Ren's POV:

In film and movies, meeting a supernatural being that is laid out to be more exciting and a lot of wacky stuff can happen to even summon one, but our parents are like, "Nope, let's be boring."

We were climbing down the steep slope of the hill, the breeze of the coming night wrapped us around like a cold burrito in the fridge for too long, which reminds me...

"Can we have a taco later? I'm craving for one." I laid my hand on my stomach.

"We just met the god of fear and terror, and you want a taco?" Ex scoffed in disbelief.

"I haven't eaten since the airport. And tacos are good..." I complained.

"I would love to have a taco too." Stress agreed.

"I'm really hungry..." Biffa nodded.

"Sounds like a lovely dinner," Joe mumbled.

"Can we focus on climbing down the mountain? I rather not die again." Cleo sighed.

"How is the underground like?" Grian asked out of curiosity.

"I was just a month old, Cod boy," Cleo answered.

"How old are you again?" Joe joked.

"I don't remember much, but it was dark and creepy," Cleo said ignoring Joe's question.

"Can't you teleport us back to Nike and Python?" Iskall asked, basically dragging his legs.

"Last time we did that, we passed out for half a day," Tango added.

We continued our journey down in silence, the strangely strong wind deafen the steps of us walking the rocky path.

Well, that was until...

"Hey!" A tough grizzly voice said.

We all looked up, there was a tough-looking dude with a black leather jacket and ripped jeans, he had a muscular build and had darker skin than us, his black-colored eyes and hair held pride as he stared at his.

"Where are you all doing? It's night, it's dangerous to climb the mountains!"

"Says the guy who's sitting at the edge of a rock." Bdubs yawned tiredly.

"You're all must be tired; you should probably rest up for the night."

"That's very kind of you sir, what's your name?" Xisuma asked like a proper British man.

"It's Ares." He answered.

At the time, we were so tired to connect the dots to realize that he is THE Ares.

"Cool name, you got anything that can get us down, A- oh," Keralis said, his shocked face getting even more shocked.

"What's the problem? Cat got your tongue?" Ares teased.

"Do you have a son by any chance?" Keralis asked, his soothing voice contrasting the rough voice of Ares.

"Yeah, by that sentence I believe you know my son, Iskall?" Ares said, his voice dropping as if disappointed.

"I'm right here... dad?" Iskall said, as if unsure how to address Ares.

"Aye, that's cool, you brought your gang here, you all demis?" Ares asked.

"I guess, you got any tacos?" I asked.

"Add please to your question then maybe I'll give you some," Ares said.

"Please, I can eat, like ten of them right now."

"Also please get us off this damn mountain," Ex said.

"Language." Xisuma scoffed at his brother.

"Is damn a curse word?" Ares asked.

Then Ex and Ares went off into a cursing spree (like the cuss song, if you know, you know), as Xisuma facepalms in the background.

"Iskall! Your gang is awesome! I like this guy!" Ares gleefully exclaimed.

"Well. Thanks? Can you drive us off this mountain?" Iskall asked.

"****, yes!" (Use your imagination here, readers.)

"How are you going to do that, do you have a car?" Mumbo being the car geek asked.

"Yeah, it's at Olympus, Hephaestus made them for me." Ares said, "You wanna come with me to grab it?"

"I rather not go to Olympus," Grian said with his arms crossed.

"Oh... uh... sorry, who's a child are you again?" Ares said, staring at Grian.

"Hermes..." Grian mumbled.

"Oh, understandable, he is a pain to deal with, always talking about mail or something." Ares sighed dramatically.

After a bit of silence, Ares continued "I'm going to very quickly go and grab my car. Stay still!"

Ares dashed off upwards like a child chasing a balloon.

"Geez, he went up quick," Grian said, covering half his eyes with his hand.

"Are all gods this lame?" Zed asked.

"Zed!" Tango half yelled.

"What? It's the truth!"

"We'll right UNDER them!"

Biffa laughed, "What did you expect?"

Zed shrugged, "I don't know, flashing glow, the aura of death and spikes... everywhere."

"That sounds more like the secret love child of Apollo and Hades," Joe said, pulling a bag of chips out of nowhere.

"Can I-" Cleo have started and quickly got interrupted.

"No," Joe said lightheartedly,

I sat on a rock, "Man, I did not pack the right shoes for this, my feet are killing me!"

"I'm knackered after that!" Mumbo flopped onto the ground.

"You all need to exercise," Ex said.

"For once, I agree with Ex," Grian said, leaning over Mumbo.

"Traitor!" Stress jokily punched Grian's right shoulder.

