I don't own TWAU or Fables. This is from Chapter 10 of the TWAU comic with some of the game peppered in. Not much actually.
Bigby stood before the Trip Trap bar watching the taxi as it sped away with Snow in the back. He didn't have a good feeling about the exchange with her. It just made him feel like something bad was going to happen, and Bigby didn't like it one bit, but he had a job to do - to find Woody - and he couldn't be thinking of bad omens.
He flicked the cigarette he had been smoking on the ground, stamping the cigarette into the sidewalk with his foot and placed a hand in his pocket before shuffling down the steps to the Trip Trap's entrance. "Let's get this shit over with."
Bigby pushed the door open, eyes adjusting to the dim light of the bar as he beheld its only two patrons - a white haired woman wearing a very revealing maroon dress, showing off a blue tattoo that wrapped around her shoulder and back, and a black haired man hunched over the counter wearing a suit jacket and jeans. The only one that seemed to have acknowledged Bigby's entrance was the woman at the bar, but it wasn't exactly a friendly welcome.
Bigby walked past the pool table to the counter, placing his hand beside a tall empty glass. He looked up at the bartender, giving her a fake smile.
The bartender's eyes narrowed as she stared at him. She wanted no trouble in the establishment, but she - like every other Fable in town - had known of the centuries rivalry between the Sheriff and the Woodsman. If she had told him where Woody was, she feared there might be an all out brawl in her bar.
"Sheriff, what do you want?" she asked.
"I'm looking for the Woodsman," he said, glancing at the man that was sitting at the counter. His hair was slicked back, he had a black soul patch, and had a scar over his cheek, stopping at the bridge of his nose. All in all, he looked like someone you wouldn't want to fuck with - but Bigby wasn't just someone.
"Haven't seen 'im, so I guess you can be on your way." She glanced at the man sitting at the counter before turning to grab a washcloth.
"It's official Fabletown business, Holly."
"Oh," Holly raised a brow. "Well, if it's official Fabletown business-"
Bigby slammed his hand on the counter, eyes narrowing when she didn't flinch. "Look, I don't wanna cause any problems. I just wanna know the last time you saw him here."
"Is that so?" Holly gave him a glare of her own, keeping her ground against the Big Bad Wolf. She turned her head to the man at the counter taking in his head shaking as if to silently tell her to keep quiet. "I dunno. Can't remember."
"I see." Bigby knew that there was more to what she was telling him, but decided to play along. Besides, you catch more flies with honey, wasn't it?
"So are ya gonna order anything, or are you just here to bother me?" she asked, not even trying to mask the annoyance in her voice.
"Fine." Bigby sat at the bar stool. "I'll take a scotch. Neat."
Holly turned to make his drink. "Ya want a lemon?"
"No thanks."
"Good, 'cause we ain't got any." She slid the glass of scotch toward him. "Ten fifty."
Bigby went ahead and paid her and turned his head to the chuckle coming from the man at the counter. "You think something's funny?"
"Yep," he said, deliberately popping the 'p'. "I think it's fuckin' hilarious."
"It's alright." Bigby brought the scotch to his lips, downing it one shot.
"You must be lovin' this, huh?" the man slammed the bottom of his glass on the counter before standing.
"Yeah?" Bigby made no motion to look at him, keeping his eyes focused on the pictures behind Holly. He knew they had to be lying, but he was 100 percent sure now after taking one look at a picture of Woody and a white hair cropped from the photo. "What's that, Gren?"
"The Big Bad Wolf gets a badge and goes after the Woodsman?" Gren chuckled humorlessly. "That's pretty fuckin' rich if you ask me. It's like revenge porn."
Bigby finally acknowledged him, his eyes boring into the drunken Fable's. "Where ya been the last few centuries? We put all that stuff behind us, remember? The Fabletown Compact-"
"Yeah, yeah, sure." Gren pointed at him in accusation. "The fuckin' Fabletown Compact. Big fat get-out-of-jail free card for you and Bluebeard and all those other rich fucks up at the Woodland. Nice how that worked out for all you guys."
"Gren, maybe you oughtta-" Holly started.
"No, fuck that!" he shook his head. "This guy right here… you know what he did? This paragon of… whatever? I'll tell you the story of what this fuckin' guy did."
The back door opened and in came Red Riding Hood dressed in a similar manner as Holly, yet less risque. She had a grimy apron on around her waist and her light brown hair was done up in a messy bun.
Bigby mentally cursed the enchanted wolf necklace around her neck for practically making her invisible to him. He knew she worked at the Trip Trap, but had thought that it was her day off. He had wanted to come by while she wasn't here just in case things got messy. She knew what he was, but he would rather not have her see it again. The look of fear on her face after trying for centuries to make amends was not something he was willing to see.
"Hi, Sheriff!" she said cheerfully, even giving him a tiny wave of her hand.
"Red." He wouldn't admit it, but just seeing her was the high-point of his day after being scorned virtually everywhere he went.
"Ah, Red." Gren turned to look at her. "Bring up a chair and listen to what this fucker did."
