Chapter 35 — Emma vs. the Hawks' Shift
Emma Carter walked into the batter's box like she owned it.
Not loud.
Not flashy.
But with a confidence that made the Hawks' infield shift immediately.
Zach noticed it from second base.
The Hawks shortstop moved three steps to the left.
Their second baseman shaded toward first.
The outfield pulled in.
It wasn't random.
It was targeted.
Emma narrowed her eyes.
"They scouted me," she muttered.
Tyler shouted from the dugout,
"EMMA! DESTROY THEM WITH YOUR POWER OF CALCULATED ANGER!"
Emma didn't smile—
but her eyes sharpened.
Shared Focus Activates
Ping.
"Shared Focus Active."
Emma Emotions: Calm • Analyzing • Competitive."
Zach felt her intensely logical energy ripple through the link.
Emma wasn't just thinking about hitting the ball.
She was tracking:
The pitcher's angle.
Hunter's glove position.
The infield's spacing.
The catcher's signs.
The wind.
Even the spin on Hunter's warm-up throw.
Emma Carter was… terrifying.
Hunter Knox Notices
Hunter stood on the mound.
He squinted at Emma.
She wasn't like Zach (instinct).
Or Blake (power).
Or Tyler (chaos gremlin).
Emma was a reader.
A player who could see patterns.
Hunter didn't like that.
He tightened his grip.
Zach felt a subtle shift.
Ping.
"Hunter Intent Detected: Testing pitch."
Pitch 1 — Mind Games
Hunter fired a fastball.
Not ultra-hard.
Just loud enough to check Emma's reaction.
She didn't flinch.
Didn't step out.
Didn't blink.
She just watched it.
"STRIKE!"
She stepped out calmly.
Zach felt her thoughts through the link like distant echoes:
"He's hiding it…
what pitch is he setting up?"
Emma stepped back in.
Hunter stared.
She stared back.
The crowd hushed.
Pitch 2 — Emma Identifies the Pattern
Hunter pitched again—
slightly slower.
Slightly lower.
Emma didn't swing again.
The ball dipped at the last second.
"BALL!"
Emma exhaled slowly.
Zach felt the EXACT moment she figured something out.
Her emotional signature spiked with certainty.
Tyler whispered from the fence,
"Oh no… she's doing… THE CALCULATING FACE."
Blake murmured,
"That means she's about to break someone's soul."
The Hawks Shift Again
The Hawks shortstop shouted,
"She's bunting! Move up!"
Emma's eyebrow twitched.
"I'm not bunting," she muttered.
Right fielder:
"She's hitting opposite field!"
Emma:
"No."
Third baseman:
"She's going middle!"
Emma sighed.
"No. No. And no."
But the Hawks kept shifting—
slightly wrong every single time.
Zach realized something:
They were OVERthinking Emma.
They didn't understand her.
But Zach did.
Shared Focus showed him her clarity—
Her intention—
Her target.
She wasn't trying to beat the defense.
She was trying to beat Hunter.
Pitch 3 — Emma Attacks
Hunter pitched.
A deceptive fastball-changeup hybrid.
The one he used to trick Blake earlier.
Emma waited…
Waited…
Then swung with a smooth, perfect motion.
CRACK.
The ball wasn't hit hard.
But it was hit precise.
A line drive that curved JUST enough—
splitting second and first base.
Right where the Hawks weren't.
The entire Hawks infield jerked the wrong direction.
Zach took off from second—
Emma sprinted to first—
The right fielder charged—
Zach slid into third—
SAFE!
Emma reached first—
SAFE!
And the crowd ERUPTED.
Tyler screamed,
"SHE BROKE THEIR ENTIRE SHIFT WITH MATHHHH!"
Zach felt the system roar:
PING!!!
"Emma: Precision Hit — Perfect Counter."
"Shared Focus Synergy Boost +8%."
"Team Awareness Increased."
Hunter froze on the mound.
He'd been outplayed.
Not by power.
Not by speed.
Not by luck.
But by intelligence.
The Hawks React
Mason Hayes stood up in the Hawks dugout.
For the first time—
he looked genuinely surprised.
He muttered to his teammate:
"She read Hunter's mix-up pitch…
and beat our shift by two inches."
The Hawks catcher swallowed.
"Dude… she's scary."
Dodgers Momentum Rises
Zach stood on third, dusting his pants.
Emma pointed her bat toward him in a rare show of emotion.
"Good read," she said quietly.
Zach smiled.
"You too."
Blake grinned from first base.
"We're cooking now."
Tyler slammed himself into the dugout fence yelling:
"WE ARE A MACHINE OF FRIENDSHIP AND VIOLENCE!!"
Coach Ramirez sighed deeply.
Ethan stifled a laugh.
Next Up to Bat…
Noah.
Who was currently shadow-boxing air like he was preparing to fistfight the baseball.
Zach gulped.
Emma muttered,
"Oh no."
Blake whispered,
"Chaos time."
Tyler shouted,
"UNLEASH YOUR INNER SQUIRREL!!"
Noah stepped into the batter's box…
And the Hawks visibly tensed.
Because Noah was unpredictable.
And unpredictable was dangerous.
Zach braced himself.
The crowd leaned in.
Hunter exhaled.
The inning wasn't over.
Not even close.