squinting her black eyes at Goku before turning away once more. Goku, in the process of saying something else, was abruptly stopped mid-sentence by Artemis gently grasping his shoulder.
"Just let her be, Goku. It's a long story that doesn't need to be discussed at the moment. Now, what comes after flying?" Artemis advised protectively, moving on with the discussion for Zoë and everyone else's sakes. Goku darted his eyes from Artemis to Zoë for a moment before nodding and walking back to his original spot.
"Alright then. With ki emission and flight out of the way, I'll be moving onto an important technique that all ki-users rely on an almost consistent basis: the projection of one's aura." Goku announced with a slight smirk. He squatted lower to the ground and tightly clenched both of his fists, causing the wind around him to pick up speed. The surrounding trees and bushes also rustled a bit, scaring away some birds and smaller animals.
"Aura is a person's ki compressed into one stable form. When visible, it would look similar in effect to that of a burning fire. It varies in terms of color, but the most common aura is usually white." Goku explained from personal experience and use. Artemis and her Hunters weren't certain where the additional wind was originating from, but proceed to listen in regardless.
"When properly activated, aura can be used to enhance the speed, strength, stamina, and durability of any skilled ki-user. This goes for maneuverability in the air as well. However, while all of those are great qualities to have, aura can be the most helpful when a fighter needs to unleash more of their ki." Goku co
"Unleash your ki? Like when you obliterated those arrows?" Artemis questioningly recounted the gust of wind produced from Goku's arm. Goku, still in the same pose, smirked at this somewhat accurate presumption.
"Close. That was an attack called the Kiai, or "fighting spirit". It was a propulsion of ki-enhanced air currents that I created via screaming." Goku explained the intricacies of how that specific attack was used.
"I see." Artemis muttered in deep contemplation, using one hand to cup her chin.
"Screaming? How does raising your voice increase the strength of an attack? That doesn't seem very logical." Phoebe commented wryly, resting a hand on her cheek in boredom. Goku, anticipating this question, began to steadily raise his ki.
"It's not just screaming that matters. Any type of emotion can help increase the size and power of their ki. Anger, sadness, happiness… any notable feeling that boosts adrenaline and excitement can help someone flourish in battle. However, as I've already mentioned, aura must be released before anything else can be done with it. Allow me to demonstrate." Goku corrected Phoebe's assumption with a short analysis of emotion's close connection with ki. The Saiyan from Earth then covered his entire body in aura, crumbling the grounded soil beneath him. Some of the archery targets were also blown out of their posts, toppling over one after the other in quick succession.
"You girls may want to huddle together and cover your ears." Goku speedily gave Artemis and the rest a heads-up on what was about to take place. Before they could ask what he meant, Goku narrowed his eyes and suddenly erupted with all sorts of energy.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Goku screamed powerfully, unleashing an admittedly small portion of his ki in larger quantities. The sound of his hypersonic scream shook the entire campgrounds, uprooting tree after tree and immensely frightening all sorts of woodland creatures, dryads and satyrs included. Cracks split open the ground and rendered certain rocks airborne as Goku continued to unveil his fearsome ki to this foreign universe.
The Dining Pavilion
As the demi-god children of Camp Half-Blood ate dinner, Goku ultimately became the central topic of conversation among each respective cabin. They argued about everything from his hair style and martial arts gi to his chiseled, muscular form rivaling that of Greek sculptures from ancient times. Similar questions arose throughout all 12 tables, making dinner less focused on food than it should be. Was he really from another universe? Did he practice martial arts like his outfit implied? What type of hair conditioner did he use to make his hair stand up like that? All the curious heroes-in-training could do was infer and guess in hope that definitive answers would eventually be given out. Unfortunately, with Artemis and the other Olympians being involved, Goku's whereabouts and traits would most likely be kept under wraps until a proper "use" for him was determined. They were, after all, in the midst of a Second Titanomachy against Lord Kronos himself.
However, one particular camper with doubts about Goku's credibility as a warrior was Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares and head counselor of his cabin. She was much taller than the average female teen, having a muscular body comparable in height and width to a basketball player of the opposite gender. Her hair extended downward to both shoulders, appearing to be light brown and stingy. Clarisse's camp t-shirt was also custom made to have its sleeves cut off, accentuating her abnormally large biceps.
