Darren could feel nothing but the pounding of his own heart, and his head screaming in pain. He was frozen, unable to move or see. Then his eyes fluttered open. He moved his head slightly, but immediately regretted it. As the back of his head brushed against a rough surface, he felt a shot of pain. Spots danced before his eyes, and it took him some time to blink them out of existence.

Yet even the gift of clear vision did not provide him any comfort, since a terrible sight lay before him. He was in an enormous chamber, one that could easily put to shame their school assembly. It lacked any embellishment or warmth, however. The chamber was dark and musty, the only source of light being the torches that adorned the walls. The flames flickered, casting haunting patterns around them, but even they were far from the eeriest thing about the place.

All around Darren, figures hastened, moving heavy cartons. He noticed that some carried weapons as well - not guns, as one would expect, but clubs and spears. Darren tried to move, but found himself firmly bound to a pillar.

He was at a loss for words. Oh God. How did I get here? He thought in dismay. The last thing he remembered was walking down the fairly deserted Dupont Street on his way home, when he'd heard loud footsteps behind him. He had turned, only to receive a blow to the skull, and the entire world had turned dark.

This can't be happening. No... not like this, Darren thought, horrified. Fear cut through him like daggers, leaving him breathless, and the pain in his head made him grimace. Beads of sweat slithered down his forehead, his face pale and clammy. Being abducted... never once had he imagined that he would ever have to face something like this. The terror was making it worse, however; he realized that his abductors might possibly discern that he was awake if they heard his loud breathing. Calm down, he begged himself. You can get out of this.

Can you, though? The rational part of him thought. You're no cop, no soldier; you can't do it yourself! His heart sank, and panic seized him again. Would he die down here, surrounded by his abductors? What were they going to do to him?

He felt like both sides of his mind were at war with each other – a part of him wanted to take the risk and try to find a way out, while the other told him that it was pointless. Finally, after a terribly painful moment, he shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Calm Down. Don't make it harder for yourself. Just... analyze the situation – that's what mom would have done. His eyes snapped open a moment later, still brimming with fear, but also with the willingness to act.

He couldn't quite see the faces of his abductors, but he counted about ten of them. And so far, none of them had noticed that he had woken up – a good sign. It took him some time to locate an exit, for there was but a single one, and that too was half-clouded in shadow. Unfortunately, there were at least four men between him and the door. There was no way he could get out without being spotted.

He tried to wriggle out of his bonds as quietly as he could, but his captors had left no stone unturned in fastening him to the pillar. He then realized that his phone was in his pocket, and he considered trying to reach for it. But he let the idea go soon enough – with his luck, he would make too much noise and alert his abductors. Besides, he was bound too tightly; he could barely move his hands.

This is hopeless, Darren thought in frustration, but suddenly his breath caught in his throat as a figure moved past him, swinging an enormous club. The club was nothing compared to the figure itself, though. He was at least seven feet tall, and had a body about the size of a table. Muscles lined his arms and legs, and he wore nothing but a cloth around his waist that reached down to his knees.

Darren hung his head, trying to act as if he were still unconscious. But his eyes widened when he glimpsed the man's face, for he certainly was not human. He gasped in horror, but immediately regretted it. He could have slapped himself if he wasn't bound. As the man - no the creature whirled around to face him, his fearful blue eyes met the creature's solitary eye, for only a single eye lay in middle of his forehead.

"N-no-no. It can't- This isn't real, it can't be real! " Darren murmured frantically, half-praying. Yet as the creature drew nearer, smiling ominously, nothing had ever felt so real.

"FRIENDS!" the creature called out in a booming voice, and Darren was shocked at how human-like it sounded. "The demigod is awake." The others whooped with laughter in response.

"Let-let me out of here," Darren tried to sound brave, but it came out like a squeak.

The creature ignored him and instead, he bent down, examining his captive's head. "Perhaps I hit you a bit too hard," he said. "Someone had better patch you up if you're to survive the next three months.

"What-what are you?" Darren asked, struggling against his bonds. Some of the others had gathered around him as well, and he observed that they all in fact, had only a single eye.

"Oh? This one doesn't know?" One of them asked in a sing-song voice.

"No wonder we got him that easily!" mocked another. Roars of laughter met this statement. Darren might have been angry if he wasn't so terrified.

"We're Cyclopes, little demigod," said the monster who had first spotted that he was awake. "Alas, it would have been more pleasing if you had known the truth about yourself... but no matter. You will prove most precious to us. During the Winter Solstice, we shall send you as an offering to our great patron, who--" he spoke, quivering with excitement, when another cut him off.

"I wouldn't be so open about our plans if I were you."

"The demigod is not going anywhere! We have nothing to fear."