"Um…" Red pretty much knew what story Gren was going to tell, and as much as she didn't like it, she didn't want to anger Gren anymore than he already was. She glanced at Holly, who just rolled her eyes, and sat on the bar stool nearest Gren, cringing when he started his tale.
"He's, like, in the forest and shit," he starts while animatedly waving his arms about. "And he comes up on this fine little piece of ass with a basket of goodies for her granny, right?"
Gren continues, ignoring the growl coming from the Sheriff, and completely oblivious to the fact that Red is sitting there, uncomfortable with the fact that he had called her 'a fine piece of ass'.
"He's thinkin', "Fuckin' A. I'm gonna get in on that shit." So motherfucker hightails it down to Granny's, like, cozy little cottage where Granny is."
"Gren-" Holly shakes her head at his story. Everyone in the bar knew it. Red had told Holly, Red was there, and so was Bigby, so the fact that Gren felt he should tell it again really made her wonder if he had too much to drink or if he just liked hearing himself talk.
"Let me finish," he shot her an intimidating stare.
Holly just sighed and continued wiping the counter.
"And he just eats that old bitch right up, like she was a fuckin' jalapeño popper or some shit. And do you know what this sick fuck does next?" he asks Red. Red looked up at him about to answer, but Gren continues his tirade, flailing all over the place.
"He dresses up in her fuckin' granny pajamas and he just fuckin' waits."
He leans towards Red and grabs her cheeks with one hand while the other is presenting her as if Vanna White were presenting a trophy. Red sees the yellow start to seep into Bigby's eyes and frantically shakes her head as much as Gren's grip would let her, sighing in relief as Bigby's eyes return to normal.
"And then when this young chick shows up, he's all like, "Hey, come here, sugar tits! Look at what big everything I have!" And do you know what was the only thing that stopped him?"
"No, Gren, please tell us," Holly deadpanned.
"Fuckin' Woody, that's fuckin' who!" Gren let go of Red's face, leaving her to massage her cheeks while cracking her jaw.
"Yeah, like, Woody's there and he's like WHA-CHOW, WHA-CHING with that fuckin' axe, man!" He pretends to flail an axe around. "And then it's like "Here's some stones in your belly, bitch!"."
By now, Red's face is in her hands, truly embarrassed for the everyone in the room.
""Get on down the river! Fuck you!"" he exclaims as he imitates Woody's voice.
"And then everyone is like, "Yeah, he's a hero!"" He puts his hands around his mouth and makes the sound of a crowd cheering. "And Little Red let him do some Riding. Probably."
"Gren!" Red stood up, about to fucking punch him, but he grabs onto her wrist.
"And they lived happyily ever after."
"Wow," Bigby clapped slowly. "It's like I was there."
"Yeah," he let go of Red's wrist, making his way to Bigby and glaring down the Sheriff with his arms crossed over his chest. "Joke all you want. Make your little… witticisms. We'll see who's laughin' last."
Bigby stood up, pointing a finger in Gren's face. "Listen. You've had a lot to drink today, Gren. Maybe it's time to go home and sleep it off."
Gren pushed aside the stool that Red had been sitting in earlier, ignoring hers and Holly's pleas to make no trouble. "You don't tell me what to do, you uptight son of a-"
"Wait."
Holly looked to the backdoor where Red had come and there was Woody, rolling up a sleeve. "Woody! What are you doing?"
"It's okay, Holly." He walked to the counter and placed a hand on Gren's back. "Cool your jets, Gren. No need to go makin' this whole thing worse'n it is. I appreciate you stickin' up for me, buddy. But that ain't even how it really went down back then. Not even close."
Bigby straightened up at the voice of his centuries old 'rival'. "I need you to come with me and answer some questions."
Woody sighed, picking up the stool that Gren had knocked over. "Okay, but I didn't kill that girl. I know that's what people are sayin'."
Red joined Holly behind the bar and helped her put things away for closing time, all the while listening intently to what Woody had to say. She didn't think he was a murderer, but his whereabouts and actions earlier were pretty compelling.
"But I didn't." He continued. "I'm a loser and a drunk. But I don't kill girls."
"Fuck that!" Gren took up a defensive stance. "This guy's a hero! He saves little girls and you go treatin' him like some kinda murderer? Fuck you!"
"I ain't no hero…" Woody whispered.
"I'm warning you, Gren. Drunk or no, if you don't back off, it's gonna go badly for you."
Red watched the two men verbally spar as she rinsed out a glass and wiped it down with a dry wash cloth. The tension was thicker than ever now, and she wondered who was going to throw the first punch.
"Ya want some popcorn, or somethin'." Holly grinned.
"Sorry, Holly. You have to admit that it's kind of exciting."
Holly scoffed, "Yeah… but not when it's my place."
"No! Holly's sister goes missin', and none of you people give one single solitary fuck about it!"
Red glanced at Holly, who was now looking down into a shot glass with sorrow filled eyes.
"Holls…"
"It's okay, Red." She looks up at her and gives her a sad smile which the brunette returns, genuinely.