"So, do you think Artemis was telling the truth about that Goku guy? How he singlehandedly destroyed a supped up hydra when the Hunters failed to?" Sherman Yang, son of Ares and Clarisse's half-brother, asked while hungrily chomping down on a piece of steak. Clarisse rolled her brown eyes and scoffed, absentmindedly picking at her trademark electric spear.
"Tsk. She wouldn't really have a reason to lie about that. Even still, I doubt this Goku's so-called "power" is anything worth praising. I'm certain making a fool of themselves on the battlefield isn't new to those feminazi Hunters anyway." Clarisse mockingly chuckled with an amused sneer, helping herself to some freshly cooked chicken legs with little care.
"I don't know, sis. It's not every day that you see a blinding blue flash light up the sky like that. I mean, Artemis was sent by here by Zeus to arrest him or something. Maybe he is the real deal." Mark, another one of Clarisse's siblings, indecisively said, mentioning the fact that Artemis was personally requested to pursue Goku. Clarisse closed her eyes and sighed, resting her muscular elbow on the table.
"Look, Mark. Defeating a hydra is not some impossible achievement for us demi-gods. Hercules did it and even I blew one to smithereens back on the CSS Birmingham! If some porcupine-haired weirdo is so immeasurably powerful, I'll only believe it when I see it firsthand. Like what's the worst he can do? Cause typhoons with a wave of his hand? Shake the entire—" Clarisse's arrogant rant was swiftly interrupted by the rapid shaking of Camp Half-Blood. In record timing, multiple trees were yanked from their roots by high-speed winds that originated northward. All 12 tables in the Dining Pavilion began to lose balance, whole dishes flying out of campers' hands without any ample time to secure them.
"An earthquake in New York?! Did someone piss off Poseidon again?!" One of Hermes' kids shrieked in a state of panic and bewilderment. Some campers cowered underneath their tables, fearing that another monster was planning to attack Camp Half-Blood's new barrier.
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die." A hyperventilating daughter of Aphrodite repeated fearfully in a tear-stained fetal position.
"What the hell is that?!" Clarisse shouted irritably, holding up her spear in preparation for battle. Then, an incredibly loud scream caused everyone, demigod, satyr, and dryad alike, to collectively cover their ears.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" After the end of this powerful shout, the intense shaking and propulsion of wind came to an abrupt halt. While Camp Half-Blood ceased being torn apart any further, the damage from Goku's short display of power was still prevalent to observe for all parties involved in its wake. The startled campers slowly uncovered their aching ears and stood up from the ground. All of them stared in horror at the part of camp where that scream came from, trying their best to fully comprehend what just happened.
"Welp, saying that was terrifying would be an understatement." Ellis Wakefield, a fourth member of Ares' Cabin, quipped as he gently stroked the back of his muscle-toned neck.
"Clarisse, you don't think that was—" Sherman whispered uneasily, starting to not have any doubts about Son Goku's abilities. Before Clarisse could properly reply, the Big House's slammed open to reveal an irate Dionysus. He, with a much calmer Chiron following close behind, stomped toward the wrecked Dining Pavilion while gobbling down a whole branch of grapes.
"What in Olympus's holy name was that racket?! Did you brats try to murder each other again?! I've told you a thousand times that killing is only allowed on the battlefield or in… WHERE DID THIS MESS COME FROM?!" Dionysus rambled agitatedly with bloodshot eyes, glaring at each of the demi-gods as if they committed a serious crime.
"It wasn't us, Mr. D. We just heard a loud, prolonged scream come from the Archery Range. I think Artemis and her Hunters went there a few hours ago." Clarisse calmed the wine god's tantrum with gesture towards the specified location of origin. Chiron trimmed his brown beard, staring into the distance with minor concern.
"Hmmm this may involve that Son Goku fellow then. If so, we should probably check to see what Artemis is up to." Chiron wisely suggested with a steady trot of his frontmost hooves. Dionysus glanced at the centaur, taking a short swig of Diet Coke to temporarily replenish his energy.
"I guess we should, huh? Damn! Just when I thought I could get two minutes of peace and quiet, this happens! Grrgh!" Dionysus whined in frustration, facepalming to emphasize his reluctance. He turned his attention to Cabin 5's table and motioned for Clarisse to follow him.
"Fine then. Clarisse, Sharman, you two come with Chiron and I. The rest of you brats can clean up the Dining Pavilion til' it's just how it was before. Capeesh?" Dionysus commanded authoritatively with a snap of his fingers. The other demi-gods silently cursed to themselves and sighed in great dismay.
