A/N: I have to thank the few that read this story. I was seriously ready to put this one on the shelf (I get discouraged easily when no one reads my stuff), so thanks for reading the story and please give me some feed back! I was reading over the chapter one (the posted version), don't know how this happened but it's different from the one I have on my home computer. So, just to get rid of some confusion Corey in chapter one is Hunter. Another thing I noticed was that Marcus's last name changes. It's supposed to be Marcus Render (I believe I put Arben at one point). Hopefully that didn't mess things up too much for you. Thanks again!

Chapter Five

Three months of vigorous training had turned their soft childish figures into firm muscle more appropriate for an adult. Hunter didn't mind the change so much, it gave him strength, which was exactly what he needed. In order for him to be neutral under the visage of the teachers, he had to be like everyone else, and everyone else was getting stronger. Anything to make him seem like everyone else he did. He rigged his tests, well aware of the high averages despite never being shown the test marks for any test for any student. If anyone looked up his record, it would be perfect...except for that one incident and the other on the shuttle.

"Been a good boy, eh Hunter?"

He looked up from the plasma screen he was studying from. He didn't need to study, but it was what everyone else did. He needed to fit in. "I've been the norm, what about you, Toren. Heard you got in another fight, what's this make it? Third, fourth one this month?"

Toren's chest puffed out slightly, "Ah good, my name's bein' spread."

Hunter snorted and dialled down his screen, "It hasn't been attached to anything good."

"What's that suppose' to mean?"

Shrugging, Hunter continued to put away the computer equipment in its designated pouches on his uniform, "It's all been bad, fighting, not doing what you've been ordered to do." He paused and looked Toren in the eye, "Things that won't be noted with approval."

Poking a finger into Hunter's chest, Toren sneered, "At least I ain't a wimp. I go about gettin' noticed, teachers are bounds to take notice of how I can hold m'own." Just to prove his point he punched Hunter's shoulder hard. "You know what I think? Those stories 'bout you beatin' that kid senseless is all just a ruse. You ain't nuthin', y'hear?"

"I hear." Toren grinned and relaxed somewhat, all he wanted was control over others, it would get him nowhere unless he earned that respect. Hunter would give it to him knowing very well that it was false. Hunter smiled back, appearing sheepish, but if Toren had looked closer he would have noticed that there was steel flashing in his eyes, "Yeah, don't know how it spread that it was me in that fight, but..." he shrugged, "people just want to make trouble."

Bobbing his head like a chicken would, Toren smirked, "I was so wrong 'bout you, usually I'm a good judge of character, you just a wimp."

Hunter shrugged again, he didn't need to be pulled into another fight. He already knew what the outcome would be, he'd win and be sent back earthside – exactly the thing he didn't need, there were too many answers up here for him to find out.

Their wrist-com's chirped and they both looked down to read the text message that flashed across the small plasma screen. "Damn, those classes just don't end, need to find a way to cut 'em or somethin'." Toren sauntered off aimlessly, making an indirect line to the exit. Hunter watched him leave then released his breath, he really had expected Toren to attack him – he had his reputation alright, for fighting kids that couldn't fight back...or in Hunter's case, wouldn't fight back.

"Hey Hunter, that brag bothering you?" It was Daryl, standing ready with feet apart and fists on hips, "You just give me the word and I'll beat him senseless!"

Hunter smiled but shook his head, "Nah, you don't worry about him. He's digging his own grave. I'll put money on it that he'll be sent earthside in less than a week." He jogged over to join her so they could walk together to their classes.

Daryl tapped a finger to her chin, "I'm going to say two weeks. How many credits you putting on it?"

"You sure you want to do this? I've never lost a bet."

She punched him, but nothing nearly as hard as Toren's, hers was all in jest, "Neither have I, so how much?"

"Forty."

She lifted her brows at that, but replied anyways. "Deal. And you better be good for it otherwise I'll be beating you senseless." Holding out her hand for him to shake, she added, "Not that I need the credits, been acing my tests regularly so the credits have been stacking up."

Then they were both back to seriousness as they entered the class. Another month of screen testing and then they'd be getting down to the real chore of school and...the Battle Room, but for now, these tests were what decided whether or not you'd be staying. No more ships had come for the last month, but people were being regularly dropped. Hunter couldn't help but wonder how many were going to be here, but then, there was always next year – had to be room for them.

-

"He's too old for the school, Marcus."

"Only by a year or two, you're just using that as an excuse because he's making you jittery."

"Try three years."

"Ok. Three years older than the average. There are still plenty of kids who are near his age."

"He's still older than the next oldest by seven months. He's too sharp; it's scaring the teachers now that you've pointed out what he's been doing. He's too old."

"Give him a try. You may not like what he's shown us so far, but I think he's smarter than any of us believe. Right now, he's just average. Earth-side, people would think he's brilliant. He's just trying to blend in, trying not to distinguish himself. But if you want, I'll rig something up just to prove my point."

"Like what?"

"On his next exam, give him a different one than the others, and have dividers separating all students from one another so they don't peek and cheat off one another. But make sure that his test is a lot harder; in fact, make it a series of tests. Each progressively harder, I want to know how good he is."

