Alright this is my second fic so I hope you enjoy it. If you have questions just be sure to ask them in a review and I'll try to answer them at every update. Hope you enjoy the fic - Kusco

Disclaimer: Marvel owns the X-men and Tolken owns LOTR. So don't sue me.

Lord of the Mutants

Chapter 1

Half the Size, Double the trouble

"Hey elf! Wait up!" the gruff voice came from behind. Nightcrawler looked behind him to see Wolverine emerge from the trees behind him. "We don't want to get separated. Not with what Chuck said that he sensed here."

"Don't worry mein fruend" Nightcrawler replied "I can hold my own in battle and you know that."

"Not you I'm worried about I just want to have a piece of whatever it was that the Professor sensed." The two x-men stared at each other a moment. They were standing in a forest near the mansion. Professor Xavier had sensed the sudden appearance of several life forms. He had sent three of his X-men to investigate.

"I can see nothing." a voice came from above as Storm came flying down, wind whipping her white hair around. "Whatever Charles has sensed appears to be gone."

Wolverine suddenly crouched and began to sniff. "I got a sent. Actually more than one, but there's one real close. What ever it is it ain't human, but it doesn't got a bad smell. Follow me." the other two mutants began to follow Wolverine who was moving very fast being very much at home in the forest. Wolverine lept on to a rock and looked. "There" he pointed. The mutants suddenly saw a small form near a stream. Lying on it's stomach it looked dead. The X-men approached it slowly still not sure what it was. It looked human. except it was only the size of a child and had large hairy feet.

"Look Kurt," Storm said "the ears are pointed like yours."

"And here I thought that I was unique" Nightcrawler joked. "Is this a mutant do you think?"

"No," Wolverine said sniffing the air. "It's not human whatever it is."

"He's hurt." Storm observed "That much is obvious, He appears to have taken a blow to the head. We should get him to the Mansion." Just then the woods seemed to come alive with the sound of growls and footsteps.

"Trouble's coming!" Wolverine said popping his claws out. "I knew I was picking up more than one scent."

Suddenly from the trees and bushes emerged about two dozen creatures they were a bit shorter than an average man, they had grey skin, huge yellow cat-like eyes, and were armed to their sharp teeth, with swords and armor. One stepped forward.

"Give us the halfling." it growled

"I don't think so!" Wolverine said returning the growl. Without any other warning the creature leaped forward and swung its sword at the mutant. Wolverine brought his claws up and cut through his opponents sword and then attacked the creature head on. As if that was the cue all the others began to attack. Nightcrawler knocked his first opponent out and grabbed its sword and began to fight the other monsters as they approached him. Storm grabbed the small wounded creature and flew him to the top of a tree so he would be safe then came down and began to give the savage creatures a gale force wind. Suddenly the few remaning creatures pulled back as the ground began to shake and huge monster emerged from the woods it had a thick grey hide only slots for a nose enormous hands and feet which carried club.

"I think that we're going to need back up." Nightcrawler gasped He barely leaped out of the way in time as the club came down nearly on top of him. Wolverine lept at it only to be hurled into a nearby tree. Storm fired a lightning bolt at the creature, which fell to the ground but almost as quickly got up looking angrier than ever. It charged at the African mutant swing its club around wildly. Suddenly Nightcrawler appeared on it's back and began to stab with his sword. The creature howled and began to sway and lash it's arms about in an attempt to knock Nightcrawler off. The club came swinging at him, but only met air as the mutant teleported out of harms way. Where Nightcrawler had left off Wolverine took over as he jumped at the creature slashing and stabbing with his claws. The creature howled in pain and suddenly got a hold of one of Wolverine's feet.

"Logan!" Nightcrawler cried but it was too late as the creature hurled Wolverine at Storm both crashed to the ground unconscious. The monster angrily charged with its club in the air intent on finishing the job. But just before it could reach them it was hit by a red blast. The creature fell to it's back. Nightcrawler lept into action and was instantly on top of it and brought his sword down straight in the monsters chest, killing it. At this the other creature retreated to the woods and vanished

"Cyclops" Nightcrawler said turning to see the x-men leader standing with Jean and Professor Xavier. "I'm glad you came when you did but I had the beast right where I wanted it!" he joked

"Yeah" Cyclops replied. "on it's back, thanks to me." Wolverine and Storm began to come to.

"What happened?. I could sense you were in danger so we came to help you." Professor Xavier asked. Nightcrawler told of the fight and the small creature.

"They called it a hafling" he said. As Storm retrieved him from his perch.

The Professor looked at the small being. "Get him to the Mansion he needs medical attention."

The X-man began to leave the area but Professor Xavier lingered. An hour before he had sensed a sudden appearance of all these creatures. He could not tell what it meant. He knew that they weren't mutants. He feared that it might be the new plan of one of the X-men's many enemies. Perhaps Magneto or Mr. Sinister. He just did not know. Professor X was about to leave when something on the ground caught his eye. He moved over to it. On the ground where Nightcrawler had told him that the hafling had laid was a small gold ring, hanging by a silver chain. Xavier thought he had never seen a gold ring so perfectly crafted.

"The 'hafling' must have lost it in the struggle" he said as he picked up the ring and put it in his pocket. The weight there felt reassuring.