Previously on Tower Prep...
What is this place? Please.
You can achieve more than you can imagine at Tower Prep, Ian,
You seem different than all the other teachers here.
I heard you ran into the Buffer team.
- Consider joining? - I'm not a team player.
- Yet. - What are those things? Guards?
We like to call them gnomes 'cause we don't like to think
about what they really might be.
- He jumped me. - You're in the combat zone!
- That's all, Rice. - But, Coach--
I said that's all.
And that last score by Cal Rice
gives them a comfortable lead as we head into
our final minutes of play.
Gold team leads with 32.
White will need to carry both turnovers
if they hope to mount a comeback.
And here we go. Teams are set for a face-off.
Come on, Cal! Double team!
Watch the Red and Whites double-team Cal Rice.
He's been a threat to score every time he touches the rock.
And the rock is dropped. Battle for possession.
It gets stuck in the Gold territory. Gold defender-- Oh!
- Ooh! - With a pick-up.
Goalie drop-checked by Rice.
Rice takes it to the Red zone, gains speed.
- He absolutely struck the White defender. - Yes!
Rice fakes to the corner.
And Rice is out of the range.
Cal, what are you doing? Shoot the rock!
Red and White all the way!
Man, she's so into everything buffer.
Looks like Rice is okay.
Shoving between the Gold and White teams here,
but the ref breaks it up.
Sure it's not Cal she's into?
- A couple minutes left to play. - What? You think?
Man, that creep picked a fight with me right here on my first day.
I was just trying to get to orientation.
- The Red team has been unable to cope - Get in there.
- with the size and speed of the Gold offense. - Hey, prevent.
- Substitution, Gold. - Looks like Coach
is looking to hold his lead by adding an extra defender.
I don't care if you get ejected. You take out Cal Rice,
or I take you out.
Now go.
Substitution, Red.
Man, why does Suki get the best work study job ever?
I have to work in the library.
And we are set for face-off.
The rock is dropped.
Rice takes control of the combat zone.
Cal, what are you doing? Go high on his blind side!
Wallace with the shield. Oh, he's up-handed by the Gold defender.
I'm rooting for Coach History's team.
If he wins, maybe we'll get less homework tomorrow.
Man, this game is fail. It makes no sense.
Dude, it's the first buffer game you've ever watched.
Loose ball picked up by Red team.
I'm just saying, imagine how randomly the designated hitter rule would be
for someone who's never watched baseball.
- Come on. - Rice passed to his winger.
And hits the White wall. Gold's got the loose ball.
- A beautiful pass. Rice for the break-away. - Yes!
Fires.
Score! An amazing shot by Rice
lifts the Gold team's score to 35.
Goalie had nothing on it. With time running out,
this is the final nail in the Red team's coffin.
Great. Tack on another hour of history homework tomorrow.
- Coach History's squad remains with us for the last test-- - Yes!
...and has taken a double loss for most of the season
due to that man right there, Cal Rice.
He's so good.
She's right. He is good.
Please.
What?
Look, let's be real, all right? Cal can be a real jerk sometimes, yes.
When it comes to him being a buffer player, he's pretty awesome, dude.
Not sure if there's time for another face-off,
but the ref is calling for the teams to get set
in the combat zone.
They line up.
And there's the buzzer.
Rice and the Gold team still undefeated.
Yes!
Dude, we're so awful. We're never gonna win a game.
Student lounge shows a replay of the game at 9:00.
- We just saw it. - Cal's whole team is going.
They go over every play. You could learn a lot about the game.
Why don't we just cruise by and check her out?
I'm just not really that into buffer.
- Doesn't seem like there's much to it. - Too bad.
Everything I've learned in life I've learned from buffer.
Hmm. Everything I've learned in life
comes from begging people not to beat me up.
On one play your opponent is your teammate,
and on the next, trying to bring you down.
Gotta think fast as to who your friends are.
Yeah, I can see why it's only played at Tower Prep.
'Cause it's just like the school.
The more I learn about it, the weirder it gets.
Classic.
