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Into every generation, there are Chosen Ones. A Slayer will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. With each Slayer comes a Guardian. They are protectors of the innocent.

Day One

Night - Sunnydale State Beach

(Song:) Mann's Chinese - Naked

There was a large party going on with about fifty students in attendance. The Scoobies sat together next to the fire.

"All I'm saying is, it's a stupid idea to have a victory party at the beach," Xander told them. "It's officially nippy." He looked down at himself. "So say my nips."

"Oh, come on," Zoey told them. "I think it's festive. A party with nature."

"Let me guess," Eric told her. "You're just saying that because it's the beach. And you love beach parties."

Zoey smirked. "Maybe."

Buffy smiled. "Oh, there's the old Zo we know. And love." Everyone smiled. "About time we saw this version back."

"No kidding," Brooke agreed. "And the party was the team's choice. It was their victory."

"Team?" Alice repeated. "Swim team." She chuckled. "Hardly what I'd call a team."

Eric pointed at them. "The Yankees. Abbott and Costello. The 'A'. Now, those were teams."

"Jealous?" Cordelia asked.

Brady smirked. "No. No disrespect to swimming, but I found football harder. Besides, look at Dodd McAlvy. Last month he's the freak with Jicama breath who waxes his back. He wins a few meets and suddenly inherits the cool gene?"

"Well, all I know is, my cheerleading squad wasted a lot of pep on losers," Cordelia told them. "It's about time our school excelled at something."

"Hmm," Buffy hummed. "You're forgetting our high mortality rate."

Cordelia smiled at that.

Xander pumped his fist. "We're number one!" He looked around. "Huh?"

Xander got a few positive responses from nearby students. The camera panned from them over to Carmen sitting by herself behind a pile of sand and staring out over the ocean with a tuned out-look on her face.

After a moment, another member of the swim team, Cameron approached her from behind. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Carmen continued to look at the ocean. "Yeah, it's just so..."

"Eternal," Cameron suggested. "A true mother, giving birth to new life and devouring old." He sat behind Carmen. "Always adaptable and nurturing yet constant and merciless."

Carmen looked at him. "Boy, I was just gonna go with big and wet."

Cameron laughed. "Me and some of the other guys on the team, we come out here once a week to train in it. See, we swim against the current."

"Funny, that's how I feel most of the time," Carmen told him, turning to him. "So, Cameron Walker, you just won the state semifinals. What are you going to do next?"

Cameron smiled. "I'm going to hang on with Carmen Chase. Get to know her."

Carmen looked down for an instant. "Hey, pause that tape for a second."

"Hey, no pressure," Cameron told her. "I just like being around you, that's all."

They looked out over the ocean. Behind them, there was a lot of shouting and laughing.

Jonathan yelled for help. "Somebody help me!"

Everyone turned to look. Cut into the drink tub looking up through the ice floating on the surface. Jonathan's face got pushed into the water and shaken around.

A swimmer, Dodd, was the one harassing him, pulling Jonathan's head back out of the tub, holding him back by the hair. "Come on, Johnny, you gotta hold your breath longer than that if you ever wanna make the team. Hey, somebody time him." He shoved Jonathan's head back into the tub. The girls walked closer to pull Dodd back, revealing his tattoo of a mean-faced shark smoking a cigar on his upper arm. "Hey!"

"Nice tat," Brooke told him sarcastically. "What, they ran out of Tweety bird?"

Buffy pushed Dodd to the ground. Jonathan coughed at the side of the tub.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Dodd asked.

Cameron chuckled. "You had it coming to you, bro."

Dodd got up to confront the girls.

A swimmer named Gage stopped him. "Chill, dude. A bunch of us are gonna take a little night dip down on the beach. You in?"

Dodd glared at the girls, but nodded to the guys. "Whatever."

They started to leave.

Alice turned to help Jonathan. "Hey. Let's get you a towel."

Jonathan waved them off. "No. Why don't you mind your own business? I can handle this without your help."

Jonathan walked away.

Zoey sighed. "Gee, it's fun to hang out with us."

(Song Ends)

∞

Beach

Dodd and Gage were walking down the beach toward the water.

"I can't believe Buffy, Brooke, Zoey, Alice and Carmen," Dodd told him. "Man, those girls give me the creeps."

Dodd lagged behind a bit, then stopped, staring out over the ocean as Gage continued to walk, looking back and forth between the ocean and Gage walking ahead of him, continuing to walk as well.

Gage smelt something, stopping in his tracks, taking another sniff of the rank-smelling air. "Oh, dude! What is that foulness?" He looked behind him, seeing that Dodd had disappeared. "Hey, Dodd!" He looked around the other away. "Dude." He gave up in looking for him. "Huh."

Gage walked on to a group of people gathered under the pier. The camera stopped following him, panning up the beach. A muffled scream could be heard followed by some tearing sounds and painful moaning. Finally, a deep growl was heard as the camera reached what was left of Dodd, a pile of ripped up clothes and torn and bloody skin steaming in the cold night air. The camera stopped on his shark tattoo for a moment, panning up to a large storm drain coming out of the hillside. A hunched-over creature barely seen in the dark walked into it.

∞ Slayers and Guardians ∞

Day Two

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Computer Class

The camera focused on a pie chart appearing on a student's computer screen.

Willow walked up the aisle, the camera following her through the class as she looked around at students' work. "Okay, good pie charts, everyone." She looked at another. "Good, all good, nice, good. Gage, your pie chart it looking a lot like solitaire with naked ladies on the cards."

Gage looked up. "What's your point?"

The bell rang, and Gage got up to go.

"No point," Willow told him.

Snyder walked in, past the leaving students, spotting Gage. "Nice work in yesterday's meet, son. Now, let's go for it."

Snyder pumped his fist. Gage gave him an acknowledging nod, continuing out of the classroom. Snyder turned his attention to Willow.

"Uh, hi, there, sir," Willow told him.

"Miss Rosenberg," Snyder replied. "How's the class? Everything in order?"

"Well, actually..." Willow trailed off.

Snyder cut her off. "Great. I've been talking to the board. We've been having trouble finding a competent teacher this late in the term. Do you think you could continue subbing through finals?"

