*Apologies for the delay on this chapter. It took longer than expected to write, but I hope you enjoy it, regardless. It adapts pages 109-125 of The Titan's Curse with some original content added as well.
BANG. BANG.
Percy was awoken by a loud banging noise coming from his cabin's door. He rubbed his eyes, taking a brief look around the room to see what was going on. It was still dark outside, but some moonlight crept in from the nearest windows. He wasn't sure what the exact time was.
Before he could even move, more noises came from the door. The pounds were a bit louder this time.
THUMP. THUMP.
He then got out of bed and uncapped Riptide to reveal its Celestial Bronze blade. Flinging open the door, Percy found himself face-to-face with the black pegasus, Blackjack. They took a slight step back and spoke to the fourteen-year-old demigod telepathically. Horses were created by Poseidon out of sea foam, so all his children could understand equestrian animals and vice versa. In Percy's case, he found this ability somewhat annoying.
Whoa, boss! Take it easy. I don't wanna be a horse-ke-bob!
"Blackjack," Percy said in minor annoyance. "It's the middle of the night! What are you doing here?"
Actually, it's five in the morning, boss. What you still sleeping for?
The son of Poseidon was surprised by this information. Goku said he'd find a way to get him involved with the quest to save Artemis. He was starting wonder when or how that plan would took place.
"How many times have I told you? Don't call me boss."
Whatever you say, boss. You're the man. You're my number one.
Percy sighed to himself and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Last summer, Blackjack was being held captive on board the Princess Andromeda until the boy, unintentionally, freed him during a fight against Luke. The pegasus chose him to be his rider because of that moment.
"You're supposed to stay in the stables, Blackjack."
The winged horse snorted. Meh, the stables. You see Chiron staying in the stables?
"Well… no," Percy admitted.
Exactly. Listen, we got another little sea friend that needs your help.
"Again?"
Yeah. I told the hippocampi I'd come get you.
The son of Poseidon groaned softly. This wasn't the first time the hippocampi needed his help with their problems. Anytime he was close to the beach, Percy would be sent underwater to deal with beached whales, porpoises caught in fishing nets, mermaids with hangnails, and so on. It was times like these where being related to a sea god could be a real pain.
"Alright. I'm coming…"
Blackjack let out a triumphant whiny in response.
You're the best, boss.
"Mind if I tag along?"
Percy and the pegasus turned around to see Goku standing right behind them. He had an eager, almost curious smile on his face.
Woah, boss! It's the buff dude who iced Ares!
"His name is Goku, Blackjack. He's my friend," The boy rolled his eyes. "And quit calling me boss!"
Goku darted his eyes from Blackjack to Percy in confusion. "So… how's this winged horse talking? And what's he mean by 'iced' exactly?"
Snorting lightly in shock, Blackjack fluttered his wings and backed away from Goku a bit. The pegasus began to inspect the Saiyan martial artist as if he now had a third eye protruding from his forehead.
This is straight freaky, boss! Ain't no one, but you and Poseidon's other kids should be able to hear what I'm sayin'. What's this dude's deal?
Percy took a moment to think. Just mere hours ago, Goku had no trouble sending him a telepathic message, so that might be why understanding Blackjack's thoughts came rather easy to him. Perhaps it had something to do with Goku being from another world separate from their own. Some rules just didn't apply to him.
He then shrugged his shoulders.
"That's just how Goku is. He's different from other mortals… and apparently has psychic abilities too, I guess…"
Blackjack whinnied in discomfort.
Still seems freaky to me. It's like he's intruding on our business, boss.
"Oh, don't be like that. I'm just here to help you and Percy out a little," Goku assured the black pegasus with sincerity in his voice. "After all, I did promise to get you involved in the quest, remember?"
Percy's brows furrowed in slight skepticism. Annabeth, Grover, and the others would probably be heading out to rescue Artemis anytime now. He didn't see how Goku could sneak him along without Zoë or anyone else noticing.
"Well, yeah, you did, but how? Including you, there's already seven people traveling to Mount Tamalpais. Adding me to the bunch would just go against the Oracle's prophecy… and from my experience, that doesn't end well."
The martial artist understood his concerns, but it wasn't enough to deter him from explaining his aforementioned "plan" further.
"I know that, but… I can tell you're worried about Annabeth. It wouldn't be right to have you sit back while she risks her life fighting against a bunch of strong guys from my world. Even with my help, there's no guarantee she won't get hurt or… you know…" He sighed, taking a deep breath to get such a grim possibility out of his head. "Besides, I told Poseidon I'd look out for you. And I can't really do that if I'm half-way across the country while you're stuck at your mom's house feeling helpless…"
Percy paused to contemplate the man's words. He did have a point. Annabeth did say Goku could come to her aid and protect her, but what if that wasn't enough? What if Bojack or one of his followers got the drop on her while Goku was distracted? She could be dead and Percy would have no idea it even happened.
The son of Poseidon wouldn't let such events to ever transpire. He balled his fists with newfound determination.
"You're right. Annabeth needs me there… whether she wants to admit or not."
I get you wanna protect your girlfriend and all, boss, but… that little sea friend of ours needs your help first. They won't save themselves, you know?
Percy awkwardly softened his expression a little. He almost forgot what Blackjack requested him to do.
"Oh… right. My bad," He muttered. "First this and then we'll worry about the quest. That okay with you, Goku?"
"Sure! You can lead the way and I'll follow."
With that, Percy sat himself atop Blackjack's back and watched the pegasus take flight at close to a hundred miles per hour. Goku, as promised, flew alongside them as they headed for the beach together.
Is flying a result of Goku's weird psychic powers too?
"No, Blackjack…"
Several minutes later…
Percy, Blackjack, and Goku flew close to the ocean's waves, searching for the sea creature in need of assistance. Small droplets of water sprayed across Goku's face as he glanced over at the pegasus in curiosity.
"Any idea where it was?"
Blackjack slowed himself down to flutter his wings and gesture toward the water with a single hoof. He then turned around in a circular pattern while hovering in place.
Here. It should be straight down.
"Gotcha."
Goku then began to casually take off his shirt and pants midflight, much to Percy and Blackjack's shock.
"Dude! What the heck are you doing!? Put your clothes back on!"
The Saiyan of Earth tilted his head to the side.
