After leaving the underground confinement cells, Jason, Tim, and Dick had all grown much quieter.
They hadn't become more obedient.
They had learned to keep their mouths shut.
During the next day's obstacle training, the three were assigned to the same lane.
The instructor had barely blown his whistle when muddy water poured down the six-foot wooden wall ahead.
Jason charged forward first.
He stepped onto a crossbeam and grabbed the top of the wall with both hands. Just as he was about to vault over, a sudden weight landed on his back.
Dick stepped on his shoulder and used it to spring onto the wall.
"Coming through!"
Dick turned and held out a hand.
Jason's face was black as thunder.
But he didn't swear. He just grabbed Dick's hand and climbed over the wall.
Meanwhile, Tim hadn't rushed forward.
He studied the rope net, mud pit, and swaying balance beam ahead, then spoke after a single glance.
"The posts on the left are cracked. Don't step on the third one."
Jason and Dick both changed course.
The three charged all the way across the finish line.
They didn't speak.
They didn't look back, either.
But while the students behind them were still tugging at each other's trouser legs in the mud pit, they had already finished their second out-and-back run.
The Black instructor stood beside the finish line and stopped his stopwatch.
He looked at the three.
"Zero Squad."
"You three get an extra steak at dinner tonight."
Dick immediately raised his hand. "Instructor, can we get two? Jason eats a lot."
Jason gave him an icy look.
"Keep talking, and I'll stuff your steak into your shoe."
Tim wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"From a nutritional standpoint, he's right. Jason burns more energy than we do."
Jason: