You've read the chapter title. You know who we're meeting here.

II: A Semi-Contained Explosion Introduces Leo Valdez

Never mind, his headache returns the moment he wakes up.

Jason groans, rolling onto his back. His brain pounds against his skull as he awakens. It beats like his heart when he opened his eyes and sees nothing but an off-white ceiling that he thinks got its tinge from not being cleaned. It could be age based on its burnt yellow splotches blending with the white ... he doesn't want to know what it is.

Where is he? Oh right, The Wilderness School.

As if that tells him anything. It's an unsettling name for a school, that's for sure.

Images of the night before flash through his mind: The woman who, now that he thinks about it, is probably the school's Headmistress. The stale and nearly empty hallways. Coach and his bat. The other boys in neighbouring rooms stared daggers at him.

His heart quickens and his hands ball into fists again. Jason takes a breath to loosen up.

He thought it all was a bad dream until he sits up and sees the bedroom he was left in last night. Did he even dream last night? He isn't tired but doesn't feel like he slept. His mind went blank the moment he hit the pillow, staying black just like when he "awoke" in the Headmistress's office trying to remember anything from before he was sitting in front of her.

If he tries again, he'll just get the same blank slate.

And his headache will worsen.

Then, a sudden explosion from nearby sends him flying off the bed. Nothing in his room blew up, but the unexpected sound coming from potentially a neighbouring room made him jump that much.

He's instantly on his feet and running out the door. Jason looks both ways in the hallway, not seeing any boys in sight. He walks down, scoping the scene while on guard. Nobody else is around but he stops when he passes an open door. Jason peeks inside and sees a boy his age with dark and wild curly hair hunched over something and poking it with a chewed-up pencil.

Jason doesn't recall if he saw him last night but then again, he can't recount much. The kid turns around and looks at him bewildered, as if he was being busted for something but then smiles when he sees that it's only Jason unsure how to react.

"I thought you were Coach," the other boy says, "no offence."

"I'm Jason," he responds, walking inside. He stands behind the kid. "New here."

"Heard you come in last night. I'm Leo. Like my machine?"

Jason peers down and isn't sure what he's looking at. It looks like a box from decades back with big chunky buttons and a plastic surface on top. On the side, there's an aluminum funnel carved and inserted into the side as if it was added last minute.

"What is it?"

Leo grins proudly, spinning the pencil with his fingers. "I snagged the old laminating machine they were about to throw away and made it into a fog machine. I thought we could use it here to throw raves."

Leo pushes a button with the eraser end of his pencil and fog slowly comes out the open end, puffing like little clouds at first before a constant stream. Jason nods approvingly as Leo smiles successfully, crossing his arm after putting the pencil behind his ear. He actually isn't sure what a rave is but doesn't think to ask.

"That's the thing about troubled teens: we're resourceful," Leo says.

"How?" Jason asks, crouching to look at Leo's homemade fog machine. He doesn't want to touch it in case it'd explode in his face.

"I can't explain it. Not that I don't think you'd get it… I don't even get how I did it. I pushed the wrong button and it spazzed on me, hence the small explosion, but I tweaked it and it should be fine now."

Jason smiles a little as he stands back up. He notices that Leo took the pencil out from behind his ear and is fiddling with it again, tapping it against his palm. He eyes Jason and bites his lips as if the gears in his head are turning. He's like an odd semi-functioning machine.

"So it's probably not my business…" Leo starts, drifting probably to get Jason's facial reaction before continuing. Jason just stares at him blanking waiting for the rest of that sentence. "But everyone will be asking you this, especially since I heard them already conspiring about you as they all woke up and left their rooms this morning. I heard whispers about possibly exiled from a hardened military school in the mountains."

"Asking what?" Jason asks, wondering if he'll end up fighting. He resists the urge to ball up his hands again in case Leo jabs him with his pencil, but he can't help it. He forces himself to shove his hands in his pockets. Leo doesn't notice anything.

"Why you're here."

Jason pauses, realizing that this kid probably can't help on why he's here. "... I don't know."

"Good answer. A classic first-day answer. A lot of us say the same thing. They'll find out eventually … or find out something that they'll roll with."