"But this is what I always do when going for a swim. I don't want to get my clothes wet."
Boss is the son of Poseidon. As long as you stick close to him, your kung-fu outfit will remain as dry as ever, spiky-haired dude. Blackjack added, trying his best to hold in what could best be described as a laugh.
Seeming to understand his point, Goku shrugged and kept his orange gi – shirt, pants, and all – intact. "If you say so."
Percy let out an audible sigh in relief. He might have had to bleach out his eyes if Goku stripped down any further. Good thing someone like Aphrodite wasn't here to encourage him.
"Look, it's no big deal. I can just project a bubble around the both of us, so you can breathe underwater and won't get wet. Problem solved." The demigod explained. Now, let's get this over with, shall we?"
"No problem, boss." Goku chuckled in a teasing manner.
"Ugh. Don't you start…"
Leaving Blackjack behind for now, the two submerged themselves underwater. Percy manipulated the surrounding ocean currents to propel himself and Goku along in a tightly compact air bubble of sorts. This allowed for Goku, as promised, to remain undeterred by the water's normal effects and properties. It was as if he were given the same abilities as Percy, more or less.
"Wow. You do this kind of stuff often?"
Percy nodded as they swam downward into the ocean's lower depths. They were descending at least forty feet from the surface and counting.
"I've gotten used to it, yeah. Being Poseidon's son means I can pretty much do whatever I want underwater." He aimlessly looked from side to side, trying to detect the hippocampi's heat signatures amidst the all-encompassing darkness. "I never tested to see how deep I can dive, but any normal person wouldn't be able to go past two hundred feet without crumbling like an aluminum can. So maybe I could go beyond that limit if I tried. Didn't want to take any chances, though."
Goku flinched. He didn't expect to hear such a morbid comparison be said aloud.
"Sheesh. I don't blame you," He muttered. "You won't have to worry about that happening to me, at least. I've trained under one-hundred times Earth's gravity before, so any pressure would feel like nothing by comparison."
Percy took a moment to gape at Goku in astonishment. How could he reveal something so insane as if it were completely normal?
"One-hundred times!? Forget an aluminum can. That'd flatten anyone into a pancake within seconds. No wonder you're so strong."
Goku crossed both arms behind his head and let out a small laugh.
"Well, that was before I transformed into a Super Saiyan. I could probably handle three-hundred times Earth's gravity and higher nowadays. Like you, I never bothered checking, though. Hehe."
The son of Poseidon shook his head in disbelief. It was one surprise after another when it came to talking with someone like Goku. He wondered if training under the martial artist was even conceivable for a demigod like himself.
"Blackjack was right. You really are scary sometimes, man…"
"In a good way, right?"
Percy didn't respond once he spotted three hippocampi swimming circles around an overturned boat. They were fish-tailed horses with white manes and scales that lightly shimmered with the colors of the rainbow. Goku had never seen anything like them before, which was a reaction he'd come to expect in a world like this one.
The hippocampi, much to his puzzlement, were swimming at a frantic pace and looked upset. This behavior seemed to stem from a strange creature that was wedged halfway underneath the boat and tangled in a large, black fishing net.
Goku narrowed his eyes in concentration.
"That must be what Blackjack was talking about."
"This happens all the time. Lazy fishermen cut these nets loose and allow them to trap sea creatures under them. They can end up drowning dolphins, porpoises, and sometimes… even mythological animals like this one."
Scowling to himself, Percy and Goku swam closer to the ship's wreckage. Its hull was now teetering against a large rock and threatening to collapse on top of the poor creature.
One hippocampi attempting to chew the net with its teeth looked over at Percy in desperation and tentative hope. The other two seemed weary of Goku's presence, but were more concerned with their fellow animal's safety than anything else.
Free it, lord!
Yes, free it! Let that musclebound mortal assist if you must!
"That's what we're for, guys. No need to panic," Percy sighed. As he swam over to get a closer look, he was surprised to find something far different than expected. It wasn't another young hippocampus like he assumed.
"Mooooooo!"
Goku looked just as caught off-guard.
"Moo?"
Before their very eyes sat a baby cow with black fur, a white muzzle, and big brown eyes twinged with sadness. Its back half, however, was oddly a black-and-brown snaky tail with fins running down the top and bottom, much like an enormous eel.
It looked at both Goku and Percy sadly, almost pleading for help with its gaze.
"Moooo!"
"Any idea what it is, Percy?" asked Goku as he took a moment to inspect the creature's form from afar.
"No clue. I've never seen anything like it before."
We don't know what it is either, lord, A hippocampus said. Many strange things are stirring.
"Yeah. So I've heard."
Not wishing to see the sea-cow in any more pain, Goku effortlessly lifted up the damaged ship and tossed it aside using his immense strength. It roughly crashed into another part of Long Island Sound's seafloor, no longer threatening to crush the sea-cow under its weight.
Goku looked proud of himself and clapped his hands together. The hippocampi gazed at him in awe as a result.
"There we go. Now all we need is to get rid of that net and this little guy will be home free."
"Easier said than done, but thanks for the help."
Upon uncapping Riptide and revealing its Celestial Bronze blade, the cow serpent looked terrified. It began struggling against the net in an attempt to swim away.
"Percy, what'd you do? It's freaking out!" Goku shouted.
"I didn't do anything! I was just trying to cut the net with Riptide!"
The little sea-cow then thrashed about out of fear, getting even more tangled in the process. This caused Percy put away his sword and speak in a more calm, soothing voice.
"Okay, okay. It's cool. No sword. See? No sword. Calm thoughts. Sea grass. Mama cows. Vegetarianism."
It was clear the calf didn't exactly understand what Percy was saying, but it seemed to calm down a bit, nonetheless. The three hippocampi, however, were still skittish and cracking under pressure.
Free it, lord!
Hurry!
Please!
"I heard you the first time. Just let me think," Percy grunted, attempting to weigh his other options. "If she panics at the mere sight of a sword, what else can I do to free her?"
Goku didn't understand why Percy was calling this sea-cow a girl all of a sudden, but he rolled with it, anyway.
"I mean… I guess I could burn the rope with a small ki blast. You'll just have to make sure 'she' holds still for a second."
Percy looked a little uncertain about this idea.
"Won't that hurt her in the process?"
