"In Like a Lion — Out on the Lam: Chapter Eight, March of the Wooden Soldiers" is the twenty-seventh issue of Fables with a cover date of September 2004. It was published on July 14, 2004.
Synopsis
Fires rage as Snow White's makeshift Fable army shows its battle scars. But as lifeless bodies lie scattered in the streets, one witch's deadly battle begins far above the carnage. A storm is brewing, but what it leaves in its wake may be worse than lost loved ones…
Plot
Red Riding Hood, on her magically-enchanted flying bed, surveys the battle below her, where the wooden soldiers burn their way through Fabletown defenses. Her glee is interrupted by an intruding voice in her head, summoning her to the rooftop of the Woodland Building. Frau Totenkinder is waiting for her there. Red recognizes Frau as the old conjuring hag with a "gingerbread fetish". Frau calmly retorts that she's known who Red really was, too. That she has known ever since the chicken hut awoke and went on a rampage. Red Riding Hood was really the dark witch, Baba Yaga.
A strong gust nearly bowls the flying bed over, Baba Yaga barely manages to regain control over it. Frau reveals that Fabletown's wondrous wolf has shown up, and the battle below is lost to Baba. But the battle between the two of them has yet to begin...
Meanwhile, Bigby starts taking charge of the clean-up. He orders the forming of three teams, one to fight the fires inside the buildings where the rain won't reach, another to gather the wounded, and the final was to disassemble the wooden soldiers, ensuring they wouldn't get up and renew the attack. Snow White runs out of the Woodland Building, into the street, and embraces Bigby while he is still in his wolf form, exclaiming how she knew he'd save them, just like he always does. Rose Red notes to herself that she'd never have guessed her sister would become so totally animal.
Hours later, while cleaning up, King Cole and Flycatcher are startled as a lightning strike hits the roof of the Woodlands. They head into the elevator to check it out. Once they reach Cole's penthouse, Flycatcher waits while King Cole heads over to the window and peers out. Something going on outside causes him to go into a fearful retreat back into the elevator, where he tells Flycatcher that no one is to go to the roof for the rest of the night.
A bloodied and beaten Baba Yaga lies on the rooftop, the fight that scared kindly ol' King Cole away moments earlier has ended, and Frau Totenkinder resumes her knitting.
Two days later, the funeral for the fallen has begun. All Fables gather around the Witching Well as King Cole performs the eulogy. The bodies of Boo Bear, the mouse police, and Weyland Smith are sent into the Well's depths. Bigby brings out another body draped in cloth. When he says it's the body of Riding Hood, the others protest that such an evil witch shouldn't be sent down with their loved ones. Bigby explains that it's exactly because she's dangerous that they have to dump her in. The Witching Well will ensure she won't come back to trouble them ever again. Later, Bigby visits the dungeon where Boy Blue was keeping watch on the heads of the wooden soldiers, lined up on shelves.
Blue reports that while the heads have been chattering incessantly, most of it has been either insults directed at him, or just gabbing among themselves. Nothing of particular interest has been mentioned. Bigby replies that they have time, and to just be patient. Deeper below the business office, in a place few others know about, Bigby meets Frau, as she watches over Baba Yaga, alive but restrained. Frau says she'll drain her magic everyday, for as long as they need her. Bigby stares down the powerless faux Riding Hood, reminding her that she's alone now. No one but him and Frau know that she's still alive, and there will be no help coming for her. Eventually she'll break, and tell him everything he needs to know. Everyone always does.
Life returns to normal in the coming days. While Boy Blue and Flycatcher learn from Dr. Swineheart that bringing the wooden Pinocchio back to life was outside his realm of expertise, they remain hopeful that he can be restored somehow. On the Farm, Rose Red still mourns over the loss of Weyland, while in the meadow, Mama Bear announces to Papa that she's pregnant.
While on a park bench outside the Woodlands Building, Snow tells Bigby that her water just broke.
Appearing in "In Like a Lion — Out on the Lam"
Featured Characters:
- Bigby Wolf
- Snow White
- Frau Totenkinder
Supporting Characters:
- King Cole
- Prince Charming
- Rose Red
- Boy Blue
Antagonists:
- Baba Yaga (name revealed)
- Wooden Soldiers
Other Characters:
- Dr. Swineheart
- Grimble
- Hobbes
- Johnny
- The Mouse Police (Flashback only)
- Mr. Toad
- Pinocchio (As a lifeless wooden puppet)
- 13th Floor Witches
- Mr. Grandours
- The Three Bears
- Papa Bear
- Mama Bear
- Mike (Single appearance)
- Kevin Thorn (First appearance)
Locations:
- New York City
- Fabletown
- Woodland Luxury Apartments
- Fabletown
- The Farm
Items:
- Witching Well
Vehicles:
Flying Bed
Deaths
Five Mouse Police (Confirmed Fate)
Trivia
When Bigby casts a shadow on the wall as he enters the Woodland's basement, it takes the form of a wolf even though he is in human form.