I'm so glad for all the feedback here and on Ao3.

III: Jason Hears Voices on a Hike and Now Has a Sword

At the sound of Coach's screaming through his megaphone, Jason awoke and dressed in the same jeans as yesterday (his only pair) and some random navy sweatshirt he snagged from the lost and found (one the smelled like moth balls and had some random tourist slogan on it — someone went to Idaho and got me this sweatshirt!) He followed his classmates to the cafeteria and grabbed a piece of toast to eat. It grates against his tongue and the roof of his mouth like sandpaper, even more so when he tried to spread cold and bland butter that could've been lard. It tasted like bland wood and a chewy eraser but he still ate it all.

Once their "breakfast" hour was done, Jason follows his cohort outside. They're lined up against the school wall so he stands at the end. Leo walks out, hands in his pockets that jingle with every step. Jason didn't catch him at breakfast so he guesses that Leo slept through it.

Not like there was much food anyways.

Leo spots Jason and heads towards him at the end of the line, a good distance from the rest of their cohort since they're now cohort pariahs.

Coach walks in front of the line, up and down to survey each student and do attendance. It mostly seems like he's looking everyone directly in the eye chewing gum. Jason thinks Coach will spit it up into his face when he's in front of him, but Coach moves on with his bat.

"None of you cupcakes better be hiking in jeans!" Coach yells.

Jason pauses, looking at his other classmates. He's the only one in jeans (his only pair and only options for bottoms). Everyone else is in shorts, exercise pants, or sweats; except Leo who's in flannel pyjama pants but at least those could breathe. If there was a memo, Jason didn't get it. He didn't even know they'd be hiking.

"Rookie mistake," someone says before snorting a laugh.

Jason looks at Coach who's already narrowing his eyes at him. "Should I go change?"

"Please!" Another classmate begs. "Less time on this dirty walk in the woods."

"The woods are cleaner than your room!" Someone else fires back.

The cohort laughs until Coach turns on his megaphone, the screeching silencing the kids.

"Start walking!" Coach orders. "Follow me!"

Jason and Leo stalk near the back as their cohort follow Coach beyond the school's fence and into the forest beyond. Coach is rattling random nature things about the trees and the rocks they pass. Nobody's listening. Other kids start chatting amongst themselves, Leo fiddles with the Swiss Army knife he found yesterday, and Jason's mind drifts. For a moment, his thoughts aren't much as he looks at the nature surrounding him, sounds coming in one ear and out the next. It's peaceful, almost, but he can't help but walk on edge.

Despite being settled in The Wilderness School, he still has no idea what any of this entails for him.

"I have to. I have no choice. It's better this way."

His mind snaps back to reality where he's standing along amongst the trees. He can't pinpoint who's voice that was but it echoed in his bones in familiarity. Jason can't see the rest of his cohort. He can't even hear them if they're in the woods nor can he hear Coach babble about nature.

Jason looks around, each direction looking the same to him. Trees and dirt grooves made into paths after being walked on many times. Birds chirp and woodland creatures rustle in the bushes and leaves.

Jason walks down one end of a forked path, starting to run to catch up with the voice but he doesn't seem to be getting any closer. She shoves through branches, picking up speed and not sure where he's going.

"M-!"

Jason skids to a stop when shadows creep over him from behind. Dark tendrils loom over his shoulders, acting to pull him back but they have no strength. They drape down his arms and circle his waist. He shivers when he hears snarling.

Without thinking, his hand goes to his pocket and he pulls out his coin. It glints in the sunshine peeking through the canopy of trees. Jason slides the coin between his thumb and pointer finger as he looks around, searching for the source of the shadows. He holds up his hand about to flip the coin but stops himself because he isn't sure why he would do that but it feels right.

Anyone would flip a coin, right? It's a common gesture for trying to make a choice between two things. Or just a cool trick to show.

He doesn't know why he feels compelled to do so. A bead of sweat from his hairline travels to his eye and it stings as he blinks.

