Lion's Roar

Author: Trevelyan1983 <trevelyan1983[at]yahoo.co.uk>

In the proud tradition of Cyclone Knight and others, I write a short fic with a tiny, really, honestly extremely small crossover.

S4, post-Yoko Factor.

Xander met a polite younger man on his Road Trip, and in return for a listening ear and a little advice on terminal shyness with girls, he was given a gift.

Depression can be a powerful thing.

Enjoy.


Chapter 1

Xander stood opposite ADAM, the hulking freak of nat...Science, rather than nature, in this instance. Okay, the Xan-man could deal with that.

What the young Harris could not deal with, was the way that his friendship with Buffy and Willow had disintegrated. It had been shaky since they had gone to College. It had not adjusted well to the duties of being a Boyfriend, which had taken up a serious amount of his time. Jobs coming and going had added to the stress and strain, and then the Initiative had popped up out of nowhere. Black-Ops losers, not a John Clark or even a Jack O'Neill among them.

Spike had pulled a fast one and ostensibly joined the Scoobies, in order to get his Recommended Daily Allowance of Ultra-Violence. And, lest we forget, Weetabix. In fact, Spike had gotten to spend more time with Giles than Xander had this year!

Then things had gone from bad to worse. Riley had gone AWOL, Deadboy Mark I had showed his prominent forehead again in the 'dale, and a hundred other little crises. It was shaping up for worst year ever, and that was no mean feat where Xander Harris was concerned. He had been sidelined in favour of Captain Cardboard, and he had, (and he was by no means proud of this) allowed it to happen, because he wanted to spend more time with Anya, or at work, earning money, in order to treat Anya in the manner she desired. Same thing, really.

His oldest friend had become a lesbian, and had been so out of touch with Xander that she thought he would think badly of her for it! She hadn't even bothered to tell him at all, had left it up to the Grapevine to percolate the news to him.

And now, the final insult. The Scooby Gang had fractured, and then exploded into it's component parts. Xander was left with nothing, no Buffy, no Willow, no Giles. The heart had had all of its limbs removed. And the monster in front of him was responsible. Well, it would learn the error of its choices, just before it was wiped from the face of the earth.

"So, Alexander Harris. You have come to try and defeat me? Or, perhaps, to tell bad jokes until I am forced to rip my own ears off to save myself?"

Xander smirked, his expression doing nothing to lighten the depression that was rolling off of him like a physical thing. It was almost like a shroud that wrapped around him.

"I'm too depressed for humour. I'll have to settle for your head on a silver platter. Then maybe the guys will think twice before disbanding the next incarnation of the Scoobies."

He placed his two hands out in front of him and closed his eyes, concentrating. ADAM cocked his head to one side and looked on, his mind curious even if his face showed no discernible emotion.

"My depression is my strength, thanks to the young man I met on the way to Oxnard. Next time I see him, I'll have to thank him for teaching me this little technique."

Xander's depression seemed to lift, as a glowing ball of light formed in the space between his hands.

"Allow me to enlighten you. It's called the Shi Shi Hokodan. I'm told it gains strength depending on the depression felt by it's user."

Xander breathed out, and released the attack. An incandescent flare of pure blue light rocketed towards the hybrid. As the screaming of the target intensified, Xander allowed himself a bitter smile.

"And for the record, I am exceedingly depressed."

When the smoke had cleared, all that remained were ashes.

*****

A week later, Xander was walking over to Giles' flat, a box of doughnuts under one arm, intended as a peace offering. He was interrupted by a loud shout that came from his left.

"Where the Hell am I now!?"

Xander turned, a grin making it's way onto his face.

The End