Two Years Ago
One, two, three...... One, two, three.... One, two three....
Heavy breathing followed.
One, two, three..... One, two, three.... One, two, three....
More silence. More waiting. More anticipation with every passing moment.
Was this what the world had to be like now? Now that Ender Wiggin, 'The' Ender Wiggin, had been banished from the planet once and for all. Was hope really reduced down to two... political rivals? Not only were they each other's political opposition, but they held completely different viewpoints on everything. Including, their beliefs regarding the results of the Court Martial that occurred not so much as a month earlier. To a lot of the world, it was scary to watch. But to Valentine, it was downright disastrous to endure.
So, as she prepared to stand in front of the world, she counted. Not out loud of course, but subconsciously to pass the time. They had been waiting forever and even she, who was normally quite patient, was getting a little fed up with the pace. Nonetheless, she adverted her attention to looking around the elegantly decorated room.
It was beautiful; it had to be for the cameras, but she didn't care about the decorations. Yes there were expensive curtains, two fancy podiums: one of which she was standing behind, and all sorts of technical lighting, but that wasn't what was important. Frankly, Valentine could care less what she looked like. She was more concerned about the information she needed to put out into the world. And the spotlight that she would have to fight to get away from Peter.
That's right. After the entire planet watched Ender Wiggin disappear into the sky less than a month ago, immediate arrangements had been made for a worldwide press conference. You don't even have to guess with who. It became more than obvious not twelve hours after their little brother's departure that Val and Peter were gaining public momentum. With the outburst during Ender's last day to back them up, it was no surprise that things would soon be escalated.
Valentine turned to look at the slime known as her brother, her thoughts still swarmed with mixed emotions toward his revelations not too long ago. She was greeted with a dashing smile that Peter had gotten way too good at doing. If she did not know him better, she would have actually believed in its legitimacy. But then again, nothing with Peter was ever actually legitimate.
She returned his smile with a hard glare that she made sure burned into his eye sockets. He was positioned behind a podium a couple of meters away, but she knew that he got the idea. So much so, he made a point of breaking her gaze within seconds. Though, Val did not turn back to the front. She wanted to examine the snakelike features of her opponent. Not because she thought that it would give her an advantage or anything, but because it helped ease her troubled mind. It allowed her to tell herself that she is capable of overcoming Peter's influence once again. That somehow, she could protect him from spreading his influence over the entire world.
She knew she was dreaming by thinking of such things, but she could not just stand there feeling completely helpless.
"Okay. We're ready to get this thing started." A young man with a rather dapper looking suit on stepped in between the two.
Valentine smiled and nodded without looking over at Peter.
The young man, whom she noticed had a head full of curly blond hair, smiled and gave them both a thumbs up. Peter must have showed his approval somehow as well, since the man walked away to prepare the cameras.
"Action!" The hoarse voice of an elderly woman echoed the large studio.
Lights flickered on, nearly blinding both Locke and Demosthenes. Yet, neither of them were phased. After all, this press conference, or broadcast, signalled the beginning of their war.
* * * * * * * *
Present Day
The sun shone bright, its rays radiating heat, bouncing off the ground, and causing the windows of the aircraft to become hot to the touch.
Valentine smiled warmly to herself as she gazed outside at the view. Hilltops could be seen, gushing green in colour for miles, lush trees were elegantly swaying in the wind, and she could only imagine what it would feel like to be in the midst of such a wonderful setting. Though, as always, she had become a spectator of Earth's lavish treasures instead of being the one to indulge in them herself. It was, Val knew deep down, despite her longing, for the best of everyone. After all, deprivation from fun was part of the job. Although, she had to admit that even watching as they flew by, was pretty spectacular on its own.
"You know", she broke the silence that had been lingering for an hour at least. "I figured that you would be taught how to fly spaceships in BattleSchool, but a plane? It never would have crossed my mind."
She turned away from the window on her heels, and stood behind Ender who was sitting at the controls.
He replied with a laugh, his focus still on the sky. "They trained us to be soldiers. Whether that be for space combat or atmospheric battle, it all fell under the same category."
Valentine smiled, and with a flick of the wrist she set the plane on autopilot.
Ender gave her a look. "You don't trust that I can fly?"
"Oh I do." She joked. "But you've been flying since we left this morning. You must be exhausted."
"Is it that obvious?" He raised an eyebrow, and stood up.
"Much", she laughed.
Ender made a point of sitting down on one of the couches within the aircraft. They certainly were not considered luxury, but both of them being famous, they managed to get extra seating.
Valentine sat beside him, slightly leaning her head back to sink into the somewhat soft material.
"My mind cannot help but re-live what happened when you were away."
She rotated her head until her green eyes met with her little brother's blue ones. (I think that's what I said their eye colour was before, lol.)
