A Picnic in the Park (What Could Go Wrong?)
Blaine's birthday dawned clear and bright after the storm. They enjoyed breakfast with the Blackbears, and after signing the paperwork that named Kurt and Blaine as executive directors of the museum, they began the four hour drive back to San Francisco.
They rejoined their friends (minus Maggie and Paul, who had taken Stevie and Stacey to the children's museum,) for lunch in Chinatown, exchanging stories of their evenings. Several of them talked about the wishes they had made. No one was too surprised when Artie's wish was to have Professor X like abilities.
"I didn't wish for all of his abilities, just some of them," the geeky boy explained. "Telekinesis, telepathy, illusions, astral projection, and a couple others."
"I wished to be able to produce throwing weapons out of thin air." David said.
"That's what I wished, too!" Tina replied. "My fox form is good for fighting close up, but if I can keep the bad guys from getting too close, I won't have to worry too much about anyone else getting injured." She still had a bandage on her ankle from where the kobold had bitten her a few nights ago.
"I just wished to be fast," Mike said, smiling as he held hands with Tina. "I figured, with our other wishes, we should be safe enough, but if someone needed my help, I wanted to be able to get to them as quickly as possible." He kissed the ring on Tina's finger, the three dark green jade stones glinting up at him. His own ring sported three watery green variscite gems.
"What were your wishes again?" Rachel asked, staring at their rings in awe and a little jealousy.
"Tina wished to be impervious to attack, and to be able to defend her friends, and I think she wished for something similar to Blaine's ability to persuade people," Mike said. "And I also wished to be able to resist attack, to be cunning, and for strength."
Santana smirked. "Amatures! My wish is so much better than yours!"
"Oh, really? What was it?" Rachel asked.
The Latina smiled and ran her hand through her hair, which seemed to be moving all on its own. "I have razor blades in my hair! And it's alive!"
"Harionago!" Dave and Wes said at the same time.
"What?" Quinn asked.
Dave Karofsky grinned at her. "Harionago was a woman from Chinese Mythology who had barbs in her hair, and it had a life of its own. It followed her commands, and attacked her enemies! Legend says she was very beautiful."
Santana just shrugged. "Whatever. It's still more awesome than any of your wishes."
"I still haven't made my wish yet," Quinn said.
"Neither have I," said several people, including Finn, Rachel, and Thad.
"I made my wish," Wes said. "I wished to be able to summon a flaming sword when needed."
"What about you guys?" Trent asked, looking at Nick and Jeff, who had both been quieter than usual during the meal.
Nick just shrugged as Jeff spoke. "We haven't made our wishes yet. Although Nick here might not need to now."
Everyone was suddenly looking at the pair, except those who had been at the museum the night before.
"Apparently, I can turn into the Thunderbird."
"You can turn into a jet?" Finn asked, confused. He hadn't been with them the night before.
"Not Thunderbird like the air force flying squadron," Kurt said. "He means the actual bird from Native American folklore."
Jeff looked at his boyfriend with pride. "He can control the weather, and water."
"Grandpa Chang can control water, too," Pam said. "I'm pretty sure Blaine will be able to as well."
"And earth! Blaine can control earth, too! And Kurt can control fire, and air!" Brittany said.
"I can?" Kurt asked, confused.
Grandpa Chang smiled at him. "As the Phoenix, it is within your abilities, yes. And Grandson Mine does have the markings of a water and earth dragon, therefore, he is capable of controlling both. Do you not remember how the ground trembled when he believed you dead?"
"I remember," Dave said. "The cops fell to their knees, the ground was shaking so much."
Kurt was frowning as a thought occurred to him, but was distracted as his dad pointed out that it was time for them to head out to inspect the next two properties. As they said their goodbyes, Grandpa Chang pulled Kurt aside.
"Once again, Young Master is worrying over something needlessly."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "I really wish you would stop reading my mind."
The old man just smiled. "You worry that as the Phoenix, you will be reborn over and over, while my grandson will not. But you are forgetting two things."
Kurt frowned again. "What have I forgotten?"
"First, you have forgotten that as a Dragon, my grandson is very hard to kill. Certainly, he can die, in his human form, but you've forgotten his wish."
The pale boy thought back on the wishes they had made. "He wished for the Doctor's ability to regenerate!"
"Indeed. And now for your other concern, which I can already see forming in your mind, he will return as himself. He shall not change unless he desires to."
Kurt breathed a sigh of relief, and hugged the smaller man. "Thank you, Grandpa Chang."
"You are most welcome, Young Master."