He doesn't flip the coin. Jason presses it into the palm of his hand so hard it could punch a hole right through but he stops when he sees a wolf come out of the bushes. Jason takes a step back but stops when he looks the beast directly in the eyes. The snarl turns into a piercing stare and Jason sees his reflection in its eyes, his gaze as stone-cold. His body looms over the wolf, swaying as if he's about to attack but he stops.

"You've been giving us problems, Mr. Grace."

The wolf didn't open its mouth but the voice emanates from it. It doesn't match the one he was chasing but he's still drawn to it.

"I have, Domina," Jason whispers, barely audible. He isn't sure why he said that but the words felt as automatic as him wanting to flip his coin. Domina ... she must be superior to him in some way.

"I'm not a fool, Jason. It was only a matter of time before we found you. Remember, and you will suffer less pain. I only accept the best from you or else."

Nothing comes to Jason. No muscle memory or any memory. He stands frozen, waiting, expecting for someone to push him in the right direction.

But all he hears is an amplified bear moaning in the distance followed by some rumbling laughter. Leo probably tampered with Coach's megaphone. The wolf scampers into the forest. Jason doesn't bother to chase after it. He wipes his forehead with the back of his hand, sweat glistening as he wipes it on his sweatshirt. His breathing is rushed and loud, heart pounding as he tugs against his neckline repeatedly to get some air. He should take it off.

"Valdez!" Coach yells from somewhere. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Trying implies effort," Leo responds. He isn't yelling so the cohort must be nearby.

"Where did Grace go?"

"I don't know. You're supposed to be watching us."

Jason hears a swoop of air, assuming Coach raised his bat.

"Chill, I'll go look for him."

Jason starts heading back to the cohort. Without thinking much about it, he flips his gold coin to finally satisfy that itch.. He catches it changing shape in his peripheral vision, stopping in his tracks when he sees a sword spinning above him. Jason instinctively raises his hand and catches the sword perfectly. To his surprise, it fits comfortably in his grip.

He stares at it for so long that he didn't even notice Leo approaching him from the bushes.

"Dude, I was looking for-" Leo cuts himself off when he notices the sword, pointing at it. "Where did you get that?"

"Uh…" Jason hesitates, unsure of how to lie out of this one.

"You seem to attract gold. You got the Midas touch?"

"It was the coin. I flipped it and it turned into this."

Jason knows he and Leo will be great friends because he doesn't question the logic of that truth. He did make a fog machine out of an old laminating machine. Instead, Leo walks closer to get a better look. Jason watches him study the sword's build as if strategizing how the creator sculpted it.

"Cool."

They both look at their reflections in the blade, their eyes golden.

"Valdez!" Coach screams from the distance through his megaphone. "Did you find him?"

Jason drops the sword and it becomes the coin again, thankfully, because he can't imagine Coach's reaction if he saw them with a sword in the middle of the forest.

Leo cups his hands around his mouth. "Yeah!"

Jason picks up the coin and it becomes a javelin, nearly piercing them both. Still, Leo gasps in amazement.

"Okay, even cooler, but put that away before Coach sees!" Leo yells.

Before they could react, they hear Coach coming their way. Jason tosses the javelin in a bush, nearly turning Coach into a shish-kebab. Neither boy reacts although Leo holds back his laughter so bad that giggles escape his lips. Meanwhile Jason's heart races for fear of Coach's wrath. Coach narrows his eyes at them as they stand there not looking innocent at all. Leo's still laughing and Jason isn't sure what to do with his hands so they just rested at his sides awkwardly before putting them in his sweater's pocket.

Jason stands frozen in place when Coach picks up his coin. He's relieved that it isn't the javelin or the sword anymore but isn't amused when Coach bites the coin and pockets it.

He'd be in so much trouble if and when Coach decides to flip that coin to make a mundane choice and end up with a weapon. They're not even allowed chewing gum at the Wilderness School much less for some gold weapons.

"Back to the group," Coach orders, turning around and heading back to their cohort.

"Don't worry," Leo whispers to Jason. "We'll get your cool coin back."

"No, you won't," Coach responds.

"Yeah, we will." Leo didn't lower his tone that time.

"Valdez!"