"Shhh, shhh" he cooed to the trembling girl, who's knuckles were gripping the hammer she had so hard they were turning white, "We're not going to hurt you."

The girl withdrew her hammer from his chest a little.

"I'm serious. Listen, I'm Luke. And that's Thalia," he pointed to the girl with the choppy black hair, who was tentatively putting down her shield.

"I'm Annabeth" the girl blew some hair out of her eyes, "and I'm seven."

"Thalia, put down your shield" Luke said, Thalia obeying and tapping the shield, causing it to shrink into a silver charm bracelet.

A cat jumped out from behind the dumpster they were by, causing the girl to cringe, "NO! No m-more monsters!"

"Hey, hey, shhhh" Luke cooed.

"We fight monsters too" Thalia added. That made her open up her eyes again. She stared at the two with big, grey eyes.

"So," Luke sat back on his heels by the girl, "Why are you in a dark alley fighting monsters by yourself?"

"Because I'm a demigod," she stated smartly, "And you guys are too."

"Why, yes we are but what about your parents?" Thalia asked, her teeth gritted at the mention of 'parents'.

"They don't like me" she pouted.

"I can believe tha-" Luke started, but Thalia kicked him in the side, saying, "I'm sure they don't ," with such a shortage of hope a rock wouldn't believe her.

"I'm never going back" Annabeth huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, her hammer clattering to the tar beneath them.

"Thalia, we have to get moving. Three demigods in one place? They can smell us from miles away," Luke whispered to Thalia, standing up.

Thalia shot him a look that said something like: We can't just pack up and say "See ya little girl have fun being eaten!"

Luke nodded and bent down next to Annabeth.

He pulled out Hal's golden dagger and offered it to Annabeth, "Daggers are weapons for only the fastest and smartest warriors. We think you're very smart."

"I'm fast too!" Annabeth took the dagger from Luke.

Thalia chuckled "We could use a warrior like you."

"What do you say?" Luke asked, offering her his hand.

"You won't take me back to my family?" she questioned.

"Never. We are your new family now. And I promise you, that we will never fail you like our families did us. Deal?" Luke promised.

"Deal!" Annabeth beamed.

So as the boy made his devotion to the little girl, at the same time he was making one the Thalia too. That he would never fail them. And you will never be forgotten, with me by your side.