Dominance Evolution System: Sweat, Sex, and Streetball

The main court of the training center was already buzzing with activity when everyone gathered in the center. Victoria stood in front of the group, a folder under her arm, Dahlia right behind her, a tablet already turned on.

"Alright," Victoria said. "Here’s how today’s going to go. First part: individual tests, by stations. The staff will evaluate your physical and technical qualities one by one. Second part: application matches, in small mixed teams, to see how you function together. By the end of the day, we’ll have the five starters for the next match."

A murmur went through the group, an electric tension settling in instantly.

"And me," Nash added, stepping up next to Victoria, "I won’t be playing the application matches. So it’s fair for everyone."

Kai let out a small laugh.

"Oh come on, after all this time we’ve been asking you to train with us..."

"Just this once," Nash answered, amused. "And we’ll have time either way. Alright, let’s start."

The gym quickly split into several stations, each run by a staff member, stopwatch or notebook in hand, while Victoria and Dahlia circulated from post to post, watching, taking notes, occasionally exchanging a few words under their breath.

At the first station, a vertical jump mat had been set up, a graduated bar fixed to the wall. Kai stepped up first, a confident smile on her lips, before launching herself upward, her body propelling with impressive explosiveness, her hand slapping against the bar well above the previous mark.

The staff member timing it whistled, impressed, jotting the number down on his notepad.

"Seventy-two centimeters," he announced. "Best score of the day so far, by a lot."

"Obviously," Kai said, landing smoothly back on her feet, a satisfied smile on her lips.

Victoria, watching from a bit farther off, exchanged a look with Dahlia. "That kind of explosiveness is rare," she murmured. "But her frame stays light for a position under the basket. Against heavier opponents, that could work against her."

"She’ll make up for it with speed," Dahlia answered, noting the observation on her tablet.

Jaz stepped up next at another station, a rectangle marked out on the floor simulating a post-up zone, another staff member positioning himself on defense in front of her, a padded cushion protecting his torso to absorb the contact.

"Go easy," the man joked, a nervous smile on his lips.

Jaz said nothing, just gave a confident smile before turning around, planting her back against him, a low, powerful dribble, before pivoting and shoving him off with a shoulder movement that sent him staggering back several steps despite himself, the shot dropping clean through the hoop.

"Alright," he said, a little out of breath, rubbing his shoulder. "That’s clear enough."

Rei followed shortly after, at the same station, with a radically different style, less raw power, more pure technique, precise fakes, calculated footwork that threw off her opponent before any real contact even happened.

"Interesting," Victoria commented, watching the scene. "Less power than Jaz, but a much better read of the game."

A bit farther off, one of the subs, Hana, also gave the same drill a try, surprising everyone with a particularly solid post move for her frame, convincing enough that the staff noted her name in the margin of the chart, a small remark: "potential interior profile."

On another part of the court, an agility station had been set up, a series of cones arranged in a zigzag, stopwatch in hand. Nia went first, her footwork quick and precise, letting her slalom through the cones with impressive fluidity.

"Twelve point four seconds," the staff announced, noting the number.

Aiko followed, just as fast, her style more explosive, changing direction with controlled brutality that let her nearly match Nia’s number.

"Twelve point seven seconds," the staff announced. "Very close."

Yuna, too, stood out on this course, her legs thin but fast, letting her keep pace with the other two, a number just barely behind.

"Good level, but limited physical impact for all three," Dahlia observed, noting the data. "More useful in fast transition than in direct confrontation."

The shooting station was without a doubt the most contested, a series of marked positions around the three-point arc, each player having to string together ten shots from five different spots.

Miko stepped up, adjusting her glasses, an almost frightening concentration settling over her face, as if she were stepping into the zone. The first shot hissed through, net. The second, net. The third, net.

She strung together the fifty shots with an almost mechanical consistency, the ball snapping against the net again and again, without a single visible miss until the thirty-fifth attempt.

"Forty-seven out of fifty," the staff announced, voice almost disbelieving. "That’s... that’s one of the best percentages I’ve ever seen."

Victoria raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed despite her usual composure. "She’s got a pure shooter’s profile," she murmured to Dahlia. "Build around that."

Alicia stepped up right after, a determined smile on her lips, stringing together shots with an ease that had by now become her signature, her percentage coming in very close behind Miko’s.

"Forty-two out of fifty," the staff announced. "Excellent too."

"I told you I never miss my shots," Alicia said, throwing a wink toward Miko, who was rolling her eyes from the edge of the court.