"Yes, Mr. D." Each camper replied monotonously in unison. They then did as Mr. D instructed and began repositioning any sort of table that was knocked over by Goku's ki-enhanced screams. The satyrs, nymphs, and dryads also helped out by putting each tree back where they initially belonged.
"It's Sherman by the way." Sherman Yang corrected Dionysus's "accidental" mistake. Said wine god just harrumphed at the boy with a careless deadpan.
"Whatever." Dionysus uttered disconcertedly, eating more grapes as he made his way toward the Archery Range. Chiron, Sherman, and Chiron closely trailed after him in order to figure out what Artemis was up to. Meanwhile, while everyone else was busy cleaning up Goku's unintended mess, one person stood in the pavilion's center. There, all of the campers' offerings were being organized in a large pot crackling with fire and brimstone. It seemed to be made of pure bronze and was similar in size to that of a normal, everyday bathtub. The aforementioned individual examining this bonfire was an eight-year-old girl with short brown hair. Her eyes were a bright red, portraying a warm, comforting fire that burned just as brightly as the very pot she was observing. She also wore a brown dress that fully concealed her head and feet. Despite the bizarre fact that no one was completely aware of her presence, she looked upon the Archery Range with an amused grin.
"Son Goku, hm?" The girl hummed to herself in interest, somehow knowing more about the goofy Saiyan than most would in this universe. Making certain that the four didn't take notice of her, the mysterious girl vanished in a small whirlwind of orange-yellow flame.
Above Camp Half-Blood
Newly departing from the heavens of Mount Olympus, Aphrodite attempted to rendezvous with Goku as fast as she possibly could. Her cloud was nowhere near close to reaching the Flying Nimbus's top speeds, but it was still useful enough to evade Ares before he inevitably escaped the trap she set up for him. All Aphrodite needed to do now was figure out the exact portion of Camp Half-Blood where Artemis transported Goku and… "rescue" him if that made any sense. Knowing her fellow Olympian goddess, Artemis most likely pressured the poor Saiyan into revealing anything about himself before any sort of trial on Mount Olympus could be enacted.
"You better not have done anything to my Goku, Artemis, or I swear I'll…" Aphrodite darkly bellowed, her green eyes radiating with a darker pink energy. She adjusted the position of her voluptuous body to examine Camp Half-Blood's massive sea of trees, darting her eyes from left to right in search of Goku's presence or any sign that he was there at all.
"Come on, Goku. Where could you be?" Aphrodite questioned in worry and anxiousness. She sighed miserably, brushing her brownish-blonde bangs backward in frustration. Then, all of a sudden, each tree in Camp Half-Blood began to shake violently in conjunction with the whole camp itself. To Aphrodite's surprise, a systemic gust of wind shot out of the camp and almost knocked her off the entire cloud.
"Oof! What on Earth?" Aphrodite groaned in shock, hurriedly fixing up her tousled dress and locks of hair. Then, almost like harmonious music to her ears, Goku's powerful scream surged throughout all of Camp Half-Blood's and its purveying skyline.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Goku shouted out, projecting a cylindrical stream of white ki that unintentionally revealed his current location. Aphrodite red lips twitched upward in a wide smile, her amorous heart beating a million times faster than normal.
"There you are! I'm coming, my love!" Aphrodite squealed in newfound relief, quickly checking portions of her body to make sure she looked presentable enough. Like a younger version of the Flying Nimbus, Aphrodite rocketed her own cloud towards Camp Half-Blood's Archery Range at ridiculously fast speeds. However, unbeknownst to the distracted love goddess, Ares was ganging on her in his notorious War Chariot. It was red and gold, depicting gruesome depictions of death and bodily mutilation on all sides, including the front and back. Pulling this hellish vehicle were four black horses with manes and eyes filled to the brim with raging fire, seemingly breathing it like medieval dragons. Due to the Mist, it would probably look more like a flying motorcycle leaving streams of pure combustion in its destructive path.
"That's right, babe. Lead me straight to him." Ares chucked maniacally, his pupils displaying two active mushroom clouds. The war god looked upon the tower of aura with a mix of hatred and excitement, goading his four steeds into moving a bit faster.
The Archery Range
After his session of shouting was finally finished, Artemis and the Hunters gazed upon Goku to see that he was covered from head-to-toe in a whitish-gray construct of energy. Goku's spiky black hair blew upward as if he were on top of an active ventilation shaft, moving autonomously with the aura's artificial wind. His pale, white skin also glistened a bit more, the ki surrounding said alien acting like a supplementary light source.