"I have complete control over my ki, Percy. If I aim for each portion of the rope and its fishing hooks, that will be the only thing that's damaged. Trust me."
The demigod then begrudgingly nodded and sat next to the sea cow. As it mooed and moaned in anguish, Percy consoled it with small strokes of its fur.
"It's okay, Bessie. Just hold still for a moment and you'll be safe." He murmured, deciding to give the calf a name that sounded cow-like enough. "Good cow. Nice cow."
"Moo…"
Once Bessie was completely calm, Goku took a deep breath and generated a small orb of yellow ki into his finger. He then rapidly blasted each knot, hook, and lead weight, incinerating the entire net upon impact until the cow serpent was safe from harm.
Bessie then zipped through the water and did a small somersault out of happiness.
"Moo! Moo!"
The hippocampi looked equally pleased and whinnied with joy.
Thank you, lord! And thank you, older friend of our lord!
After performing various tricks in the water, Bessie nuzzled against Goku's face and licked his cheek. It then did the same for Percy and looked at him with big brown eyes filled with admiration.
Goku wiped his cheek. "Hehe. You're welcome… uh… Bessie. If that's what we're calling her now…"
"Don't ask how I came up with it. It just seemed like a good cow name." The demigod then patted the cow serpent on the head one last time. "Nice cow. Well… stay out of trouble."
Turning away from Bessie, Percy looked up at the surface. They'd been underwater for a while now, so it was probably a good time for them to leave. It wouldn't be right to lose track of Annabeth and the others before they left camp.
"Let's go back. Blackjack's still waiting for us."
"Right. We have a quest to get to." Goku nodded. He then cheerfully waved at Bessie and the three hippocampi. "See ya, Bessie. Be careful around those nets next time, okay?"
"Moo!"
The Saiyan then paused for a moment. Noting Bessie's cow-like features and serpentine tail, he began to remember Annabeth's prior description of the Ophiotaurus as a bull-serpent hybrid. Could she be the very same creature Artemis was sent to hunt down? If that were the case, why would it be found so far away from where she was tracking it?
To him, it seemed like a simple coincidence. There was no way this innocent calf could be the Bane of Olympus that Atlas was hellbent on searching for.
Maybe they're similar creatures, but not the same thing. I'm sure the Ophiotaurus is something much more dangerous… and less innocent…
Casting away those thoughts for now, Goku bid farewell to Bessie and shot back up to the surface with Percy. The bubble around them popped in response, leaving his clothes completely dry as promised while Percy hung onto Blackjack's waiting neck.
Success, boss?
"Yeah. We rescued a baby… sea cow of some kind. Would have taken forever, but Goku was there to help speed up the process."
"I broke open a fish net with my finger," The Saiyan summed up.
Not at all surprised, Mr. Psycho-Power Man. But good deeds like these always come with their own rewards. Blackjack whinnied as they began flying back to Camp Half-Blood. After all, you saved my sorry mane, didn't you, boss? And look where we are now.
"Guess you got a point there."
Once they inched closer to reaching his cabin, Percy glanced over at the dining pavilion. He squinted his eyes to see Nico crouching down behind a single Greek column. It wasn't even time for breakfast, so something suspicious must have been going on.
"What's Nico doing up at this hour?" Goku asked after noticing the young demigod himself. "You think it could have something to do with Bianca?"
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be anything good…"
Percy then signaled for Blackjack to set him behind another column a few feet away from Nico's location. Goku did the same and stood close by.
"Should we—"
"Shh. I hear voices coming from one of the tables."
Without drawing Nico's attention, they took a closer look to see Zoë and Bianca arguing with one another. It appeared that Goku's suspicions were proven correct.
"It cannot be cured," Zoë hissed. "Not quickly, at any rate."
"But how did it happen? When did it happen?" Bianca asked in a tense tone.
"A foolish prank," Zoë growled in response. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-Shirt with it."
"That's terrible!"
Goku's eyes narrowed in realization. He knew there was something off about the shirt Connor and Travis gave to Phoebe last night. He just didn't expect them to go this far… or do something so strange as a prank. It also raised a lot of questions in his head.
Was that Chiron's blood? Where did they even get it from? Not that it matters, but still…
He then continued listening in on Zoë and Bianca's conversation. With Phoebe out of commission, that left an opening for Percy to join this quest. Maybe it was a result of some twisted game that fate was playing on everyone.
"She will live," Zoë said with a regretful sigh. "But she'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There's no way she can go. It's up to me… and thee."
"But what about the prophecy?" Bianca reminded her. "If Phoebe can't go, we only have six, including Goku. We'll have to pick another."
"There's no time. We must leave at first light. That's immediately. Besides, the prophecy said we shall find a new ally. Perhaps that person will be the seventh instead."
"In the land without rain, yeah, but who knows where that could be? We'll need as many people as possible to fight against the General and… those Galaxy Soldier monsters. Even Goku may not be enough to handle them all at once."
"I know, Bianca! I know…" Zoë grunted, sounding exasperated. "But… that's why I believe we should not pick someone else. It could be too dangerous… and I don't want to risk another Hunter meeting an end far worse than Phobe's. And I certainly don't want Chiron choosing another camper… after what almost transpired with Annabeth mere days ago. Especially if they come face-to-face with Bojack or—"
Zoë bit her lower lip, not wishing to utter the General's name anymore than she needed to. It brought back too many painful memories.
Bianca remained silent before reluctantly nodding her head.
"Okay, but… you should tell Thalia what else you saw in your dream."
"No. It would not help."
"But if your suspicions are correct, the General could be—"
"Enough! I have thy word not to talk about that!" Zoë snapped with a look of anguish on her face. "We will find out soon enough. Now come. Dawn is breaking."
Following Nico's lead, Goku and Percy hid themselves out of sight as the two hunters sprinted down the steps of the dining pavilion. Bianca took a moment to pause, looking back over at the Big House nervously.
"What about Goku? Shouldn't we go find him first?"
"He can fly and sense our energies. He'll catch up with us, so just keep moving! The lights of the Big House are already turning on! Hurry!"
As soon as they were gone, Goku lightly clasped Nico's shoulder before he could run after his sister. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
The ten-year-old demigod spun around and almost fell over from shock.
"Percy? Goku? Where did you guys come from?"
