Ender Returns to Earth *Currently Editing*

Chapter 17 - Locke

"Come on, Ender", Peter snarled at his younger brother. "What are you waiting for? Words to tell you what to say?"

He was antagonizing him, and it was working. Ender could feel himself getting angrier and angrier by the second.

"Stay on task, soldier. Read the screen", Graff persisted in his ear.

Peter was waiting. That narcissistic grin permanently planted on his face. He had been waiting for this moment. Ender knew as much. This entire time, it was all a charade. The niceness, the acceptance. The entire thing; an act.

With one swift movement, Ender ripped the headphone from his ear, threw it on the ground, and stepped on it. He needed to think, and with Graff telling him to look at the screen, he couldn't.

"Enough of this", He said to his brother.

"Enough of what? It's not like I've even done anything..", Peter stopped to address the crowd. "I just want to have the chance to speak."

Ender cut him off. "But you don't".

There was silence, as his older brother turned and glared at him so only he could see.

Ender continued. "You're interrupting a panel."

"You're interrupting a panel", Peter mimicked him. "Your time on this planet is done, Ender. You don't get to hold the power."

"I never did", he countered.

This was turning into an argument, and Ender couldn't help but wonder where Valentine was while all of this was going down. Probably trying to get here to stop Peter. She was too late obviously.

"I don't care", Peter barked. "Now. Take a seat while I say what I have to say."

Ender remained standing, but didn't say anything else. What was he supposed to do? It's not like he could walk over and punch Peter in front of all the cameras. Then the Court Martial's verdict would be proven right. Everyone would see him as violent. He didn't want to put his reputation at risk. Especially since the majority of the world still saw him as a saviour.

Peter started walking along the front of the stage now, and began to speak.

"Citizens of the world. I feel as though since my brother is leaving us, I owe the truth to all of you." He gestured out into the crowd.

"For sometime, a lot of you have rallied either behind Demosthenes or Locke, who govern the political sides of the Nets. Locke who has been an equal voice, a supporter of all people being equal, and an ambassador working towards a new joint world. Demosthenes; who is both cunning and ambitious, and would fight the hardest for anything that he wants. I am here today to announce the identity of one of these historians in an attempt to give some peace to this upheaval."

What truth? Ender couldn't help himself from thinking. It wasn't like Locke actually represented anything that Peter stood for. He had created Locke in order to go against Demosthenes, Valentine had told him. It wasn't like he actually voiced his own opinion. If anything, Peter should've been Demosthenes and Valentine Locke. Peter wasn't caring, and that was what Locke portrayed. He made it sound like humanity was precious and that he valued everyone. Which, was not necessarily the case for Peter.

The crowd broke out into murmurs and Peter waited patiently before continuing. Ender still stood there like a log, knowing that he would only escalate things if he intervened.