Percy Jackson - Beyond the Gods

The Hoover Dam stood imposingly in the Colorado River gorge, a gigantic concrete fortress that seemed to defy time and nature. The midday sun reflected off its colossal structure, casting long shadows on the deep blue waters of Lake Mead. The dry desert wind swept the area, carrying with it the smell of hot stone and the static electricity generated by the turbines below. On the horizon, the arid mountains of Nevada and Arizona created an impressive backdrop, a reminder of the brute force of human engineering in the face of the wild vastness of the desert.

Ikki walked ahead of the group, his steps firm, but his attention always divided between the environment and the energy around him. He could feel the presences in the region through his heightened senses, but none of them seemed to be an immediate threat.

The mercenaries pursuing them were nearby, but his "network of false presences" had completely fooled them, diverting them to another location. A certain plan formed upon hearing the whir of helicopter blades, a sound clear even from dozens of kilometers away.

The group proceeded to the visitor center's snack bar, a simple but welcoming building with large windows that offered a panoramic view of the dam. Inside, the smell of fresh coffee and fried food hung in the air, mingling with the murmur of conversing tourists and employees. The atmosphere was clean and organized, with information panels on the walls recounting the history of the dam's construction and its importance to the region. A television in the corner broadcast local news, but no one in the group paid much attention.

Ikki approached the counter and looked at the attendant, who seemed slightly surprised by the group's unusual appearance—six young people traveling together, with tired but alert expressions, except for the young man who led them.

"I'll place the orders," he announced, having already spoken to the group to find out what they wanted to eat before entering.

The attendant picked up her notepad and looked at him expectantly.

"A double cheeseburger with fries," Ikki began. "A large soda for me."

He looked at the others and pointed.

"That girl over there, Thalia, wants a ham and cheese sandwich, with fries too. Grover wants a large order of fries and a strawberry milkshake."

"Zoë, a simple salad with steak. Phoebe, a hot soup. Atalanta… Grilled chicken with rice," Ikki concluded, handing the order to the attendant, who quickly typed it into the system. "And can it be quick?"

The woman simply nodded before heading to the kitchen.

The group settled at a table near the window, overlooking the dam. The sun shone intensely outside, creating a dazzling effect on the light gray concrete. The wind howled against the windowpanes, a reminder of the aridity and vastness around them.

The drinks were the first to arrive for everyone in the group. After quenching their thirst, they began to discuss the next step.

"So... what's the plan now? Mr. Leader?" Thalia asked, arms crossed on the table as she looked at Ikki.

He took a sip of water before answering. "We need fast transportation. We can't continue on foot."

"You already have something in mind, don't you?" Zoë asked, narrowing her eyes.

Ikki nodded.

"A helicopter."

Silence fell over the table. Grover stopped drinking his milkshake for a moment, surprised. Thalia stiffened, and Zoë frowned, while Atalanta and Phoebe just raised an eyebrow at his crazy statement.

"A helicopter?" Thalia repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Ikki kept his gaze fixed on her.

"Yes, before we entered the snack bar, I saw one flying a little distance away. We can take it and leave quickly," he lied with a certain naturalness.

"How are we going to get a helicopter that's flying in the air…" Thalia countered, her tone more tense.

Ikki didn't look away. He knew her fear, but he also knew that she wasn't the type to run from challenges.

"Leave it to me. I just wanted to ask your opinion. Relax, with me here, nothing bad will happen," he said, his voice firm, but without arrogance. Just confidence.

Thalia held her breath for a moment. The memory of all the times he had placed himself between her and danger came to mind, and, despite the irrational fear she felt at the thought of flying, she found a sliver of courage in that exchange of glances.

"Okay," she said, almost defiantly, as if trying to convince herself. "Let's do it."

Ikki nodded, satisfied.

The others also gave their opinions.

"Now, a question," Zoë said, leaning forward. "How exactly do you know how to pilot a helicopter?"

Ikki smiled faintly.

"Long story. But let's just say, when you spend a year traveling the world, you end up learning a few things along the way."

The first time he laid hands on the controls of a helicopter was by pure accident.

It had been months ago, during his desperate search for a way to revive his mother. At that time, he had already crossed continents. And that's how he ended up in Mexico, investigating a possible relic of power in an ancient Aztec temple related to Mictlan—and, somehow, a simple teleport caused him to emerge in the middle of a military base in the north of the country.