The last major station, dedicated to defense and low-post fundamentals, brought together a good part of the group, each having to defend against a simulated opponent through a series of timed actions.

Rei excelled there in particular, anticipating every movement rather than reacting after the fact, her footwork always perfectly positioned to cut off her opponent’s path.

"She’s got an exceptional defensive instinct," the staff member running the station commented. "The kind of thing you can’t really teach."

Finally, a station dedicated to passing and court vision closed out the series of tests, a run of simulated scenarios where each player had to identify and execute the best possible pass against shifting defenses.

Aiko shone there in particular, every decision made with a speed and precision that impressed even the most jaded staff members, her passes consistently finding the most dangerous opening.

"A true point guard at heart," Dahlia noted, a satisfied smile on her lips. "Goes to show a Nash 2.0 project is doable."

Nia, right behind her, also proved remarkable, a more instinctive style, less calculated, but just as effective, her passes regularly surprising everyone with their boldness.

The other girls also went through the various stations throughout the morning, each revealing a particular strength and a weakness to work on. Chio proved surprisingly solid on defense despite her small size, making up for it with boundless energy and an ability to never let go of her opponent. Rumi impressed with her physical toughness, absorbing contact without flinching, a profile clearly cut out for interior play despite her lack of experience. Mai turned out to be surprisingly precise on passes, a court vision more developed than her usual laid-back attitude would suggest. Hina swung between flashes of individual brilliance and moments of total scatterbrained lapses, the staff noting enormous potential, literally gifted at everything she tried, but just as big a discipline problem still to be built.

Through all of this, Saya had stayed off to the side, carrying Victoria’s bag as always, watching the morning unfold with growing attention. Something about this collective energy, this raw determination on display from every single girl on the court, seemed to be stirring something in her.

She watched Kai launch herself at the jump bar one more time, just for fun, with nobody asking her to. She watched Miko keep drilling shots even after her official turn was over, refusing to stop until she was satisfied. She watched Rei help one of the subs correct her defensive stance, patiently, without a trace of condescension.

Something cracked open in her.

A pen suddenly rolled to the floor, slipping out of Dahlia’s hands as she juggled between her tablet and her paper notes, and to Saya, it registered as a perfect opportunity.

She rushed over before she even had time to think about it, picking it up and holding it out to Dahlia with a small nod.

"Thanks," Dahlia said, distracted, taking it back without really paying attention.

A little later, as Dahlia was about to head toward her bag to grab a new notebook, her current pages nearly filled up, Saya was already there, a fresh notebook in hand, which she held out with politeness.

"I figured you’d need this," she said, simply.

Dahlia stopped dead, blinking, caught completely off guard for a moment. She looked at the notebook, then at Saya, the start of a question forming on her face, before finally just settling for a nod, accepting the object without commenting.

"Thanks," she said simply, before going back to her observations.

Saya stepped back, a small, almost shy smile on her lips, something having apparently been decided somewhere inside her without her needing to put it into words.

This. All of this around her. The atmosphere, the people, how well they got along. It was what she wanted most. She’d given up all hope of ever getting back with Nash, but maybe this, at least, was possible.

Not a big role, not much importance, but just enough to exist, to not disappear into the jungle of the Underground. Just being there, in whatever role, was already a blessing against all the demons of her past.

The afternoon was devoted to the application matches, the group split into small mixed teams, blending the Blacklist veterans and the Baby-Boom newcomers to observe whatever natural chemistry would emerge.

Nash had set himself up on the edge of the court, arms crossed, watching every possession with total attention, occasionally calling out a quick instruction, a positioning correction, a brief word of encouragement.

The first scrimmage pitted a team led by Rei against another led by Nia, five on five, a fast pace setting in almost immediately.

Rei and Jaz, placed on the same team, found an almost instant chemistry, Rei orchestrating the game from the inside with obvious tactical intelligence, while Jaz simply crushed every bit of resistance under the basket, the two of them complementing each other perfectly, one in distribution, the other in raw finishing.

On the other side, Aiko quickly found her rhythm with Alicia, every ball Aiko grabbed instantly finding its way to Alicia’s hands positioned behind the arc, the ball snapping against the net with a regularity that put Miko’s authority at risk.

The second scrimmage saw Kai and Rumi face off directly under the basket, an intense physical duel, Kai making up for her lighter frame with fearsome explosiveness, while Rumi threw her weight around with impressive consistency.

The third scrimmage, more chaotic, let several of the subs really show what they had, Chio relentlessly harassing every opposing ball handler, Hana swinging between flashes of individual brilliance and frustrating turnovers, Mai dishing out precise passes that surprised everyone once again.

