Percy Jackson - Beyond the Gods

Night was a cloak of darkness punctuated by the distant lights of stars and the headlights of occasional vehicles on the road. The white van continued along the empty path, its engine humming softly like a hypnotic chant. Most of the passengers were asleep, exhausted from the long journey and the biting cold that seemed to seep into everything. The only sound inside the vehicle was the regular rhythm of their breathing, interspersed with the monotonous sound of tires against the asphalt.

Ikki kept his hands firmly on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. He seemed oblivious to the monotony of the night, focused on driving the group safely. His upright posture and the way his fingers curled around the wheel revealed a quiet calm.

While the other passengers slept, Zoë remained awake beside him. She leaned back in the seat, arms crossed and eyes watchful. Although there wasn't a constant exchange of words between them, the tension was palpable. Zoë seemed to distrust Ikki's every move, as if ready to intervene at any moment. He noticed her gaze from the corner of his eye, but didn't immediately say anything.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, he decided to break the ice.

"Did you know that one of the Hesperides helped Heracles complete his quest for the golden apples?" he began, his voice low but clear enough to be heard over the hum of the engine.

He didn't take his eyes off the road as he spoke.

Zoë, who until then seemed completely absorbed in her vigilance, frowned and turned slightly towards him, asking, "What do you know about that?"

Ikki continued, ignoring her defensive tone. "They say this Hesperides gave Heracles tips on how to trick Atlas into retrieving the apples. And, besides that, she gifted him something special… a hairpin, that transformed into a sword. Anaklusmos."

He paused, watching her expression harden. "When her sisters found out, they exiled her. Made her be forgotten, erased as if she never existed."

Zoë remained silent, but her eyes narrowed, and her fingers tightened on her crossed arms. The tension in her body was almost palpable.

Ikki continued, his voice now tinged with sentiment. "I imagine that caused a deep wound. The Hesperides were your family, and suddenly they rejected you. And to top it all off, Heracles…" He let out a short, bitter laugh. "Heracles gave her no credit. Just abandoned her to her fate, as if her help meant nothing. When I think about it, it's like I understand why you hated him so much."

Zoë turned her head towards him, her eyes wide with shock. It was as if Ikki's words had struck a vulnerable spot, a memory she preferred to keep buried. "How do you know about that? Did Milady tell you..?" Her voice was almost a whisper, filled with disbelief and something more that she couldn't quite conceal.

Ikki briefly glanced away from the road to meet her gaze, a small, ironic smile playing on his lips. "I dreamed about it when I was little. I always knew it was you, ever since I saw you at the hunters' camp when I would visit Artemis." He shrugged, as if that explained everything.

Ikki continued, ignoring her gaze for a moment. "When I found out about what he did to you, to the Hesperides… that marked me. He treated you like something disposable, as if your help had no value. You trusted him, and he not only betrayed that trust, but also caused your downfall. That stayed with me for a long time."

Zoë opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come. She felt her heart racing, a wave of conflicting emotions rising in her chest.

"You didn't need to do that." She murmured, her voice almost inaudible.

Ikki let out a short, humorless laugh. "I know. But I wanted to, although I also had other reasons, that was part of them."

He finally looked at her, his eyes filled with a disarming sincerity. "Because no one deserves to be erased or betrayed by those who should protect them. I didn't do it for you, Zoë. I did it because it was the right thing to do."

His words pierced the defenses Zoë had erected so long ago. She felt a mixture of shame and gratitude, an almost overwhelming sensation. It was hard to believe that someone, let alone a boy she had so readily judged, would have done so much for her without expecting anything in return.

He knew about her past.

She had always thought that he had killed Heracles for fame, perhaps? At the time, she had been happy and relieved when she heard about it, but after what he did to her lady, seeing Artemis cry at night almost every time she was alone made Zoë believe that the boy was no good and that he had killed Heracles for his own petty reasons.

There was something profoundly sentimental in the conversation. It wasn't just about Heracles, or about the past. It was about Ikki, about the kind of person he was. He had flaws, like everyone else, but there was something about him that disarmed her, something that seemed genuine and strong, even in his vulnerability.

"You're… different." She finally said, her voice trembling slightly. "And I think I didn't realize that before."

Ikki turned his attention back to the road, a small, ironic smile playing on his lips. "Maybe it's because I'm not good at showing it. But thanks, I guess."