"I wait in that fuckin' line all morning to talk about it, just so I can file a complaint with a fuckin' monkey, who tells me "It'll be looked into". But you find somethin' you think you can pin on Woody, and suddenly you're goddamn Columbo."
"That's it, Gren…" he growls and punches Gren in the chin. Red, although she should be shocked, was actually impressed at the sickening crack that had filled the bar.
Gren cracked his jaw into place. His lay against the wall, hair disheveled and his suit jacket open wide. "What are you gonna do? Arrest me, too? Tell me I have the right to remain silent?"
"Maybe. Or maybe I'll shut you up the old-fashioned way." He walked up to Gren, waiting for him to do anything, but the two men just glared at each other. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
Bigby walked to the counter where Woody was standing and watching the whole thing. "Let's go Woody."
Woody was ready to go along with the Sheriff, but Gren seemed to have other plans. "I'd like to see you try… "
Red gasped as Gren's glamour fell, revealing a gruesome white troll in his stead.
"Bigby!" Gren charged at Bigby, swiftly grabbing his head and smashing it into the counter as the girls scurried off the side where Woody was standing.
Grendel then pulled him up by the armpits like a baby, except unlike a baby, he pushed him into ceiling fan that was thankfully off.
"Yeah! You like that?!" Grendel growled.
"Fuck…" Red winced. "What fable is Gren from?"
"Beowulf," Woody answered as he pulled the girls further to the back door. "His name's Grendel. Story has it that he gobbled up thirty men and women because of the noise they made."
"Damn…" Red looked on as Grendel threw Bigby into the wall that was just a few feet away from them. Bigby slid down onto the floor behind the pool table.
"Bigby!" Red yelled as Gren made his way to the table, getting ready to slide it forward and flatten Bigby like a pancake, but Bigby flipped onto the table, landing a kick on Gren's face.
"Shit!" Woody puts his arms around Red as she hurls forward, trying to get into the fight.
"Let me go, Woody."
"Can't do that. The fight's between those two," he says calmly.
"But he's getting his ass handed to him!" she yelled. "Holly!"
Holly had been silent this whole time. Her dislike of the Sheriff made her fully side with Gren on this, hoping that he'd fuck Bigby up enough that he'd never come back, but the other side that cared for Red like a sister was pained to see her all worked up. Still…
"Woody's right, Red. If Gren gets to killin' him, I know Woody'll intervene."
"That's r- wait… don't go volunteerin' me, troll."
Grendel grabbed Bigby's leg, beating him against the wall and the floor and finally throwing him at a wall with a dart board. Grendel approached ready to throw him around some more, but Bigby grabbed the darts, thrusting them between Grendel's eyes.
"All right, stop it. He's had enough!" Holly yelled.
"He's finished when he has the good sense to drop, Holly!" He yelled back, looming above Grendel as he grasped the darts from his face.
"Shut up, wolf!" Grendel regained his composure, punching Bigby into the pool cues. Bigby took two of them, pushing them with all his might into the monster's bad arm and slashing his torso as he went half-wolf.
Red looked on with wide eyes as Grendel fell. Bigby stood over him and thrust his hands into Grendel's arm socket and she knew that he was going to try and tear his arm off - no, not try - he would. She couldn't let him do that.
Of course, she didn't like the fact that Grendel had whipped Bigby around, but tearing his arm off would just overdo it and start to unravel everything Bigby had done to get Fabletown to see him as less of a monster. Red wriggled from Woody's loosening grasp and pulled the enchanted necklace from her nape.
"Red-"
Red ran to Bigby, grabbing onto his back, hands soothingly circling his tattered shirt. It had worked decades ago in a similar situation, she just hoped that he still thought highly enough of her to listen. "Bigby, please don't… please."
"Red, get back!" Holly yelled.
Bigby had stopped as soon as he heard her voice and smelled her natural scent of vanilla and honey mixed with the alcohol she had been serving earlier in the day. He had done the one thing he didn't want to do, which was lose control - especially in front of Red.
He leaned back, tearing his claws out of Grendel's arm, leaving it relatively in tact. Bigby turned to face her, his eyes yellow and his facial hair much longer than normal.
"Bigby…" she placed her hand softly onto his cheek. "Snap out of it."
Bigby buried his head into the crook of her neck, making her gasp at what he might do, but the action was so brief before he pulled her up with him. His eyes and face were back to normal and he pulled Red to him as she hugged his, glad that she had kept him from doing something horrendous once again.
"You done smashing up my bar?" Holly grouched. If she were thinking logically, she would remember that it was, in fact, Grendel who had been throwing him about like a rag doll and messing up her precious bar, but to her, Grendel was just another victim of the Big Bad Wolf. "If so, maybe you can move along."
"Uh, sorry about all the damage, Holly." He said as professionally as he could. "Send the Business Office a bill and I'll make sure it gets taken care of."
"Oh, you bet. I'll just be here holding my breath until that happens."
I have hit a writer's block for On the Mend but I'm still obsessed with Fables (TWAU more so than Fables) so I just had to write this.
Hope you all enjoyed!