Chapter 32 — First Pitch, First Test
The field went silent.
Not completely—
there were still murmurs, shuffling, whispers—
But the silence inside the diamond was thick enough to feel.
Blake stood on the mound.
Toe on the rubber.
Glove raised.
Breathing steady, but harder than usual.
Across from him, in the batter's box,
Mason Hayes tapped his bat twice.
Focused.
Calm.
Confident.
The kind of confidence that came from countless hours of practice.
Zach felt the air shift.
Ping.
"Shared Focus Active."
Blake emotion: Determined • Anxious • Burning."
Tyler emotion: Hyped • Panicked • Ready."
Zach crouched slightly at shortstop.
"Come on, Blake," he whispered.
Pitch 1 — The Test
Tyler gave the sign.
Blake nodded.
He wound up—
Smooth.
Controlled.
No pain.
And then—
FWOOM.
The ball zipped toward the plate.
Mason didn't swing.
POP!
Strike one.
The crowd roared.
Tyler popped up, pumping his fist.
"YEAH BABY! FIRST STRIKE! LET'S GOOOOOO!"
Zach felt a surge through the link—
a pulse of unity, excitement, relief.
Ping.
"Team Morale Up."
"Blake Confidence +5%."
Mason exhaled slowly, tapping the bat again.
This time, he smirked.
"Okay. Not bad."
Pitch 2 — Hawks Synergy Revealed
Tyler called the next pitch:
inside fastball.
Blake nodded again.
Shared Focus helped Zach anticipate where the ball might go
if Mason hit it.
The pitch flew—
But Mason stepped perfectly into it and fouled it off, clean and controlled.
Clink.
It wasn't luck.
It was precision.
Zach blinked.
The system lit up.
Ping.
"Opponent Analysis Unlocked."
Mason Hayes — Trait: Elite Discipline."
"Synergy Level (Hawks): 125%."
Warning: Opponent team synergy exceeds yours."
Zach stiffened.
The Hawks were linked too.
And stronger.
Mason stepped back into the box and said lightly:
"You're better than last time…
but we're better too."
Tyler muttered from behind the plate,
"Oh I don't like how calm he is. Zach! He's too calm!"
Pitch 3 — Shared Focus Saves the Play
Tyler signaled: changeup.
Blake hesitated—just a fraction—
but trusted the call.
He delivered.
The pitch floated—
slower, deceptive—
Mason swung.
CRACK!
A hard, clean line drive.
Straight at first.
Eli barely reacted in time—
But Zach FELT it through Shared Focus.
His legs moved before his brain did.
He dove left—
thump
Snatched the ball out of the air with his glove inches from the dirt—
Rolled—
Sprang up—
Fired to first—
OUT!
The entire crowd EXPLODED.
Tyler tackled Zach in joy from behind home plate before remembering he was not supposed to tackle shortstops.
"ZAAAAAACH!!!"
Blake exhaled hard on the mound, relief washing through the link.
The system pulsed.
PING!
"Clutch Play Bonus."
"Shared Focus Enhancement: Faster Reaction."
Mason stood near first base, eyes narrowed.
He looked impressed.
"Nice snag," he said as he jogged back to the dugout.
"Didn't expect that one."
Zach nodded once.
"Thank you."
Mason grinned.
"Don't get comfortable. That was just a test."
And he meant it.
Batter #2 — A Different Kind of Threat
The next batter stepped in.
Bigger.
Older.
Heavy hitter—literally and figuratively.
Tyler whispered for only Zach to hear:
"That kid looks like he eats dumbbells for breakfast."
Zach nodded nervously.
This batter looked dangerous.
Blake's confidence wavered slightly.
Zach felt it through the link.
He stepped closer to the mound.
"Blake."
Blake looked at him.
"You got this."
Blake inhaled slowly.
Nodded.
Then Tyler slapped his chest protector and yelled,
"YEAH! ZACH'S RIGHT! WE BELIEVE IN YOU EVEN THOUGH I'M SCARED YOU MIGHT GET CRUSHED BY A GIANT BASEBALL GORILLA!"
Blake cracked a smile.
The tension melted a bit.
Ping.
"Blake Emotion Stabilized."
Pitch Sequence
Tyler gave the signal.
Blake delivered.
Pitch 1: Fastball low — swing and miss.
The crowd roared.
Pitch 2: Slider outside — foul tip.
The batter grunted.
He didn't like missing.
Pitch 3: Changeup —
Perfectly disguised.
Batter swung early—
POP!
Strike three.
Tyler jumped up and pointed dramatically at the runner's box.
"SIT DOWN, SIR!"
The crowd laughed.
Shared Focus glowed warmly.
Zach felt the energy building.
Blake's confidence grew with every breath.
Batter #3 — The First Real Challenge
The third Hawks batter stepped in.
Shorter.
Faster.
Sharper.
Tyler whispered,
"This kid looks like he drinks jet fuel."
Ethan yelled from the dugout,
"NO ONE DRINKS JET FUEL!"
Tyler called back,
"OKAY GOOD I WAS WORRIED!"
Zach's shoulders loosened slightly.
Tyler's chaos lowered the pressure like magic.
The batter squared up.
Bunt stance.
The Hawks weren't swinging—they were testing the Dodgers' defense.
Blake pitched.
The batter dropped a perfect bunt.
Zach sprinted—
So did Tyler—
So did Blake—
For a moment everything seemed too fast.
But Shared Focus aligned them.
Zach scooped the ball—
Blake covered first—
Zach fired—
OUT!
Three up.
Three down.
The crowd ERUPTED.
Blake pumped his fist.
Tyler spun around yelling,
"WE ARE GODS!!!—wait no don't write that down!"
Zach laughed.
The system pulsed harder than ever.
PING!!!
"Shared Focus Level Up (Lv.2)."
New Bonus: Anticipation + Reflex Boost."
Zach's breath caught.
They were evolving—
In real time—
Against their strongest opponents.
Blake jogged off the mound and bumped fists with Zach.
"Nice play."
"You too."
Tyler leaped on them both.
"WE DID IT!!! First inning DOMINATION!!!"
Blake shook him off.
Zach smiled softly.
They did it.
The Dodgers held the Hawks to zero.
But the Hawks looked calm.
Not shaken.
Not impressed.
Just ready.
Mason watched them from the dugout…
And for the first time—
He looked dangerous.
The Dodgers were ready.
But so were the Hawks.