Catbird Seat

Blake Mudd met her pitch easily and knocked it towards the outfield. The Longhorns' right fielder intercepted and threw to first base. Blake stopped at that base just before the ball hit the basewoman's glove. Her sister Flynn was now at third base.

"Shit," Cat hissed. She had not expected these developments.

Now the third and tallest sister, Casey Mudd, was standing before her. Casey had a smug grin on her face like she was confident nothing could go wrong. The crowd of Panthers fans was cheering her on, pleased that the Longhorns' ace strikeout artist could be defeated at last. Beside them the Longhorns fans looked a bit glum. Casey Mudd was the most buff woman Cat had ever seen. If she could hit as hard and fast as her sisters, the Panthers might score two runs and tie the game- or even win it if Casey also scored. The Longhorns were fatigued... they might recover in the latter half of the inning, but... don't worry, Cat thought. Just strike her out. You can handle this.

She exchanged a few quick hand signals with Stephanie and their team's catcher, svelte Indian Diana Patel, then wound up a drop-curve and loosed it hard towards home plate.

Casey Mudd bunted it.

"Foul ball!" the umpire shouted.

The crowd muttered as Casey smirked and eased into another ready position. The ball was returned to Cat.

Cat eyeballed Casey Mudd once more. She did not like that smug grin. She exchanged more signals with Diana and Stephanie, then loosed a dropball.

Bunt again.

"Hey!" Stephanie shouted. Cat glanced over her shoulder and saw that Blake Mudd had stolen her way to second base.

Cat waved at Stephanie to let it go. Two fouls was no big deal. She then threw again.

Foul ball number three was the result.

Okay, Cat mused, locking eyes with Casey again, time to get serious.

She'd trained with pro baseball pitchers Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan last summer after they were impressed with her high school stats. They'd shown her some techniques not usually seen in any level of women's softball. It seemed this player might need to witness them. Cat had the strange idea that Casey Mudd was toying with her by hitting three foul balls in a row.

Cat threw an underhand slider right at the smug grin on Casey Mudd's face, angled to miss at the last instant. Casey's bat moved quick but missed the ball. Diana caught it easily.

"Strike!" yelled the umpire.

The Panthers fans booed loudly. Longhorn fans around them cheered in opposition. Cat bowed, then caught the ball when Diana threw it back to her and readied her next pitch.

This time she tried an obtuse-angled knuckleball at the far side of Casey's hitting window. Casey swung but missed.

"Strike two!"

"Boo!!!" yelled a man in a Panthers T-shirt who sat just behind home plate, leaping to his feet and waving a beer bottle. "Boo! Kill the umpire!" Several similarly drunk fans chorused agreement. The umpire ignored them.

Cat was not bothered by the heckling. Her fans were broadcasting opposite attention. She caught the ball thrown at her by Diana, then readied a cutter pitch. Casey Mudd was meanwhile casting a scornful look at the crowd, then smiling at Cat and raising her bat again. Cat could feel the tension in the air.

"Here kitty!" sang Longhorns fans. "Cat Scratch Fever!" Cat waved at them and grinned, then again locked eyes with the stern Casey Mudd. All she had to do was throw one more strike.

As she drew back her arm, Cat caught sight of a handsome young man in a brown Travis County Sheriff's Department jacket and horn rimmed glasses in the upper area of the stands. He was waving at her and holding up a paper sign. "Casey at the Bat!" the sign read. "You got this!" Cat blinked, then realized what was going on.

"Casey at the Bat" was a popular poem about a humiliated ace ball player. Cat now recognized the names of the opposing team's designated hitters as prominent figures from the poem. Mudd sisters- Flynn, Blake, and... Casey was at bat. Casey lost in the original poem, Cat recalled. Was someone trying to subvert the poem somehow? Well, Cat couldn't let that happen.

Okay, she thought, I know what to do now.

She raised the ball in mock throw, adjusted her stance. Her opponent was staring back at her, the sneer gone and teeth clenched. Cat showed no emotion as she clenched the ball and wound it up a little more, then sailed it towards the top of Casey Mudd's swing area,

The batter grinned smugly and swung. The air shattered with the force of her weapon.

But Cat's ball was moving slower than her bat on a different angle. It sailed over the stick and into Diana's ready glove. The Longhorns fans went wild as it impacted.

Mighty Casey had struck out.

***

Half an inning later, Cat was berating her coach, demanding to know who the strange hitters were.

