Back on the court, things didn’t get better, it was like watching someone get their teeth kicked in.

One of the Raptors’ guards pulled off this ridiculous streetball move, hesitated for half a second, whipped the ball behind his back, then suddenly launched a full-speed alley-oop to their center. The guy jumped, spun in the air, and windmilled the ball right over Jaz’s outstretched hands like she wasn’t even there.

Raptors 35 – Blacklist 13

Jaz punched the floor so hard her knuckles probably hurt afterward.

"God damn it!"

Nash hauled her up by the elbow without missing a beat.

"Keep your head in it. We’re still playing."

Jaz was actually about to vent on him, but the moment she saw Nash’s gaze, she held her breath.

Nash wasn’t even looking at her anymore, just at the opponents.

"I’ve seen enough. It’s time to teach those clowns a lesson."

And then, something shifted.

Nash started passing like he had eyes in the back of his skull. No, scratch that, like he could see the future. Fast, sharp, impossible assists. One second the ball was in his hands, the next it was behind a defender’s head, landing perfectly in Alicia’s grip for an easy layup.

Then another one, skipped off the floor right between two giants, straight to Nia like it was on a damn string. Every time the Raptors tried to adjust, the ball was already gone.

Raptors 35 – Blacklist 18

The girls were losing confidence, but they weren’t amateurs, and with enough chances, they could score more.

Their coach was losing his mind on the sidelines, screaming like his hair was on fire.

"Double him! No, triple him! Don’t let that bastard pass!"

Jax snarled at his teammates during a pause, veins popping in his neck.

"He’s one guy. Swarm him like flies on shit!"

So they tried. Three of them rushed Nash at once, but he just moved. One lightning-fast crossover, split them like they were standing still, jumped, and, whoosh, Jaz caught it mid-air and slammed it in.

Raptors 35 – Blacklist 20

The Raptors weren’t just mad now, they were pissed, and the biggest problem when you faced Nash, wasn’t his assist skills, but the fact that if he was that popular, it was because everyone knew about his dribbling and shooting skills.

They played expecting him to go on a solo rush, but he kept passing to that one player they didn’t notice.

And if they focused on the players around him? They would open a wide door to this monster.

Everything was fine, until the Raptors started feeling the weigh of a early intense play, and the girls started scoring.

Their play turned into borderline assaults. Tripping Mac when the ref wasn’t looking, or maybe was he looking, but too much in his own world to call a foul.

Throwing an elbow into Alicia’s spine when she wasn’t ready. Nia got shoulder-checked so hard she spun like a top before hitting the floor.

Raptors 39 – Blacklist 22

Even Nash got fouled driving to the basket, and this time, the foul was called. He stood up slowly, rubbed his wrist like it stung, then sank both free throws without blinking.

But his eyes locked onto the ref like he wanted to burn a hole through him.

"You see that foul but not the elbows? Seriously?"

Raptors 39 – Blacklist 24

Everything was fueling something in him, something that started by a better play and turned into the thing he wanted to avoid.

But with things going that way, there was no time to hesitate.

One of the Raptors guards sprinted for a breakaway dunk, already roaring like he was about to murder the rim. But Nash? He moved like a damn bullet. Came out of nowhere, leaped higher, met the ball at its peak, and smashed it with his palm so hard the thing shot backward like a cannonball.

The guard just hung there for a second, looking stupid, before crashing ass-first onto the floor and skidding into the padding.

Nash caught the loose ball, bounced it once against the hardwood with a loud THWACK, then stared down the entire Raptors team like he wanted to eat them alive.

"Since you wanna play dirty... fine. Let’s play."

He took three huge steps forward, and then suddenly, boom! Speedy dash out of nowhere.

Jax and two other guys tried to stop him, but it was useless. One guy lunged for the ball, Jax jumped up to block him, but Nash? Nash just twisted between them like a snake on steroids, slipped right through the gap like it was nothing, and then, he rose up against the six-foot center like an unstoppable force.

