Percy Jackson - Beyond the Gods

The group walked along the pier under the cloudy morning sky. The sea spray was strong there, carried by the cold wind of the Pacific Ocean. The smell of fresh fish and seaweed mingled with the stench of garbage piled up in the corners, where seagulls pecked at leftover food.

Their steps echoed on the worn wood as they followed Nereus, who struggled uselessly against Ikki's firm grip. The Old Man of the Sea snorted and grumbled, occasionally trying to change shape — first into a slippery eel, then a huge crab, and even a school of shimmering sardines. But no matter what he did, Ikki simply held him tight, preventing his escape.

"Heroes... You are insufferable!" Nereus complained.

"You still haven't answered everything we want to know," Ikki said, without slowing his pace.

"I already told you about the monster!" The Old Man of the Sea struggled again, frustrated. "Isn't that enough?"

"No," Zoe replied sternly. "We want to know where Artemis is."

Nereus let out a hoarse, mocking laugh.

"You think everything can be solved with questions and threats? I've already told you what I know. And about your hunter goddess... I don't know where she is."

Ikki stopped abruptly, forcing the others to do the same. He pulled Nereus closer, his electric eyes flashing with a silent threat.

"Don't play with me."

"You think I'm playing?" Nereus raised an eyebrow, defiant. "You can crush me, throw me into the sea, tear me apart... But the answer will be the same. I don't know!"

Silence hung between them. Ikki saw no lies in the Old Man of the Sea's weary eyes. He truly didn't know.

Ikki took a deep breath, resisting the urge to do something drastic. He had enough power to obliterate Nereus in seconds, but it would be pointless. There was no reason to continue holding the old man.

He then released the lesser god, who fell to the pier floor with a thud. Nereus coughed and rubbed his neck, giving Ikki an irritated look.

"You heroes are always like this. You ask questions, demand answers... But sometimes, not even the gods have all the answers."

The group stood in silence for a moment.

"Go away before I change my mind," Ikki finally said.

Nereus gave a crooked smile and, before they could stop him, his form began to shimmer. In an instant, he transformed into a fat, slippery fish, falling into the water with a *plop!* and disappearing among the waves.

"Well, that was useless," Thalia grumbled.

The dark waters of the pier were calm, but then a peculiar sound cut through the silence.

"Moooooooo!"

Everyone looked towards the source of the sound and saw a strange creature swimming towards them. It was an unusual sea creature, with the body of a small bull, but the lower half snaking like an eel's. Its hide shimmered under the light, and its wide eyes seemed to carry genuine fear.

Grover's eyes widened.

"It can't be..."

The Ophiotaurus swam closer, its eyes filled with desperation as it let out another desperate "Mooooo!"

Grover frowned and nodded.

"It's an ancient form of animal language. He's saying his name is Ophiotaurus."

"What?" Atalanta tilted her head.

"Ophiotaurus," Thalia repeated, seeming to remember something. "It means cow-serpent in Greek. But what is it doing here?"

The Ophiotaurus mooed again, its body trembling in the water.

"Moooooooo!"

Grover tilted his head and frowned, listening intently.

"He's running from bad people. He said they're close."

As he had held Nereus earlier, Ikki sighed. "I was wondering how you managed to get all that from a simple 'mooooo'."

Grover gave him an indignant look.

"It's a talent."

The group was still trying to understand the creature's unexpected appearance when Zoe stopped abruptly, her face paling.

"I'm a fool..."

Everyone turned to her.

"What is it?" Ikki asked.

Zoe took a deep breath before facing the group.

"I know this story. My... my father told me the legend, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we're looking for."

Atalanta looked at the creature, incredulous.

"Him?" She pointed at the Ophiotaurus. "But... he's so cute. He doesn't look like he could destroy the world."

"And that's exactly why we were wrong," Zoe said, her voice tense. "We expected a huge, terrifying monster, but the danger of the Ophiotaurus is not in what it can do… but in what can be done with it."

The Ophiotaurus let out a low, sad moan.

"Moooooooo..."

Grover grimaced.

"Um... maybe we should avoid talking about entrails, too."

Thalia, who had been quiet until then, looked at the creature with a mixture of surprise and fascination. Her eyes gleamed strangely, as if she were lost in dark thoughts.

"The power to destroy the gods…" she murmured. "But how? What could happen?"

"Nobody knows," Zoe said, answering her question. "The first time the Ophiotaurus appeared, during the Titan War, it was killed by a giant allied with the Titans, but Zeus sent an eagle to retrieve its entrails before they were thrown into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years… it has been reborn."

Thalia knelt on the dock, hesitantly extending her hand. The Ophiotaurus swam towards her, as if instinctively trusting her. Its wide eyes met hers as Thalia touched its head.

The creature's small body trembled.

For a moment, Thalia was completely still, her gaze fixed on the Ophiotaurus. There was something in her expression that was unsettling. She looked… hungry.

