*Here's the rewritten version of Chapter 4. I'm really proud of the changes I made to this chapter, so hope you enjoy it.
Goku, unsurprisingly, managed to eat every single meal Tom's Restaurant had to offer in record timing. Everyone in the diner was stunned speechless as soon as the Saiyan let out a loud belch laced with the utmost satisfaction. The other customers couldn't even finish their meals due to them being distracted by his ravenous eating habits.
He rubbed his stomach and beamed. "Man, that was good! You were right about this cheering me up, Aphrodite. I haven't felt this happy in a long time. Hehe."
Aphrodite gave him a strained grin. Despite witnessing so many moments from his life, she still felt a little grossed out by how fast and messy of an eater Goku was. She still loved him, regardless, but given her limited supply of drachma, she'd need to properly prepare for their next date in advance.
"Glad to hear that." The goddess said. "It's good that you're not letting this situation get to you too much."
"Well, I'm still a little upset about it, but there's no use moping around. After everything I've seen from your memories, there's all sorts of gods and monsters that I'm itching to fight. Especially that Zeus guy. He looks super strong!"
The excited, battle-ready look on Goku's face caused Aphrodite to place a hand over her mouth and giggle. There were far more powerful gods than Zeus out there, but she preferred not to mention that fact so soon.
"Ah, your Saiyan instincts are already setting in, I see?" She slyly quipped.
"Yeah, guess so. Your world just has so many things to see and look forward to!"
Aphrodite then pursed her lips and looked a bit more worried. It would be any moment now before the other Olympians realized what she was up to.
"And many things to be cautious of as well..."
Goku raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
Their waitress then came over with a large, almost meter-long bill in her hands. She sighed in relief after realizing that Goku's plates were already taken back to the kitchen.
"O-Okay, folks. Do you want to pay... erm... all of that with cash or credit?"
Aphrodite dug through her purse and pulled out a handful of golden drachma. For a split second, Goku saw them transform into multiple one-hundred dollar bills before becoming coins again.
Whoa! How did that happen?
"Cash. And please... do keep the change, okay?"
The waitress gathered the coins-turned-dollars in surprise. She was not expecting this odd couple to be so rich. Slapping herself a few more times to see if she was dreaming, the waitress gratefully bowed her head.
"T-Thank you! Have a good night, you two!"
She then bolted over to the kitchen and told everyone how much money Aphrodite gave her. All that could be heard were muffled screams and laughs as Goku raised up a single finger in curiosity.
"How did you turn those gold coins... into dollars like that? Was it some kind of magic spell or something?"
The love goddess looked hesitant to say anything. Seeing the restaurant's manager glaring at them, she leaned close to Goku's ear and whispered, "I'll tell you everything outside. Let's leave the restaurant first, kay?"
The martial artist shrugged. "If you say so."
Smiling, she grabbed his hand and exited Tom's Restaurant together. The disguised manager snarled at this simple, yet clever action.
That goddess is more observant than I thought. She caught onto my plans with nothing, but a single glance.
Kronos's servant then kept themselves hidden in the shadows and narrowed their eyes.
I suppose I'll continue to wait until Son Goku is alone then.
Outside, Aphrodite put her sunhat back on and stretched her body. She purposely tried to show off her curves to Goku, but he, as always, didn't notice.
"Sorry for not being able to help pay for the food, by the way. Sometimes my stomach can get way too out of control for its own good."
Aphrodite affectionately patted Goku's cheek to show that she wasn't upset.
"Oh, it's no big deal at all, sweetheart. Thanks to the Mist, money isn't much of an issue for me or any of the Greek Pantheon."
"The Mist?"
"It's a supernatural force that makes mortals unable to see a god, monster, or other mythical being's true forms. Anything that a normal person cannot comprehend will be replaced with an object that is universally considered "normal" by mortal standards, whether it be a mere weapon or semblance of divine energy." The goddess of love explained in a slow, thoughtful manner. "For example, drachma will be changed into the currency of any country I travel to. In this case, it was American dollar bills, which are much different from the Zeni that you're used to, Goku."
Goku nodded, getting the general idea of what she was saying. "Ah, I see. So it's sort of like one big illusion that affects everyone?"
"More or less, yeah. Think of it like a more permanent version of your Afterimage Technique, dear."
The Saiyan scratched the back of his head in thought. While this comparison made things a bit more understandable, it still didn't explain how he could see the pink energy coming from Aphrodite's eyes or, for that matter, her true, albeit altered appearance.
"But if it is permanent, then how was I able to see through that Mist stuff and notice the drachma changing at all? Isn't that kinda weird?"
Aphrodite pursed her lips. She had previously been wondering the same thing.
"Actually, it's not as strange as you may think. Some mortals, although quite rare, can be born with an ability called Clear Sight that allows them to be unaffected by the Mist's mind-altering powers. Your case is obviously a bit different, though..."
She aimlessly paced back and forth in front of Tom Restaurant's front doors. Then, all of a sudden, she snapped her fingers in realization.
"Aha! I've got it! Just like your prior immunity to my omnipotent allure, you being from an alternate universe where Greece and its gods don't exist must be nullifying the Mist completely. Hecate, a minor goddess of magic, is the one controlling it, so that would make sense. She has no real hold over a person that originally wasn't supposed to be in this world." She began to beam in growing excitement. "In other words, Goku, that means you'll be able to see everything as they really look like... including me!"
Unable to contain her happiness, Aphrodite leapt onto Goku's back and hugged him tightly. She tightened their embrace with excessive force, causing the martial artist to almost lose his balance.