"S-So these are the effects of revealing your aura?" Artemis stammered in confoundment, turning her body to study the damages of Goku's charging method. The Hunters were practically mute, blown away by the consequences of him merely shouting. After learning about ki's close connection with human emotions, they didn't even want to think of what would happen if he was genuinely angry at the same time.
"Yeah, sorry about the mess. It's a good thing I didn't show off my true power or this whole place would have been destroyed." Goku laughed apologetically, managing to maintain his normal aura with complete and utter ease. Artemis's and Zoë's jaws comically dropped to the floor at this information. To them, it seemed like Goku was full of surprises in the worst way imaginable.
"YOUR WHAT?!" Artemis and Zoë screeched in unison, floored by Goku's bottomless strength. Goku raised an eyebrow confusedly, not understanding what they were so shocked by.
"Huh? I thought you girls already knew that. I do have the Kaioken, you know." Goku mumbled nervously, his eyes widened at their suddenly erratic behavior. Zoë raised a fist in anger, losing some hold on her requested patience.
"We don't know what that is yet, buffoon! How else did thou expect us to react?" Zoë barked with infuriation, wrongfully resorting to childish name-calling.
"Yeesh. You don't need to be so harsh about it. The Kaioken involves a more complex variation of aura, so I decided to explain that first. No need to snap at me." Goku rightfully defended himself with an immature pout.
"He's right, Zoë. We don't have much of this demonstration left, so just bear with it for now." Artemis instructed Zoë, encouraging her to play along for just a little while longer. Zoë nodded and went back to her original brooding spot.
"So, I won't go into the finer details, but the Kaioken, or the King Kai Fist, is named after its creator, King Kai. He is basically a deity who resides over my universe's North Galaxy and became one of my many martial arts instructors." Goku cryptically revealed the Kaioken's original creator.
"A god?! Did he look like any of the Olympians here?" Phoebe gasped in amazement, figuring that a deity with such notoriety needed to truly look divine. Goku toothily grinned at this question, knowing how eccentric of a person King Kai was.
"Not really. He's basically a short bug-looking guy with antennae and blue skin. He also wears circular sunglasses and loves telling practical jokes. He has a pet monkey named Bubbles too! Ha-ha!" Goku chuckled joyfully in remembrance of the time he had to chase Bubbles on King Kai's planet. The Hunters of Artemis all deadpanned at this baffling description, assuming that Goku was insulting their intelligence with talks of monkeys and bug-men.
"Hey, he may sound ridiculous, but King Kai's the real deal. Without his lessons, I would have never survived as many battles as I have." Goku supported King Kai's validity as a martial arts master and close friend.
"Anyhow, the Kaioken was created to temporarily multiply the user's strength, speed, agility, and senses in combat. However, for every second it is in use, more and more pressure is put on the body until entire bones are heavily damaged or broken completely. It's one of the reasons the Kaioken is such a dangerous, potentially life-threatening technique." Goku listed the potential benefits and setbacks of the Kaioken's usage. The Hunters of Artemis audibly gasped at the potential power increase this could give to demi-gods or even themselves.
"For the Kaioken, there are several levels representing the amount of power and pressure that is increased. Ever since learning it from King Kai, I've managed to master x1-x20. Kaioken x2 was the one I used to hit that hydra, which means my base power level was multiplied by a divisible of 2 there." Goku further explained, mentioning the highest level of Kaioken he has ever achieved before the Super Saiyan transformations were discovered.
'Fascinating. Very fascinating. If a x2 Kaioken was more than enough to destroy a hydra's skin like it was nothing, what kind of damage could a x20 produce?' Artemis hummed in stunned amazement, becoming progressively blown away by Goku's sheer prowess as a warrior. If he weren't being put on trial, she wondered if Goku would teach her how to use such an ability. After all, her increased healing factor could easily handle any form of toll or excess pressure.
"Could you show us? I saw its red aura from a distance, but that was all." Artemis politely requested with her usual gaze of neutral indifference. Goku happily nodded in agreement to this request.
