Tom Holmes, or Sherlock Firefield

I was preparing my stuff ready to leave, the food was almost ready, cooking outdoor has been a nice experience, although most ingredients were bought in the nearest supermarkets. I have always loved animals, and while I could kill one if I needed it I preferred to buy stuff. Today I was cooking basic Risotto with sausages and zucchini. Provisions were running low, I would need to stop to replenish them soon. Although a good risotto could last me for a while, with a bit of reheating.

What I did not expect however was to hear rustling sounds nearby and without even being able to raise my sword an arrow threateningly decided to plant itself just in front of my feet rooting me on the spot. Then from the trees and surrounding bushes spawned something like 20 or so fully armored girls with raised bows making way for who looked like to be the leader.

"Stay where you are male, do not even think of moving," says one of the girls, voice filled with venom

What the fuck did I do now... I have been hunting monsters here for literal months, why do they come now, and what the fuck do they even want from me... I swear, trouble just likes to find me...

Looking at the Lady of the hunt I speak "Milady Artemis" I bow slightly "To what do I owe the pleasure? I hope I have not been unknowingly trespassing your borders"

"Nothing of the sort male, if not that arrow would have not missed the target," she says making me deadpan, look lady I know you own the forest and shit but I was here before you, it would be wise to build your camp away from people

"Now, going back to this whole ordeal, since you are very close to our camp, I will need to ask you a couple of questions male. First of all, what is a mortal doing in this forest, considering that Half-Blood Camp is so far away from here?" she asks icily all hunters with their bows still trained on my figure

"Fast answer, the previous quest has shown me just how powerless I am in this world, and I realized that without further structured training and combat experience I will not be able to survive this. All that considering that I am now with high probability on Luke's and Kronos' hunting list and war is probably going to come soon." I respond coolly showing my complete disinterest in the situation, not disrespectful and not fearful.

"Oh? You speak dangerous words there... Zeus is very convinced that Kronos is not raising... Are you going against Father mortal? You also won versus Ares, you still feel the need for more power?" she asks... She was testing me, trying to figure out my motives and loyalties, she is probably convinced that a male cannot be in any way good, and must be flawed in some way, greedy for power, fame, and recognition. And she is right in some way, just that this need is pervasive in all humanity, not just males. I am not mad with her, she is just making use of a defense mechanism, they are used when your mental schemes are under threat (either because of invalidation or because something happening in the world is different than what you thought it was), she needs to make me a bad person cause males are bad, or else her convictions will crumble and she cannot allow that.

"Ares? oh please, we both know that the God has been toying with us all fight, and the only reason he did not kill us was because of his need to embarrass himself, as seen throughout history... That and the fact that probably someone stopped him. My guess is on Kronos but heh. Regarding Zeus? Well, he can think whatever he wants really, that's his privilege, mine is to be able to improve me and my weaknesses in case Olympus will ever be in need. Also, I would like to remind you that I am already under oath to be loyal to Olympus, so there is that Milady." I say with a shrug

"Mmh, how long have you been hunting here mortal?" she then asks noticing that all her questions failed to make me slip.

"Ever since Luke betrayal more on less"

Driiin

The timer rings while an arrow misses my head by a couple of inches. Thank the gods for my fast reflexes.

"Really?" I start addressing the hunters"You just got scared... of an alarm clock... unbelievable" I turn my back from the virgins stirring my Risotto one last time before taking it out from the fire

"Milady, have you eaten yet? Would you like some? I made a bit too much"

She raises her eyebrow, she does that a lot "And why would I eat something made from a male?" she asks me with ridicule

I just shrug "Because I am a good enough cook. You don't have to anyways... more for me" I just chuckle

"I will have to decline, anyway my questioning is done, you are allowed to keep hunting here. Do not enter our camp however or you will find out why our reputation precedes us" she says with finality

"Uhh, seems like I'm the only neighbor that knows how to treat their guests. Any lakes or rivers off-limits?"

"Just the river close to camp, the rest is fair game," she says surprised I would even ask about things like that.

"Understandable. Thanks for the... "visit" milady, been a while since I talked to people" I say walking away to take plates and start eating

"Goodbye." she just says walking away with her hunters. Bitter that there was nothing to pick up from the confrontation.

Artemis left the scene her hunters in tow, Zoe Nightshade, her first lieutenant was the first to speak "So that's the mortal boy huh? The one who kept giving tributes to you almost every meal?" (a/n, not a native English speaker I cannot replicate her speech with confidence, forgive me, just pretend she does speak like that)

"Yes... That's the one, what is your opinion of him?" the Lady asks

"Milady, apart from being a male, I do feel something weird from him, it feels like... I don't know... as if we are amusing to him?" she says frowning a bit, sometimes people forget just who are these girls, some have lived for a thousand years, seen countless plots, people, met thousands of mythological beings. For the best archer in the camp (after Artemis) and one of the oldest as well understanding people at a glance should not really come as a surprise. "He never seemed that bothered by the hunters during our exchange, and although he always answered and asked respectfully, he never really made an effort to do so. Let me rephrase that though... it is not as if he was not scared... he just never cared enough(?) But why..." if even the Lieutenant had trouble figuring a mortal out, it had to mean something

"He is hiding something, isn't he? Also... the grey streaks on his hair were never there before, so something must have happened." adds the Goddess

"Suspicious..."

