Status: Edited

"You do realize what this means, don't you?"

"I did what needed to be done."

"The boy needed help! That's what he needed!"

"You could be right. Maybe I did the worst possible thing for him. But life goes on."

. . .

Dink left after Ender fell asleep, but I stayed, refusing to leave him even when the other toon leaders came to call me for dinner, though my stomach protested wildly.

This meant I was there when the small piece of paper slipped softly under Ender's door. Fury flared inside me like a match to dry tinder as I read it over.

"With who?" came a groggy voice from behind me. Taking a second to breathe before turning to Ender, I made my way to take a seat at the edge of his bed.

"How are you?" I asked, worriedly searching his blurry eyes.

"Fine," he replied, though his jaw clenched as he spoke. His gaze remained on the ceiling above, avoiding my concern. "Which army?" He persisted.

I again searched his expression for a reaction, but any trace of emotion that I'd seen before was gone. "Griffin and Tiger," I relinquished at last, voice masked carefully.

Ender was quiet. I tried to keep calm as best I could, but my insides had tied into a knot at the bottom of my stomach. I could hide it all I wanted, but truth is I was terrified. Studying Ender as he lay beneath the sheets was like watching a lake freeze over so that all you can see is your reflection upon the surface instead of what's lurking underneath.

A whole minute went by before he spoke again. When he did, his voice was firm. "Help me gather my things."

Moving away from the bed, I helped get his flash suit together before turning away to let him change. When he'd finished, I lead the way out the door towards Dragon's barrack. All movement ceased and silence settled over the room upon our entry.

Without a word, I handed the small battle slip to Crazy Tom who was closest. His expression of concern immediately hardened into thinly masked anger. I watched it seethe behind his eyes as he addressed the army.

"Two armies," he shouted, balling the paper in his fist as he spoke.

The room erupted at his words.

"That's bullshit!"

"There's no way!"

"They can't do that!"

Ender raised a hand and the room immediately fell silent once more. Turning to me, his void eyes connected with my own. "Lara, you're in charge for now." Though his voice was strong, I could hear the hollowness behind it. "Gather the army. I'll meet you at the gate." He turned and disappeared without so much as a second glance.

A moment passed where I was left frozen, eyes trained on the spot where he had gone. It took another moment for me to gather myself before I was able to turned back to the army, letting my anger and frustration fuel my words. "You heard him! Let's go!" I shouted. "Flash suits on! We haven't got all day!"

The room reacted immediatly, scrambling to change. I followed suit, dashing to my locker to dress as well.

Finally ready, we jogged to the battle room, everyone a mess of nerves and pent rage. The gate had not yet been opened when we arrived.

When Ender finally turned the corner, anxiety and concern washed over me at the sight of his figure. There was a clear lack in him, and it was safe to say I wasn't the only one who picked up on it.

At that exact moment, the gate opened, revealing the open space of the battle room beyond. Looking out, four stars blocked out vision from the enemy gate.

Ender spoke, voice lowered as his eyes connected with the smallest boys'. "Bean. Take your team and tell me what is on the other side of those stars."

Without hesitation, Bean took his newfound coil of twine that he had scavenged from the store room. Tying it securely around his waist, he handed the other end off to another boy before jumping through the gate. His momentum rocketed him towards the left wall which he rebounded off of, disappearing briefly behind the stars as his coil wrapped taut around its corner. In seconds, he reappeared, careening back towards us where his squad waited to catch him.

"The lighting is dim," stated Bean once he was back on his feet in gravity. "Terrible for visibility. It's open space beyond the stars to the enemy gate, but they've taken some of the stars and stacked them down there. A few of em' were sticking their heads out from behind them. Other than that, no one."

Ender remained silent, absorbing Bean's words. I felt the anxiety rolling off the army in waves as we awaited his command. From the space beyond the gate, loud mocking voices rose up to reach our ears.

"Your ass is draggin'," they shouted, a mix of laughter following. "Your ass is Dragon!"

"It's only a game," Bean said rashly, studying Ender's face.

That was probably the worst possible thing Bean could have said to him.

Ender shook his head and I was almost surprised he hadn't laughed. "It stopped being a game when they threw away the rules."

Bean's heated gaze was leveled with Ender's as he spoke. "So you throw them away too."

"Then let's see what they think of a formation," Ender said, a dark gleam in his eyes.

Panicked whispers broke out among the toons. Even I was stunned. "But we've never done a formation," someone shouted.

"Well it's about time we start doing them anyway."

He arranged us quickly and quietly behind the stars, forming a square of tightly knit bodies. When we were all set, we slipped out from behind the blockade, a huge mass of interlocked figures advancing in the dark light. From inside the first line of bodies, Dragon shot at the enemy with deadly accuracy.

It was over in a flash. Four Dragon soldiers had their helmets pressed to the corners of the gate, and just like that, someone had slipped through.

We'd won.

Major Anderson came through the teachers gate as the lights flickered back to full brightness. "Ender..."

"I beat you again sir," Ender cut him off boldly.

Fractures forming softly in the ice, a current whirling wildly beneath.

"Nonsense." Anderson feigned innocence, but I could see the lies curling off him like smoke. "You beat Griffin and Tiger."

Ender's trained glare on the Major was accusatory, voice rising as he spoke. "What do you take me for?" He didn't finish. We all knew Ender was no idiot.

Current rushing and rushing. Where is it going? To widen the cracks. To break.

"What's next?" Anderson had turned to leave but Ender was shouting after him. Rage seemed to seep from the very marrow of his bones to encircle him like electricity. I could practically feel the hairs on my arms raise. "My army against the entire Battle School? How about a little equality!"

Anderson disappeared back through his gate, the doors slamming shut with thunderous finality, leaving Ender to shake with his roiling anger.

From across the room, someone spoke up with biting venom. A last stab at his broken facade. "In a real war, Ender, nothing will be equal."

A spiderweb of breakage racing across the surface, and though it holds, the predators winging above dive, hungry for what lies just below.

. . .

Crazy Tom had to jog to catch up to Ender once we'd made it back into the corridors. "When's next practice?" He asked, careful to keep his voice indifferent.

"Never," came his immediate reply.

Bean's self-control seemed to snap at his blunt words. "That isn't fair!" He shouted, catching Ender's attention enough for him to glance back. "You can't just stop teaching us because you're uspet!"

Ender slammed his fist against the wall, startling most of us enough to flinch. "I don't care about the game anymore! The game is over!"

He stormed down the hall, leaving the rest of us behind in stunned silence.