Alarms blared the instant he appeared. Soldiers shouted in Spanish, weapons were raised, and before Ikki could even say "sorry," they opened fire on him.

Bullets whizzed through the air, ricocheting off the floor and walls, but none hit him. He moved before anyone could notice, dodging with superhuman ease, advancing among the soldiers like a shadow. In less than a second, the entire platoon was unconscious around him.

Silence. Only the echo of the shots fading into the distance.

That's when he saw the helicopter. A military model, parked on the base's helipad, ready to take off on some mission.

Seized by an impulse to do something he had only seen in action movies he watched with his mother, he ran to the aircraft, climbed into the cockpit, and settled into the pilot's seat.

The controls were a mystery. A jumble of buttons, levers, and pedals that made no sense to him. But, beside him, there was an instruction manual.

He opened it. He read.

And, as always, absorbed everything in a matter of seconds.

That's how he learned to fly a helicopter.

The engine roared, the rotors spun, and he lifted into the air, leaving the military base behind as the soldiers regained consciousness, too late to stop him.

The huntress's skeptical gaze didn't disappear, but before she could press him further, the attendant returned with their plates, placing them on the table.

"Eat while you can," Ikki said, picking up his burger. "We'll need energy for what's next."

As the group began to eat and chat a bit about the details of the plan, time passed.

The group finished eating in silence, each lost in their own thoughts as the conversations and soft music of the snack bar filled the air. The food was good, but it was clear they were more interested in what they would do next. The dam still stretched out before them, but time was passing too quickly for them to just stay there.

Ikki was the first to stand, adjusting his jacket as he looked at the group as if checking if they were ready for the next step. He didn't need anything else here, just a way out. And he knew how to get it.

As he approached the counter to pay, he gave a confident smile to the attendant, a smile that seemed more like a trick than a genuine gesture. Her gaze followed him as he handed over the "money," but what she didn't know was that it wasn't real.

Ikki concentrated, his power activating like a whisper in the shadows. Using his [Presence Manipulation] ability, he altered the perception of the paper napkins. Suddenly, what were simple pieces of paper transformed into the image of dollar bills, perfectly convincing to everyone's eyes. He took enough to cover the bill and left the change, all still within the limits of a simple illusion. The woman at the cash register didn't notice anything, smiling back as he made the payment and took the small bag with the coins.

"Thank you," he said, his tone calm, and then, before another word could be exchanged, he turned towards the door.

The group followed him, but with a certain skepticism still lingering in the air. Each one knew he had plans, but what would he do next? Ikki never seemed to do things the simplest way. When they reached a secluded spot, they grouped together silently, all observing the movement around them.

Ikki then, with a fluid and almost imperceptible movement, jumped.

It was a quick movement, so sudden that the rest of the group barely had time to react.

Ikki didn't just jump; he projected himself upwards, as if launched by an invisible force, his feet leaving the ground with supernatural grace. With a glint in his eyes and a calm expression, he shot towards the horizon.

The distance between him and the group increased rapidly, but what was even more impressive was the speed with which he moved away. The sky seemed to be his limit, with each leap he seemed to surpass time itself, as if he were above the normal limitations of human beings.

The others stood still, watching perplexed, mouths agape and eyes wide. Atalanta, who was used to impressive feats, looked at the sky with an expression that mixed fascination and astonishment. Phoebe didn't look any different, her eyes shining as she whispered:

"He... he can really do that?"

Thalia didn't answer, but the way she clenched her fists and glanced at Ikki said it all.

He was a box of surprises, but after what he did with Talos, this wasn't so ridiculous.

A few minutes later, the group began to hear a distant sound, and then something appeared on the horizon.

The helicopter appeared on the horizon, cutting through the sky with its rapidly spinning rotors. The machine was large, with the camouflage paint typical of military aircraft.

The sound of the rotors slicing through the air intensified as the helicopter approached, the imposing and robust machine descending with precision. The wind swirled, lifting dust and dry leaves as it hovered in the sky, a dark and powerful shadow moving towards the group.

The helicopter, with its military camouflage and solid structure, was a giant compared to civilian vehicles. The cockpit was reinforced, with the rotors moving at a speed that seemed capable of cutting anything in its path.

