Percy Jackson - Beyond the Gods

The sky, covered with gray clouds, created a monochromatic scene.

The snow fell gently onto the whitened earth.

The sound of the wind blowing the snowflakes harmonized with the surroundings.

Percy looked at the young man standing before him. Despite the obvious changes in his appearance, he could still recognize him; it was his best friend who had vanished for over a year...

His expression became hard to describe, overwhelmed with emotions that were difficult to contain.

"Ikki..." He swallowed hard. There was so much he wanted to say, but the emotions flowing in his chest bottled up his words.

After over a year, all he wanted was to see his best friend completely well, and his wish had finally been granted...

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're emotional about seeing me?" Ikki said with a slight smile as he took a few steps toward Percy, stopping in front of him. Extending his hand to help him up, Percy accepted and stood up in front of him.

After getting up and recovering a little from the barrage of emotions in his chest, Percy gave him a tight, firm hug. When they separated, he asked,

"What happened? Why did you disappear for so long? Where have you been all this time? Why didn't you send a message?" He paused to catch his breath. Then, he added, "I was worried about you, airhead, I almost considered the worst..."

He felt that he wasn't exactly very good with emotions, his ADHD had some blame in that, sometimes he couldn't focus on a momentary emotion, always getting distracted by something else. He ended up being insensitive at times due to getting distracted during the thought "to put himself in the other's shoes"...

Although it was very bad, this had helped him a lot during the first year as a half-blood when his mother was kidnapped by his uncle. Through distraction, he was able to move forward, and it helped in the past months to avoid thinking too much about his best friend. Although he had tried to distract himself with other things to avoid running away from the camp and going after the son of Zeus, he still missed his company and leadership, often catching himself thinking about what he would do in certain situations.

He admired the guy in front of him as an older brother since they were just two kids who happened to meet at daycare and became inseparable best friends over the following years...

After finally releasing everything – or almost everything – that had been loudly on his mind, Percy clenched his fists tightly, grabbing his best friend's shoulders.

"It's complicated, I'll explain later," Ikki said indifferently, "I'm glad to see you well, seaweed brain..."

They were interrupted...

"Ikki!" A golden figure threw herself into the boy's arms, interrupting their reunion.

Ikki caught Annabeth in his arms, feeling her squeeze him tightly, her tears running down her face. His expression remained unreadable, and he said, "Hello to you too, Anne..."

"Oh gods, Ikki. Do you know how worried I was? Why didn't you send a message? Chiron and the others didn't know where you had gotten to!"

As she asked, she hugged him tighter and buried her face in his chest.

"Hey, calm down... One question at a time..."

"Ikki... You... Where were you all this time? I couldn't even form an empathic bond with you like I did with Percy..." Grover also approached, nervous and worried as always. He gave Ikki a slap on the shoulder, the happiness in his pupils could not be ignored.

"I've been busy..." Ikki admitted with a sigh and a slightly melancholic look. The wind blew his hair, and he looked at his three best friends from Camp Half-Blood and said, "I'll explain everything better later, now isn't the time for that. I'm also happy to see you three again..."

"You've grown..."

"You've gotten shorter than Anne, Percy... Should I call you a water dwarf?"

"Better than being a pole, watch out for bumping your head on places you pass..." Percy teased with a smile on his lips.

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Ikki said with a slight smile.

"You two..." Grover said with a smile. It reminded him of the old days at Yancy, where the three lived normally.

"Anne, I know you miss me and have a lot of questions, but now is not exactly the time or place for that..." Ikki said, looking at the girl in his arms, his expression calm and serene throughout.

Annabeth heard his words, her face turned slightly red, and reluctantly stepped out of his arms, staring into his dreamy sapphire blue eyes that were even more beautiful than she remembered. She demanded, "You'll explain everything to us later..."

"Alright, relax..." Ikki said, snapping his fingers casually. His gaze fell on the girl dressed like a punk lying on the ground, noticing her fixated gaze in his direction. He smiled slightly and said, "You must be Thalia, right? Pleasure to meet you, I'm Ikki Phoenix, son of Zeus... With that in mind, I guess we're siblings."

