"It's hard not to be, here," Artemis said between sharp breaths. He wasn't going to cry, he wasn't. "Everyone around me can handle themselves in a battle. I'm consistently the one who is reprimanded or shouted at for not knowing what to do. I have to be told exactly what to do, otherwise I'm unable to act. That kind of obstacle just boggles my mind. It frustrates and scares me to think that I can't do anything without wondering if I'm doing it right."

He turned his head away from Haku, unable to hide his face any other way. "I'm strong in other areas, but being here--existing here from day-to-day, isn't one of them."