Willow smiled. "Oh, sure, I like teaching."

Snyder was not interested. "Isn't that nice? You're a team player, and I like that. A team player wants everyone on the team to succeed, wants everyone to pass."

Willow walked toward the desk. "Well, yeah, sure."

Snyder followed her. "I understand there's a problem with Gage Petroniz."

Snyder stopped at one of the PC's, looking at it with his back to Willow.

Willow nodded. "Oh, good, then you know, well, yeah, besides the behavior problem, he won't do homework, and his test scores are, well, actually, he doesn't have any test scores because he never shows up when we have--"

Snyder turned to face her, interrupting. "I'm not interested in any of that. I'm interested in why, when this school is on the brink of winning its first state championship in 15 years, you slap a crucial member of that team with a failing mark that would force his removal. Is that how you show your school spirit?"

Willow was confused, flustered. "Yes, well, I mean, no. I'm just trying to grade fairly."

"Gage is a champion," Snyder told her. "He's under more pressure than the other students, and I think we need to cut him some slack."

Snyder turned to leave.

Willow considered for a moment. "You're asking me to change his grade?"

Willow turned to face him.

Snyder stopped, turning back. "I never said any such thing." He stepped closer. "All I'm suggesting is that you recheck your figures, and I think we'll find a grade more fitting to an athlete of Gage's stature, perhaps something in a 'D'."

Snyder turned, leaving the room. Willow was unsure of how to deal with what he had just told her.

∞

Hallway

The Scoobies, minus Wyatt, Layla, Giles and Carmen, were walking together down the hall. Willow was telling them about what had just happened.

"Just like that?" Buffy asked. "He actually told you to alter his grade?"

"Exactly like that?" Brooke asked. "Except for actually telling you to."

Zoey rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well? He made it perfectly clear of what he wasn't telling her."

"That is wrong, a big, fat, spanking wrong," Xander told them. "It's a slap in the face to every one of us who studied hard and worked long hours to earn our D's."

"Xander, I know you take pride in being the voice of the common wuss, but the truth is, certain people are entitled to special privileges," Cordelia told him. "They're called winners. That's the way the world works."

"And what about that nutty 'all men are created equal' thing?" Brady asked.

"Propaganda spouted out by the ugly and less deserving," Cordelia told him.

"I think that was Lincoln," Brady told her.

Cordelia exhaled. "Disgusting mole and stupid hat."

"Actually, it was Jefferson," Alice told them. "But he kept slaves. Remember?"

"You know what really grates my cheese?" Eric asked. "That Carmen's not here to share our moral outrage about swim team perks."

"Nope," Zoey told them. "She's too busy one of them."

∞

Outside

Cameron's Mustang pulled up to the school. Carmen was in the passenger seat.

"I don't know, a dolphin," Cameron told her. "A dolphin in the ocean. Because, you know, when I'm in the vastness of the ocean, it's like I'm never alone." He turned off the engine, leaning against his door to face Carmen. Carmen leaned her elbow against her door with her head propped up on her hand. "You ever hear of a woman named Gertrude Ederle?"

"No, no, I can't say that I have, Cam," Carmen answered.

Cameron smiled. "First woman to swim the English Channel." Carmen nodded slowly, bored. "Same thing. I mean, she would talk to it. I mean, she'd carry on entire conversations with it. Sometimes I do that. I mean, once I was out in..."

Carmen sat up. "You know what, Cam, thanks. I'd forgotten how nice it is to just talk, or in my case, listen, without any romantic pressure."

"Hey, I'm not about pressure," Cameron told her. "I just want you to be comfortable."

Carmen forced a smile. "I'm so comfy, I'm nodding off actually, which is why--"

Cameron looked at her suggestively. "Are you wearing a bra?"

Carmen gave him a look of disbelief. "What?"

Cameron grinned. "Come on, I mean, tell me you haven't been thinking about this ever since last night."

"What I'm thinking about is that I should probably get out of this car," Carmen told him, reaching for the door lever.

Cameron quickly hit the master lock button, locking her in. "Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you."

Carmen rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh, it's not me I'm worried about."

Cameron snickered. "You like it rough." He reached over to put his arm around her. Carmen grabbed his arm, pulling him down, using her other hand to grab the back of his head, jerking him up, smashing his head into the steering wheel, making the horn honk. "Ow!" Cameron sat up, holding his nose in pain. Carmen noticed Snyder outside the car. Snyder walked up to the front, looking in through the windshield. "Oh, you broke my nose!"

Carmen cringed at the sight of Snyder, who raised his hand and motioned with his finger for her to come with him.

∞

Nurse Ruth Greenleigh's Office

Ruth Greenleigh slammed a cold pack onto a table, staring a chemical reaction in the pack, kneading it a little before holding it up to Cameron's nose, gently laying it on.

Cameron groaned in pain, holding the pack to his nose. Ruth walked away toward Snyder and Carmen.

"I wasn't the attacker, Principal Snyder, I was the attacked," Carmen told him.

"That's not how it looked from where I was standing," Snyder told her.

"I don't know what happened," Cameron lied. "I mean, first she leads me on, then she goes schizo on me."

Carmen glared, stepping closer. "Lead you on? When did I lead you on?"

Cameron tilted his head at Snyder. "Oh, come on, I mean, look at the way she dresses."

Carmen looked down at her outfit, which was not at all revealing or 'leading on'. The swim team coach, Carl Marin, walked in. Carmen stepped back, leaning against a table.

Snyder nodded. "Coach."

"How we doing, Cameron?" Coach asked, walking closer.

Snyder followed. "Coach Marin, how bad does it look?"

"Well, luckily, it's not broken, but sure as hell it's gonna sting for a few days," Coach answered.

Snyder led the coach away from Cameron. "I mean our chances of winning the state championship. Can we still do it?"

Coach sighed. "I'm gonna need Cameron back at a hundred and ten percent. Uh, he's my best swimmer, now with Dodd, uh..."

"What happened to Dodd?" Carmen asked.

"That's none of your concern," Snyder told her. "You'd better hope that boy's nose heals before the meet this Friday."