"As for the matter with Artemis, before, I didn't quite know how to face it. That's why I ended up saying that. But know that I never did the kind of harm you think I did to the Goddess…"

"If there's one thing my mother taught me," he continued, turning his attention back to the road, "it's to treat women with respect. Never disrespect a woman, never belittle her. I always treated Artemis kindly because it was the right thing to do, even knowing that she's… well, she is who she is."

There was a brief silence before Ikki let out a dry chuckle. "But I guess I was naive. I always wanted to believe that kindness could open paths where force couldn't. And here I am, the fool who fell in love with a goddess who could never reciprocate."

He didn't remember his past life anymore, only bits and pieces, but he knew he hadn't been as optimistic as he was in this life. His mother was the source of that optimistic light, and now that she was gone, he was still trying to get back to normal.

He decided to break the ice with Zoë because of this; he no longer wanted to live as someone consumed by the pain of loss. He was trying to move on.

Wasn't that why he returned to camp?

He had spent a year obsessed with finding a way to revive his mother, and he had found one. Even if it took years, he would still succeed. Now it was time to face things head-on.

Zoë remained silent for a long moment. She looked at him with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and something that might have been compassion. Perhaps it was the fact that he didn't seem to be trying to justify his mistakes, but simply sharing a part of himself that he knew was painful.

The rest of the journey was silent, but not the uncomfortable kind. It was a silence filled with unspoken thoughts, emotions that lingered on the edge of words. Ikki continued driving, steady and calm, while Zoë remained by his side, perhaps for the first time not scrutinizing his every move. She leaned her head against the window and let sleep come; she knew she needed to be rested to save Artemis.

The early morning hours passed like a blur, and slowly, the dark sky began to be painted with shades of pink and orange. The first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, bathing the road in a golden light. The van slowed as Ikki kept his hands firmly on the steering wheel, crossing the Potomac River towards the heart of Washington, D.C.

Thalia was the first to wake. Still drowsy, she blinked several times to adjust to the increasing light before realizing that Ikki was still perfectly alert, without any sign of fatigue from driving all night.

That was strange, even for a demigod.

He didn't even seem human sometimes.

She nudged Grover beside her, who mumbled something unintelligible as he stretched. But when he noticed where they were, he gave a small jump of surprise, accidentally waking the two Hunters who were sleeping in the back seats and Zoë, who was dozing in the passenger seat.

"You stupid satyr," Phoebe mumbled, her eyes still half-closed, while Atalanta simply shook her head, slightly annoyed at being woken up.

Grover muttered hurried apologies, adjusting his small horns within his beanie with a nervous gesture.

Zoë, who seemed to have fully awakened at the sound of the commotion, straightened up in her seat and looked at Ikki as she asked, "Where exactly are we going?"

Ikki remained calm, his voice low and controlled as he replied, "National Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian."

Thalia raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "The Smithsonian? And why exactly do you think we should go there?"

Without taking his eyes off the road, Ikki shrugged slightly. "I sensed something. Some ancient magic in that place."

Thalia crossed her arms, frowning. "You? Sense magic? Since when does a son of Zeus have that ability?"

Ikki gave her a brief sideways glance, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I'm made differently, milady..."

The answer didn't entirely satisfy the daughter of Zeus, but she didn't press the matter. Instead, she leaned back in her seat.

The van finally reached the busy streets of Washington, D.C., with its wide avenues and imposing buildings. The morning rush hour was starting to gain momentum, and the first car horns were already filling the air. Ahead, the National Air and Space Museum loomed, a modern and imposing structure that seemed to gleam under the rising sunlight.

Ikki parked the van in a nearby spot, turning off the engine with a firm gesture. He took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for what was to come. "We're here."

The group began to exit the van. Ikki had parked close by, so they didn't have to walk far before stopping in front of a large building that read NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM.

The Smithsonian!

Thalia checked the door. It was open, but not many people were entering. Too cold, and it was outside the school period.

They slipped inside.

…

..

.

As the group proceeded inside the museum after getting out of the van, the atmosphere seemed to carry an invisible weight. The silence among them was almost palpable, broken only by the muffled sound of footsteps echoing through the vast, empty galleries. Each of them carried a tension within, as if they sensed that something important was about to happen.

Across the street, a man watched them from the shadows. His eyes narrowed in a mixture of concentration and curiosity. After observing them disappear inside the National Air and Space Museum, he pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and crossed the street with determined steps, ascending the steps of the Natural History Museum. At the entrance, a large sign displayed the words in bold letters: CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT.