"Just because you run in MY high heels doesn't mean we all have infinite energy." Cleo spitted.

"Also, you have wings." Impulse said.

"I haven't used them for like one day." Grian proudly said, "Also Etho, it overheated, please help."

Etho sighed, "All right, strap it off first."

Etho was fixing the machine with the help of Impy when a loud buzzing went by.

"What is that sound?" Etho muttered.

"Sounds like a killer bee," Tango said.

Then a red convertible car went backward nearly crashing into us.

"Hoop on in!" Ares said, at the front seat.

Biffa stared at him, "I think you just broke all speed limits."

"What are you going to do about it? You're not a cop." Ares said, roughing up the engine.

"Well, in fact, I am a cop, rather new to the job but still one." Biffa snickered.

"Anyways, you realized that there are 25 of us, how do expect us all to fit in that small dinky car?" Ex said crossing his arms.

Ares smiled as if he wanted to show off, he pushed a button and the car just expanded.

"That... is amazing!" Mumbo geeked, then Impy and Mumbo just starts theorizing how it would work.

"Just get in," Iskall said, softly pushing them in.

"Is there a seatbelt?" Grian said, sitting in a corner.

"Nope, so hold on tight!" Ares said starting the engine.

"If you want one, tell me," Grian said, putting on a helmet.

"What- where did you even get that?" Mumbo staggered.

"Don't ask, just tell me if you want one," Grian said.

"Yes, please give me one." Mumbo sighed.

"Can I have one too?" I asked, as he tried to give me one, Ares sped off.

"Oh, gods! Calm down, we're not too much in a hurry!" Hypno said, now shocked and awake, clutching on for dear life.

"This is breaking all speed laws! Ares!" Biffa said, as Ares narrowly skirted the bounder, causing everyone to slide to the right.

"You hit my leg!" Xb yelled.

"Sorry!" Keralis's voice said.

"Buckle up, we'll hit the water!" Ares yelled at the top of his lungs.

"We'll be hitting what?" Biffa screamed.

Then the car pulled a Jesus and just drives across the water.

"According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that this should be possible!" Scar said holding his hat as tightly as he could.

"Nothing is impossible, kid!" Ares yelled as if this is normal to him.

"I hope to gods that the mist can catch up to this thing!" False said, trying to hold her hair.

"The news is going to love this, Falsiey! Imagine, 'Car becomes Jesus and drives on the water!'" I said.

"I feel sick." Beef muttered as the car goes back on land and go across rocks.

Then the car came to a halt.

"Here we are, Nike's home!" Ares said, beaming proudly.

"You know what, I don't want tacos anymore." I weakly said.

"I have never been so gleeful to see the ground." Mumbo sank into his seat a little.

Python stood still in the shadows of his home, he came out, "What in the world happened."

"It's a long story." Stress said, dragging herself out of the car, handing Python his gloves back.

"Thanks! Uh- why does it smell like expired fish." Python said in surprise.

Stress stared at Iskall, "It's... a long story."

Biffa balanced himself, "Yo, Python."

"Biffa! Good to see you!" He gleamed, he then turned to us.

"Mom is asleep right now, and you should as well." He said, pointing to B-dubs yawning.

"Na, he's just like this," Biffa said.

"Well, at any rate, you should still sleep a bit! Come! We got some leaf beds." Python said.

"What about you, Ares?" Iskall asked his father.

"I'm going to speed back to Olympus. Before they think I got kidnapped in a jar again." Ares said, turning his car back into a short one.

"I kind of need to go too, you know... cop duties." Biffa awkwardly said.

"You're a cop?" Python said in glee.

"Yeah, Ares you better not speed off again," Biffa said, scorning Ares.

"THE LAW WON'T STOP ME-" Ares yelled, his voice fading as he speeds off.

"Wow, he's quick," Python said.

Iskall just turns away, "I am embarrassed that that is my father."

"Can we just sleep now?" B-dubs yawned.

"Yeah, I'm tired too," Hypno said, trying to balance himself.

"You two are always tried." I pointed out.

"There is no use in arguing, let's just go to sleep," Python said, leading his to some leaf beds.

"It's not the best, but mom made it with her love," Python said nervously pointing at some leaf pills near some bookshelves.

Ex walked over and flopped on one, "it's... good enough."

Python's expression turn to joy, "Glad you like it! Good night!"

That night we slept without dreams as if all time stopped and the dreams has stopped seeing the future.

...

I woke up to the smell of pancakes and syrup.

I sat up groggily and rubbed my eyes.

"Good morning Ren, do you mind waking up the others? I think I got some news to all of you." Nike said, this time taking the form of an adult woman with wings.

