Chapter 33 — Dodgers at Bat
The Dodgers jogged back into the dugout after a flawless first inning.
The crowd was buzzing.
Kids cheered.
Parents shouted encouragement.
Reporters scribbled notes.
Tyler stumbled into the dugout dramatically.
"FIRST INNING SUCCESS!" he boomed.
"WE ARE LEGENDS! STATUES WILL BE BUILT OF US!"
Blake bonked him on the head with a helmet.
"Stop yelling."
Tyler rubbed his head.
"I will never stop yelling."
Zach couldn't help but smile.
But his stomach twisted.
Because now he was up first.
Lead-off.
Against the Hawks.
Against their pitcher…
a tall, razor-focused kid named Hunter Knox.
Hunter stood on the mound like a statue—
perfect posture, zero expression.
A machine.
Zach stepped out of the dugout.
Blake tapped his shoulder.
"You got this."
Tyler added,
"IF YOU HIT A HOME RUN I WILL DO A BACKFLIP AND POSSIBLY DIE BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT."
Zach nodded nervously.
It was time.
Zach's First At-Bat
The crowd grew silent as Zach walked to the batter's box.
His bat felt heavier than usual.
His hands slightly sweaty.
But then—
PING.
"Shared Focus Activated."
Teammate emotional support detected."
Reaction boost: +6%."
And he felt it.
Blake's calm determination.
Emma's steady focus.
Tyler's chaotic faith.
The team's energy pulling him forward.
Zach dug his cleats into the dirt.
Lifted his bat.
Set his stance.
Hunter glared at him.
The catcher gave a low target.
The umpire leaned in.
"Play."
Pitch 1 — The Shock
Hunter didn't wind up like a normal kid.
He coiled his body low—
then SNAP—
unleashed a bullet.
Zach swung on instinct.
WHOOSH—SLAP
The ball hit the catcher's glove faster than Zach processed.
The umpire raised his hand.
"STRIKE!"
The crowd gasped.
Tyler yelled from the dugout:
"THAT BALL BROKE THE SOUND BARRIER!"
Blake muttered,
"No it didn't."
Tyler shouted back,
"YOU DIDN'T HEAR IT YOU WERE TOO SCARED!"
Zach tightened his grip.
Hunter wasn't just fast.
He was precise.
The system reacted.
Ping.
"Opponent Analysis: Hunter Knox."
Pitch Types Identified: 4."
Fastball: Very high speed."
Control: Elite."
Zach exhaled.
This pitcher was no joke.
Pitch 2 — The Read
Hunter wound again.
But this time—
Shared Focus flickered.
Blake's voice echoed faintly in Zach's mind:
"High fastball."
Zach didn't hear it with his ears—
he felt it.
Hunter fired.
Zach held.
The pitch sailed high.
"BALL!"
The crowd murmured.
Zach blinked.
Shared Focus…
helped him choose.
Tyler screamed,
"YESSSSS ZACH I WAS TOTALLY THINKING 'DON'T SWING' TOO!"
Noah whispered,
"You were thinking about nachos."
Tyler gasped.
"THAT TOO!"
Pitch 3 — Contact
Hunter glared.
He didn't like missing.
He lifted his leg—
coiled—
and fired a blistering fastball low and inside.
Zach reacted—
too late—
but just enough to make contact.
TINK!
The ball bounced weakly toward third.
Zach sprinted.
Hard.
Faster than he ever had.
The crowd stood up—
He dove at first—
Dust exploded—
The umpire leaned down—
Silence—
Then—
"SAFE!"
The Dodgers' dugout ERUPTED.
Tyler flew out of the dugout screaming,
"ZACH SURVIVED THE SPEED DEMON!!"
Blake smiled—a proud, calm smile he rarely showed.
Emma clapped once, satisfied.
The system chimed:
Ping.
"Shared Focus Success."
"Team Morale Up."
"Speed Boost Triggered."
Zach stood up, brushing dirt from his arms.
He did it.
Tyler's At-Bat — Chaos Unleashed
Tyler stepped up next.
Helmet too big.
Bat slightly crooked.
Confidence overly high.
Hunter looked… confused.
Tyler tapped the plate dramatically.
"Pitcher man, I am WARNING you…
I possess POWER you cannot comprehend!"
Zach facepalmed.
Hunter nodded to the catcher, probably thinking:
This kid is insane.
Pitch 1
Hunter fired a fastball.
Tyler didn't swing.
Tyler didn't blink.
Tyler… froze.
The ball hit the glove.
"STRIKE!"
Tyler pointed at the umpire.
"I DIDN'T SWING BECAUSE I WAS READING HIS SOUL."
The umpire blinked.
"…Okay."
Emma yelled from the dugout,
"FOCUS, TYLER!"
Pitch 2
Hunter fired again.
Tyler swung with all his might.
WHOOSH
Missed by an entire zip code.
"STRIKE!"
Tyler stepped out, gasping dramatically.
"HE'S TOO STRONG!
HE'S LIKE A LASER-BALL-THROWING DRAGON!!"
Zach sighed.
Blake whispered,
"I can't watch."
Pitch 3
Hunter smirked.
He threw a curveball this time—
sharp, dropping.
Tyler saw it—
screamed—
closed his eyes—
and swung upward.
CRACK!!!
The ball shot straight up.
A perfect pop fly.
Tyler didn't move.
He stared at the sky.
"…Is that… MY ball?"
Zach yelled,
"RUN!"
Tyler shrieked and sprinted like a cartoon character—
Arms everywhere—
Feet slipping—
Helmet falling—
But the Hawks catcher caught the pop fly easily.
OUT.
Tyler skidded past first base, tripped, fell, got up, and shouted:
"I SACRIFICED MYSELF SO ZACH COULD GAIN BATTLE EXPERIENCE!"
The crowd laughed.
Zach covered his face.
Blake muttered,
"I'm pretending I don't know him."
Next Up — Blake
Blake stepped to the plate.
Calm.
Quiet.
Focused.
Zach felt Blake's emotions through Shared Focus:
Determination.
Pressure.
Fear.
Strength.
Hunter stared him down.
Blake stared back.
Two pitchers…
Facing each other.
Zach's heart sped up.
This was going to be big.