Coach walked toward Cameron. "Walker, I want you to hit the steam room as soon as you're done here and try to keep those sinuses clear. Take care of my boy, Ruthie."

"I always do," Ruth told him.

Coach stepped toward Carmen. "And you, try to dress more appropriately from now on. This isn't a dance club."

Coach walked out. Snyder gave Carmen a look, following. Cameron looked over at her, grinning. Carmen glared.

∞

Library

Carmen had met back up with the Scoobies.

"So you're treated like the baddie just because he has a sprained wrist and a bloody nose," Wyatt told her sarcastically. "And you don't have a scratch on you. Which, granted, hurts your case a little on the surface. But meanwhile he gets away with it because he's on the 'aren't we the most' swim team. Who, by the way, have been acting like dicks lately." He looked over all of them. "Seeing things like this happen to you guys? Makes me relieved that I didn't have high school like this back when I was a normal guy."

"Well, thank you for taking an interest in how kids are tortured in high school these days," Layla told him sarcastically. Wyatt smirked. Everyone else smiled slightly. "Apparently, some remains were found on the beach this morning. Some human remains. Dodd McAlvy's remains."

"Vampire?" Buffy asked.

"No," Giles answered. "No, he was eviscerated. Nothing left but skin and cartilage."

"In other words, this was no boating accident," Brooke told them.

"So something ripped him open and ate out his insides?" Brady asked.

"Like an Oreo Cookie," Xander answered. Willow gave him a look. "Well, except for, you know, without the chocolatey cookie goodness."

"Yes," Giles agreed. "Um, Principal Snyder has asked the faculty to keep the news quiet for now, um, so as not to unduly upset the students."

"For 'students'?" Layla asked. "Read 'swim team'."

"So, we're looking for a beastie," Alice told them.

Wyatt nodded. "That, uh, eats humans whole... except for the skin."

"This doesn't make any sense," Buffy told them.

"Yeah," Brady agreed. "The skin's the best part."

"Any demons with high cholesterol?" Brooke asked. Wyatt gave her an amused look. Brooke pointed at him. "You're gonna think about that later, Wyatt. And you're gonna laugh."

∞

Boys' Locker Room - Steam Room

In the steam room of the locker room, Cameron sat in it alone, the rest of the room deserted. He felt his nose, groaning, hearing a noise, looking up and around. Someone was walking into the locker room. On the adjacent lockers, a shadow could be seen approaching the door. Cameron ignored the noise, going back to relaxing. Suddenly the door to the room open, making him look up in surprise.

Coach walked in. "Okay, son, I think you've had enough. Time to hit the shower."

Coach walked off.

∞

Student Lounge

Xander, Eric and Brady walked down the hall.

"Too much research," Eric told them. "Need beverages."

They walked along, practically run over by Cameron coming down the other hall at a fast pace, knocking their change to the floor.

"Hey, watch it," Cameron told them.

"Oh, forgive us, your Swim Teamliness," Xander told him sarcastically, making a bowing gesture as the three boys knelt down to pick up their change.

Cameron turned to leave. "Losers."

"Liking the nose, Cam," Brady told him. "Good look for you."

Cameron turned to face them. "Meaning what?"

Xander stepped closer. "Meaning Carmen must not be on your list of privileges after all. Man, I love it when you guys mess with Buffy, Brooke, Zoey, Alice or Carmen."

Eric chuckled. "Yeah, 'cause at least they're not afraid to put you guys in your places, and it's kinda hilarious when they do."

Cameron shook his head at them angrily. "You're lucky I'm hungry."

"Oh, the cafeteria's closed," Brady told him in mock sympathy.

"Not to me," Cameron told them, walking away.

The three boys scoffed.

∞

Cafeteria

The camera panned past the empty steam table.

Cameron walked in, starting toward the kitchen, but halfway through the dining area, he stopped, sniffing the air. "God, what is that?"

∞

Hallway

The boys were getting drinks for themselves and the other Scoobies, when they heard screaming and loud crashing noises coming from the cafeteria. Xander turned to look, watching Eric and Brady run for the cafeteria, following.

∞

Cafeteria

Eric and Brady ran inside. Xander followed in a few seconds later. They slowly walked through while looking around. The place was in shambles, with tables and chairs knocked over everywhere. They sniffed, looking around, seeing Cameron's remains, just a pile of torn clothes and steaming skin.

Eric was in shock. "Oh, my God."

Xander put his hand over his mouth in shock, fighting back his urge to vomit. They turned to go, but standing there blocking their way was a dark green humanoid sea monster with catfish whiskers, sharp teeth and three scaly ridges across the top of its head, roaring loudly. Xander screamed, backing away. Eric and Brady backed away in shock, preparing to fight back to get them and Xander out of there

∞∞

Library

The boys had come back to tell the others what they had seen, explaining the creature so Zoey could try to draw it.

Xander was standing behind Zoey sitting at the table and watched her sketch the monster they saw. "No, no, no, the mouth's a lot bigger, and downward, like this." Zoey looked at him. Xander made a face with the corners of his mouth turned down. Zoey sighed. "With more teeth."

Zoey had enough. She put the sketchpad down, getting up, walking over to the others at the counter. "I'm doing the best I can."

Giles took off his glasses and looked up from his book over at the boys. "Xander. Eric. Brady. Is that what you saw?"

"Yeah, I think so, pretty much," Eric answered.

"Are you sure?" Layla asked.

Zoey faced the boys and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, it was dark, and when Eric and I fought it off, the thing went through the window so quick," Brady explained. "And when Xander saw it, he..."

"Go ahead," Buffy told him. "Say it, Eric. Xander ran like a woman."

Eric grinned. "Yep."

"Hey, if you saw this thing, you'd run like a woman, too," Xander told them.

"Right," Wyatt told him skeptically in amusement. "Right. Well, except for the simple fact that Eric and Brady didn't. Wow."

"Alice was right," Buffy told them. "According to the statistics, Dodd and Cameron were the best swimmers on the team."

Willow handed Giles the figures.

