He feels the thud of her landing almost on top of him just as acutely as he feels Nova struggling against him, the water is too churned up for him to see anything and the salt stings his eyes. He remembers drowning too well, held under by Zagreus, and the memory doesn't prepare him any better now as he gives in too easily to the urge to take a breath.

But then Mako stabs it, or something, and Johnny lurches back up, breaching the surface, back up into the air and the roaring, unbearable sound it makes. He coughs and chokes, shivering as it drags them upward, dangled high overhead, like maybe it's just gonna eat all of them.

Mako's still gripping on, still got her sharpened fucking branch, and he looks at her, still struggling to breathe even as he chokes out, "Why are you doing this? Just let me go!"

It's just a dream. This has happened before. It'll probably happen again.