"Are you ever going to tell me why you call me that?"
Again the ancient emperor smiled at him. "One day, but for now, your husband and father await."
Kurt rolled his eyes, but joined Blaine and Burt outside the restaurant.
…
The second property they had to inspect was just up the street in Chinatown. It was one of the oldest buildings in the district, and the only one to survive the 1851 fire, and the 1906 earthquake. During the 1989 Oakland earthquake, the only damage it had sustained was a broken window. According to Society records, the building was blessed by a goblin after the widowed owner had shown him kindness by offering him food. Kurt had been surprised when he'd read that a few days ago, since goblins were always portrayed as evil in literature, but Pam had explained that true goblins were neutral, neither good nor evil.
"If you are kind to them, they will be kind in return. Many of the Faerie creatures you are used to in stories are actually neutral," she had told them.
After signing the deeds, they set out for the third and final property, which was actually an hour south of the city, in San Jose.
"We own the Winchester Mystery House?" Blaine said, in awe.
"According to Grandmother Ailis' accounts in Society records, it wasn't ghosts that drove Sarah Winchester into building this crazy place, but brownies and goblins, masquerading as spirits. Many of them supposedly still live here, hidden among the many hidden rooms and passages."
They were given a private tour, and shown to the offices to sign the paperwork, before heading back to San Francisco.
…
They were staying at a B&B owned by a Society member near Golden Gate Park, and since they had nowhere they had to be on their last full day in San Francisco, decided to devote the day to exploring the park. Kurt organized the packing of a picnic brunch for all of them, while the others set out to buy bottled water, soft drinks and fruit juices.
Burt and James carried the heavy hamper of food, while Ji Chang and Paul Karofsky carried a cooler of drinks. The teens carried everything else as they walked the two blocks to the park, with Teddy and Peaches on leashes. Lord Tubbington opted to remain behind at the B&B.
They set up their picnic near the Koret playground, so Sam's siblings and the animals could run around and play for a while.
They enjoyed their meal, which consisted of several different salads, including fruit, potato, and pasta, as well as cold cuts, cheeses, a variety of breads and crackers, pickles, olives, and a seafood dip Mercedes had picked up the day before on Fisherman's Wharf, as well as some sweet treats from It'Sugar, a popular new candy store on the Wharf.
During brunch, after a telepathic conversation with Blaine, Kurt presented Nick and Jeff with a pair of rings. Rachel watched in envy as the two boys walked over to the barnyard area for some privacy to think about their wishes.
After everyone finished eating, some members of the group went to check out the bike rentals, while a few opted to explore on foot. Grandpa Chang, Paul and Maggie decided to stay at the play area with Stevie, Stacey, Teddy and Peaches, but planned to meet up with everyone at the tea garden later. Kurt and Blaine decided to share a four person coach bike with Burt and Carole, while Pam and James, and Nick and Jeff opted for tandem bikes. Quinn, Thad, Santana, Brittany, Dave, Elliott, Sam and Mercedes chose electric bikes. They set out at a leisurely pace along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, through the park, as Wes, David, Artie, Trent, Finn, Rachel, Mike, Tina and her parents strolled towards the Conservatory of Flowers.
The group on bikes stopped at the Botanical Garden book store before exploring many of the garden areas. Afterwards Pam and James decided to explore the science museum, while the others decided to go on. They continued west to the first of the two windmills. From there, they turned north towards the second windmill. Kurt, Blaine, Burt, Carole and Elliot all needed to use the restroom, so they stopped at the soccer field, along with Dave, while the others continued on.
Dave waited outside with the bikes while the others went inside. He leaned against the wall, listening to the noise of families and friends enjoying themselves when someone crying out in distress broke through the other sounds. He followed the sound across the soccer field, towards the highway, and the adjacent beach. The closer he got, the more people started shouting in fear. He began running as fast as he could towards where several people were racing towards a spot on the beach. As he raced across the highway (thankful that there was little traffic at the moment,) he could see what appeared to be a large black horse racing towards the waves, with a child clinging to its side.
Dave wasn't an expert on horses, but there seemed to be something off with the creature, its coat was glistening with some shiny substance. As he got closer, he noticed the terrified expression of the kid that was being dragged along, and heard her screaming that she was stuck, and couldn't let go.
Several people were trying to cut the creature off from reaching the waves, trying to force it to turn back, but it just swerved around them. Dave was coming at the creature from a different angle, and managed to grab the girl by the waist, but her hands were still stuck fast to the tar like substance that the horse creature was coated in, and the animal didn't even slow down, causing the jock to lose his balance. He refused to let go of the girl, though, so when he fell forward, his shoulder hit the horse's flank and stuck fast.
