Chapter 377: Asher’s Origin Story

[Wilson Estate, New York] [Night]

Dinner at the Wilson Estate was going surprisingly well until Alex mentioned that Asher had developed a superpower.

The family had gathered around the long dining table shortly after seven. Evangeline sat beside Scarlett. Diana and Aiden were sleeping in their bassinets nearby, Nacho had claimed his usual spot beneath Halle’s chair, and Trixie was telling Chloe about something that had happened at school. Max was halfway through complaining about the amount of vegetables on her plate when Alex casually announced that he had something interesting to share.

Naturally, Max assumed he’d broken something again. "If this is about Gerald, I swear to God, Alex, the gardeners finally got his ears looking normal," she said. "I’m not going through another funeral for a hedge."

Trixie immediately looked up from her plate. "For the record, I haven’t touched a flamethrower since the incident."

Chloe turned toward her daughter. "That’s not nearly as reassuring as you think it is, Monkey."

"Before anybody starts guessing, I haven’t burned anything, Gerald is perfectly healthy, and nobody’s been injured," Alex said while helping Asher settle into his high chair beside Halle.

"Okay, so what’s up?" Max asked.

Alex waited until everyone had returned their attention to him. "Asher discovered something new this afternoon. It seems that our little guy can create energy shields."

For a few seconds, no one spoke.

Then Scarlett reached for her water. "Oh, that’s interesting. What kind of shields?"

Alex looked at her. "That’s your reaction?"

Scarlett shrugged. "Alex, we live in a house where you can duplicate yourself, the kitchen equipment talks, and half the family can see a magical computer screen floating in midair. At this point, I’d be more surprised if one of the children grew up completely normal."

Evangeline laughed softly. "So here begins his superpower origin story."

"She’s got a point," Caroline admitted, cutting another piece of chicken. "Although I was expecting the babies to start displaying something unusual when they were older. Maybe during puberty, when regular teenagers become difficult enough."

"Oh, hell no," Max said.

Alex turned toward her. "What?"

Max pointed at Diana and Aiden. "Are you telling me these two might start doing superhero crap too? Because I’m barely surviving regular motherhood, and now you’re suggesting my daughter might eventually throw lightning around the nursery?"

"We don’t know whether they’ll develop anything," Alex replied. "Asher’s ability surprised me too."

Max considered that for a moment before glancing at her sleeping children. "Fine. But if Aiden starts teleporting during diaper changes, you’re gonna find him and clean up everything."

"Alright, fine," Alex said.

Angelina, who’d witnessed the incident herself, explained what had happened while Alex brought up the System notification for everyone to read. She described tossing the foam ball from the upstairs landing, watching it bounce away from something invisible, and seeing the blue light surrounding Asher’s tiny hands.

Evangeline looked toward Asher with a warm smile. "I wish I’d seen that. Although knowing him, he’ll probably find another reason to show it off before dinner’s over."

Halle listened while feeding Asher his dinner. She’d already spoken to Alex that afternoon, although hearing Angelina describe the moment made her glance at her son again.

"So he wasn’t frightened when it happened?" Halle asked, wiping a little food from Asher’s chin.

"Quite the opposite," Angelina replied. "He thought it was hilarious. The ball bounced away, and he started laughing like he’d just discovered the funniest thing in the world."

Rachel leaned forward to study the System’s description more closely. Her reaction was considerably more practical than everyone else’s.

"Instinctive activation, undeveloped control, stable condition," she read quietly. "And it doesn’t pose a danger to family members. That’s reassuring. I’ll check the nursery cameras and make sure we have proper privacy measures in place."

Alex nodded. "Good idea with the camera. We can’t let anyone outside our family find out about it. And as for his power, we’ll just let him grow into it."

That answer seemed to satisfy Halle. She returned her attention to Asher, who was happily kicking his feet while watching everyone around the table.

Trixie, meanwhile, looked absolutely delighted.

"Does that mean Asher’s going to become a superhero like a Green Lantern?" she asked. "Because if he does, I want to help him pick a costume. And I can be the Oracle."

Chloe smiled at her daughter’s enthusiasm. "Sweetheart, he still needs help putting his socks on. I think we have some time before costume making. Also, you need to study if you want to become the Oracle."

"But he can already make shields!" Trixie protested. "That’s so cool. And I won’t tell anybody, I promise."

Evangeline smiled toward Trixie. "Well, every superhero needs someone looking out for them. I think Asher would be lucky to have you as his Oracle."

Trixie beamed at the compliment.

Alex looked toward her with approval. "Yep. As his big sister, it’s your duty to keep him safe and in line."

Trixie gave him a thumbs up. "Leave him to me."

A few weeks earlier, Trixie had accidentally discovered one of Alex’s clones and nearly frightened herself senseless when she realized she’d seen him in two different places. Afterward, Alex and Chloe had sat down with her and explained that some of Alex’s abilities were supernatural. They’d answered her questions as carefully as they could and made sure she understood why those abilities needed to remain a family secret.

Trixie had taken the responsibility surprisingly seriously, although she’d also spent the following twenty minutes asking whether Alex could make enough clones to form his own basketball team. Or if someone ate the chocolate cake, can she blame it on the clones?

Since then, she’d kept her promise.

Now that Asher had joined the family’s growing collection of impossible phenomena, she seemed to consider herself part of a very exclusive superhero club.

"Good," Chloe told her, reaching over to straighten her daughter’s collar. "Because this is another thing we keep inside the family. You can be excited about it here."

