Act Three

The boys' locker room. Buffy is trapped between the two sea creatures. She does a roundhouse kick to the one behind her and uses her angular momentum to follow up with a high kick to the other one, knocking it to the floor. She grabs a trashcan and throws it at the first one, but it just deflects the can. Buffy grabs a mop leaning against the wall and thrusts it at the second monster as it gets up, spins around with it to hit the first one in the face, knocking it down, and then jabs the other one again in the side. It is momentarily stunned, and Buffy follows up with another swing of the mop to its back and a kick to its chest, making it fall to the floor. The first creature is back up, grabs Buffy from behind, turns her around and sinks its sharp teeth deeply into her arm. She screams out in pain. The monster shoves her away into a bank of lockers, and she falls to the floor. Coach Marin suddenly appears and quickly helps her to her feet. The two monsters give up the fight and launch themselves across the floor and slide one after the other into the still-open grate. Cut to the school nurse's office. She finishes bandaging Buffy's arm. Giles and the coach are standing behind her by the window.

Nurse Greenleigh: I don't think that this is going to need stitches, but you might wanna have your family physician take a look at it. (walks off)

Giles: (approaches Buffy) How are you?

Buffy: I'm definitely feeling the burn.

Giles: (to Coach Marin) Well, the, uh, good news is that it would appear that none of your team actually died.

Buffy: But the bad news is... they're monsters.

Coach Marin: How could this happen?

Giles: Are you saying you don't know?

Coach Marin: Well, you work so hard, you start to win suddenly. You think it's just you. You're inspiring the boys to greatness. But in the back of your mind, you start to wonder.

Giles: You never asked any of the boys if they were taking anything?

Coach Marin: Maybe I was afraid to.

Buffy and Giles exchange a look. Cut to Willow's classroom. She, Buffy and Xander are at the computer surfing through the school medical files.

Buffy: There.

Willow: Dodd McAlvy: torn tendon. Gage Petronzi: fractured wrist, depression, headaches.

Buffy: It's all there in the school medical records.

Willow: All symptomatic of steroid abuse.

Xander: But is steroid abuse usually linked with, 'hey, I'm a fish'?

Willow: There must be something else in the mix. But the point is, these boys were obviously drugged.

Buffy: And Nurse Greenleigh treated every one of them. She must have known.

Willow: If steroids are that dangerous, why would they do that to themselves?

Buffy: They needed to win. And winning equals trophies, which equals prestige for the school. You see how they're treated. It's been like that forever.

Xander: Sure. The discus throwers got the best seats at all the crucifixions.

Buffy: Meanwhile, I'm breaking my nails every day battling the forces of evil, and my French teacher can't even remember my name.

Xander: So what's the drill? Get Nurse Greenleigh?

Willow: (stands up) (sternly) Let's throw the book at her!

Buffy: She probably went home for the day. I think it can wait. Xander, why don't you see if you can find out what these boys are taking, or at least how they're taking it? Powders, pills, syringe?

Xander: I'm Lookin'-Around Guy.

Willow: What about you?

Buffy: Giles loaded up the tranquilizer gun. We're going fishing.

Cut to the sewers. It's dark and very wet. Buffy comes around a corner with a flashlight, scanning as she goes. Behind her Giles follows with his dart gun held ready. They hear a noise ahead of them, and Giles raises the gun to take aim. Buffy shines the flashlight, and they see it was only a rat. She puts her hand on his arm to stop him, and he lowers the rifle. They continue on and come to an intersection in the tunnels. Buffy shines her light down one of them, and gestures to Giles that they should go that way. She takes another quick look in the other directions and begins down the adjacent tunnel. Giles looks around again also, and then follows Buffy. They both walk down past the camera, then it focuses on the tunnel opposite the direction they came, and one of the creatures pokes its head around the corner to watch them as they go around a corner further down the tunnel. Cut to the boys' steam room. The entire swim team is relaxing in the fog.

Xander: I feel good! Lovin' the swimmin'. Had some carrot juice this morning... A little wheat germ mixed in with it. Woke me right up. Nothin' like it, huh? Breakfast of state champions. You betcha. Okay. So... when do we get our next dose?

