— VII. THALIA & THESEUS: HONORS —
"Excuse me?" Thalia asked incredulously, staring at her (lesser) cousin. The guy was the complete opposite of Percy. Where Percy was kind, he was cruel. Where Percy was calm, he was hot-headed; friendly versus standoffish, just versus entitled. Compassionate versus the most obnoxiously misogynistic bastard Thalia had ever had the displeasure of meeting.
"Regardless of your father," the fucker said condescendingly, "you don't belong out here, fighting monsters. That's the job of heroes, not women."
"I will break you." Thalia told him, voice quiet and fists and jaw clenched tight.
He laughed delightedly, as if he hadn't a concern in the world. "I hardly see how that is possible, girl" he mocked. "If you recall, from legends," he whispered it self-exultingly, "I killed the Minotaur! Centaurs! Amazons and fiends!"
"Oh you self-absorbed, vainglorious b—"
"You, girl, are far from a king!" he paraded. "Far from achieving the honors of my station!"
"And what station is that?" Thalia muttered, "Third stop at Assholeville?"
"You impudent wench," Theseus, king of Athens and Being A Miserable Bastard, seethed, reaching for the massive club at his waist (he used it to kill the Minotaur!).
"Oh, say that again," Thalia goaded, hands itching for her spear. "Give me a reason."
"What accomplishments do you have?" Theseus accused. "You have done nothing that surpasses my might. You play at being a Lieutenant of your lady's hunt. Play at might and heroism when it is clear you lack honor. Lack respect; for your father, brothers, yourself. What woman chooses herself over serving her father? Her husband? A dishonorable one!"
"Do you have, like, an inferiority complex?" Thalia asked, genuinely curious. "Or are you just so oblivious to the real world that you invent pretty little scenarios in your head where you're the best around, and all women love you and you can do no wrong?"
"Besides," she continued snidely. "You've got a lot of nerve to talk about honor. What's honorable in ditching the woman who saved your life on an island to die? What's honorable about trying to kidnap Lady Persephone? What's honorable about never being there for your kingdom? For so disregarding the respect others deserve? For being so inconsiderate of your own father that he thinks you dead? What have you done that has any value? You're a piece of work, and no one has ever seriously appreciated you. Fuck off, Theseus, and go back to the dank little hole you crawled out of, you insignificant worm."
— next: VIII. ANNABETH & ATHENA: MOTHER —