Hey, I'll shower,
- then meet you over there? - Mm-hmm.
Mmm, Cal.
I love buffer so much.
Dude, C.J. wanted you to go.
She just wanted to listen to Cal talk about buffer.
I'd rather go back to the room and stick forks in my head.
Nice. Can I do one?
Get your own head.
Dude, but seriously, C.J. asked you to go.
If she was into Cal that much, she probably wouldn't have asked you in the first place.
All right? And I think that's why Cal doesn't like you.
I think he thinks that C.J. is into you.
All I know is, you don't go,
Cal gets a one-up on you...
without a fight.
You're right.
Hey, hey, hey.
Where's Coach History going?
Into the forbidden zone.
Maybe if we follow him, we can find out
why the forbidden zone is forbidden.
- Come on. - Yeah. You know what?
Why don't we just let him be, you know?
He's probably just answering nature's call.
Gabe.
Come on. Every time. Come on.
Still gonna go. Still gonna go.
Gnomes.
They're going after Coach History.
I've never seen a gnome go after a teacher before. There's never been a reason.
- I gotta warn him. - No, no, no.
'Cause then they'll know we're here, too.
Then get ready to motor.
Coach, look out!
Ian, danger's that way. Safe is this way. Come on!
- Gabe, go. - Dude, I'm not gonna leave without you.
Come on, man.
Come on! Come on!
Look, we saw the gnomes take him into the forbidden zone.
Yeah, and if we have a sub in here for history,
then you know it happened.
Gnomes are the school's security force, right?
Coach History went into the forbidden zone.
Why wouldn't they police teachers, too?
Gnomes exist to keep students in Tower Prep.
Was Coach History trying to get out?
You know what I think? I think we'll never find out,
because I think he'll never be seen again.
That's what I think.
Oh. Nope. I think he's right over there.
It was dare out there, guys. Just be glad Coach History wasn't hurt.
Work study is a way for students to get paid
with Tower credits to spend any way they want
on stuff at the school store.
You haven't been assigned a work study job yet
because I was busy pulling strings to get you this one--
buffer equipment manager.
All right! Go!
Hey.
You keep the locker room and the bathroom neat,
maintain equipment, store the gear.
A good equipment manager
allows the players to maintain their focus
on executing their roles on the court during the game.
You pulled strings so I could wash
Cal Rice's jockstrap?
You know, next time I see my mom,
I am definitely gonna tell her how sorry I am
for ever being such a pig with my laundry.
I thought Coach liked me, you know?
I mean, on my first day, I thought we totally hit it off.
- Of course Coach likes you. - And that's how he shows it?
By making me a butler to some dumb buffer players?
I'd hate to see what he does to the kids he doesn't like.
You know, no other teacher has offered up anything to us.
And if he doesn't, then he's no better than any of them.
Can I just say, it takes a lot of intelligence to be a good buffer player.
Is that putting me down or defending Cal?
All right. That's practice.
Good work. Good work.
Rice.
Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You take the shafts, again.
Yeah, I heard you. Take the shaft.
Ian.
I wanna beat his team so bad.
I can't, though.
Not with the players I got.
All right, Ian. Here's my story.
I'm a history teacher who also coaches.
There are a lot of teachers who wanna coach,
and since my buffer team has missed the play-offs
so many seasons in a row, because of losing to Cal,
I will lose my position in the rotation as a buffer coach
if my te!m doesn't make it this year.
Can you help me out?
I don't know how to play buffer.
With your skill, you'll learn quick.
You'd be like three players instead of one.
How do you know about my skill?
All the coaches receive a scouting report
on every new student before they arrive.
I could pull a few strings, too.
I could make it so that your work study program
was to practice and play buffer for me.
You can wash jocks or wear one.
After that last game, why'd you go in the woods?
I'm sick of losing to Cal Rice and Coach.
I was angry, and I didn't wanna lose it in front of people,
so I go off into the woods.
You see any gnomes in the woods?
Gnomes don't bother me. I never do anything wrong.
Well, I appreciate that you even admit they exist.