"Ah... Uh..." Thalia snapped out of her stupor when the perfect being before her spoke to her. Her face turned slightly red... Was he real? Were those eyes real? Was that perfect face real? Was that warm body real? She felt her heart beat faster, flowing through her like the beats of a drum. She managed to squeeze out, "Yes, yes... Pleasure to meet you..."

She cursed herself internally for being so nervous.

"Relax..."

Just one word from the boy, and she felt as though the internal conflict and concerns had evaporated. She felt completely relaxed, as if she had submerged into an oasis after several days in the desert. While savoring the feeling, she noticed that he was right in front of her with his hand extended. She took it, noticing that his hands were bigger and smoother, the skin soft, yet it carried a fleeting warmth and a sense of protection that enveloped her heart. She had never felt so certain; it was as if holding the boy's hand and staying by his side was the only certainty in the sea of uncertainties in her life.

"Thank you..." Thalia thanked while looking at the boy taller than her, enchanted and fixated on his appearance, still trying to understand how it was possible for someone to exist with such beauty. She still held his hand with a certain feeling...

"No need to thank me..." Ikki said with a slight smile, releasing the girl's hand. His eyes fell on a familiar little boy and a known girl, the Di Angelo siblings, whom he had met at the Lotus Casino – he approached the two who were still staring in his direction. His arrival had been a bit too shocking, so he couldn't blame them.

Especially for two people who had lived normally and had no contact with the supernatural.

Noticing his approach, Bianca was the first to snap out of her stupor. She asked uncertainly, "Ikki? Is that really you? What's going on? This isn't a dream, is it?"

"Ikki?!" Nico looked at him with sparkling eyes, asking, "How did you do that? It was so cool!"

"Long time no see, Bianca and Nico." Ikki said with a slight smile while speaking calmly, "I know you must have questions, but we'll explain them calmly during our journey to a safe place, okay? I just ask that you trust me for now, I promise I won't harm you..."

Although confused and full of questions, the two nodded their heads. They knew the boy well enough to trust him more than the other unfamiliar people around them.

Ikki then looked at the Hunters, who were staring in his direction with mixed emotions. He felt conflicting emotions from some and a certain trace of hatred from others. His gaze fell on Artemis, who stood at a certain distance. No emotional fluctuation was present in her pupils as she looked at the goddess.

The Hunters came toward the group.

Zöe stopped when she saw Thalia. She hadn't noticed the girl before due to the events with that boy. She said with disdain, "You..."

"Zöe Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with hatred, she spat, "Perfect timing, as always."

The girl in question didn't look at her again, scanning the rest before briefly stopping at Ikki standing in front of the Di Angelo siblings. Then, she said, "Four half-bloods and a satyr, along with Ikki Phoenix, my lady."

"Yes," The younger girl, whose eyes were fixed on the boy since his arrival, spoke up, "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

"Long time no see, Ikki... Zeus almost had us turn the earth upside down looking for you, he seemed worried..." Artemis said to the son of Zeus while nodding her head, it seemed like nothing had happened from her perspective.

Her words caused a bit of jealousy in Thalia, who thought it was unfair how the younger boy was favored. Why didn't she receive the same treatment!? She clenched her teeth.

"Artemis..." Ikki's voice was devoid of emotion, he looked at the goddess and said indifferently, "It's been a while, I guess it's good to hear that. At least it indicates that my father cares. I'll pay a visit to Olympus when I have time..."

The goddess seemed somewhat lost by the boy's words, a certain pain shining in her beautiful pupils. Her face became rigid as though she wanted to remain dignified.

"Zeus?!" Nico looked at the older boy whose appearance was perfect, "Your father is that Zeus?"

"Wow," Bianca di Angelo said loudly, "Wait a minute!"

Everyone looked at her. She pointed a finger at everyone around, except Ikki, as if trying to connect the dots.

"Who... who are you all?"