"What then."

"Bring the marks to me."

-

Taking his customary seat next to Sean, Hunter pulled out his stylus and began doodling on his desk screen. Or at least that's what it looked like to most people around him. In truth, he was creating diagrams he'd seen in the IBS's historical archives. He had an unquenchable thirst to understand how battles were fought and won. And that was the problem, no two battles had been fought the same, there was always a different tactic. Ender had been a genius.

The teacher came in carrying her teaching console under one arm, she didn't need to say anything, she just sat down at her desk and activated her computer, but instead of having their tests pop up on their own screens, metal dividers slid up from the sides the desks blocking the view of those around them.

Hunter stopped his diagram from rotating to note this new course of action. Saving the diagram, he straightened in his seat. Test time.

"You have exactly an hour and a half to complete the test."

A few kids groaned, complaining about the screens.

Hunter felt himself grinning, the tests were so easy, how could they complain? His screen flashed and the test appeared. He read the first question over - his grin faded, these were definitely getting harder, but it wasn't too much of a concern. He knew the content, didn't matter how, he just did. It was like he'd always known the stuff. He just knew it – everything that was presented to him he knew.

Four months. Time seemed to fly up here. Hunter couldn't think of a time on earth when time had gone so fast. It just didn't seem right, but at least it meant an end to the screening tests. They were all stuck here for the duration of the Battle School Training. That was a long ten years ahead of them. But that was ten years away from Howard, it wasn't so bad just for that reason alone.

On the other hand, that was going to be ten years with Toren. For the first time ever, Hunter had lost a bet, well, technically they had both lost. Toren's middle name was trouble, he was sure of it, but no matter how many fights Toren got into he was never sent earthside. It didn't make sense. Why would they keep such a potential killer onboard? He'd already sent three kids home paralyzed. Daryl couldn't make any sense of it either, but she had cast it aside. But it did. There was a game afoot and it was being played at the higher levels of commandment.

Staring blindly at his screen, Hunter had to mentally pull himself away from those thoughts. The IBS was supposed to have fixed all those power issues that had been in the last station. There are always loop holes, a voice whispered in his mind. Yes. Always.

Ten minutes to lights out and as usual, the rest were lounging in their room, relaxing from a strenuous day of tests and physical activities. Hunter pulled his pillow over to prop his back up so he could search the IBS archives for more stuff on the battles. He needed to distract himself from those lingering thoughts of the power struggles.

He was particularly interested the battle vids. The wars before Ender's time were all censored and cut to bits, but the footage of Ender was untouched. It was impossible to be in Ender's head to understand all the details, but it was possible to learn what the gist of it was.

"I'm so sick of these tests. It's like they're trying to test a monkey. Do they think we're really that dumb? Today's test in geophysics was cinch, I'll be surprised if I found out I didn't ace that test!" Sean was always complaining, but that was likely because he was a genius and knew it. Nothing was up to his standards. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement to what he'd just said, all except Hunter.

"Oi, Hunter, how'd you find today's geophys test? Easier than usual or what?"

Looking up from the scene playing out before him on his screen, Hunter shook his head, "No. Definitely harder. It was on stuff that wasn't even covered in the previous class."

Sean looked at him as he was a stranger, "Come again?"

Hunter set aside his screen to face the group, "There were questions on there that shouldn't have been till like the next chapter, even the next year. It was way beyond what we've learned in the classes so far." He stopped, the faces before him told him exactly what he feared. They were confused, not understanding a word he was saying. And it was then that Hunter realized that the ones 'up there' with all their power struggles had singled him out; they knew he was holding back. He'd thought it strange that none of the others had complained that the tests had gotten progressively harder over the past month. Now he knew why, they had given him a separate test each time.

"I've been played."

Some of the others snickered.

"I've been getting different tests than you guys."

Sean laughed, "Yeah, it would sound like it. Maybe they think you're special."

"You don't seem very surprised."

"Nah, remember what they did in the first Battle School? All tricks and lies and deceit... no reason why this place is any different. If they think you're better than the rest, then good luck to you, 'cause they're going to break you." He grinned and shrugged his shoulders at that point, seeming to find great amusement in Hunter's predicament, "But you really shouldn't care that much. I mean, we'll be going into the Battle Net soon. Room and Scape! You should be ecstatic!"

Hunter didn't answer and none saw his face. The lights had gone out.

-

"You were right, Marcus."

"That's 'sir' to you."

"Yes sir. You were right, sir."

"I know. I've seen the results. He knew everything we threw at him and still managed keep a steady average score. Throw a real hard one at him next time, final year stuff. Then get him back on the regular programme. We'll have to figure something out about him later since he's so obviously ahead of everyone else."

"Yes sir."

"Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"Well, I've done some digging. It wasn't really all that hard to find actually, but I've found some interesting stuff."

"Like what? And on whom have you been looking into?"

"Hunter Correlli, sir. It's all there to look at, wasn't restricted or anything."

"Well, what did you find?"

"He's Carl's son."

"Who?"

"Carl Bracken."

"Shit."