"Whoa! Settle down, Aphrodite! I'm about to fall over!"
The goddess calmed herself down enough to let Goku go. She cleared her throat and shyly looked away in embarrassment.
"Ahem. Sorry, force of habit. Anyway, although your immunity to the Mist does bring me great pleasure, darling, there's still a tiny, tiny... okay, very likely change that you could be in danger, Goku."
"Danger? How so?" He muttered.
Aphrodite spared a quick glance at Tom's Restaurant and other passing civilians before leaning close to Goku's ear.
"As a result of the Mist, anyone in this city could be a monster in disguise. Monsters are attracted to exceptionally high or abnormal levels of power, so that causes them to hunt demigod children and now, I'm sad to admit, you." She gravely whispered while pointing to random New Yorkers crossing the street. "And to make matters even worse, Zeus will likely be coming after you as well. As my memories have shown, he does not take kindly to factors that may jeopardize his reign as king of Olympus, especially a powerful Saiyan warrior like yourself, Goku..."
She looked down at the floor, feeling guilty for the incredible mess she's made thus far.
"Zeus, huh?"
In that moment, a loud clap of thunder could be heard coming from the Empire State Building. Aphrodite looked frightened by the various flashes of lighting being seen in the sky while Goku, on the other hand, pumped his fist excitedly.
"Sweet! It's been a long time since I've had a good fight! Zeus would be an awesome opponent!"
The love goddess was a bit caught off-guard by Goku's confidence, but couldn't say she was all that surprised. This was exactly how he'd react to Zeus wanting to kill him.
"I admire your courage, Goku, but you're not even at least a little worried about what the other Olympians might do to you? As king of the gods, Zeus has control over the entire cosmos and has even shook the entire universe with a single bow of his head back during the Trojan War. He's considered one of the strongest gods for a reason... and that's not even mentioning his brothers, Poseidon and Hades. They're arguably equal in power to him, if not a little less."
All of this talk just made Goku more excited to meet Zeus and the rest of the Greek pantheon. They could prove to be just as formidable as Majin Buu was in his strongest form.
"I've fought an enemy capable of destroying entire galaxies, Aphrodite, and still ended up surviving. If I can walk away from something like that, I don't think I have anything to be scared of, even if Zeus is crazy strong like you said." Goku confidently remarked. He then punched a fist into his open palm. "I'll just need to push Super Saiyan 3 to its absolute limits and give these gods everything I've got, like I always have."
The Saiyan's bravery put Aphrodite at ease. She pushed her bangs to the side and giggled in amusement.
"I suppose you have a point there, Goku, but remember, you're not invincible. Don't forget what happened with Raditz and Cell..."
Goku slumped his shoulders a little. Those aforementioned moments, apart from Chi-Chi's death, were some of the darkest in his entire life. At times, he wished that he hadn't stayed dead for seven years. All those potential moments he could have spent with his wife and their children were now gone, and there was nothing could do to change that.
"I haven't..."
Frowning, Aphrodite grabbed ahold of Goku's hand and directed it towards her right cheek. She used her smaller one to hold it in place and stared into his eyes. As they looked at one other, the goddess changed her hair from black to the usual long, flowing blonde color.
Her dress also went back to being a pink tunic bound by a single red sash. Goku was stunned speechless by Aphrodite's "true", somewhat divine appearance and couldn't say anything.
"Then, please, promise me that you'll be careful. I couldn't stand to see you get hurt like that again... or worse."
She then closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth of Goku's gentle touch. Despite his lack of familiarity with her as a person, the Saiyan smiled and awkwardly rubbed the goddess's cheek about two times.
"I can't promise anything for now, but yeah, I'll try my best to be careful. Don't worry, Aphrodite."
Becoming as red as a tomato, the love goddess desperately held back a rumbling purr of pleasure. She would have planted a bunch of kisses on Goku's right then and there if not for another clap of thunder being heard in the distance.
She groaned and hurriedly released his hand from her cheek.
"Sorry to leave you like this, Goku, but it appears that I'll need to check back with Olympus for a little while. Duty calls and all of that."
The goddess dug through her purse and poured out a bunch of drachma. She handed about half of her current supply over to Goku, piquing his interest.
"While I'm gone, use this money for food, clothes, and lodging. I adore the martial arts gi, hon, but it may as well be a painted target for nearby monsters."
"Lodging? But where do I even go? I can't even understand this map the one lady gave me!"
Aphrodite smiled sympathetically, pulled him closer to her, and planted a small kiss on his cheek. Pink lipstick was left stained on Goku's face as a result.
"You're Son Goku. I know you'll be able to figure something out."
Goku immaturely attempted to wipe the lipstick away, causing the love goddess to cover her mouth and prevent some more giggles from breaking out.
"Don't worry about paying me back either, sweetheart. Eventually, you'll make it up to me in other, more interesting ways. Hehe." She playfully remarked as impure thoughts danced around in her head.
"Interesting ways? What do you mean by—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Aphrodite blew a kiss at him and vanished in a flash of pink energy. Goku, oddly enough, couldn't even sense that she disappeared at all.
"She's gone. Weird." He muttered to himself in confusion. "This sort of happened before, actually. I could see Aphrodite's eyes light up, but I couldn't sense the power emanating from it. Could the gods, somehow, have a type of ki... different from me, Vegeta, and everyone else's?"
Not sure what to make of this so-called "godly ki", Goku shrugged and placed the drachma into his pocket. He then looked toward the roads leading outside New York City, sighing.
