"Friendly" Competition-Ender and Petra

"Friendly" Competition

A/n if you didn't read the description they are older in this like 15 16 soooo Enjoy!!!

In command school it was a common thing to face off against your peers one on one. Back at battle school it was about teamwork and trying to utilize your own strengths as well as others. But at command school they wanted to see you function as an individual. Sure most of the exercises they did were with your army, but to be a leader you needed to know how to know yourself as well as your enemy.

It was months before graduation and the Dragon Army was pushing themselves like never before. But this week was especially hard, because this week they had one on one evaluations along with person on person battles. A bracket had been posted the other day displaying the different pairings. Ender's first game was with Ali, an easy defeat. Ali was one of his good friends but Ender was also a good friend with winning. Ender was standing by the bracket reading over the multiple pairings within his dragon army. Petra walked up to him in the hall.

"Hey!" Petra said with a big smile on her face.

"Hi." Ender said in a more disengaged tone.

"Is your logic here staring down the bracket to help you win?" Petra said laughing

"I dont help winning Petra, its you who will need help winning against me." He said playfully turning around to face her.

"Dont be to sure i've been training a lot recently and i'm determined to win." Petra said with a mischievous glint in her eyes

"As am I" Ender said with a grin that only her presence could bring out.

Ender always had a special place in his heart for Petra, and he always suspected some reciprocation for those feeling from Petra but the two had always remained friends. Bean had always egged him on to ask her out but Colonel Graff told him that there is no place for love in war.  Which he never truly believes that because he had always loved his enemies. But he wanted to remain professional with Petra.

The day of the first battle had come and Ender was preparing in his personal dorm. Putting his suit on with his helmet by his side and marching to the the anti-gravity chamber battlezone, gun in hand silently chanting to himself the Dragon Army march song. Arriving at his gate entrance he found Petra waiting for him.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you preparing for your battle against Bean?"

"I came to wish you good luck, and please it's Bean." Petra said looking away

"Why wish me good luck if you want to win the bracket?" Ender said stepping closer making her have eye contact with him now only a few inches apart.

"Well...I want to crush you myself." Petra said looking up into his icy blue eyes before turning away again.

Ender laughed at this comment of course she would say that.

"Thanks, i guess but you may want to go to the other gate because that where you'll see me again." He said with an air of confidence he had really never had before.

"Well then i'll see you on the other side then." Petra said giving him a peck on the cheek, standing on her tiptoes to do so. Ender didn't know how to react to this so he just nodded, put on his helmet and flew into the battle zone. Petra smiled at the boys awkwardness. She liked knowing the effect she had on him it would come in handy later when they faced off against one another.

The battle with Ali went by with ease using his training and great military instincts to guide him to the objective. As expected Petra was waiting on the other side for his arrival. He was greeted with the very familiar smile she wore upon her sculpted face. A week went by with battles every other day Ender winning all of them, on the other side of the bracket Petra was doing the same, the final battle between them would be in one days. Ender was prepared to beat her, but he never liked to be two sure of any win and extra practice is always good. Ender changed into the uniform workout/training attire that was giving to all of the students. He then headed to the training gym. The sound of his shoes against the empty hallway echoed. Once he reached the gym and started some warm-up stretches he realized was not alone.