Jason can't help but think he'd love for someone to find out the truth and tell him. If Jason's hiding something he doesn't know, maybe all his unknown secrets are connected. For all he knows, someone could make up a story and he wouldn't be able to say confidently it's false. Then there's the chance that someone feeds him complete farce that he'd want to believe more than the truth. Anything to fill the empty void in his mind.

Leo's gaze goes distant as he puts his contraption in his empty closet.

"So between us, what'd you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Jason responds.

Leo nods, grinning. "Now you're getting the hang of classic first-day talk. 'I didn't do anything and the world just hates me. Meh!' Were you bad or just not good? People don't ask because they actually care about whatever psychotic thing you did unless it was arson ..." His voice trails and eyes go distant for a second before refocusing on Jason with a plastered smile. "They just want to know for the sake of knowing and having that power over you. So, bad or not good?"

Jason doesn't know the difference.

Leo clears his throat and opens an arm towards his door. "Let's - uh - let's head down for breakfast."

Leo rushes out and Jason follows, closing Leo's door behind him. He turns and sees Leo stopped in front of Jason's room, waiting against the wall beside the door. Jason thought Leo would've walked inside given that Jason kind of invited himself into Leo's.

"Word of the wise, lock your door," Leo says as Jason approaches him. "People will steal from you-" Leo stops when he peeks inside and cuts himself off when he sees that Jason's room is completely bare. If anyone passed by, they would assume the room is vacant. " … or not."

Leo walks in, seeing the same features that his room has: the unmade bed, dresser, and window with the same barren view. His closet door was open and empty, not even with hangers on the rail.

"Look, a lot of people take a week or so to unpack but where are your things?" Leo asks. "Did they just pry you from the streets outside your private school? Were you not allowed personal belongings on the mountains? You do look too clean."

Jason shakes his head despite being unsure. "I - I don't have anything. At least I don't think."

"Me neither." Leo's agreement makes all of Jason's uncertainty settle better. "All I really have is a duffel bag shoved under my bed."

"Did you just get here too?"

"No, I'm just ready to leave."

"Heading home?"

Leo forces out a laugh which causes Jason to look at him oddly. "For when I inevitably get kicked out. Roofs don't last forever, as they teach you in foster care and blood family members who toss you around when they're done with you. I'm used to leaving and not expecting to stay here long or for much longer. I don't even know where they'd ship me next once my time here is up. I heard this was sort of like a last place resort minus the fun activities and all-you-can-eat buffets."

Jason isn't sure what to say but he should definitely change the topic. He glances out the window and remembers that he doesn't know their current location.

"Wait, where are we?" Jason asks. He walks up to the window, seeing nothing but a sandy deserted yard. Its border is a tall fence with barbed wire encircled at the top and beyond that is a forest he can't see past. Very far from Leo's description of a resort.

"Uh, The Wilderness School?" Leo says, sounding skeptical because there must've been something in Jason's question that sounded off. Of course, Leo would know where they were and assume Jason knew.

"Yeah, but where?"

Leo takes a moment before shrugging. "It's a prison but instead of being locked up in tiny cells, we're surrounded by sand and rocks. No one would ever want a buffet with the food here. Oh, and trees and a fence, I guess. I can tell you that it's electrified because some kid tried to climb it and we all learned the hard way."

Jason isn't sure if that answered any questions but gave him more to ask.

"Okay," Leo says, leading Jason out of his room, "that's enough war flashbacks for the both of us. Let's head down for breakfast before Coach screams for us."

-o-

Upon walking into the cafeteria, Jason could tell it was the cafeteria. The whiff of cooking oil fills the air with no indication of what's being cooked. His stomach rumbles but he's far from hungry for whatever's being fried. Tables are the same grey ones with orange bench seats but vary in permanent stains of unknown substances (Jason can't imagine what the food actually is if they leave those marks) and broken pieces. Their classmates from their cohort start at them as they walk in. The boys glare, whispering and laughing while the girls mostly wink and twirl their hair, some waving with their fingers.

