Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Bleach Baseball ❯ Inning Two ( Chapter 2 )

Inning Two

“Takoyaki! Get your takoyaki here!”

“Hey, Jinta!” Yoruichi called. “Toss a couple of those up here.”

“You better pay for these!”

“Just toss `em, you little twerp!”

Jinta took three sticks out of the warmer box hanging over his shoulder and rifled them directly at Yoruichi's face. She caught them neatly between the fingers of her right hand. She waved the snack in front of Urahara's face. “And I ain't sharing, either,” she crowed.

Urahara straightened the hat on his head. “While my co-announcer stuffs her face, let's review the scoring from the first inning. The Shinigami are ahead one to nothing on Kuchiki Rukia's home run. With the bottom half of their lineup coming up, one wonders how the Arrancar team plans to match that.”

“Boo! Hiss!” several Hollows shouted. “The announcers are biased! There should be a Hollow announcer in the booth!”

“Shut up!” Yoruichi shouted back, spraying bits of takoyaki on the first few rows of spectators sitting under the announcers' booth. “He's just stating a fact.”

“You're more biased than he is!”

“You want me to come over there and pound my bias into your chest hole?!”

Urahara patted Yoruichi's arm. “Let's try to maintain a level of decorum in the booth, shall we?”

Ururu dashed over to the Hollow section of the stands with a box of drinks balanced on her head. The Hollows' grumbling subsided as they grabbed drinks from the box and settled back into their seats.

“All right,” Urahara said, “it looks like the second inning is about to get underway. The Shinigami are back on the field and Ichigo is set on the mound. The next batter is Stark. He's an easygoing fellow, but I bet we'll see some sparks now that he has a bat in his hands.”

Stark strolled up to home plate using his bat as a cane. He yawned and waggled the bat at Ichigo. “Let's make this quick, eh?”

Ichigo scowled. He leaned in for the sign, nodded, and threw the first pitch. Stark swung and missed.

“Strike one!”

Smirking, Ichigo set up for the next pitch. He smoked in a fastball.

“Ball one!”

“What the hell do you mean, ball one?!” Ichigo protested. “It was right over the plate!”

“You missed outside.”

“Are you blind?!”

“Play ball!”

Muttering to himself, Ichigo got set. He pitched and Stark smacked a screaming ground ball down the third base line. Matsumoto dove for it and managed to snag it on the tip of her glove, but the throw was late. Stark just beat it to first.

“Safe!” Lirin cried, flaring her little wings decisively.

A cheer went up from the Hollow crowd and the Shinigami spectators groaned.

“Dammit!” Ichigo snarled.

“Don't let them rattle you, Carrot-top!” Yachiru called from the dugout. “Stay focused!”

“Call me Ichigo, dammit!”

Grimmjow approached the plate swinging his bat. His grin hovered somewhere between a glower and a maniacal gleam. He raised his bat, making small circles with the tip as he waited for the pitch. Ichigo threw a breaking ball and Grimmjow got his bat under it with a sharp crack. The ball flew over Kenpachi's head and bounced into right field. Hitsugaya had to run in for it and Grimmjow kicked it into high gear. Halibel swung her arm rapidly in a circle and Grimmjow pounded around the turn, churning for second at full speed.

Stark had gotten a slow start off first, but now he tried to make up for it by pushing into the turn at third and heading for home. But Hitsugaya never slowed down. He played the ball at a dead run and threw for home in full stride.

“Hold up!” Luppi shouted from the coaching box.

Stark pulled up and scrambled back for third as the throw came in. Ganju, in position by home plate, caught the ball neatly just inside the plate above the third base line.

“Did you see that, Urahara?” Yoruichi exclaimed. “That throw was perfect!”

“Absolutely right on target!” Urahara agreed. “The runner made the right decision to stop at third.”

“You don't expect to see that kind of power from such skinny arms,” Yoruichi said.

“Skinny arms?!” Hitsugaya shouted from right field. “I do not have skinny arms!”

“Quit whining,” Ichigo snapped. “They go with your skinny little body, Toushiro.”

“I am not skinny! And don't call me Toushiro!”

