"Hey Nico," Percy whispered. "I'm pretty sure that the whole Lotus Hotel thing is happening now." Nico nodded gratefully.

"We take a zebra to Las Vegas," Apollo read out.

The war god was waiting for us in the diner parking lot. ... "You're a jerk."

"Oh–" Piper said, wide eyed.

Annabeth and Grover caught their breath. ... and a bag of Double Stuf Oreos.

"Dang it, now I want oreos," Connor complained.

I said, ... TWELVE-YEAR-OLD OUTLAW BEATS UP DEFENSELESS BIKER.

Thalia snorted, "Defenceless biker, my ass."

"You owe me one more thing," ... "Nobody's controlling me."

"Would be scary if he had been," Chris said, remembering by how little they had won the titan war.

He laughed. ... for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."

Percy tried to cover his laugh with a cough, but judging by the amused looks he got, he didn't do the best job.

Behind his sunglasses, ... It was like the world's biggest pan of kitty litter.

Grover grimaced, "I'm saying this in advance: the animals were okay, we helped them as much as we could."

The trailer was dark inside until I uncapped Anaklusmos. ... "Humane zoo transport?"

"It's obviously not," Artemis scowled.

He probably would've gone right back outside to beat up the truckers with his reed pipes, and I would've helped him,

Grover smiled at Percy, who gave him an exaggerated kiss on his cheek.

but just then the trucks engine roared to life, ... then we settled in for night.

Artemis gave the three an approving look.

Grover curled up on a turnip sack; ... We could make it in plenty of time.

"Jinx!" Leo yelled.

On the other hand, ... I was a source of amusement for the gods.

When were they not? Percy felt bad for thoughts like those, but after having been a demigod for eleven years, he was bitter.

"Hey," ... "Because of the Arachne story,"

Annabeth grimaced.

I guessed. ... "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"

"You really were," Hermes smiled.

Annabeth and I laughed. ...the daughter of Zeus."

"My full title," Thalia said mock-haughtily. "But seriously, you just figured that out?"

He nodded glumly. ... "That's not fair."

Grover was pulled into a hug by his friends.

"Percy's right," ... Thalia and Percy."

"And then more," Nico said.

"You're not lame," ... That's why you'll be the one who finds Pan."

"You've got some kind of power, Percy," Thalia complained. "There's no way you can just get people to tell you things for no reason."

"Maybe he's secretly an Aphrodite kid," Piper joked.

Thalia looked thoughtful.

I heard a deep, ... now that was a weird summer. . ."

Leo started muttering to himself under his breath.

"And the college ring is your father's?" "That's none of your—" She stopped herself. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"See?" Thalia yelled, hands thrown up.

"You don't have to tell me." ... "You should write him a letter or something."

"No," Thalia breathed. "You told her to go back home and she listened?" She started sputtering.

"Thanks for the advice," ... Any more stupid questions?"

She smiled at Percy.

I couldn't think of an answer for that. ... I was being forced to take a standardized test while wearing a straitjacket.

"Yeah, no, that's normal," Frank looked lost.

All the other kids were going out to recess, ... She was Thalia, daughter of Zeus.

"There's that title again, but also– ew, creepy?" Thalia had never looked so weirded out before.

She struggled against the straitjacket, ... I'm going to give Hades a piece of my mind.

"I don't think that's what she meant," Hazel said slowly.

The straitjacket melted off me. ... And he suspects nothing? it asked.

"You controlled your dream?" Poseidon asked.

Percy shrugged, "I don't know, I don't think I can, but I've been able to touch and choose things in my dreams before."

Another voice, ... The speaker was invisible.

"Cliche," Rachel boo-ed.

Deception upon deception, ... He is here.

"And he didn't know?" "I don't know, it could've been an act."

What? ... her arms outstretched.

The demigods held their breaths; they knew she'd be okay by the end, but hearing Sally Jackson was stuck in the Underworld was still difficult.

I tried to step toward her, ... Grover and I had to dive behind feed sacks and hope we looked like turnips.

The tensions seeped away, making place for snickers all around the campfire.

The trailer doors creaked open. ... he looked downright murderous.

As did everyone else.

The trucker threw the antelope a squashed-looking Happy Meal bag. ... I was too stunned to react.

"I forgot you didn't know any of your powers until they just... happened." Chris admitted sheepishly.

There was a loud knock, ... That's right, the zebra's voice said in my mind.

Gwen awed, "He's so nice."

"We've got to free them!" ... Was that why I could understand it?

"Yes, it's a learning disability," Will said mock-seriously.

The zebra said, ... "Why can't you place a blessing like that on us?" I asked.

"That's a good question, actually," Percy took this as an invite to start talking. "Why do we have nothing for us? I love that the satyr can put blessings on the animals and, obviously, it's needed, but i've been on six big quests now – and a few little ones – and have never had any kind of security."

The demigods nodded, while the gods looked pensive.

"I'm not sure if there are any ways for us to have a 'blessing', but i'll look into it," Hazel said, determined.

"It only works on wild animals." "So it would only affect Percy," Annabeth reasoned. "Hey!" I protested.

"Hey!" Percy agreed, before bursting into laughter.

"Kidding," ... standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.

Nico, Annabeth, Grover and Percy grimaced.

The entrance was a huge neon flower, ... I was so relieved to hear somebody who sounded sympathetic that I nodded and said we'd love to come in.

Percy grimaced, whispering 'stranger danger.'

Inside, ... Enjoy your stay."

Thalia looked suspicious, noticing Nico uncomfortably shifting on the bench.

We took the elevator upstairs and checked out our room. ... thinking that this was a little strange.

"But only a little," Annabeth joked.

I threw Ares's backpack in the trash can. ... But I was sure it could wait.

The gods looked alarmed.

I came out of the bedroom and found that Annabeth and Grover had also showered and changed clothes. ... Are you insane?"

"Yes," Percy answered himself, smiling at Annabeth to indicate it was a joke.

"It's interesting." ... I'm not sure when I first realized something was wrong.

Grover sighed.

Probably, ... as if he'd never heard the word used that way before.

"I think we've found out what's wrong," Piper said.

He said his name was Darrin, ... "1977."

Jason sucked in a breath.

"No," ... After that he totally ignored me.

"Okay... Please leave, now," Hazel muttered.

I started talking to people, ... but was it?

"Probably not," Frank sighed, already having resigned himself to the fact that nothing in Percy's life was ever normal.

I tried to remember why we were here. ... I found Annabeth still building her city.

"I did love that game, we need to see if we can recreate it," Annabeth suggested.

Leo sat up straighter, taking a notepad out from his belt, beginning the process.

"Come on," ... I grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from the game.

"I'm sorry for that," Percy apologised.

"Hey!" She screamed and hit me,

"And I'm sorry for that," Annabeth replied.

"How about we stop apologising until it's absolutely necessary?" Grover suggested.

but nobody else even bothered looking at us. ... silly polluting nasty person!"

"We are silly, but if we deserve to die over that?" Thalia teased Grover.

"Grover!" ... I'd be playing virtual rifleman with groovy Disco Darrin forever.

"Groovy Disco Darrin is a sick name, though," Travis commented.

Grover reached for the card, ... but at the moment I had other problems to worry about.

Ares furrowed his brows, this future version of him was weird.

I ran to the nearest newspaper stand and read the year first. ... We had been in the Lotus Casino for five days.

Jason groaned, "I hate your guys' luck."

We had only one day left until the summer solstice. One day to complete our quest.