"Is it okay to leave them like this?" Grover asked, giving one last glance at the fallen troublemakers.
"No problem, someone will find them..." Ikki replied, sensing some mortals heading this way.
The four left the area. They stopped in front of a closed snack bar, while eating a snack taken from a nearby vending machine. Ikki expanded his supernatural senses and found the studio they were looking for, the entrance to the Underworld.
Then, they quickly walked toward its location.
They walked for a few minutes until they reached the building where the studio was. As they walked, they discussed the final details of their plan to enter the Underworld and make it out alive.
The four of them were in the shadows of Valencia Boulevard. They stopped walking and looked at the building where the studio was. Above the entrance, engraved in black marble, were the words: M.A.C. Recording Studios.
Below, printed on the glass doors was a note: "No Entry for Lawyers, Bums, or Mortals."
It was almost midnight, but the lobby was lit up and filled with people. Behind the security desk sat a guard with an aggressive appearance, wearing sunglasses and a headset.
Ikki took a look at the place and then turned his gaze back to his friends, speaking calmly. "Just to confirm. You remember the plan?"
"The plan..." Grover swallowed nervously. He said, a bit anxious, "Right. I love the plan..."
Annabeth, a little thoughtful and nervous, asked, "What will happen if the plan doesn't work?"
"No negative thoughts..." Percy said to the daughter of Athena. Although he was lying if he said he wasn't nervous, he had more than enough reasons to go to the Underworld.
His mother and the world at stake.
"Right..." Annabeth said sarcastically, adding, "We're entering the Land of the Dead and I'm not supposed to have negative thoughts..."
Only then did she realize her words weren't very sensitive.
But Percy didn't seem to mind much. He took the pearls out of his pocket—the four milk-colored spheres the Nereid had given him in Santa Monica. He glanced at them and couldn't help but think they didn't seem like much of a resource if something went wrong.
Although the boy didn't notice, Annabeth put her hand on Percy's shoulder. She took a deep breath and said with conviction, "Sorry, Percy. You're right, we'll make it. Everything will be fine..."
She nudged Grover.
"Oh, right!" The Satyr said, sending a glance at the daughter of Athena. He added, "We made it this far. We'll find the Master Bolt and save your mom. No problem..."
Ikki tapped his shoulder and spoke softly. "Everything will be fine, Percy. We'll bring your mom back."
Percy looked at the three, feeling truly grateful. He could see that Grover and Annabeth were nervous, but they were putting on brave faces for his sake, trying to make him feel better.
As for his best friend, as always, he maintained his calm and serene demeanor, which gave a sense that everything would be alright. He put the pearls back in his pocket.
"Alright," Ikki said, getting the attention of the three. He looked seriously at Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, then spoke. "Before we enter the Underworld, I need you to listen..."
"As soon as we go through that door, don't leave my sight. Stay close to me. When we confront Hades, stay behind me, don't do anything foolish."
"If anything happens, and I have to face him, you run. I'm our best chance of facing Hades. This is not a joke—if I say to run... you run without thinking twice..."
His words were serious. They carried an unimaginable weight, leaving no room for debate. They made an impact on the three, whether because of his serious tone or the meaning behind them.
The three knew that what Ikki said was true—he was the only one powerful enough to fight Hades, or at least confront him for a few minutes. None of the three thought he could defeat one of the Three Most Powerful Gods of Greek mythology.
Even though his words somehow made them feel more secure in an inexplicable way—strangely, it was as if nothing could happen with Ikki by their side. That was the feeling they got when they looked at his supernatural figure.
The three would lie if they said they weren't worried about their friend in case of a confrontation. Even so, Ikki had been performing miracles since he arrived at camp.
He killed the three Furies and the Minotaur, even before receiving any sort of training. He defeated Luke, the best swordsman in the last three hundred years, on his first day using a sword, and since then, his swordsmanship had evolved to the point they couldn't understand.
That was before the mission.
In this mission, if it weren't for him, maybe if luck had been on their side, they wouldn't have died. Without luck, the three would probably be dead.
This was a possibility they didn't want to know or experience.
He had killed the three Furies again, Medusa, and most importantly, faced Hercules, the most powerful demigod, the God of Bravery, and defeated him.
Ikki had grown like a shooting star—the speed was simply unfathomable.
This meteor was now like the scorching sun—bright and dazzling, countless people couldn't even look at him.