“The Shinigami look to be in trouble here, Yoruichi,” Urahara said. “There are runners on second and third with no outs. The Arrancar could put up a lot of runs if Ichigo's not careful.”

“Don't underestimate him, Urahara. That kid's got a few tricks up his sleeve.”

“Next at bat is Tousen Kaname,” Urahara continued. “This former Shinigami Captain can be a formidable opponent.”

Tousen stepped up to the plate and took a few easy swings. “I may not be able to see, Kurosaki,” he said, “but I can sense the ball turning over in your hand.”

“You trying to psych me out?” Ichigo snickered. He wound up and pitched a fastball right down the middle. Tousen let it go by.

“Strike one!”

“Impressive,” Tousen said blandly.

“Liked that, did you? Try this.” Ichigo fired in a curveball that made such a wide arc that everyone was astonished when it curved in over the plate. Tousen again failed to swing.

“Strike two!”

“You seem to have some moderate skill as a pitcher,” Tousen said.

Ichigo snorted. “You think so?” He stood still and faced the plate, the ball hidden behind his back. He lifted an eyebrow at Ganju and Ganju grinned. Ichigo's wind up and delivery looked identical to his fastball, except that when the ball left his hand, it was barely moving. The ball came in high and broke just in front of the plate, dropping through the strike zone just as Tousen swung. He missed.

“Strike three! You're out!” Isshin hooked a thumb over his shoulder.

Tousen gripped his bat by the barrel and stalked back to the dugout.

“I told you,” Luppi growled to Ulquiorra. “It's stupid to have a blind guy playing baseball!”

Ulquiorra blinked once. “Are you calling a decision of mine stupid?”

Luppi paled. “Ah… No… I meant… Oh, never mind!” He retreated to the far end of the dugout.

“That's Ichigo's second strikeout and the first out of the inning,” Urahara announced. “At bat is Gin Ichimaru, another former Shinigami Captain.”

Yoruichi mumbled something that sounding like “dickhead traitor” under her breath.

“What's that, Yoruichi?”

“Nothing!” she said quickly. “I was just ordering a drink. Ururu! Over here!”

Gin came up to the plate with his ever-present grin on his face. “Good to see ya again, Ichigo. I trust ya'll are doin' well.” Ichigo just scowled in response. “Still as courteous as ever, I see.” He settled into his batting stance, but as soon as Ichigo started his wind-up, he slid his right hand down the barrel of the bat and turned toward the mound.

“Bunt!” Matsumoto shouted, and Rukia and Ikkaku dashed forward. Grimmjow and Stark took huge leads from their respective bases, ready to run.

It was too late for Ichigo to alter his delivery. He threw a high breaking ball and Gin caught it with the middle of the bat, sending the ball bouncing straight back toward the mound. Gin took off with his bat in his hand and Ichigo raced for the ball. He scooped it up bare-handed and flung it home without even looking. Ganju snatched the ball out of the air with his glove and swept it across the base path just in time to catch Stark's leg before his foot hit the plate.

“He's out!” Isshin sliced the air with his fist.

The Shinigami crowd went wild. “Ichigo!” they screamed. “Way to play the ball! You're the man!”

A huge groan went up from the Hollow side of the stands.

“The situation's gotten a bit dicier for the Arrancar,” Urahara said. “With runners at first and third, they need a solid hit from the next batter, who is…” Urahara glanced down at his sheet and pinched his lips together to keep a straight face, “Wonderweiss.”

“No!” The roar of despair from the Hollows echoed around the stadium.

Tousen shoved Wonderweiss in the direction of home plate. “Go that way.”

“Wah?” Wonderweiss wandered toward the plate.

“Stand like I was standing,” Tosen said.

Wonderweiss stood beside the plate with the bat held in front of him and pointing straight up. Ichigo threw the first pitch and he watched it go by. “Awahhh!”

“Strike one!”

“The bat!” Grimmjow screamed from third. “Swing the bat, you idiot!”

“Uhw?” Wonderweiss looked up at the bat and swayed it back and forth. The next pitch zoomed by unnoticed.

“Strike two!”

