The Run 5

Author Note: I went to see the "Sea of Monsters" and I have come up with a critique! :P

As a sequel for the book: Decent. It had some components in the actual book, but it changed some things and added things that didn't happen originally. Points for putting Thalia in, though!

As a sequel for the movie: Amazing. I loved the special effects and how they tied in loose ends, even if they did screw up mythology a bit.

*Time shift to two years into the future. Luke and Thalia have continued to run for authority, having been in several states and now making their way up north. Little do they know that they have been nearing Camp Half Blood for some time; They are grown a strong relationship and truly look after each other.*

***Four months previous.***

It was almost like he knew she was going to run that night.

Annabeth's young mind was highly conflicted as she made her way up the stairs. For once, her father had read her a story without the boys being there; It was just father and daughter while the boys were bathed. The seven year old girl slowly pulled on her fleece PJs, pulling her hair in a ponytail and slowly crawling under the covers. She knew she wouldn't be sleeping that night, and could only think of the small bag she had under the bed as her father kissed her goodnight. Once the room grew dark, she waited anxiously and listened to everybody else turning in for the night.

Forever seemed to pass before she finally jumped to her feet.

Working as quickly as she could, she grabbed up her bag and tiptoed down the stairs. The TV lulled on with her wicked stepmother fast asleep in front of it; The child froze and considered just running tomorrow.

No, I have school tomorrow. They'll notice faster if I'm not there, especially because I love school, the girl reminded herself. Both parents came to wake up the children in the morning before going to their jobs, so she knew they wouldn't realize she was gone until they got home; The teachers would likely think she was just sick.

Moving quietly and quickly, she crept across the carpeted floor toward the exit. She couldn't help but glance back at the woman she always knew would never be her mother- Sleeping, she looked almost peaceful. She appeared to be as motherly as she did to Matthew and Bobby, but the small blonde knew exactly what she was to her.

"You little freak! You're not as smart as you think you are, you're just a little joke!" That was her latest shriek of anger.

"Oh yeah?! We'll see about that!" The girl had retorted before running upstairs.

"We'll see indeed," the child whispered very quietly to herself, slowly clicking open the door and creeping up. Before her stepmother could stirr, she'd shut the door behind her as quietly and quickly as she could before running off into the night.

***Present time.***

"It's safe in here," Luke informed his companion after emerging from their newest potential hideout.

Thalia raised an eyebrow at the sorry sight of a house they'd stumbled into. It was in a clearing, which both of them had figured out was never a good thing when being hunted by monsters. They were actually only coming back in the area for a short time after getting turned around at the border by some chimera; This house would hopefully provide some shelter for the night or so until they could locate where a safehouse was rumored to be. At least, it's what an old lady in an old shop told them after handing them a baggy of ambrosia.

"Are you sure there's nothing in there?" the twelve year old girl raised an eyebrow.

The fourteen year old nodded confidently. "I scoped out the entire area. We're going to be okay for tonight."

As they entered, though, the girl couldn't help but feel at unease. There was something strangely alive about this building, and though Luke was completely sure of himself, she wasn't.

Just as Luke set down his small bag, she was proven correct.

She let out a shrill scream as the waterbugs scaled her body, something sharp like teeth drilling into her skin. Before both of their horrified eyes, the creatures shifted into large dogs, then wolf-like creatures with wings. The twelve year old crumpled at the weight, her wrist snapping under one's paw as she screamed, kicking and squirming wildly to activate her shield. Her friend was able to act more quickly, however, and was pulling one of his knives from one's hip when it began turning to ash. This gave her the slight opening she needed to lunge out, stumbling to her feet and activating her defense weapon.

The two demigods moved as quickly and precisely as they could, but in the end, they were still young. Both of them were too skinny and had gone through much for their young ages; it was obvious from a quick glance, much less a proper look. They'd become very strong and very smart and they both knew this well as they tore through the chimera.

But in the end, they were still just kids, and all they had with their little family of two.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The small girl was scared.

When she lived with her wicked stepmother and loving father, she lived in worry half her time. Now that she was on her own, though, she was completely terrified. There were far too many times she was nearly killed and plenty of times she had killed a demon much more wicked than what she'd feared, leaving her too afraid to even trust her own shadow. She was smart and strategic as a child of Athena, but she was just a child.

Nothing could change that.

She'd been heading to the East when she heard the sounds of fighting and screaming. Trusting her instincts instantly, she fled deeper into the woods until she reached an abandoned warehouse. Most of them had long since pulled free or destroyed, but it would serve as a fitful, undisturbed hiding place. The little blonde crept in, her tiny fist desperately hanging onto the hammer she'd snagged when being stalked at a hardware store. Upon sensing nothing, she slowly made her way into one of the collapsed buildings, easing herself into a small, tight ball on the ground beneath a large piece of plywood.