By the end of the day, exhausted but satisfied, the girls regrouped at the edge of the court, waiting for the results.

Victoria, Dahlia, and the whole staff had gathered a bit off to the side, comparing the data collected throughout the day, the numbers, the observations, the impressions gathered on each position.

"The data’s pretty clear," Dahlia said, scrolling through her tablet. "Jaz dominates by far at the interior position in terms of raw power. Rei, despite a less imposing frame, makes up for it with a read of the game and a defensive sense nobody else really comes close to."

"And on the outside?" one of the staff members asked.

"Miko, no question, for shooting," Dahlia answered. "Aiko for creation and court vision."

Nash, who’d joined them in the meantime, crossed his arms, a calm smile on his lips.

"Personally, I already had my own take. It lines up pretty much with what you just said."

Victoria nodded, satisfied.

"Then we’re all in agreement."

She headed back to the center of the court, Dahlia and the rest of the staff regrouping behind her, while the group gathered in a half-circle in front of her, still out of breath, the anticipation almost tangible in the air. A few nervous glances were exchanged, nobody quite daring to break the silence.

"Alright," Nia called out, crossing her arms, "girls, calm down. It’s Breakball, not Judgment Day. We’ve got fourteen players and like three matches a week minimum, we’re ALL gonna play, obviously."

A small nervous laugh went through the group, the tension easing slightly.

Victoria waited for complete silence to return before continuing.

"Here’s the official starting five for the next match," she announced. "At point guard, the usual sauce. Nash."

A murmur of approval went through the group, nobody really surprised by that first name.

"At shooting guard: Miko."

Miko straightened up, her cheeks flushing, visibly trying to hold onto a dignified, composed bearing, a simple, almost solemn nod.

"That’s... an honor," she said.

Jaz, thrilled, rushed over to her without the slightest restraint, lifting her clean off the ground in a joyful hug, sending her fake maturity flying in an instant.

"MIKO!" Jaz shouted, spinning her slightly. "We’re gonna play together! Like, for real!"

"Jaz— put me down... and what makes you so sure you’re a starter too, lol..." Miko squeaked out, between two uncontrollable laughs, all dignity gone, her glasses nearly sliding off her nose.

"Since you brought it up, at power forward," Victoria continued, a subtle smile at the scene, "Jaz."

"HAHAHAHA! Kai, my girl," Jaz shouted, still not letting go of Miko, her enthusiasm somehow doubling, while Kai rolled her eyes.

"At small forward: Aiko."

Aiko’s eyes went wide, a cry of joy escaping her before she could hold it back, both fists shooting up into the air. "YES!"

"And at center," Victoria concluded, "Rei."

Rei just gave a calm nod, a satisfied smile on her lips, in complete contrast to Jaz and Miko’s exuberance next to her.

The rest of the group applauded, a mix of pride and mild frustration showing on some faces, Kai leading the pack, arms crossed, a mock-annoyed pout on her lips before breaking into a smile.

"Challenge accepted," she said, giving Jaz a friendly slap on the back. "Well earned, giant. I’ll give you my full support, like the hyena to the wounded lioness."

"In your dreams," Jaz laughed, finally letting Miko go, who caught her breath while straightening her glasses.

Alicia, despite her visible disappointment at not making the cut, quickly put on a genuine smile, turning to Miko. "You absolutely destroyed the shooting test, seriously, zero surprise there."

Nia, an eyebrow raised, swept her gaze across the group.

"Here we go again," she said, in a theatrical tone. "Everyone acts like it’s the end of the world, but deep down everyone knows perfectly well we’re all gonna end up on this court before the week’s out."

"She’s right," Nash confirmed, stepping toward the group, a half-smile on his face. "We’ve got fourteen players, and I plan on rotating this roster hard all season long, and the ones after that too. Nobody here’s staying on the bench for more than a half."

He didn’t explain why he was so sure of that, keeping to himself the certainty that his own passives, Zone State, Beast Mode, were going to make the matches far more physically demanding than anyone here still realized, naturally forcing rotations at a pace nobody on this team had ever experienced before. But the core of it stayed the same: Nia was right.

A murmur of approval went through the group, the collective energy staying intact despite the announcement, everyone finding their smile again.

Nash swept his gaze across the group, a satisfied smile spreading across his face, that familiar feeling of pride running through his chest.

He finally had his team. A real team of monsters, each one in her place, each one ready to give everything she had.

And standing before them now was the greatest match of his entire life up to this point.

Now, nothing could protect the ghosts of his past from the wave that was coming.

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