"I told you, ringers trained by some simulation program specifically created to counter you was what I heard." Connie Clark shrugged. "That's all I know. Never mind, Cat. You beat them. So what if our rivals today got a weird new investor?"

Cat almost showed Connie the note from her locker, then reconsidered. "What if they show up again, Coach?" she asked instead. "I've never seen anything like them. Sure, I beat them the first time, but can I do it again? What if they're hitting for OU next? Or Texas Tech? Or..."

"Relax!" the Coach laughed. "You were on top of your game today! Catbird's seat! The fans went nuts when you made that comeback and struck down the last ringer. Whatever skills they had, you beat them."

"Okay." Cat commanded herself to calm. "You're right."

She walked away from the Coach, headed back to the locker room. Stephanie, Lily, and Diana were waiting for her. Cat had gotten off the field quickly after her last pitch of the day. Her teammates had mobbed her following it, hugging and high fiving her as usual, but she had not missed the Mudd sisters' hateful glares or the boos from the stands drowned out by the cheers. Stephanie had checked her phone at the mid-inning break, told Cat she had a friend in the stands who wanted to meet her- the same Sheriff's Deputy who had held up the sign of encouragement in fact.

"He's my sister's ex-boyfriend," Stephanie had explained, "and a big creative arts and history buff. He might have some ideas about this situation." Cat had readily agreed to meet the guy and see if he could help her, then passed appropriate word to the campus police who were working stadium security that day. She then waited out the rest of the game, let the Panthers depart without fanfare, and asked Coach Connie for more details about the ringers but taken no further action. She hoped that was wise.

"You tell Coach about the note?" Diana asked in the present.

Cat shook her head. "I'm not sure I should." She looked at Stephanie. "You get in touch with that cop friend of yours?"

"Cop?" asked Diana.

"Lily and I were supposed to meet my boyfriend Keith and our mutual friend Dougie after the game today," Stephanie explained. "Dougie works for the local Sheriff's Department. He's Cat's fan and a UT alumnus."

"Okay, sounds good," Diana said. "Um, I talked to a few of the Panthers. None of them know the Mudd sisters that well. This is their first game this season, they kinda appeared out of nowhere. The scientist who trained them is supposed to be a big donor for Prairie View A&M University. His name is Igor Blazon."

Lily frowned. "That's Slovakian for 'madman'. I took a language class a while back. Could be an assumed name."

Cat shook her head, other things on her mind. "Hey. uh, I need my nerves calmed. Up for our special post game victory ritual?" The other girls knew what she meant.

"If we have time before our guy friends get here, sure," Lily said.

"I'll text them to give us a few minutes," Stephanie volunteered. "They'll have to get through the crowds and security anyway."

After Stephanie sent the text, Cat and her friends moved to an isolated part of the stadium's team recreation area. The communal shower room within was shining with water and steam. The rest of their team had cleared out already, everyone noted as they disrobed. Diana barred the door from the inside before starting to get naked, deterring entry by anyone not in the know as to what was about to happen. Stephanie and Lily meanwhile moved to the shower room's central pillar once they were wearing only bright smiles. Cat slipped off her uniform and headed the same direction. She stood under one of the nozzles adorning the pillar, taking preparatory breaths. Diana joined them at the pillar once she was undressed. All four women had taut bodies shaved at the loins and visibly aroused.

Stephanie adjusted the water temperature and intensity, then moved in beside Cat. She knelt down before Cat and rubbed her lower body with a soapy washcloth. Lily and Diana, who were taller than Stephanie but not as tall as Cat, meanwhile started soaping up Cat's breasts and backside. All three of Cat's teammates were soon washing her body in rhythmic motions, untangling her hair and smoothing it, coaxing sweat out of her skin, and easing her sore muscles. They performed such services for her often after particularly stressful games.

Once Cat was relaxed and clean, their tone transformed. Soap was dropped and fingers started to caress rather than wipe. Tongues lashed across skin in accompaniment. Stephanie and Lily each sucked and massaged one of Cat's breasts while Diana did the same to her slick cunt channel. Cat moaned under their attention, stroking their hair and skin in response. Their free hands wandered over her back and leg muscles. Cat's first climax of the encounter rose quickly within her, built up from previous tension accumulated during the day.

