”It looks totes riddicc!”

”Sis, honesty begs me to tell you that the color of jealousy-green does not befit or match the strokes of crimson in your outfit. Which seems super uncomfy for plane travel, by the dubs."

Sarah rolled her eyes while Angelica proudly tapped her Captain’s Armband, which was adorned with the Kitty Cat Kaiju’s logo, and ‘Capt-ANG’ written underneath it in equally bright, bold, pink letters. As the two sisters made their way to their seats, Angelica had some remarks.

”I always get nervous on plane travel. You see, the entrance door is so low, I always have to duck when I pass through it or I’ll bump my head and look like a silly goose! #TallWorldProblems! Be glad you’ve never had to experience that down there, Sis. Oh, and do you think they’ll have enough leg room. Because you see, my l-"

”WE GET IT YOU’RE TALL AND YOU HAVE LONG LEGS~!!”

Sarah looked visibly upset as they moved through the plane’s aisle, and Angelica raised an eyebrow.

”Baby Sheesh, why are you being such a grumpyface? Are you sers still mad that I took Vita before you? Never mind, tobvs you are. You’re gonna have to get over it real quick, Sis. Otherwise your second-choice team is going to find out you didn’t really want any of them in the first place."

Sarah grumbled and grit her teeth, mumbling something inaudibly.

”I can’t understand you if you’re too lazy to articulate, Sis."

”You don’t want to hear what I’m saying right now.”

”Pfft, just relax! We’ll have a great flight together. I have tons of stories to tell about the stuff my kitties did this past week. So hilarious, hee hee! Sure to turn that frown upside dizzydee!"

Sarah groaned, and they finally arrived at their seats. While it was plenty spacious, Angelica looked worried.

”Uh oh. Wherever will my knees end up I wonder… Oh hey, do you need some help putting your hand luggage in the overhead compartment? Here, let me do that f-…"

But Sarah slapped Angelica’s hand away as she reached for Sar’s bag.

”I got it!”

Sarah did not, in fact, ‘have it’. After a few unsuccessful strenuous efforts to reach the overhead lockers, Sarah snapped her fingers at the nearest steward.

”You there, plain servant!”

”You mean ‘plane servant’?"

”Either plane and/or plain servant! Stop standing idle, and put my bag in the overhead compartment! What manner of airline is this?”

”One with not enough leg room, but I’ll bet the food is going to be great! And so will the entertainment system be. You see, Sis, as you’ll soon discover once we’re soaring through the sky, every cloud has a silver lining!"

Angelica mouthed ‘sorry’ to the steward and slipped him a fifty dollar note in his breast pocket. Angelica’s chipper manner only annoyed Sarah more. As the taller younger sister started humming the opening theme to the Pokémon Johto series, Sarah lamented the fact she was unable to go on a separate flight. Angelica, however, couldn’t be happier. For her, there was no better time than Sar-time. And once they landed in Tokyo, a whole new world was going to open up to her. She had tons of plans, and she was going to hang out with her entire team. Vita, Raion, even Ozzy had fun stuff planned, although she did worry slightly what Ozymandias’ idea of ‘fun’ entailed, exactly.

”Literally strap yourself in, Sis! I can’t believe we’re going to JAPAAAAAAAN!"

---

---

”OW EM GEE SIS AND KENZ DID YOU SEE THE TOILETS THEY HAVE HERE???"

Through their adjoined door, Angelica burst into the room Sarah and Kenzi shared. Probably a bit too loudly, which caused her ears to go ringing again. She put her pinky in her ear and shook it about.

”MMEEEP! MMAAAP! MMOOOOP!"

