These girls were many things. Being friendly to males was not one of them.

Shirou had refused to let the Di'Angelo's out of his sight. The second he had entered this camp, he felt more like a prisoner than a guest. He had felt bows trained on him and Nico a handful of times, but never once on Bianca. Hell, he hadn't even gotten a chance to ask any of these teenagers what the hell was going on. He could understand if a rogue mage practicing human experiments had turned himself into a chimera. He could understand hunting other mages down. What he couldn't figure out was all this talk of mortals and Gods. Thorn mentioned Poseidon even. That was too coincidental to say that these are all just rogue mages.

Shirou needed to understand the situation. His life could depend on it.

The girl's leader was an auburn-haired adolescent. Like, a 12-year-old. She seemed different to Percy. Not only with her age, but the fact that she carried herself differently than everyone else. Like she was a 'goddess' herself. As soon as they arrived at the camp, she met with Thalia, then Percy. Bianca was asked to talk to her, and after Percy had a small argument with one of the girls in silver, Bianca left.

"We didn't get a chance to talk earlier. My name is Percy Jackson."

"Nice to meet you Percy, my name is Shirou Emiya. You mentioned Gods earlier, I need to know exactly what you meant."

"What do you think he meant by it? Beach boy here couldn't hold a secret even if he tried. The Greek Gods are real, they are in America, and you have just walked into the middle of all their drama. Welcome to the party!" Thalia interjected with so much sarcasm that he thought she was joking at first, but the look on Percy's face was enough to let him know she wasn't lying.

"By Greek Gods, you don't mean the actual ones from the myths? Like, these people are just really powerful mages, right?"

"They're the real deal, all their magic, miracles, and problems included. Most mortals aren't clear sighted like you. Wouldn't count yourself lucky though, seeing where you and Percy are now."

"And pray tell, where would we be right now?"

"Well, you are in the presence of the Hunters of Artemis. Percy just narrowly avoided becoming a deer few minutes ago, and you're a nobody. If that's how Artemis treats the Son of Poseidon, then you've got no chance. I'd start groveling now if I were you."

Root be damned. If these kids were telling the truth, then Shirou would need to try and make himself valuable. He was too exhausted to get away from them, so coercion was his best bet.

Shirou notably grimaced. The Age of the Gods should be gone. These deities cared nothing for the people that they subjugated. Killing, raping, torturing, allowing human sacrifices, there was nothing that these gods held sacred in regards to man. The Iliad was enough to prove that.

Percy only thought that the mortal was contemplating his crappy situation. Thalia knew a little better. The look on Shirou's face was one of intensity. Like the face of a soldier who spent years in war, only to be forced back.

"He can't just be a nobody Thalia. Did you see what he did to Thorn? He shot him with flying swords, anyone who can do..."

"Shut it! There are plenty of people who can do things like that! Magic exists Percy, and just because some mortals know how to use it doesn't mean that they should! We were fine without him. End of story."

"Mortals? Gods? What does that matter? I can't think of anything more redundant. We all exist, we all are in this together. If you get over that hubris, this 'mortal' may just surprise you." Shirou had enough of this. It sounded like when he first went to the Clock Tower and how people had commented about him not coming from noble blood.

Thalia definitely got upset over that comment and brandished her spear, "We can go anytime you like."

Shirou could cut the tension with a butter knife, but fighting a girl in a camp ran by women might get him into trouble. Before he could interject, he was cut off by a new person. One of the hunters. Tall, dark and beautiful, this girl seemed uninterested in altercation about to take place in front of her.

"Before you kill the male, milady Artemis would have a word with him."

"Why let her have all the fun? And he deserves it Zoe."

"Everyone deserves something according to you, but this is not your decision. Step. Back."

Standing up, Shirou decided to appease both of them.

"Relax, I can fight you after I talk with the Goddess. Your name was Zoe, right? Please do with me what your lady desires. I am in your care." Zoe looked at him uneasy. Like he was a snake about to bite her. Shirou could only imagine what transpired to make her hate men this much. Knowing full well how evil humanity could be, he didn't want to ponder on it. But he couldn't escape that feeling, that something was… wrong. That he knew what was wrong.

And then it all came to him

It happened in an instant. Brief enough that the others around him didn't notice, but Shirou saw a memory, from Percy's sword. He could finally understand why he couldn't understand the thing, it was thousands of years old. So much history to comprehend in the sword, it was as if the sword knew his mind couldn't handle all of it. Shirou saw Zoe with a man that was all too familiar to Shirou. Hercules. Technically Heracles, but it mattered little to him at this point. This must have happened thousands of years ago when he was a mortal. Without the curse of the berserker class. While he wasn't the beast that Shirou had met during the grail war, he was still recognizable. Heracles used Zoe to get a golden apple. She even gave him her sword. The sword that belonged to her mother. He never returned for her. Broken trust, and a broken heart, she was discarded by everyone she loved.

Snapping back to reality, Shirou saw Zoe walking off, and decided to catch up with her. If he was going to turn into a deer, then he would face it how a man should.