Head master, all the faculty-- they deny it.
Even after you hung a gnome helmet on a flagpole?
Can I think about it?
Yeah. But not too long.
There's only one regular season game left.
One game?
Mm-hmm.
All this for one game?
Well, I mean, I don't know, Coach.
Me being so new here and all, you know?
Everybody knows me and Cal practically rivals.
It would be so humiliating to fail.
You won't fail.
You can be great.
Why would anyone not wanna be great?
Greg says he overheard Coach History
asked the towel boy to play buffer.
Is that right, towel boy?
Huh?
Hope not,
'cause I need me a clean towel.
Oh, I get it.
You're not answering me
because you know what I'm gonna say
before I say it.
Am I right, towel boy?
You a mind reader?
- Oh. - Ooh.
Actually, I'm seeing the future right now.
I see me giving you a schooling in manners for calling me towel boy.
Where do you see this schooling happening?
Hmm? Can't be during a buffer game.
You're too afraid to play.
You know, I'm not too sure exactly,
'cause right now, I'm seeing it happening all over campus.
I know one spot you don't see it.
In the woods just outside this building
in five minutes.
Come on. Bring it.
You always got your team around you?
- I thought this was just you and me. - Let's do this.
Go, go, go, go! Go!
- Go! - Go, go, go!
Get outta here!
Guys, Coach History just asked me to join his buffer team.
And then Cal and I got into this thing.
Wait. What?
Yeah. We went to the woods behind the buffer arena--
Cal and three of his buddies.
Nothing happened 'cause gnomes showed up
and chased Cal and his goons away.
Cal Rice fought off the gnomes?
How does "chased off gnomes" become "fought off"?
I mean, hello! Who stuck a gnome helmet
on top of a flagpole?
Gnomes let you walk while in the forbidden zone
just like they did for Coach History?
Coach History in the forbidden zone--
The gnomes let him go.
Coach asked me to join the buffer team.
And three: Cal and his goons try and jump me,
and the gnomes chase them away but let me go.
So, what are you saying? That Coach History is a gnome?
We're not even positive gnomes are human.
We need to know more.
First, we need to prove he's connected in any way,
no matter what gnomes are.
Just being asked and making the team,
half the hard work is done-- getting him to trust me.
We don't know if he's connected to the gnomes.
Maybe they're using him.
Maybe it's a trap to get you,
the guy who put a gnome helmet on the flagpole.
Okay, look. Here's the deal.
We're at this school. Why?
They say that we're here to develop our skills.
But are developing them for us or for something they wanna use?
Now, we're gonna find out, whatever the threat,
why we're here and to make sure we're not being trained for something we don't wanna be.
You know, maybe we use the tunnels to get into Coach History's office
and search for something there that'll prove that he's even involved with the gnomes.
But we haven't found any tunnels that lead to that part of campus yet.
Whatever. We all think you've got crazy courage
going into a dangerous situation.
But even, like, spies have support teams.
It's a team effort. Don't rush in.
We'll work together to see if your plan is safe, Ian.
Together.
Anyone seen Cal Rice or anyone on the Gold team?
You could've taken his head off.
Not much of a loss.
- Looking for me? - Yeah. Clean up the locker room.
That's your job, towel boy.
Well, it seems like you can't do anything without your team around you,
so why don't you go get them, too?
Are you looking to finish what we started, towel boy?
- It's not the place. - No doubt.
Not so tough without your gnome dudes around to protect you.
I stood up to them. You ran away.
Hey, you two, knock it off! Let's go! Pull them apart!
- This is not over! - Yes, it is.
I see or hear of you two throwing down again,
you get sent straight to West Camp.
That's no buffer, no anything.
We're gonna finish this right here on this court.
Sorry, Coach.
The Russo-Japanese War was a conflict
for control of Korea.
Now, I need you to remember this da--
Archer, this can wait.
No, it can't.
I'm in.
Well, you're right.
That news couldn't wait.
Welcome to the Red team, Ian.
Coach History's still in his office at this hour?
