doomsday.
chapter three.
shot through the heart.
March 12th, 2002.
One day before the plane crash.

Standing in centerfield, Tara stretched the leather of her glove, feeling the gentle breeze blow through her jersey. She should've been focused on the game, seeing as they were in the bottom of the sixth inning, and were still down by a run. The game had been rather okay, but they had already lost Si-Woo, arguably their most valuable player, and now that Marty was stoned on the bench, it clearly threw them off of their game. Coach Pierce stood against the dugout, her back against the wooden column, her fist pressed to her mouth as she watched, mainly the pitcher's mound, with concentration on her face. Beside her, Coach Dawson sat on a flipped bucket that they usually stored extra softballs in, pencilling in the past few pitches Liza had thrown.

However, instead of focusing like the rest of her team, Tara's eyes kept drifting past the fence behind home plate, to the baseball field that was directly across from them. The guys' team almost always played games the same nights that they did, and she could see their scoreboard lit up and hear the sound of applause; she couldn't see any of the players though, at least not well enough to recognize any of them, but maybe that was for the best.

" Tara Dean, " A voice whispered harshly, causing her head to whip over to the left fielder— Cleo —to find her making a sour face at her. She jerked her head, insisting, " Pay attention to our game, please? "

Tara pursed her lips then and said nothing in response, just turning her head forward again. She wasn't usually so distracted, honestly, Tara was a pretty capable and responsible person. She might not have been the best player on the team, but she was tall and light on her feet; she could catch some pretty gnarly shots to the fence with ease, and running bases was a cake walk for her. She was a valuable member of the team, and they couldn't afford to lose a third, or else all of them might drop like flies.

Maybe Tara wouldn't be so distracted if she didn't have something weighing on her chest, though. If she hadn't overheard a group of baseball players talking about her on her way to her History of Religion lecture, maybe she would be able to play to the best of her ability like usual.

" What, Dean? Hell no, girl's a walking sermon. Her parents are those nuts that went to the Brieham administration trying to get morning communion to be a thing in the dining hall. " One of them had remarked, and having caught her name in passing, Tara instinctively slowed down. She watched the four boys ahead of her, eyeing their red letterman jackets, but other than that, there was nothing really discernible about them. She could only see the backs of their heads, the color of their hair, so she wasn't sure who they were, just that they were on the baseball team, and they were talking about her even though she didn't have a clue who they were.

               " She's cute though, and quiet. Innocent. " The boy with red hair chuckled, leaning in towards the others, his words making Tara's face contort in disgust. " Who knows, maybe she's a real 'preacher's daughter' stereotype. "

               " No way, she wears a fucking purity ring in college, she ain't doing shit. " The third chimed in, and Tara glanced down at her hand, which had previously been lying flat against her textbook. She saw the gleaming ring around her fingers and slowly closed her hand into a fist then.

                " Okay, so she's a prude. Sue me for saying I think she'd let me score at least third base. " The last one, who must've originally brought her up, said, and she could see him holding his palms up to them. A silver band of his own reflected off the sun and into her eye, cueing her to turn away from them and stop listening to the conversation.

                She stopped and just directed her absent stare to the wall, eyes scanning over a series of posters that were there, uninterested. Likewise, that night, she was staring subconsciously at the infield, tuning in finally to hear the umpire call a fourth ball, sending the batter to first base.

                Liza watched the Graywolves player jog to the base, her lips pressed to a thin line and disappointment and frustration written on her face. That was the third batter in a row she had walked, filling the bases all around them. Down by one run, and about to give up a free score if she walked one more. They only needed one out, but Liza could feel herself losing energy.

              It didn't help that the other team was heckling her from their dugout, shouting taunts and making loud noises when she wound up for a pitch. That was part of the game, she understood that, but Coach Pierce had taught them better than that; they couldn't stoop to their level, certainly not after Si-Woo's previous outburst, but it was growing increasingly harder for Liza to just ignore them.

             Si-Woo didn't get that flustered, not like she was. She wasn't used to pitching an entire game, her shoulder was sore, her aim was getting sloppier, and her eyes kept darting over to the Graywolves' dugout. Liza swallowed, wiping the sweat from her forehead before she bent down to rub some dirt on her hand, drying it to get a better grip on the softball.

             She held it against her glove, positioning herself as if she was going to wind up again, but before she could start, Alex suddenly called, " Time! Time out, please? "

             The player in the batter's box stepped back with a discreet eye roll, returning to her dugout where the Graywolves' coach pulled her to the side to strategize. Alex nodded gratefully to the umpire and rose to her feet, glancing over at both Coach Pierce and Dawson, raising her hands to keep them at bay as she approached the pitcher's mound.

             Normally, all of the infielders would meet at the mound, and the outfielders would gather in centerfield to talk about strategy, if they should try a new shift, etc. None of the other Crows moved, allowing it to just be Alex and Liza, as the need wasn't strategy based.

             " Sorry, sorry, I..I don't know why I'm sucking so bad. " Liza muttered, shaking her head as Alex yanked her catcher's mask off of her face, holding it under her arm.