She couldn’t really hear herself, so she kept on doing that until the ringing stopped. In the meantime, she noticed Sar and Kenz were nowhere to be seen. And thankfully, not heard. After the ~DISGUSTING~ sex noises, Kenzi’s snoring had kept her up literally all night. She had stared at her alarm clock until at least 5 AM before she’d fallen asleep, only to be woken up an hour later by the digital sound of a rooster cock-a-doodle-dooing. Waking up to that sound was one of the very few things she missed about living in Texas. That, and her school and her schoolmates and sorority sisters, of course obvs. She did find a note addressed to her on the vanity. Angelica wondered why Sar hadn’t just sent her a Digital Pigeon, but then again her phone had probably died on her again. And Kenzi was still mad at her and had probably erased her number and not asked back for it.

Quote:“Dear Sister. We hope you had a good night’s sleep. My Beloved and I shall be wandering the streets of Tokyo today, engaging in various activities of interest. If you wish to have supper with us, then… You can’t see this, but Kenzi is shouting ‘NOPE’ and shaking her head right now as I dictate what I am writing. See you when we see you, then!

Sisterly love from both of us

Sis and~~~~”

”HMPF! Ditched, am I? Well, that’s fine, I had many many plans anyhoo! Time for the Kitty Cat Kaiju’s to get together and show the world what’s what!

Because let’s be honest here, it’s hard to find a better team in War Games when you look at the talent across the board. And there’s some supreme talent! Meemaw Sid and Centy’s team fighting against the Good-Boi’s will be a clash for the ages, with Knead and Marky-mark and Isaiah Undemocratically Non-elected Leader of a Monarchy. And the T.E.A.M.  of Teekay, someone who sounds as legit a Doctor as that Dré dude and my former MeatClown taggie Jen! Then there’s the Wishmongers of Dolly and Dionysus and Unknown Soldier who… will be wishing for a win, I guess?
But us! Like Sis says, LO! We have the XWF Champ Himself, the Lion Kid! Rarely if ever beaten, and when he does, there is an old bearded meme dude staring across the table from you while he’s leaning on an elbow and softly whispering “it’s not on his own terms.” And then we have Veevs! Vita Valenteen, who has been one of my toughest opponents ever, because she is a literal vampire who has the power to scare the Baby Jesus out of everyone but chooses to be a pretty #Cool gal and not let her legacy be one of bloodshed. Heck, I’d invite her into my home any day of the week, for like dinner and such. Although if you only eat and drink blood, then… Well, I’m sure we can figure something out. And let’s not forget Mister Ozymandias himself! Not gonna lie, I thought he was named after the Wizard of Oz at first, but hey look… I am descended from a cult leader. And I turned out pretty okay, didn’t I? So why should I be distrustful of Ozzo? He can help us win, and he’ll do his best, I’m sure of it. He’s strong, he’s charismatic, and he’s perfect for any team.

Like, compare it to the errr… Terrainer? Turaner? Is there an apostrophe ON a letter instead of before it somewhere? What does it even MEAN?? SO weird. N-E-Ways, we all know you only drafted Bobby Bourbz ‘cause you’re scared of getting hit with a Bobby Bomb yourself again… And we all know you only drafted Noah ‘cause it would get under Vita’s skin once she was out of your reach. And we all know you only drafted Lexi Gold because she makes heads turn, but not exactly for the right reasons.

AXLY, scratch that. It’s unfair and untrue, and kinda mean. Bobby has always been fantastic, and he’s not a one-trick pony, so he shouldn’t be reduced to just being the Bobby Bomb guy. And Noah is legit. He’s beaten some of the best, and underneath that foulmouthed exterior is a much kinder heart than he’d care to admit, ‘cause I just KNOW he secretly adores kitties as well! And Lexi is overlooked exactly because of her looks. People look at pretty faces and then assume that’s how they get where they got in life. And from one woman to another, I know what that feels like and it’s kinda crummy of me to diss you like that.

HOWEVZ, that doesn’t mean the Kitty Cat Kaiju’s aren’t going to dominate. We are the perfect blend of size, speed, savvy, power, charisma and teamwork! I have all the faith in the world the team I drafted has the ability to not just survive the opener, but to be the last team standing. And as its Capt-Ang, I will lead, and I will defend! And I will pounce on you with the might of steel mechanical claws. GOOOOOoooOOOOO #KittyCatKaijus!"