The man barely glanced at the sign. He pushed open the main doors, entering a gigantic chamber illuminated by a dim light that reflected off the skeletons of dinosaurs and mastodons. The atmosphere was surreal, with the enormous fossils casting shadows that seemed to move in the corner of one's eye. He continued forward, his footsteps echoing as he advanced towards a series of closed doors from which muffled murmurs emanated.

Two mortal guards stood beside the entrance, their cold, impassive gazes fixed on the man. Without exchanging a word, they opened the doors for him and closed them once he had passed.

The room he entered was even more imposing. An immense circular space, with a balcony encircling the second floor. The vaulted ceiling was covered in a mosaic of constellations, as if the night sky were above them. A dozen mortal guards occupied the balcony, their trained eyes scanning every movement below. But it wasn't them that drew the most attention.

At the base of the room, beside a dark wooden table, stood two monsters. Reptilian women with human torsos and waists that transformed into long, scaly serpent tails. The dracaenae of Scythia hissed softly, as if conversing with each other in an unintelligible language. Their white fangs gleamed as they opened their mouths in sinister smiles.

Between them, Luke Castellan, the son of Hermes, stood, visible thanks to the magical projection the Titans were using. His appearance was terrible. Pale skin contrasted with the glint in his eyes, which still carried the same incandescent rage as before. His blond hair, once golden like the sun, was now lifeless, tinged with a sickly gray. The scar on his face, left by a dragon, seemed uglier and more painful than ever, as if it had been reopened and bled beneath the surface of his skin.

Beside him, partially concealed by the shadows cast by the imposing columns, was the General. Seated in an ornate chair with golden details, which looked more like a throne, he was an imposing figure. His hands rested on the sculpted arms of the seat, his long, calloused fingers tapping rhythmically.

"Well?" The General's voice echoed through the room. It wasn't shrill like Kronos', but there was something primal and ancient about it, like the sound of clashing stones in a landslide.

The man who had entered removed his sunglasses and gave a stiff bow before speaking, his voice trembling. "They're here, General."

"I know that, you fool; why do you think we placed magic on the museum? To lure them." The General replied disdainfully. "What I'm asking is where exactly are they now?"

"In the rocket museum," the man replied hesitantly.

"The Air and Space Museum," Luke corrected with an irritated tone, crossing his arms impatiently.

The General cast a firm look at Luke, who lowered his eyes, silent. "As you prefer," he said, turning his attention back to the informant. "How many?"

The man faltered for an instant, as if struggling against the urge to answer.

"How many?" the General repeated, his voice a contained thunder.

"Six, General," the man finally said. "One satyr, Grover Underwood. A girl with spiky black hair and a… peculiar shield."

"Thalia," Luke murmured, softly, yet audible enough for everyone in the hall.

"And three Hunters," the informant continued. "One of them wears a silver tiara."

The General clenched his fists on the throne, growling low. "That one I know."

The room grew still for a moment, the silence heavy with unspoken tension. Finally, the General asked, his voice cutting through the air like a blade:

"And the last one?"

The spy hesitated, swallowing hard before answering:

"Ikki Phoenix, sir. The son of Zeus."

The silence that followed was absolute. The mere mention of Ikki's name seemed to erase all other sounds from the room.

Luke paled even further, as if that were possible. When the name "Ikki Phoenix" was mentioned, his mind was flooded with horrific memories, as dark as Tartarus where he had been cast by the very foolish act that now haunted him. He recalled the moment when, in a gesture of arrogance and to send a message to the son of Zeus, he had murdered Ikki's mother. Kronos, with his poisoned words, had encouraged that cruel act, promising that it would strengthen the resolve of the rebellious demigod and his army.

But the consequences were devastating. Ikki didn't react as expected.

In the months that followed, reports trickled in, each one more terrifying than the last. The son of Zeus had begun a relentless hunt. Luke heard whispers from the army of monsters and allies who had once sworn loyalty to him. They spoke with absolute dread about how Ikki hunted them down and defeated them without mercy. Attempts to ambush him ended in massacres. Entire troops were reduced to nothing, their forces destroyed before they could even send messages for help.

Kronos, foreseeing the worst, used all his knowledge and power to hide Luke. He forged hiding places, covered his tracks, and at times, luck favored him, preventing Ikki from finding him. During that period, Luke lived like a rat, fleeing from place to place, fearing that every shadow contained the son of Zeus.