The extra weight did slow the creature down, and a few others also managed to grab on to the girl, and Dave used his free hand to pry her hands free just as they were being dragged into the frothy waves.
Dave was still stuck to the creature's side as it dived into the surf, pulling him under. He fought to break free, but the horse creature pulled him deeper, and as his oxygen levels dropped, his struggles became more feeble.
…
"These tulips are beautiful," Mercedes said, "but they are playing havoc with my allergies." Sam smiled and hugged her.
They had parked the bikes and stopped to rest as they waited for the others to catch back up, completely unaware of the drama that was taking place just up the highway on the beach.
Quinn didn't appear to be having any problems with pollen as she and Thad walked around the Dutch windmill, stopping to smell a tulip now and then. Nick and Jeff were exploring the windmill itself, although they were a bit disappointed that you couldn't go inside. Britt and Santana hadn't been impressed, and had wandered into the wooded area to explore.
It was a scream and shouting in spanish that alerted the others to the two girls' distress. They rushed towards the sound, shocked when they found their friends fighting off more of the kobold creatures they had encountered the other night. Santana was using her magical hair to lash out at the tiny monsters, ripping them apart, but there were too many of them, and they were repairing themselves as quickly as she could tear them up.
"Thad!" Quinn shouted. "I know what I'm going to use my coin wish for! I wish you to be the perfect Knight Protector! You will be prepared for any battle!"
The Warbler councilman bowed to her, and turned to face the battle, suddenly clad in a suit of armor, that quickly morphed into a lighter weight kevlar suit. A long sword appeared in his hand, then morphed into a Katana. He waded into the fray, slicing the creatures into bits, but that only slowed the attack.
"We need fire!" Sam said, looking around for a weapon of his own.
Nick handed him a mace that he had just produced out of nowhere, having made his coin wish before bed the night before to be able to summon weapons as needed. "Here!"
"Don't suppose you can conjure me up a bow and a bunch of arrows?" Mercedes said, kicking one of the creatures away from Jeff, who had picked up a tree limb. Nick handed her the requested items.
"Nicky, how well can you control your powers?" Jeff asked, holding the branch up. He had used his coin wish for speed, but that wouldn't help them right now, nor would any of the Bond wishes he had made earlier at brunch, he thought, glancing down at the three bright rainbow smattered black opals on his ring that were perfectly complemented by the bright orange fire opals on Nick's. He'd wished to always be where he was needed most, to always know the right thing to say, and to be able to solve even the most complex of puzzles. "I don't want to get electrocuted, but Sam is right, some fire would be helpful!"
Nick concentrated, and a storm cloud gathered rapidly overhead. A moment later, lightning struck the end of the branch, setting it ablaze. At least his Thunderbird abilities were of some use. Although his bond wish to always be prepared for any situation also helped, he supposed. His other wishes, to be empathic and make others feel better about themselves, and to aleve other people's pain, were only minimally useful at the moment.
Jeff swung the burning limb, knocking into several of the kobolds, turning them to dust as the flames touched them. Nick, Thad, Mercedes, Sam and Santana began knocking the creatures towards the flames. Brittany did her best, kicking out at the creatures that got too close to her or Santana. The tide was turning in their favor, and soon there were only a few of the creatures left.
Or maybe not. Screaming from the nearby archery range made them realize that there were many more of the beings in the vicinity. They were wildly outnumbered.
…
"That was beautiful!" Rachel exclaimed, smiling up at Finn as they exited the Conservatory.
The tall teen just shrugged. "It was okay. That really stinky flower was cool, though."
"If you think it stinks now, wait until it blooms in a few days," David said. "There's a reason it's called a corpse flower."
"Eww!" Tina said, laughing. "I liked it, but I'm looking forward to seeing the tea garden. It's supposed to be really beautiful, and serene."
They followed the path past the lily pond, where Grandpa Chang, Paul Karofsky, Maggie and the kids caught up to them. They were cutting through the music concourse when something blocked out the sun.
"Is that a bird?' Finn asked, looking up at the sky, which had been cloudless just moments before.
"It's too big to be a single bird," Wes pointed out, even as whatever was darkening the sky drew closer. After a moment they could tell that it was a large flock of some kind of winged creatures, but they were unlike any birds any of them had ever seen. Their wingspans were huge, at least twelve feet across, and their bodies seemed humanoid, with scaly legs, and horrendous faces. There were at least a hundred of the creatures.