“Augh!” Grimmjow tore at his hair. “Swing at the ball!” He shouted.

Wonderweiss blinked at Ichigo. Ichigo threw in a high, hard one. Wonderweiss waved the bat in the air.

“Strike three! Side's out!”

“No!” Grimmjow wailed. Dejectedly, he jogged toward the dugout.

Ganju turned Wonderweiss and shoved him back toward his own dugout. “Maybe he doesn't know what the ball is,” he said to Isshin.

“Possibly.” Isshin stepped around to sweep the dust off the plate.

“Well, that was certainly exciting,” Urahara said, “but the Arrancar ended up with no runs scored after a strong start. Let's see how the Shinigami answer that threat. First up is Renji. You still got something for the redhead, Yoruichi?”

Yoruichi stared dreamily at Renji. “Too bad the uniform covers his tattoos. There's something about those black lines that just makes you want to trace them with your fingers, or maybe with your…”

“All right!” Urahara interrupted loudly. “It looks like Grimmjow is ready to take on the Shinigami batter.”

“I've been watching you throw,” Renji said to Grimmjow. “You're new at this, aren't you?”

Grimmjow scowled. He shook off the first sign from Gin and then nodded sharply at the second. He settled into his stance, glaring at Renji. Then he flowed into his delivery, blazing in a fastball. Renji swung hard, trying to crush the ball, and popped it up. The ball floated out into center field where Yammi caught it easily.

“Shit!” Renji grumbled, and he slowed down to a jog as he approached first. As he looped around the coach's box back toward the dugout, Byakuya looked at him. There was just the slightest downward tilt to the inside of his eyebrows and Renji flinched. “I'll get a hit next time,” he said quickly.

“That would more closely meet my expectations of someone of your rank,” Byakuya replied.

Renji plopped down on the bench next to Ichigo. “Dang it! I wish he would just hit me. I hate it when he talks like that.”

Ichigo snickered. “You like getting pounded by Byakuya?”

“Are you implying something, brat?”

“I'm just sayin'…”

“Shut up.”

“Look, Chad's batting,” Ichigo said innocently. “Let's see how he does without powering up.”

In fact, Chad did just fine. After watching the first two pitches go by, he smacked a solid single into center left. He turned the corner at first, but then jogged back when Yammi fielded the ball.

“Good hit,” Byakuya said.

“Yeah,” Chad replied.

“Way to chatter out there!” Matsumoto called. “But try to tone down the enthusiasm.”

Ikkaku walked to the plate swinging his bat behind his head so that his uniform stretched tight across his chest, revealing his well-defined musculature.

Seated in the stands, his close friend Ayasegawa sighed. “Isn't he magnificent? Too bad he's wearing a shirt. His bare chest is so beautiful.”

“You got a thing for him?” the Shinigami in the next seat smirked.

“I appreciate anything beautiful,” Ayasegawa said archly.

“Even when he's all covered in sweat from fighting?”

“Covered in sweat…” Ayasegawa's eyes lost focus. “His skin gleaming with moisture… His hard muscles bulging underneath… Stiff and smooth and relentless…”

“You're still talking about his chest, right?”

“What?! Yes! Of course! Watch the game!”

Ikkaku faced Grimmjow with a grin on his face. After two balls and a strike, his grin got even wider. He went for the next pitch, but hit a grounder just inside first. Chad broke for second as soon as Ikkaku swung and was thus in the way of Zommari making a play on the ball. Tousen had to play it, so Grimmjow dashed over to cover first base. He caught the ball from Tousen and tapped his foot on the base half a stride ahead of Ikkaku.

“Out!” Lirin cried.

“Damn!” Ikkaku growled. He jogged back to the dugout, pointedly not making eye contact with either Byakuya or Kenpachi.

“That's two out with a runner on second for the Shinigami,” Urahara announced. “The next batter, Shiba Ganju, will need to do more than just move the runner over.”

Grimmjow squinted at Ganju. “You're not a Shinigami,” he said. “You'll be easy.”

“You're a lot of talk,” Ganju replied. “But you haven't impressed me yet.”

Grimmjow scowled. He delivered a smoking fastball.

“Strike one!”