The humiliation burned as much as the fear. Luke was no longer the confident leader who inspired followers. He had become a tormented man, hunted by his own arrogance—even his act of seeking the Golden Fleece was due to the lack of reports about Ikki. He seemed to have vanished, and Luke seized that opportunity.

Freeing the General from his prison, a meticulous plan by Kronos to buy time for his ascension and try to get rid of one of the most problematic goddesses in his plans, had been done due to the lack of news about the boy, but apparently, he had returned! Did Silena forget to give him that information? That wench…

The General noticed Luke's discomfort and looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and contempt. He had heard stories about Ikki, the legendary demigod who had defeated Heracles and Ares, descended into the Underworld and returned. While he recognized the name, he seemed skeptical. The stories sounded like impossible exaggerations for a mere mortal.

"Ikki Phoenix…" he repeated, the name rolling off his tongue like a curse. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. "So, the son of Zeus has finally appeared. They say he's a living legend, but… legends tend to be exaggerated."

He stood up, towering imposingly. He was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and dark hair slicked back. He wore an expensive brown silk suit like the Wall Street boys wore, but you'd never mistake this man for a stockbroker. He had a rugged face, broad shoulders, and hands that could snap a telephone pole in half. His eyes were like stone. It was like looking at a living statue.

It was unbelievable he could even move.

Luke clenched his fists, but maintained his composure. He knew that any reaction could be seen as weakness before the General. "Ikki is not an exaggeration," he said, his voice strained. "He… he almost destroyed everything we worked for before. We cannot underestimate him."

The General gave a dry laugh, which echoed through the room like distant thunder. "Underestimate him? I underestimate no one, Castellan. But tell me: do you fear this boy more than you fear me?"

Luke hesitated, but the scar on his face seemed to throb as a constant reminder of his past. He looked away. "No, General."

"Good." The General began to pace in circles, his boots echoing on the marble floor. "If he is all they say, it will be an excellent opportunity to test the strength of our monsters… and our allies. We will proceed with the plan…"

"Now, my boy," the General turned to Luke, a cold smile playing on his lips. "The first thing we must do is isolate the half-blood Thalia. The monster we seek will come to her."

Luke frowned, his eyes fixed on the General's figure, his mind filled with doubts. "Not to mention Ikki, who is already our biggest problem, the Hunters will be difficult to deceive," he said, trying to anticipate any possible flaw. "Zoe Nightshade—"

"Don't speak her name!" the General interrupted, his voice cutting like a sharpened blade. Luke swallowed hard, fear evident in his eyes.

"S-sorry, General. I just—" Luke tried to explain himself, but the General silenced him with an impatient wave of his hand, his long, thin fingers gesturing in the air.

"Let me show you, my boy, how we will defeat the Hunters." The General pointed to a guard on the ground floor, his voice now laden with authority. "Do you have the teeth?"

The guard, hesitant, stumbled towards the General, nervously clutching a small ceramic pot. "Yes, General!"

"Plant them," the General ordered, with a chilling calm, as if he were giving instructions for a simple task.

In the center of the room, in what appeared to be a large circle of earth – which was probably supposed to be a dinosaur exhibit – the guard began to remove the sharp, ivory-white teeth and carefully bury them in the soil. Each movement was meticulous, as if he feared failure. When he finished, he patted the earth with the palm of his hand, pressing it firmly.

"Done, General!" the guard said, taking a step back.

"Excellent!" The General smiled calculatingly, his eyes gleaming with pleasure at the anticipation. "Now, water them, and let's see how they make their prey."

The guard picked up a small metal watering can, with daisies delicately painted on its sides. What was a peculiar touch became bizarre when the watering can's contents revealed themselves to be not water, but a dark red liquid that seemed to shimmer almost supernaturally. A strange sensation ran down Luke's spine, as if it were more than just an ordinary substance.

The soil began to bubble, vibrating as if alive.

"Soon," the General said, his smile widening as he watched the ground churn. "I'll show you, Luke, soldiers that will make your little boat army look like a joke."

Luke clenched his fists, frustration evident on his face. "I spent a year training my forces! When the Princess Andromeda arrives at the mountain, they'll be the best—"

"Ha," the General laughed disdainfully. "I won't deny that your troops will be useful. They'll serve as a good honor guard for Lord Kronos. And you, no doubt, will have a role to play, but under my leadership, Kronos' forces will be multiplied a hundredfold. No one will be able to stop us. Behold my ultimate killing machines."