Thankfully, there was an XWF promo drone in Sarah’s room who had managed to record all that. Angelica would’ve looked very silly otherwise, talking to herself like that.

---

---

”Wowzerz, what an excruciatingly interesting and elaborate explanation, Mister Oz! Truly, so magical it almost feels wizardlike!"

Angelica clapped her hands as they made their way back to the dressing rooms. Ozymandias handed her a pamphlet.

”Hmmm… Fulfilling my potential, being underestimated all my life… This all sounds like the truth! Color me interested! Tell me more, nay, all about it later! But first I must go and get changed."

Angelica took a sharp turn to the left and burst into the ladies’ locker room, where Vita was already sitting. Hunched over her gym bag, she quickly snapped it shut as she looked up to Angelica.

”Oh! Hi there!”

”Hey, Veevs! Girl, am I glad we have a locker room to ourselves. As long as we don’t have to shower together, no offense. Do vampires need to shower? I’m sorry, was that offensive?"

”You’re good. And yes, we do. Have to shower, I mean. Vampires, I mean. Not us, together, I mean.”

”Oh, goodie. Well, I always bring my shower suit with me everywhere I go, anyway, so no biggie. I love wearing suits for everything! Don’t you?"

”Suits? Me? I errr… Never! I don’t think…”

”Really? Well, you should. People make fun of me for wearing a swimsuit to the shower, they say it’s restricting. But I say wearing a suit can axly feel incredibly liberating. Wouldn’t you agree?"

”…yes… I would, actually. I think.”

Angelica grabbed a towel and started to wipe the sweatiest places of her body down (well, not ALL of them) before changing into her swimsuit and going into the shower.

”You know, Vita, that was a fantastic sparring session. I really felt like we connected as a team there. Heck, even Ozzy looked like a team player! I am so proud to be captaining you guys already! I just hope I can lead in the way you all expect me to. And by ‘lead’, I don’t mean that I think I’m better than you or am the most important part of this team, obvs. But what amazed me most is how in-sync you looked. You haven’t wrestled in months, and I didn’t see a speck of ring-rust! It’s like you wrestled a full match only, like, say, last week!"

”M-me? No, no, I didn’t. But I’ve… been training… independently?”

Vita slowly kept changing out of her ring gear, trying to hide her anxiety at this line of conversation.

”Duhbvz! It shows! That makes me even happier I drafted you, you’re clearly a consummate pro, whether you’re on an in-ring break or not. See, people think I only drafted you to annoy Sar-sar, and as fun as it is to watch her blow up like a puffer fish until her head looks like one of her sleeves, that’s only a small part of the reason, axly. Anyone who’s ever watched Twilight or True Blood or The Vampire Diaries knows that vampires aren’t just natural born winners, they’re also severely misunderstood and are as much alive as the… non-undead. Ayy Eff Ayy Eye See, if you can feel, and think, and have empathy, then you’re alive, heartbeat or breathing or allergy to wooden stakes be darned! And I didn’t always believe that, but you’ve made me see things differently, Vita. When last we faced off, I feared you. I looked for guidance. But ultimately, the best guide I could’ve hoped for was you. And I never got the chance to tell you how grateful I am for that. Now, you’re, like, one of my heroes-"

*WOOSH*

After hearing that word, Vita, who was in the process of taking off one of her wrestling boots, pulled it off so violently she knocked the gym bag next to her off the bench and sent it flying across the room. It landed on the floor and slid right towards Angelica, who seemed surprised.

”Whoopsie! Let me get that for you…."

”THERE REALLY IS NO NEED TO-“

But Vita, even at super speed, was too late. Angelica had picked up the bag and had inadvertently cast a glance at its contents. Upon doing so, the Vaughnemous One gasped, and so did Vita.