His forearm slammed into the giant’s chest so hard the rim almost bent. The ball rattled through the hoop like it was scared of him.

Raptors 39 – Blacklist 26

Absolute chaos erupted in the stands, but Nash wasn’t done. Oh no.

Half a second later, Nash stole the next pass, dribbled the full court faster than anyone could react, slipping between defenders like a freaking snake. Then, from the free-throw line, he jumped in this weird, off-balance way and slammed another dunk that made the backboard shake like it was about to break.

Raptors 39 – Blacklist 28

The crowd went absolutely nuts. "NASH! NASH! NASH!"

Then, he took a step-back three-pointer while twisting his body mid-air at a ridiculous angle. Swish.

Raptors 41 – Blacklist 31

And then, another crazy play. Terrible pass? Didn’t matter. Nash caught it mid-air, did a full 360 spin dribble between his legs while getting hacked, and still managed to sink a contested two-pointer like it was nothing.

"What the hell is this guy?!" Jax shouted, his face twisted in frustration.

The quarter was over.

On their bench, the players panted, their anger boiling over. They started blaming each other.

Meanwhile, in the Blacklist huddle, the girls were breathing hard, relief and shame mixing on their faces.

Jaz wiped sweat from her brow and muttered.

"Without you, we’d be getting destroyed right now, Nash..."

Alicia stared at the floor, feeling more guilty.

"I missed so many easy ones..."

Nia rubbed her bruised shoulder, wincing a little. Mac stayed quiet, arms crossed, still bitter about something.

But then Nash’s voice cut through the sorrow.

"You’ll get plenty."

Everyone looked at him, and, held their breath. He was the same Nash, but the fire in his eyes? Totally different. Scary different.

He didn’t even glance at them, his words were for them, but his furious gaze was locked onto the Raptors.

"Move a lot around the paint," he said. "I’ll get you every time. Every time you touch the ball, it means you can score, so don’t think, just shoot. We’re going to teach these clowns a lesson."

A beat of silence. The girls exchanged glances. Even Mac stiffened a little. They all realized, Nash wasn’t just playing. He was pissed. Really pissed. And you did not want to be on the wrong side of that.

Victoria watched from the sideline, arms crossed. She frowned a little, but, was that a smirk at the corner of her mouth?

[Zone State Activated]

All Stats ×2

The second quarter began.

The Raptors inbound. Nash exploded forward at crazy speed, snatched the pass mid-air, spun in one fluid motion, and launched this wild, contorted shot while falling backward, his body twisted, his arm whipping like a slingshot. The ball arced beautifully through the air.

Swish.

Raptors 41 – Blacklist 34

The Raptors were annoyed all over again.

And Nash? He became a nightmare. Everywhere, frontcourt, backcourt, defense, offense. His ankle-breaking crossovers left defenders stumbling like drunk guys.

He dragged double and triple teams to him, then whipped instant laser assists to his teammates, perfectly placed every time. Alicia caught one and drilled a three-pointer. Nia powered through for a layup. Jaz got a perfect skip pass and threw down a dunk.

Raptors 43 – Blacklist 48

The arena roared. Lina and Sarra hugged each other, jumping up and down like little kids. Amara yelled at the top of her lungs, "THAT’S MY KING! GO NASH!"

Zayela punched the air repeatedly in her room, probably wishing she was there.

Even Roam looked shaken, like he’d just seen something impossible. Drex clenched his jaw so tight you could hear his teeth grinding together. Yup, the usual sauce was served, and Saya? Her smile just vanished.

In the VIP boxes, businessmen leaned forward with genuine interest, murmuring among themselves. Farther away, in the Baby-Boom building, the girls watched wide-eyed. Monique snapped her golden fan shut, visibly annoyed.

"That little bastard is too dangerous..."

