The game began with a roar of laughter from Weylan's team. Their confidence radiated across the makeshift court, a palpable energy fueled by mockery and an apparent eagerness to humiliate Sander's ragtag group.
"Come on, Vissione! What's your training all about?" Weylan called out, his voice sharp and smug as he dribbled lazily toward the center of the court.
Sander stood at the edge of the half-court line, his arms crossed and his posture relaxed. The ball bounced in a steady rhythm against the uneven dirt, the dull thud mingling with the rustle of leaves and the faint chirp of distant birds.
Weylan advanced, his red hair catching the sunlight as he flicked the ball behind his back, a flourish that drew exaggerated gasps from his team. Sander watched him with calm, steady eye.
"Come-on make a score!" Weylan taunted, charging forward.
Halden lumbered ahead of him, his broad shoulders and heavy frame clearing a path as Leira tried to intercept. Halden gave a half-hearted shove, sending her stumbling to the side.
"Watch it!" Leira growled, regaining her balance, but Halden only laughed.
Weylan passed the ball to Jax, who darted to the right, his movements quick but unpolished. Renik tried to follow, his lanky frame struggling to keep up as Jax pivoted sharply and launched the ball toward the hoop.
The shot was sloppy, the ball wobbling as it sailed through the air, but it hit the backboard with a loud thud and dropped into the net.
"Six-Zero!" Jax crowed, pumping his fist in the air.
As Weylan's team on Defense. Kel shuffled nervously toward the center of the court, his round face flushed with effort. Mira stayed near the hoop, her hands raised in an awkward defensive stance, while Leira hovered near the left wing, her sharp eyes darting between the players.
Tomar whos like a hobbit sneak past Kel snatching the ball away. "Hi-hihi, too slow."
"Nooo!" Kel didn't expect the timing and flexibility of Tomar who appeared out of nowhere.
Sander's team quickly get back on defense
Tomar quickly pass to Weylan
Sander, still calm, moved to intercept Weylan, his casual stride almost mocking in its slowness.
"You sure you're taking this seriously, Visione?" Weylan sneered as he dribbled past.
Sander smirked faintly but didn't reply. His sharp eyes followed Weylan's movements, noting the predictable rhythm of his dribble, the slight hitch in his stride as he shifted direction.
Basic, Sander thought, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.
Weylan froze mid-step, glaring at him. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Sander said smoothly, his smirk widening. "Just admiring your… technique."
Weylan scowled but recovered quickly, passing the ball to Fellin, who stumbled as he caught it.
Leira darted forward, her quick hands reaching for a steal, but Fellin flailed his arms wildly, managing to keep the ball.
"Get it together, Fellin!" Weylan barked, earning a round of laughter from his own team.
Fellin passed to Halden, who powered his way toward the hoop. Mira stepped into his path, her face set with determination, but Halden's sheer size overwhelmed her. She stumbled backward, and Halden took the shot.
The ball rattled around the rim before dropping through, earning another round of cheers from Weylan's team.
8-0
"Another bucket!" Weylan called out, his grin wide as he clapped Halden on the back. "Keep it up, boys. They're practically handing us the game."
Sander retrieved the ball, his movements deliberate as he passed it to Renik. The lanky boy hesitated, his hands fumbling as he dribbled toward the half-court line.
"Careful!" Leira hissed, moving to support him.
Renik passed to Kel, whose awkward dribble barely kept the ball in bounds. Weylan's team closed in, their laughter cutting through the clearing as Jax swiped the ball with ease.
"Too slow!" Jax taunted, darting toward the hoop.
Sander didn't react, his calm gaze fixed on Jax's unsteady movements. The boy's speed was impressive, but his control was sloppy, his footwork riddled with inefficiencies.
He's all flash, no substance, Sander thought, another soft chuckle escaping him.
Jax launched another shot, the ball grazing the rim before dropping in.
10-0
"This is getting boring! After twenty points, we have ourselves slaves, guys!" Weylan shouted, his voice triumphant as his team filled the room with laughter.
Sander's team gathered near their hoop as Sander request a timeout.
"Yeah, go ahead and create a strategy full of losers; nothing will change anyway," Weylan shouted with laughter, along with his team.