"First and second, actually," Alice told them. "Which means if my theory's correct? Gage Petronzi, the third-best swimmer on the team, would be the next item on the menu."

"God, this is so sad," Cordelia told them. "We're never gonna win the state championship. I think I've lost all will to cheerlead."

Zoey sat on the counter. "Raise your hand if you feel her pain."

Cordelia gave Zoey a look. Carmen smirked.

"If you're saying these killings aren't random, it would suggest someone's out for revenge," Layla told them.

"And raise the possibility that someone brought forth this sea monster from whence it came to exact that revenge," Brooke told them. She reconsidered her words. "'From whence it came'?" The girls smiled. Brooke looked at Giles. "I'm spending way too much time around you."

"Who would hate the swim team that much, though?" Zoey asked. "Besides us. I mean."

Willow raised her hand. "Ooh!"

"Willow?" Buffy asked. "Yes?"

"Jonathon," Willow told them. "He was bullied by Dodd the other day on the beach, remember?"

"He did say he could take care of things himself," Alice told her. "It's a good call. You should question him."

Willow smiled. "Really, me?" She spoke menacingly. "I'll crack him like an egg."

Giles looked at Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Zoey, Carmen and Wyatt. "Meanwhile, I think, uh, swimmer number three might benefit from your... watchful eye and protection. Discreetly, of course."

"Right," Wyatt agreed. "We're on it."

"I can help," Eric told them.

"Right, Eric, bring your crossbow," Brady told him.

"What about me?" Xander asked. "What can I do?"

"Well, you could go out to the parking lot and practice running like a man," Zoey told him.

Xander hugged his arms around himself to protect against the sting of her words.

∞

Student Lounge

Gage was sitting, playing with his GameBoy on one of the couches with his feet up on the table. The camera panned back until the others were in view, sitting together, chatting as friends to pretend they weren't watching him. Gage felt as if they were watching him, looking up, shaking off the feeling, going back to his GameBoy.

∞

Computer Class

Jonathan was sitting in a chair at the front of the room.

Willow aimed a reading lamp at him, determined to get what she wanted out of him, crossing her arms. "So, Jonathan, you tried out for the swim team twice and never made it?"

Jonathan fidgeted nervously. "I'm asthmatic. I couldn't keep up."

"You resented it, didn't you?" Willow asked.

"Maybe," Jonathan answered.

Willow approached him. "You hated being pushed around by Dodd and the others, so you wanted revenge, didn't you?" She leaned in, speaking loudly. "Didn't you?"

"Yeah, okay, I did," Jonathan answered nervously.

Willow smiled, standing straight. "So, you delved into the black arts and conjured up a hellbeast from the ocean's depths to wreak your vengeance, didn't you?"

"What?" Jonathan asked. "No. I snuck in yesterday and... peed in the pool."

Willow was disappointed she didn't have the bad guy, disgusted by what he had did. "Oh, ew!"

Jonathan looked down in shame.

∞

Hallway

Snyder and Coach walked in from outside, walking along.

"This is such a blow," Coach told him. "Sooner or later, the rest of my boys are gonna find out. How can I ask them to swim?"

Snyder lowered his voice. "It's a terrible, terrible tragedy. We all feel your pain, Coach. I don't know two finer boys than Cameron and that other one, but I know they'd want their friends to go on and win that state championship. It's time to think about the team."

"Well, I don't have a complete team as it is," Coach explained. "If we don't find more people by this afternoon's tryouts, we won't be eligible to compete."

"You'll find someone," Snyder told him. "All they have to do is wear a bathing suit, right?"

The camera followed them for a moment, then stopping on Xander. He had overheard, looking back to watch them go.

∞

The Bronze

(Song:) If You'd Listen - Nero's Rome

There was a DJ playing the song, covering no charge. People came and went. Buffy, Brooke, Zoey, Alice, Carmen, Brady, Eric and Wyatt were sitting at a table, pretending to chat it up as a group of friends as they watched Gage playing pool, practicing shots by himself.

Gage was not unaware of the fact that he was being watched, having enough, putting down his pool cue, walking around behind a group of people out of their view, walking up behind them. "This me and my shadows act? It's getting old. What do you want from me?"

"You're not gonna believe any lie we tell you," Wyatt told him. "So I'll just give it to you straight. There's something lurking out there."

"It's making fillets out of the populace," Brooke explained. "And we think you might be next."

Gage nodded skeptically. "Uh-huh, and you think that because?"

"Well, it's already attacked," Zoey answered. "Guys from the swim team, actually."

"And it's already killed some people," Alice added. "We're just trying to make sure you're not next."

"You guys are twisted, you know that?" Gage asked. "I'm not buying your game. Go find someone else to harass."

Gage walked to the door to leave. They sighed, exchanging a look.

(Song Ends)

∞

Outside

Gage walked out. "Guys are psychos, man."

Angelus walked out from behind a pile of crates. "Gotta be talking about Buffy, Brooke, Zoey, Alice, Carmen, Brady, Eric and Wyatt."

Gage stopped, facing him. "How'd you know?"

"Me and my friend Bianca have history with them," Angelus answered.

Bianca walked out from behind Gage. "Uh, we used to hang out with them." Gage looked at her. "In fact, Angel used to date Carmen. I used to date Brady. Trust me when I saw it didn't end well for anyone involved. Including Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Alice, Eric and Wyatt."

Gage smirked in amusement. "Yeah, my condolences, guys."

Gage turned to leave.

Angelus followed. "They're real head-trippers."

"Tell me about it," Gage told them. "They act like they're God's gift or something."

Bianca smirked in irony. "Who are they? The Chosen Ones?"

Gage scoffed. "Exactly."

'You know, what they really need is for someone like Bianca to really knock them down off their notches," Angelus told him.

"Yeah, that'd be sweet," Gage told him. "Anyone in mind other than Bianca?"

"You're in luck, my friend," Angelus told him. Gage turned to look at Angelus and Bianca, seeing that they had disappeared. "Just so happens..." Gage turned quickly, seeing Angelus standing there in front of him in his game face. "We're recruiting."