Feeling cocky, Grimmjow tried another fastball. Ganju hit it solidly and the ball screamed between first and second. Stark, moving surprisingly fast for a guy who had looked sound asleep a second before, ran for the ball and threw it in before Chad could do more than round third. Ganju ran the ball out at first as the returning ball was snagged by Zommari.

“The Shinigami don't look like they want to go down easily, Urahara,” Yoruichi said.

“It looks that way with runners at first and third, and two outs. Let's see if Matsumoto can bring the runners home.”

Matsumoto walked to the plate with the top three buttons of her uniform undone, revealing ample quantities of smooth, round, jiggling bosom.

Isshin blinked. “Perhaps you should have asked for a larger uniform.”

“This one fits just fine,” Matsumoto replied.

“Quit staring at her tits, pervert!” Karin shouted from the stands.

“Um, batter up!”

“How am I supposed to get the ball in the strike zone with those things in the way?” Grimmjow complained. “If I hit `em, it doesn't count.”

Matsumoto thrust out her chest. “Are these too big for you to handle, little man?” Grimmjow glared and leaned in for the sign. He threw a curveball and Matsumoto hit it right between his legs and up the middle. Chad scored easily, to the roar of the Shinigami crowd, and Ganju made it to third. Matsumoto rounded first, but trotted back when Yammi threw the ball in. She smiled sweetly at Grimmjow. “I guess whatever's hanging in your little sack wasn't too big to get in the way of the ball.”

Grimmjow picked up the talc bag and mashed it furiously, puffing out a cloud of white around his hand.

Gin trotted out to the mound. “Calm down, don't let her get to ya.”

“My balls are not tiny!” Grimmjow muttered.

“I know,” Gin drawled with a grin. “Now would ya please get the next batter out before anyone else scores?” He trotted back to home plate.

“We're back to the top of the Shinigami lineup,” Urahara said. “I'm sure Ichigo would love to bring another run home.”

Ichigo came up to the plate smirking. “You don't seem to be able to handle the girls, Grimmjow. You must like boys.”

Grimmjow clenched his fist around the ball but managed to keep his mouth shut.

“Oh, he's man enough for ya, pretty boy,” Gin chuckled.

“You sayin' that from personal experience?” Ichigo shot back.

“Play ball!” Isshin shouted.

Grimmjow started with a curveball and Ichigo let it go by.

“Ball one!”

Next came a breaking ball and Ichigo just sneered as it went by.

“Strike one!”

Another curveball.

“Ball two!”

“You're curveball sucks,” Ichigo said. “You should stick to the pitches you can get in the strike zone.”

“That's it!” Grimmjow shouted. He wound-up and delivered a screaming fastball. Ichigo punched it into center field with a resounding crack. “Goddammit!” Grimmjow screamed.

In center, Yammi back-pedaled at first, and then turned and ran for the fence, watching the ball over his shoulder. Right at the wall, he jumped and caught the ball on the tip of his glove. The Hollow spectators came to their feet with a roar.

“Crap!” Ichigo, nearly all the way to second, skipped to a halt. He turned to jog back to the dugout.

“If you had pulled the ball more toward left,” Byakuya said expressionlessly, “it would have gone out.”

“I'll get it next time,” Ichigo said smugly.

Grimmjow gritted his teeth as he stomped into the Arrancar dugout. Ulquiorra regarded him with vague disappointment, although it's possible he was in a screaming rage and on the verge of punching Grimmjow's lights out. It's hard to say. The expressions are very similar.

“I had not planned on using another pitcher,” Ulquiorra said.

“I can handle it,” Grimmjow snapped.

“The score does not reflect that.”

“We'll make it up!”

“I hope so.” Ulquiorra glanced at the other players. “It will make me very unhappy if we lose to the Shinigami.”

There was a general shift in the dugout as everyone looked for seats at the farther end.

“And that's the end of the second inning,” Urahara announced. “The Shinigami have increased their lead to two to nothing. But the Arrancar looked strong and I think we'll see a scoring change in the next inning. What do you think, Yoruichi?”

“I think Ichigo's right. I think Grimmjow prefers boys.”