Jeezum crowe. -wipes forehead- I had to write this all in one week. Dang. I need a life. I do not own Slayers, Major League Baseball, Portland, Detroit, Vance Wilson and other things like that. Also, do not be surprised if my Monday updating halts. I knew that my schedule would corrupt at one point or another. This chapter was too short for comfort. -hangs head in shame-
Ni-juu-ni
Fortitude Save! That Sure Was A Close One!
Lina held the bat with uneasy hands. It was still the first inning... yet it seemed as if the game had been going on for hours. She had watched Jan ground out and nearly died of a heart attack when Kurt tripped... literally into second. Her heart raced as Takashi hit his comfortable base hit, crossing over first base without any trouble at all. Now she was up at bat. Her right arm shook as she held the bat and walked over to the batter's box. The catcher named Wilson took notice of Lina's nerves and signaled to the pitcher that their target was going to be simple. Yeah, as if scaring the hell out of poor Kurt wasn't easy enough. Both men smiled as the referee yelled her customary "batter up!"
"Scared, rookie?" Wilson laughed as Lina unsteadily gripped the bat.
"Tch," Lina scoffed, leveling out her shakiness. "In your dreams."
Like hell I'm scared! I'm used to batting in the second inning... not the bloody first! What if I blow it! What if there is a double play? Damn, I am way over-thinking this…
Everything was in slow motion as Lina looked around at the surrounding ballpark. The rowdy fans in the stands, some already drunk from beer they had bought before the game; the motion of the pitcher's arm as he drew back and released his grip; the ball hurtling towards her seemed to crawl along at snail's pace instead of at the ninety-six miles per hour it was actually going… everything took an eternity.
Swing damn it all! Lina thought as she closed her eyes and blindly swung the bat. She could feel the bat connect with something in midair as it passed over the plate. Lina opened her eyes and saw the ball being bounced high over the Tigers shortstop's reach. Quickly, she dropped the bat and began booking for first base before the ultra-swift center fielder could retrieve the ball. Sixty feet to first… he was rushing towards the ball. Thirty feet… he picked it up and threw it over to the baseman. Lina sped as fast as she could to hopefully beat the ball to the base.
Please make it!
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"…and Inverse is safe at first! The bases are loaded with one out!" AirJay happily announced into the microphone in the batter's box. "That was so cool how he closed his eyes and still hit the ball, wasn't it bonica?"
"Yes it was," Naga said haughtily. She petted Kiko lightly as she scanned the field, going from the pitcher, to the catcher and to each of the basemen. "It looks like Rodgers is trying to flaunt his abilities, don't you agree?"
"Yes, that jerk on the mound is not worthy to walk through the gates of this fine establishment if I do say so myself."
"Cool it AirJay, dear. You don't want to upset anyone in the audience, do you?"
"Like I really care about what people think," AirJay scoffed. "I am a mighty warrior of the sea!"
"Yeah, but there are still FCC laws to uphold here," Naga sighed. "Apologies folks, but he's just always like thins... now we have Kenny Rook coming up to the plate."
"Hopefully, he keeps up his hitting streak," AirJay commented, irked at Naga for telling him what to do. He sat down and glanced over at his co-commentator. A smile crept across his face as his eyes found her chest and he remembered why he put up with her to begin with. Shaking his head, he got back into focus. "I mean, he has had a hit at his last eight plate appearances."
"The windup and the pitch... a swing and a miss. Zero, one, on Rook."
"Ah, would you look at that, Liam Inverse is getting a wee bit nervous," AirJay chuckled, noticing how jumpy Lina had become down on the field at first. "It seems as if Fuchs isn't the only one who's rattled by the batting order shuffle. Metallium must be picking the batters by Russian roulette if you want to know the truth."
"...or he's drawing straws. Pop fly into the stands. Zero, two now."
"I wonder when the hot dog vendors are coming up here."
"They aren't supposed to."
"I want some hot dogs and beer!"
"Too bad. Oh! It's a grounder to short! A quick tag at second base and the double play is easily made at first!" Naga said quickly. "It's the end of the first inning here at Jones Soda Stadium and we'll be right back folks after these messages."
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"What'd ya say? Mutiny?" Lina suggested to Kurt as they jogged over to the dugout.
"What do you mean by 'mutiny'?"
"You know, overthrowing Xellos. Ousting him from his high and mighty position as our perpetual tormentor."
"Feh," Kurt replied. "The man's not worth the trouble. Damn wanker's messin' up my mojo. He's such a prick."
"Hello there boys," Xellos said as Lina and Kurt entered the dugout to retrieve their mitts. He gave them both a rather disturbing smile, wave and even opened his one eye in a reverse-wink. A chill surged down the friends' spines and they quickly rushed out of the dugout as fast as they could.
"So, do you still think it's worthless?" Lina asked, seemingly disturbed.
"What's worthless?"
