Yay, I finally got enough of the beginning written down in this story to get up the nerve to start posting it!

It is HIGHLY recommended that you read Papi first, as you would understand where Tulio and Espie came from and why they are...them :3

Anyway, this story will hopefully be a bit longer than Papi (at least, it's not going to be short as, like, 15 chapters or something), so that's something to look forward to. And I have enough chapters pre-written to help distract everyone until BoO!

Let the countdown commence!

One last thing. I would've titled this chapter as a prologue, but it doesn't really feel like one. So, it'll officially be the first chapter! YAY!

Disclaimer: I own this second generation (as there are many in the fandom), but not any of the canon characters.

I

LEO

"Leo, get out here!"

Leo Valdez walked out of his personal forge covered in soot and grime. His wife, Calypso Valdez, stood in the doorway tapping her foot in annoyance. In her arms was their sleepy and sick little four-year-old, Zachariah Hunter Valdez. Though their elder son, Tulio, could use his healing powers (inherited from his mother's Titan side) to cure Zac, Calypso did not allow it. She didn't want Tulio using his healing powers all willy-nilly on trivial things like a cold or a boo-boo.

"What, mi sol?" Leo asked, wiping his hands on an already-dirty rag.

Calypso huffed in annoyance. "You forgot to put up the sound-proof shield. You keep waking up our son! He needs rest, you idiot!"

Leo lowered his head and walked over to his son. "Sorry, mijo," he apologized, ruffling the boy's caramel-colored curly hair. Zac's almond eyes were cloudy with sleep. "Papi can be an idiot, sometimes, huh?"

Zac nodded and sneezed. Calypso patted him on the back and glared at Leo. "It's hard enough for him to get some sleep when he's sick! You banging around down here—on your off-day, may I remind you—made him come to the garden and get me!"

Leo shrugged. "I'll turn on the sound-proof shield, then."

"You might as well take a break," she said. "Go be useful and get some groceries instead. Aria will be home from her playdate with Augustus soon."

"But whyyy," he whined. "I gots work to doooo."

She kicked him playfully. "We need milk and eggs. I'm a gardener, not a farmer. Go."

Leo grumbled and kissed his wife good-bye. He loved her to death and would do anything for her, including dropping everything to go get groceries for her while she took care of their sick baby.

As Leo walked down the street, he thought about his family.

His eldest children, the 15-year-old Leo-reflection-twins Tulio and Esperanza, were currently spending their 5th summer at Camp Half-Blood, just outside New Athens—where the Valdezes currently lived. They stayed in the Hephaestus Cabin, seeing as they were his legacies and building a one-time-use cabin for the former Titan Calypso seemed pointless. Leo was told that Tulio spent most of his time in Bunker Nine, fixing up and making adjustments to the Argo II. He had turned down head counselor, much to Leo's dismay, but demanded that he get counselor curfew-extension privileges just so he could stay longer and do what he wanted inside the Bunker. He never went on quests unless Esperanza requested he come, which had only been twice. Leo was secretly glad at that. Tulio's fighting skills were about as great as Leo's at that age. That meant he could swing a hammer, but that was about it.

Esperanza—who always told everyone she met to call her Espie—spent most of her time with the Apollo Cabin. Because of her beautiful voice and amazing art skills, she was pretty much an unofficial, unannounced, honorary Apollo camper. Espie still had to eat, sleep, and join in the War Games and Capture the Flag with the Hephaestus Cabin, though. That was fine with her, because she would never willingly abandon her brother and was always there to drag him out of his 'Tulio Cave'. She sucked at most forms of close combat, sticking mainly to shooting her enemies with fireballs. She always asked Leo to help her improve, to which he would always smile and say yes. Espie had gone on many quests since first attending camp (oh, every time she did that Leo felt worry butterflies eating him inside) and had been heading quests since she was 13.

Aria, their 8-year-old mini-Calypso, couldn't really go attend camp, being completely mortal and having no legacy powers. She didn't even have the sort of instincts legacies got, nor did she have ADHD or dyslexia, so the Valdezes just didn't let her go. Instead, she usually hung out at random places in the young demigod city, New Athens, during the summer. When she was a teenager, Leo and Calypso would talk to her about attending some sort of mortal summer camp so she could at least not be stuck in the city. They thought about music camps the most, since Aria—true to her name—had a knack for music, specifically in the violin area. Leo and Calypso both knew that she would be a sure-win for Julliard scholarships when she was older.

And of course, there was their youngest child, 4-year-old Zachariah. He had Leo's curly hair, but it was Calypso's shade of caramel, like Aria. He had also inherited Calypso's pale complexion. Zac had Calypso's almond eyes, too, just like Tulio. The only thing 'Leo' about him (besides the hair) was his impish features—pointy ears, round face, turned up nose, and crooked grin. He was just as mortal as his older sister, but he seemed to have all the signs of a legacy of Hephaestus: love of machines, ADHD, dyslexia, the ability to understand Creak and Squeak—y'know, the basics. This meant he was almost definitely going to camp when he got older. Thankfully, Zac didn't seem to inherit Leo's fire user abilities like his older twin siblings, so that was a relief to everyone. Zac also seemed to like gardening and flowers, so most of the time he would spend half the day with Leo in the shop and then the other half with Calypso in the garden.

Leo sighed happily. He couldn't ask for better kids. Or a better life. He was the top mechanic and blacksmith in New Athens. Many people came to him for weapons and repair-jobs, which kept him busy as a bee. Calypso was a florist. She didn't garden for the money. She mostly grew flowers to donate them to people who looked like they needed a smile. Other than that, she was a stay-at-home wife and a dedicated volunteer at the New Athens hospital. She still had healing powers (to a degree) so she enjoyed helping out Will Solace and the other Apollo-descended New Athenians.

Leo figured he'd use the shortcut through the alley, just to save time on getting to the store. He didn't really think of how that could be a bad idea. It wasn't like it was dark outside. It was just before noon, and he had made this shortcut many times through the years.

So, he really wasn't expecting to be jumped.

How a couple of obviously not-good Cyclopes had gotten within the borders, Leo didn't know. He didn't have time to register that either.

One of the Cyclopes bear hugged the son of Hephaestus, restricting him and preventing escape. The other grinned evilly and held up a rag. "Hold still, fire user."

He pressed the rag over Leo's mouth and nose. Leo immediately smelled chloroform. He struggled against the Cyclops's grip. He knew catching fire would do no good, so that option was out. He couldn't reach his tool belt, either! Leo's thoughts began clouding with each passing minute under the chloroform rag. He couldn't think straight, his vision beginning to double and bend.

As Leo's head drooped, he heard someone say, "Good. Remember to use the fire-proof chains on this one."

And with that, Leo fell unconscious.

A/N: And right off the bat we have plot! It won't be slow to start like Papi I guarantee that right now.

This chapter was mainly to get to know the Valdez family in the future. Hey, look! Another Valdez! They're like bunnies, aren't they? :3 Hope you all like Zachariah Valdez. One of my friends in high school was named Zachariah, and I called him L. If you've read Death Note you'll understand that reference and know exactly what he looked like. So, Zac's name was inspired after him :)

Also, this won't be the only 'Seven' POV that the story gets. It'll just be a while before you get another. Next POV will be Tulio, ladies and gents! :D

FIVE DAYS TIL BOO!