"I was going to anyway, but sure, Artemis! Since my aura's already activated, there shouldn't be any more damage done to the camp… hopefully." Goku tentatively promised with a strained grin. He then took a deep breath and tightly clenched his fists once again. In an instant, his white aura was stained a dark, crimson red, becoming more fiery and unstable. As it shot upward in the form of small flames, Goku's entire body tinged a reddish-orange whilst narrowing both eyes in deep concentration.
"Kaioken!" Goku bellowed ferociously, his voice layered over a faint echo. Like what happened during his first confrontation with the hydra, the ground cracked apart into several tiny pieces every time he moved a single muscle. Before Artemis and the Hunters could even blink, Goku fazed out of existence and appeared behind the predominantly feminine group. His movements were so incredibly fast, that it seemed like he hadn't even lifted one foot.
"To be honest with you all, using Kaioken x2 on the hydra was kinda unnecessary. I could have easily done the same thing with this version, but oh well. It worked out either way." Goku carelessly brushed aside his show-boating actions. Seeing that the Kaioken was now understood and seen as planned, the Saiyan goof fully dissipated his aura. This brought back the surrounding wind to its naturally steady pace.
"Do you always hold back like this?" Artemis wondered aloud, on the fence as to whether or not Goku was taking their own one-on-one fight as seriously as she did.
"Mostly when I'm gauging the strength of my opponents." Goku replied off the top of his head, remembering when he wore weighted clothing during the semi-finals of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.
"Oh. Almost like the way I treat prey while hunting." Artemis connected her detailed analysis of game to Goku's ki sensing and related battle strategies.
"I guess that's a way to put it. I usually fight for fun, though." Goku agreed with Artemis's comparative assessment of their basic attributes. Artemis genuinely smiled at this; her red lips fully twitched upward.
"Ah, right. Is that your "Saiyan Instinct" at work?" Artemis lightly giggled, putting air quotes on the name of said phenomenon. Goku displayed a close eyed grin as well, placing both hands on his hips in a mock-heroic pose.
"Hehe I'm afraid so. Now, how about I move onto the Kamehame—"
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" Goku attempted to describe his signature move, but was cut off by the screams of an airy voice he immediately recognized. The original Z-Fighter tilted his head upward to see a frightened Aphrodite descending at exceedingly high velocities! Her hands were clung to the back of a puffy, white cloud that she struggled to completely hold onto. For some reason, portions of the cloud were singed with traces of fire.
"A-Aphrodite?" Goku questioned in shock, blankly tilting his head to the side.
"Aphrodite?!" Artemis and her Hunters also asked in similar surprise. Noticing that Aphrodite's cloud was careening straight towards the disheveled Archery Range itself, Artemis quickly motioned for her archers to scatter to other corners of the training grounds.
"Move out of the way, girls! It seems like she's lost control!" Artemis warned in maternal concern, protectively positioning herself in front of each huntress as they moved backward.
"I-I CAN'T STOP IT! S-SOMETHING KNOCKED ME OUT OF THE SKY AND NOW I CAN'T MANEUVER THE DAMN THING!" Aphrodite screamed girlishly in pure terror, clinging onto the damaged cloud for dear life. Goku, taking advantage of this opportunity, placed two fingers on his forehead and keyed in on Aphrodite's energy.
"Don't worry, Aphrodite! I've got you!" Goku assured the vulnerable love goddess. He then instantly transmitted himself on top of Aphrodite and picked her up bridal style.
"Eep!" Aphrodite squeaked at her body's close proximity to his chest, both cheeks now blushing up a storm. None the wiser to her embarrassment, Goku used his ki to phase out of existence and safely land on the ground without any damage taken. As for the cloud, it disintegrated upon impact and regressed into nothing more than superheated gas particles.
"Phew, that was a close one. You alright, Aphrodite?" Goku wondered in concern for his new "friend". Aphrodite froze for a moment, taking a moment to contemplate the fact she was being cradled in Goku's arms like a woman on her wedding night. Her green eyes then became half-lidded, sporting a highly pleased, lovesick smirk.
'This is may be bad timing, but there's no telling how long it will take for me to be in this same position. I might as well take advantage of it… for his sake.' Aphrodite thought against the logical side of her brain, deciding not to care about Ares' hot pursuit of her for just a short second. She then harnessed the skills of her inner muse and pretended to cry… hard.
"OH, MY GOKU! I WAS SOOOOO SCARED!" Aphrodite sobbed uncontrollably, fake tears trailing down her face as she wiped them away using Goku's shoulder. She was especially terrified during her cloud's unexpected crash, so this whole outburst wasn't all exaggerated. Well, most of it was, but a little theatrics couldn't hurt, especially for someone as oblivious as Goku.
