Cander (Cordy/Xander)

The Pack

Summary: What if Xander went after Cordelia when he was possessed instead of Buffy?

It was a beautiful day, as the class walked around the zoo looking at the animals. Buffy, Willow, and Xander soon saw Kile and them walk into the hyena compound with Lance.

Buffy started forward, ready to go in and fetch them.

Xander stopped her and said, "Let me. This isn't a job for a Slayer." With that, he went in.

They started to go in too, but were stopped by the zoo keeper.

"Whoa, hold it. Are you blind, or are you just illiterate? Because hyenas are quick to prey on the weak."

"We were just—" Buffy started.

"You're not going in there. Anyone that does is in a world of trouble."

"No, no one's going in there," Willow chimed in.

"Why is it off limits?" Buffy asked.

"It's a quarantine. These hyenas just came from Africa. So, keep out. Even if they call your name."

"What're you talking about?" Buffy asked.

"A Masai tribesman once told me that hyenas understand human speech. They follow humans around by day, learning their names. At night, when the campfire dies, they call out to the person. And once they separate him"—he snapped his fingers—"the pack devours him."

Kile looked around, as he led them in.

"Cool."

"I don't see any hyenas," Lance said.

A hyena stepped forward from the gloom of the pen, revealing a dark, almost black muzzle, full of large, pointed teeth. It growled.

"Okay," Lance said, scared and ready to leave. "Now we've seen it."

"It looks cute," Rhonda said.

"I think it looks hungry," Kile said. He stepped away from the bars. He and Tor grabbed Lance, muscled him up the steps toward the cage.

"Come on, spot!" Tor growled as they dragged Lance forward.

"Supper time!"

They held him in front of the bars. The hyena growled again, deep in its throat. Someone had a hand on the back of Lance's head, pushing his face into the cage.

Everyone but Lance laughed.

"Ow!" He complained. "Stop it! That's not funny!"

Xander came to the rescue, pushing Lance away from them.

Xander was eyeball to eyeball with Kile now. "Why don't you pick on someone your own species?"

"What, are you gonna get in my face?"

They did a stare down, but the hyena interrupted them with a growl.

They all looked at it in the eyes. All but Lance.

They turned to look at him and he ran.

It was a beautiful day, as the Slayer rounded the corner of the hallway, when she heard a commotion.

"Look out! It's gotten loose!" Principal Flutie cried. "Stop the beast!"