After a full school day, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover go downtown to investigate Hebe as a possible suspect in the theft of Ganymede’s chalice. Grover leads them to Times Square, where they find Hebe Jeebies, a strange storefront he knows because of its licorice ropes.

Inside, Hebe Jeebies turns out to be a huge retro entertainment center filled with arcade games, candy, food, a ball pit, bumper cars, and families. Percy worries that the place feels like a cheaper version of the Lotus Casino, but Grover says visitors can leave normally, suggesting the danger is subtler.

As they move through the arcade, Annabeth is drawn to an old stacking game, and Percy is reminded of his mother’s work at Sweet on America by the candy displays. Percy realizes the business is a nostalgia trap, selling adults and children comforting versions of their childhoods rather than physically imprisoning them.

The trio questions a childlike employee named Sparky, who is the manager. Sparky directs them past a diving cliff and an actual henhouse, both strange attractions that reveal more of Hebe’s influence and symbols inside the building.

They finally reach a karaoke bar, where elderly patrons happily sing old protest songs. In a booth, they find Hebe appearing as a flawless teenage girl in retro fashion, delighted by the singers’ happiness and youthfulness; she invites Percy, Annabeth, and Grover to sit and talk over pizza.