Gage looked horrified as Angelus grabbed him and bit his neck. "No!" The group walked out of the Bronze, hearing Gage's screams. "Somebody help! Help! Get him off me! Help!"

The group ran to his aid. Angelus dropped Gage, beginning to spit out his blood, wiping his mouth, spitting some more, when the others ran around the corner. Angelus looked around. Zoey used magic to throw Angelus back through the air, into the brick wall, making him fall.

Angelus chuckled in amusement. "Oh, Zoey's getting better at controlling her anger."

Bianca smirked. "Shame. It's always entertaining to see Zoey lash out." Buffy and Brady spun to kick Bianca away. Brooke and Alice let their hands glow with red energy as a threat to Bianca, while Wyatt used power to cause Angelus agony. Carmen prepared to use magic if she had to. Eric aimed his crossbow at Angelus and Bianca. Bianca used her watered down Guardian energy to put up a barrier in front of her and Angelus that protected them from harm by them, in form of magic or physical, so they couldn't stop them from getting away. When magic couldn't penetrate the barrier, and neither could Eric's arrows, Bianca smirked, tilting her head. "You've gotta admit. I'm getting better at this."

Angelus stood, smirking "And why, Carmen Chase. You're beautiful." Carmen tried not to let him get to her. "Always a blast with you and your friends. For me and Bianca, at least."

"Especially when you know you have the power to kill us but won't," Bianca told them. "Because you're too busy trying to save us. Except for recently, you've been willing to go for the kills. But you couldn't because I got an upgrade. I wanted to thank Alice and Brooke in person for that, by the way. It must really get on your nerves, knowing you can't stop us from leaving here because of my new upgrade." Bianca and Angelus smirked, walking away. "See you guys soon."

The others helped Gage stand.

"Oh, were those the things that killed Cameron?" Gage asked.

"No," Carmen answered. "They were something else."

Gage stammered in confusion. "Something else?"

"Yeah," Wyatt answered. "Unfortunately, we have a lot of something elses in this town. Good night."

They started to walk away.

"Hey," Gage told them. They stopped. Gage walked up to them, laughing nervously. "Walk me home?"

∞

Day Three

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Pools

Six members of the swim team were on the blocks ready to start a heat.

Coach called out. "Swimmers, take position!" They all bent down to dive in. Coach blew his whistle, and hey went off. Coach walked along the edge of the pool past the stands as they swam. The girls were watching from the stands. In the middle of the pool, Gage stopped, standing, lifting off his goggles. "Keep the stroking up, all right? Keep it going, keep it going all the way to the end. All the way to the end. Breathe deep." Gage saw Buffy, Brooke, Zoey, Alice and Carmen in the stands, waving, who waved back discreetly. "Gage! You with us or not?" Gage swam off. "Come on, let's go."

Cordelia looked at the others. "So he spit it out? I thought Angel liked blood."

"He used to," Carmen told them.

Zoey looked down. "Maybe his eyes were too big for his stomach."

"Or maybe there was something in Gage's blood that Angel didn't like," Alice told them. "Say, for example, steroids."

"That would explain all their behavioral changes," Willow told them.

"And their winning streak," Buffy added.

"So maybe whatever's in their blood is what's attracting this creature to them," Brooke told them.

"Any luck researching our fish monster?" Zoey asked.

"Zippo," Cordelia answered. "We couldn't find any sea demon that matched the description that Xander, Eric and Brady gave us, not that Chicken Little Xander's much of a witness, but..." Their eyes were caught by three swimmers coming out of the locker room, with athletic legs, crimson Speedo's, and tight abs. "Oh, my, now, that girls, is my kind of--"

Buffy was in shock. "Eric? Brady? Xander?"

Brooke followed her gaze, repeating in confusion. "Eric? Brady? Xander?"

When Xander heard their voices, he scrambled over to a pile of kickboards, grabbing the one off the top and hiding himself behind it. Eric and Brady were giving him looks. The girls stood, walking toward them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Carmen asked.

"Shh," Brady told them. "Hey. We're undercover."

"Not under much," Zoey told them, smirking.

"Get out of here before someone sees you impersonating members of the swim team," Cordelia told them.

"I don't do impersonations," Eric told them. "Xander heard Snyder and Coach Marin saying they needed new swimmers to fill in spots for this morning's tryouts. We made it."

"Really?" Alice asked.

"Yeah," Brady answered. "Xander figured we can keep an eye on Gage and the others when you girls and Wyatt can't."

"When you're nude?" Carmen asked. Zoey nudged her. "I--I meant to say 'changing'."

Coach Marin called for the boys. "Summers! Rosenberg! Harris! You can flirt on your own time!"

"Okey-dokey, coachie," Eric told him, backing away to go join the rest of the team.

Xander walked over, covering his butt with his free hand. Brady walked over. Xander lamely tossed the kickboard back onto the pile, but it just fell off. They reached the others and listened in on what the assistant swim coach was saying.

Cordelia smiled proudly. "Buffy, Alice and I are dating swimmers from the Sunnydale swim team."

Buffy smirked, sarcastic. "We can die happy."

They watched as Xander, Eric and Brady got up on the starting block and put on their swim caps.

Brooke looked at Willow. "What about Jonathon? Is he involved?"

"Oh, no," Willow answered. "He just... sort of... peed in the pool."

"Oh," Zoey said.

They looked back at the boys to watch as they dived in. Xander's dive was a bit sloppy, but not at all bad. The girls all looked on in wide-eyed shock as they realized what they just dove into.

Alice cringed. "Oh!"

∞

Steam Room

The camera looked in through the window from the locker room. Brady, Eric and Xander joined the others, finding available spots to sit down.

"Don't you guys get claustrophobic in here?" Xander asked. "I mean, what's the deal? You perspire a lot, you can't breathe, or read." Brady and Eric gave him looks to try to get him to shut up but Xander didn't notice. "I mean, I guess you could, but the pages would probably get all wet."

The camera panned down from the window and a grate in the floor of the locker room. Several green, clawed fingers poked through and lifted up the grating.

∞

Hallway

Buffy, Brooke, Zoey, Alice, Carmen and Wyatt were waiting for Brady, Eric, Xander and Gage to come out, sighing. Brady, Eric and Xander walked out.

