21. Observe

                                    

                                          
Percy
                          
I sat quietly at the dining table, my elbows resting on the table and a map of Manhattan spread out in front of me. I looked out at the sky and saw that the sky was still majorly dark. "Dam me and the nightmares." I scowled as I looked back at the giant map in front of me. 
                          
I sighed as my eyes scanned the Empire State Building, where the Gods currently resided. I pulled Riptide out of my pocket and uncapped the other side of the pen so that I could actually write with it. I frowned as I looked over all the different streets leading to the Empire State Building.
                          
I moved forwards, lifting my elbows off of the table and marking down all the possible ways my army and I could advance to the Empire State Building. I was just about to decide who would approach from where when footsteps echoed from my right. 
                          
I glanced over and saw Ethan Nakamura walking towards me, his hair messy and his clothes rumpled. He kept on yawning and rubbing his eyes as he walked up to me, sitting down on the bench to my right. "Hey Commander, why are you up so early?" Ethan stifled another yawn behind his hand. 
                          
I looked at the map before looking back at Ethan. "I could ask you the same question." 
                          
"Oh come on, don't be like that. I just couldn't sleep." Ethan suddenly tensed, before putting his hand up to his forehead. "Fucking hell."
                          
"What's the problem? Did you have a dream? Because I'll be perfectly honest, so did I. That's why I'm out here before the sun even came out." I planted both of my hands onto the table and glanced at Ethan in the eyes. The son of Nemesis shifted uneasily before he exhaled and lowered his arm. 
                          
"I was stuck in the exact moment of when I tried to kill Kronos." Ethan started, staring off into the distance and trying not to meet my gaze. "I saw my past self fall to my death when I failed to kill Kronos. I was a fool. I forgot that Luke had bathed in the River Styx, making it so that his body was impenetrable except for his mortal point." 
                          
I put my hand on Ethan's shoulder, making him flinch. "What was in the past, stays in the past. I made a horrible mistake by falling in love with a certain daughter of Athena." Ethan's shoulders slumped before he nodded and met my eyes once more. 
                          
I sighed tiredly as I knew that he wanted me to tell him what my dream was about. "It was similar to yours, like I was watching my past self as well. It was when Annabitch said that she believed that I was a traitor, and when I was driven out of camp." I took another deep breath and lifted my hand off of Ethan's shoulder. 
                          
We sat in silence for a moment until Ethan broke it. "She didn't deserve you." He said, resting his head onto his arms. "You're too good for her. No one has time for a stupid, prideful daughter of Athena." 
                          
"Well I did, for many years." I said bitterly, watching the sky lighten. "She wasn't actually prideful, like her god dam mother. Sure, she had her moments, but I didn't think much of it. I was hopelessly in love with her, and look where that got me." I spread my arms wide for effect. 
                          
Ethan muttered something unintelligible but he lifted his head off of his arms to give me a weak smile. "She wanted attention. She wanted fame, she wanted recognition. So when the next child of the Big Three came along, she jumped at the opportunity for more fame. Though she can't get much more, you're a legend, Percy." 
                          
"I appreciate your efforts in trying to lift my spirits." I said as I turned my attention back to the map spread out on the table. "Ethan, get your ass over here and take a look at this." 
                          
"Alright, alright, no need to be rude." He said sarcastically as he rose from the bench. Ethan put his arms behind his head and stretched his back before going over to my other side and peering at the map of Manhattan, New York. He wrinkled his nose in confusion. "What are you planning?"