The flight from JFK to Narita International was grueling 14 and half hours but SSX was kind enough to upgrade Skylar to first class so it could've been worse. He just didn't like sitting still for so long. He tried booking a late flight so he could sleep though it but he ended up staying awake the entire time and now being in Japan his times were all out of whack.
He was glad to finally land and get off the plane. After he got his luggage from baggage claim he wandered over toward the doors for a taxi but was fielded by a portly man he immediately recognized.
Skylar asked, "Wizard? What are you doing here?"
He smiled wide, "Getting you and another rider a personal ride to the hotel."
That was alarming. Wizard was a shitty pilot on good days.
"Umm... no, thanks."
"You can't trust these random drivers, their always in a rush and not paying attention to the road."
"I'll take my chances."
Wizard grabbed one Skylar's bags out of his hand and started walking away, "Yep, come on now, we're already running behind."
Skylar sighed, "Fuck me..." He followed leaving his hopes and enthusiasm by the baggage carousal.
They walked out to the tarmac and up the ramp of Wizards helicopter. Wizard tossed his bag to the side and headed up front to the controls. Skylar put his other suitcase and duffle bag down gently, "Dude, seriously?"
"You let him carry your luggage?" Freya asked from her seat already buckled in.
Skylar would've sat next to her but the other three working harnesses were on the opposite side.
He asked her, "You got on here willingly?"
"Absolutely not. He kept scaring away every taxi I hailed. He even jumped on the hood of one of them."
Skylar couldn't hide his smile, he could tell she was not comfortable here. To be honest he wasn't either but he was glad if he died in a fiery helicopter crash he would at least die screaming along side his best friend.
She yelled up front as the motor kicked on, "In three years you couldn't afford new harnesses?"
Wizard pulled down his goggles and turned back from his seat in the cockpit, "There's four working ones, how many do you need?"
She yelled back sitting forward, "There's only three you twit, one of them is zip tied to the wall for fucks sake!"
Wizard closed the curtain from the cockpit cutting off any communication. Freya almost rolled her eyes right out of her head, "What a cunt..." She gave up as they lifted off tarmac. She turned her attention to Skylar, "So, how's the leg?"
Skylar answered, "Still missing, cant find the damn thing anywhere."
"Smartass, I meant the new prosthetic."
He knew what she meant but he liked fucking with her, "It's better, it doesn't leave bruises like the last one."
They hit a little turbulence and they both held the straps of their harnesses a little tighter. The ride smoothed out again and they relaxed. She asked him, "Anything else new?"
"In the one month since I saw you? Not much. Brooklyn got picked up for disorderly conduct."
She didn't skip a beat, "Shocking. Did you text you sister like I said?"
"No," he answered, "it's been so long-"
"Long enough to never talk to her again?"
He rolled his eyes, "I'll do it I promise, just let me get through this first week."
