"We're going to go with you to bring Ares his shield, and then go back to camp," Grian said, miserably. But at least he still said it.

Annabeth frowned. "But-"

"You're part of this quest now," Percy complained over her.

"It's not safe for us out here," Zedaph explained.

"It's not safe for anyone out here," Grover pointed out, glancing around. "Speaking of which-"

"No, but it's less safe for us out here," Tango argued. "Otherwise we'd get... uh... murderficated."

"We're all probably going to get murderficated anyway," Annabeth said, crossing her arms. "What's different about you guys?"

"It's a long story," Gem said over Grian as he opened his mouth, probably to tell them everything about Hermitcraft, respawn, and being from another world. She couldn't allow that.

"Letsh go," Bdubs said, tugging at Grian's sleeve. "I wanna go back and shleep in a real bed."

"Can we at least be there when they give Ares his shield back?" Grian asked. "I want to see the look on his face when we're not dead."

"He probably didn't intend for us to die," Gem said. "If he wanted us to die, we'd be dead. He's the god of war, for goodness sake."

"Now you're talking sense," Annabeth said.

"Let's go meet my dear jerkface father," Ren sighed.

Percy snorted.

------

The "jerkface father" in question barely looked at his son.

That was rude. But by the look on Ren's face after just a minute with Ares, it was totally fine.

"Your ride's right there," the god said, pointing to one of the strange vehicles that Grian had said were trucks. "It might be a little cramped since you've... gained a few members. Zeus forbid the drivers decide to peek inside."

"Oh, no," Gem said quickly. "We're going back to camp."

Ares shrugged. "You do you."

Percy glared at the machine. "What, that?"

Ares looked at him coolly. "That van's gonna get you straight to L.A. with a stop in Vegas. Either you take it, or you don't."

He then proceeded to shove a backpack at Percy. "Here's your reward."

"I don't want your lousy-" Percy growled, but Ren snatched it and slung a strap over the son of Posideon's head.

Percy took off the backpack and opened it, looking up every few seconds to glare at Ares.

"Oh, come on," Annabeth grumbled, and grabbed it. "You're taking too long. Cash. Toiletries. Ooh, Oreos."

"Oreos?" Tango asked eagerly.

"You've never had an Oreo?" Grover asked.

"We don't even know what Oreos are," Grian chimed in. "Is that a type of monster or something?"

Everyone stared at him.

He coughed. "Never mind."

Ares shrugged. "Your loss. You said you were heading back."

Gem narrowed her eyes. Something was off with this guy. Well, of course she knew that before, but now it was even more obvious.

Ren elbowed Zedaph and whispered, "Can we go? I don't like him."

Thankfully, Ares didn't seem to hear or care. He was just talking to Percy now. "And the other part of the deal- you asked for information about your mother. She's not dead. The gold light - that's metamorphosis, not death."

"What are you saying?" Percy replied, visibly holding back insults.

"I'm saying she's being kept, punk. Somebody is holding her hostage. Do you know anything about war? You take someone hostage to control someone else."

"Nobody's controlling me," Percy declared.

"We'll see about that," Ares said.

"You're pretty smug for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."

Gem couldn't see his eyes through his shades, but she could imagine them narrowing. "I'll see you around, punk."

Then he got on to his bike thing and drove away with an impressive VROOOYYOOOOMMMM.

Percy was fuming. "You can't possibly say you don't want to murder him."

"Percy!" Grover bleated.

"We do," Tango said, at the same time that Zedaph said, "Nah."

"But," Bdubs said. "We have to get back to camp! And take a NAP!"

"But I don't want to," Grian moaned.

"TOO BAD!"

"I haven't had any dessert in days," Tango mourned. "As much fun as this is, getting trampled by mechanical spiders and seeing holes in the sides of arches that looked Grian-worthy, can we please go back now?"

"You can," Grian said.

They all turned to him.

"You can! Not me!" The prankster took off for the second time, doing evasive maneuvers around everything there was to do evasive maneuvers around. He probably felt ridiculous, however, because nobody bothered to follow him.