"We flew down here. You just didn't see us, cause it was dark out." Goku replied. He then crossed his arms like a stern parent lecturing their child. "How did you know Zoë and your sister were going to be here?"
Nico blushed in embarrassment.
"I heard them walk by the Herme cabin. I don't… don't sleep too well at camp. So I heard footsteps, and them whispering. And so I kind of followed."
Percy seemed to be understanding the situation now.
"And now you're thinking about following them on the quest. Am I right?"
"How did you know that?"
"Because if it was my sister, I'd probably be thinking the same thing. But you can't go."
Nico stamped his foot, looking frustrated and almost defiant.
"Why? Because I'm too young?"
Sighing, Goku knelt down, so he was eye-level with Nico. This boy may have been a demigod, but his training and level of skill were practically nonexistent at this point. Even if he was stronger than him at ten-years-old.
"That… and because bad people at my level of skill and power are going to be involved with this quest, Nico. You remember that guy with the sword I fought? Well, he's far weaker than his leader is. And there's three other warriors serving that same person. You'll have no chance against them…"
Nico's shoulders sagged in defeat. There's nothing he could say to argue against that cold, hard truth.
"You're right, but… then you and Percy can go in my place. And keep an eye on my sister. Please?"
Goku frowned nervously and scratched the back of his head.
"I'll try my best to watch over Bianca, but there's no real guarantee that—"
"Promise that you'll keep my sister safe. Both of you."
The dark sincerity in Nico's gaze struck a nerve within both Percy and Goku. On a quest as dangerous as this, they hoped that everyone would be able to survive by the end. However, when facing Bojack's men and the Titan General, their chances could easily sway one way over the other.
Goku's past experiences proved that without a shadow of a doubt.
"I promise, Nico. I'll make sure Bianca comes back to you."
"We'll try our best, at least. That I can promise you above all else." Percy added.
Looking slightly relieved, Nico shook each of their hands with hope and raw admiration pooling from his eyes.
"Get going, then! If anyone asks where Percy is, I'll make something up. I'm good at that." He said with a mischievous grin. "Go on!"
Goku then ruffled Nico's mop of black hair and gave him a small salute.
"Thanks, Nico! We'll be back in a week! Take care of yourself until then!"
Afterwards, as the sun began to rise, him and Percy reached Half-Blood Hill together. They saw Camp Half-Blood's white van disappearing down the road, likely containing Annabeth, Grover, Thalia, Zoë, and Bianca inside. The driver was either Argus dropping them off in the city or someone else they weren't aware of.
"Great. I didn't even pack a toothbrush… and now we're expected to catch up with everyone else for this quest."
"Well, on the bright side, at least you'll be able to fly with me."
Goku then pointed up to the sky as Blackjack beat his wings and landed right beside them. His hooves dug into the tufts of grass sticking out from the hill's icy surface.
If I was guessing, boss, I'd say you need a getaway horse. You interested?
Smirking in amusement at the pegasus' almost pinpoint timing, Percy sat atop Blackjack once again and held onto his mane for support.
"Yeah. Let's fly."
The trio then quickly departed from Camp Half-Blood via flight, unaware that a certain god was following close behind them. And he had been watching their every movement for quite some time.
Snow fell from above the Long Island Expressway as Goku, Percy, and Blackjack flew through the clouds and tailed after Camp Half-Blood's van. They would have tried flying lower, but they didn't want to risk causing a massive traffic jam if drivers saw a martial artist and a pegasus soaring through the air in broad daylight. Their reactions likely wouldn't be composed to say the least.
By mid-morning, the three took a break to sit atop the Chrysler Building. Normally, Argus would have pulled into the bus station by now, but this time, the van kept driving without any sign of slowing down.
"Man, that eyeball guy must like driving really fast, huh?" Goku muttered in slight amusement.
Argus ain't driving the one, actually. Blackjack informed. That girl is.
"Which girl? Thalia? Annabeth?"
No, the Hunter girl. With the silver crown thing in her hair.
"Wow. Maybe that's why Zoë was complaining about my driving skills earlier. She knows how to drive herself."
Percy snorted aloud while watching the camp's van jerkily swerve and merge lanes at almost top speed.
"Doesn't seem like she's any good at it, though. She's going full throttle down the highway like a crazy person." He said. "And does she even have a license? She's eternally thirteen-years-old, so how does that work?"
Don't ask me, boss. But hey, look! There's a donut shop. Can we get something to go really quick?
Goku's face suddenly lit up at the slightest mention of donuts.
"That's something I can get behind. I'm starving over here!"
"We can worry about food later, Goku. Right now, we need to focus on catching up with them."
"Aw, man…"
A real killjoy, isn't he?
Spotting the van snaking its way through the Lincoln Tunnel, Percy attempted to leap off the Chrysler Building atop Blackjack, but was stopped in place by multiple grape vines wrapping around their legs. They rapidly sprouted from the cracks between the stones of the building, latching onto Goku's wrists, ankles, and neck in quick succession as well.
"Gah!" The Saiyan grunted as he struggled to move. "Vines? Where did they—"
"Going somewhere?"
Dionysus was levitating in the air with his back pressed against the Chrysler Building's wall. His black hair whipped around in the wind as he glared at Percy and Goku contemptibly. There was a purple aura surrounding his body and leopard-skin track suit that gave off malicious intent, even if Goku couldn't sense it.
God alert! It's the wine dude! Blackjack yelped in a state of panic.
Dionysus let out an audible sigh of exasperation.
"I swear the next person, or horse, who calls me the 'wine dude' will end up in a bottle of Merlot!"
Out of confusion, Goku temporarily forgot the compromising position he was put in. He strained his neck to look over at Percy.
"Um… what's Merlot?"
"Some type of wine, but that doesn't matter!" Percy grunted, trying to remain calm despite the vines wrapped around his legs. "What do you want, Mr. D?"
"Oh, what do I want? You thought that I, the immortal, all-powerful director of camp, would let a troublesome brat like you leave without permission?
"Well… Goku is a counselor now. I technically got his permission to leave in a way."
Purple flames flickered in Dionysus's eyes at this snappy remark.
"Being a counselor is his punishment, boy. He holds no authority equal to mine or any god, regardless of his strength." The wine god snapped. "And by bringing you along on this quest, he's already going against his assigned duties. That is an act I won't stand for… as I made so aptly clear beforehand."