"Peter and I, we went through a lot." She trailed on. "He seems to think that he was a lone wolf the entire time", she laughed. "Like I was not even there. But, deep down he knows."
She stopped, and tried to read Ender's expression. Though, as always. She was left completely full of puzzles. It was no secret to her that she could only read him to an extent. After all, they had not spent enough time together for her to truly know every side of him.
"You probably already know about what I am talking about, don't you?" She sighed.
Ender laughed. "I've heard a few things."
She punched him in the shoulder, annoyed.
"Ouch! Okay, I may have kept track on both of your activities."
She nodded. "I knew it.... So you understand what I am saying though?"
"I do", he replied. "But what are you getting at?"
"I do not want to jinx anything", she started. "But ever since we left I have had this strange feeling that we never should have left Peter there alone."
Ender turned serious. "Rackham and Graff can handle Peter."
"And you are so sure?"
"They were able to manipulate me my entire adolescent life. I am sure they can outsmart our hard headed brother."
Valentine dropped the subject. Ever since they had spoken to mother and father, Ender had been on edge. That much was clear. And she understood. Especially since they never actually got to finish their conversation with their parents anyway. Long story short, the officer who was standing outside rushed in and announced that they had run out of time. So, whatever it was that father was going to reveal, remains aa secret. Until a later date at least..
* * * * * * * *
"What do you mean you don't understand!? I thought you were supposed to be an intelligent young man that fought the Buggers! But all I got was a piece of garbage!"
Peter fumed as he stood across from Han Tzu in one of the many hallways in the base.
He was so consumed with anger that Han Tzu could have sworn that he almost saw puffs of smoke escape from his ears.
"Sir", he said despite his frustration with the eldest Wiggin. He had decided to stay calm even though Peter had just insulted him right to his face.
"What I meant was that I do not understand why I must obey your command. Ender left Admiral Rackham in charge of the assault."
In a way, the polite denial of Peter's control was his stab back, since out of all the things Han Tzu had learned at Battle School, he knew that not following orders would be considered a top offence. One that he did not want to have on his record. It didn't matter how tempting Peter's offer was, the truth still remained. He, like the rest of the former BattleSchoolees, was still loyal to Ender. And that loyalty did not extend to his older brother.
"Oh holy hell", Peter mumbled before taking off the in opposite direction Han Tzu was.
It was clear that his plans had not worked out yet again. Han Tzu started to wonder why Ender had made such a big deal about Peter being a threat. As far as he could see, he had been doing nothing but fail ever since Ender came back to Earth. So, needless to say, he couldn't really see Ender's point of view.
"Are you not supposed to be at your post solider?" A loud, authoritative voice interrupted Han Tzu's thoughts, and the familiarity struck the young man all at once.
Immediately, flashbacks began to break through his memory. In that moment, he felt as though he had been brought back in time. It was as though he was back in BattleSchool. Back to when he had been a 12 year old boy consumed with trying to destroy the biggest threat to humanity. Back then, only one person had used a voice so rough and angry with him.... Hyrum Graff.
It took him a minute, but Han Tzu slowly turned toward his old dictator and took in the older man's appearance. He hadn't seen the man in years, and if it were up to him, he wouldn't speak to him ever again. But of course, like most things, avoiding Hyrum Graff was inevitable.
He took another second though, and made a note of how the man was starting to look slightly frail in his declining age. His eyes looked as though they had month long bags underneath them, his posture was a little sloppy, and his hair was awfully grey. Weakness was not something the young man had seen in Graff before. It was a little strange to say the least.
"I was, Sir." He finally came up with the words. "I was pulled aside by Mr. Wiggin who tried to persuade me to change my loyalties."
Graff raised an eyebrow, and Han Tzu knew that the older man was looking him over as well.
"You have not accepted have you?" He asked. "Because if you did, telling me about it is the dumbest thing you could do."
Han Tzu shook his head. "No, sir. I am completely faithful in Ender's ability to lead us to victory."
Han Tzu thought the next thing that happened was a dream. Or that he had a serious imagination. Either way, it could not be more out of character. Hyrum Graff, the supposedly malicious manipulator, smiled at him. It was not a sly smile either. It seemed genuine enough and it appeared as though he seemed happy knowing about Han Tzu's position.
"I always respected you", the older man said to him. He went on to pat Han Tzu on the back and went in the same direction as Peter.
"Get back to your post!" Another holler echoed from down the corridor once he was out of sight.
The Chinese man took another minute, all he seemed to be doing was thinking during this encounter, to ponder what exactly happened. Then, as an obedient soldier, he ran down the hall toward the rest of his squadron. He had no time to think about the evolution of Hyrum Graff anymore. It was time to fight.
* * * * * * * *
"Are we getting close?", Valentine's eyes shot straight open just as a loud bang shook the entire aircraft.
She jumped up, and looked around. Ender was not at the controls, so what the hell happened?