"Welp, might as well see what the rest of this city is like."
Deciding not to fly this time, Goku crossed both arms behind his head and kept moving. His departure was observed by the monster frequenting Tom's Restaurant just mere moments ago.
They chuckled to themselves, pleased to know that Aphrodite blindly left him out in the open like this. It was only a matter of time before Zeus got involved, so the monster needed to take action right away.
I'll follow the fool and see where he decides to go next.
The monster then trailed behind Goku and blended in with the rest of New York City's inhabitants. As they walked, their cast shadow resembled that of a multi-headed dragon before it became normal again.
Goku, unfortunately, didn't know that any of this was happening. His arrival was going to take a turn for the worst in more ways than one.
Back on Mount Olympus...
Aphrodite teleported almost directly next to her temple's entrance. The goddess dreamily smiled, prancing about with a sizable spring in her step as she walked. To her, the positives of this situation definitely outweighed the negatives.
"He's more amazing than I could have ever possibly imagine." She whispered while holding both hands over her chest. "The sooner Zeus gets over this little temper tantrum, the better. I need to make Goku mine and mine alone no matter what happens."
Dematerializing her blue sunhat, she inwardly squealed at the idea of them being more than friends. Her thoughts were then interrupted by the temple's damaged entrance, or currently lack thereof.
"What?! Someone broke in?" Aphrodite gasped.
In annoyance, she walked into the temple and inspected the remains of her temple's doorway. She noticed that part of the stone marble was caved in by a blunt-force weapon of sorts, causing her to become even more annoyed and outright disgusted.
"Ares."
As if speaking of the devil, Aphrodite looked to see the war god standing at her doorway. He leaned against a marble column with his arms crossed.
"What's wrong, babe? You don't look too happy to see me." He grunted. "Which is funny since I recall you feeling the exact opposite during all those passionate nights we spent together..."
Ares attempted to reach for his lover's shoulders, but she turned away almost immediately. She glared at him with narrowed green eyes.
"We haven't been together in over 6 months. Didn't that give you enough of a hint that I no longer want to see you anymore, Ares? It's over between us."
This statement caused the war god to growl and slam a fist into the nearby column. Multiple cracks began to spread throughout its marble surface in response.
"Over?! We've been banging each other like crazy for thousands of years and now, you say it's over? All because of some brain-damaged alien from a random universe you know nothing about?!"
Aphrodite leaned forward and stuck an accusatory finger in the war god's face.
"The only one who knows nothing here is you! Sure, we have had fun this past few millennia or so, but simple fun was all it was. You and I both know that our arrangement was not done purely out of love, but lust! It was the only way to get out of that utter hell of a marriage that Zeus forced me to have." She sighed in frustration. "I may have held some affection for you in the past and maybe I always will deep down, but now... I just can't do it anymore. I need a relationship that I can be committed to without the need to consult others' affections and desires. I'm sorry."
Ares, although usually tough as nails, found himself feeling hurt by what the goddess claimed. Despite them seeing other people from time to time, he was always under the impression that they were both soulmates and meant to be together.
This confession, however, proved him wrong. It honestly made his burning hatred for Goku even greater. He wanted nothing more than to bash his stupid face in and annihilate the rest.
"A simple sorry is not going to cut it, Aphrodite. You do realize that you're not going to go unpunished for sending that moron here, right? Cause trust me, Zeus was not happy when I told him about it."
Aphrodite spun around to see the shattered glass from her broken mirror. Her greatest fears were now being realized. "You told him about Goku?!"
"Tsk. Of course I did. There's no way in hell I'd let some Bruce Lee-wannabe take what belongs to me. You're my love goddess and there's nothing you can do or say that's going to change that."
A pink aura surrounded Aphrodite's body as she glared daggers at Ares. The war god, however, looked more entertained than outright angry.
"I am no one's goddess, but my own, Ares! And if you seriously think you can stop me from claiming the man I desire most in this world, then you have another thing coming."
Her words continued to draw Ares's golden blood to a boil. His eyes ever-so-slightly glowed a bright red as he glared back.
"Right. We'll see about that." He jerked a thumb toward the open, doorless entryway. "Zeus and the others are waiting for you back at the Hall. Better not keep them waiting."
"Wait, they're all there? You told everyone about this?!"
"Well, technically, Mom did, but yeah, everyone knows about your new boytoy." Ares grunted. "What happens him to now is up to all of Olympus. Let's go."
He then marched toward the Hall of the Gods, dragging his aluminum bat and hunting knife along with him.
Knowing not to incite Zeus's wrath, Aphrodite tightly clenched her fists together and grimaced. She was now far more worried for Goku's safety than her own.
Please don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, Goku.
The goddess then begrudgingly followed Ares to Mount Olympus's peak. There, a new meeting between the Olympians was about to begin.
In the Hall of the Gods...
About an hour after Zeus discovered Goku's presence in their world, most of the Olympian gods and goddesses were assembled. Hestia, Dionysus, and Artemis were all preoccupied with other tasks, so Hera, current queen of Olympus, thought it best not to notify them about this impromptu meeting. Hades also wasn't summoned for similar reasons, considering the fact that running the entire Underworld was quite a big deal.
None of the Olympians, including herself, even knew what they were going to discuss. Her son, Ares, mentioned that it had something to do with Aphrodite, but he didn't elaborate further than that. She assumed that their strained relationship was the reason for this lack of an explanation. They apparently hadn't talked or slept together in months.