             " You're not, alright? I just think you're getting too in your head. It's easy, okay? " Alex insisted, raising her ungloved hand to press her finger against Liza's temple. Her short brown hair stuck out in every which way, even against her own forehead, but she didn't look perturbed. She gave the blonde a reassuring smile as she said, " You got this, I just need you to work with me. Follow my glove, pretend it's just us and rocket it there. I've been watching this girl the whole game, she dips her bat every time. If we go high, I think we can catch her swinging right under it. You with me? "

             " Yeah, yeah, I can do that. " Liza agreed with a nod, becoming more certain the longer it went as her eyes flickered over Alex's face. Appreciation shone in her light irises as she spoke in a quieter voice, " Thanks, Alex. "

            " Not a problem, Cap. Now, let's send this girl's ass back to the bench. " She affirmed, lightly punching Liza's shoulder before she jogged back to home plate.

            The umpire whistled, and the batter returned to the box. It took a few seconds for everyone to be settled, and you could feel the energy on the field shift. Alex crouched back down behind the batter, moving over an inch, her eyes piercing through the gaps in her mask to lock with Liza's, giving her an almost unnoticeable nod.

            Liza blew out a small breath of nerves, rolling her shoulders back as she kept contact with Alex's eyes until she ever so slightly dropped them to her glove, and winded her pitch, letting the ball roll off her fingertips.

            Just as Alex had predicted, the Graywolves batter swung, dropping her shoulder and going just under the ball as it smacked into Alex's glove. The umpire yelled a loud STRIKE! above Alex, making her grin from behind her mask. She lifted her chin to shout, " Just like that, Cap! "

            The other girls on the field seemed to release all the tension in their bodies when she threw that pitch. When she did it a second time, just as crisp and hard as the first one, they all shouted praises and encouragement at her, hopeful smiles appearing on several faces as they prepared for the batter to actually hit the third strike.

          Liza threw straight to Alex's glove again, but the batter had caught on to what they were doing, and cracked her bat through the ball. They had barely any time to react as defense, since the softball beelined at Liza, hitting her sharp and hard in the chest with a loud thud that silenced the entire field save for a few gasps of surprise. The Crows in the infield stared at Liza as she suddenly keeled over, holding her bare hand against her chest, struggling to catch her breath. Coach Pierce and Coach Dawson were quick to move, as soon as they heard the sound of the ball colliding with her body, already running out on the field with the trainer close behind them.

          Alex also jogged to the pitcher's mound again, discarding her mask and glove to the ground so she could kneel down beside Liza as their coaches slowly lowered her down to the ground as she inhaled short, quick breaths.

          " We need her inhaler, it might've triggered an asthma attack. " Coach Pierce called urgently, sending Coach Dawson running back to the dugout to find it while the trainer gently pressed two fingers to Liza's chest, trying to feel for any broken bones. Coach Pierce ran her hand over Liza's hair, cupping the younger woman's face as she tried to reassure her, " You're okay, Liza, alright? Just breathe, breathe, kid. "

          Alex felt pretty useless just sitting there, her grime covered fingers barely touching Liza's arm, but she just wanted to be there in case she needed her. She probably would've preferred her best friend in Octavia, or maybe even her shadow, Franny, but Alex was the one there, while the rest of the girls kneeled on the field in respect, staring at the pitcher's mound as they waited anxiously for her to get up and be okay.

          " Alex, try to calm her down, we need to get her into the dugout. " Coach Pierce ordered, making the short haired woman look over at her. She hesitated for a split second, then nodded with a dry swallow.

         " Cap, you're gonna be okay, we just need to get you in there so the trainer can take a look at you, make sure nothings broken in there, okay? " Alex tried, curling her hand around Liza's arm, squeezing it gently as the blonde met her concerned gaze, instinctive tears having sprung to her eyes from the shock and pain of the hit, panicked gasping still leaving her mouth. At the gesture of the trainer, Alex looped her arm under Liza's shoulders and helped him carry the team captain back to the bench where they met Coach Dawson with the inhaler.

            Seeing as she was going to be okay, eventually, both teams began to clap, and the Crows slowly rose back to their feet. While they were relived that Liza could at least make it off of the field, they all seemed to have the same realization at once, like a hive mind receiving a signal.

            They didn't have a pitcher anymore, and still needed at least one out before they could bat and try to fight back to get the win. Coach Pierce, who was still at the pitcher's mound, turned and looked at the girls, meeting all over their worried expressions. Then, she turned and looked at the umpire, pressing her teeth into her lip. He was going to expect a substitute for Liza.

            Coach Pierce then completed her head swivel to look at the bench, where two players sat, waiting for her call. Si-Woo, and Ducky.

             In dramatized terms, David or Goliath; in a realist way, where David was exactly as he seemed— a scrawny, weak man with no chance against such a tough adversary.

             There was a chance that the dean would hear about it if she allowed Si-Woo to play. She didn't think he'd do anything drastic about it, given they were close to the end of their season anyways, but it would also be shooting herself in the foot when it came to upholding rules. Break the rules, go back on her word, to give them the best shot at winning, or stick by it and ensure they lost— maybe embarrassingly so.