Xander used a towel to dry his hair. "You gotta love this undercover deal. 20 minutes in a hot room with a bunch of sweaty guys."

"Where's Gage?" Wyatt asked.

"I don't know," Eric told them. "He was right behind us, putting his sneakers on."

"But it's not the Velcro kind, so give him a couple of extra minutes," Brady told them.

Xander patted Wyatt on the shoulder, walking away. "Tag, you're it."

∞

Locker Room

Gage was tying his shoes on a changing bench, sniffing, smelling something foul, sniffing at his own armpits to see if it was himself, realizing it wasn't, getting up to investigate, walking through the locker room, looking around, passing the steam room and the whirlpool bath. The smell got stronger, and Gage went down a row of lockers, sniffing deeply outside of one, opening it.

∞

Hallway

The others were waiting, suddenly hearing Gage scream. "Oh, my God!"

They immediately ran for the locker room.

∞

Locker Room

One of the monsters stood before Gage, roaring.

Gage yelled for help. "Help me, help me! Help me!"

They came running in. Eric pulled the terrified Gage away from the monster. The creature roared, confronting them, who looked at it in disgust. Alice and Brooke put out a barrier of red Guardian energy to throw the monster through the air into the wall, making him fall to the floor. Gage collapsed to the floor, screaming in agony, writhing on the floor. The others looked at him in surprise, confusion and concern.

"Gage?" Wyatt asked.

Gage reached out to them for help, but couldn't get up, continuing to convulse, managing to get to his knees, pulling open his shirt, grabbing at his chest, tearing open his skin, revealing the chest of another monster, holding up his hand, watching as the skin tore along the back and a green, clawed hand emerged. Everyone was in shock, looking at the monster behind them, but he wasn't making a move to advance, so they looked at Gage, dumbfounded. The monster that was Gage now stood, and what was left of Gage's clothes and skin fell away from him. They looked at it in horror and shock, backing away. The monsters advanced on them from either side.

∞∞

Buffy did a roundhouse kick to the first monster, using her angular momentum to follow up with a high kick to the second, knocking it to the floor. Brady grabbed a trashcan, throwing it at the first one, hitting it in the head, making it back away. Eric grabbed a mop leaning against the wall, using it to hit the second monster as it was getting up, spinning around with it to hit the first one in the face, jabbing the second in the side with it, hitting it in the back, kicking it in the chest. The monsters were slashing at everyone repeatedly. Brooke and Alice were using Guardian energy to block most of the moves, but the monsters were stronger than most creatures they had faced so far, able to claw through the energy to slash into them, but not able to completely put their hands through the energy. Carmen used her power to freeze the monsters, while Zoey levitated up and kicked them back into the wall, making them fall, magically weakening them.

Coach ran in, making them stop using abilities/powers so he wouldn't know their secrets. The two monsters launched themselves across the floor, sliding one after the other into the still open grate.

∞

Nurse's Office

Ruth finished bandaging the ones that were injured in the fight, as Giles, Layla and Coach were standing behind her at the window. "I don't think that any of you are going to need stitches, but you might wanna have your family physician take a look at it."

Ruth walked off. Giles and Layla walked in toward them.

"How are you?" Layla asked.

"Definitely feeling the burn," Zoey answered.

Layla looked at Coach. "Well, the, uh, good news is that it would appear that none of your team are actually dead. But the bad news is they're monsters."

"How could this happen?" Coach asked.

"Are you saying you don't know?" Giles asked.

Coach sighed. "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."

"You never asked any of the boys if they were taking anything?" Layla asked.

Coach shook his head. "Maybe I was afraid to."

∞

Computer Class

The teenage Scoobies and Wyatt were surfing through the school medical files. It was easier for Zoey to be in here than it was the last time.

"There," Carmen told them.

Alice read. "Dodd McAlvy. Torn tendon. Gage Petronzi. Fractured wrist, depression, headaches."

"It's all there in the school medical records," Buffy told them.

"All symptomatic of steroid abuse," Brooke told them.

"But is steroid abuse usually linked with, 'hey, I'm a fish'?" Eric asked.

"There must be something else in the mix," Zoey told them. "But the point is, these boys were obviously drugged."

"And Nurse Greenleigh treated every one of them," Brady told them. "She must have known."

"If steroids are that dangerous, why would they do that to themselves?" Willow asked.

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

"Sure," Wyatt said. "The discus throwers got the best seats at all the crucifixions."

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

"So what's the drill?" Brooke asked. "Get Nurse Greenleigh?"

Willow stood up sternly. "Let's throw the book at her!"

"She probably went home for the day," Eric told them. "I think it can wait."

"Brady, Eric, Xander," Buffy told them. "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?"

"We're Lookin'-Around Guys," Xander told them.

"Everyone else?" Zoey asked. "Eric loaded up the tranquilizer gun. We're going fishing."

∞

Tunnels

It was dark and very went. Buffy, Wyatt, Brooke, Zoey, Layla, Giles, Alice and Carmen were searching for the monsters. Giles was holding the tranquilizer gun, while Buffy was preparing to fight, and the others were preparing their powers need be. As they were searching, in the opposite direction, one of the monsters poked its head around the corner to watch them as they went around a corner further down the tunnel.

∞

Sunnydale High School - Steam Room

The entire swim team was relaxing in the fog.

"I feel good," Brady told them. "Loving the swimming."

Xander smiled. "Had some carrot juice this morning, a little wheat germ mixed in with it, woke me right up. Nothing like it, huh?"

"Breakfast of state champions," Eric told them. "So when do we get our next dose?"

"What do you mean?" a player named Sean asked.

"Who's carrying?" Xander asked. "We need a little something to improve our performance, give us an edge."

Sean looked away, smirking.

Brady was trying not to lose patience. "The steroids. Where are they?"

Sean chuckled. "You're soaking in it, guys. Aromatherapy. It's in the steam."

Brady, Eric and Xander exchanged a stunned look.

∞

Pool

Ruth followed Coach at a brisk pace. "This has got to stop, Carl. Those poor children."