Let me take a look.
He's drawing up buffer plays.
We'll have to prove he's connected to the gnomes
in order to have any effect.
Head master won't acknowledge their existence
even after Ian put the helmet on the flagpole.
We need evidence head master can't deny.
I only see two sets of X's and O's.
Hey, maybe those are the maneuvers
that the gnomes make through school.
We can't prove he's connected to the gnomes
unless we can find proof in his office.
Uh, how do we get in there?
Tomorrow night, we should try and find a passage
through the tunnels from our building to his office.
That sounds good.
But...
we're just gonna have to do it after my...
buffer practice.
- What? - I know.
I know what we said, C.J.,
but a chance came up, and I grabbed it.
But this gives us two paths we can take.
You said you wouldn't play buffer.
But now your plan and mine can work together.
No. You're doing this so you can beat Cal.
You're using playing buffer undercover so that you can get at Cal.
Why would I do that?
I mean, I don't have anything against Cal.
All right. I mean, maybe a little.
But it has nothing to do with playing buffer.
So, what's the deal with tomorrow?
Tell me your plan, C.J., and I promise you,
I'll be here right after practice.
Nice. That-a-way. That-a-way.
Listen, stay square.
All right. Let's go. Line them up. Face off.
Go, go.
Good stuff, kid.
Where is he?
Ian's buffer practice ended close to...
an hour ago.
He said he'd be here by now.
Outstanding!
Nice job, guys. All right. Let's get on the line.
Let's do 10 speed drills, and we'll call it a night.
Whoa, Coach. I think we should run it again.
We're already an hour over practice,
and I've got some teacher stuff
I have to prepare for tomorrow's classes.
I'll run the drill.
All right. Get some rest.
Let's set it up again.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What?
Let me see.
Whoa is right.
Let's run it again.
Hey, we're here, all right?
Cal Rice is doing his homework. Now, we're gonna run it until we get it right.
Looks like gnome lights.
I don't see any, but they must be in there.
Where is Ian? I knew this would happen.
- Let's get over there. - And do what?
Right now. Get a picture with our PDAs. Photographic evidence.
Spread it through Whisper. Show it around.
Expose History as the leader of the secret police.
Yeah, C.J., I love your enthusiasm personally,
but we should probably just wait for Ian to get back and let him decide
- if that's what he wants to do. - There's no time to wait for Ian.
Our chance to catch Coach History with the gnomes could end at any minute.
We could really use Ian's preflex ability in martial arts.
We have abilities.
C.J., you read micro-emotions.
What are you gonna do? You gonna tell us
how happy they are when they're beating us up?
Ian hasn't found a passageway that leads to Coach History's office building.
We'd have to cross campus in the open.
Then I say we just go.
Run over to that building. Let them try and catch us.
Lead the security monitors to Coach History and the gnomes.
I just-- I love when you come up
with these real unemotional
carefully thought out, meticulous plans of yours.
- They're so great. - Thanks, Gabe.
Now let's go.
All right. Nice practice.
Red on three.
One, two, three.
Red!
Hey, we just have to make it to the front door.
Hey!
Go!
Security breach.
Building 7.
Security breach. Security breach.
Building 7. Security breach.
Security breach. Building 7.
Stop!
Come on. Come on.
Go find Ian. Oh, this is gonna hurt.
That's gonna leave a mark. Okay. All right.
Hey, I'm not resisting.
Hey, be careful with that cardigan.
All right. Hey. Hey, you know what?
Let me tell you something.
Security breach. Security breach.
Faculty residence.
Security breach.
Faculty residence.
Looking for someone?
Ian.
Ian, you alone?
Can I come in there?
No. There's naked guys in here.
Can you come out here?
No. I'm one of the naked guys.
Ian, get out here. We need help.
Gabe, you can come in.
Archer, get out here now!
Hang on, Coach.
They're in trouble.
C.J. went up to Coach History's room.
I haven't seen Gabe. I think they caught him.
Why didn't she wait?
I gotta get her out.
Shine the light.
Gnomes.