             Coach Pierce stared between the two of them for what felt like ages before she suddenly made eye contact with one of the benched players.

              Si-Woo's eyes lit up, a rare sight, and she even straightened when she realized it was her Coach Pierce was looking at. With the slightest tilt of the woman's head, Si-Woo leapt up from the bench, grabbing her glove and squeezing her way out of the dugout. As soon as her cleat touched the dirt, it felt like new life had been bestowed upon her.

              She met Coach Pierce at the mound, trying to contain her excitement; her teammate had been injured, and that was the only reason she was getting to play, so she shouldn't be smiling like an idiot, even if she wanted to. Si-Woo looked up at Coach Pierce's serious, hardened expression.

              " Don't make me regret this. " Was all she said, and it was all Si-Woo needed to hear. She didn't even need to confirm or reassure her about it; Coach Pierce knew she wouldn't. She watched her head off of the field, relieving Alex of her duty at Liza's side so she could go back to the batters box, and ignoring Ducky's look of frustration.

            Si-Woo picked up the softball that laid discarded in the dirt, looking down at it. She ran a finger over the splitting seam and smiled to herself before she found Alex ready and crouched behind home plate again. The catcher was still breathing hard, Liza on her mind, but she was quick to lock back into the moment. Unlike Liza, Alex didn't need to guide Si-Woo where to pitch— Alex actually followed her throw, ensuring jt was caught no matter where it was thrown or how hard it stung her palm underneath her glove.

           Within seconds, and with absolutely no warm up— Si-Woo dismissed the umpire when he tried to give her time to do it —she rocketed a clean, hard pitch straight down the center of the box. The Graywolf didn't even have time to flinch before the strike was called.

           The field again cheered for Si-Woo, but she was quick to move to the next pitch, not allowing the batter the time to readjust or even think about what was coming. She shifted ever so slightly and threw her next ball, which curved perfect under the batter's swing. It clearly frustrated the other woman as she took half a step out of the box in order to disrupt Si-Woo before she got into a rhythm.

Theo stood diagonally behind Si-Woo, looking past her at the batter. While she couldn't see her actual face, it was almost like Theo could feel her anxious anticipation, the trembling of her hands around her bat, the fear that she'd lose it here.

It was in that moment, just before Si-Woo threw her next strike— strike, with certainty, it would be one —that Theo understood what the Graywolves' players had meant.

There weren't any real 'dirty tricks', it was simply Si-Woo's pitching they had been afraid of.

The third strike slammed into Alex's glove, and before the umpire could even call the pitch, the Crows started cheering. They ran to the pitcher's mound, some of them giving Si-Woo fist bumps while others lightly hit her arm with their glove on their way back to the dugout.

" Hell yeah, Si-Woo, way to shut their asses up! " T.K. called, grinning as she clapped the other young woman on the back. It might've been the most joy any of them had ever seen on T.K.'s face.

" Yeah, that was kind of sick. " Dana agreed, slipping off the bench as she pulled her batting gloves on; not that she would be batting, since she was a pinch runner, but she held the belief that wearing them made her run fast— more aerodynamic.

Si-Woo didn't say anything despite her accomplished smile, but when she turned to look at Liza, she found the blonde sucking a puff of air out of her inhaler, but relatively recovered. Si-Woo considered approaching her, even wanting to jokingly ask her if she got injured on purpose so she could play, but she stayed near the fence. She felt another's stare burning through her head and quickly turned to find Ducky, still sat on the bench, looking directly at her. Si-Woo blinked, then turned away again.

" Ayo! " Alex called in the dugout as the girls rushed to prepare to bat, the first up in their lineup being Malia after the last inning. As the shorter girl went to stand near the batter's box, timing her swings up with the practice pitches, Alex had the rest of them doing her favorite call and response.

" Ayo! " Several voices echoed back to her, though most of them didn't quite understand Alex's deep rooted obsession with the band Queen, or the specific way Freddie Mercury got a crowd to chant back to him before a song, they still entertained her. Plus, it did get them excited to play, so it did the job.

They continued chanting back and forth, even as Malia batted, blasting the ball deep into right field, earning a spot on third base among their cheers. Next was Hazel, who usually was a reliable single at the very least, but she appeared distracted, like she was looking at the pitches but wasn't actually seeing them.

She struck out despite the encouragement from her team and Coach Pierce trying to coach her from the third base line. She really didn't even seem all that upset by it, either. Hazel walked past Coach Dawson at the she of the dugout, feeling him lightly smack the top of her helmet as she went to the fence, where Violet was still standing.

That meant their parents still weren't there, and while that's what Violet assumed she was going to ask about when she saw her, it wasn't the answer Hazel was looking for. Violet's lips already parted to tell her she didn't know where they were, and that she had texted their dad a dozen times already, but she silenced herself when she saw the far-out look on Hazel's face.

" Did you see that crow on the fence? "

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