Hera blew out a sigh and glanced over at her husband in concern. She was seated to his left in a throne made of ivory and pure adamantine. The image of multiple peacocks sitting along a willow tree was also painted on it.
The queen of Olympus had long, flowing licorice-black hair with brown eyes that anyone, be it mortal or god, could get lost in. Her regal beauty rivaled that of any known supermodel and, arguably, even Aphrodite, as much as the love goddess would hate to admit it. She wore a golden crown atop her head, a flowing white dress, and a cape made of peacock feathers. A staff with a lotus flower on top was also tightly grasped within her right hand.
Despite being the goddess of women, marriage, childbirth, and familial love, her relationship with Zeus was anything, but happy. His countless infidelities, however, did not stop her from caring about his wellbeing. Hera could tell that Zeus was acting far more unnerved than he's ever been and, as his wife, she wanted to know why.
"Dear, what's troubling you? You've had me gather mostly everyone here, so I think we deserve a proper explanation."
Poseidon, Zeus's older brother, nodded in agreement. Known as the Greek god of the sea, he had tan skin, sea-green eyes, and a neatly trimmed black beard that matched his hair. He wore green robes and a magnificent crown made from seashells on his head. The sea god was seated in a black seal leather throne that included a holster where his bronze trident could be held. Faint sparks of green energy flickered from its three tips while he spoke.
"Hera's right, Brother. Does this meeting concern a new threat to Olympus? Possibly one involving Kronos, if I were to guess? It would explain why you look so... dejected right now."
The king of Olympus grimaced and ever-so-slightly narrowed his electric blue eyes.
"I am not dejected, Poseidon, but yes, you're correct about there being a new threat in our midst." He said. "And turns out Aphrodite is the primary cause of it."
"Of course she is." Apollo chuckled in amusement. "What now? Did she decide to bang someone on Ares's shit list and got him even more pissed off than usual?"
The Greek god of sun, light, poetry, archery, knowledge, truth, and prophecy was a young man with tan skin. He had curly, tousled blonde hair and golden eyes that shone as bright as the sun itself. Apollo also wore a toga of the same color that both matched the throne he was sitting on and his famous bow.
His bright, mischievous grin caused Zeus to audibly groan.
"This is no laughing matter, I assure you. Aphrodite has done more than just "bang" some random mortal or god, Apollo; she has foolishly chosen to bring this man over to our world."
Directly above the Hall of the God's central hearth, a large Iris Message was projected from the ceiling and displayed a single image of Goku's body. The Olympians didn't know what to make of this strange mortal being shown to them, but they were intrigued, nonetheless.
"But who exactly is he, Father? Judging by his outfit, I assume he is some sort of martial artist or warrior, correct?" asked Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, civilization, and battle strategy. Much like Hera, her stepmother, she was a regal, yet beautiful woman, but with gray eyes resembling that of storm clouds. She wore elegant grayish white robes, Greek battle armor, and an Imperial Gold helmet that was decorated with images of gryphons and sphinxes. Long black hair extended from his helmet and cut off somewhere just below her shoulders.
The goddess pursed her red lips and coldly stared at the man. Just from his facial expression alone, Athena could tell that he was nothing short of a fierce warrior in combat. Such a fact, unfortunately, made her father's statements about him even more concerning.
"His name is Son Goku. And believe me, he is not just any typical martial artist." Zeus gravely replied. "He comes from an alternate universe."
This information caused the other Olympians to gasp in surprise, especially Hera.
"T-That's impossible! There hasn't been any interaction with the rest of the multiverse in centuries! How was Aphrodite able to bring a real, genuine alien here?!"
"Actually, when you think about it, it isn't all that surprising, Mother. I made the Empire State Building's elevator capable of dimensional travel quite a long time ago." Hephaestus, the Greek god of forges, fire, and blacksmiths informed. "Granted, doing so would drain a ton of its divine energy and, at worst, cause it to short-circuit, but I doubt my dear old wife really cared enough to consider that fact before... well, doing whatever she did with this Goku guy."
Zeus and Hera's son was heavily deformed due to a little accident that happened when he was a baby. He had a huge, bulging, misshapen head with shoulders that were aligned at distinct, disproportionate heights. His brown hair was scraggly and his chin was covered by a full beard that lit itself on fire every so often.
Hephaestus's unhappy marriage to Aphrodite made the god display an almost permanent, bitter scowl on his face, but he tried not to make such an expression too obvious. He just sat in his technologically advanced throne, wearing a black jumpsuit with his own name embroidered in its center. This particular throne, weirdly enough, resembled that of a La-Z-Boy recliner with silver and bronze gears jutting out from it.
The queen of Olympus's frown slightly deepened. "Then it that's the case, why would Aphrodite bring forth this mortal of all people? He doesn't look all that special compared to the other men she's slept with or has intended to seduce."
"Looks can be deceiving, Hera. Let us observe this footage Ares extracted from Aphrodite's Iris Message. She's supposedly been keeping its contents hidden from us for over 6 whole months." Zeus proclaimed. With a single wave of his hand, the Iris Message replayed every single moment from Goku's early childhood to adulthood once more.
"She can spend 6 months watching this, yet not even go on one single date with her own husband? Fah! Why am I not surprised..." Hephaestus bitterly grumbled under his breath. It was times like this where the god wondered why he even tried to show her intimate feelings such as care and love. Despite her being the goddess of those very emotions, she obviously didn't want to return the favor and likely never would.
