The Next Generation Of Heroes | 1 ✓

Zoë ~ 7

Rose: Zo! Guess what!

Zoë: what?

Rose: I met a boy!!!!

Zoë: awesome! Who is he? What's his name?

Rose: his name is Asher Stoll and he is literally the hottest boy I have ever seen in my life

Zoë: luckyyyyy! Do you think he's into you?

Rose: idk... It seemed like it a little but I'll probably have to ask Rey. She's better than me at this "boy" stuff

Zoë: haha true

Rose: I gtg; my dad is freaking out. Because I met a boy.

Zoë: Bye!

I hurry downstairs, to where mom, dad, and Luke are eating lunch.

"Hey, Zoë! Care you join us for lunch?" asks Annabeth.

I nod, and sit down. "Rose met a boy!" I exclaim. Three pairs of eyes look at me. "His name is Asher Stoll," I say smartly.

Percy's eyes widen to the size of drachmas, and then he falls off the chair laughing. "S-small world, isn't it?" he laughs, tears in his eyes.

"Asher Stoll? Travis and Katie's son?" asks Annabeth, popping a grape in her mouth.

I nod.

Percy sits back on his chair, recovered.

"S-s-s-s-" babbles Luke.

Annabeth's eyes widen. "Perce-Luke's about to say his first word!" she says, shaking him.

All three of us stare expectantly at Luke for a minute as he repeats "s-s-"

"Xylophone?" asks Percy. Annabeth whacks his arm.

"Sowy. Sowey. Sowry. Sorry," says Luke.

Annabeth smile slides off her face. "He's saying sorry..." she says. Then, her eyes widen. She stands up abruptly, walks into the kitchen, and turns on the sink.

I've seen something like his before. An Iris message. "Nico di Angelo," says Annabeth.

Bianca's dads appear in the water, holding each other. Annabeth blushes, and then clears her throat.

Their eyes shoot open, and they both turn red. "Annabeth!" says Nico, stepping away from his husband, embarrassed.

"Nico-can you take a look at Luke?" Annabeth asks, holding up the six month old, who was still repeating sorry. Nico smiled, and looked closer. The smile turned into a frown. Then, his jaw dropped.

"Gods... What are the odds," whispers Nico.

"That rhymes," adds Will in a quiet voice.

Nico slaps him on the arm,

Annabeth looks at the child, and then Nico. "It's him, isn't it?" she asks.

Nico hesitates, and then nods. Beside him, Will's eyes widen.

"Who?" I ask simultaneously with Dad.

"L-Luke," says Annabeth, shaken.

"Obviously that's Luke," scoffed Percy. "I could have told you that."

Annabeth shook her head. "No. The other Luke," she says.

Percy's face paled. "H-how?" he muttered.

"What other Luke?" I ask.

Annabeth turns to me. "Our son," she says seriously. "is the rebirth of Luke Castellan."