"Woah, woah, Aphrodite! There's no need to cry! You're safe now!" Goku tried his best to calm down Aphrodite's faux tears by gently rubbing her exposed shoulder. She didn't seem to budge, though, continually rubbing her face on the orange fabric of his gi.
"I-It wasn't just the cloud crash! Of course I'm grateful for that, but I was mostly worried about you, Goku. After Zeus sent Artemis and her merry band of prudes to hunt you down, I felt guilty for all the trouble I-I've caused you." Aphrodite moaned sorrowfully, wrapping her arms around Goku's neck in a semi-embrace. Goku was a bit uncomfortable with this compromising position, especially knowing her past experiences as a love goddess, but decided to play along anyway.
"Merry band of WHAT?!" Zoë growled at this insult, instinctively reaching for her bow and arrows. Artemis forced Zoë back, breathing out a low groan in response to Aphrodite's little "performance".
"I'll deal with her." Artemis replied in a whisper, one of her silver eyes noticeably twitching at the poor time placement of Aphrodite's interruption. She then calmly walked towards Goku and Aphrodite, both arms neatly folded behind her back.
"You don't need to feel guilty, Aphrodite. As much as I didn't like being sent here at first, I still enjoyed every minute of it so far. The fights, the food, the people… everything seems like it'll be fun to experience until I find a proper way back home! Plus, if that weird elevator never showed up on King Kai's planet, I never would have met you." Goku soothed Aphrodite's worries with a comforting smile. Aphrodite gasped delightedly at this response, fake tears starting to be replaced by real ones.
"Oh, Goku! That's all I wanted you to say!" Aphrodite chirped happily, jumping out of Goku's arms, so her own were looped tightly around his neck. Goku, almost losing his balance, stopped himself from falling by returning the chaste hug in an awkward, incomplete manner.
"You done playing your childish games, Aphrodite?" Artemis questioned spitefully, glaring at the playful love goddess. Goku, to Aphrodite's disappointment, immediately let go of her, so she could speak goddess-to-goddess.
"Artemis. Being an affectionless killjoy as always." Aphrodite mocked condescendingly with a similar scowl.
"Spare me the insults. You know damn well what I'm about to ask you." Artemis scoffed with a swift roll of her silver eyes.
"Then say it, Arty. I don't care what happens to me as long as Goku isn't harmed in anyway." Aphrodite proudly proclaimed with a quick gaze at Goku. Artemis almost lashed out at the utterance of Apollo's asinine nickname for her, but kept any sort of anger under control.
"Fine. How did you escape Mount Olympus? Last time I checked you were under house arrest with Ares." Artemis accused impatiently, tapping her foot in waiting for Aphrodite to properly respond.
"He tried to take advantage of me sexually without my permission, so I stuck him against the wall of my temple. They were rose pedals, so the thorns were extra secure." Aphrodite honestly described the events of her departure. Artemis visibly snarled at this example of sexual assault, but knew Ares wasn't unlikely to participate in such a disgusting practice.
"As much as that behavior repulses me, it wasn't wise to do such a thing to a god of Ares's caliber. Are you certain that he's still there?" Artemis reluctantly disapproved of Aphrodite's decision to resort to violent retaliation. A look of fear was displayed on Aphrodite's porcelain face, causing said love goddess to nervously scratch the back of her head ala Goku.
"W-Well, actually…" Aphrodite was interrupted by the trees of Camp Half-Blood spontaneously combusting. From the skies, Ares's War Chariot sailed into view with all four horses shooting white-hot fire blasts at any flammable object in sight. The chariot was then parked in front of the mystically-inclined flames, Ares calmly stepping out to look his newest enemy dead in the eye. The Hunters of Artemis moved away with caution, knowing full well not to provoke an enraged god.
"No…" Ares chuckled in amusement, the fire illuminating brightly his sunglasses. The war god then slammed his spear onto the ground, blue electricity shooting outward in several directions.
"I'm not. And unlucky for you, Son Goku, I'm not exactly in the best of moods." Ares darkly sneered at the Saiyan who effortlessly stole his woman. He then took of his glasses, atomic explosions staring straight into Goku's obsidian pupils. From what Goku could gather in that moment, Ares had a look of bloodlust that represented and sought for only one thing in this entire world: war.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone