Artemis' POV
How dare she? I was forcing myself to suppress my anger because she helped me but she was going too far. "You don't know anything about me!" I exclaimed indignantly, to which she sneered, her sea-green eyes shining harshly.
"Oh, I know you, Artie. You're just like the other gods. Strong to the weak, submissive to the strong. Fair when it suits you. You use your powers to bully those weaker than you and kill those who offend you, even when they have no way of defending themselves! You and your ideologies are hypocritical. You cast males as villains when they are all not. Sure, there are some slimy arses but that's not just limited to men. They can even include women. But you refuse to see that. You go around turning every male who sees you naked into a jackelope or some other animal yet never bother to bathe somewhere private where people won't accidentally come across you. On the one hand, you disapprove of men for exerting their powers and strength over women and yet you turn around and do the exact same thing over men. You claim to be a goddess who advocates justice. Yet your justice is blinded when it is not convenient for you or you let your spite towards men overpower your sense of justice (talking about when Artemis voted against Percy)."
"That's not true!" I exclaim, even though deep down I wonder if it is in fact true.
"Really?", she questions me without giving me a gap to respond before she continues, "You hate Hera for harming your mother, yet you have no issue showering Zeus with affection even though you know he cheats on his wife and forces himself on others. You have never stood up to him in defense of all the women who've been assaulted. I used to always side with you gods but in reality, you gods are the ones who raised many of the monsters that hunt us demigods down. Take Athena, for example. You look up to her, don't you? She physically abused and cursed Arachne and for what, for being better at something than her? For honestly portraying Olympus for what it was? What about Medusa? She was forced upon by Poseidon and the goddess who was supposed to be on her side (Athena), who was supposed to protect her, punished her instead. And for what? For being unwillingly defiled? For being held down and forced against her will? For being raped? For being weak? You advocate for women; where were you when this happened? You gods spread all these tales glorifying yourselves when in reality you're anything but regal!"
(A/N: So while re-reading Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, I realized that, according to the book, Medusa was seduced by Poseidon and willingly took part in defiling Athena's temple. However, according to online sources, a more common version is that Medusa was raped by Poseidon. And when she turned to Athena for help, the latter punished her instead for being involved (even unwillingly) in desecrating her temple. I had assumed this was the original version and since I had read The Greek Gods a very long time ago, I wasn't aware that in PJO, Medusa was portrayed as a willing partner. (For the sake of the RTTP story, I am going with the she got raped version.)
"You can't blame their sins on me!" I exclaim.
"Can't I? You're the protector of women, the protector of maidens. Medusa was a maiden who was defiled. Did you protect her? Forget Arachne, forget Medusa. There was a certain huntress from your very group who was raped—and by your precious father, at that. Remember her?"
I flinched. It felt as though I had been physically slapped. I knew instantly who she was talking about. Kallisto, my dear friend and former lieutenant. "That wasn't my fault! She broke her oath; she was with a child! I couldn't—" I start, desperate to defend myself.
"Wasn't it? First of all, she never broke her oath; she was raped. And what did you do when you found out, Artemis? Did you attack your father? Did you yell? Did you raise a fuss? Did you even bring it up with him, so much as to mention it in his presence? Or did you hide your tail between your legs because you were so afraid of going against the mighty Zeus that you turned your back on the person who trusted you, who you were supposed to protect???"
"That's enough!" Zoë cried out on my behalf while I remained speechless. PJ didn't seem deterred and continued as though she had never been interrupted. I remember the look in her eyes when I first saw her, the kindness and something else. It was betrayal, hurt, and anger that were born from it.
"Did you know Zeus impersonated you to get Kallisto to lower her guard? She thought it was you when Zeus came up to her and started talking to her. She let her guard down and as a result, she was raped. And what did you do? Punished her for being defiled by turning her into a bear? Did you know how long it took before she was hunted down? Did you protect her?? "
"She was pregnant! Master had no choice!!!" Zo attempted in my defense only to be shut down by PJ.
"BULSHIT!" PJ yelled, storming to her feet, her eyes blazing with hatred at the words Zoë had uttered. "Don't ever say there wasn't a choice. There is always a choice. Always a way! Artie could break her own rules and invite males like Orion and Hippolytus into her hunt but she couldn't keep someone who had been defiled. The very people you set out to protect! KALLISTO WANTED TO STAY WITH YOU!!! So what if she was pregnant? You could have raised the child as part of the hunt or offered it for adoption. If it were a boy, you could have sent him out at a reasonable age."
I forced my tears back. I was Artemis; damn it, I would not cry! "She lied to me!" I whispered in a weak attempt to defend myself yet again, knowing it was in vain.
PJ snorts in response. "Please keep telling yourself that. There were so many other options yet you chose the one that betrayed the trust that was placed in you. It went against the rules? You gods are best known for breaking worse rules. Rules have never meant anything to you, gods, so why should they start now? She lied to you? She did what she felt would let her stay by your side. I guess deep down she knew you wouldn't compromise your precious rules, even if it were for your best friend. Cause at the end of the day, that's where your loyalty lies!"
My eyes shone with unshed tears. Had I really done that? Had I let down my friend? I never confronted Zeus because, well, what good would it do? He was much stronger and more powerful on a different scale. He favored me as his daughter. He wouldn't change either way and I couldn't do anything to make him regret his decisions. So I let bygones be bygones. But was that the right thing to do? She was my best friend, and I never sought her justice.
"That's why I would never join your hunt. Because I don't trust you. I don't trust you to protect me if it comes down to it. I don't trust you to stand up to or go against your father if he wishes to unreasonably kill me. I don't trust you to be just or fair. You are like your father and most of your family. You do what is best for you. You choose what won't harm you. You—none of you—deserve my loyalty. And I am done with each of you. I've decided to live the way you all do, prioritizing what is best for me." She finished, her tone apathetic.
"What about you? You judge me based on some predefined notion that is not accurate. Anyone can change, even me!" I exclaim.
"I judge you based on what you did to me. And you're right, I suppose; people change. But you haven't shown me any proof that you will... I'll give you an opportunity to prove yourself if you'd like!" She offers as an afterthought. I stare at her suspiciously, wondering what she will make me do. "How?"
She looks at me without an ounce of trust; her lips are set in a thin line as she answers. "It's simple really. Your family, save for Hades, of course, doesn't know about my existence. I've been doing a pretty good job keeping it secret, you see. But in a span of one day, I was forced to reveal my identity to three gods, all because you decided to barge into the home of the girl who was under my protection. Now, normally, I'd prefer using a stronger guarantee like the Styx Oath. But I'll give you a chance. Do not reveal my existence to your kin. Do not so much as mention me or the girl I protect. Erase this day from your mind and continue with your lives as though you never met me. If you can keep my secret till the end through your own effort, I suppose it means you are capable of change."
She says her piece and turns to leave before coming to a halt at a stool near the tent's entrance. She summons a crystal bottle from somewhere and gently places it on the table. She turns her face towards me and I see the evil glint in her eyes that matches the smirk on her lips. "It's a little something you can use on those two bozos who drugged you. It's basically a medicine that provides the opposite effect of an aphrodisiac. On the one hand, it will make one feel all hot and bothered yet unable to put out for three weeks, give or take, during which they will experience pain akin to being bitten all over by a gazillion fire ants, and by all over, I mean every single inch of their body." Her smirk widens at the hidden implication of her words. I was honestly surprised that even after saying she didn't like or trust me, she was still willing to leave me something that I could use as revenge against Apollo and Hermes. I guess that tells more about her character.
"You owe me, Artie. For saving you from a fate you'd regret forever and for providing you with a tool for your revenge! I hope you remember that before you decide to spill details about me to anyone. Whether you keep my secret due to indebtedness or to prove you've changed, I don't care. So long as you keep it a secret." And with that, she waltzed through the tent's flaps and disappeared.
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