"Those flirty gestures are all for you, the glaring is definitely at me," Leo says. He takes a deep breath before they walk further into the cafeteria. "So this is where we part ways."

"What?" Jason asks.

"I'll probably see you around since we're in the same cohort and have rooms nearby, but if you want to have a leg around here, do not be seen with me. Just say Coach made me take you here."

"I was getting glares the moment I arrived. What do you mean?"

Before Leo could explain, his eyes flicker upwards at something past them. Jason looks ahead and catches an apple being thrown their way. He looks at it in his palm, seeing Leo staring at him in shock through his peripheral vision. When Jason sees nothing but a ripe apple, he takes a bite and the cafeteria is stunned silent. All their classmates stare at him and his bite echoes in the big room.

"Did you want it?" Jason asks Leo, holding out the bitten apple. "It's a little sour."

Leo grins, shaking his head. "Oh, you're definitely on their hit list now."

Jason shrugs as he takes another bite of the apple. "Their problem."

If there's one thing Jason knows from a gut feeling, it's that if somebody would have his back and he'd watch over theirs, it was better if it was with whom he had common ground and trust.

-o-

On his first day, Jason can't help but think clearly: I don't belong here.

Breakfast was oddly silent after Jason caught and ate the apple being thrown at Leo. They sat at a table in the corner that was missing half of its seating after getting their trays of "breakfast burritos." The eggs were runny and the pita was damp. There was some green-looking thing sprinkled on top for garnish but he couldn't tell what it was and didn't want to taste to find out. The "burrito" wasn't even edible or solid enough to grasp since it tasted as it looked and fell apart at the touch.

Leo was swirling everything on his plate and making a hodgepodge of their breakfast burritos, but Jason could feel all their eyes on them. It's another reason why he isn't hungry.

Once they were dismissed and returned their trays to the kitchen, Jason and Leo walked the other way from their other classmates. He made sure to check over their shoulders at every turn they made down the hallway in case anyone was following them. Nobody ever was since he saw others either heading to the common lounge, the library, or their dorms.

Jason has no clue where he's heading since he's just been following Leo.

"As sad as it sounds, you picked a good day to start since we don't have classes today and since you ostracized yourself, might as well give you a tour as they conspire against us," Leo says optimistically.

Jason's seen it all during Coach's intake but didn't pay attention. Too many things were running through his mind on top of a headache and the lack of memories before being here.

There's a common lounge for students, and a dormitory for the girls — they get divided into cohorts based on what they did to get there.

"We're in the more dangerous cohort," Leo mutters, glancing at Jason.

Jason isn't sure what this look signifies if Leo was waiting for a question but Jason just shrugs. Maybe all the interesting origin stories reside together.

They pass the library, gymnasium, and faculty lounge that seem to be in the unkempt state as the cafeteria. He learns that the teachers on-site usually rotate per semester and subject. They vary from grad students gaining teaching experience, regular teachers on parole, or supply teachers needing a cheque, but it's mostly Coach.

"What about the Headmistress?" Jason asks.

"Who?" Leo wonders.

"The Headmistress. Of this school."

Leo pauses, thinking. "... we have one of those? That sounds like something from a sci-fi movie."

"I woke up in her office."

Leo bites down on his lips to suppress a grin but Jason can hear the simmering laugh. "Now we're heading into true crime."

"No, not like that."

Leo snickers and Jason continues shaking his head.

"Boys."

The boys turn around to see The Headmistress right behind them. He didn't see her coming despite always looking over his shoulders and her voice was stern. Jason swears she looks the same as when he first saw her. He didn't expect her appearance to change but she was still in the same black cloak and gold brooch from their first meeting. She's taller than them both and her hands fold at her chest.

"Jason, I hope you're settling well," the Headmistress says, smiling with closed lips. "I see you've met Leo."

"Leo Valdez, at your service, Headmistress," he responds with a small salute and charming grin. "I'm just showing Jason the best escape routes in case we need to flee."

She nods. "That's good, very good. Jason, why don't you check the lost and found for some of your things."

"What things?" Jason asks. "I didn't have anything when I got here."

