I really do envy the other troubled kids at times. Unlike me, they don't know the crazy things that goes on outside their life. Me, not so lucky. But I guess I just wanted some semblance of a normal life. I'm sure that's I'm in this mess.

It was two years ago when I first discovered I was not like other kids. It was during a trip to the Aquarium, where my mess began. While the guide was giving us a tour of the shark pool, I couldn't help, noticing the sharks staring at me. The whole thing was so weird, though I really should've watched where I was going. After an accident, involving a misplaced lever and an unscheduled swim with my class, things got unbelievably worse. When the teacher was interviewing officers of the accident, I could not help but see from the crowd, some woman stare at me with unsettling, eyes with slit pupils. She seemed to take an interest in me the same way I took an interest in Mom's blue cookies. They gave me that same unsettling feeling I had when that strange big man followed me around last year. Well, there was no way I was sticking around to become the course of a Percy Happy Meal.

My troubles didn't end there. I still had some spare change and tried to call home, hoping to reach my mom. Heck, I would've even settled for Smelly Gabe at this point. I kept calling when no one picked up, but after a few minutes, I heard a growling and I ended up being chased down by two funky-looking dogs. They cornered me by the river, and while some people were running to help me, I knew they wouldn't make it in time, so it was either become a big chew-toy, or take a less-than pleasant bath.

Now I don't remember much of the swim, but I remembered was waking up on the shore at Montauk. After collecting myself, I saw that I drifted right in front of the very cabin my mom and I rented out occasionally. Of course, I should've known there was a catch. I didn't see a car, so I assumed the cabin was unoccupied, until I found the door unlocked. Not taking chances, I grabbed the first thing I could find, a broom, and searched the place. Someone strong grabbed my shoulder from behind and I made a few good swings at him, before seeing he was some big kid. He was very tall and seemed to have some muscle, and he was easily able to disarm me and pin me to the wall before politely asking me to stop hitting him. Once I calmed down, he told me his name was Tyson and that was expecting me to show up. He said his dad sent him to find me and take me somewhere safe. I know, I really shouldn't trust strangers, but I could feel like I could trust this kid. He was very polite to me, despite being twacked a few times, and perhaps having some muscle would help. He said that he would keep me safe while I get some shut-eye, which I admittedly had taken him up on, after the day I've had. When I awoke an hour later, he had a knapsack which he gave me which held a pack of money, along with some food, supplies, and a few weird coins, and said we had to go now.

Using the few hundred bills, we hitched a ride on a taxi and Tyson told the driver where to go, before I could give my address. He promised that the place we were heading was safe for me. On the drive, I tried to grill him with a gazillion questions: who he was, who his father was, why'd he care, etc. But the only thing he told me was we were going to a safe place, which he just referred to as Camp. Now again, I didn't quite understand what happened, but I swear, the dogs that had stalked me in the city returned and burst through the front window, forcing the driver to swerve off the road. The driver seemed unharmed, from what I saw, and the kid pulled me out of the cab and next thing we knew, we were running up a beaten path. The dogs were gaining on us, and I saw one of them pull down my friend, as he released me. I grabbed a branch and fought them back, with Tyson fighting with me, but we also heard hissing sounds, and I saw that woman from the aquarium holding the leashes of two more dogs. She let go of the leashes, freeing the dogs and Tyson grabbed my arm, almost pulling it out of its socket, as he practically threw me up a hill. I tumbled down on the other side and I was a little disoriented, but I heard metal clashing and shouts, and growls. By the time I got my bearings, I was faced with a sword pointed at me, by some blond girl demanding me to identify myself.

It was there I learned who I was: that I was a demigod, my father was a god, that monsters exist, and that I was sent to be trained to fight them. After explaining my situation, Chiron allowed me to contact my mom, and I learned that Iris-messaging was much safer for demigods to communicate, than the standard phone call. My mom yelled at how reckless I was, running off, but eventually calmed down, saying how relieved she was I was safely at camp. The last year, as camp was ending for the summer, I felt confident enough in my skills to protect myself outside of camp. The best thing was that now I was trained to defend myself from the usual monster attacks, my mom no longer needed Gabe's scent to hide me, and while I was out, she divorced him and kicked him out of our lives. I was there for a year and a half when I decided to try living with my mom again. It was a good to see her again and I said goodbye to my friends, including Luke and Annabeth, before heading home. My mom had me set up at Yancy Academy, being one of the few schools left to accept me, which brings us back to my problems now.

Our school took a trip to the museum, where we learned of Greek myths (for me, re-learning from a mortal's viewpoint). It was there that I saw an old lady giving me a weird glare. Over my time at camp, I had learned to trust my instincts and now knowing the existence of monsters made it easier to spot them. Having a closer look at the hag, she had certain features that spelled out danger, especially to someone like me. I excused myself to go to the bathroom and slipped away, hoping to draw out the woman away from crowds.

I ran into a closed exhibit, being redecorated for the Viking showcase. I rushed to my backpack and took out a short sword. The blade was never quite balanced for me, but it was the best I could take with me from camp. The blade was made of Celestial bronze, so with luck, mortals couldn't see what it was, and it gave most monsters pause.

I waited by the door when the old lady came walking through, ever so slowly.

"Stay away," I warned her, taking the sword out of the sheath, holding up to my foe.

"You've been a problem, boy," she said in an uncomfortable patronizing manner, "Did you really think you could get away with it? That your father could protect you?"

I flinched a little at the mention of my father. I did not know which god she spoke of, but the fact she even mentioned him threw me a little.

"Confess and it will be less painful."

I still made no movement, waiting for her to make her move.

