Big Dribbling Energy Estates — Gold Coast, Australia
Morning light crawled through the glass walls, gold hitting chrome.
The ocean outside shimmered like a live broadcast—too blue to be real.
Inside, the Baskin mansion was already alive.
Cameras hummed, assistants ran drills, and somewhere upstairs a voice boomed like a sermon.
"Big Energy never sleeps!"
Darnell "Big D" Baskin filled the doorway of the private gym—tracksuit loud, grin louder.
Across the court sat his middle son, Rico, elbows on his knees, scrolling headlines about the Shanghai incident.
He'd been suspended from the youth invitational circuit after walking out of a store wearing designer sunglasses he hadn't paid for.
Big D laughed as if scandal was a sales pitch.
Big D: "You see the news?"
Rico: "Yeah."
Big D: "They spell your name right?"
Rico: "Nah, should've been, R1CO."
Big D: "Then we good. China overreacted. We pivot. New city, new start. Manila loves basketball, and we love Manila back."
Rico stared at the floor. "You mean we sell to Manila."
Big D clapped his shoulder hard. "Same thing, baby. Same thing."
He left whistling the brand jingle as drones zipped after him.
Rico waited until the hum faded, then stood, picked up a ball, and fired it across the court.
It hit the rim, bounced out, rolled to a stop beside his bag.
He exhaled.
"Manila," he muttered. "Let's see what you got."
Private Driveway — Later
The engine growled before the gate even opened.
Rico wasn't angry—just tired.
Tired of being someone's content.
He revved the truck once, then took the corner too fast.
Tires screamed, gravel sprayed against the marble fence.
A cleaner flinched.
The cameras missed it.
He slowed at the main road, staring at his reflection in the tinted window.
Then he grinned—small, sharp.
"Still got it."
And drove on, bass heavy enough to drown thought.
Cut to — Manila Bay / Pier 17 (Three Weeks Later)
The morning smelled of salt and diesel.
A Pangasinan Seafood Trading truck hissed to a stop beside the pier.
Renz Alonzo jumped out first.
Bornok Rivera followed, yawning.
Mario Dela Cruz lifted the first crate of iced bangus.
They'd done this for years — old favor for Mark Shots Legaspi back in Dagupan.
Every run sent a little money north, a way of saying thanks.
Bornok: "City's louder every trip."
Mario: "Still beats traffic at home."
Renz: "Let's finish fast. Thea's waiting on uniform slips."
By ten a.m. the job was done.
Breakfast was next.
Mario: "Mall of Asia?"
Renz: "Closest spot."
Bornok: "As long as it's not fish."
They laughed, climbed into the jeep, and headed toward the bay.
Mall of Asia — Midday
Air-con cool, floors polished like mirrors.
In the atrium, a gold booth blazed under spotlights:
BIG DRIBBLING ENERGY™ — MANILA POP-UP
Sneakers floated in glass tubes.
A DJ looped beats between chants.
Lamel Baskin bounced the ball at center stage, chain swinging.
Behind him, Rico leaned on the counter, hood up, eyes half-hidden.
Lamel: "Manila! You ready for that Big Energy?!"
Crowd: "YEAH!"
Lamel: "One-on-one challenge! First to one! Winner gets free drip!"
Rico muttered, "Tone it down."
Lamel grinned. "Relax, bro, it's content."
Mall of Asia — Midday
Air-con cool, floors polished like mirrors.
In the atrium, a gold booth blazed under spotlights:
BIG DRIBBLING ENERGY™ — MANILA POP-UP
Sneakers floated in glass tubes.
A DJ looped beats between chants.
Lamel Baskin dribbled at center stage, chain swinging, smile effortless.
Behind him, Rico leaned on the counter, hoodie up, eyes dull from repetition.
Lamel: "Manila! You ready for that Big Energy?!"
Crowd: "YEAH!"
Lamel: "One-on-one challenge! First to one! Winner gets free drip!"
A few corridors away, Thea Cruz walked with a clipboard under one arm and a single-page form in her hand — a 1v1 registration sheet for Renz and Bornok.
They'd joked about joining for fun.
She'd picked up the form on her way out from the uniform supplier.
Her phone buzzed. Riki about drills. Teo about gym slots. Bong sending memes.
She ignored all of it, cutting through the atrium to get to the exit.
Then she heard it.
Lamel: "We got a challenger! Clipboard girl in the back!"
The crowd parted, and a spotlight swung straight toward her.
The gold logo on the paper glinted under the lights.
Thea: "Wait, no, this isn't—"
The emcee laughed. "She's already holding the form! That's official enough!"
Phones raised. Chants started.
"Manager girl! Manager girl!"
Thea hesitated, then sighed, stepping forward.
Lamel tossed her the ball, grinning. "First to one, coach! Don't go easy on me."
She dribbled left, crossover right — a little stiff, but not bad.
She spun, pulled up, missed by an inch.
The crowd oohed.
Lamel: "Okay! You got rhythm!"
Then he switched hands twice, quick step-back — ankles gone.
Shot drops clean.
Crowd explodes.
Flashbulbs everywhere.
He jogged up, still smiling.
"All love, manager! Big Energy respects the hustle!"
She forced a nod, eyes tight.
The crumpled registration form hung from her fingers as she walked off through the noise.
Rico watched from the counter, unmoving.
He turned to Lamel.
"She didn't sign up."
Lamel blinked, grin fading for half a second.
"She... didn't?"
Rico didn't answer. He was already walking after her.
Rico followed her out.
Food Court
Renz, Bornok, and Mario were mid-meal when they spotted her —
Thea striding past the windows, Rico chasing, hand catching her shoulder.
From where they sat, it looked wrong.
Renz's tray clattered. "That's Thea."
They were moving before anyone else stood.
Rico: "Wait — it's not what you think!"
Renz: "Back off."
Thea: "Stop. Just ... stop."
Security looked over.
Phones lifted.
Flash — freeze.
One photo: Rico's hand, Renz's glare, Thea between them.
Uploaded before any of them walked away.
Evening — Outside Mall of Asia
Rain whispered on the awning.
Thea stood with the uniform bag hugged to her chest.
Renz offered her a towel.
Thea: "I'm fine. Just tired."
Renz: "You played good."
Thea: "Doesn't matter. They'll loop the fall."
Bornok kicked at a puddle.
Mario checked his feed. "Too late. It's already trending."
Somewhere in the glow of the city, a thumbnail flickered:
"BIG DRIBBLING ENERGY POP-UP FIGHT?!"
Rain fell harder.
The noise of Manila returned.
And Flowstate's next storm had begun.
END OF PART I
(Next — Part II: "The Fallout Begins.")