Darren perhaps would have asked why the Cyclopes kept calling him a 'demigod' but a certain sound caught his attention. All of the monsters turned their heads as one, because at that moment the elevator door opened with a ding, and four figures rushed out.

"What? More demigods?" snarled a Cyclops, lifting his club.

"It doesn't matter, we can take them," said another, and with that the Cyclopes charged.

The demigods, realizing that they had lost the element of surprise, surged ahead to meet the monsters, brandishing their weapons.

Darren did not have the slightest idea about what was going on. He could only watch with bated breath, and pray that whoever these 'demigods' were, they would help him escape. There appeared to be two boys and two girls, and he was surprised to see that they were just teenagers like him. What baffled him further was the fact that they were armed with swords and shields, and other obsolete weapons.

The demigods were outnumbered, yet they were holding their own. Darren watched as one of the girls ducked to avoid a Cyclops' spear, and jumped up just as quickly, stabbing him with her sword. The monster looked awestruck for a moment, before he split into yellow powder, disintegrating instantly.

One of the boys launched a volley of arrows, and moments later two Cyclopes turned to dust, arrows sprouting from their bodies. The other, blocked a Cyclops' strike with his shield, before sidestepping, and plunging his spear into the monster's side.

Nearby, a girl weaved around a Cyclops, avoiding his blows with practiced ease. After numerous failed efforts, the monster sank to one knee, dropping his club in exhaustion. "That thing too heavy for you?" the girl taunted. "Maybe you should stick to garden tools." At this, the monster sprang up in outrage, kicking the girl in the stomach. She flew back several feet and slammed into a pillar, close to where Darren was bound.

"Oh god! Are you alright?" Darren asked her, as she groaned.

The girl turned her head so fast that it was astonishing that she didn't crick her neck. As she spotted Darren, her jaw dropped and she gaped at him. "What the h—"There was no time to talk though, as the Cyclops lumbered forward, closing in for the kill. The girl fished a dagger from the pouch she wore at her waist and jumped up to meet the monster, when an arrow sprouted from his shoulder and he disintegrated.

"Lou! Are you hurt?" The boy, who had shot the arrow, ran up to her but stopped short when he noticed Darren. Having dealt with the last of the Cyclopes, the others dashed up to them as well. The hall was now home to piles of yellow dust, scattered all around. "I'm fine," the girl named Lou said, though her eyes were trained on Darren.

"How long have you been here?" she asked him, before she stepped forward and cut the ropes binding him. Her hair was as dark as obsidian, and the jacket she wore brought out the green in her eyes. Besides the jacket, she had also donned cargo pants, and white sneakers. She almost looked as if she had dressed for a typical day out with friends, save for the dagger clutched in her hand.

"Thanks," Darren muttered, massaging his stiff arms. He touched the back of his head, and felt a little lump. No wonder it hurt so bad. "It was about three in the afternoon when they took me, I think," he said, grimacing.

"How did that happen?" asked the boy with the bow and arrow. He was slender, a little less than tall, and his messy blonde hair looked like it had never been combed. He wore simple black jeans and an orange T-shirt that had the words 'TEAM SPIRIT' printed on it in big letters.

"They hit me on the head, and I passed out," Darren said, faintly embarrassed.

"And what did they----" began the other boy, but Darren cut him off, suddenly annoyed. "I'm the one that needs answers!" He protested. "In the last few hours, I have been kidnapped and threatened by one-eyed monsters, and have seen said monsters being killed and somehow turned to dust. What the hell is going on?"

That shut them up effectively. "Right, sorry," said the boy whom Darren had interrupted. "We just didn't expect to see someone else here." He was Asian, and had a freckled face, besides sharp brown eyes.

"I'm Takeshi," he said. "This is Lou Ellen," he pointed at the dark-haired girl, who shot him a grin. "And these are Jax and Liz," he took turns gesturing towards the boy with the bow and arrow, and the second girl, who looked like she pranked people for a living. Both of them waved at Darren in turn.

"Thank you. Seriously, thank you for saving my life." He replied, the anger gone from his voice. "I never could have escaped this place alone."

"You're very welcome," said Liz, before she spotted the lump on his head. "Wait, you're hurt." She moved closer, trying to get a good look. "Hmm, that doesn't look half bad actually. We have some supplies with us, but we left them outside. If you want, I can take a look at it when we get out of this place."

Darren didn't know what to say. Still, in order to be polite, he just replied, "I'd like that." He then thought for a moment, before deciding what he should ask them. "You told me your names but really, who are you? Why do you carry swords? How does encountering these monsters not shock you? And those Cyclopes called me a demigod, I think? They said the same about all of you. What does it mean?"

The others looked at each other and sighed. "It means that you're a half-blood," said Jax. "You're part human and part god. And so are we."

I'm part god? Darren thought in disbelief. That's not possible. If this were true, things would never have been this way. No being bullied, no having to put up with Aunt Joyce and Uncle Kevin's nonsense. If this were true, maybe even mom would have been here.

