Énouement

Chapter Thirty One

Ender had gotten us all in the battleroom and lined up against the wall. I hung back by the door because I knew Everything Ender wanted to teach them, and they needed to learn it without my influence.

Without fail, every one of the soldiers had lined up according to the corridor gravity. So Ender deliberately took hold of what they were treating as the floor and dangled from it upside down.
"Why are you upside down soldiers?" He demanded. Some of them started to turn the other way.
"Attention!" They all stopped. "I said why are you all upside down!"

No one answered. They didn't know what he expected.
"I said, why does every one of you have his feet in the air and his head toward the ground!" Finally one of them spoke.

"Sir, this is the direction we were coming out of the door."
"Well what difference is that supposed to make! What difference does it make what the Gravity was in the corridor? Are you fighting out there? Is there any gravity in here?"

"No sir." The little kids were probably scared of Ender, but I knew that they would all come to respect him quickly enough. Ender took them through his basics, and taught them the way he did things. It was harder on the older kids since they had learned a different way, the standard way, but soon enough they got it. I watched as he shouted at them to go in different directions, and as some still went according to the corridor gravity. There were fast learners and slow learners in every group of course.

The first to make it to the correct wall was the smallest kid here, smaller even than Ender and I were. They were right to advance him though, I could tell he'd do very well.
"You!" Ender said, pointing to the small boy. "Which way is down?"
"Toward the enemy door." The answer was quick, but also surly. As if to say, Okay okay get on with the important stuff. I smiled and looked him over. He was small, but his eyes held intelligence beyond his years. They were also hard and I could tell he hadn't had an easy life before here.
"Name, kid?" Ender asked.
"This soldiers name is Bean, sir." Could that have been his nickname? Like mine and Ender's and Bonzo's? But that would do him no good here with his size.
"Get that for size or brains?" The other boys laughed a little and I frowned at Ender. Wasn't it a little early to joke around with the young kids? They weren't used to battleschool humor and didn't know how to banter it. If anything it would beat them down. What were you doing Ender?

Ender had been demonstrated the importance of being frozen and not getting in your own army's way. It seemed Bean knew all the answers to Ender's questions, and I could see the resentment growing. Ender was praising him, while belittling the rest of the boys. I wanted so badly to intervene, for Bean and for the sake of their perception of each other, but it wouldn't do any good now.

Ender was treating Bean the exact way the adults had treated him. And it made me sick. They kept on with their drills, attack positions, and frozen positions. Ender was still a very good teacher, and they were picking up quickly for the most part. Finally practice ended with Ender helping out those who needed just a little extra, as I waited for him by the door. The soldiers glanced at me as they filed out of the battleroom. The younger kids with curiosity, and even contempt (probably because I hadn't practiced with them), while the older kids nodded in respect. Crazy Tom and Hot Soup clapped my shoulder on the way out. A few of the little kids were whispering and stealing glances at me, wondering who I was and why I was aloud to not participate. Hot Soup and Crazy Tom glanced back at me, eye brows raised, as if asking permission to tell them about me. I nodded and smiled sweetly at them as they grinned and sauntered over to the kids.

"Alright guys, lemme tell you about Miss America..." Their voices trailed off as they led the kids down the corridor. I laughed at the nickname bestowed upon me by Rose de Nose. I didn't care for it when it came from his slimy mouth, but it had become a term of endearment from those close to me. I certainly didn't like being called Bonita now, and only those who had a death wish referee to me as such. I thought I was finally alone but I didn't notice Bean in the corridor, and I don't think he cared I was there. He had been analyzing me from the corner of his eye the entire practice. I had a feeling that he already knew who I was.

Ender finally walked through the door, taking notice of Bean and glanced at me quickly before walking towards him. I hung back and watched curiously. Bean looked angry.

"Ho, Bean."
"Ho, Ender." Pause. I titled my head to the side as I observed them.
"*Sir*", Ender said softly.
"I know what you're doing Ender, sir, and I'm warning you." So Bean had understood what Ender. Had done to him earlier.
"Warning me?"
"I can be the best man you got, but don't play games with me."
"Or what?"
"Or I'll be the worst man you've got. One or the other."
"And what do you want? Love and kisses?" Ender was getting angry now, but he had started it.

"I want a toon." Bean looked unworried. Ender looked down into his eyes.
"And why should you get a toon."
"Because I'd know what to do with it." He couldn't be serious. No matter how smart this kid was or how good he'd become, he came straight out of the launch. He had a lot to learn before he'd lead a toon.

"Knowing what to do with a toon is easy," Ender said. "It's getting them to do it that's hard. Why would any soldier follow a pinprick like you?"
"They used to call you that I hear. I hear Bonzo Madrid still does." I flinched at the mention of Bonzo. Why did this kid know about him?

"I asked you a question, soldier."
"I'll earn their respect. If you don't stop me."
"I'm helping you." Ender grinned.
"Like hell." Bean said.
"Nobody would notice you except to feel sorry for the little kid. I made them notice and they'll be watching every move you make. All you have to do is earn their respect and be perfect." I glared at Ender.

"So I don't even get a chance to learn before I'm judges?" Bean asked.
"Poor kid. Nobody's treatin him fair." Ender gently pushed Bean against the wall and I tensed from my spot. "I'll tell you how to get a toon. Prove to me you know what you're doing as a soldier. That you know how to use other soldiers. And then that somebody's willing to follow you. Then you'll get your toon. But not bloody well before."

Bean smiled. "That's fair. If you actually work that way, I'll be a toon leader in a month." Ender reached down and grabbed the front of Bean's uniform and shoved him into the wall. I stared shocked as the image in my mind flashed to Bonzo doing the same to Ender. "When I say I work a certain way Bean, that's the way I work."

Bean just smiled. "Ender!" I had snapped out of my shock and was angry now. Ender glared down at Bean before releasing him and stalking away. Bean stared at me, not in gratitude or annoyance, but calculating. I gave him a small and embarrassed smile before following after Ender. I stopped halfway down the corridor and turned back towards Bean.

"You were being a smart ass." He didn't agree or disagree with me. I walked towards Bean. "That didn't give Ender the right to do that, but you were being a brat." I stared down at him before I placed my hand on his cheek and smiled lightly. Bean looked annoyed and tried to slap my hand away. I laughed. "You'll understand us all soon enough Bean." Without another word I jogged back down the hall in search of Ender.

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It's a little slow and I'm trying to compact the boring parts as much as I can, but it'll be good again very soon :)

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