- We're gonna find these guys. - I saw them.
They were way out there.
You stay here in the shadows.
- Stay down. - Okay.
No, they're not getting away.
His laser projector was broken.
It's a pico laser. Three really.
Red, blue, and green laser. Able to project anywhere.
Always in focus.
I just had to replace the red and blue laser.
Done.
Now, what are you two doing running to my office?
I thought I saw green lights in the room.
I thought there might be gnomes in here.
What, you think that I hang out with gnomes?
Help them with their homework or something?
We thought you might be in trouble.
C.J. and I just wanted to help,
you know, if you needed any.
Look, Coach, can we just go?
If it's to bed to get some rest.
Tomorrow's huge.
Where is Suki and Gabe?
Suki's out front. I don't know where Gabe is.
- You left him alone. - Where were you?
You were supposed to be in the observatory.
Yeah, after practice.
You were over an hour late.
We needed you. You said you'd be there.
All right. I did. I'm sorry.
But I was busy working on my plan.
You were practicing buffer so you can beat Cal.
Well, your plan is dead now.
He suspects you. He's gonna have eyes on you at all times.
Not during a buffer game.
I know. Classic mix-up.
Oh, hey, guys.
This is Tramm. This is Abram.
I've convinced them to escort us
- back to the dorm and let us free, right? - Yeah.
- Right? Right, right, right. - Uh-huh.
In the office, he was working on some electronics,
not the laser projector.
He covered it with his jacket as soon as he could,
but I could read that he was worried I'd see it.
He's hiding something in that room.
And tomorrow night is the game of Coach History's life.
We know he won't be suddenly showing up in his office for three hours.
The whole school will be distracted.
I'm playing in the game. I can't go.
Me, neither. I have work study.
If I'm not there, the game doesn't get broadcast to the school.
Faculty will look for me.
But it's perfect. While you and Suki
are keeping Coach History focused on and at the game,
Gabe and I will get into his office and find the evidence
we need to prove he's connected to the gnomes.
Well, how are you gonna get in?
Well, I've been working on an app for our PDAs
that cycle all possible lock combinations.
Huh. That's the best shot we're gonna have.
You lose the game, he's out as buffer coach.
You wanted me to have a backup plan.
Now, you going in without Suki and me
goes against everything you said.
You were able to see there's more
than one path to take.
So did I.
It's just now I'm on your path,
and you're on mine.
Come on, Gold!
- What do you think, hot stuff? - Hey, hey, hey.
- You ready for this? - Walk away.
Walk away.
Cal Rice! Cal Rice! Cal Rice!
And a three...
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm Dan Maxwell, and welcome to the Tower Prep buffer arena.
We have quite the fan turnout tonight
for this last regular season game
as excitement ramps up for the play-offs.
Tonight is the last game of the regular season.
Wins by the Red or White team will dramatically alter their playoff positions.
With the addiction of newcomer Ian Archer,
Red may pull off an upset
if Archer can stand up to the unstoppable Cal Rice.
The coaches meet for a pregame handshake.
All right. Focus, gentlemen. Here we go.
- White team is challenged... - Where's C.J.?
Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold!
Coach is counting on Cal Rice
to take an early lead--
...forcing Red and White into low-percentage shots.
I expect Coach History to mix things up with some new formations
using Ian Archer's speed to get through a slot.
I know what you were looking for last night,
so I'm gonna make you this offer.
Win now, beat this team,
and I'll tell you all I know about the gnomes.
Let's go.
Okay, Connor, here we go! Let's do this now!
Teams circle the combat zone
as we get set to start the match.
Rice, Ellis, and Archer lined up.
The surface is set for the face-off.
The referee makes his final checks.
Ready, and...
The rock is dropped.
Archer is pummeled. Another hit for Red.
The Red sender has the ball down high.
He lost to Archer-- Big move!
Ooh! Looks like Cal Rice is out for some Red team blood.
Saves the ball
but takes a hard check after the pass.
Right back to the circle.
- Attaboy, Archer. - Ooh! That is a vicious hit on Rice by Ian Archer.