Cat considered activity such as this an important part of her sex life, and something she particularly enjoyed. One day she might feel less of a need for adventure and settle down with a worthy guy- Cat was a traditionalist at heart- but until then she would enjoy the life of a polyamorous bisexual. Stephanie and Lily were glad to welcome the younger Cat into their arms after many outings together experiencing Austin's nightlife. Diana had joined their lovemaking in recent weeks after similar bonding. All enjoyed rewarding each other with sexual congress after their victories on the field- and sometimes on more casual occasions. The current circumstances were a good example of how things usually went. They joined their bodies together in various combinations, exchanged caresses, and were soon shaking as they reached orgasm.

Cat cried out, letting her cum flow into Diana's mouth. Stephanie bent down beside Diana and tapped her on the shoulder. Diana turned and kissed the shortstop, sharing the juice on her lips. Lily meanwhile pecked Cat's breasts, then her mouth. Cat kissed the black centerfielder back, stroking her dark breasts and thighs with her tanned fingers. Two of her fingers pressed into Lily's cunt and quickly coaxed her to a peak of ecstasy. Diana and Stephanie were fingering each other into a similar state nearby.

The four women moaned and separated, caught their breaths, then joined again. It was the catcher's turn to be the center of attention now. Cat kissed Diana while Stephanie lapped at her cunt. Lily caressed Diana's rear and backside. They coaxed another set of climaxes out of her. Stephanie stood up afterwards, moved close to Cat and kissed a path up her torso over her bosoms and neck to her lips. Cat kissed the shortstop hard in response, bending down while Stephanie stood on tiptoes. Height difference was a challenge to some lovers, but Cat and her three friends were used to dealing with her tall frame.

She let them support her with firm grips while coaxing more climaxes from her. Cat let the waves rage through her body, then motioned her friends back. She glanced towards the far side of the shower and confirmed no one was observing the intimate exchange. Good. Coach Clark and the rest of the team did not know of her special relationship with Diana, Stephanie, and Lily. It probably should stay that way.

Cat directed Lily and Diana to break off and pleasure each other in a nearby shower stall area while she interacted with Stephanie. Cat knelt, embracing the shortstop, and kissed her face and bosoms. She then gave Stephanie's pussy the same loving treatment she had received from Diana earlier under the streams of warm water. Stephanie moaned a soft climax, then pushed Cat away. "Thanks," she said, voice full of promise to continue the exchange later when they had more time.

Cat stood up under the water again and let it flow over her body once more. There wasn't as much sweat and dirt to clean off now. It felt just as great, though. She sighed in rapture, skin tingling all over.

Diana whistled at her while Stephanie and Lily laughed. Cat shot them a playful obscene gesture, then walked calmly out of the shower, beautiful and nude, grabbed a towel and dried herself. Her three friends followed soon after. Each found and put on their own towel, then relaxed with Cat a bit in the nearby sauna.

"Those ringers," Cat said to the others. "Diana, you were closest to the dugout when they came out. Coach Clark told me they were trained by some computer program..."

"Set up by a scientist named Igor Blazon," Diana recalled. "That was the name I heard. The rest of the team I talked with... I don't think any of them knew those ringers personally. They moved weird too, like they were... robots or something."

"Yeah, they were weird," Lily agreed. "And how the heck did they hit your throws that easily, Cat?"

"I don't know." Cat bit her lip. She then reminded herself that she and Diana were the only two of the four into softball as a career. Stephanie and Lily were on the team as hobbyists while studying for other popular Austin professions- law and electronics engineering respectively. "You heard of this engineer Blazon?" Cat asked them.

"No," Lily said after a moment of consideration.

Stephanie also shook her head. "I feel like I should know the name... but I don't. I'll ask Dougie. He might know who Blazon is, if he's got a criminal record."

Cat nodded. "If he does know Blazon, great. Has he made it back here yet?"

Stephanie moved out of the sauna and checked her phone. "Yeah," she reported. "They're in the VIP lounge waiting for us."

"Better go meet them," Cat decided, moving to collect her clothes.

***

Outside the team locker room, Doug Ramsay sat on a couch, waiting nervously. His badge had gotten him this far, but there was no way it alone would get him any closer to his alma mater's star athlete. Patience was a better option. Especially with Coach Connie Clark sitting across from him at the table in the reception area.

"We appreciate your support of the team, Deputy," the coach said. "I'm sure Cat got a confidence boost from that sign of yours."

"It was inspiration of the moment," Doug admitted. "Those last three players she came up against were weird and I thought maybe she needed some encouragement."