"How unfortunate…" the Headmistress purses her lips, lowering her hands to her sides. "Leo, would you escort Jason to the lost and found and help him?"

"Right away, ma'am," Leo gives another salute.

"You're dismissed."

Despite not being in class, they head out towards the Lost and Found. Jason looks over his shoulders and notices that the Headmistress isn't there anymore.

"So we have a Headmistress," Leo states as he opens a door for them. He glances at an elevator but opts for the stairs so Jason follows down. "I don't trust that rickety thing or the Headmistress."

"Yeah…" Jason mutters.

"Creepy. She kinda reminds me of Tìa Callida."

"Who?"

Instead of answers, Leo continues walking down the stairs. Jason speeds and walks beside him, looking at him and seeing that his eyes are glossed over. He's looking at his feet going down each step but not thinking about it.

"Leo?"

Jason nudges Leo, accidentally shocking him and Leo jumps.

"Ah!" Leo screams, gasping for air.

"Sorry. You just-"

"Someone that I used to know." Leo takes a breath, shaking his head. "Tìa Callida. Anyways, lost and found. Let's go."

-o-

After another five-minute walk through the labyrinth-like hallways of the school, they find a box in the corner by a dusty door marked as a fire exit. Jason had to stop a tempted Leo from pushing it open and seeing where it went since alarms would start blaring.

The lost and found was a cardboard box beside said unkempt fire exit, overflowing with clothes. Its stale mothball scent combined with body odour makes Jason's face turn sour.

"Anything here that's yours?" Leo asks.

Neither boy even touched a thing at the box at first. Leo turns it with his foot and Jason gently pulls a sweater that was sitting on top only to see a mouldy sandwich in a plastic bag. Jason kicks it off, shuddering as Leo tips over the whole box to spill out all the contents. He moves things around with his feet to spread them out. A lot of the clothes were oddly stiff and he tries not to think about it much. A bra hooks onto his shoe and Leo laughs as he lifts it to show Jason.

The moment they lock eyes after looking at the hot pink bra, they giggle.

"I doubted that was yours anyways," Leo says, kicking it over his head.

"I told you and Headmistress, I didn't have anything with me when I came here. I don't know what I'm supposed to find here," Jason explains. He feels like a broken record at this point and it bothers him that nobody seems to believe him.

Leo shrugs. "Maybe she wants you to snag some things."

Leo kicks up an old grey hoodie that could swallow Jason. He catches it and a whiff of the lingering fried food and body spray scene before dropping it back in the box.

"Don't these belong to people?" Jason asks.

"I bet they belong to people who left," Leo guesses. "They're likely clothes they even got from institutions they were in before that was never theirs. Your shirt looks generic but you have a matching tattoo. Damn, were you branded on the streets? Or that military mountain school?" He quickly clears his throat. "Nevermind. Forget I asked. Here."

Leo kicks over more shirts and pants, creating a mess in the corner. He stops when he hears metal scraping against the tiled floor. Leo crouches and digs through the sweatpants, pulling out a Swiss Army knife. He glances at Jason before pocketing it for himself.

Something glints in the light and captures Jason's attention. He kneels down beside Leo and reaches through the hole of some ripped jeans, pulling out a gold coin. Jason holds it up to the light to get a better look.

"Ivlivus…" Jason mutters, unsure why he knew that name for the coin. It came to him automatically.

One side has Julius Cesar and the other a double-headed axe. The name might've come to him, but that's it.

Beside him, Leo glances up and the coin and nods approvingly.

"Dang, is that gold?" He asks excitedly. "How much do you think we can pawn that for?"

"It's mine," Jason responds.

"Questions still stand and I'll be glad to give you a bigger share of the profit, but I thought you didn't have anything here since you just got here."

"I didn't. Or I thought I didn't. How could it have gotten here?"

Leo shrugs. "Maybe that creepy Headmistress put it here for you to find."

Jason can't explain how that makes sense. She did appear out of nowhere and steer them into coming to the Lost and Found. " … maybe."

As I'm publishing this, I have all 20 chapters outlined, five written, and start grad school in two months. I don't have a publishing schedule as of now so the chapters will come whenever. The next three will come out weekly :)