"Mutiny?"
"Oh yeah... oi Sam!" Kurt called out. Sam Vilsis spun around and saw the centerfielder standing by the severely shaken shortstop. He lightly jogged over to where they were so that they were within reasonable talking distance.
"What is it Kurt?"
"We're committing mutiny against Xellos during the seventh inning stretch. Wanna join in?"
"Damn straight I will! Any coup against the manager's fine by me!" Sam grinned. He gave Kurt an approving thumbs-up sign and went to jog back to his position on the field.
"That still does not make me feel any better, or erase the fact that the Wanker's creepier than all Hell," Lina shuddered. She left Kurt's side when they reached second base and went over to her position at short. Taking a glance over at the dugout, she saw Xellos waving at her with his ever-spooky grin and wave. Lina's eye twitched as she slowly turned towards third. As she rotated, something smacked into the back of her left shoulder. She turned around sharply to find Gary Polous laughing and Aaron Reeds looking as white as a sheet.
Damn him, she thought, glaring evilly at Gary. Picking up the baseball next to her, she fired a fastball aimed at Gary's skull, imitating the stance and movement she had seen the pitcher Will Scott do just the previous inning. Thinking on his impulses, Gary dropped to the dirt, completely avoiding the white projectile. The ball did, however, rocket towards the dugout and whacked Xellos in the back of the neck, sending him down hard.
"Oh shit..." Lina gasped. She stared wide-eyed at where Xellos was standing as some of the players on the bench rushed over to it. It was frightening to think that she could have seriously injured her manager instead of giving him the empty threats, jokes and light beating he usually received.
In an instant, a purple mop of hair sprang up from nowhere and revealed that Xellos was seemingly quite fine. Lina's face turned red as he spun around and waved at her, appearing to have not been affected by the blow at all. Then, in a glazed-over manner, he comedically fainted onto the dugout floor.
"You should have ducked you idiot!" Lina screamed, shaking her fist angrily at the unconscious manager.
"Traitor! The rest of us were all waiting patiently for the seventh inning!" Jan yelled at Lina, a hint of laughter to his voice. Lina gave him a cocky smile before turning back to the dugout to see Esteban Hernandez and Murdoc Rodriguez dragging Xellos out of the dugout area and into the clubhouse for storage. They emerged a few seconds later, giving Lina a thumbs-up sign. Xellos was completely out cold and the team was going to be forced to wing it without their "authoritative figure". Everyone on the Slayers cheered, for it was a good day for all... except Xellos of course.
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"I can't believe it," AirJay laughed. "Liam Inverse took out his manager and the Slayers are celebrating!" He smacked the table and cackled. Naga, who was sitting next to him, had her jaw dropped open in speechless awe as to why Lina had not been thrown out by the umpire yet. She could see the blue-haired woman who was acting as home-plate umpire signaling for the Slayers to stop celebrating and continue with the game, but that was about it.
Holy smokes. The umpire looks unfazed by Inverse's accident, she thought. Naga scanned the crowd there in the stadium to find that there were many people that were standing up and of all things... applauding. The only person I know that could possibly get away with something like this is back home. She looked at the small television monitor that AirJay had placed on the table and saw a close-up of Liam being patted on the back by the second baseman. Naga squinted at the television and gasped.
"What in the...?"
"Did you say something my dear?"
It took Naga a few moments to register that AirJay had been talking to her. She turned her line of vision over to her boyfriend and let out a small "eh" noise.
"Did you say something Naga, Sweet?"
"Oh, no," she replied, shaking her head softly. Inside though, she was screaming her brains out.
LINA! What in the hell is freaking LINA doing here? Was that really her all season or is she filling in for a cousin? It must have been her... why have I not noticed it until now? Am I, as her greatest and foremost rival, gone soft? Impossible! Heh. Now I think I am finally going to have to contact my baby sister once again... oh how I love blackmail.
Naga looked at the television screen again as the Tigers' hitter went up to bat and the game got started once again. She continued her job, but took a note for later on when she would have to unearth some old ties that she really would have preferred to stay buried.
Things To Know
Fortitude Save: A reference to my younger brother, who will randomly whip out his D20 and yell "fortitude save!" and try to roll his way out of an unfavorable situation. Unfortunately for him, this tactic does not work on large, brain-deficient jerk-wads who roast nerds like him on a spit in their front yards for parties.
Wilson: Yeah, I don't think he's really that jerk-off cocky in real life. I just call what he was doing a "diversionary tactic" in order to scare Lina stiff. Didn't work. As an after-note, he did have an excellent game yesterday against Cincinnati.
The FCC: Yeah. I'm not all that fond of the FCC. I'm not fond of many things that sensor blood and violence and the good things in life like that. The One Piece American dub sucks because of them and the 4Kids company. -shakes fist- Grrrrrr...
Naga: Yes, Naga-san recognizes our Lina! Yay!