Together

Chapter 15★ Amy

Ender obviously notes what's going on and pulls out some stars on our side. Group two finally stopped fighting, and Allie looks unhappy, to say the least, with the outcome. My team reaches the back wall.

"So what do we do, sir?" Asks one person. Bruno. This kid is too arrogant.

"We can't pull a surprise attack. They'll expect one. Aiden, keep watch on the other team and tell us if something weird happens."

"Yes sir." I note several close by star formations.

"Bean, take two people over to those stars," I point at a clump, "and fire at the enemy through the gaps between the stars. It's ridiculously hard for them to hit you without coming around the stars." He takes one from C and E each.

"What are the rules? How do we win?"

"We win when the other team is completely frozen." I get an idea. "I need four people." I point to the three in toon E. "Form a star. Or a sphere. Hold hands." I position them the way I want them. Their feet are frozen together in a tight formation, and each person is leaning back as far as they can while still holding hands. Their hands are frozen as well. One person sits on their feet, unfrozen, with two guns and ready to fire. I point to the other nearby star formation.

"When you get there, count to three, then send them towards our enemy." I send Bruno with our formation to the star clump. It's been two minutes and 5.6687 seconds since we reached the wall. I turn and see that Tom has launched his army. They are using my soldiers as shields. But only in front.

"Aiden, sneak underneath them and fire from behind. I'll be there soon." He nods and heads off. Bruno launched our distraction formation, and it's working. Tom's team is firing repeatedly at the formation. I look to where Bean and his group are supposed to be, and see that they have already adapted to the battle. Bean has his two people and himself positioned in a triangle, with one person behind, and one to each side of our opponent. I smile, and take off upwards. I stop at a star and mirror Tom's path. I fire from above, and hit every person in the head. They're all frozen. I see Bruno fire at the shield just to make sure. My team regroups behind Tom's. Aside from our distraction, only one frozen leg.

Ender unfreezes Tom's team and mine. Tom floats over and shakes my hand.

"Good game, Amy."

"Thanks Tom. You too." He turns and pushes off, going upwards so that he can see Group two's battle. I follow. They are on their opposite sides, strategizing. One side, closer to us, is having problems. Allie. They seem to be arguing about how many people should go up or down or whatever.

The other group is mounting their attack. They sneak in above, behind and below Allie's group. Dink and Fly seem to be co-leading their team. All of Fly's soldiers line up in a particular way. They form a semicircle with everyone else. Fly fires. Each person fires one second apart going around the semicircle, ending with Dink. They then open fire and I see that five people were frozen. Allie's team was frozen in fifteen seconds. Lots of style with Dink and Fly. Either way it would've looked good. Tom had good style too, it just wasn't adaptable.

Ender unfreezes everyone and starts talking to us.

"Tom, Allie. Why did you lose?"

"I lost because I couldn't accept that someone else was in charge of me," Allie mutters, eyes cast downward. At least she's learning.

"I lost 'cause Amy's too darn good," says Tom. Most people snicker.

"Tom...." Ender chides, making everyone giggle.

"Okay. I lost 'cause I couldn't make my group adapt to what Amy was doin'. We had to stick to the preset formation, 'cause by the time I realized what was goin on, Amy'd already frozen every single person twice over."

"Good. That is how we need to try to fight. No preset formations, easily adaptable plans. Amy, Dink and Fly, why did you win?" A staring contest ensues between me and Dink, since neither of us want to go first.

"We won because we gave them a general idea to surround the enemy. The soldiers then changed it to the whole semicircle and offset firing thing for style. We told them that if it didn't work it was every man for himself." Fly explains. The army giggles, even Ender. My turn.

"My team won because I didn't try to control everything and I used different techniques. I had the person in the formation firing as a distraction, while I gave Bean command of some people. I told them to do one thing, but when Tom came at us with the formation, Bean did something completely different that helped win."

"So what you're saying is that Bean disobeyed orders and you're endorsing that?" Allie spits. Bean looks uncomfortable, and I'm getting some angry glares.

"Of course not. What I'm saying is that Bean saw an opportunity to adapt to the battle, and help us win, which is what Commander Wiggin is trying to get across. Orders should be more like suggestions in battle." Ender nods, as do the rest of my toon and the soldiers that were with me from toons E and C. Tom, Dink and Fly nod. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Off to bed. We'll talk more about this tomorrow," Ender says. No one moves at first. Allie sighs.

"You lot'll be no use to us if you wake up exhausted tomorrow! MOVE IT PEOPLE, CURFEW IN FIFTEEN," she yells. People shrink and wince at her yelling, especially poor Wolf, who happened to be right next to Allie and received the worst of it.

"You heard the lady. MOVE," yells Tom in emphasis. Everyone scrambles for the gate. Gate A.

"Oi! Wrong gate Dragon! Unless you'd prefer to sleep in the hall on the floor!" Fly exclaims. Dink has his face in his hands. I start laughing.

"Thought you were supposed to be smart!" Yell Allie and Tom in unexpected unison. They look like they're about to punch each other. Tom sees me laughing and turns.

"You think this is funny, Amy?"

"Very much so, yes." Dink and Fly start laughing, and so does Allie when Tom launches at me, but misses and crashes into a star. Ender looks at us smiling. Everyone is laughing and most of the army crashes into the wall around gate B. They eventually get themselves through the gate with me, Ender and the rest of the toon leaders following.