If nothing else, a small nap couldn't hurt anything.

Annabeth wasn't sure how long her nap lasted, but it ended abruptly when the sounds of quiet, cautious footsteps began approaching. Gripping the hilt of her only weapon with all of her worth, she dashed behind a piece of tin, crouching.

"I heard something..." A boy's voice whispered, making her grip the tool a bit tighter.

All of a sudden, her protection flew away, revealing her fully to the monsters. She let out a small battle cry, instantly lunging out. Unfortunately, the boy stepped out of the way just in time, grabbing her wrist and sending the tool flying. Growling and baring her small pointy teeth, she began kicking and punching with her all, determined not to let these two new monsters get the best of her.

"Whoa!" He yelped.

"No more monsters!" She growled. "Go away!"

"It's okay!" He was moving frantically to contain her, which only made her that more determined to get away. "Thalia, put your shield up. You're scaring her."

In moments her large, terrifying shield was gone, but the child was hardly calmed.

"Hey, it's alright," the girl tried. "We're not going to hurt you. I'm Thalia and this is Luke."

"Monsters!" she accused sharply.

"No," the boy replied in a kind tone. "But we know about monsters. We fight them, too."

Slowly but surely, she began to slow her struggles. She looked over the two in front of her; both had ripped clothes and looked like they'd been fighting something big and scary like she had.

"You're...like me?" She had her small fists tightly clenched just in case.

"Yeah. I mean...It's kind of hard to explain, but we're monster fighters, too. Where's your family?" The boy's tone was nice and patient, which eased even the terrified, suspicious child of Athena.

"My family hates me." Her own tone faltered slightly at the reminder, but she was determined not to cry in front of them. "They don't want me. I ran away."

The two 'monsters' looked at each other and the small girl glanced down. No matter how tough she was trying to be, that fear was always there, and they were only making it worse. There were a few monsters who'd tried to be nice before trying to kill her before, but these two still seemed a little different. They looked and talked almost just like she did, and so far they hadn't pulled out any weapons to use on her.

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

"Annabeth." Even if they weren't on her side, them knowing her name probably wouldn't hurt.

"Nice name." Luke's compliment made her smile slightly. "Tell you what, Annabeth- you're pretty fierce. We could use a fighter like you."

She felt her eyes grow wider. After so many years of rejection, these two almost strangers wanted her! They wanted her to actually help because she was fierce, a fighter!

"You could?"

"Oh, yeah." He flipped a knife around his hand, turning the hilt toward her. "How'd you like a real monster-slaying weapon? It's Celestial Bronze. Works a lot better than a hammer."

She instantly gripped onto the leather, not thinking about her former tool the second she had a hold on it.

"Knifes are only for the bravest and quickest fighters." She stared up to him as he spoke, knowing deep inside he was telling the truth. "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."

A wide grin finally broke across her face. "I am!"

Thalia began grinning in response with him. He offered one hand to her. "We better get going, Annabeth. We have a safehouse on the James River. We'll get you some clothes and food."

"You won't take me back to my family?" She inquired for confirmation, as that was her constant fear. "Promise?"

He placed his larger hand on bony shoulder. "You're part of our family now. I'm not going to let anything hurt you. I'm not going to fail you like our families did. Deal?"

Her grin returned instantly. "Deal!"

"Now, come on." Thalia smiled herself, adjusting the strap on her wrist the watch came out of. "We can't stay put for long!"

Maybe it wasn't his brightest idea, but it wasn't his worst either.

The little seven year old they'd brought along with them only a few hours before was now curled in a small ball against the far corner of the safe house they'd finally found. Her breath was shallow and soft, proving she'd slipped into sleep after their eventful day. She was very young and still naive in some ways, but she certainly wasn't dim. Judging by the blonde hair, gray eyes, and logical outlook, she was a daughter of Athena. That proved to the boy she was going to be useful and would do all she could to help, but she was young.

At the very least Thalia didn't seem to mind.

She was standing outside of the safehouse with the fire, trying to keep it as dim as possible in order not to attract monsters. He leaned back on his hands, tipping his head up to gaze at the black sky from the rim of the house. The road ahead was going to be a lot different with the half-pint along with them, but there was something admirable in her bravery and determination. He had a strong feeling he wasn't going to regret letting her tag along and begin nudging her way into their little family.

He didn't truly regret anything, though, in the end.