As soon as Percy heard Ikki's words, he clenched his fists, understanding that his friend would be in danger if he had to face Hades. Just the thought made him feel powerless and frustrated. If he were stronger, he could help his best friend. Right now, he knew he couldn't. He made a decision in his heart that when he returned to camp, he would take his training seriously.
Annabeth had the same feeling, and even Grover felt the same way—if he were more useful... They wouldn't have to let Ikki carry them on his shoulders.
One thing they all had in common was feeling like a burden. The three stopped to think—they hadn't done much in this mission; Ikki had practically done everything. He was absurdly strong, intelligent, and much more mature than them. That was frustrating and made them feel powerless, because they wanted to help their friend, but they were just hindering more than helping.
With just a simple glance, Ikki knew roughly what they were thinking. He sighed and spoke softly.
"Look, I don't want you to be in danger. And don't worry, I'm not being arrogant. I know Hades is much stronger than that cheap Hulk imitation, but I've also gotten stronger since my fight with Hercules. I'm confident I can face Hades, if I need to..."
His words filled the three with a warm feeling, as they looked into his sapphire-blue eyes, which had no trace of fear or insecurity, only calm and serenity. Their nervousness and anxiety about entering the Land of the Dead diminished greatly.
"Alright. If that happens, we'll leave it to you, Ikki..." Percy said. Normally, he wouldn't let his friend do something so crazy, despite all the feelings in his heart—powerlessness, concern, frustration, and a warm feeling of overwhelming security. He didn't focus too much on that; the son of Poseidon simply decided to trust his best friend, just like he did the last time with Hercules.
Annabeth added, a bit worried, "Yes, but promise us you'll stay alive if you have to face Hades..."
The daughter of Athena felt her heart tighten. Although what Ikki said might not happen, the chances were high, and imagining the boy she liked facing a life-or-death danger for them made her heart warm and at the same time, very concerned.
"Of course. I can promise that..." Ikki nodded gently.
He could kill Hades without problems, but his friends wouldn't believe that.
So, he didn't bother to explain.
"It's not like it's going to happen..." Grover said, half nervous and concerned. He added, "Although the chances are high, if it happens, you're the only one who can face Hades. And if it comes to that, just be careful and stay safe..."
Ikki nodded, satisfied, and said, "Yes, you're right, Grover. But it's better to be prepared. If it happens, you know what to do. And at that time, I'll leave these two with you, make sure they don't do anything foolish..."
"Leave it to me..." Grover nodded and puffed out his chest.
Percy and Annabeth smiled at the satyr, and Ikki looked a little amused.
The four entered the M.A.C. lobby. Built-in speakers played soft background music.
The carpet and walls were slate gray. Cacti grew in the corners like skeleton hands. The furniture was black leather, and all the seats were occupied. There were people sitting on sofas, people standing, people looking out the window, or waiting for the elevator.
No one moved, no one spoke, they did nothing. You could see them very clearly, but if anyone focused on any one person, they began to look... transparent.
You could see through their bodies.
The security desk was elevated, so anyone coming to this place would have to look up to speak to the guard. He was tall and elegant, with chocolate-colored skin and blonde hair cut in a military style.
He wore glasses with tortoiseshell frames and an Italian silk suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel, under a silver badge.
The group approached, and before Ikki could say anything, Percy, standing beside him, interrupted.
"Is your name Chiron?" Percy read the name on the badge and looked at him, puzzled.
Ikki suppressed a resigned sigh. As he had predicted, Percy would cause some sort of problem with his inability to keep his mouth shut, and because of that, the plan wouldn't go as planned. That's why he didn't put much effort into the planning.
He calmly looked at the man, who seemed absurdly upset that Percy had mistaken him for the centaur.
The man leaned over the desk. You couldn't see anything behind his glasses, but his smile was sweet and cold, like a boa constrictor just before it devours you.
"What a funny kid," he said, his accent strange... as if he had learned English as a second language. He asked, "Tell me, partner, do I look like a centaur?"
"N-no..." Percy stammered, nervous, as he shifted awkwardly.
The man's face was terrifying.
"Sir," Percy added softly.
"Sir..." Percy repeated, surprisingly obedient.
Ikki mentally nodded. This was a lesson for his friend. He spoke and now had to face the consequences of his words.
The man grabbed the badge and ran his finger under the letters. "Can you read this, partner? It says Charon. Say it with me: Charon."
"Charon..."
"Fantastic!" The man seemed satisfied. He said, "Now: Mister Charon..."
"Mister Charon."
"Very well." The man called Charon leaned back and grimaced, saying, "I hate being confused with that man-horse. Now, how can I help you, little dead ones?"
