CHAPTER 11 — "Hands of Fire"
PAGE 1
Opening splash panel.
5 Towns City. Urban court culture in full bloom—murals of legends, streetball mixtapes blasting from speakers, crowds circling outdoor games.
Players dribble like dancers, every move a rhythm, every shot a statement.
NARRATION:
If you're not flashy, you're invisible.
If you ain't smooth, you're swallowed.
This is 5 Towns City—the land of the Highlight Reels.
PAGE 2
Rockaway team steps off the team bus. Leo stares out at a packed outdoor arena-style court.
LEO (grinning):
"They really threw a block party for an L?"
SOULO:
"Nah. They threw it for themselves. Let's crash it."
PAGE 3
Warm-ups:
5 Towns stars show off: no-look passes, flashy crossovers, reverse layups.
Rockaway stays sharp—simple drills, locked-in focus.
COACH:
"They want a circus. We came to close the tent."
PAGE 4–5
Tip-off.
5 Towns Point Guard hits Soulo with a slick hesitation and spins past him.
SG bounces the ball off Sticks' leg, grabs it, and finishes with flair.
Crowd loses it.
COMMENTATOR:
"They came out hot—with style and spice!"
PAGE 6
Rockaway answers:
Soulo fakes, freezes the defender, then finds Tabar on a backdoor cut—slam.
Picaso quietly sinks 3 straight threes in transition.
Quan muscles down low for a putback.
TABAR (to crowd):
"You can dance, but can you defend?"
PAGE 7
Second quarter begins. Rockaway bench checks in.
Eli picks the flashy PG's pocket, goes coast-to-coast, and hammers it with one hand.
Leo skies for a chase-down block, then beats everyone back for a tomahawk.
Magic controls pace with patient playmaking.
COMMENTATOR:
"Rockaway ain't showin' off—they're showin' up."
PAGE 8
5 Towns counters with razzle-dazzle:
Their SF nails a no-dribble step-back.
SG breaks down Sticks with an ankle-snatcher and buries a deep 3.
5 TOWNS SF (talking trash):
"You boys don't belong on this court!"
STICKS (deadpan):
"We're just renting it for the W."
PAGE 9
Halftime score: Rockaway 52 – 5 Towns 50
PAGE 10–11
Third quarter:
The game becomes a blur of highlight plays: behind-the-back dimes, jelly layups, windmill dunks.
But Rockaway's defense starts clamping—rotations tighten, switches get sharper.
Mitch shuts down the post. Quan cleans glass.
Tabar intercepts a flashy pass, runs the break, and kicks to Picaso for the dagger 3.
PAGE 12
Fourth quarter:
Soulo slows the tempo. Picaso spreads the floor.
Leo draws a charge.
Eli hits a tough mid-range pull-up.
COMMENTATOR:
"Rockaway's playing grown man ball in a playground war."
PAGE 13–14
Final minute:
Score tied at 82.
5 Towns tries an alley-oop. Quan blocks it at the apex.
Soulo pushes the break, kicks to Sticks—CASH from the corner.
Tabar seals it with a breakaway slam.
BUZZER: Rockaway wins 87–82
PAGE 15
Post-game handshake line.
5 Towns Captain dap-ups Tabar.
5 TOWNS CAPTAIN:
"Y'all ain't flashy, but damn... you're real."
TABAR:
"Flash fades. Fundamentals finish."
TEASE PANEL (BOTTOM):
Next up: Channel City
Where bodies bang, elbows fly, and finesse dies.
NEXT: "THE GRIND GAME"