Clenching his teeth irritably, Goku activated his aura and disintegrated the vines keeping him in place. He then glared back at Dionysus with a firm grimace.
"Percy has a right to be on this quest, whether you want to believe it or not, Dionysus. He's only concerned for Annabeth's safety… and he has every right to be." The martial artist then lightly softened his expression. "Can't you understand that? You were a demigod too once, weren't you?"
Dionysus ever-so-slightly flinched, feeling caught off-guard by such a bold claim. With a small flick of his wrist, much larger grapevines burst forth from the Chrysler Building's surface and slammed Goku into the ground with a firm crunch. They tightly coiled around his legs and arms, causing the man to wince in slight discomfort; maybe a little pain too.
"Don't compare me to that brat… or yourself for that matter, Son Goku. Unlike you two, I never claimed to be a hero. I despise your so-called heroics with every fiber of my being." Dionysus glowered angrily. "I need no other reason to hate you than that."
With ever-so-slight exertion, Goku lifted up his head up to bore into Dionysus's eyes.
"What are you talking about?! I never said I was a hero! I just want to save Artemis! I owe it to her!"
The wine god rolled his eyes, not bothering to take the alien warrior's words seriously.
"Oh, I know what you said. Doesn't mean I have to take your word as law. You say you're not a hero, but your past actions and experiences prove otherwise. You claim to fight for your friends and family's sake yet at the end of the day, you'd leave them all behind if it meant improving your own strength or doing what you think is right. After all, weren't you the one who stayed dead for seven years to train while your wife was left to raise two sons on her own? That same wife whom passed away not long after that?"
Dionysus's spiteful words hammered into Goku's deepest insecurities and regrets. He closed his eyes, trying to keep these negative thoughts at bay.
"It wasn't like that! I stayed dead… to protect them… from myself and anyone who might have tried to come after me…"
"Hmph. A likely story," The Olympian god of wine muttered. "Tell me. When you read Aphrodite's mind, did any images of a woman named Ariadne pop up?"
"No. I don't think so…"
"She was a beautiful young princess of Crete. She liked to help her friends, too. And one of those 'friends' included Theseus, whom was also a son of Poseidon like Peter Johnson here. She gave him a ball of yarn that let him find his way out of the Labyrinth. And do you know how a noble hero like Theseus rewarded her?"
Percy struggled against the grapevines, trying to come to Goku's aid and put an end to this madness.
"He married her and they lived happily ever after. What's your point? What does that have to do with what Goku went through?"
"But that's where you'd be wrong. Theseus said he would marry her. He took her aboard his ship and sailed for Athens. Halfway back, on a little island called Naxos, he… What's the word you mortals use today?... he dumped her. And then I found her there. Alone. Heartbroken. Crying her eyes out. She had given up everything, left everything she knew behind, to help a dashing young hero who tossed her away like a broken sandal."
Dionysus then sighed, showing just a smidge of genuine emotion to remember what transpired between him and Ariadne many centuries ago.
"After that, I fell in love with her. I healed her broken heart. And when she died, I made her my immortal wife on Olympus. She waits for me even now. I shall go back to her when I am done with this infernal century of punishment at that ridiculous camp." He kneeled down a bit to regard Goku coldly. "That's the difference between me and you. I never gave up on my wife or took her for granted. You, on the other hand, let the little time you had with Chi-Chi slip through your fingers. And the moment you realized how much you loved her, she was gone. All the while you're desecrating her memory by letting Aphrodite flaunt you around like some trophy… and making promises to another woman you barely know."
Golden energy now began to trickle from every pore of Goku's skin, increasing in size based on his erratic emotional state. He stood up straight, flinging Dionysus's vines off of him with little to no effort.
"You're right. Maybe I didn't love Chi-Chi as much as I should have… at first. I barely knew her before we got married." Goku admitted as he took deep, ragged breaths. "But don't you dare think for a second that I took her for granted! She meant everything to me… and the day she died was the most powerless I've ever felt. Because I failed to save her!"
The wind picked up speed, vividly crackling with golden and purple bolts of electricity as the two men stared each other down.
"So go ahead and hate me, but I won't fail to save someone I care about a second time. Artemis needs me right now… and I won't let anyone, not even another Olympian, get in my way!"
Dionysus couldn't help, but force out a laugh.
"Oh, is that a fact? Ares was first and now I'm next? You've just proven my point then. You're a selfish, ungrateful hero who does and takes whatever they want… all to fulfill your own personal ambitions." The god of wine then abruptly stopped laughing to get into a lax fighting stance. "But if it's a fight you want, then let me indulge you, mortal. Let's put your silly little need to save Artemis to a test, hm?"
Without delay, Dionysus gestured his hand in the direction of Goku's forehead and clenched it into a fist. The Saiyan felt an inexplicable surge of pain shoot up through his brain, causing him to scream and clutch his scalp in sheer agony. It was similar to what Vegeta went through when being controlled by Babidi's magic, but far worse by comparison.
"GYAAAAAAGHHH! MY HEAD! WHAT… WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME!?"
"Goku!" Percy cried. He attempted to come to the man's aid, but Blackjack flew them both toward a safer distance as soon as Dionysus's attention shifted toward Goku alone.
The wine dude's driven him to madness, boss. There's nothing we can do. Especially not when we're nine hundred feet in the air.
Goku's body writhed helplessly, causing him to fall off the Chrysler Building while Dionysus followed via levitation. Every single one of the Saiyan's nerves flared up with intense heat and he had no way to stop it. The worst part, however, was the voices of his friends in Universe 7 blaring throughout his now-broken down mind. Glimpses of their concerned faces and cries of terror materialized one after the other.
First came Gohan, then Goten, Krillin, Bulma, Vegeta, Krillin, and so on. Everyone begged for a reason why Goku left them behind, but no clear answer could be given.
Dad… where'd you go?
Daddy? Did you forget about me?
Goku…
Goku!
KAKAROT!
WE NEEDED YOU, GOKU!
Fresh tears flowed from Goku's eyes as he let out a bloodcurdling scream to drown out these haunting cerebral apparitions. His aura spiked up as soon as this powerful shout shattered various windows built into the Chrysler Building's offices. The slightest hint of an Oozaru's roar reverberated in tandem with this fearsome, yet sorrowful cry.
