Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard || The Ship of the Dead

Just Give this Peter Johnson Guy a Break

The monster had nine heads. Nine.
I had remembered Annabeth telling me about hydras, but I always pictured them as much smaller and way less threatening. Why a Greek monster was trying to make us into fish food, I had no idea. Two of us were Norse demigods, one of us was a Valkyrie, and Blitz and Hearth were dwarven and elven. Only Percy and Annabeth were Greek. If they had attracted this, we were in trouble. Percy sprang into action, uncapping a pen that grew into a celestial bronze sword. (No, you read that right. A pen.) Annabeth unsheathed her dagger, baring her teeth at the monster. While Percy tried to find a good angle to stab the hydra, Sam flew into action, literally. Alex took a running leap over the edge of the boat, shifting into a sea serpent nearly the size of the hydra itself. As Alex struck it again and again, Percy jumped into the water, a wave lifting him level with the monster. He cut off one of its heads, and when two grew back in its place, a flicker of realization crossed his face. Like, 'Oh, right. I've done this before.'
Alex continued to grapple with the hydra, but when it sunk its teeth into her side, she returned to her human form. As the water around her turned red, Percy summoned another wave to lift her back onto the ship. I rushed over to her, placing a hand on her wound. Her breathing was shallow, her pulse plummeting. As my hand began to glow, the gash closed up. Her breathing steadied, and she flashed me a weak smile. "Thanks," she got to her feet, immediately leaping onto the hydra's back before I could stop her. I ripped Jack (in pendant form) off my neck and instructed him clearly on what was going on. Though he gave an indication that he heard me, I doubted he really did over all the commotion. (And because of the fact that he was humming Taylor Swift under his breath.)
Nevertheless, he sprang into battle, running the hydra through. The blade stabbed straight through the monster, but it didn't flinch. It was Hearthstone who saved us. He flung a rune from his bag, and the hydra went up in flames, dissolving instantly to dust. Alex plummeted into the ocean, and Samirah pulled her out, flying her to safety. Annabeth and Percy landed on their feet beside us, panting, scratches marking their faces. A trickle of blood flowed from a cut on Annabeth's forehead, and I traced it with my finger. Instantly it healed, and Percy stared in wonder. "You're a regular Will Solace, you know that?" He grinned, shaking his head. "Um.. who-?" "We'll tell you later," Annabeth followed her boyfriend to the control room.

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"So, what exactly is our destination?" Sam's voice was heavy with worry. Alex squinted at her. "You expect me to know that already?" Samirah sighed in exasperation, pacing around. "Yes, Alex, I do!" She grunted in frustration and went to talk to Annabeth. Sam had quickly realized that she and the blond-haired girl were on a level playing field in terms of intelligence, and they'd been discussing the quest since we embarked. Alex shot me a withering look, sauntering over to where I sat and plopping down beside me. "It's not easy being the resident navigator, you know. Lately I've only been getting visions, snippets of what he's up to."
I leaned forward, my eyebrows knitting together in concern. "Like.. bad things?" She rolled her eyes. "No, Maggie, he's having tea parties.
Lately he's been slightly.. I don't know. He seems excited about something. Something big."
"Ragnarok?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. I don't think so. If it were that bad, my visions would turn into nightmares."
"This has happened before?"
She stood up, sighing. I shouldn't have pried.
"Magnus, I--"
Her knees buckled, and I caught her before she hit the floor. Her eyes turned glossy, and rolled back in her head. Hearth, Blitz, Sam, Percy, and Annabeth came rushing in. How they'd known, I had no idea.
"Alex?!" Her mouth opened, and six words tumbled out.
"Long time, no see, Mr. Chase," Loki's voice snarled.