///

Now you might be wondering how I ended up in this situation... Well, it all started when we got back from our quest.

Chiron was congratulating everyone especially Percy for his courage, he always had a soft spot for the boy.

The Stoll brothers were doing their best at being overly happy, and we were all having a good time until the fated question came from Brian a child of Athena.

"But Percy, based on your story, who was the person whom you call friend that betrayed you?"

Immediately silence enveloped the crowd, and Percy was at a loss.

Annabeth came to the rescue "Well, it is the one who stole the bolt?" she says tentatively

"You don't know who it was?" asks Luke faking concern

"No we do not-" I rudely interrupt Annabeth

"Actually we do," I say surprising everybody western included

"We do?" asks Percy with an 0o0 face like a fish out of the water, damnit Perce you are just too much, my heart can only take so much adorableness before exploding.

"As a matter of fact all of you do, you are just trying to deny it, well, maybe not Perce I don't think he knows"

"Hey!" he says pouting

"Look Annie, I get it, I really do, you cannot possibly even think of that person as bad, or else you might very well break but. You do know in your subconscious and so does Grover my Tin-loving man is smart even if he sometimes forgets he is. It was thanks to him that I finally uncovered the mystery of the Lightning Thief"

*collective Gasps*

"Yo, is Grover being smart THAT surprising?

SMACK, a well-deserved smack on the arm by our favorite Smart-lass (notice the pun?) momentarily breaks the seriousness of it all "You are just impossible sometimes you know that? Explain Sherlock"

"Elementary dear Watson" SMACK that I promptly ignore, lately she has been having a lot of fun with smacking my arm "It is actually pretty simple, the prophecy mentions a friend, and mercy doesn't have many he can call friends in camp, after all, he literally just came to camp and I doubt that the God who turned is Percy's friend isn't he..."

Everyone nods at this pretty straightforward

"Secondly the bolt was stolen during the feast on Olympus, meaning that the thief HAD to be present there, then steal the bolt and give it to the God who turned and we are not allowed to say the name. The question is how? Then it hit me, the person had to come and go unnoticed meaning he had to become invisible."

To that a few nods and a few narrow their eyes, Luke's expression unreadable

"Now the thief HAS to be a demigod, otherwise none else could have stolen the bolt, as Symbols of Power cannot be touched by other gods. So if we assume that the friend who betrayed Percy and the thief are the same people well... there is only one conclusion" I let it sink in

"But what if they are two different people?" asks Annabeth

"Them we would be back at square one, but if we assume that to be true, then we can narrow it all down to one single person. At least we have something." I tell her

"Then who, because honestly, I have no idea"

"I will ask some questions, after those questions you refuse to ask yourself in fear of being right like always my dearest you will have your answer. Ready?" I ask her teasingly

"Yes..." she just frowns

"Question number one: Who betrayed Percy? Well, something happened during the quest, that was clearly unexpected, remember when you told me you went in hades? Remember that a pair of shoes almost dragged you down to Tartarus? Remember who gave you those shoes?"

Annabeth widened her eyes "NO I-"

"SHUT UP" I scream scaring her, "I have not finished

"So I explained that the demigod who stole the bold had to be invisible, Annie did you have your invisibility hat with you all the time? Or did you at any point leave it with someone?" I ask her

she was trembling, now she realized it as well "...No..." was all she could answer Percy was glaring at Luke tears about to come out, he realized as well, I mean the shoes were a big clue

"I hate to do this to you but... who did you give it to?"

The crowd was absolutely silent now waiting for that name everyone would recognize as the culprit, there was nothing else to add, proof was overwhelming seeing the quester's reactions.

"I gave it to... Luke... Please tell me it is not true please"

"Annabeth I..."

"PLEASE LUKE SWEAR YOU DID NOT DO IT"

"..."

Everyone was shocked, none could believe it, not Luke.

"Swear on the Stix you did not do it Luke and we will all go home happy, please tell me I am wrong in my deduction. Tell me I am an idiot and that I should trust the person who was always so nice to everyone." I fake all of it, I needed to, after all, it looks like I am trying to pin the blame on him. If someone thinks that I did all of this for clout even knowing that I am right my reputation will sink. I might even end up as a jealous bitch. Such is the stupidity of humans. After all when you hear negative traits from someone Psychological studies fount out that people associate those traits to the person who said them not to the person they are directed to. Which is weird af, and this follows kind of the same principle.

"Luke you bastard, I believed in you!" says Percy defeated almost

"It is all because of you! Ever since you mortal came to camp, everything just went down the gutter! YOU WILL PAY TOM, YOU WILL PAY!" he screams at me before disappearing in a puff of smoke. He knew that after failing to reason with Annabeth about the greater good and why what he did was good, there was no place for him here anymore.

///

I needed to leave from here, I needed to get stronger.

There was something I needed to do first but... after that... prepare yourself because I am coming for you

Atlas

///