Saved by the White team goalie.
Adam puts it to White center in the corner.
Goalie forces it once again. Wow, he goes flying.
Bodies go flying
Here we go. Here we go.
Let's go.
This is the projector.
This is the thing he was working on.
What is this?
We gotta go. We gotta go. - Security breach.
Faculty residence.
Security breach.
Faculty residence.
Gnomes in the school?
- Turn that off. - I did.
Go, go, go.
White heads it up to Archer.
Coach of the Gold league.
Time-out.
Time-out, Gold.
Let's go. Come on in.
- Give them some water. - Coach calls a time-out.
- Here's the play. - Looks like he's making some changes.
Got a time-out. Max, why don't you go to the bathroom if you need to?
Thanks, Suki. I'm okay.
Go to the bathroom.
Well, friends,
two paths appear to be crossing tonight.
Who will tread the path to, um,
loss and defeat and capture?
Listen, when I recruited you, I thought you'd beat Cal Rice.
How was I to know that you can't even score on a bunch of losers?
Now get in there and put one in the goal!
Let's go now, Ian.
Teams right up to the face-off.
I win this right here, towel boy.
Don't worry, Cal. The pain will go away one day.
Yours won't. Your pain will be mental.
You're gonna have to live knowing you could never beat me, towel boy.
The score remains tied at 0-all.
The ball is dropped.
Coach! Coach!
- No, no. - Archer looks injured after that hit.
What's wrong? Get back in there.
It's my wrist. I cat move it. I can play if I tape it.
Go!
Substitution, Red.
Go! Last period!
White team intercepts a wayward pass.
Look, I would much rather get caught by the monitors outside.
But there is no way we're ever getting past the gnomes in the hall.
We gotta go.
They're coming from that end.
We just have to run towards that end.
- What? - On three.
One, two, three.
Get outta here. I got this.
- Go to the arena. - Okay.
Great hit by White.
The winger is down.
And the Gold enforcer body slams Vanderbilt.
Rice and Marissa saved by the Red goalie.
And there's a struggle with the ball in the combat zone.
And the rock is knocked out of play.
It'll be a face-off at center court.
And with time winding down in our overtime period,
this next possession is critical.
The first team to score will win the game.
And...
The rock is dropped.
Oh, thank goodness.
- Where's Ian? - There he is.
Oh, good. Come on. Get in there.
Too late.
4! 4! Sub! Now! Now!
Go, go, go!
Substitution, Red.
He's got a bead on the Red team goal.
He winds up for the shot. Oh, and he's flattened by--
Unbelievable!
The loose ball bounces into the goal.
And it's all over, folks.
Rice throws the game,
and the Gold team takes it at the buzzer.
And that will do it, ladies and gentlemen.
What an incredible game to end the season.
I look forward to seeing you in the play-offs.
Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold!
This is Dan Maxwell signing off.
Thank you and good night.
Hey, Cal.
Nice game, Ian. First game?
I think you do have something special.
I think a lot of people at Tower Prep believe that.
Thanks, Coach. Thanks.
Good game.
Now you'll never know.
You may need me to win,
but I don't need you to know.
- Good job, men. - All right!
I'm not sure. I think we need another component.
But I think it's using the gnomes' helmets to communicate with each other.
Like, it translates
electronic signals.
I can't be sure unless we have a gnome helmet to hook it up to.
Well, at least if we had one, we would know what they were saying
to each other when they make that annoying noise we hear all the time.
Sure. No worries. I mean, after dinner,
we'll go out, jump a couple gnomes, rip off their helmets.
But first, I gotta finish my homework.
Of course.
I know...
We all know that you could've won that game.
We know what you did for us and...this team.
Well, I will admit,
I did learn a few things about life while playing buffer.
It's hard to walk two paths at the same time.
- Good work. - I hear voices in that-- human.
We can receive but can't transmit.
I'll try the signal amplifier.
Those voices aren't just human.
Let's get back to the dorms.
They're students.
Gnomes are Tower Prep students.