"Hiya, Ren! We are making pancakes!" Python said, flipping over a pancake.

"Dear, don't burn yourself that was very risky of you," Nike said in a motherly tone.

After I woke all my fellow Hermits up (B-dubs and Hypno was a pain to wake up.) We were cleaning ourselves up and listening to Python and Nike being wholesome mother and son together.

"I wish Ares was more like that..." Iskall said, combing his hair.

"Don't we all?" I sighed.

"I wonder if Biffa made it back safely," Cub said out loud.

Scar (who had his hat off) stared at the table of pancakes, "I want food."

Beef shook his head, "I think I lost my appetite forever because of that car ride."

"Or you just smell like vintage beef blood at all times," Xb said pointing at his work outfit.

"My outfit smells good! I think..." Beef said, his tone sad.

"Hermits! Breakfast is ready!" Python yelled from a stone table.

As if we have never eaten before, we have torn into the pancakes and finished them in no time.

"You are really hungry..." Nike noted, and shook her head, "At least have some matters! You looked like wolves."

"Wut?" Zed said with his mouth full.

"Swallow your food! You're going to choke." Nike scorned. (Gods, she's such a mom.)

Zed just tries to swallow all of the food in his mouth, causing him to choke.

"Not like that!" Impulse said with Tango wheezing in the corner.

Nike patted the choking Zed in the back, "You... are such an idiot."

Zed, half-dying (again) chocked out, "I know."

Nike rolled her eyes, "Anyways, I got some good news, and some bad ones as well."

Xisuma put his fork down, "I'm listening."

"Good news, I know why all of these things are happening," Nike said, her manner suddenly solemn.

"And? What about the bad news?"

"Bad news, I know why all of these things are happening," Nike repeated, a bit quieter.

"So tell," Xisuma said, clamming Ex's mouth (Helmet?) before he can say anything sarcastic.

"The night goddess is up," Nike said, her head resting on her intertwined fingers.

The silence was the atmosphere, all we can hear was the leaves brushing against each other and the chirps of a faraway bird.

"Nyx, she's plotting something, Hades been feeling it for a while, he first brushed it off as monsters wanting to escape. But it was bigger than that." Nike said, her voice dropping as if scared that someone may be listening.

"Can't Hades just... you know do his job and whack her a few times?" Ex said, Xisuma's hand still over his helmet.

"No, We can't just trespass on territory that doesn't belong to us." Nike said, nibbling on her pancake, "Also, I don't think a few whacks can kill Nyx."

"Don't Tartarus belong to Hades?" Tango asked.

"No, we had several political debates about that. Tartarus belongs to well, Tartarus." Nike calmly answered, putting a bit more syrup on Python's pancakes. (Which, already had a mountain of syrup)

"Mom, that's a bit too much syrup," Python said, although his face shows that he wanted more.

"Anyways, you may need to travel into Tartarus and make sure that Nyx... you know," Nike said, with a lot of hesitation.

"Ok, how does one do that." Beef asked.

"Tango knows the way. Don't you know that?" Nike said, staring at Tango.

"Sort of." Tango shrugged.

"...I'm taking that as a yes," Nike said, eating more pancakes.

"You're always welcomed to stock up here!" Python said, eating the last bit of his pancake.

"Well, thanks for the breakfast, but we should get going," False said, putting on her bag.

"No, you all must be tired of traveling around," Nike said, patting the seat near her.

"But, with all due respect, the news you just told us makes me want to get out as soon as possible," Wells replied.

"We are still not sure if Nyx is well...trying to break out, Hades will give me an update later on," Nike said, flying over to boil some tea.

"Oh, what tea are you making?" Xisuma, the British man asked.

Nike who was equally British (I know she's a Greek goddess, shush) "Tsai Tou Vounou, or Sideritis."

"What type of Latin did you just say?" B-dubs said, clearly not British enough.

"Wonderful choice of tea, I must say," Mumbo added in.

"It's just Mountain Tea, it just tastes like mint," Python said, not interested in the tea.

"Python, sweetie, won't you like a cup of it?" Nike said, her tone somewhat passive-aggressive.

"Ok, I guess a cup won't hurt."

Zed stares at Etho attentively.

"What?" Etho said, finally looking at Zed.

"You know when I first meet you, I paid 50 dollars for an ice cream," Zed said, recounting the day he met Etho.

"So?" Etho said, not catching on.

"I never got to eat it; it fell out while we were running," Zed stated, smiling wickedly.

"And... you want another one?" Etho asked.

"Yes, please, I would love another one please," Zed begged.

"Aye, Grian, you got any cones in your bag?" Etho said to Grian, who nodded.