Grover noticed it too. His expression turned serious.

"We need to protect it," he said with conviction. "If Luke gets his hands on it—"

"Luke wouldn't hesitate," Thalia murmured, still looking at the Ophiotaurus. "The power to overthrow Olympus… this is… this is big."

The group fell into an unsettling silence. The reality of the situation hit them like a cold wave. They had spent so much time trying to figure out what monster Artemis was hunting, only to discover that it wasn't a predator… but a victim. A victim whose fate could decide the course of the war.

And they weren't the only ones who knew this.

Silence settled over the group when Ikki spoke, his voice laced with boredom and indifference.

"Can you reveal yourselves…?"

The group turned immediately, caught by surprise. From the other side of the pier, emerging from the shadows of sheds and containers, was a group of mercenaries. They wore dark Greek armor and wielded sharp weapons, their gazes cold and calculating. The leadership of the group, however, belonged to a young man of distinct appearance.

He appeared to be about sixteen years old, with a lean build and shiny black hair that fell in messy layers. But what stood out most was the black eye patch that covered his left eye, giving him an intimidating and enigmatic appearance.

The boy tilted his head slightly, analyzing Ikki with a sharp look.

"It's impressive that you noticed us, son of Zeus..."

His voice was calm and smooth, but carried a hint of amusement, as if he were enjoying the situation.

Before anyone could react, the boy shifted his gaze to Thalia. His smile widened, and his expression became almost... seductive.

"Yes, princess..." he said, his tone laden with intent. "Luke wouldn't hesitate. And it's a power you should unleash."

The words made the air around them seem denser. The tension was palpable.

The Ophiotaurus, as if sensing the weight of the situation, let out a deep wail before submerging, disappearing beneath the dark surface of the ocean.

Suddenly, something emerged.

The atmosphere on the pier changed drastically.

The air grew heavy, charged with an almost suffocating emotion. The feeling of revenge took over the environment, growing like an irresistible wave.

Memories surged into the minds of each member of the group without warning.

Thalia saw Luke's face — not as her childhood friend, but as a traitor who abandoned her, manipulated her, and used her trust against her. Her heart raced, a mixture of anger and pain burning in her veins.

Zoe felt a visceral hatred emerge against Hercules, the hero who deceived her and destroyed her life. The feeling was so intense that for a moment she wanted to destroy anything in her path.

Atalanta saw the men who tried to force her. Her desire for retaliation almost blinded her.

Phoebe saw her sisters dead at the hands of monsters. Her eyes turned red as she clenched her fists.

Grover shuddered, remembering all the half-bloods he had failed to protect. For the first time, his anger was greater than his sadness.

Ikki, however, resisted. His self-control was monstrous despite not having the [Monarch's Dominion] to protect his mind from the effects of a deity's presence, yet he couldn't help but feel the bloodlust growing in his chest. A brutal need to end Luke and Kronos took hold of him, and for a second he almost enjoyed the sensation.

That's when she appeared.

A woman materialized before them. Her short, curly black hair swayed with the sea breeze, and her golden eyes shone like coins bathed in divine fire. She wore a red jacket, black jeans, and sturdy boots. A whip was fastened to her waist, her presence as intimidating as fate itself.

Ikki looked directly at her, and for a moment saw Luke.

His eyes widened slightly. But he blinked, and the illusion vanished, revealing the truth.

He felt the power emanating from her. Dense. Almost overwhelming.

A Goddess.

His instincts and battle knowledge quickly filled in the gaps. A Goddess of vengeance.

"Nemesis..." he murmured to himself.

The Goddess of Vengeance and Justice, Nemesis, daughter of the primordial goddess Nyx (Night), was the personification of divine justice, retribution, and balance. Her role was to ensure that no one was excessively fortunate or unfortunate, punishing the arrogant and rewarding those who were wronged. Her essence reflected the Greeks' belief that no person should exceed the limits imposed by fate and the natural order of the world.

He had heard rumors. Some of the Titan armies he destroyed whispered about lesser Gods who had turned against Olympus. A son of Nemesis, who fell before his blade, screamed that his mother would avenge him just as she was avenging the Olympians for their neglect of the lesser Gods.

Now, here she was.

And the peculiarity of her appearance didn't go unnoticed by him.

Nemesis looked different to everyone. She assumed the face of the person they most wanted to take revenge on. A cruel, yet brilliant effect.

Ikki clenched his fists, ignoring the latent rage growing within him.

"So, it's true..." His voice was low, but firm. "You joined Kronos."

Nemesis smiled, a dangerous glint in her golden eyes.

"I joined the side that doesn't ignore those who suffer." Her voice was silky, but carried a colossal weight. "Justice needs to be restored, son of Zeus."

The wind blew around them, mixing the smell of the ocean with the electricity in the air.

Confrontation was inevitable.