"Fine," she said and her human disguised ripped away, revealing a bat-like thing. She had sharp fangs and nails and big black wings, "Die, Percy Jackson!"

Before I could take a swing, she charged at me, shoving me off the ground and into a Viking ship, causing it to shake. I got back on my feet and grabbed my sword. She dropped down and I tried to swing at her, but she dodged it, and grabbed hold of my wrist before I could recover. She dragged me into the air, trying to ram be along some of the structures. I used my free hand to grab a Viking helm from one of the dummies and with force, stabbed the talon hand, breaking her grip on me, with the scaffolding below to break my fall as I crashed through each plank before hitting the floor.

"Percy!" I heard someone shout my name. I looked to see a familiar face.

"Grover?" I said, wondering why a camp satyr was doing here.

I heard a screech of the monster and saw my sword stuck on the high ledge of what was left of the support. The monster circled in the air.

"Percy, here" Grover shouted, tossing me what looked to be a pen. I looked at him as he was crazy, and he must have noticed, "Uncap it!"

Grove began to draw the creature's attention, as I uncapped the pen. Suddenly, the pen transformed into a double-bladed sword, made of Celestial Bronze. It was unlike any weapon I ever wielded at Camp. Something about this blade felt right in my hands.

"Hey bird brain," I shouted at the monster. She charged again and this time I was prepared to dodge it, getting a good swipe at her leg. She screeched and turned for another swipe with her talons and I took a good swipe at her torso, causing her to burst in gold dust.

Exhausted, I leaned on the ground and looked around at the mess made from the fight. Grover leaned on the scaffolding, only for my former sword to fall down, barely missing him.

"Grover," I said, getting up to grab the sword, putting it back in the sheath and into my pack, "G-man, great to see you, but what are you doing here?"

"Chiron told me to find you. Something's happening, and he told me to bring you back to Camp as soon as possible."

Hearing noise of people coming, we snuck out the door, and Grover helped show me how to cap the sword to a pen.

While it was not my first monster fight, something didn't feel right about this monster.

"Grover, what was that thing. It knew me. It wasn't like the usual hellhound."

Grover looked conflicted but said, "It was a Kindly One."

"One of the Fur-" I stopped, seeing Grover flinch, and remembering the power names carried, "The minions of Hades?"

He nodded.

"Why would Hades have a problem with me? I didn't do anything?"

"Percy, we really need to go."

"Grover, if Hades is sending monsters after me, he's going to want to go after Mom. We have to get her."

"Percy, we don't have time. Chiron was very clear. Get you back to camp."

"Grover, it's my mom. I'm not going to abandon her."

Before he could argue, I hailed a cab and had it drive to our apartment, a few blocks away.

"Mom!" I shouted, bursting through the door, figuring she should be home by now.

"Percy, what are you doing home," my mom said, concerned. She then saw that Grover was with me, "What happened?"

"Mom, I am going back to camp. Something's happened and I need you to be safe," I said.

"Percy…" she began, sounding sad.

"Mom, I am not leaving you to these monsters. Now please, we need to go," I said, grabbing some supplies for the trip.

Luckily, Mom seemed to know when arguing with me was pointless, "Okay."

Grover helped me while Mom packed some things in her room, before coming out with a small pack case.

We got into the car and drove off as fast as we could, reaching Long Island in record time.

"Percy," my mom said, "What happened?"

"I don't know. Apparently, the Lord of the Dead wants to add me to his collection of dead Half-bloods," I said.

"Chiron sent me," Grover said, "And by the time I found him, he was being attacked by a Kindly One."

"I was afraid this would happen," my mom said, "This has something to do with your father."

"Yeah, she said he wouldn't be able to protect me. But he abandoned us. I'm unclaimed, as in no one special. At least from the average demigods."

We were getting close when a tree landed on the road, forcing us to crash into a ditch. Me and Grover got out and we pulled Mom out as her door was jammed. We ran to Half-Blood Hill, when we heard a roar. We turned to see a Minotaur charging at us.

"Grover," I said, feeling the pen in my pocket, "Take my mom to camp. Get Chiron to let her through."

"Percy, that thing's after you. You're too important to give your life for me," Mom said.

"There's no time!"

I uncapped my pen as it turned into the sword again. The bull was much faster than I thought, and it was on us before I could react. I used the skills I learned at camp to try to take it down and for a second, it seemed to work. Until it got a good strike, hitting me against the tree, sending my sword flying into the woods. The thing towered over me, prepared to end my, when it stopped.

It pulled back as I saw Grover had jumped it. I could also see my mom attacking the creature, swinging an object at its legs and chest. My sore muscles fought against me as I struggled to get up. But by the time I saw, Grover was thrown a few yards into the camp grounds and the giant bull had its hand around Mom's neck, dropping the sword she must've grabbed from my pack. In an instant, I saw my mom vanish into gold dust and light.

"Mom!" I screamed as the last of her light vanished.

I felt a fire burn in me, never feeling such intense hatred of something in my life. I jumped on the bull's back, getting a good grasp of the horn. It tried to shake me off, but I held on tight and used my strength to rip off its horn, before jumping off. I one swift motion, I dodged its attack and stabbed it in the side with its own horn and it dissolved into dust.

Bloody and exhausted, I made my way up hill, slowly limping. I saw campers, the border patrol, looking at Grover's unconscious form, and one of them spotted me. I didn't know who they were in their armor until I saw those familiar grey eyes under the helm. Talk about some serious déjà vu. She helped support me as we made our way to the Big House. I could hear her trying to ask me questions, but I could not focus, trying to stay awake. We made it to the porch right before everything went black.