”Vita! What… What’s this??"

”… I can explain, I swear!”

Angelica put the bag on the bench, reached inside, and retrieved a giant shimmering leather-golden belt that Angelica recognized all too well.

”A… taggie team championship??"

Angelica inspected it even further, and then saw the nameplate that read: ‘The Atomic Bat’. Angelica’s mouth fell open, before doing a double-take between the title belt and Vita.

”Vita, does this mean…"

The teen vamp sighed, and hung her head.

”…yeah, I guess so… You got me.”

”…that you are such a big fan of The Atomic Bat that not only did you have a super realistic taggie team championship replica belt made, you axly took it with you all the way to Tokyo???"

”…what? No! I mean… Yes! I mean… OBVS! Totes!”

”First of all, we use ‘TOBVS’ for that, and secondly, ow em gee! That is so totes amaze! What a fantastic looking replica belt too, this must’ve cost you a small fortune. I didn’t even know they sold these to fans."

Angelica’s smile was a bright as that of a thousand suns. Not literally of course, or Vita would’ve evaporated then and there.

”Yep, that’s me! HUGE fan! Heh…”

”Wow, it must be a bummer for you, then, that The Atomic Bat wasn’t booked for War Games, eh? You might’ve run into her backstage!"

Angelica placed the “”””replica””” title back into Vita’s gym bag, and rubbed her teenage vamp taggie team partner on the shoulder.

”Don’t worry. I get why you didn’t want me to see this. As professionals, it’s kind of embarrassing to admit that we too can still be huge fans. But I always say, you can only be a great professional adored by the fans, if you never stop being a fan yourself! And look how great this is turning out for us, eh? So don’t fear, Veevs! Your secret is safe with me! I won’t tell a living soul! Or dead. You are the only vampire in XWF, right? No, you don’t need to answer that. ANY soul! Now, let me change so I can shower."

---

---

Angelica was waiting for the rest of the team outside of the restaurant. As usual, the people of Japan had been very enthusiastic meeting their heroes in the streets. Angelica was popular in these parts, and Ozymandias seemed to have followers (newly converted or otherwise) wherever he went. But Raion was almost… deified. It wasn’t surprising, given the fact he was a native and one of the most successful wrestlers in the world today. But Angelica knew all too well that having to sign hundreds or even thousands of autographs was a timetable killer.

She’d taken it upon her, as team capt-ang, to treat the team to a fine sushi restaurant, in the birthplace of sushi itself. Edomae style literally referred to fish caught from Tokyo Bay, so what better place to look ahead to their War Games Match that right here? Especially since Kenzi did not want to have dinner with her… Sure, Vita couldn’t eat fish, but fish blood would do just fine, and the restaurant’s manager had assured her they had literal buckets of the stuff on hand.

Angelica’s phone rang. She half expected it to be one of her team mates telling her they were going to be late, but it was a text message from someone she hadn’t seen in quite a while.

Shinji. Shinjiro. Shinjiro Nakama. The Mountain. And third of the Lacklan siblings.

Quote:”Tall Sister. When you told me of your impending proximity to my homeland, my heart filled itself with great joy.”

”Sheesh, Shin. Did you put that through Google Translate, who talks like th-? Oh right, Sar does, too. Wait, that’s axly real sweet!"

Quote:”Too long have I not had the pleasure to listen to your silly tales. Small Sister regaled me with stories of you moving your farm by air travel, and for once I believe her explicit details not to be embellishments, yet it would delight me to hear you tell me in person.

I know we have not spoken for some time. Rest assured, it was not because of lack of want on my behalf. I trust that I will have the opportunity to speak to you in the flesh this upcoming week, before I see both bloods of my blood do battle at War Games.
Regards, Shinjiro”

”Big bro! It’s a deal!"

The team arrived soon after.

-end of part 1-