The night in New York grew colder, yet Thalia didn't move from her place beside Harry. She could feel his tiny fingers trembling against her hand, his frail body nearly weightless. Her heart tightened. She had seen monsters, gods, and even death itself, but the sight of this small boy—starved, abandoned, terrified—struck her harder than any battle.
Annabeth crouched on Harry's other side, grey eyes burning. "This isn't right, Thalia. Look at him. He's been neglected for years." Her voice was sharp, almost trembling with fury.
Luke stood nearby, his expression caught between rage and disbelief. "No kid deserves this. What kind of monsters call themselves family and do… this?" He gestured toward Harry's bruised arms and too-thin frame. "Tell me who they are, Harry. I swear, I'll find them."
Harry ducked his head, his messy black hair falling into his eyes. "The Dursleys…" he whispered, as if the name itself carried weight.
Luke's hands curled into fists. Annabeth muttered something under her breath about foolish mortals.
But Thalia didn't look away from Harry. She had been abandoned once, too, though never like this. She knew what it felt like to be powerless, to be unwanted. And she knew, with a fierce certainty, that she would never let this child suffer again.
She brushed her hand gently across Harry's cheek, startling him. "Hey," she murmured, soft but firm, "you're not alone anymore."
Harry blinked at her, uncertain, as if he couldn't quite believe her words.
"Listen," Thalia said, rising to her feet and lifting Harry into her arms with a protective strength. He weighed so little it made her stomach ache. She turned to Luke and Annabeth, her blue eyes sparking like a storm. "I'm taking him to Olympus."
Luke's jaw dropped. "What?"
Annabeth gasped. "Thalia—you can't just walk into Olympus with a mortal boy! Do you know what Zeus will say?"
Thalia's grip around Harry tightened. "I don't care. He's four years old. He's been beaten, starved, abandoned. No one should live like this. And I—" her voice caught, softer now, "I can't ignore it. I won't."
Luke shook his head, torn between admiration and worry. "You're serious."
"As serious as lightning," Thalia answered flatly. "If I have to beg my father for the first and only time in my life, I'll do it. For him." She glanced at Harry, whose head rested cautiously against her shoulder, too exhausted to fight.
Annabeth's eyes softened. "You'd… ask Zeus to claim him?"
Thalia nodded once. "Yes. If my father won't take him, then maybe another will. But Harry will not be left behind again."
For a long moment, the three stood in silence. The city's noises echoed faintly in the distance, but here, in the shadowed alley, it was only them. Harry stirred slightly, whispering, "Why… why would you help me?"
Thalia's heart clenched. She shifted him carefully so she could meet his tired green eyes. "Because no one ever helped me when I needed it most. And because you deserve a chance to live, Harry. You deserve a family."
Something unspoken passed between them—trust, fragile but real. Harry didn't answer, but his small arms clung to her tunic with desperate strength.
Luke finally sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, if Zeus gets angry, we'll all probably get fried."
Annabeth smacked him on the arm. "Not helping, Luke."
But Thalia only smirked faintly, though her eyes stayed fierce. "Then let him try. This is the one thing I'll ask of him, and he'll listen."
The night air shifted, a faint spark of electricity brushing against their skin. Luke and Annabeth exchanged a glance. They knew Thalia wasn't bluffing.
"Fine," Luke said at last. "We'll cover for you at camp. But if Zeus actually adopts this kid…" He whistled low. "That'll shake Olympus."
Annabeth's lips pressed into a line, but her gaze softened on Harry. "Take care of him, Thalia. He needs you."
Thalia nodded. Adjusting Harry gently in her arms, she whispered into his messy hair, "Hold on, Harry. Tomorrow, we climb Olympus."
And as she carried him out of the alley, the air seemed to hum with promise—thunder waiting on the horizon.