"And hey, anything for a fellow Longhorn, right?" added Keith, who was sitting next to Doug. He gave his friend a grin. "Hey, if Cat actually needs police help..."

"I'll help her," Doug said. "Just like I've helped other people in the past."

"Right," Coach Connie replied. "I think I saw an article about you helping out Sandra Bullock in the newspaper when those robbers attacked her mansion last month." She then made a strange hand gesture. "Do you know what this means?"

"I do," Doug said, returning the gesture with one of his own. "I'm a Friend, Regal." With those words, he confirmed he was a junior member of the Friendship, a special secret society that promoted knowledge and entertainment exchanges throughout the world. Connie Clark was a member of the same society with higher rank.

Keith also confirmed his membership when the coach looked at him.

"So we can relax then," the coach said, smiling. "You two can be trusted, or at least our society says so."

"We won't ever show you different," Doug promised, hoping he was right. He then settled back to wait a bit longer.

Seconds later, four beautiful girls exited the locker room. Doug and Keith knew Lily and Stephanie, and they also recognized Cat Osterman, who gave them smiles and shook their hands. Diana did the same, introducing herself at prompting from Stephanie and Lily. "Thanks for the sign," Cat told Doug.

"Sign?" Lily asked.

"Doug recognized the names of the weird batters Cat was facing in the last inning," Keith explained. "They were similar to a popular baseball poem. Probably a coincidence."

"Or not," Cat said, looking at Doug. "Does the name Igor Blazon mean anything to you, Deputy?"

"No, but I can look it up. And please call me Doug. I'd be glad to help you out here, as a fan and a Friend." He emphasized the last word and made another Friendship society gesture.

Cat blinked. "Is that supposed to mean something?"

"Yes," said Coach Connie. "You don't know this, Cat- your skill at softball is good enough where it isn't necessary, but there's a secret society called the Friendship that works to assist worthy people worldwide. We're similar to the Illuminati or the Masons, only more powerful. Everyone in this room are members except you, and if you want to join... I think you're worthy. Everyone else agrees, right?"

Doug, Keith, Stephanie, and Diana all nodded when Cat looked at them. Okay, she thought, this seems weird, but if it benefits me, I can dig it. "Okay," Cat said. "Do I need to undergo any kind of ritual to get in?"

"Nah," Doug told her with a smirk, "you've already proven yourself on the softball field."

"Also, your beauty has captivated him," Keith added. "He's dying to know if he's your type."

Doug glared at Keith along with Lily and Stephanie.

"Okay, maybe dying is an exaggeration," Keith admitted, withering under their frowns.

"We can keep things professional between us if you like," Doug told Cat. Then he winked. "I'm a bit of a flirt, but if you're not into me, it's no big deal."

"Let me decide what I'm into here," Cat interrupted him. He is handsome, she thought, and my type, but I won't let him know that right away. Let's see if he can help me out of my current bad situation first. "So you're not familiar with the Mudd sisters or Dr. Blazon?"

Doug shook his head. "Keith is my computer expert friend. He can check the internet about these people once we get access. Stephanie also has similar skills- the more the merrier, right?"

"Cat, why are you so worried about this?" Coach Connie asked. "I've never seen you so worked up."

"I..." Cat decided to come clean. "I found this note in my locker before the last inning." She took the note out of her pocket and showed it to Coach Connie and Doug. "Someone wanted me to throw the game."

Doug's eyes widened. "They threatened you and they brought in ringers? Okay, we need to investigate this further. Um, this last line..."

"Her sexuality is her business," Coach Connie said. "This is an inclusive non-discriminating college and team."

"The Friendship's the same way," Doug said, smiling. "So that threat's nullified. As for the physical threat... what were you planning to do after today's game, Cat?"

"Go home and relax a bit, nothing in particular," Cat answered, shrugging. "I had no specific plans."

"Why don't you come out with us instead?" Doug suggested. "Keith, Stephanie, Lily, and I were going to eat out at Truluck's downtown, then go dancing. It might be safer for you in public than at home until we can neutralize this. If anyone shows up to attack you, I'm a cop and will gladly be your bodyguard." He looked at Diana. "You can come too, if you want."

"Sure," Diana agreed.

"You don't need an old fogey like me for downtown dating," said Coach Connie when they looked at her. "I'll call some appropriate people, see if anyone can tell me more about who might have sent that note, Dr. Blazon, or the Mudd sisters. Good luck, all of you. Deputy, take care of my players."