For close to an hour or more, the Olympians viewed Goku's countless feats of strength and courage in his own universe. His experiences as a child were similar to many known Greek heroes from the past, particularly Perseus and Hercules, or Heracles as he was called in ancient times. His power level was admirable at best during those days, but things quickly began to escalate once he became an adult.
Within the span of only a few years, Goku managed to rival the Olympians' own abilities using impressive transformations such as Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, and, most recently, Super Saiyan 3. The latter, while difficult to maintain in battle, had potential to destroy entire galaxies or more, rivaling Zeus's Divine Form at its strongest as a result.
He didn't quite scale to Chaos or the Protogenoi's level just yet, but with proper training, the Saiyan warrior, Goku, could surpass them all one day.
And to the Olympians, that made him absolutely terrifying, even in spite of his innocent, childlike demeanor. They completely understood why Zeus saw him as a serious threat now.
"His species, the Saiyans, appear to grow stronger after every battle. I didn't think that such a power could exist, yet... these Zenkai Boosts are, in fact, real." Poseidon whispered in dismay. He wondered if that was how Goku managed to surpass the Demon King Piccolo after drinking the Ultra Divine Water in his youth.
Similarly, Athena's was transfixed by his past fight against the Bio-Android, Perfect Cell. His speed and ingenuity in battle was truly a sight to behold. His Instant Kamehameha, however, was the ingenious technique that impressed her most of all. It surely would have killed Cell if not for his, aptly put, perfect regenerative abilities.
"I'll admit that while Son Goku might not be the most intelligent man I've seen, he is unquestionably a genius in combat. His skills as a martial artist have made him quite the commendable warrior, regardless of his many losses and failures."
Demeter, Greek goddess of agriculture, grain, and fertility, was nowhere near as impressed. If anything, she was mortified by the absolute devastation that Goku brought to every place he went. Her heart cried out for the innocent Namekians who lost their home to the alien tyrant, Frieza, and his Death Ball.
Like the other Olympian goddesses, she was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and a bright green dress that flowed similarly to fresh plants breaking through the soil. On top of her head, she also wore a crown made from woven corn leaves and poppies. A Imperial Gold sword also leaned against her throne, which was sewed together using apple-tree branches, wheat stalks, and dried blades of grass.
"Supposed genius or not, Athena, have you seen how much damage him and those other monsters have done to the planets they've fought on?! It's absolutely barbaric!" She cried out in sadness.
Apollo leaned back against his golden throne and snorted. He thought the goddess was acting a little too over dramatic as always. After all, she was the one who almost withered the planet away to nothing once she discovered Hades kidnapped and married her daughter, Persephone. He was still mad at her for creating the autumn and winter seasons to this very day.
"Oh, lighten up, Demeter. Have you seen what Goku can do with that Spirit Bomb thing? He can call upon the energy of any living being and, what I'm especially impressed by, his universe's version of the Sun itself! I don't know about you guys, but he seems like a pretty cool guy to me."
"Yes, but that Spirit Bomb could also deprive the plants of their lifeforce! Did you ever think of that, Apollo?!" The goddess of agriculture hissed in frustration. A green aura surrounded her body just thinking of such a possibility.
Apollo absentmindedly shrugged. "I mean, most of the time he does ask them to share their energy with him beforehand. How that works if there's no god like me operating the Sun, though, I have no idea. This multiverse stuff is beyond my pay grade."
"It is beyond mine as well. I want absolutely no part of a destructive, uncivilized universe like that." Demeter scowled. The irony of that remark was noted by Apollo, but he thought it best to not continue the conversation further.
"I'm more so impressed by how advanced this version of Earth is compared to ours. Time machines, hovercrafts, and portable capsules that can fit homes or entire vehicles inside them?! By gods, this Bulma friend of his is a scientific genius of the highest caliber!" Hephaestus said, commending the blue-haired woman on her technological expertise. It made him wish that she could have been his wife, but then again, Bulma did tend to act as shallow and materialistic as Aphrodite in her younger years. It didn't change the fact that her intelligence was far above any living mortal, regardless of gender.
"And she's quite beautiful too. Beauty and brains is a good combination, don't you think so, Athena?" Hermes, messenger of the gods, commented with a sly grin on his face.
The god of roads, travel, communications, athletes, thieves, and commerce was a muscular man with curly black hair and blue eyes. He had elfish features and wore a white shirt with running shorts. Both his helmet and sandals had angelic wings attached to them as well.
For years, Hermes held unrequited feelings for Athena that went unnoticed by her and mostly everyone else. His attempt at a compliment, unfortunately, experienced the same fate due to the goddess of wisdom's long-held status as a Virgin Goddess.
"Perhaps, but I do not hold my looks in as much regard as her... or a certain someone who caused this mess in the first place."
In that moment, Ares and Aphrodite both walked into the Hall of the Gods. The love goddess refused to share eye contact with the other Olympians and shamefully looked down at the floor.
"Huh. Speak of the devil." Apollo muttered.
"Found her, Dad. She was positively giddy over her recent date with Goku." Ares growled, feeling as if he wanted to start an entire war after saying that.
The love goddess huffed and crossed her arms in an indignant manner.
"It wasn't a date! I just... needed to explain some things to him, is all."
Hephaestus found this remark quite amusing. She's come up with much dumber explanations to justify her adulterous behavior. He was just glad to see that this most recent infidelity was affecting Ares as well.
"Oh, do tell us what you explained to him then, honey. Or will that make your little lover's quarrel here even worse? Hehe."
"Shut up, dear! I never asked to be married to a hideous oaf like you, anyways, so butt out! This has nothing to do with you."