"What are you, a quitter?" Coach asked. "We got no room for quitters on this team."

"Do you even understand what's happening?" Ruth asked. "Listen to yourself."

"I'm very close to perfecting this," Coach told her. "We just need to adjust the mix."

They walked downstairs.

"Carl, you can't be thinking of continuing to expose these boys," Ruth told him.

"They're gonna be the best," Coach told him. "I don't accept anything less."

"They're gonna be monsters," Ruth replied. "Carl, please, don't make it any worse. You've already lost three."

Coach stopped, looking at Ruth. "Lost? Why, they're not lost."

Coach grabbed Ruth by the arms, pulling her around, shoving her down into a hole into a pool of water in the tunnels below, making her scream as she fell. The water was not deep.

Ruth quickly got to her feet, wiping the water from her eyes, looking up through the hole. "Carl! What are you doing?"

Coach smirked. "I'm just looking after my boys. They may be out of the game right now, but they're still a team, and a team's gotta eat."

Carl lifted the grating back into place.

"Carl!" Ruth called.

Coach shook his head. "You quitter."

Coach stood there to watch. Ruth looked around, starting to panic, screaming as she felt herself pulled under the water.

∞∞

Library

The Scoobies, all of them, were talking.

"They're absorbing the steroid mixture through the steam," Giles told them.

"Not just them," Brooke told them worriedly. "Brady. Eric. Xander. We have to find an antidote, don't you think?"

"Yeah, no kidding," Carmen agreed. "Come on. The clock is ticking, people."

"I wouldn't break out the tartar sauce just yet," Alice told them. "I mean, it's not like they were exposed more than once. Right?" The boys gave them a worried look. "Twice?"

"Three times a Fish Guy," Eric told them, crossing his arms over his chest.

The others spoke together worriedly. "Oh."

"Whoa," Wyatt said.

"What am we gonna do?" Brady asked.

"You, you, you," Cordelia told them. "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 paced over to her. "Black Lagoon. The creature from the Blue Lagoon was Brooke Shields. And thank you so much for your support."

Xander sat by her.

Wyatt sighed. "I think we'd better find the rest of the swim team. Lock them up. Before they get in touch with their inner halibut."

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

Willow stood up. "Well, I'll talk to Nurse Greenleigh."

"You're really getting into this interrogation thing," Buffy told her.

"The trick is not to leave any marks," Willow told them, walking out of the library.

"Buffy, Alice, Cordelia, stay with Eric, Brady and Xander," Layla told them.

"To keep an eye on us, you mean, don't you, Layla?" Eric asked. "Make sure we don't go fish."

"Great," Brady told them sarcastically.

Layla sighed. "Carmen, Wyatt, Brooke and Zoey could go have a little talk with the coach. Somehow, I doubt all he's been giving these boys is inspiration."

∞

Pool Equipment Room

Coach led Zoey, Brooke, Wyatt and Carmen to the same hole through which he had shoved Ruth through. "You got some imagination, kids."

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

"You don't have any proof," Coach told them.

"Tell us what's in the steam," Wyatt told him.

Coach faced them. "After the fall of the Sovient Unions, documents came into light detailing experiments with fish DNA on their Olympic swimmers. Tarpon, mako, shark, but they couldn't crack it."

"But you did, sort of," Carmen told him. "Why?"

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

"Do you understand that we don't care?" Brooke replied.

"It's over," Wyatt told him. "There's not gonna be any swim team."

"Boy, when they were handing out school spirit, you didn't even stand in line, did you?" Coach asked.

"No," Zoey answered. "We were in line for shred of sanity." Coach reached into the desk behind him, pulling out gun, aiming it at them. "Which you obviously skipped."

Coach indicated with the gun. "Get in the hole!" They looked down at the hole, back up at Coach. "In! Now!"

They knew they could easily stop a coach with a gun, but knew they had to go after the monsters to take care of them more, sighing, walking toward the hole.

"This isn't over," Carmen told him.

"In!" Coach told them. They gave him a look, one by one dropping into the water, coming up soaked, wiping the water from their eyes, looking up at Coach leaning over the hole. "You think I don't care about my boys, but I do. They count on me."

They looked around for the monsters, turning around, seeing what was left of Ruth's body as it floated by.

"So, what, you're just gonna feed us to them?" Brooke asked incredulously.

"Oh, Wyatt there's for food," Coach answered. "You girls? Boys have other needs."

Wyatt glared at him. "You've gotta be kidding me."

∞

Pool

Buffy, Eric, Alice, Brady, Xander and Cordelia were walking in the pools, looking for other members of the swim team. The boys were on high alert in case they started to change.

"No one," Buffy told them. "Willow, Giles and Layla must've rounded up the rest of the swim team."

"Does my neck look scaly to you?" Brady asked.

"Well, of course your necks look scaly, the way you've been rubbing them dry like idiots," Cordelia told them.

"We'll check the locker room for any more guys," Eric told them.

"But feel free to come in if you hear me scream," Xander told them.

The boys ran off into the locker room. Cordelia, Alice and Buffy walked around the pool, hearing a door close, glancing behind them, but didn't see anyone, continuing along, hearing a door open, assuming it was Brady, Eric and Xander.

"Any gills yet?" Cordelia asked.

Behind them, three creatures ran in, jumping into the pool. The girls looked into the water, but at first couldn't make out the monsters because of the splashes on the surface.

Buffy chuckled. "Eric, what are you doing? Brady? Xander?"

The creatures swam beyond the splashes, allowing the girls to see them clearly, horrified.

"Oh, my God," Alice told them. "Brady? Eric Xander?"

Cordelia was very upset. "It's us, Cordelia, Buffy and Alice. I know you can't answer, but... God, Xander turning into this is all my fault. He joined the swim team to impress me. You were so courageous, and you looked really hot in those Speedo's, and I want you to know that I still care about you, no matter what you look like. And we can still date. Like Buffy and Alice can still date Eric and Brady." Alice and Buffy gave her a look. "Or not. I mean, I understand if you wanna see other fish." Cordelia knelt on the edge of the pool. "I'll do everything I can to make your quality of life better, whether that means little bath toys or whatever."