It was at this moment that the soil exploded.

From each spot where a tooth had been buried, a creature emerged, thrashing violently against the earth as if it were being dragged out of a grave. The first of them rose with difficulty, a misshapen mass of flesh and bone, until finally its form was recognizable.

"Meow?" said a high-pitched, almost childish voice.

It was a kitten, small and tabby, with bright orange stripes, more resembling a miniature tiger than a common housecat. As the cat stood up, others began to appear beside it, until there were a dozen, rolling and playing erratically in the mud, as if in a state of blissful innocence.

Everyone in the room froze, staring at the scene in disbelief. The General, however, roared furiously. "What is *this*? Fluffy kittens? Where did you find those teeth?"

The guard who had brought the teeth recoiled, visibly terrified. "From the exhibit, sir! As you commanded… The saber-toothed tiger's teeth—"

"No, you idiot!" the General shouted, spitting venomous words. "I said Tyrannosaurus! Tyrannosaurus! Gather these… these infernal furry beasts and take them outside. And never show your face to me again!"

The guard dropped the watering can, scooped up the kittens hurriedly, and darted out of the room, the General's face contorted in rage.

"You." The General pointed to another guard, his voice icy. "Get me the right teeth. NOW!"

The guard ran off without hesitation, leaving a trail of tension in the air. The General muttered under his breath, irritated but with a perverse smile still present on his face.

"Imbeciles," he said, rage coloring his voice.

"That's why I don't use mortals," Luke said, his eyes devoid of confidence. "They're unreliable."

"They're weak-minded, easily bought, and violent," the General replied with a cruel smile. "I love them."

After the tense moment, the guard returned, hurried, his hands full of large, pointed teeth, like the sharpened fangs of a dragon.

"Excellent," the General said, his voice softer now, as if he had regained control. He nimbly climbed onto the balcony railing and jumped, landing six meters below with a thud. The marble floor cracked beneath his leather shoes, and the General winced slightly, a grimace of pain crossing his face.

"Damn stiff neck," he muttered, massaging his neck.

"Another hot pack, sir? More Tylenol?" one of the guards asked, trying to be helpful.

"No! It'll pass," the General replied, ignoring the guard as he composed himself. He adjusted his impeccable silk suit and, with a satisfied smirk, took the teeth.

"I should do this myself." He looked at the teeth with a malicious glint in his eyes. "Dinosaur teeth—ha! These mortal fools don't even know they possess dragon teeth. And not just any dragon teeth. These are from ancient Sybaris itself! They should serve nicely."

He planted the teeth in the earth, twelve in total, with meticulous precision. Then, he poured the red liquid onto the soil, tossing the watering can aside with an impatient movement. He raised his arms, as if invoking something ancient and powerful.

"Rise!" he shouted.

The ground churned violently, as if a primordial force were taking hold of the earth. A single skeletal hand emerged from the mud, clawing at the air with supernatural strength. The General glanced up at the balcony and smiled, satisfied.

"Quickly! Do you have the scent?" he called to one of the snake-women.

"Yessss, lord," she replied, her voice hissing. She held a strip of silver fabric, the kind the Hunters wore, a malicious glint in her eyes.

"Excellent," the General said, his expression softening. "Now, once my warriors catch the scent, they will pursue its owner relentlessly. No force can stop them, no weapon known to half-blood or Hunter. They will tear the Hunters and their allies to shreds. Throw it here!"

The moment he spoke, skeletons emerged from the ground with terrifying force. There were twelve of them, one for each tooth planted, and they weren't like the typical Halloween skeletons or the grotesque ones from over-the-top movies. These were growing flesh before their eyes, transforming into men, but they weren't ordinary humans. Their bodies had a faded grey hue, the flesh seemed translucent, and their bones shimmered beneath, like X-ray images. Their eyes glowed a somber yellow, and they wore modern clothing—tight gray shirts, army pants, and combat boots.

If you didn't look closely, you might even believe they were human. But their nature was anything but.

"Go, my soldiers!" the General said with a smirk.

Having finished all of this, the General and Luke vanished from the magical projection. Leaving the guards and the spy with the monsters, they quickly put the plan into action—which, besides taking the items on display to form an army, was also to lure the hunters and Thalia there, knowing they had left for the mission thanks to his spy at Camp Half-Blood.