Weylan rummaged through his bag and picked out an hourglass.
"I'll give you five minutes, so you retards can strategize!" Weylan shouted as he handed out food and drinks to his team.
their shoulders slumped and their expressions heavy with frustration.
"This isn't working," Renik muttered, his voice tight with nerves.
"They're not even trying to play fair," Kel added, his round face flushed with anger.
Leira, her green eyes darting toward the opposing team, exclaimed, "What do we do? I signed the contract because I thought they weren't that great!"
Mira remained silent, her hands twisting nervously in her shirt as she glanced at Sander.
Sander leaned against the pole of the hoop, his posture relaxed as he watched Weylan's team celebrate. His smirk hadn't wavered, and the faint glint of amusement in his eyes remained.
"They are," he said quietly.
His teammates turned to him, their confusion evident.
"They're predictable," Sander explained, his tone calm and measured. "They rely on brute force and speed, but they don't know how to adapt. Their movements are basic, their passes sloppy, and their coordination… well, it's almost nonexistent."
Kel frowned. "Then why aren't we stopping them?"
Sander's smirk widened slightly. "I'm still figuring out the skills of each one of you and how I can use them to beat these guys."
Kel nervously nodded. "I'm not really good at this game. Waylan promised us payment if we just participated, but now if we lose, I'll be Waylan's dog for all my life."
Kel shook in fear at the thought of losing this game; with the contract signed, he could no longer back out.
Renik is silent and doesn't know what to do anymore; his only thought is to trust Sander.
Leira is furious about how they are unable to do anything. "Ugh! I hate this! Why did I agree to join? That freak Weylan!"
As she stomps the ground furiously.
Mira, the quiet and shy girl, walked to Leira to console her nervously.
"I-It's o-okay, Leira. We can do this," said Mira as she patted her shoulder to calm her down.
Sander ponder for a second and stand up to his seat all of them are all eyes on Sander hoping this can turn around.
"Okay, guys, I'll give you instructions. You can trust me and just do what I say on the court."
Sanders' confidence is their only hope to turn this around.
"Renik you can shoot right?" He nodded nervously
"I think." As he is unsure, his only time to practice is when he's bored.
"That's good enough," Sander grins confidently.
"Seriously!?" Leira asks, confused about what Sander is planning.
"Leira, you're quick on your feet. I need you to disrupt passes. Waylan always passes to Halden when they're on the rim, and Jax always passes to Waylan when he has the ball. So I need you to focus and steal the ball from them," Sander said with a firm voice, as Leira nervously nodded.
"And Kel I need you to stick to jax closely he is fast we need to slow him" As Kel fidget his fingers around.
"Im not too sure but I'll try Sander"
Sander nodded.
"Don't worry, Leira will cover you. And finally, Mira, you have a great jump! Mira, you can jump more than Halden, I assure you. You always contest jumps with Halden, so you always lose. Time your jump, secure your jumping position, and don't try to contest with Halden physically. Can't you do that?"
"O-ok S-sander!" Mira nervously shouted to Sander.
Sander satisfied with his team's responses, Waylan's stand up to his seat and grab the hour glass.
"Times up retards!!" Waylan's shouted to Sander's team.
"Im full of energy now it's time to finish this guy's!" Waylan encourage his team.
"Yeah!!!" Halden, Jax, Fellin and Tomar all shouted.
As the teams are now on the offensive, Sander pushed off the pole, his posture straightening as he retrieved the ball.
The dusty clearing buzzed with renewed tension as the players returned to their positions. The faint rustle of leaves overhead and the creak of the makeshift hoops seemed distant, muted by the focus etched across every face. Sander stood near the half-court line, his posture relaxed as he spun the ball idly in his hands.
Weylan leaned against his team's hoop, his grin smug as he clapped Halden on the back. "Ready to end this, Visione? Or are you planning to fumble a little more first?"
Sander smirked faintly, his cool gaze locking onto Weylan. "You'll find out soon enough."
Halden snorted, crossing his massive arms. "You're all talk."
