Chapter 40 — When Hawks Take Flight
The Dodgers took the field for the bottom of the inning.
The stadium buzzed.
Parents cheered.
Kids yelled.
And the Hawks stepped up to bat with one thing in their eyes:
Payback.
Zach walked onto the mound, rubbing the ball between his palms.
It felt heavier now.
Not physically—
but with responsibility.
Shared Focus flickered around him like warm electricity.
He could feel everyone.
Blake's steady presence at first.
Emma's calm calculation at short.
Noah's squirrel-energy vibrating in center.
Tyler's chaotic war chanting from catcher.
Micah's stabilizing force at third.
All of them.
But Zach knew Mason was watching too.
Waiting.
Measuring.
First Batter — Liam Carter
Liam, the Hawks' lightning-fast leadoff, stepped into the box.
He took a slow practice swing, eyes narrowed.
Tyler crouched behind the plate and muttered,
"Okay Zach, step one… put it in the strike zone. Step two… don't die."
Zach smirked.
Ping.
"Pitcher's Focus: Stable."
"Opposing Batter Attributes: Speed • Contact • Low Power."
Zach nodded.
He knew what to do.
Pitch 1 — Testing the Waters
Zach wound up—
smooth, balanced—
and fired a low inside fastball.
Liam swung late.
FOUL.
Tyler pointed dramatically.
"HE FEARED THAT PITCH!"
Liam glared.
Zach ignored them both.
Ping.
"Batter Timing Delay: 0.21 seconds."
Adjustment Recommended: Slight velocity increase."
Zach inhaled.
He could do that.
Pitch 2 — Controlled Heat
Zach threw again.
This one a bit faster, same location.
Liam—
didn't swing.
STRIKE TWO!
The crowd roared lightly.
Zach felt the Dodgers' Shared Focus stabilizing behind him.
Emma: "He's not adjusting quickly. Good."
Blake: "Finish him clean."
Noah: "STRIKE HIM INTO THE SHADOW REALM!"
Bryan: "You've got this…"
Tyler: "ZACH YOU ARE A PITCHING DRAGON!!"
Zach exhaled sharply.
Too much noise—
Shared Focus Surge — and a New Warning
PING!
Warning: Emotional Overload Detected.
Shared Focus at Critical Volume."
Zach blinked.
He couldn't handle EVERYONE'S thoughts.
Not all at once.
Not mid-pitch.
He needed to isolate.
Filter.
Choose.
And as if the system read his mind—
PING.
New Ability Unlocked — "Selective Channeling."
Choose which teammates to link with during plays.
Initial Limit: 2 players at a time.
Zach's eyes widened.
This changed EVERYTHING.
He immediately shut out Noah (for sanity) and Tyler (for survival).
He locked in on:
Emma (analysis)
and
Blake (stability)
Shared Focus calmed instantly.
Perfect.
Pitch 3 — Strikeout
Zach delivered a curveball that dropped like a stone.
Liam swung—
MISS.
"STRIKE THREE!"
Tyler leapt up yelling,
"WE SEND HIM BACK TO THE BENCH!"
Emma smirked.
Blake nodded with approval.
Noah did a weird dance.
1 OUT.
Second Batter — Rick Sanchez
Rick, the bulky contact hitter, stepped up.
He cracked his knuckles.
Took a huge practice swing.
Tyler whispered to Zach,
"Careful. If he hits it, the ball might file an assault report."
Zach nodded, focusing.
Emma's voice flowed through the link:
"He likes middle-out pitches. Avoid that zone."
Blake added:
"Keep it low."
Zach wound up—
Pitch 1 — Power Meets Precision
Fastball.
Low and away.
Rick swung—
CRACK.
A hard grounder toward third.
Micah fielded it cleanly—
launched it to first—
Blake caught it with a POP.
"OUT!"
Two down.
Zach exhaled and rolled the ball in his fingertips.
The system chimed quietly:
Ping.
"Defensive Synergy Increase."
"Team Rhythm Stabilizing."
Everything felt under control.
Until—
Mason Steps Up
The stadium vibe changed.
Parents fell quiet.
Kids leaned forward.
The Hawks bench went completely still.
Mason Hayes adjusted his helmet and stepped into the batter's box.
Calm.
Collected.
Eyes sharp as razors.
Blake whispered from first,
"Alright Zach… this is the real test."
Emma murmured through the link,
"He doesn't have a weakness."
Tyler crouched, sweating.
"Oh no… he looks like he pays taxes and lifts weights."
Zach stared at Mason.
Mason stared right back.
Predator vs predator.
Rival vs rival.
Future ace vs present one.
And then Mason said, quietly—
"Let's see how good you really are."
Zach's heart thumped once.
Hard.
The system chimed:
PING.
"New Threat Detected."
"Batter Level: HIGH."
"Caution: Elite Insight Active."
Zach tightened his grip on the ball.
This wasn't like the other hitters.
Mason wasn't just a batter.
He was a problem.
And for the first time all game—
Zach felt pressure.