Sean: What do you mean?

Xander: Who's carrying? I need a little something to improve my performance. Give me an edge. Rrr! (chuckles)

Sean just looks away.

Xander: The steroids. Where are they?

Sean: (chuckles) You're soakin' in it, bud.

Xander: Huh?

Sean: (inhales deeply and exhales) Aromatherapy. It's in the steam.

Xander gives him a stunned look. Cut to the pool. The nurse follows the coach at a brisk pace.

Nurse Greenleigh: This has *got* to stop, Carl. Those poor children.

Coach Marin: What, are you a quitter? We got no room for quitters on *this* team.

Nurse Greenleigh: Do you even understand what's happening? Listen to yourself.

Coach Marin: I'm very close to perfecting this. We just need to adjust the mix.

They head down some stairs to the pool equipment room below.

Nurse Greenleigh: Carl. You can't be thinking of continuing to expose these boys.

Coach Marin: They're gonna be the best. I don't accept anything less.

Nurse Greenleigh: They're gonna be monsters. Carl, please. Don't make it any worse. You've already lost three.

The coach stops and looks at the nurse.

Coach Marin: Lost? Why, they're not lost.

He grabs her by the arms, pulls her around and shoves her down into a hole to a pool of water in the sewers below. She screams as she falls. The water is not deep, and she quickly gets to her feet, wipes the water from her eyes and looks up at him through the hole.

Nurse Greenleigh: Carl! What are you doing?!

Coach Marin: I'm just lookin' after my boys. They may be out of the game right now, but they're still a team. And a team's gotta eat.

He lifts the grating back into place.

Nurse Greenleigh: Carl!

Coach Marin: You quitter.

He stands there to watch. Nurse Greenleigh looks around and begins to panic. Suddenly she screams and gets pulled under the water.

Act Four

The library. Xander paces. Giles gets up from cleaning his glasses and heads for the table, where Willow and Buffy are sitting. Cordelia is on the stairs to the mezzanine level behind the table.

Giles: They're absorbing the steroid mixture through the steam.

Xander: (follows him) Not they. We. Me! We have to find an antidote, don't you think? The clock is ticking, people!

Buffy: I wouldn't break out the tartar sauce just yet. I mean, it's not like you were exposed more than once. (gets a worried look from Xander) Twice?

Xander: Three times a Fish Guy. (crosses his arms)

Buffy and Willow: Oh...

Cordelia: Whoa.

Xander: What am I gonna do?

Cordelia: You, you, you. What about me? It's one thing to be dating the lame unpopular guy, but it's another to be dating the creature from the Blue Lagoon.

Xander: (paces over to her) Black Lagoon. The creature from the Blue Lagoon was Brooke Shields. And thank you *so* much for your support! (sits by her)

Buffy: (quietly to Giles and Willow) I think we'd better find the rest of the swim team and lock them up before they get in touch with their inner halibut.

Giles: Yes. Yes, good. Uh, we also need to know exactly what's in this, this steroid gas so that the hospital's toxicology lab can develop an antidote.

Willow: (stands up) Well, I'll talk to Nurse Greenleigh.

Buffy: You're really getting into this interrogation thing.

Willow: The trick is not to leave any marks. (leaves)

Buffy: (gets up) On that note, I think I'm gonna go have a little talk with our coach. Somehow, I doubt all he's been giving these boys is inspiration. (leaves)

Cut to the pool equipment room. The coach leads Buffy to the same hole through which he shoved Nurse Greenleigh.

Coach Marin: You got some imagination, missy.

Buffy: Oh, well right now, I'm imagining you in jail. You're wearing a big, orange suit, and, oh, look, the guards are beating you up.

Coach Marin: You don't have any proof.

Buffy: (stops following) (sternly) Tell me what's in the steam.

Coach Marin: (faces her) After the fall of the Soviet Union, documents came into light detailing experiments with fish DNA on their Olympic swimmers. Tarpon... mako shark... But they couldn't crack it.

Buffy: And you did... sort of. Why?