"Catch", A voice came from behind her and Val turned around just in time to have a backpack thrown into her.
It toppled to the ground and almost managed to knock her over.
"Seriously", she looked over to the back of the plane and saw Ender. Laughing.
"Oh cut it out!" She whined. "In what world is it okay to throw someone's gear at them when they've just woken up?"
"This one", Ender teased as he put his own backpack onto his shoulders, and strapped it up around his waist.
"Come on", he urged her to get ready. "We're here and we only have a couple of hours until dark."
Valentine glared at her brother in one last attempt at being frustrated. It did not last long, however, since she found herself adjusting her blue military uniform and fastening her own backpack.
"Could you pass me a helmet?" She asked him, noticing he was strapping one on as well. "But nicely!"
Ender tossed one over and Valentine happily caught it. She even returned her satisfaction with a smirk.
"Do you need anything else?" Ender asked her as he looked around the room himself.
"No, let's get out of here."
He nodded at this, and pulled a massive lever on the back wall of the plane. Another loud noise erupted within the aircraft and the back hatch started to open. As it did, Ender motioned for Valentine to cover her face, and she watched as he took a fairly large piece of material and did so himself. He fashioned it to look similar to a religious sanction. Yet, once they both walked out onto the ground, Valentine understood why they had covered it in the first place.
Sand blew around as though it were a tornado, and it immediately got into both of their eyes. There was no way either of them could avoid the sand attack, as the wild, blowing current was the only thing they could see. The sensation burned and it took everything within Ender not to stop and turn away. Instead, he made sure their plane was hidden within a deep section of trees, and locked it up tight.
After all, he had only one goal in mind. He needed, not wanted, to save Petra and Bean. If he came up empty handed, he didn't know what he would do. If anything did happen to her especially, he knew that he could very well lose himself. And that would be both a tragic loss for his family, and the world. The half of the world, who yet again, had placed their fate on his shoulders.
"We're in Warsaw Pact territory", Ender yelled over to Valentine. "So stay close, and have your gun ready."
He passed her one of the two machine guns he had taken from the base, made sure the safety was on (for now), and motioned for her to keep walking with him. They had a long night ahead of them.
* * * * * * * *
*A couple of hours of walking later*
Ender began to feel his legs beginning to give out on him, but pushed to continue one. Valentine, who had remained in front of him for almost their entire trek so far, had fallen into a pace on his right and he wasn't complaining. He liked having someone by his side. After all, lines, like in BattleSchool, were always associated with something formal. And right now, he didn't want formal. He needed to find Petra and Bean.
Yet, Ender could tell just by the way Valentine walked that she was beginning to power out as well.
They no longer had the scorching sun on their backs as they did earlier, although both of them were still covered in sweat and sand.
They started out on the outskirts of Munich, since the fighting had almost completely moved away from the city, and had began to make their way down toward the border between Germany and Switzerland. Switzerland being one of the countries aiding in the fight against the Warsaw Pact. Needless to say, the closer they got, the more dangerous it would become.
Ender stopped walking for a minute to catch his breath, and Valentine didn't hesitate to stop either. Their backpacks weighed at least 20 pounds each, and the uneven ground made it even harder for their boots to keep their grip on the sand. Ender did not want to complain, but his feet felt as though they were being murdered because of the never ending whacked out paths.
He rested by placing his hands on his knees and leaning onto them slightly. The minuscule difference of pressure taken off of his back felt relaxing, and he stayed like that for a little longer than he intended because of the momentary relief he had gotten.
"It's going to be completely dark soon", Valentine panted from behind the fabric she had covering her mouth.
"Just a little farther", Ender stood up straight to talk to her. "My coordinates place a small village about half a mile from here. We can set up camp there and start back up in the morning."
"Is it not safer to be out here?" She grabbed his arm just as he was about to turn away to continue walking.
"Probably", he answered. "But if the wind picks up we'll be buried up to our heads in sand before morning."
Valentine nodded a little wearily.
"Plus", he added. "The more ground we cover, the faster we can get there and get out of this war zone."
She persisted to nod, not wanting to use her voice because of the dry feeling the sand had caused in her throat. God only knows how those two survived out here for over a year, Valentine thought as she noticed the discomfort caused by having only a short period of exposure.
"Come on", Ender looked at the watch strapped to his left wrist and gestured for her to keep going south west.
It was scary to think that if they didn't have that watch they would be utterly hopeless out here. The watch, as important as it was, acted as a compass, beeped when bad weather was about to come, told the time, and could be set as an alarm. All curtesy of the International Fleet of course. Honestly, it seemed to be so useful that Ender was sure he could survive in the middle of no where, alone with the watch, a gun, and some basic survival supplies. That was how much he put his trust in it. Though, Valentine still chose to make a note of the places they passed on their way in. That way, if anything did ever happen to it, she would have a rough idea of how to get back to the plane.