Trixie nodded eagerly before looking toward Asher. "Don’t worry, little bro. Your secret’s safe with me."

Asher responded by slapping his palms against the high-chair tray.

Halle laughed and picked up another small spoonful of mashed vegetables. "Alright, Mr. Superhero, let’s finish dinner before you start saving the world."

Asher looked at the approaching spoon and turned his face away. "Aeey!"

Halle waited patiently before trying again. "Come on, sweety. You liked these yesterday."

He made a small protesting noise and pushed his hands against the tray. Alex reached over to straighten the little bib Asher had managed to twist sideways, then watched Halle bring the spoon closer.

A faint blue shimmer appeared around Asher’s face.

The spoon stopped several inches short of his mouth.

Halle blinked, looking at the empty space between her hand and her son.

Asher burst into delighted laughter.

Evangeline stopped halfway through lifting her glass and stared at the shimmering barrier. Then she started laughing. "Well, there’s the demonstration I missed. I wasn’t expecting him to use it against dinner!"

For a moment, nobody said anything. Then Max started laughing so hard she had to put her fork down. "Oh my God! He just blocked his dinner!"

Halle looked at the spoon in her hand, then at her delighted son. "Asher Wilson, you better put down that shield right now or no playtime with Dada."

Alex leaned closer, staring at the pale blue dome that had appeared around his son’s head. It vanished almost immediately, leaving Asher giggling and waving his hands.

Scarlett covered her mouth, trying to contain her laughter. "Well, there’s his first practical application. Looks like the world’s most advanced defensive system has been developed to fight mashed vegetables."

Halle looked toward Alex with an expression that suggested she was holding him personally responsible.

"Hey, I haven’t taught him anything," Alex replied, pointing at the kid. "Look at him. He’s a natural."

Caroline leaned forward to examine Asher with fresh interest. "Wait, does he actually know he’s doing it?"

Angelina watched the little boy reach toward his cup. "I don’t think he understands the ability itself. But he definitely understands that something funny happens when he moves his hands."

Asher proved her point moments later.

Halle lifted the spoon again, and the little boy immediately raised both fists beside his cheeks. Another transparent shield flickered into existence, surrounding the front of his face.

He laughed before the spoon even reached him. "Mama! Aaahaha... Aeeyy!"

"Oh, you little troublemaker," Halle said, lowering her hand. "You think this is a game now?"

Asher squealed, kicking both feet with tremendous satisfaction.

Max leaned across the table and pointed toward him. "That’s my boy! Already using his powers to negotiate better treatment. I’m so proud."

"Max, please don’t encourage him," Halle said, although she was struggling not to laugh herself.

"I’m encouraging independent thinking. There’s a difference."

Rachel had been watching the exchange with obvious amusement. "At least we know his control isn’t entirely random. He’s associating the shield with something he doesn’t want."

Evangeline glanced between Asher and Halle with an amused smile. "He can’t even explain what he wants yet, but he’s already figured out how to make his point. That’s actually pretty impressive."

Alex considered that while Asher continued entertaining himself. "Yeah, although we’d better avoid turning dinner into a training session. The System was pretty clear about that."

Halle agreed and set the vegetables aside. She offered Asher a few soft pieces of banana instead, placing them directly on his tray.

The shield disappeared.

Asher immediately grabbed a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, looking extremely pleased with the outcome.

Scarlett stared at him for a moment before laughing again. "He actually won."

Chloe shook her head. "I can already imagine what happens when he gets older and doesn’t want to go to bed."

"Don’t," Alex replied. "I’m still processing the fact that my seventeen-month-old son has figured out how to use supernatural powers to get a different dinner."

Trixie leaned toward him with a huge grin. "He’s smarter than you, Alex."

Alex turned toward her. "Excuse me?"

"Well, you have superpowers too, but Max still makes you do stuff when you’re in trouble. Asher just used his and got what he wanted."

That observation sent Caroline into another fit of laughter. Even Rachel had to look away for a moment.

Max seemed particularly delighted. "She’s got a point, Moneybags. Our boy’s already better at negotiating than you."

Alex looked at Asher, who was now happily eating banana while completely ignoring the discussion he’d caused.

"Buddy, I hope you appreciate how much trouble you’ve started tonight."

Asher looked up at the sound of his father’s voice.

"Dada!"

Alex reached over and gently ruffled his hair. "Yeah, that’s me. Apparently, I’m raising the world’s youngest expert in avoiding responsibilities."

Halle watched them with a smile, although she gave Alex a playful warning as she cleaned Asher’s sticky fingers. "Just remember, when he starts using those shields to avoid baths and bedtime, you’re helping me deal with it."

"Of course," Alex replied, kissing his son’s forehead. "We’ll figure it out together."

Asher lifted one tiny hand toward his father, and a faint blue glow briefly danced between his fingers before disappearing.

Alex took that little hand in his own and gave it a gentle kiss.

Around them, dinner gradually returned to normal. Max resumed arguing with Caroline about dessert, Trixie started describing the superhero costume she wanted to design for Asher, and Rachel discussed nursery privacy measures with Chloe.

Evangeline listened to Trixie’s increasingly elaborate costume plans, occasionally offering suggestions while Scarlett insisted that Asher needed to learn how to walk properly before anybody started designing him a superhero uniform.

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AN: The story will end in exactly 8-9 chs. So, don’t join pat reon for this story or buy the collection. It’d be a waste of money.