"Harpies!" Grandpa Chang supplied.
"Very vicious hunters!" Ji informed them. "Be careful of the talons! Even a scratch from one can cause a nasty infection, even after thoroughly cleansing the wound."
"That's not our only problem!" Lizel said, her acute vision spotting another type of creature racing towards them from a wooded area. These were also humanoid, but with the heads and torsos of vicious wolves.
"Are those werewolves?" Tina asked.
"More likely skinwalkers," her father supplied. "Witches who use animal hides to change their forms!"
Wes pulled his flaming sword out of thin air, even as David and Tina produced several throwing stars. Artie was using his new mental abilities to provide a protective shield over Stevie and Stacey, who were watching the situation with wide eyes, especially when Grandpa Chang changed into his dragon form, and used his tail to lash at the flying creatures.
One of the flying beings dived at Maggie, who was holding Peaches to her chest, trying to protect the kitten. Teddy jumped at the creature, snarling. "Back off, bird brain!" the dog growled.
Paul, who had used his coin wish to produce a gleaming shield of pure energy on his wrist, moved to stand in front of them, as Wes swung at the being with his flaming sword, severing its head.
One of the wolf creatures lunged at Finn and Rachel, but fell to one of Tina's throwing stars. Mike, who didn't have a weapon, used his enhanced strength to pull a bench from its moorings, and used it to slam another of the wolf creatures away.
Lizel and Ji, whose magic didn't give them any defensive or offensive abilities, used their bodies as shields between the attacking monsters and the other innocent bystanders, aided by Artie's mental abilities.
"We're seriously outnumbered here!" David shouted, glancing around at the other park goers, who were defenseless against the onslaught. Without more fighting power, they were doomed.
…
Elliott finished in the restroom, and went outside to wait with Dave, only the younger man was no longer by the bikes. He glanced around for him, but there was no sign of him anywhere. He did spy a commotion across the soccer fields, and after shouting out to Burt and the others where he was going, he took off to investigate.
Several people were racing towards the beach, and he could hear screams of panic. He began running faster, and was just in time to see a large black horse drag Dave into the Pacific. Without thinking, he rushed into the surf, diving after the creature.
He kicked with his feet, but the human form wasn't designed for swimming efficiently underwater. Which was why Elliott was surprised when he was suddenly propelled forward, his legs feeling like they had fused together. He didn't have time to stop and analyze it though, as the creature pulled Dave deeper and deeper below the surface.
He gained on the creature, noting that Dave had gone limp, and feared the worst. He instinctively opened his mouth to let out a scream of denial. Except it sounded more like the sound a dolphin made, and sent shockwaves through the water. The creature was stunned by the percussive force of the vibrations, and released Dave from it's hold.
Elliott raced towards the larger man, pulling him into his arms, and pressed his mouth to the younger man's, breathing air into his lungs, while drawing the water out of him. He had no idea how he was doing any of this, he only knew that he couldn't let Dave die.
Dave came to, opening his eyes underwater and looking into Elliott's face, not completely aware of exactly what was going on. It only took him a moment to realize that the older man's lips were on his and maybe it had been for a different reason, but Dave suddenly couldn't think of anything else but showing in that moment that Elliott meant more to him than he had been ready to say. And then his lips were moving back, applying pressure and turning resuscitation into something much more personal and passionate, and heated. It felt like he needed to kiss him like he needed air. To be fair, he did.
They broke the surface, and as they clung to each other, Dave looked up into Elliott's eyes for a moment as he drew a deep breath.
"Whoa," the jock said, before fusing his mouth to the older man's once more. They didn't part again until they became aware of the being hovering above them. They looked up into the grinning face of Blaine's dragon.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you might like a lift back to the shore!"
Dave blushed. "Um, yeah. There's just one problem. How is Elliott going to be able to ride you with his tail?"
The older man frowned, only just realizing that Dave had his legs wrapped around his, and that the jock's hands were on what would have been his ass in human form. "I have a tail!" He could just make out the reddish black scales around his hips, just below the surface.
"Well, that does explain what Brittany said in Kurt's dream about the 'Siren's son!'" Blaine exclaimed.
"Can you transform back?" Dave asked.
Elliott thought about it for a moment, and after a second or two, returned to his usual form. Blaine lowered himself enough for the two men to climb on his back, and they shot towards the shore at breakneck speed. He dropped them off at the soccer field, and transformed.