We'll see, Sander thought, his smirk deeper
Sander's team huddled briefly near their hoop. His calm demeanor seemed to steady the others, though their nerves were still evident in their hesitant glances.
"Just stick to the plan," Sander said quietly, his voice firm but reassuring. "Trust each other. And don't worry about mistakes—I'll cover for you."
Renik swallowed hard but nodded, gripping the frayed edge of his shirt. Leira cracked her knuckles, her sharp green eyes darting to the other team. Kel shifted nervously, his hands twitching, while Mira stood close to Leira, her gaze fixed on the ground.
Sander glanced at each of them, his confidence unwavering. "We've got this."
The ball was inbounded, and Sander took the lead, dribbling toward the center of the court. His movements were smoother now, the clumsiness from earlier gone but not so sharp as to draw suspicion.
Jax darted forward, his quick hands reaching for the steal, but Sander sidestepped neatly, letting the ball roll off his fingertips in a practiced motion.
Too eager, Sander thought, a quiet chuckle escaping him.
The ball reached Leira, who hesitated for only a split second before darting to the right. Weylan shifted to intercept her, his grin widening.
"Not so fast!" Weylan barked, lunging for the ball.
But Leira stopped short, her quick reflexes pulling the ball back just as Weylan's hand shot past. She pivoted sharply and passed to Renik, who caught the ball with both hands, his eyes wide.
"Shoot!" Sander called, his voice cutting through the noise.
Renik hesitated, his grip tightening on the ball as Halden lumbered toward him. The shot was shaky, the ball wobbling as it sailed through the air, but it grazed the rim before bouncing out.
"Close!" Sander said encouragingly as Halden grabbed the rebound. "Keep taking those shots."
As Weylan's team charged down the court, Sander moved into position, his sharp eyes tracking every movement. Halden passed to Weylan, who dribbled confidently toward the left wing.
"Leira, now!" Sander called.
Leira lunged forward, her quick hands swiping at the ball. She didn't steal it, but the disruption threw Weylan off balance, forcing him to fumble slightly before recovering.
"Sloppy, Weylan," Sander remarked, his voice carrying a faint edge of mockery.
Weylan scowled but passed to Jax, who sprinted toward the hoop.
"Kel, stick to him!" Sander ordered.
Kel moved hesitantly but managed to shadow Jax closely, slowing the boy's approach. Jax glanced over his shoulder, his expression frustrated as Kel's presence forced him into an awkward angle.
Jax passed to Halden, who barreled toward the rim. Mira stepped into his path, her hands raised and her feet planted.
"Hold your ground!" Sander shouted.
Halden jumped, but Mira didn't contest directly. Instead, she waited, her timing perfect as she leapt just as Halden released the ball. Her outstretched hand grazed the ball, altering its trajectory.
The ball hit the backboard at an awkward angle and bounced away.
"Rebound, Mira!" Sander called, his voice sharp.
She recovered quickly, grabbing the ball and passing it to Sander, who caught it with a practiced ease that made Weylan's team falter slightly.
Sander dribbled down the court, his movements smooth but unhurried. Weylan moved to block him, his grin replaced by a focused scowl.
"Think you've got a chance now?" Weylan sneered.
Sander's smirk widened. "Always."
Sander bounce pass behind to Renik, who stood near the left wing.
"Take the shot!" Sander urged.
Renik hesitated, his hands trembling, but he squared his shoulders and jumped. The ball sailed through the air, wobbling slightly but true.
It hit the rim, bounced once, and fell through the net.
The sound of the ball hitting the dirt sent a ripple of surprise through the clearing.
"Finally!" Leira shouted, her voice triumphant.
2-10
Sander turned to Renik, clapping him on the shoulder. "Good shot," he said, his voice calm but encouraging.
Renik's face lit up with a mix of relief and joy
"I-I-I did It! I did It Sander! I did It!" Renik excitedly jumped around with his first shot for his team.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just do what I said, and everything will be fine. Just stick to the corner always; you'll get a chance for another."
As Sander grinned, readying for defense,
Sander's team, with their gained morale and confidence, was ready for a comeback.
Sander grinned faintly as he returned to his position. Let them underestimate us a little longer, he thought. This is just the beginning.