"ENOUGH! STOP ITTTTT!"
With the effects of Dionysus's Madness Manipulation temporarily put at bay, Goku fell to his knees near the entrance to the Chrysler Building and broke out into a cold, crippling sweat. He coughed and gasped violently, as if he just stopped himself from drowning in water.
Dionysus casually landed in front of him with feigned interest.
"I'm impressed. You handled that better than most mortals would in this situation or… well, any," The wine god bluntly noted. "Consider it as a warning of what I can beyond just being the wine dude…"
Cracking his knuckles, Dionysus then blasted Goku with two powerful streams of purple fire from each palm. They would have burned his skin to a crisp if not for the Saiyan letting out a kiai-induced scream that extinguished them both within seconds.
"HAAAAAAH!"
"Eh? The hell?!"
It was in that moment where Dionysus – much to his chagrin – realized Goku's bloodlust skyrocketed due to the madness inflicted upon him. Now sporting white, pupilless eyes, said Saiyan lunged forward and let loose a relentless onslaught of punches against the wine god's body. He continued dealing heavy blows into Dionysus's sides before topping it off with a devastating haymaker to his chest. The impact of said punch shredded his leopard-skin track suit into tiny pieces and sent him bouncing along the city block like a stone in water. Deep imprints in the pavement were left where his body was flung across.
Groaning in pain, Dionysus shakily picked himself up and spat out a viscous clump of ichor. It was the tattered clothing that annoyed him the most, however. Any other trace of damage would simply regenerate as always.
"That was my favorite outfit, you dumbass! Show a little restraint."
Goku inspected the fist now stained with Dionysus's divine blood and clenched it a bit tighter. He didn't even feel the least bit sorry for that attack, especially now that his sanity was returning little by little.
"That's… That's rich coming from the guy who almost made me lose my damn mind…"
"Tsk. As if you even had much of a mind to lose, mortal."
With another snap of his fingers, Dionysus vanished in a flash of purple light and reappeared right behind Goku. He continued teleporting around Goku's body at rapid speeds, leaving the faint scent of grapes in its wake.
Goku darted his eyes from left to right, keeping up with the speed of Dionysus's teleportation technique, but unable to sense his ki at all. He was no different from Artemis, Ares, or any god in that regard.
There's too many people around. I need to take this fight into the air… and fast…
"Yeah. You make a good point."
Goku shuddered and did a doubletake upon seeing Dionysus casually respond to his internal thoughts.
"Did you just—"
With one powerful stamp of his foot, a figurative geyser of grapevines erupted from where Goku stood and sent him rocketing into the skies above Manhattan. The speed of each vine was so precise that Goku had to perform various spins, barrel rolls, and somersaults while in flight just to evade them.
Dionysus levitated alongside these vines, signaling for them to either whip or ensnare multiple portions of Goku's body. The Saiyan began to struggle a bit as small cuts and wounds stained his pale skin.
"Dammit! Why are you doing this?"
The Olympian god of wine narrowed his fiery purple eyes, materializing an ancient, unusual-looking weapon in his right hand. It was Dionysus's famous thyrsus – a long rod covered with ivy leaves and a brown pinecone on top. Spinning it above his head, he blasted beams of purple light directly at Goku's body that sent him crashing hard into another building. His arms and legs were now completely bound by larger, sturdier vines sprouting from within the damaged skyscraper's walls.
"To put you in your place. You may think you're better or stronger than us gods, but you're really not. You're just a mortal man whose presence makes things worse for everyone involved," Dionysus stood face-to-face with Goku while casually holding the thyrsus along his shoulder. "In fact, those Galaxy Soldier nobodies are likely here, because of you. If you weren't brought here by Aphrodite, Ares wouldn't have been scattered. Artemis would have been safe from harm too… and none of this mess would have transpired. Deny the truth all you want, but you're a pawn in Kronos' schemes no matter what good deeds you seek to accomplish. And you going on this quest is already giving him exactly what he wants… so take a page from my book and accept Camp Half-Blood as your prison. It's for your own good…"
Goku glared daggers at Dionysus, refusing to back down or give up on his promise to save Artemis. The primal Saiyan instincts running through his veins couldn't be kept suppressed for much longer.
"That camp may be a prison to you, but it isn't to me. Those kids, especially Percy, are depending on me to make them stronger. It doesn't make me better than them or anyone else, Dionysus. I just know they have the potential to be as strong as us one day… or even any of the gods for that matter!"
He then took a moment to reflect on the unfortunate events leading up to his arrival here. He couldn't deny the fact that Bojack was likely seeking to fight him and him alone, but Ares' demise was not something he intended to happen. The god of war simply left him no choice, but to use Super Saiyan 2's power against him.
"I admit I could have handled things differently here… and I'm far from perfect, but I'm not like that Theseus guy you told me about either. You need to let go of the past and realize that Thalia, Percy, Annabeth… are different from those types of heroes you claim to despise. The purpose of that camp is to prepare these kids for a brighter future that's better than what happened before… so why can't you see that? Don't you even realize why Zeus used it as a punishment for you too?!"
Dionysus lightly gaped. His divine blood boiled at the audacity to assume that being camp director was some type of learning experience for him. He was far too prideful to listen to such a humiliating idea be spouted as fact.
"SHUT UP!"
The god of wine repeatedly smacked Goku across the face with his thyrsus in anger. With each splatter of the Saiyan's blood, Dionysus' purple aura grew more violent and unstable in nature. The amount of vines encasing Goku's body increased tenfold in terms of size and magnitude to emphasize such a change.
"You think I was some child who needed to be taught a lesson?! Fah! All I did was chase after some dryad my father wanted to sleep with. And now I'm stuck lecturing some brats I couldn't give two shits about… and I can't even drink from my own domain to drown my sorrows away. Just stupid, favorless Diet Coke!" He snarled furiously. "Why should I care about their future? They mean nothing to me. Only mere specks of dust on the grand tapestry of my immortal lifespan. If one of them dies on this quest, it'll just be one less problem for me… and one less hero to watch make a mess of things."
All of a sudden, Percy used his sword, Riptide, to slice through the vines keeping Goku in place. The boy then expertly flew around the area on Blackjack, continuing to slice and dice as many plants as he could.
