The Hidden End [Ender's Game]

+ Chapter 09

PART 01 || CHAPTER 09

Dorian's Request

The second day after Morgan got transferred, the Scorpion army was supposed to battle against Condor, something that she wasn't too eager about. She hadn't gotten enough time to practice with her army in order to be accustomed to the way they moved or the way they thought. 

Still, Dorian was more optimistic than her and he told her that they were going to win. Morgan hated the amount of confidence they had in her. If she couldn't lead them to victory, then they would probably find her useless. Dorian would transfer her as soon as he could. She couldn't let them down. 

Clad in the Scorpion army battle suit, Morgan made her way to the battle room along with the others. She was in the front of the formation, beside the toon leaders. When they got to the battle room gate, Morgan could feel her chest constrict. She started to breathe in and out heavily. 

"Alright, we're gonna pull off what we did in practice yesterday," Dorian said. Toon A goes overhead, Toon C goes underneath, and Toons B and D will make use of the stars to create an ambush near the--Morgan, what's wrong?"

Morgan could feel everyone's eyes on her, and she tried to calm her heartbeat. "I'm okay," she choked out.

"Are you nervous?" he asked. 

"No," she lied. 

Dorian cracked a smile. "It's okay to be nervous. It's your first actual battle."

"Doesn't matter. I'm fine." She forced a smile. "Let's do this."

But it didn't go at all the way she thought it would. Condor was expecting every single one of their movements, and it was no wonder they were in one of the top ten armies. Morgan could do nothing but to watch as her teammates were getting frozen all around her. After the first few minutes, she realized that there was no way for them to win until they got someone through the enemy gate, and even that seemed like an impossible feat.

And it was impossible, after all. Condor won easily and quickly. They were good—too good for their own well-being—and it bothered Morgan that she couldn’t lead her own army to  a victory.

“We did well,” Dorian said to everyone as they walked back to their barracks. “We did really well.” He noticed how quiet Morgan was and how she didn’t say anything, so he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and chuckled. “You couldn’t have done anything about it anyway. It’s not like we had much practice together. But we will.”

She didn’t say anything. She kept her mouth shut and started to devise new strategies that no one could’ve possibly thought of before. No matter how stupid they are, she thought of ways she could implement them and put them in action in the battle room. There was no way she’d let anyone else beat the Scorpions anymore. Condor was the beginning of the end.

Two days passed since then, and Morgan had managed to teach the Scorpions a couple more tricks and sneaky attacks. She and Dorian would have sparring matches in their free time, and when the gym wasn’t empty, they would sit on his bed in his private quarters while she explained the new strategies and game plans to him. Dorian was always enthralled when she spoke.