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"Man is not man, but a wolf to those he does not know."

-Titus Maccius Plautus

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"This is the most unpleasant ride ever!" Scott groaned as half of the X-Men rode on Bigby's back, clinging to his fur for dear life.

"Yeah, the fleas up here are bigger than us!" Gambit gulped.

"We can't have you landing your jet in the middle of the forest." Bigby snorted as the giant wolf ran through the night. "And watch it!"

By some dint of magic or skill, no one saw nor heard Bigby as he ran deep into the heart of the Bayville forest. His children remained back at the Institute with half of the X-Men and faculty.

"We're here." Bigby snorted as he crouched down to let the X-Men off.

"Eww! I'm like, covered in wolf hair!" Kitty complained. Bigby rolled an eye that was as big as her.

"Cry me a river. Now, you X-Men take up position here and be ready for anything."

"Like what?" Rogue demanded. "The creeps are going to be in New York City, not here!"

"They'll be here."

"Say what?"

"We can't have a battle with them in the middle of the city." Bigby elaborated. "So some of Fabletowns best sorcerers and witches have devised a spell to send the Hansel and Stryker's marchers here in the woods."

"So we go with you and— " Jean started.

"Weren't you listening?" Bigby growled. "You. Stay. Here. It's too dangerous for you to go where I'm heading."

"We've been told that situations have been too dangerous for us before." Scott retorted. "And, well, have you ever heard of the Boy Who Cried Wolf?" Scott asked Bigby. Bigby snorted.

"Heard of him? He lives in the apartment above mine! Loud little moron. Why?"

"Nevermind." Scott groaned. Bigby shook his head.

"You stay put. If I need you I'll let you know. Rahne, come with me. I'm going to need your help with this."

"Me?" Rahne asked. "But what—" Bigby just turned back into his human form and started running into the woods, not even stopping to wait for her. "Oh, for—wait for me!" Rahne shouted as she ran after him.

"Where—" Rahne panted as she ran. "Are we going?"

"Where we need to be." Bigby said cryptically. Then he stopped running. "Found 'em."

"Who—" Rahne started to ask before she felt her skin crawl. They were being watched. "Bigby…"

"Right on time." Bigby snorted. Snarling and growling, the wolves of Bayville emerged from the trees. The Wolf Clan had arrived.

"What have we here?" Rahne felt her teeth grind together as she recognized the voice of the wolf who said that.

"Aiden." The silver-furred wolf essayed forth and grinned at Rahne, the girl he seduced and nearly tricked into leaving the X-Men.

"Ah Rahne! Long time no see…what brings you to our woods?" He asked, stressing the word 'our.'

"Back off pup, she's just the messenger." Bigby curtly said as he stepped forth.

"And who would you be then?" Maximus Lobo, alpha of the Wolves, asked as he stepped forward and sniffed. "You don't smell human."

Bigby grinned. "I'm not." Then Bigby turned into his true form, the giant wolf that was larger than most suburban houses. The wolves crouched down, not wanting to be caught under the gaze of the most magnificent—and terrible—wolf before them.

Lobo inclined his head as a subject would to his king. "W-what do you wish of us, Great One?" Bigby looked down on him.

"The chance to show that your time spent posing as humans has not dulled your sense of self." He intoned.

"Never!" Lobo protested. "We are wolves!" Bigby grinned.

"I thought as much. There will be trespassers coming through this place. Humans, many of them armed." Bigby paused. "Destroy them."

"WHAT?!" Rahne looked at Bigby aghast. "But—"

"I'm sorry pup, but there's no other way." Bigby told her.

"This is why you didn't want the X-Men to come." She realized.

"This is Fabletown business." Bigby said gently. "Our secret must be protected. Not only will we be destroyed if we don't, but the world will have no one left to help them stop the Adversary when he sets his sights on this world. Not the WHEN not if. And somehow, I think you Mundy's are busy enough with would-be conquerors already."

"But—" Rahne started to protest. All of a sudden there was a sudden clamor as voices—human voices—emerged from the other side of the trees. Angry, confused…the Purist marchers and their allies.

"Magic!" Jon Castaway, leader of the Quarrymen cursed.

"Foul witchcraft!" A second man snarled. Rahne thought for a moment that it was William Stryker but in a second she identified the speaker. It was Reverend Craig—her father.

"Attack!" Lobo howled.

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