"Darren, which of your parents is mortal?" Lou Ellen's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Um, my mother – she was – IS mortal," he replied. Otherwise she wouldn't have left me alone, he thought, but didn't tell them. It was just too painful.

"That means your father is a God. He might be one of the Olympians, or one of the minor Gods, like Hypnos. I hate to break it to you, but the Greek and Roman Gods are real, and so are the monsters."

"That's impossible! My father was---" Darren began, but stopped short. I never really knew what dad did, or even who he was. The only thing mom ever told me about him, was that dad was a good man – kind and loving. But soon after I was born, he left, never to come back. Him being a God - it almost made sense. "My dad left when I was a baby. When I was a kid, I prayed every single day, hoping for dad to return if only for a day. But I never saw him; all my prayers went unanswered. Is that what Gods do?"

Darren had said it in a mocking tone, but the others only shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much," Takeshi told him. "The Gods are like that. Believe me, you're not alone. We've all gone through the exact same thing. We've been kicked out of schools for being weird, been hunted by monsters, and forced to fight wars just because we're demigods. Each of our godly parents left us when we were babies." He said, while the others nodded vigorously.

"As Gods, they can't show any of their children favoritism. An occasional visit in our dreams is sometimes all we get, even after days of praying. That's the truth, and the sooner you accept that, the more content you'll be," Jax said. "But it's not as bad as you think it is. Come with us to Camp Half-Blood, and you'll see. The outside world isn't safe for you; you have to be trained to defend yourself."

"Camp Half-Blood?" Darren asked quizzically.

"It's a safe haven for demigods like us. The magical boundaries protect us from monsters, and we train there, with other demigods. Hopefully, your father will claim you by the time we reach. You might even be the son of a Roman God, and in that case, we'll show you to Camp Jupiter. It's pretty much the Roman equivalent of Camp Half-Blood."

At the last word, Liz chuckled. "Oh yeah, you'll find that Gods have a lot of children."

Darren thought for a moment. Could his father really be a God? He kept waiting for an alarm clock to start buzzing somewhere, and him waking up to find that it was all a dream. It was just too strange to take in. And yet after everything he had seen today, it somehow felt... right. I must be going delirious, he thought.  He sighed, hoping that his next decision wouldn't turn out to be disastrous. "I would have probably said that you're delusional," he told the others. "But I just got kidnapped by a horde of one-eyed monsters, who dissolve into powder."

"Cool, isn't it?" Liz smirked.

"Are you ready to go then? We brought an extra Pegasus to carry our bags, so there's room."

Darren had his doubts still, but he didn't exactly have a better option. If the Cyclopes had attacked him, there might be more monsters who'd do the same. The entire ordeal had left his head swarming with questions too, and he needed answers. But what he cared about most, was that he could get a chance to know his father at last! And hey, once you've seen Cyclopes, the fact that a camp for training demigods exists, isn't too hard to believe.

He almost said yes, but the thought of his cantankerous aunt and uncle stopped him. "I can't just leave like this. My aunt and uncle - they'll be worried. They'll think I'm dead or something." Yeah, not bloody likely. They'll probably be happy that they won't have to see my face for a while, he thought bitterly.

"Don't worry. Chiron will take care of that with a bit of magic when we get there, trust me. He's the Activities Director at Camp Half-Blood."

That wasn't exactly a solid reassurance, but Darren accepted it. He was simply glad that he wouldn't have to put up with his aunt's nonsense, and his uncle's constant nagging for a while. He just hoped that they didn't call up the police to look for him. "Alright, I'm ready," he replied.

"Great!" Liz practically jumped. She looked like the youngest of the lot, no older than thirteen, but was certainly as fierce as any of them, judging by the way she had fought the Cyclopes. "You better – IS THAT A PHONE?!" she yelled suddenly, glancing at the top of the Samsung sticking out of Darren's jeans pocket.

"Yeah, why?" he asked, alarmed.

"Darren, this is why you were captured," Lou Ellen looked like she was trying not to roll her eyes with extreme difficulty. "Demigods and mobile phones don't go together! They act as a beacon, making it incredibly easy for monsters to track you."

Darren didn't see how phones could attract monsters, but he obliged anyway, handing over his phone to her.

"Come on, it's getting late," she said, and the others nodded firmly. "We need to get to Camp."

"Uh, what are you going to do with that?" Darren asked, gesturing towards his phone.

Lou Ellen sighed. "It's for the best," She told him, before she chucked the phone aside as if it were an empty soda can, and walked towards the elevator door, flanked by the others. Darren grimaced when he heard the sound of the old Samsung hitting the floor, but dragged his feet after the others. Oh no, he thought as he came to a stop beside them. What have I gotten myself into?