Zoë, with her arms crossed, watched with a mixture of skepticism and admiration. She knew Ikki and his abilities, but she never imagined he would be able to steal a helicopter and pilot it with such ease. Grover, on the other hand, was dumbfounded, his eyes wide as saucers, as he watched the scene with a touch of awe.

When the helicopter touched down with a thud, raising a small cloud of dust around them, the sound of the rotors began to diminish. The engine slowed to a gentle hum as the cockpit door opened. Ikki, with a relaxed expression, looked at the group, his smile slightly sarcastic.

"Well, now we're ready to go," he said with impressive calmness.

Zoë, Atalanta, Phoebe, Thalia, and Grover exchanged glances, all still processing what had just happened. Ikki had done the impossible again, controlling a war machine with an ease that bordered on the supernatural. Things really were different when he was around.

Thalia was the first to approach, her gaze curious, mixed with slight apprehension. "You... learned to fly that in how long?"

She asked, a tone of disbelief still present in her voice.

"Oh, it wasn't too difficult," Ikki replied with a wry smile. "I had a good practical lesson the last time I was in a place with these things. A manual and a bit of... practice."

He shrugged as if he were talking about something trivial.

"Now, who's going first?"

After looking at each other, they gathered the courage to climb into the metal machine.

The group boarded the helicopter one by one. Thalia was the first, followed quickly by Grover, Zoë, Phoebe, and lastly Atalanta, who looked at the sky before entering. Each took their seat, the noise of the rotors becoming more intense as the helicopter prepared for takeoff.

Ikki was in command, his skilled fingers handling the controls with impressive ease. He looked at each of his friends, giving them a silent look of confirmation before turning the ignition key and starting the engines. The roar of the blades cutting through the air was almost deafening, but the feeling of acceleration made everyone's heart beat faster.

The helicopter made its first upward thrust. The ground below them grew increasingly distant, and the tourists in the area began to notice what was happening. Some pointed at the sky, others simply stood paralyzed, unable to believe what they were seeing. It was a sight difficult to ignore: a helicopter taking off from a place where it shouldn't be, carrying a group of young people and a pilot who seemed to be much more than what the eye could see.

Grover turned to the window and watched the tourists, who were now staring wide-eyed at the helicopter ascending into the sky.

"Well, this definitely isn't going unnoticed," he commented, still with a nervous smile.

Ikki kept his eyes fixed on the horizon, unconcerned with the curious stares. He quickly used his [Presence Manipulation] to avoid the attention he would receive.

"It doesn't matter," he replied calmly. "We have to move on."

Unlike the three who were talking about it, Atalanta and Phoebe were just enjoying the ride.

Meanwhile, Thalia wasn't...

Thalia felt her stomach clench. The air seemed thin up there, and the sight of everything becoming so small below her didn't make her heart beat any calmer. She tried to ignore her nervousness, but the feeling of being so far from the ground made her eyes close for a moment. She knew her fear of heights always bothered her, but what she didn't expect was for the sensation to be so oppressive.

However, before she could get lost in her thoughts, a gentle and almost imperceptible presence touched her mind, a feeling of calm that spread through her body. She felt a lightness in her chest, as if the pressure of fear had lessened somewhat. Thalia opened her eyes, looking around, trying to understand what had changed. She discovered that as soon as she laid eyes on Ikki, this feeling became stronger and she calmed down.

"Are you alright?" Sensing her gaze, Ikki asked calmly, still keeping his eyes on the horizon, as if he hadn't done anything but control the helicopter. But the truth was that he had used his [Presence Manipulation] to place a "Fragment" of presence similar to Hestia's, the calmest person he knew, on Thalia.

Thalia took a deep breath, feeling the fear subside. She looked at him, a little surprised, but also relieved. "Yes," she said, forcing a smile. "Now... now it's better."

Zoë, who was watching the scene with an attentive gaze, didn't say anything, but she noticed the silent exchange between them. She knew Ikki had his ways of dealing with situations, and now, she saw another facet of his power — something that wasn't limited to just battles, but could be used to calm and reassure when needed.

Grover, who was next to Atalanta, looked at Thalia, noticing that she seemed more relaxed.

"That's impressive," he commented, chuckling softly. "I thought she was going to scream the whole time."

Thalia lightly punched Grover's arm, a soft smile on her face. "Don't get used to it. This still isn't my favorite place."

But even so, she seemed more at ease. The helicopter continued its flight, now higher, and the group, despite the improbable circumstances, felt a little safer.