Xander, Eric and Brady walked up behind the girls.

"Uh, Buffy?" Eric asked. "Alice? Cordy?"

The girls turned to face them in shock.

Brady pointed at the creatures in the pool. "That's not us."

They looked at the creatures as the monsters made a lunge for them from the water, making Cordelia and Xander scream.

"Oh, my God," Xander told them.

Buffy, Alice and Brady prepared to fight the three monsters. Eric stayed behind to help them. The four of them ushered Xander and Cordelia out of the pools to protect them before the fighting started.

∞

Library

Giles and Layla were leading the other swim team members into the cage.

"In you go," Giles told them. They were all a bit confused, but obeyed none the less. "Stay calm, chaps." Giles closed the door. "Either we'll find an effective antidote, or... Uh, stay calm."

Giles and Layla walked toward Willow.

"Everyone's accounted for except for three," Willow told them.

Xander, Cordelia, Buffy, Eric, Brady and Alice walked in.

"I think we can safely say we've found the missing three," Brady told them. "They were in the pool skinless dipping."

"Yeah, Buffy, Alice, Eric and Brady handled it and locked them up," Xander explained. "Where're Brooke, Wyatt, Zoey and Carmen?"

Layla sighed worriedly. "They haven't come back yet."

∞

Tunnels

Brooke, Wyatt, Zoey and Carmen were in the water, looking around, on the lookout for monsters.

"Great," Carmen told them sarcastically.

Zoey looked around, at Brooke and Carmen. "This is what our reputation needs. That we did it with the entire swim team."

Brooke was about to use her Guardian energy to levitate herself out, while Zoey, Carmen and Wyatt were about to levitate as well, only stopping when they heard them growling, looking around, watching as some swam closer from underwater.

"I'm not gonna be fish dinner," Wyatt told them. "And they're not gonna touch any of you."

Brooke chuckled nervously. "Protective boyfriend Wyatt."

∞

Pool Equipment Room

Buffy, Alice, Brady, Eric, Xander and Layla walked toward Coach.

"What's up, Coach?" Buffy asked.

Coach looked up in surprise. "Oh, hey. Uh, how you feeling?"

"Little dry," Eric told him sarcastically.

"Nothing a lemon butter sauce won't cure," Xander joked.

Layla looked at Coach seriously. "Where's my daughter? Zoey. Her friends. Brooke. Wyatt. Carmen."

Coach focused on the gun laying on a barrel just behind them.

∞

Tunnels

Brooke, Wyatt, Zoey and Carmen were still looking for the monsters. A fist monster suddenly rose up behind Wyatt, lunging for him. Wyatt sensed it coming, turning to use blue waves of magic to catch the creature, throwing him through the air into the wall, making it fall into the water.

Another fish monster lunged for Brooke. Brooke used her red Guardian energy to deflect it, levitating him in the air, keeping him trapped up there.

A monster grabbed Zoey's leg from beneath the water. Zoey levitated above the water so she could see the monster, making it dangle and swing from her leg, flipping closer to kick him off of her to the water, using purple power to keep him underwater.

Another monster attacked Carmen. Carmen froze it before he could touch her, taking his arm, flipping him through the tunnel into the wall, making him fall into the water.

∞

Pool Equipment Room

Hearing the fighting in the tunnels, Buffy, Alice and Layla ran toward the hole in the floor. Coach tried to grab the gun. Eric grabbed his arm, pounding it into the barrel to make him drop the gun, elbowing him in the face, making him fall unconscious.

∞

Tunnels

Brooke, Wyatt, Carmen and Zoey were using their powers to keep the monsters at bay, and soon they surrounded them. Buffy, Alice and Layla stood up above in the pool equipment room at the hole. Alice and Layla used their powers to help fight the monsters from up above. Eric, Brady and Xander ran closer to see.

"Guys, hurry," Layla told them. "Here. We got you. Hold on."

Once the monsters were down in the water again, Brooke used red Guardian energy to levitate herself up, while Zoey used purple gypsy magic to levitate, Wyatt used blue witch magic to levitate, and Carmen levitated as well. Monsters jumped to grab their legs, nearly pulling them back to the water, but Buffy, Alice, Brady, Eric, Xander and Layla helped catch their hands and pull them up.

∞

Pool Equipment Room

Everyone fell to floor from the effort it took to get them up.

"Thanks," Carmen told them.

"Just doing our part for our team," Xander told them.

Coach had regained consciousness, hitting Xander across the back with a large pipe wrench, making him fall, causing the others to look at him in shock, as he swung toward Buffy. Buffy ducked, tripping him with her leg. Coach fell, screaming as he rolled into the hole. The others reacted quickly, grabbing him.

"Don't let go!" Coach told them. "Don't let go of me! Hold me!"

The monsters jumped up to pull Coach out of their grasp into the water. Coach stood, shaking the water out of his face, coughing.

"Hold on," Alice told him.

Alice and Brooke started to use red Guardian energy to levitate Coach, but the monsters wouldn't let him go, pulling him back down.

Coach was terrified. "Boys! Boys, uh, now, now, boys! No!" They attacked him. "No, boys!"

Coach screamed and struggled as they pulled him under.

"Those boys really love their coach," Layla told them.

They nodded.

∞

Day Four

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Student Lounge

The Scoobies were sitting and talking.

"Let's see," Brady told them. "We gotta take a makeup chem test at three, and then we're meeting some of guys for plasma transfusions at five."

"It's turned into quite the busy afternoon," Eric told them.

"The fun never stops with you, does it, Eric?" Brooke asked.

"Giles, Alice and Wyatt seem pretty confident that the treatments are gonna work," Willow told them.

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

Cordelia looked at 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."

Cordelia smiled. The other girls exchanged an amused look. Giles and Layla walked toward them.

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

"Does that mean we're gonna have to hunt them again?" Willow asked.

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

"Where do you think they'll go?" Giles asked.

"Home," Wyatt answered.

They all nodded in agreement.

∞

Beach

The camera panned over the waves rolling in. The monsters were in the surf, beginning to swim out to sea.