Artemis' expression softened, she looked at the girl and said, "You could ask a better question, my dear girl, you could ask who you are! Who are your parents?"

Bianca nervously looked at her brother, who was still staring at Ikki with admiration.

"Our parents are dead..." Bianca shook her head negatively, "We're orphans. There's a bank fund that pays for our school, but..."

She hesitated. She could tell by the expressions of those present that they didn't believe her.

"What?" She demanded, furrowing her brow. "I'm telling the truth."

"You're half-bloods." Zöe Nightshade said.

It was hard to tell where her accent was from.

It sounded old-fashioned, as if she was reading from a very old book.

"One of your parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

"An Olympic athlete?" Bianca was confused.

"No," Zöe sighed, "One of the gods."

"Cool!" Nico said with even brighter eyes.

"No!" Bianca's voice trembled. "This isn't cool!"

Nico danced around as if he needed to use the bathroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage points? Does he get extra movement points for -"

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca covered her face. "This isn't your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

"And there goes another appropriate conversation with both of you..." Ikki sighed, casting a glance at Zöe, who felt her blood freeze. Her face went pale. He removed his gaze and said to the two siblings, "Gods exist, you're half-bloods. Children of some god, that's the truth, Bianca. I know it's shocking, and that's why I wanted to talk to you two about this calmly, I apologize for that..."

Percy knew how the two could feel, as he had gone through the same. Not just him, Thalia and Annabeth also seemed emotional about it.

He said, stumbling over his words.

"Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still out there. Trust me. They're immortal. And when they have children with normal humans, children like us, well... Our lives are dangerous."

"Dangerous," Bianca said, remembering that monster, "Like that monster that tried to attack us..."

"He was a manticore," Artemis said, glancing at Ikki, who didn't spare her a look, "Let's hope he's destroyed by now, but monsters never truly die. They come back again and again, and must be hunted when they reappear."

"Or they'll hunt us," Thalia added to the conversation.

Bianca di Angelo shivered, looking at the boy beside her.

"That explains... Nico, do you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in an alley in DC?"

"And that bus driver," Nico said with some hesitation, "With the ram horns. I told you it was real."

"That's why Grover's been watching you..." Annabeth spoke to the two siblings, "To keep you safe, in case you two turn out to be half-bloods."

"Grover?" Bianca stared at him, "Are you a half-blood?"

"Well, a satyr, actually." He took off his shoes and showed his goat hooves.

Bianca froze in shock.

"Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said resignedly, "You're freaking her out."

"Hey, my hooves are clean!"

"Bianca..." Percy decided to speak one more time, "We came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you'll meet. You need to come to camp."

"Camp?" She asked.

"Camp Half-Blood." Annabeth said, looking at the two of them, "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and other things. You can join us and stay the whole year if you want."

"Great, let's go!" Nico said determined.

"Wait," Bianca shook her head. "I don't -"

"There's another option," Zöe interrupted again.

"No, there isn't!" Thalia said in denial.

Thalia and Zöe glared at each other. For some reason, they really hated each other.

Meanwhile, Ikki just stayed silent, calmly watching the two siblings. Noticing their looks, the two seemed calmer with these shocking revelations — he looked at Zöe and then at the two, speaking in a calm tone, "We're not forcing you to do anything, you can make your own decisions. For now, let's rest, it's too much to absorb in such a short time..."

His tone left no room for discussion. His voice was firm, his posture exuded authority, and his gaze demanded obedience from all living beings.

Thalia felt herself stiffening. Even though the one before her was younger than her, it didn't change the fact that she felt subdued. No one had ever made her feel this way before. At the same time, a certain feeling bubbled in her stomach; she felt like throwing herself at the boy's feet and serving him with all her might.

As for Zöe, it was worse because he was fully focused on her. Her body stiffened, and she felt her strength drain away. Her body screamed for her to bow before the young man and swear eternal loyalty to him.

As for the other girls? They didn't know why, but there was something almost seductive in the boy's tone that almost made them leap onto him right there.