Chapter 4: Bonding over Baseball
"I need a rival, I need a rival.
I'm tired of the fools, just killing for survival…"
The song lyrics blared in Tornado's ear buds as he sat on the field, stretching out his legs. It was one of his favorite songs while he trained. Though training with his master took precedent back home in Ionia, he was still allowed time to work on his passion: Baseball. Everyone was drawn to the gym; it left Tornado with an empty field, and complete peace. However, he wasn't completely alone.
Hiding behind a tree, Lady Four watched as Tornado jogged to first base. Ever since there meeting, Four found herself enamored with the new student. Because of her reserved nature, Four tended to shy away from guys, drawing condemnation from her more promiscuous kin. So, gathering up her courage, she sought to make contact with her crush. However, being alone with him in view, only made her more shy.
"Enjoying watching me run?" Tornado called out.
Four jumped from her hiding spot, her face scarlet red. "I-I j-just got here!" she lied.
Tornado chuckled and took out his earphones. "Sure you did." He walked over to the bench and unzipped the long blue gym bag sitting there.. Four shyly approached, the blush growing on her cheeks with every step.
"So, what brings you out here, I thought you'd be in the gym watching the show down with everyone else." Tornado said. He sat down on the bench and stretched.
"N-no… I don't really do basketball" Four said."I do like baseball though."
"Oh really." Tornado was suspicious. But let her continue.
"Yeah… I help them with practice when I'm not busy with the paper." Four said as she sat down next to him.
"Well, that's nice of you." Tornado said. "Baseball's always been my thing. Sometimes I'd sneak out of training just to listen to a game on the radio." He chuckled, thinking of the scolding Shen would give him if he got caught.
"Training…training for what?" Four asked. Tornado stopped chuckling, his face suddenly serious.
"Never mind, forget I said anything." Tornado said.
"Come on, your secret will be safe with me, I promise." Four pleaded. But Tornado shook his head.
"I'll tell you later. However, what I do want to know is what's with Five? She's a bit… loose, if you don't mind me saying." Tornado asked. Four's face soured at the mention of her sister.
"Oh, are you interested in her?" Four asked.
"Fuck no." Tornado said without a second thought. "I just want to know why she was on my non-metaphorical dick from the moment I walked in."
Four giggled at his crude remark, but it was true. "Don't mind her. Five has always been friendly with men. I try to ignore it, but she's always bragging about her conquests with my other sisters.
"With that type of libido I'm surprised she hasn't caught a disease by now." Tornado said as he took another drink of Gatorade.
"Well…she hasn't caught one because me and my sisters can't catch anything."
Tornado look at her dumbfounded "How the hell is that possible?"
"Well…it's because…" Four started. "We're kind of Goddesses."
"Goddesses?" Tornado asked
"Yeah…" Four replied.
"That feed on sex?" Tornado's head turned to the side as he looked at her
"Y-yeah…" Four stuttered, turning away from him.
"Huh… that so." Tornado looked out at the field, seemingly unphased.
"That's all the reaction I get?!" Four said, seemingly annoyed.
"Four, I come from a place where my nation's greatest warriors subject themselves to mind control to fight in simulated battles for the public, nothing you can say shocks me at this point." Tornado said.
Four was shocked, and slowly nodded her head.
"But I do have a question for you. Do you like baseball, or are you just saying that to get in my pants?" Tornado asked as he opened a bottle of Gatorade and took a swig.
Four pouted. "I'll have you know I throw batting practice for the school's team. I could start if they had a girl's team!"
"Oh yeah? Well I brought a bucket of balls out here but no one's here to throw to me. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is."
Four smirked. "You're on."
Tornado put on his batting gloves, and took out the aluminum bat sticking out of the end of his bag. As he walked to the batters box, Lady Four was coming back to the bathroom in full baseball gear. In the back of his head, Tornado couldn't help but think she had planned this all along. While he took a few practice swings, Four warmed up her arm by throwing a few practice pitches.
"Some arm you got there, how fast is that going, fifty?" Tornado chuckled.
"Oh, you want fast?" Four asked, staring him down.
"I wanna practice, not hit a home run derby." Tornado said as he stepped into the right batters box. "Show me what you got."
Four nodded, and took a traditional pitchers stance. She wound up, and threw a 4 seam fastball inside. Tornado barely gets of the way as it hits the backstop, rattling the chain-link fence behind him.
"Is that good enough for you?" Four said.
Tornado smiled wide. "Perfect. That's 1-0 by the way."
He took a few practice swings, and settled into the box. Four readied her next pitch, stepped back, and fired a curveball. The pitch started outside, by drifted just inside the box to be ruled a strike. Tornado was frozen by the movement, watching it fly past him helplessly.
"1-1, Tornado." Four said, giggling softly. "Sure you don't want me to dial back?"
"Save your breath for your pitching, Four." Tornado said, somewhat annoyed.
"Anything you say." Four said. "dear." She mumbled as she squared up. Reading another fastball, Four wound back and fired. However, this one drifted inside, and Tornado was unable to duck out the way. With a dull thud, the ball ricochet'd off his helmet, and Tornado dropped to the ground.
"Tornado!" Four screamed, and ran to him fearing the worst. However, Tornado sat up, and tossed his helmet off.
"Nice toss." Tornado said as he looked up at her.
"I'm so sorry, Tornado, I didn't mean to hit you!" Four said as she helped him up.
"Don't worry about it, that's what I get for gloating earlier." Tornado said, dusting himself off. It was then he looked into her light green eyes, and felt a bit of warmth in his chest."
"Well, isn't this just adorable. The puppy and his master bonding over a ball, such a storybook moment." Five's voice drew the two of them from the mutual stare.
"What the hell do you want?" Tornado said as he turned to face Five.
"Oh, I just came to apologize for earlier." Five said as she strolled towards them, swaying her hips. "I didn't mean to be so cross with you. I get a little territorial when I see what I want."
"Territorial, that's what you call insulting your sister and my homeland?" Tornado said.
"Well I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand what it means to be ravaged by a real woman" Five said.
"S-stop it, Five!" Four shouted. "You have no right to say that!"
"Oh…do I? And could you show him the time of his life like I could?"
"Your damn right I can!" Four screamed, and jumped on Tornado. She smashed her lips against his, catching him off guard. After the initial shock, Tornado returned the kiss with equal vigor before the two of them broke apart.
"Oh, so Four comes out of her shell. Fine then, from this day forward I guess we're rivals" Five said.
"You're on, bitch." Four said, making Five giggle.
"When you ever get tired of the small fry, my doors are always open." Five said as she sauntered off, grinning as she looked back at her sister and Tornado.
"Uggh, I can't stand her!" Four stomped her feet on the ground and turned to Tornado, who was still flushed from the kiss. "S-sorry about that, I didn't mean to jump on you like that." Four said.
"No, it's fine…it's fine…I actually liked it." Tornado said, making four blush.
End Chapter