"Then consider me one of your biggest problems, Mr. D."
"You already were, boy."
With Dionysus distracted by the demigod's antics, Goku quickly ascended into his Super Saiyan form and slammed an elbow directly across the wine god's chin. The wind was knocked right out of said deity's gullet, giving his Saiyan opponent the opportunity to teleport from side to side blasting small ki spheres at his most vital areas.
"If Zeus' punishment isn't enough to teach you a lesson, then I will!"
"And what lesson is that? How to respect young, would-be heroes who are doomed to suffer and fail?! YOU'LL END UP JUST LIKE THEM! LIKE ALL OF THEM!
Generating purple light and fire around his entire body, Dionysus underwent a sudden metamorphosis. Multiple plumes of grapevines burst forth from surrounding buildings and sidewalks, coalescing into a cocoon-like structure that engulfed the Olympian's entire form. Dionysus' body merged completely with each vine, transforming into a gigantic, plant-like version of himself with glowing, fiery purple eyes and dark hair composed of tree branches, which were each tipped with large grapes. Atop his head was a massive crown of thorns and ivy leaves.
Additionally, the tattered remains of his leopard-skin tracksuit were replaced with golden-purple body armor that Dionysus's vines kept securely in position. His thyrsus also grew to accommodate the new Divine Form's size and continued standing by in his right hand for subsequent use.
Blackjack let out a loud, pitiful whine upon seeing the winter skies of New York be tinged with Dionysus' purple essence. He rapidly flapped his wings like a bat out of hell and hid behind the Chrysler Building; mainly feeling concerned for Percy's safety than his own in that moment.
Back away, boss! Mr. D's uber pissed off now!
"I can see that! I don't want to be dusted by that jerk's Divine Form either!"
Goku, unlike them, stood his ground and endured the pressure being exerted by Dionysus's true, divine state. To his surprise, vines with freshly grown strawberries and grapes snaked along the road wherever the Olympian wine god began to move.
"I'm going to enjoy this."
Divine Form Dionysus let out a blinding pulse of energy from his eyes, inducing madness into Goku's mind once again. Unfortunately, this time, the psychological effects were much more potent than before. Goku felt as if a thousand knives were being stabbed into his head and body all at once; coalescing as a psychic inferno that painted his once green eyes a deep, intense purple.
The Super Saiyan ruffled his golden hair and screamed bloody murder, repeatedly smashing his forehead into the pavement to put an end to this suffering. As a result, shockwaves of ki burst forth in response to each blow and flung nearby cars away from their normal parking spots.
"I… I don't care what you do to me. Even if you turn my brain into mush, I'll still go to save Artemis… and protect Zoë in her place! She's depending on me for that!" Goku growled as he bit down on his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. "I WON'T LET HER DOWN!
"Won't let her down? Is that so?" Dionysus' lips curled into a cold, irritable sneer. "Prove it then. PROVE THAT YOU'RE NOT JUST FULL OF EMPTY PROMISES, SON GOKU! PROVE THAT YOU WON'T FALL INTO KRONOS' HANDS TRYING TO SAVE HER! OR SPEND THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE MORTAL LIFE IN A HELL OF YOUR OWN MAKING!"
The wine god took his towering thyrsus and, at speeds far exceeding light itself, hammered it down on Goku's head until he was buried deep beneath the surface area of New York City. He then summoned hundreds upon thousands of grapevines to cave in atop the martial artist's body and keep him trapped underground without any hope of resurfacing.
Goku relentlessly punched, kicked, and elbowed away as many vines as possible, but they just kept coming. They seemingly had a mind of their own and wouldn't stop until the Saiyan was imprisoned within their vegetative grasp.
Once various grapevines succeeded in this endeavor and Goku's whole body was bound together, he lost what little patience remained. A single brief image of Artemis enduring the weight of the heavens was all that Goku needed to completely let loose and quit messing around.
"RAAAAA! I WILL NOT EVER GO BACK ON MY WOOOOOORDDDDDDD!"
Newly engulfed by a perfect mix of blue electricity and golden light, Goku screamed his lungs out while ascending into Super Saiyan 2 midflight. He zig-zagged from one part of the ground to another, eviscerating every single vine in his path like a sentient drill bathed in fire.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAA! HRAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!"
"For gods' sake! You're like an incessant hangover that just won't go away! Stop with the screaming and STAY DOWN ALREADY!"
Goku then shot up into the air, leaving a trail of gold behind as Divine Form Dionysus tailed after him as a shining purple streak. They slammed against each other at breakneck speeds, creating an artificial thunderstorm interspersed with blue and purple lightning bolts respectively. Even stranger was the addition of red wine droplets in place of what would normally be rain with such weather.
Blackjack stuck out his tongue to taste it.
Yup. That's wine from the wine dude, alright. But will Goku's new funky hairdo be enough to keep up with him, boss?
Percy looked up at the sky from afar. The purple light was beginning to fade away, showing that Dionysus wasn't fairing much better than Ares was as an opponent for Goku. He smirked in an almost confident manner.
"It'll be more than enough. This is Goku we're talking about."
Blow after blow continued to be exchanged between Goku and Dionysus without any room to breathe. Red blood met ichor with each forthcoming clash, but as the battle progressed, it was clear who would inevitably prove victorious.
Despite the wine god's best efforts, Super Saiyan 2's speed and strength were far too high for him to handle. He tried to slow him down with his vines, but Goku retaliated by grabbing onto them and pulling Dionysus' massive face straight into his face.
The Saiyan repeated this action for few moments, letting loose ferocious blows into Dionysus's eyes, nose, and mouth like a makeshift paddleball kit.
Shit. This musclehead isn't letting up. He really won't rest until Artemis is found and rescued.
Against his better judgement, it reminded him of those days where he wouldn't rest until Ariadne shared a smile with him and felt truly happy. It was a level of stubbornness, admittedly, both him and Goku shared… especially when it came to appeasing their loved ones.
He began to wonder if a more true test of Goku's character would be to see if he actually pulled off this suicidal quest of his. If he died doing so, that was simply one less thorn in his side for him to deal with.
But if he succeeded, that'd be a much different outcome entirely. He, gods forbid, might even have to admit Goku had a point about this future generation of heroes holding more promise than past demigods or mortals.