"Come on, the others are in danger. Kurt and the others went to catch up with them at the windmill, and stumbled into a hoard of those kobold creatures."
"How do you know that?" Elliott asked.
Blaine held up his hand, brandishing his ring. "We have a strong mental bond. He's been keeping me updated, even as I let him know you both were okay."
…
Kurt had taken on the form of the Phoenix, using his flaming breath to scorch the kobolds, which had turned on several families and groups who had been enjoying the park before the attack. He was careful to control the flames, so they wouldn't spread, or catch the grass on fire. He'd also given Thad's sword and Mercedes' arrows flames, making them more effective against the enemy.
Burt and Carole were trying to calm those bystanders who had been terrified by the battle that was raging between the evil brutes and the small band of heroes. Kurt had finally learned what his dad and stepmother had wished for when they'd put the rings on, and hadn't been surprised when they'd both made the exact same wish for each other at the exact same moment. Burt had wished for Carole to continue being the world's greatest mother, even as she'd wished for him to continue being the world's greatest dad. This meant that they had the ability to calm and soothe others, just as a mother or father would.
Burt's other wishes had been a bit more practical; knowing that being prepared for any situation was critical, he had wished to be able to summon any tool or weapon for any event. He had also wished for the ability to transport himself and others wherever they needed to go. He was currently using the ability to transport the innocent bystanders to a safer location.
Carole had been practical as well, wishing for the ability to understand whatever a person was unable to articulate, and to transform any ordinary object into whatever she needed it to become. At the moment, it meant turning pebbles into larger rocks to throw at the encroaching kobolds.
When Blaine, Dave and Elliot entered into the fray, things finally began to turn in the heroes' favor, as Blaine used his ability to control the earth to open sinkholes beneath the creatures, into which Kurt dropped balls of fire, before Blaine closed the holes over them.
Dave and Elliott turned their attention to the bystanders. The younger man had used his wish to be able soothe people in distress, while the orderly had wished for the ability to heal others, which he used now to care for the injured among the crowd.
They quickly dispatched the last of the foul beasts, only to let out groans of disbelief as they all heard Artie's telepathic call for aide. Holding on to each other, Burt transported them to their friends.
…
James Anderson had never considered himself to be a very confrontational man, but when he heard Artie's call for help, he didn't hesitate to rush towards the battle, while Pam, whose powers weren't useful in combat, began ushering the innocent bystanders to safety, with the help of Burt Hummel, who teleported them to safety.
Carole hadn't hesitated to throw herself into the fight either, even though James was certain she hadn't wished for any combat abilities. Not that it seemed to hinder her. Nick had produced a Bo staff for her, and she was holding up fairly well against the two attacking forces. She moved like a warrior, as graceful as a leopard on the hunt. When one of the wolf creatures moved to pounce on Teddy and Peaches, who were hiding under a bush, the usually gentle and caring nurse had executed a perfect spinning kick, as if she'd been doing so all her life, knocking the skinwalker back, and bringing the staff down to crush it's skull, before turning the weapon on a harpy that swooped towards Mercedes.
Mercedes' skill with the bow was also surprising to James Anderson. He'd heard about the Diva's use of the bow at the party the other night, but seeing her in action was astounding. It was almost as if she'd been born with a bow in her hands. Her aim was perfect, every shot a bullseye. She put Robin Hood to shame.
The tide of the battle had turned when the reinforcements had arrived. Two dragons and a Thunderbird helped stem the attack from the sky, and Kurt in grizzly bear form evened the odds on the ground. What few of the creatures that were left fled. The combatants looked around at each other, making sure all of their friends were okay, trying to catch their breaths.
"Well done, Porcelain," a familiar voice said after a moment. "I didn't think you lot of mouth breathers had it in you."
The group turned to look at the tall, blonde woman who had spoken. "Coach Sylvester?" Kurt said, straightening up and looking at the Cheerio coach in confusion.
"What are you doing here?" Santana asked.
"Well, Sandbags, I'm always on the lookout for new talent for the Cheerios, and I'd heard that a family of Russian acrobats lived in the area. I was scouting them out when I heard the commotion, and thought I'd investigate. Oh, and while you all were busy getting your mugs all over social media while fighting mythological beings, this package came for you. I suggest you all make yourselves scarce and get out of Dodge as quickly as possible tomorrow." She tossed a manila envelope to Sam.
The blonde boy caught it, and opened it up. Inside were the passports they were waiting on. They turned back to Sue, but she was gone, a lone crow standing where she had been a moment before. The bird flew off with a caw, the sound ominous in the silence after the battle.