Despite her strained relationship with Hephaestus, Hera did not appreciate Aphrodite's blatant disregard for both of her sons' feelings. She has gotten away with her frivolous behavior for far too long.
"Oh, on the contrary, Aphrodite, what you've done has everything to do with us! Your selfish desires have brought forth a mortal who could jeopardize the very existence of Olympus itself!" The queen of Olympus sneered. "And all for what? Another man to give you the whorish pleasure my Ares supposedly couldn't?!
The love goddess was taken aback by Hera's harsh words. She balled her fists and slightly glowed with pink energy.
"Selfish desires?! I don't know what you've learned about Goku, but my actions were anything other than—"
"SILENCE!"
Zeus slammed his Master Bolt into the tiled floor, causing sparks of electricity to fly all over the place and bounce off the council room's walls. His eyes glowed with plasmatic energy as he glared down at Aphrodite in absolute rage.
"Explain yourself... NOW!"
Left stuck in a theoretical corner she couldn't get out of, Aphrodite decided to come clean and stop keeping secrets from her fellow Olympians. She glanced over at Goku's projected likeness with a small smile on her face before speaking.
"During the summer, I learned about Goku and his universe from a special Iris Message like the one you're viewing. He was unlike any mortal I've seen before, so I sent the elevator over to him... as a way of—"
"Let me guess. Potentially sleeping with him?" Hermes asked while resting an elbow on the armrest of his gray rock-based throne. There were ram's heads attached to each armrest and a cushion made of goatskin under the spot where he was sitting.
"Well, I'd be lying if I said no..." Aphrodite admitted. The goddess felt sad saying something like that since, unlike her previous lovers, she wanted so much more with Goku than a simple one-night stand. Being able to marry him would be an absolute dream, in fact.
"Are you planning to use him for means of gaining more power for yourself?" asked Athena in a suspicious tone.
"Seriously? Don't be ridiculous."
"Killing me?" Hephaestus joked, playing up his hurt feelings to an exaggerated degree.
Her husband's blatant mockery of this situation was the breaking point for Aphrodite. She stamped her foot in annoyance, and engulfed her body and eyes in an aura of pink energy.
"No, no... NO! You're all wrong!" The goddess then sighed and placed a hand over chest. "I sent the elevator over to Goku as a way of... hopefully, getting him to love me... as I've grown to love him."
Ares gripped the hilt of his bat tight enough to dent its metal surface while Hera couldn't help, but balk at such a ridiculous statement.
"Preposterous! You expect me to believe that you fell in love with a man in only 6 months... without even meeting him in person until now?!" The goddess scowled. "For the goddess of love, you absolutely know nothing about it or how it works! And it appears Son Goku has that in common, considering the fact that he abandoned his wife and two sons for seven years."
"Goku decided to remain dead, because with his eldest son, Gohan, around, he knew Earth would be in good hands without him. He eventually came back once Majin Buu showed up and after that, he spent as much time with Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Goten as he possibly could. Believe me, I can tell that his love for Chi-Chi was genuine... and her death affected him just as much as his grandfather's did." Aphrodite replied with some sadness and longing in her voice. "Insult Goku all you want, Hera, but he's sure as hell of a better husband than Zeus is or has ever been. And deep down, I think you agree with me."
The Olympians, apart from Zeus, of course, collectively gasped in shock. Neither of them expected Aphrodite to say something so bold, yet accurate at the same time. They wouldn't dare say it in the sky god's presence either.
Hera shook with rage and suppressed the urge to smite Aphrodite on the spot.
"I am the queen of Olympus! How dare you speak to me that way, you insolent, little—"
"Enough!" shouted Zeus. He signaled for his wife to quiet down and, subsequently, spoke in her place. "Son Goku appears to have done some good for his world, I'll give you that. But I believe sharing a certain dream I had will help change your overall perception of him..."
Apollo perked up at the mention of this so-called dream.
"Wait, do you mean like a premonition of the future, Dad? Why didn't you tell me this sooner? Prophecies are my specialty, after all."
"There simply wasn't enough time for it to come up in conversation." Zeus slightly shrugged his shoulders. "In this dream, as I've already told Ares, Goku was wearing a gray gi and wielding a purple scythe similar to Kronos's. He brought great destruction to Olympus and one by one, destroyed every single one of our thrones, claiming himself to be a supreme deity above any Olympian as he did so."
Aphrodite's green eyes widened. This didn't seem like something Goku would do at all, yet somehow, Zeus managed to see it in his vision.
"I... don't even know what to make of this. Are you really sure it was Goku?"
"Dad wouldn't lie about this stuff, Aphrodite. He called himself Goku and even had a Super Saiyan form with pink hair instead of yellow." Ares grunted. "All signs point to your new boyfriend being an enemy in the future, including yours."
The love goddess shook her head in blatant denial of such a possibility.
"B-But... that's just impossible! Goku has never wielded a scythe or worn a gray gi before. There must be something else going on in this dream." She assumed based on Goku's normal behavior. "He's always fought to protect others, not destroy them."
Athena narrowed her gray eyes. That scythe was the main part that concerned her about this whole scenario.
"Could there be a chance that Kronos is planning to possess Goku's body in the future? Maybe that's what this dream is warning you about, Father."
Zeus reluctantly nodded. "That's an outcome I fear most of all, Athena."
"That won't happen! If Goku can defeat a monster like Majin Buu, then Kronos won't even have a chance of touching him! That vision could just be an alternate timeline like Trunks' and nothing more than that."