It'd be a tough pill to swallow, but in some ways, a necessary one if Goku were adamant in thwarting Kronos' plans for him. This quest could turn out way or the other.
What did that prophecy say again? And one shall hold the future in their hand? Perhaps this mortal wasn't talking nonsense at all then. Maybe he could be—
Dionysus' thoughts were interrupted by Goku uppercutting his chin in one motion and scissor kicking his stomach right afterwards within the blink of an eye. Before the god's eyes could even pop out of their sockets from pain, Goku used Instant Transmission to teleport around him and throw off his concentration.
"You want proof that I'm serious about protecting Artemis? Fine! ME SHUTTING YOU UP IS ALL THE PROOF THAT'S NEEDED, DIONYSUS!"
Smacking Dionysus away with a firm, yet powerful punch to his cheek, Goku quickly held up his right hand and concentrated ki into its palm. Blue and yellow electricity crackled in response before being converted into a large, flattened yellow discus that hummed aloud with raw power. Super Saiyan 2's energy somehow made this technique even deadlier than it would be under normal circumstances.
Blackjack poked out his head to get a brief look at the new attack. He couldn't really comprehend what it was. Neither could Percy since he only saw the Kamehameha Wave and nothing else.
Is that a frisbee? Or a pizza?
"TRIPLE DESTRUCTO DISC!"
Goku flung the first Destructo Disc and followed it up with two more. The first two discs effectively sliced off Dionysus's vined arms while the third bisected his body from his legs. Each of the discs then came back together to create a large, electric explosion that sent blue lightning bolts straight through every pore of Dionysus's divine figure.
Great. I lost to a stupidly named move like that. Just my luck…
Dionysus couldn't even let out a scream or a whimper in response to what happened. He simply collapsed back down onto the surface without another word, laying on his back with a severed torso, no arms, and a pool of his own golden ichor leaking underneath.
With his Divine Form fully expunged, everything – apart from the massive collateral damage left from their fight – returned to normal in New York City. Goku then landed in front of Dionysus to look over his injuries, frowning as the spikier hair of his Super Saiyan 2 form crackled with lingering electricity.
Blackjack and Percy stood behind him to do the same thing, albeit more so out of curiosity than outright concern for the camp director's wellbeing.
"Destructo Disc? Seriously?
Goku raised an eyebrow at the demigod. "Don't look at me. My best friend, Krillin, is the one who came up with the technique. I just borrow it sometimes."
You should tell him to consider naming it Pizza Delivery instead. Oh, or Buzzsaw! That's a good one!
The Saiyan martial artist chuckled, taking a deep breath to descend back to his normal form. "I'll keep that in mind, Blackjack. But Pizza Delivery just makes me hungry."
Eh, do whatever you think is best, boss-man. You've earned my full respect after doing what you just did against the wine dude of all gods!
"You really want to be a nice bottle of Merlot, don't you?"
Blackjack spluttered about in nervousness as he backed away from where Dionysus was laying down. The wine god stood up a bit, inspecting the bloodied nubs where his arms and legs once were.
Percy tried his hardest not to laugh at how silly Dionysus looked in that. Before the demigod could say anything regretful, Goku stood in his place and glared down at the wine god.
"Sorry for resorting to the Destructo Disc, Mr. D. It was the only way to end this fight… before anymore people in this city could be harmed. I'm just glad you didn't end up like Ares did…"
Dionysus scoffed, softening his expression and temper to regard Goku in semi-understanding. He would have looked grateful if not for his usual gruff, indifferent expression concealing it.
"Well, unlike that moron, I know when I'm beaten. This fight wasn't mine to win. I could figure that much from the start," He said in begrudging acceptance. Purple firelight was then reignited in his pupils, melting the snowflakes falling around them. "But don't think defeating me changes my mind about you. I still hold no love or respect for heroes… so if you insist on seeking to be Artemis' savior so badly, go and do it. Only then will you prove your worth to me… and, in turn, prove me wrong about this generation's demigod rugrats."
Percy blinked his eyes in disbelief. That wasn't a statement he ever expected to be uttered from Dionysus's lips.
"You're… just letting us go? Even after everything that happened?
Dionysus clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Yes. Go follow your silly friends. Not that it'll guarantee your survival. Perhaps, I'll get lucky and I won't have to see your face ever again. After all, Goku may have a chance of being different from other heroes, but… whether you live or die, the same cannot be said for you, Son of Poseidon."
Goku grimaced. He could tell the god of wine's cruel words to Percy stung a little. He clasped a hand over the boy's shoulder in support.
"We'll let this quest be the judge of that. I'll be looking out for Percy the entire time. He's not as hopeless as you think."
"Yeah. I suppose we will." Dionysus grumbled in a defiant, yet exhausted tone. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a little catnap to heal from these injuries… and drink ungodly amounts of Diet Coke."
His entire body then magically folded up like a paper display and disappeared with a loud pop. All that remained was a faint smell of grapes that faded just as quickly as it appeared.
That was… intense… Blackjack muttered aloud.
"Tell me about it," Percy agreed.
He then flinched upon seeing the utter devastation left from Goku and Dionysus's battle. The roads were caved in and crumpled to pieces, various cars were completely overturned on their sides, and multiple buildings were left in absolute disarray. Not to mention the fact that traffic was even more backed up than usual, some of which came from innocent civilians running for cover.
"We should probably continue following after Zoë and the others. If we stay here any longer… the police might go on a manhunt to find out what caused this mess. And that might lead to suspicions about where you come from and… yeah, you can guess the rest."
Goku slumped his shoulders. So much for keeping a low profile in this world.
"Don't have to tell me twice."
But first donuts! What better way to celebrate the end of an epic fight than with food?
Goku happily wrapped an arm around Blackjack and stroked his mane in agreement.
"Hehe. Now, you're speaking my language!"
Percy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was hard to believe Goku was practically twice his age.
"Fine, fine. We'll buy some donuts once we get to New Jersey."
"What's a New Jersey? What happened to the old one?"
"Not important right now, Goku…"
The three then flew away from New York City without drawing any more attention to themselves. They all stuck close to the clouds once more, hoping to find out where Camp Half-Blood's van went to next on their upcoming journey.
Goku also hoped to find out what this New Jersey place was like. The same thing applied to other locations they'd more than likely come across in the United States of America.