Thank you all for reading this far! I hope you're enjoying this story. Let me know what you think!
Tokyo international airport is buzzing with activity as Skylar de planes. Families coming and going in preparation for the upcoming Christmas season are everywhere. She hurries towards customs to try and beat the crowd. Just past the security checkpoint she sees her brother in his disguise. His curly mop of hair hidden under a backwards baseball cap, dark reflective sunglasses and a black track suit. Even though he's trying to remain inconspicuous fans still recognize him. Skylar smiles as she watches a Japanese fan ask him for an autograph. He obliges, although she knows he would rather keep his private life private. She sneaks up behind her brother as he hands back the card he had signed for the young man.
"Watashi mo!" She excitedly says 'me too' behind him.
She hears him sigh then start to apologize in Japanese as he turns around. His eyes light up when he sees his little sister grinning like the Cheshire Cat, "Koneko you almost fooled me!"
"I can't believe you were about to turn me down!" She pretends to be offended.
Kenny smiles and pulls her into a tight hug, "I just wanted to see my little sister. Come on, let's go get your bags and head home."
They collect her luggage and hop on the train to the part of the city where Kenny lives. He carries her bags through the station and up the steps of his apartment building. He places her things in his spare room and meets her back in the cozy living room.
"WWE paid for a hotel for me too. In case you get sick of me encroaching on your personal space," she tells him with a chuckle.
"Don't be ridiculous Sky," he laughs. "I've lived with you for almost all of my life. Two more weeks is nothing."
She sinks down onto his couch, grateful for a comfortable seat that isn't moving. She wants to relax but she can't seem to turn her brain off, "Hoshi, can we talk?"
He looks down at his sister's worried face, "What's wrong Sky?"
She can't pull her gaze away from her own hands wringing on her lap as she tries to find the right words to explain her predicament. "Me being sent here was more than just a nice gesture from the office," she pauses to finally look up at her big brother. "Hunter wants me to try and get some Bullet Club publicity. Since he's going to debut me with Ferg and the boys sometime soon. I think he wants the Japanese audience to follow me to WWE."
She watches as the wheels turn in her brother's head. A scheme brewing under his curly head of dark blonde hair, he starts to smile, "That's actually a really smart idea. I mean, it's working with Jericho for us. So it only makes sense that they would want in on the publicity too."
"He mentioned a bunch of different ideas," she explains the ideas Hunter had tossed at her while he listens intently. "I told him I didn't know what I would be able to get away with..."
"Let's me see what I can get away with. I've got some ideas," he tells her.
She looks at him nervously, "Are you sure? I don't want you to get in trouble."
Kenny snickers, "Koneko, if this will bring more eyes to New Japan then I'm for it. Anything that will improve the business. Especially before Wrestle Kingdom."
"So you're not mad?" She asks quietly.
"Why would I be mad?" Kenny sits down next to her on the couch and puts his arm around her shoulders just as he had done countless times before. "As far as I see it these next few weeks the Omega kids are going to be running the wrestling world. And that isn't a bad thing at all."
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," Matt Jackson smiles as he sees Skylar.
She beams, seeing her friends for the first time in over a year. "If it isn't the Young Bucks! What have you two been up to?" She asks as she walks into the dojo alongside her brother.
"You know, just killing the business," Nick laughs. The two brothers roll out of the ring and wrap their arms around Skylar's tiny frame. She looks around the grey poster covered walls of the New Japan dojo. "I didn't think you'd be here so soon. I thought for sure you'd be coming in last minute."
"No way!" Skylar scoffs. "I haven't seen Kenny in far too long. Added bonus that I'll get to watch Wrestle Kingdom live!"
"And you get to hang out with us!" Matt smiles goofily.
Skylar rolls her eyes, "Of course. Hey maybe we can get in the ring later this week and I can show you guys a thing or two."
"Oh, you're on!" Matt points at her menacingly.
Nick shakes his head, "Man you'd better bring your A game. You might not know it, but we're Elite."
"The Elite, the the Elite!" Matt chants until Nick joins in.
Skylar giggles, happy to be around her best friends again. She watches intently as Kenny and the Bucks warm up in the ring. Her phone buzzes with a text from Seth.
"Hope you made it to Japan ok. Have fun over there," he sends her.