Meanwhile, the revelation of their enemy's identity snapped the rest of the group out of their stupor. Ikki subtly manipulated his presence to combat the divine presence and remove the influence of vengeance on his friends.

The impact was immediate.

Thalia's eyes widened, and she took a step back. Her body stiffened as if she had been struck by lightning.

"The goddess of revenge?" Her voice was laden with disbelief and something more... fear.

Zoe choked on her own words. "The traitor..." Her tone was full of contempt.

Grover, who until then had been silent, looked shocked. "But... why?"

Atalanta narrowed her eyes. She wasn't as versed in mythology as the others, but she knew enough to understand the danger of having a goddess like this against them.

Phoebe fixed her eyes on the Goddess with a look of cautious understanding. Her stance remained firm, but a shadow of conflict crossed her face. She knew the weight of revenge all too well; she knew what a soul corrupted by it could cause. She was no stranger to the cycle of hatred that Nemesis represented. In her journey, she had witnessed the consequences of choices based on revenge, and the wounds caused by it were difficult to heal.

Nemesis smiled at their reaction. Her golden gaze swept over each of them, assessing them.

"At least one of you has enough perception to recognize me." She cast a mocking glance at Ikki. "That makes things easier..."

Zoe, recovering from the shock, pulled her bow fully, aiming directly at the goddess.

"You allied yourself with Kronos? You betrayed Olympus?"

Nemesis's answer came without hesitation.

"I chose the side that doesn't ignore those who suffer."

Thalia clenched her fists, her expression indecipherable.

"That's absurd. You think the Titans will treat you any better?"

Nemesis tilted her head slightly.

"And do the Olympian gods treat you well?"

The group froze.

The psychological blow was accurate.

Each of them had their own grievances with the gods.

Nemesis smiled.

"See? I don't need to convince you. You already know the truth."

"If you want, there's still time to join our cause," said the young man of Asian descent. He smiled calmly. "My mother is right, you don't need to keep serving Gods who don't care about you. Join us. Kronos will do everything differently..."

Ikki stepped forward, his feet planted firmly on the ground, determination etched on his face. He knew that the young Asian man's words and Nemesis' presence were beginning to sow doubt. With a sharp movement, he turned to face his friends, his eyes burning with the intensity of his words.

"I know things with the Gods aren't easy," Ikki began, his voice taking on a resonance that made the mercenaries and even Nemesis look more closely. "I know that many of us carry hurts, deep wounds caused by those who should protect us."

He took a step forward, his expression calm, but his tone firm and unwavering.

"But I won't deny the truth. The Gods are flawed. They are selfish, indifferent, and often unjust. But they still have a role to play. The war against the Titans isn't just a battle for power, it's a fight for the future. A fight for what's left of humanity, and for everyone who still believes in a world that can be better. If we fall into Kronos' clutches, we'll be nothing but puppets in a theater of destruction."

He paused for a moment, his eyes turning slowly to his friends behind him. "We fight for what we believe in. And what is that? It's not serving the Gods, it's not serving Kronos. It's serving ourselves, our own values, and our loved ones. Fighting for what's right."

"Fine speech…" Nemesis said with a tone of intrigue and interest. She had already heard rumors of the legendary son of Zeus, who had surpassed all the half-bloods in Greek history. She thought it was an exaggeration. How could a mortal be stronger than a God? But even though she knew this, she came with her full aspect behind him, not wanting to underestimate someone and pay the price.

The young Asian man gritted his teeth in irritation.

Thalia crossed her arms and let out a sigh.

"Okay, okay, that was a great speech." She rolled her eyes, but a small smile played on the corner of her lips. "But you just want us to say you're right, don't you?"

Grover shook his head, looking nervously at the sky as if he was afraid something would happen when he spoke. "No, but he is right. The gods are a pain, but the Titans are worse. Like, way worse."

"Yeah, and I definitely don't want to end up enslaved by Kronos," Atalanta commented, twirling an arrow between her fingers. "It's enough dealing with the gods telling us what to do, imagine a Titan."

Zoe, always the most serious, just nodded with an appraising look at Ikki. "This time, you spoke well, son of Zeus. If the gods don't deserve our blind loyalty, the Titans deserve it even less."

Ikki raised an eyebrow. "This time? What do you mean 'this time'?"

"Uh... you don't exactly have a track record of inspirational speeches." Thalia nudged his arm with a teasing smile. "But that one was decent. I almost cried."

"Almost?" Ikki snorted. "I'll try harder next time."

Phoebe, who had been quiet until then, shrugged. "It was good. But it's not like I needed a speech to know whose side I'm on."

Grover scratched his horns. "Uh, so no one's going to mention that Ikki dramatically stepped forward while he was talking? Because I definitely noticed."

Ikki sighed heavily. "I can't do anything with you guys, can I?"

The group smiled, the tension of the moment dissipating slightly, but it soon returned, as they knew they had an imminent battle.