Rufus Tyler is a thirteen year-old boy who wants a job during the school holidays to earn some extra cash, but not in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would be sent to the realms of ancient China, Greece and Persia to help the heroes of mythology achieve their destinies.

Rufus applies for a job with Heroes Inc, when an advertisement mysteriously appears on his way home from school. His application is successful, but his employer is no ordinary boss. He is a genie, Abu Hasan, who sends him back in time to assist the heroes of the past (on a fee-for-service basis, of course) who have struck a bit of a problem. But Rufus isn't so sure he's got what it takes to be a hero.