Keepers (Ender's Game Fanfic)

Chapter 4: Turns

Ender's POV

I heard the ship arrived and braced myself for the meeting with all the officers and commanders, it was a protocol for us to have everyday in the evening. When Graff came in he was shocked but there was a tint of relieved reflected in his eyes.

That's strange, after what he put me through, he hated me after that war because I fought back against him and he knows that I was right.

"Admiral Ender, what a surprise, welcome back." He mentioned followed by the same expression of all the others behind him.

"Ender! You're back!" Bean, Petra, Alai and the rest came knocking me down when they saw me.

"Hey guys, it's nice to see all of you again." We wanted to sit and talked about my adventures and their updates of this place, but Graff thought that it was time to get to serious business.

"There has been a serious accident recently on one of our neighboring planets. The Meaz planet, located south of our ship. Something came and attacked the planet and it was not any old creatures. One of the most ancient, creatures that come alive within a specific time, the Numberk."

I sat up slowly, knowing that creature was very familiar to me. Everyone else was just as concentrated as I was. It's a very majestic species, it looks very much like the blue bird, but when it is agitated, all you can see is its skeleton and burnt feathers, burning just like got charcoal. Only one of the greatest thing that it could do is transporting fast, like crazy fast.

"You know what it is capable of don't you?" Iza whom I didn't even realise was beside me, asked.

I could only nod, I don't want to let it out that I knew something about it. There was just silence after Graff told everything about it.

What? Just what is wrong with him? He got security issues man.

I tried to read Graff's face but he just seemed worried, then there was that look. The same look he gave me when he told me that the very existence of the Formics was a threat. I looked away, Iza was looking at me with her grey eyes. She gave me a reassuring smile and Graff finally dismissed.

"Ender, so where have you been all this time?" Iza just turned away and went out without even turning back once again.

"I see you've met Eliza, she's cool." Dink noticed me looking at her.

Petra came over and joined us, "Someone's smitten. Don't worry, all the boys were like that when they first saw her."

Yeah but this isn't the first time I see her.

"So are you going to tell us or not? Come on! We're dying to know." Bean gathered everyone's attention again.

I sighed in defeat, I told them about me going to different planets, but of course left out the Formics revival part. They don't need to know about it.

Eliza's POV

Ender seemed in pain, as if he was re-collecting his past. He turned his face away from Colonel Graff and saw directly through my eyes. I sensed his fear, he's frightened of Graff, because he knows something is up. I gave him a reassuring smile before I left the room, leaving him in the hands of his close friends, his only friends.

Why is he constantly in my head these days? I need to stop this.

I went to the Tiger's bunk and immediately got back to my commander position.

"Come on guys we have a battle against the Dragon, I guess they want to find out who's the best after all. Move it people." I shouted and left to get my suit and weapon. The dragons have taken their positions and I know they won't be sitting around waiting for us.

We decided to pair up and use someone as a shield and formed a line. It was a tough and close battle, I tried to grabbed the opponents gun and shot the last of the dragon. I was panting before I knew it and pushed myself to the end point.

We did it.

Soon I heard shoutings from my team and we looked up. Ender was there, he didn't smile or even frown, his face was completely still, as if he was a statue. I turned to celebrate with my team and as we were walking back to the bunk, someone pulled me to the side.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into." I looked up to see Ender who was still holding onto my wrist.

"I don't understand what you're talking about." I tried to let go of his hand but he still insisted.

"I think you do. Please, just, avoid being... Good. Don't listen to them." He said, looking down on me with his sincere blue eyes.

"Ender, I know what i'm doing, i'm the commander of the Tigers, i've been training for 2 years, it's what we do." I felt his hand releasing me slowly and he went off to his quarters.

"What is going on?" I talked to myself, bewildered at what just happened.

I went back to the library to study further on Numberk. Turns out they are a type of species that's closest to a bird. They look so enchanting but if they're angry, they're like a full on charcoal.

But why would they attack? Says here they won't be agitated unless injustice was brought upon them.

Something was brewing in my head but I just need that one link to connect to everything. Maybe Ender might be able to help me. I went to his quarters and knocked on his door.

"Sir, Commander Eliza here." The door unlocked and I went in to see him sitting down on his table studying.

"I have something to ask you, sir." He looked up to me, obviously annoyed that I called him that.

"Do you know why the Numberks attacked the other planet? It's says that they only get agitated when something injustice had happened."

"Formics." He said and I was still trying to piece things up.

"But, I thought they're already extinct?" He looked up sharply at me and he was very angry.

"You're one of them aren't you, believing that I was the one who so called saved the human race by killing an entire species. Why don't you use that little brain of yours to think why they attacked then."

"Ender.." I called out to him.

"I've never once thought you were to blame for anything at all. You were tricked, and they betrayed your trust, playing the war as if it was a game I know!"

"You have no idea."

"What, what do I have no id-"

"Because they thought that the Formics was wrongly killed when all they wanted to do was minding their own business to build their home and here we are attacking them first, killing all of them." He slammed the table and I flinched.

"They're attacking the other planet, because it's a warning, it's near us, it's saying that it's coming for us because the Formics and the Numberks are closely bond. Oh god..."

"I-I didn't know..." I didn't know what to say anymore, two big things thrown at me at one go. Is that why he doesn't want me to be the battle commander?

"Why do you not want me to be the commander, Ender?" I was curious, I needed to know.

"Because it will destroy you, Eliza. It's not a war, it's just sick stupid games these people are doing. You're too smart for this, and I fell for it once, I know how it feels and no one had to go through what I did." He went to his chair and sat down slowly, exhaling.

"I don't have a choice now do I?"

"You can still come with me, we'll go somewhere to say we're researching and we run away."

"No, run away? That's even more stupid. I have to face it, there's nothing that I can do now. Thanks for the warning." Just as I was turning to leave, he got up and pulled my wrist back.

"Don't, please, you don't understand what you're putting yourself into. What you're putting me through."

"No, Ender, it's fine, you don't have to worry about me i'll be fin-" the next thing I know his lips was on mine within a second.