Coach Marin: What kind of question is that? For the win! To make my team the best they could be! Do you understand we have a shot at the state championship?

Buffy: Do you understand that I don't care? It's over. There's not gonna be any swim team.

Coach Marin: Boy, when they were handin' out school spirit, you didn't even stand in line, did you?

Buffy: No. I was in the line for shred of sanity.

The coach reaches into the desk behind him and pulls out a Beretta 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He pulls back the hammer and points the gun at Buffy.

Buffy: Which you obviously skipped.

Coach Marin: Get in the hole! (indicates with the gun)

Buffy looks down at the hole and back up at the coach.

Coach Marin: In! Now!

She sits down on the edge with her legs dangling in and looks up at him.

Buffy: This isn't over.

Coach Marin: In!

She gives him one last look and drops herself into the water below. It's about a fifteen-foot drop, so she submerges completely and comes back up soaked through and wiping the water from her eyes. She looks up at the coach leaning over the hole.

Coach Marin: You think I don't care about my boys. But I do. They count on me.

Buffy understands now, and looks around for the monsters. When she turns back around she screams at the sight of what's left of Nurse Greenleigh's body as it floats by. She looks back up at the coach.

Buffy: So, what, you're just gonna feed me to 'em?

Coach Marin: Oh, they've already had their dinner. But boys have other needs.

Cut to the pool. Xander and Cordelia come walking in looking for other members of the swim team. Xander is rubbing his neck, expecting to find gills growing there.

Cordelia: No one. Willow and Giles must've rounded up the rest of the swim team.

Xander: Does my neck look scaly to you?

Cordelia: Well, of course it looks scaly, the way you've been rubbing it dry like an idiot.

Xander: I need to look in a mirror. Wait here. But feel free to come in if you hear me scream.

He runs off into the locker room. Cordelia keeps walking around the pool. She hears a door close and glances behind her, but sees no one. She continues along the side of the pool. She hears a door open, and assumes it's Xander.

Cordelia: Any gills yet?

Behind her a creature comes in and jumps into the pool. She looks into the pool, but at first can't make out the monster because of the splash on the surface.

Cordelia: Xander, what are you doing? (giggles) Xander?

The creature swims beyond the splash, and Cordelia can see it clearly now.

Cordelia: Oh, my God! Xander!

She walks along the edge of the pool, following the monster as it swims under water.

Cordelia: (very upset) It's me, Cordelia? I know you can't answer me, but... God, this is all my fault. You joined the swim team to impress me. You were so courageous. And you looked really hot in those Speedo's. (chuckles) And I want you to know that I still care about you, no matter what you look like. And... and we can still date. Or, or not. I mean... I understand if you wanna see other fish. (crouches by the edge) I'll do everything I can to make your quality of life better. Whether that means little bath toys or whatever.

Xander walks up behind her.

Xander: Uh, Cordy?

Cordelia spins around quickly, startled, and draws a frightened breath.

Xander: (points into the pool) That's not me.

They both look at the creature. It suddenly makes a lunge for them from the water, and Cordelia screams. Xander pulls her up and away, and they run from the pool area.

Cordelia: Oh, my God!

Cut to the library. Giles leads the other swim team members into the cage.

Giles: I-in you go.

They are all a bit confused, but obey none the less.

Giles: Stay calm, chaps. (closed the door) Either we'll find an effective antidote, or, or, uh... S-stay calm. (goes to Willow)

Willow: Everyone's accounted for except Sean.

Xander and Cordelia come into the library.

Cordelia: I think we can safely say we've found Sean. He was in the pool skinless-dipping.

Xander: Where's Buffy?

Willow: She hasn't come back yet.

Cut to the sewers. The camera pans around the pool of water. One of the monsters pokes its head out of the water behind a pillar and observes Buffy. The camera continues until it stops on her.

Buffy: Great. This is just what my reputation needs: that I did it with the entire swim team.

Another one of the creatures pokes its head up to look at Buffy. She makes a tentative jump to see about getting out of there. She hears them growl, and looks around. The one by the pillar submerges again and begins to swim. Buffy looks into the water to try to see where they are. Cut underwater. One of them swims right past her legs. She sees its head emerge further away from her, and draws a frightened breath. Cut to the pool equipment room. Xander walks in and spots the coach leaning over the hole and gloating.

