Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

The weekend had been both alien and familiar, and spending time with Ben's family had been interesting. Ender was happy to find everyone's relatives out of town by Monday, though. It gave him time to get back to dedicating himself to real work, pouring through research notes and making his own additions.

They were making some strides.

[[ open. ]]

Comments

[endsthegame]

"And meet your aunt," he continued. "He was pretty emphatic about that."

[momslilassassin]

"Oh, you'd like Aunt Leia," Ben said, smiling and visibly relaxing. "She's astral. Just don't eat her spiceloaf. It's," gross, "an acquired taste."

[endsthegame]

"And I think we can both probably use a trip off-world after the weekend," Ender said, seriously.

No, he wasn't asking Ben out on a date. Politics, man.

[momslilassassin]

Of course it wasn't a date! Ben was just taking him home to meet more of his family. Nothing remotely date-like about it!

Ben nodded. "I punched Jacen," he said.

[endsthegame]

Ender paused. "That is either well before the fact, or after it," he said, evenly.

[momslilassassin]

He shrugged. "Before, but I don't care."

[endsthegame]

"I mean in terms of being of any help," he said, "Cathartic as it must've been."

[momslilassassin]

"Maybe if he gets punched in the face every day, he won't turn into a kriffing idiot in ten years," Ben said darkly.

[endsthegame]

"While it's a nice thought," Ender said, wryly, "The human mind doesn't work that way, and he's got a pretty thick skull."

[momslilassassin]

"Which should have a pretty nice bruise on it today if he chose not to use the Force on it," Ben said, grimly satisfied.

[endsthegame]

"Feel better?"

[momslilassassin]

"Depends on the second," Ben admitted softly.

[endsthegame]

He smiled slightly, leaning a little bit more of his weight across the desk. "You can't change your own past, Ben. And theirs is just going to do what it wants to do."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded. "My head knows that, but when I saw his stupid face--" he looked a little ashamed of himself. "I'm normally more in control than that."

[endsthegame]

"He's a trigger," Ender agreed, watching him. "Which you can't be faulted for; but you have to try to keep it under wraps."

[momslilassassin]

"What are the odds that I'll run into him--you know, I'm just not going to finish that," Ben decided. "And I know I can't change the past, or his future, but--" he wanted to anyway. He shook his head. "Well. It's hard."

[endsthegame]

"I wouldn't even want to begin to imply that it wasn't," Ender said, quietly.

[momslilassassin]

He gave Ender a small smile. "I know you wouldn't. I don't even know where he started going wrong. It might have happened already."

[endsthegame]

"It's not your time, and it's not your place," he said. "The best you can do is figure out the Jacen you knew."

[momslilassassin]

"A bit like examining autopsy holos," Ben replied, "except that it's all memory. What if I don't find anything useful?"

[endsthegame]

"And punching a younger Jacen in the face is?" Ender asked him, lightly. "If nothing else, it might remind you that his choices were his, and not yours."

[momslilassassin]

"But what if I'd been a faster learner, or told someone my suspicions sooner, or--" Ben broke off again, shaking his head. "Is this why you spend so much time learning about the Formics?"

[endsthegame]

"I don't really waste my time on a lot of what-ifs," Ender said, sitting back. "I just want to know why they did what they did."

[momslilassassin]

"Any hints so far?" Ben asked.

[endsthegame]

"I'm getting there," he said. "How about you?"