And Nash? He kept dominating. Between-the-legs hesitation dribbles, behind-the-back spins, no-look passes that looked like magic tricks. He snatched balls, defended like a demon, scored, and assisted. And when the Raptors swarmed him?

Bad move.

His teammates got wide open lanes.

The girls started hitting more than missing. The score flipped hard.

Raptors 47 – Blacklist 55

Raptors 52 – Blacklist 62

Raptors 58 – Blacklist 70

The crowd roared louder with every play. "BLACKLIST! NASH! BLACKLIST!"

Blacklist played with growing synergy, like they were finally figuring out how to move together. The girls were breathing hard, adrenaline pumping through them, but their movements had this new fluidity, this sudden cohesion.

And then, buzz! The buzzer sounded sharp and loud, ending the second quarter.

Like a pack of wolves circling their prey, the Blacklist girls started moving toward Nash.

Alicia caught him by the wrist as he bent forward, hands on his knees, chest rising and falling fast.

"Hey," she said, a little breathless. "You good?"

Nash flicked sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, his eyes still locked coldly on the Raptors’ bench.

"Better than them," he muttered.

Nia elbowed Mac, who’d been silently stewing a few steps behind.

"Say something, dumbass," she hissed. "We’re up because of him."

Mac exhaled sharply.

"...Don’t push it," he grumbled.

Jaz grinned, stepping in close and punching Nash lightly in the shoulder.

"Yeah, save some for the second half, freak."

Nash let the smallest smile touch his lips, barely there, gone in a heartbeat.

But inside? Inside, his frustration lingered. They were getting better... moving together. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted them strong enough to enter the Zone with him.

But if the game kept going like this? If he kept carrying this hard?

Then there was nothing he could do to pull them into it.

Suddenly, Victoria tossed a fresh towel over Nash’s back and head, the fabric draping like a cloak. She didn’t say anything at first, just watched the Raptors with narrowed eyes.

Finally, she spoke.

"Not bad," she said, voice cold as ever. "This isn’t what we planned, but it’ll do for now. Conserve that fire for the second half. We still have a war to finish, and I’d rather not count on the others for that."

The words landed differently this time. No bite, no hidden threat, just quiet acknowledgment. Like she finally saw him as an equal.

Nash finally let the Zone state slip. The overwhelming sharpness dulled, the infinite clarity faded, and the first wave of exhaustion hit him. His shoulders sagged slightly under the towel as he straightened up, breathing deep. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Meanwhile, on the Raptors’ side?

Total disaster.

Their coach stood red-faced, veins bulging in his neck as he slammed his clipboard onto the bench with a loud noise. The players were already arguing.

"You let him walk right past you twice, you dumbass!"

"Yeah? Well maybe if you actually boxed out instead of staring at the pretty boy, "

"He’s not even that fast! You’re all just trash on defense!"

"ENOUGH!" the coach snarled.

Silence.

The players turned toward him, breathing hard.

The coach wiped sweat from his forehead, eyes burning.

"It’s not over yet," he growled. "That guy’s a flashy little bastard, sure. But he’s still just a man. And we’ve got something perfect against a man."

Slowly, he turned, looking toward the far end of the bench.

There she was.

Their trump card.

A tall, curvy girl with skin that looked like she spent way too much time in the nonexistent sun of the underground, not in a bad way, though, more like she just had that golden kind of glow.

Bleached-blonde hair tied up in high, bouncy pigtails. Heavy makeup made her big, seductive eyes pop, and her full, glossy lips wrapped lazily around a bright pink lollipop. Her jersey was cropped high, showing off her toned stomach, and the fabric stretched tight over her chest. Shorts hugged her wide hips and thick thighs, built for speed and power.

She lounged with one leg crossed over the other, sucking that lollipop like an angel’s dick.

Then, pop, she pulled it from her lips with a wet sound and tilted her head lazily, meeting the coach’s gaze.

"Eh? My turn already~?"