Xander: What's up, coach?

Coach Marin: (looks back, startled) Oh! Harris. Uh... (stands up) how you feelin'?

Xander: Little dry. Nothing a lemon butter sauce won't cure.

They both chuckle nervously.

Xander: Where's Buffy?

The coach's eyes focus on his gun laying on a barrel just behind Xander. Cut to below. Buffy keeps looking for the sea monsters. One suddenly rises up behind her and lunges at her. She quickly grabs it and throws it aside. Another one comes for her, and she deflects it into the wall, but loses her balance and falls underwater. One grabs her leg, and she kicks out. She grabs it and throws it off of her. Standing again, she grabs another one's arm as it attacks her and flips it over into the wall. Cut above. Coach Marin makes a grab for his gun, but Xander grabs his arm, pounds it into the barrel and makes him drop it. He elbows the coach in the face, who falls over unconscious. Cut below. Buffy knocks and flips the monsters away as they each come for her in turn. Soon they've had enough, and the three of them surround her and slowly close in. Cut above. Xander steps over to the hole and looks down. When he sees what's going on below he quickly lies down and reaches into the hole with his arm.

Xander: Buffy, hurry! Your hand!

Buffy looks up and sees him there. She takes a breath, crouches down into the water and leaps up the ten feet to grab Xander's hand.

Xander: Hold on!

He starts to pull for all he's worth. Below the creatures paw at Buffy's legs, trying to pull her back down. Two of them grab hold, and she kicks and flails to shake them off. The monsters can't keep hold of her, and fall into the water.

Buffy: Pull!

Xander: Hold on!

He pulls again, but he's not as strong as he thinks and it goes slowly. One of the monsters leaps up and grabs Buffy's leg again. She kicks it with her free leg and it goes tumbling down. Xander pulls again as Buffy raises her legs up out of the creature's reach. Slowly she emerges from the hole and climbs onto the floor, coughing and panting.

Buffy: Thanks.

Xander: Just doin' my part for our team.

Behind him the coach has regained consciousness, and hits Xander across the back with a large pipe wrench.

Buffy: Oh!

He starts to take a swing at Buffy with it, too, but she ducks away and trips him with her leg. He falls and screams as he rolls into the hole. Buffy reacts fast and grabs his ankle.

Coach Marin: Don't let go! Don't let go of me! Hold me!

Buffy can't maintain her grip, and he falls into the water below. The coach stands up in the water, shaking it out of his face and coughing.

Buffy: (reaches down) Grab my hand!

He's too busy being worried about his sea monsters surrounding him to listen to what Buffy is saying.

Coach Marin: Boys! Boys, uh, now, now, boys! No! I...

They attack him.

Coach Marin: No, boys!

He screams and struggles as they pull him under. Buffy pulls her arm back up.

Buffy: Those boys really love their coach.

Cut to the school lounge. Willow and Buffy are sitting on one of the couches opposite Xander and Cordelia on the other.

Xander: Let's see. I gotta take a make-up chem test at three. And then I'm meetin' some of the guys for plasma transfusions at five. It's turned into quite the busy afternoon.

Buffy: The fun never stops with you, does it?

Willow: Giles seems pretty confident that the treatments are gonna work.

Xander: Well, turning into a creepy-crawler wasn't on my top ten list of things to do before I turn twenty.

Cordelia: (to Xander) I want you to know that you've really proven yourself to me. And you don't have to join the new team next year if you don't want. I'd be just as happy if you played football. (smiles)

Buffy and Willow exchange an amused look. Giles comes up the steps to them.

Giles: The... people from animal control have just left. Our creatures have apparently made a, a dash for it. Um... so to speak.

Willow: Does that mean we're gonna have to hunt them again?

Buffy: No, I don't think so. I don't think we'll be seeing them anymore.

Giles: Where do you think they'll go?

Buffy: Home.

Cut to the beach. The camera pans over the waves rolling in. The three monsters are in the surf and begin to swim out to sea.

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