"The sheer power of Goku and his enemies is exactly why we can't let Goku wander on his own, Aphrodite! If Kronos does, in fact, find a way to possess the Saiyan's body, Mount Olympus and this entire universe will be doomed." Poseidon reminded her in growing concern. He rested a hand on his temple and sighed. "I openly commend Goku for his various acts of heroism, believe me, but for the sake of us and our children, he must be captured at all costs. I'm sorry."
Aphrodite turned to Zeus, hoping and praying that he'd listen to reason.
"Capture him?! You can't do that! He's done nothing wrong. If anyone should be punished for what happened, it should be me! Just leave Goku out of this."
"We can't do that. My father is a master manipulator of the highest caliber. If anyone can convince Goku to turn against us, it would certainly be him. Need I remind you what happened to Ares and Luke Castellan when my Master Bolt was stolen? Do you really want something like that to happen again?"
Hermes's playful expression darkened into one of heartbreak at the brief mention of his son. Ares, at the same time, cursed himself for being used as Kronos's pawn two years ago, especially since it resulted in him being humiliated by that demigod punk, Percy Jackson.
"No, of course I don't, but... but still..."
Aphrodite tried to argue against Zeus's point, but no words came out. Assuming that she had nothing else to say, Zeus nodded at the other members of Olympus's council. Poseidon's idea to capture Goku seemed to be unanimously agreed upon, even by Apollo.
"Right then. We'll send out a search party to capture Son Goku and transport him directly to Mount Olympus. Once we have him here, his ultimate fate will be decided by any vote of our choosing." Zeus explained.
Aphrodite was horrified by this decision. They were treating Goku like he was some escaped convict.
"W-Who are you sending to find him?"
The king of Olympus knowingly smirked. With another powerful wave of his hand, the Iris Message shifted from images of Goku's world to a snowy, mountainous landscape. There, Artemis was busy putting away some supplies with her Hunters. The goddess of the hunt appeared to be moving onto some other area for her next expedition.
Aphrodite's concern for Goku began to steadily increase upon seeing the Virgin Goddess up-close. Goku may have been much stronger than her, but Artemis was still a formidable opponent in battle, regardless.
"Can you hear me, Artemis?" Zeus greeted in a calm, almost fatherly tone.
Upon hearing his voice, she adjusted her auburn hair, whispered for some hunters, namely Zoë, to go somewhere else for a moment, and stepped closer to the Iris Message.
"Yes, Father, I can hear you. Is there something wrong?"
Apollo beamed at the sight of his twin sister and lazily waved at her.
"Yo, little sis! What's up? Have the girls missed me?"
Artemis blankly stared at the sun god and rolled her eyes. "Ah, Apollo. Still as obnoxious as ever I see... and bad at math to boot since, as we all know, I was born first."
"Ouch. That burns, Arty! And I'm the sun god!" Apollo sarcastically chuckled. He knew full well that the two of them were twin siblings, but getting under Artemis's skin was much too fun from his perspective.
She and her father both glared at Apollo distastefully before resuming their prior conversation. Zeus materialized some clouds from thin air and produced an exact copy of Goku's body in his hand.
"I want you to hunt down a man named Son Goku. He is an alien martial artist from an alternate universe that Aphrodite foolishly sent to our world for equally foolish reasons. Despite being a mere mortal, he is extremely powerful, so don't underestimate him and bring him back to Olympus alive."
He then crushed the image of Goku in his hands and waited to hear Artemis's reply. The goddess, annoyed by the fact that her new prey was male, nodded in agreement and readied her equipment.
"How typical of Aphrodite to go to such lengths just to satiate her male-centric fantasies. I'll never understand it." Artemis grumbled under her breath. "Where is this... Son Goku person now?"
Aphrodite placed both hands on her hips in disgust while Zeus created a map of New York City for the moon goddess to thoroughly inspect.
"From what I can gather, he was somewhere near the Empire State Building, but is on the move towards Long Island at this point. Try to corner him there if he gets too close to discovering Camp Half-Blood."
The daughter of Leto zipped up her winter jacket and was now ready to take action.
"Understood. I won't let you down, Father."
"I know you won't. Good luck." Zeus said with a proud smile. He then swiped away the Iris Message as Artemis and her Hunters prepared for their next hunt.
"Zeus, I beg of you! You're making a mistake! Goku isn't the monster you saw in your dreams! You should know that by now." Aphrodite pleaded, knowing how confused and alone Goku must be feel right now.
"You made the mistake of teleporting that mortal here in the first place. If he dies fighting Artemis or ends up being punished on Olympus, his blood will be on your hands."
With Zeus refusing to change his mind, Aphrodite narrowed her eyes and developed a newfound sense of determination. She sprouted pink, angelic wings of energy from her back and prepared to fly away.
"Well, if it's my mistake, then I'm going to be one to fix it! I'll warn Goku before Artemis can get her feministic hands on him! Try and stop me if you can!"
Right as she was about to leave, Ares brutally smacked her in the back of the head with his baseball bat. A swift sensation of pain erupted through her body as she fell down on the floor unconscious.
"As you wish."
Apollo winced. "Yeesh. You could have held back just a little, man."
"Yeah, sure, but she's been pissing me off for 6 months straight. I had to let out my anger somehow." The war god replied. He then picked up Aphrodite's lifeless form bridal style and frowned at the sight of tears in her eyes.
"Bring Aphrodite back to her temple, Ares. Make sure she doesn't leave before the trial begins. Is that clear?"
