𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐇𝐄𝐌 ✸ 𝐏𝐉𝐎

𝙤𝙤. 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜

"Monsters!" the girl protested, her voice trembling with fear.

"No," Luke promised earnestly. "But we know all about monsters. We fight them too."

Gradually, the girl's struggles subsided, her wary gaze fixed on Luke and Thalia with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

"You're like me?" she ventured cautiously.

"Yeah," Luke affirmed with a smile. "We're... well, it's hard to explain, but we're monster fighters. Where's your family?"

The girl's expression darkened with sadness. "My family hates me," she confessed. "They don't want me. I ran away."

Thalia and Luke exchanged knowing glances, their empathy evident in their eyes as they listened to the girl's plight.

"What's your name, kiddo?" Thalia asked gently.

"Annabeth," the girl replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Luke's smile widened. "Nice name, Annabeth. I tell you what, Annabeth—you're pretty fierce. We could use a fighter like you."

Annabeth's eyes widened with disbelief. "You could?"

"Oh, yeah," Luke affirmed, extending his knife towards her. "How'd you like a real monster-slaying weapon? This is Celestial bronze. Works a lot better than a hammer."

Percy watched, his heart swelling with admiration as Annabeth's eyes sparkled with newfound hope. In that moment, he knew that their lives would never be the same.

nder most circumstances, offering a seven-year-old kid a knife would not be a good idea, but when you were a half-blood, regular rules kind of go out the window.

Annabeth gripped the hilt of the knife, her small fingers wrapping around it with a mixture of trepidation and determination.

"Knives are only for the bravest and quickest fighters," Luke explained, his voice carrying a sense of gravity that belied his young age. "They don't have the reach or power of a sword, but they're easy to conceal and they can find weak spots in your enemy's armor. It takes a clever warrior to use a knife. I have a feeling you're pretty clever."

Annabeth stared up at him with adoration shining in her eyes. "I am!"

Thalia grinned, her expression a mix of pride and camaraderie. "We'd better get going, Annabeth. We have a safe house on the James River. We'll get you some clothes and food."

"You're... you're not going to take me back to my family?" Annabeth asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "Promise?"

Luke placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his gaze unwavering. "You're part of our family now. And I promise I won't let anything hurt you. I'm not going to fail you like our families did us. Deal?"

"Deal!" Annabeth exclaimed happily, her trust in Luke unwavering.

"Now, come on," Thalia urged, her voice filled with urgency. "We can't stay put for long!"

The scene shifted, and the three demigods were running through the woods. It must've been several days later, maybe even weeks. All of them looked worn and weary, bearing the scars of battles fought and hardships endured. Annabeth was clad in new clothes—jeans and an oversize army jacket that hung off her small frame.

"Just a little farther!" Luke encouraged, his voice strained with exhaustion. Annabeth stumbled, and he reached out to steady her, his grip firm and reassuring. Thalia brought up the rear, her shield raised high as if to ward off whatever pursued them. She was limping on her left leg, a testament to the trials they had faced.