"I wish Mumbo were here," Ren sighed.

"Somebody's going to see him," Annabeth observed.

"He'll come back eventually," Gem said.

Grian did come back. "Why is nobody coming after me?" he complained.

"Because you'll probably lead us to some sort of pit trap," Gem answered.

She hadn't been part of Hermitcraft during Seasons 6 and 7, but she had heard plenty about Grian's panic rooms from their victims. And by victims, she meant victim. So far, they had only killed Iskall.

That was probably a good thing.

The fact that it only killed one person, not the fact that it killed Iskall. Iskall was nice when he wasn't threatening Gem over diorite.

"Maybe I should have made a panic room," Grian said.

"Maybe we could stay? Or some of us could?" Ren asked. "Of course, if they're fine with it." He gestured over his shoulder to where Percy appeared to be trying to strangle Ares' backpack.

Annabeth shrugged. "We've already ruined the three-person rule."

Grover grinned. "It's your decision. The Underworld's after us, too."

"Who said anything about the Underworld?" Annabeth asked suspiciously.

"Nobody," Grover answered quickly.

"Well, Grover did, obviously," Bdubs said, not seeming to get it.

Gem and Zed glared at him.

"What?" he asked five seconds later when he noticed.

"Well, whoever goes had better not die, or I would be sad," Tango declared.

"Notch forbid you ever be sad," Zedaph said, rolling his eyes.

"But really, don't die," Gem said.

"What are we talking about?" Percy asked, looking up.

"Some of us Her- some of us are going to stay on the quest because Grian isn't going to come back without us using brute force," Ren said flatly.

Grian smirked. He and everyone else knew it was true.

"I'm staying," he said.

"I kind of want to too," Ren admitted.

"No!" Zedaph protested. "We came all the way out here!"

Annabeth went slightly pale and leaned towards Gem. "Please can you come?"

"Why me?" Gem whispered back

"Because from the hour I've been talking to you guys, you seem like the only sane one," she answered.

Gem snickered. "I doubt that," she said, growing serious again. "But I... I guess so."

The relief on the daughter of Athena's face was worth it.

"I'm going," Gem said with forced cheerfulness. "Annabeth needs help babysitting."

Grian snorted. Ren looked angry. Percy seemed confused. Grover looked embarrassed.

The Hermits looked a little surprised, but they didn't argue. Except Zed, of course.

"Anyone else?" Bdubs asked, a little rudely.

"Be nice, Bdubs," Gem said, almost automatically.

"No?" Bdubs asked, ignoring her. "Okay, letsh go!" he took off.

"Nice seeing you alive," Zed said to Annabeth. It was pretty obvious that he still didn't approve of them going, but he left as well. "Don't get killed!"

"I didn't even have time to get an Oreo," Tango muttered, then followed.

"We'll give you one if we have leftovers!" Gem called after him.

But all three of them were already out of earshot.

Gem turned to the rest of them.

"Ares got us a ride," Percy said, gesturing to the vehicle. "We should probably get in before it leaves."

"That would probably be a good idea," Ren agreed.

Gem stared toward the other three Hermits, who were just dots in the sky now and fading fast.

Then she turned back to the vehicle. "What's it called again?"

"A truck," Ren said proudly.

"Good job," Grian said, patting him on the back.

Annabeth studied them.

It was only two more seconds before Gem missed camp. And Hermitcraft, of course, but that wasn't an option right now. She even sort of missed the cramped stuffiness of the Hermes cabin.

"Come on," Percy reminded everyone.

Gem felt a tug at her elytra and saw Ren there.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I just thought... maybe... like, Percy can't fly because Posideon and all. I was thinking we took them off for now."

Gem took it off and handed it to him. "Good luck getting Grian's."

Ren smiled wryly. "Oh, I will. We're going to finish this quest on foot or not at all."

Gem started walking toward the vehicle, trying to ignore the shudder that went down her spine at Ren's words.

And the daggers that she knew Annabeth was staring into her back.

If anyone finds out, it'll be her.

Gem started to think that Annabeth had let them stay for more than entertainment.