"That would be another 50 dollars." Grian jokily said, passing the cones to Etho.

"No," Zed said lightheartedly.

Etho took off his mask and blew on the cones, and because of magic, ice cream appeared.

"Once we get back to camp, you need to teach me that," Zed said, excited.

Etho was handing Zed the ice cream when the ground violently shook.

Etho tripped over, the ice cream splatted onto the ground.

"My ice cream!" Zed said, knees on the ground, mourning over his ice cream. (He's a dramatic butt)

"What is- Earthquake?" Grian said, lifting off the ground, "No, the air isn't shaking."

"What-" Iskall got cut off.

"No time for basic geography, is this Hades?" False said.

"No! Hades won't just shadow travel here!" Nike said, the ground abruptly stopped shaking, and a faraway screech was heard.

"What is- Ah!" Stress said, narrowing avoiding a black blur dived down.

"A pigeon?" Zed asked staring at the black blur zooming around.

"No you idiot sandwich!" Ex said, quickly pulling out his sword.

The blur dived again, this time aiming for the sword and knocked off of Ex's sword.

The bird-like blur assembled on a tree branch, it looked like a stingray and was deep blue, a cream underbelly and small spines erupted out of its back, its head was much smaller than its body and it had glowing green eyes.

"A phantom," Nike said, suddenly dread.

"Correction. Phantoms, duck!" Joe shirked.

A dozen or so phantoms dove far, the wind whirled behind them.

The one on the tree shrieked a horrid noise, it was acting as if it was the leader of the group and it dove down from the tree and flow into the cage of phantoms.

"Do you have more arrows?" Joe asked, finding his bow.

"Yes, it's under the books," Nike said, spreading her wings and taking off.

"Try not to hit Nike," Grian said, also taking off, dagger in hand.

Grian was faster than Nike, but the Phantoms are faster and smarter, they spilled up and dove around, Grian and Nike can only chase one at a time and the fast-flying of the Phantoms makes it almost impossible to shoot at.

"I got one. One down!" Joe said, pointing at the corpse of Phantom.

"Are these Nike's Phantoms?" Xisuma said, grabbing the hilt of his hammer.

"I believe so, don't they only come out at night?" B-dubs said, now awake.

Python shouted an order, "Mom! Grian! Try and corner them!"

Hypno released an arrow, "We don't have enough time to kill all of them even if they are in a corner."

Python put on his gloves, "Who says we are using bows and arrows."

Xisuma rammed his hammer onto the ground, the force is strong enough to scare a few phantoms into flying closer to the corner.

Python nodded, "Yes! Continue doing that!"

Ex (For the first time) helped by throwing his shield like a frisbee and forcing two phantoms to head into the corner.

"I did expect you to," Iskall said before being cut off.

"Shut up, we won't ever speak of this." Ex groaned.

Grian and Nike rounded up the remaining phantoms into the corner, Joe and Hypno shot arrows at any phantoms that try and escape.

"Close your eyes! This is going to be bright." Python charging his gloves, a ring of magic appeared, and he punched, a beam of magic shocked the ground and blasted into the phantoms reducing them to nothing but corpses.

"Well, at least we don't have to wait for Hades' orders anymore," Grian said, landing onto the ground and brushing off the dust on his sweater.

"Are you alright dear?" Nike said, landing gracefully to kiss Python's forehead.

"Mom! You're embarrassing me!" Python said, looking away.

"Oh, don't be," Nike said, pulling Python into a hug.

Xisuma stared at them and turned, "I guess we'll have to keep going."

Zed, suddenly now excited "I'll lead!"

"You don't even know where to go," Tango said.

"Then you tell me where to go!" Zed said dashing off.

"Wait up!" Impulse said, running off to try and keep up.

"Zed! Wrong-way!" Tango said, sprinting off and the rest of us follows.

As the silhouette of the mother and son hugging disappears into the fading woods, a clear voice that belonged to Zedaph echoed, "BRING ON THE MONSTERS!"

TLDR:

As the Hermits journey back to Nike, they find out something is very wrong and that the Night Goddess, Nyx may be the cause of all their issues.

Author's notes:

NEW ANIMATION GUYS, AND A NEW AU FOR ME TO PLAY WITH:

https://youtu.be/7rEv7rKVpYg

(Hey, something about this Grian is familiar, have we seen someone with a yellow crystal necklace before?)

Sorry about the last chapter, it was a bit shorter.

Mm? What do mean it was glitched out?

I see no issues.

I mean...

Anything and everything can be translated back into English.

Just takes some time to copy and paste them all and find the correct coding language.