So, as they followed the directions to the border, they both walked in silence, and Ender, knowing very well that enemies often chose the early hours of the evening to go into battle, kept his watch close, and his gun even closer.
* * * * * * * *
As soon as they arrived, hollering erupted in all directions surrounding the small village. Ender looked around, frantically trying to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from. It was pitch black, and the two were almost walking on top of each other just to make sure that they did not get separated.
Ender heard a forceful click, as Valentine took the safety off of her gun. He did the same without thought, and held his tightly over his shoulder.
"I think they're just over that hill", Val barely whispered into her little brother's ear.
Ender nodded, not speaking but advancing up the somewhat grassy but mostly sandy slope.
The two walked in cinque with each other's movements which made Ender believe that they have indeed become a very good team. Our effectiveness will be tested now, he made a brief note as he continued to trudge upward.
Truthfully, it wasn't a big hill, and they weren't in a very big village. Yet, a war zone mixed with darkness and possible hostilities in front of them, Ender made sure he analyzed his surroundings as best as he could before bolting toward whatever it was.
"Don't shoot", he said rather gruffly. "We need to make sure these people aren't Swiss soldiers."
Valentine nodded and dropped onto her belly at the top of the hill. She immediately went to looking through her scope to try to see the situation.
Ender shuffled down beside her and followed her actions. He wasn't exactly following per say, since he would have done the same thing if he were alone. She just happened to be quicker on her feet in this particular circumstance.
"I count five", Val mumbled.
"No", Ender answered. "Seven. In a diamond formation there's always five in sight and two snipers on the outside."
"They aren't allies by any chance?" She made an attempt at a joke, and Ender smirked.
He wasn't sure if she could see his face because of the horrible darkness, but they didn't have time for further joking. They were literally in the middle of a war. And right now, they were soldiers.
Ender made another attempt at looking through his scope, one of which provided night vision, and got ready to open fire. First though, he made sure that he knew exactly what the soldiers were up to. From his experience, the only reason they would be standing guard like that is if a base was close. For a moment, it reminded him of the game they used to play in BattleSchool. The whole, Dragon Army facade he had managed to conquer so well back then.
Remember Ender, Bean's voice could be heard on replay in his mind. The enemy's gate is down.
At that, he gripped the trigger a little too eagerly and just as he was about to let the bullets rain, he stopped himself.
The pause caused Valentine to turn back to him, as if waiting for a signal. Normally, she would have bombarded him with questions. Thankfully she didn't since that would be too loud. So, instead she resorted to starring at her brother. Just waiting.
Ender found himself frozen in time. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, his hands somehow became sweatier than they already were, his mouth felt dry, and internally, he began to panic a little.
The last time Ender had killed anything, had been during his attack on the Bugger's home world. After that tragedy he had never felt more broken, and he swore to himself that he would never willingly kill anyone every again. That promise to himself, had been emphasized more than ever during his Court Martial.
Yet, here he was, years later, faced with a task that would break that oath. He was already the biggest murderer in history, and despite his skills, the last thing he wanted to do was get more blood on his hands.
Focus, Ender. He voiced inside himself. This internal conflict was overbearing, so he reminded himself of Petra and Bean. Just the split second of sadness he expressed over their situation managed to wake him up from his trance. These people are not nice people, he concluded. The Buggers were innocent but these people have killed innocents too. I don't have a choice but to kill them.
Of course, in a way, Ender had now painted himself as a hundred thousand times worse than them. But from another viewpoint, it was what could be used to justify his future violent endeavours. For now at least.
"Okay, listen closely." He regained his voice and began to direct Valentine. "If we take out the diamond, we may be seen from those on higher ground. But if we find the ones with the view first, we should be able to take the rest out without much trouble."
Valentine gulped. "You're lucky I'm a Wiggin", she commented. "Because I have never planned on killing anyone, and I do not think I would be able to do it if I were anyone else."
"If you want", Ender pressed a hand against her arm. "You can leave the diamond to me. Once we take out the overmatch of course."
She nudged him. "I did not say I was weak, and I am most certainly not going to act how women are stereotyped as. Let's get this done."
Ender smiled at his sister's determination. "Okay", he said. "You aim left, I'll take the right."
They both pointed their guns, searching for the Warsaw soldiers. Once Ender homed in on one, he made sure that Valentine had found her target.
"Ready? One... Two... Three.... NOW."
– – – – AN – – – –
Hey guys! Yes, the next chapter is finally done! I hope it exceeds expectations, or at least meets them. The mission will continue further into the next one! I just love Ender and Val's relationship to be honest, so I had to make this a little long and split it in half (Or more, who knows ;) ).
Anyway, thanks so much for reading once again. Please vote, follow, share my story with whom you think would be interested, etc.
Until the next update (which will be in 3 weeks),
- Jess xx