She lights up at his message and quickly shoots him a reply to let him know that she made it in one piece. The door to the dojo opens up and she sees one of the newest members of the Bullet Club, Marty Scurll. Though they had never met she recognizes him from the Bucks' YouTube show, Being The Elite. He pulls his wheeled bag behind him up to the ring to greet his friends. Skylar leans back in her chair, just watching him. His plain black jeans and black leather coat fit him perfectly. He turns back towards the locker room when she catches his eye. He seems to almost get stuck in place, his gaze unmoving. Matt and Nick exchange smirks.
"Earth to Marty," Matt calls. "We're supposed to be training here."
"Yeah. Sorry," his English accent catches Skylar's attention. He takes a step towards her. "And who might you be sweetheart?"
Sky watches as Kenny comes over to the closest set of ropes. "That's my sister, Marty," he advises. "Don't get any bright ideas."
Marty shoots Kenny a smirk over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the raven haired girl in front of him, "Hello love. I'm Marty Scurll. What's your name?"
"Skylar," she giggles at Kenny's reaction more than. Marty's advances.
"A pleasure to meet you," Marty takes her hand and kisses the back of it making her blush.
He shoots her a wink as he rolls his bag back towards the locker room. She catches herself staring at the Englishman, caught up in his dark demeanor and well groomed facial hair. Kenny clearing his throat in the ring brings her back to reality. Her gaze returns to the ring where her brother is glaring at her.
He points at her and shakes his head. His only word is a stern, "No." Before he turns back the to Matt and Nick grinning like fools in the ring. Their smiles disappear the moment Kenny looks at them and they get back to business.
"So I've got a photoshoot with the boys later today. That would be a good time to sneak into some shots while I see what else I can come up with for you," Kenny says as he piles some scrambled eggs onto his fork.
"Really?!" She asks excitedly. "That sounds awesome."
"You brought some gear I imagine?" He looks at her slyly.
She scoops up another spoonful of home fries, shoves them into her mouth and nods. Chewing and swallowing quickly she tells him, "Of course. I brought the most Bullet Club stuff I could scrounge together last minute."
He smiles at her resourcefulness, "I've got some ideas that might get some good reactions on your social media."
"Can't wait," she beams, happy to be working with her brother on a professional level.
They finish up their breakfast and play some video games before packing up some bags with gear. Kenny leads the way to the shoot location, a quiet park along the edge of a gritty industrial park. He points to an empty looking warehouse just across the street from the train station. They cross the street when traffic gets a red light and open the door to the grey building. Skylar steps inside with Kenny right behind her. The first face she sees is covered in black, white and red face paint. The large wild haired man with skull face paint can't help but smile when he sees her.
"Tama!" Skylar squeals, dropping her back and running to the Tongan man, jumping into his arms.
He twirls around with her in his arms before gently setting her back on the ground, "What are you doing here Sky? I thought you got signed!"
"I did!" She stammers. "I mean, I am. I am signed. I'm just here to support my brother in one of his biggest title defenses ever!"
"That's awesome!" Tama smiles. "We'll have to go out one of these nights. Like old times!"
She nods, "Definitely! Maybe we can get Rocky to join us, for old times sake."
"Oh, I'm sure we can convince him," Tama laughs.
"Sky, go get changed," Kenny calls to her, indicating that he got the okay to include her in the shoot.
She shoots Tama a wink and waves to the other guys as she disappears into the women's bathroom. She opens up her bag and starts pulling out various items of clothing. First she puts on a pair of ripped up black skinny jeans. Slipping a silver studded belt through the belt loops she fastens a shiny Omega shaped belt buckle in front of her. Next she pulls her shiny black wrestling boots on, covering her lower legs. She takes a few different tops from her bag and tries each one on. Finally, she settles on a black and silver corset top with buckles and hinges down the front. She takes a look at herself in the mirror and touches up her long black curls before putting on a deep blood red lipstick. Satisfied with her look she leans her bag against the wall in the corner of the washroom and heads back out to meet up with the boys.
The photographer is busy snapping away as the three Tongans pose in different positions. Fale, Tama and Tanga Loa look like complete badasses in their black ring gear with Bullet Club logos. She watches alongside the Bucks as their mini shoot continues.
"So, is that going to be your WWE ring gear?" Nick asks with a smirk.
Skylar rolls her eyes at him, "No, jerk. This is just all I could come up with on short notice. This stuff felt the most... Bullet Club-y."
"Well, it definitely fits in with us," Matt concurs.
"Koneko, come here for a sec," Kenny calls her over to where he's fishing Round in his gear bag. As she stops in front of him he looks up with a sly grin. "I got you a little something."