"With pleasure, Dad. Call me over once Son Goku shows up." The dark purple aura from before then trickled around every pore of his body, much to Zeus's chagrin. "I'd like to greet him personally."
"Will do..."
Ares then exited the Hall of the Gods with Aphrodite's body in his arms. In her sleep, the love goddess murmured a few, barely audible words of sadness.
"Goku... I'm so sorry..."
Once they were gone, Poseidon leaned over to Zeus's side with a look of prominent uncertainty being shown on his face.
"Do you really think we're doing the right thing, Brother? This man has saved his world and the worlds of others many times over. Maybe Aphrodite has a point about your dream being an alternate timeline and nothing more."
Zeus stroked his black beard a few times in thought.
"I suppose only time will tell what Goku's destiny shall become."
"Just don't make the same mistake Kronos did, Dad. He swallowed Poseidon, Hera, Hestia, and his other kids just to prevent his reign over the cosmos from ending." Apollo reminded him in a more serious manner. "He created a self-fulfilling prophecy by trying to prevent it from taking place. So if this future with that scythe-wielding Goku is indeed possible, then I don't know if treating him like an enemy so soon is the best course of action to take."
The sky god couldn't say he disagreed with Apollo's statement. Thousands of years ago, he swallowed Athena's mother, Metis, to prevent a similar prophecy from befalling him. Was this dream some sort of prank that fate was pulling on him?
"All we can do is wait to see what happens then, I suppose. There are many paths the future may take, Apollo." Zeus replied. "Let us hope that the one I saw isn't one of them."
From that point onward, the Olympians talked amongst themselves and prepared for Goku's trial. It was now Artemis's job to bring them Son Goku alive or, under more extreme circumstances, dead.
Meanwhile...
Right after her discussion with Zeus, Artemis took some time to think about what was happening. The goddess closed her golden eyes and took another deep breath, realizing the two energies that she sensed earlier belonged to both Aphrodite and Son Goku. It turns out that he was the primary reason the world's balance was beginning to shift off course. Such phenomena must have been caused by him traveling from one whole universe to another in mere seconds.
She pinched the bridge of her nose in minor annoyance. As a warrior and hunter, no mortal male has ever been able to best her in combat. Some have come closer than others, of course, but it had been such a long time since they last walked the Earth.
Her father described him as a powerful martial artist, but what did that entail? What exactly made Son Goku so different from any other mortal she has some across?
Father told me not to underestimate him, but why? From what little I saw of the man, he seemed like a typical male and nothing more than that. It shouldn't be that difficult to best him in combat... right?
Artemis's doubts and judgmental preconceptions were starting to creep up on her. She repositioned her silver bow and marched toward her young followers. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Goku's black eyes screamed experience and an inherent lust for combat. It was almost predatory in a way, much like herself and a former companion of hers.
Memories of the one man she grew to love circled through her subconscious. She, however, didn't wish to think about that former hunter for very long and shook her head dismissively. It wasn't the right time to dwell on the past.
"What did Lord Zeus want, my lady? Was it about the strange energy thy sensed before?" asked Zoë in curiosity.
"Yes, I believe it was," Artemis affirmed. "Tell the other to gather their belongings. My father has tasked us with hunting down a man from an alternate universe named Son Goku."
Zoë grimaced at the mention of being asked to hunt a man for another man but kept her distaste with the mission mostly under control.
"A man from another world, my lady? Is thou similar to the men of this world?"
"I doubt it, but it's hard to say from just looking at him. We'll have to determine what this "Son Goku" is capable of when we get to Long Island, New York."
The moon goddess then signaled for Zoë and the other Hunters to start packing up everything in their camp. After a few minutes of well-organized teamwork, they reconvened with Artemis along another section of the mountain.
"Our target is considered a powerful and highly dangerous martial artist, girls. Make certain that he's defeated and captured alive, okay?"
"Yes, my lady!" The Hunters of Artemis all shouted in unison.
"We have a few hundred miles left before we reach Long Island. Let's move out."
Like ravenous wolves on the prowl, Artemis and her Hunters rushed through tree after tree at unprecedented speeds. The goddess narrowed her eyes, wondering how challenging it would be hunt down an alien warrior.
Let's see if you can be prey worthy of my interest, Son Goku. I'm curious to see what you're capable of.
They then speedily rushed toward the shores of Long Island Sound, hoping to make it there before Goku did.
*And that's the end of the new Chapter 4! Like I mentioned above, I included a lot of changes that I think improve this chapter from the original in a number of ways. For example, I had the Hydra from Chapter 5 appear in both Chapters 3-4 as a disguised manager, so now, that whole scene won't come out nowhere this time around.
I also changed the first scene with Ares and Aphrodite completely. She is a lot more assertive and upfront about her feelings for Goku this time, which, in my opinion, strengthens her character a lot. The scene with the Olympians was also expanded upon and included more dialogue from each one, particularly from Athena, Hera, and Apollo. I even mentioned Hermes's unrequited love for Athena, a minor detail that's later revealed in The Blood of Olympus, the fifth installment of Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series (which will be adapted later on). Zeus's reason for being afraid of Goku is also more justified due to his prior vision of Goku Black. In the new, rewritten version of Chapter 10, Goku will also learn about this dream and try to figure out what it means throughout the story.
Anyways, I really hope you like the improvements I've made to this chapter and Chapters 1-3 so far. Chapter 5's rewrite will include an extended fight between Goku, Artemis, and the Hunters, as well as a slightly different version of his encounter with the Hydra. I'll see you again once that's posted.