His question hit Percy's stomach like a baseball. He looked at Ikki for help.
"We want to go to the Underworld," Ikki said, getting straight to the point. It was really fun to see Percy being obedient, but they had something more important to do.
At that moment, Ikki caught Charon's attention. Before, he had been too annoyed by the boy confusing him with the centaur, so he hadn't paid much attention to the others. But now, seeing the boy in front of him, he was utterly perplexed, his heart racing.
Was there really someone so perfect? He never imagined anyone could look so flawless.
It was simply too beautiful.
After coming out of his stupor, with a slightly flushed face and a racing heart, Charon's mouth twisted. He said, "Well, that's refreshing."
"Really?" Ikki said, raising an eyebrow.
"Direct and honest. No yelling. No 'There must be some mistake, Mister Charon.'" He looked the four of them up and down, "So, how did you die?"
"How?" Ikki made a slightly sad expression and said, "On our way to catch the bus to school, a truck lost control and ran us over."
Charon felt his heart hit by an arrow, despite the sad expression. Ikki continued to be too beautiful.
"The four of you?" Charon asked, calming his thumping heart.
They nodded.
"Such bad luck. What a shame." Charon seemed slightly sad. He said, "I suppose you don't have any coins for the fare. With adults, you know, I could charge it to your credit card, or add the crossing fee to your last phone bill. But with kids... unfortunately, you never die prepared. I guess you'll have to sit here for a few centuries..."
"Oh, but we have coins." Percy placed three gold drachmas on the counter, something he had found a few days ago after searching through Medusa's antique shop.
"Well, look at that..." Charon wet his lips. He said, a little surprised, "Real drachmas. I haven't seen one of those in..."
His fingers hovered eagerly over the coins. But then he seemed to notice something. The group was so close, he looked at Percy. The cold look behind his glasses seemed to open a hole in his chest.
"But you didn't read my name right..." Charon looked at him directly and asked, "Are you dyslexic, kid?"
"No." Percy answered, shifting slightly, "I'm dead..."
Charon leaned forward and sniffed. He said, "You're not dead. I should've known. You're a little godling, you're all little gods..."
"We have to get to the Underworld," Percy insisted strongly.
Charon growled deep in his throat.
At that moment, everyone in the waiting room stood up and began pacing back and forth, agitated, lighting cigarettes, running their hands through their hair, or checking their wristwatches.
"Get out while you can." Charon glanced at the coins and said, "I'll keep these coins and forget I saw you..."
He started to reach for the coins, but Percy pulled them back.
"No service, no tip." The son of Poseidon tried to sound braver than he felt.
Charon growled again, a deep sound that sent chills down their spines. The spirits of the dead began banging on the elevator doors.
"We have more to offer if you take us to the Underworld." Ikki pulled out a bag of drachmas, took a handful, and let the coins slip between his fingers onto the counter. He said calmly, "How about this…"
He had created some drachmas through illusions, manipulating the immortal's senses in front of him and his friends to make it more believable, and since it was a remote illusion, it would only disappear when he decided to remove it. Then, Charon would be able to take advantage of these coins...
Charon's growl turned into something more like a lion's purr. He said, clearly tempted, "You think you can buy me, little god? Hmm... just out of curiosity, how much do you have there...?"
"A lot." Percy saw that he was tempted and said, "I bet Hades doesn't pay you enough for such hard work..."
"Oh, you don't even know half of it." Charon lamented, his job was practically slavery, he complained, "Would you like to be a babysitter for these spirits all day? Always with 'Please, don't let me stay dead' or 'Please, let me cross for free.' I haven't had a raise in three thousand years. You think suits like this are cheap?"
Ikki's lips tightened slightly as he imagined how tedious such a job must be. Taking care of the spirits of the dead all day, enduring complaints and all sorts of talk. It would be horrible.
A life no one deserved to have.
"You deserve something better." Ikki agreed, he said calmly, "Some recognition. Respect. A good salary..."
With every word, he piled another gold coin onto the counter. Charon lowered his eyes to the Italian silk suit, as if imagining himself with something even better.
"I must say, kid, we're starting to speak the same language." Charon looked at Ikki and then at the coins, "A little..."
Ikki piled a few more coins. It wasn't like he was losing anything. Charon still seemed a little hesitant, just a little.
Percy struck while the iron was hot, adding, "We could mention a salary increase when we talk to Hades..."
"Well, the boat is almost full. I could easily fit the three of you and set sail." Charon sighed, stood up, grabbed the money, and said, "Come with me!"