Well...er...I guess that title sums it all up! Kylie...er...snaps...fun for the whole family! Actually, not really...Anyways, it's chapter 4! Yay! There's only three more chapters after this: five, six, and seven. They're titled as follows: Chapter 5-Naomi Fluegel vs. Ray Skyler (not in Zoids, though...can't really write Zoid battles...besides, it's not as sadistic if they're fighting in Zoids rather than...er...well, can't give anything away, so...), Chapter 6-Confessions of Love (weird and frightening chapter), and Chapter 7-Ray's Finale (must not give anything away). But almost done! Yay! I already started chapter five... As for the Champs, well, they'll be fine...and they'll be back, too! It'll only be briefly, though...but even if it's brief, it's well worth it! Anyway, this chapter is...er...interesting...I like it, anyway! There's some character...er...well, I GUESS you'd call it development with Kylie and Dawn...Jamie and Bit, too...and there's a part with Dr. Toros that I like...just remeber not to read into this too seriously! I mean, if you honestly think about it, it's actually all very frightening, but it you read it as if it's just some ludicrous story with some really twisted black humor, then it's funny! So read and enjoy as we read how Kylie snaps...mwuhahaha!
"I can't believe that we had to call an ambulance," Jamie began.
"Neither can I," Leena answered back.
"At least both Harry and Mary are out of critical condition though, right? Even if they ARE still stuck at the hospital…"
"I guess that's an optimistic way of looking at it, Jamie." The two walked alongside each other as they headed to the hanger. They were the last in the line, except for Bit, who warily trailed a few yards behind them. Ray was far in front, Brad forced to be by his side. next came Dr. Toros who seemed very worried, and right behind him was Mikey, who held Kylie's wrist tightly and possessively. A few feet after them was Dawn, who, of course, walked alone. Jamie and Leena were behind her, obviously, but made sure that she wasn't close enough to be in hearing distance.
"I still can't believe it, though," Leena now said, shaking her head. "Ray broke her-Ray broke BOTH of them." Jamie frowned.
"Well…he didn't MEAN it exactly."
"You didn't see Ray with the glasses this morning."
"Huh?"
"Never mind…what about the others, then?"
"What about them?"
"Well, Ray may or may not have MEANT it, but Mikey-I'm sure HE'S got some violent intentions."
"Yeah, obviously. But the others-"
"Come on, Jamie! You can't be serious. Sure, Kylie's a nice girl, but…wacko! And Dawn-"
"Dawn's ALL RIGHT." Leena was surprised.
"You're kidding, right?" Jamie said nothing. "RIGHT?!" Jamie shrugged.
"I think I'm starting to understand her now." Leena looked at him in disbelief and Jamie chose to explain further. "I mean, well, think about it. She's been stuck with Ray and Mikey her whole life. And she's been forced to go along with Ray's stupid whims and listen to Mikey's ridiculous sexist attitude her whole life, too. I'd start hating the world, too, after awhile…I mean, tonight, when we were dancing because Ray made us, I was getting annoyed; I felt what she feels everyday of her life."
"Pissed off?"
"Yeah! But it doesn't mean I like her or anything. It doesn't mean I want to be her friend, either. It means…it means we have an understanding, that's all." Leena took a moment to process this all.
"I GUESS that makes sense…" Leena then looked over her shoulder. "Hey. Do you know what's up with Bit?"
"Hm?" Jamie looked behind him to see Bit plodding along, head lowered, face filled with anxiety. He was murmuring nonsensically to himself and both Jamie and Leena cringed. "I don't know…he sure does look distraught, though…"
"That he does."
"He mentioned something about Kylie this morning at breakfast…"
"He did?" They both halted and studied Bit as he walked toward them. He stopped as well when he reached them, standing between them, and started to whimper. Leena and Jamie frowned at each other. Then, Leena placed a hand on Bit's shoulder. "Bit? Is everything…all right?" There were a few more seconds of whimpering until Bit burst.
"No! Everything is NOT all right!" Both Jamie and Leena were taken aback by this.
"Well, what's wrong, Bit?" Jamie inquired.
"EVERYTHING!"
"Could you be a BIT more specific?" Leena questioned. Bit hesitated.
"It's…it's Kylie!" Jamie and Leena were stunned.
"KYLIE?!" they simultaneously cried.
"YES! KYLIE!" After a moment, Leena laughed.
"Kylie? What could Kylie possibly-"
"She has a crush on me!" Leena's face cringed as she let out a disgusted groan of "Eew."
"Are you SURE?" Jamie asked. Bit nodded.
"VERY sure. She was-" He then stopped, hastily looked around, and then changed his voice to a whisper. "She was FLIRTING with me!"
"Now way!" Leena exclaimed in shock.
"Well, she WAS acting weird today…" Jamie rationalized, but then shook his head. "But she'd never betray Mikey. Well, if she valued her own life, anyway. Maybe you're just imagining things."
"But I'm NOT! I wish I was, but I'm really-"
"Jeez, Bit, even if she DID like you, Kylie's not the type of girl who would FLIRT with a guy," Leena stated scoldingly, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "She's much too shy for that."
"But-" Bit tried to dispute.
"Leena has a point, Bit, now that I think about it," Jamie interrupted.
"What about that cackling of hers, hm?" Bit questioned. "That's not very Kylie-like, now is it?"
"That's a good point, too…"
"Jeez, Bit!" Leena exclaimed, turning and starting to walk away. "Just let it go!" Jamie began to follow after Leena.
"But-I WANT to let it go!" Bit cried in desperation. "I never wanted to have it in the first place!
Leena jus sighed in disgust, shaking her head once more as she walked. "But-it's true! Guys! Guys, I need your help! Come back!" Jamie turned to him then with a frown.
"Look, Bit, I'm sure you're making too much of this. Just forget about it, all right?"
"But-" Leena and Jamie were off again and Bit stopped speaking, realizing it was futile, and just slouched into a sulk. "Guys…" he whined to himself. When Bit was out of hearing distance, Jamie whispered up to Leena.
"Do you think it could be true? That Kylie really-"
"Probably." Leena said with a casual shrug. "But it's not OUR problem. After all, we want to live to see another day; Bit, on the other hand, is expendable."
"Expendable?" Jamie questioned. "But, Leena-"
"Do YOU want to get involved?" Jamie bowed his head in silence. Leena smiled in satisfaction. "I thought so. No-Bit will simply have to sort this problem of his out on his own…with Kylie…and Mikey."
Brad and Dr. Toros sat opposite each other in the living room, each staring the other in the eyes at full intensity. The two had no knowledge of where the others were, except for Ray, who had gone to the bathroom for the moment. Both on edge and leaning forward, the two began to exchange conversation, in low, abrupt voice; Dr. Toros started first.
"Any ideas?"
"No. Not yet."
"When do you think he'll be…" Brad's eyes shifted to the door as Dr. Toros's voice trailed off. Then he glared back at Dr. Toros.
"We have time."
"How MUCH time?"
"A couple minutes. Maybe more. Maybe less."
"Damn…no ideas?"
"Nope." Dr. Toros then began to raise his voice.
"There's got to be SOME way we can-"
"Sh!" Brad demanded and the two were quiet for a moment, listening anxiously. After a few moments of silence, Brad finally decided that it was safe and said, "continue." Having lowered his voice to a low whisper, Dr. Toros began again.
"There's got to be SOME way we can get rid of them."
"I'm working on it."
"And Ray?"
"Still oblivious." Dr. Toros sighed.
"I don't understand how this can be so difficult when they're all so…"
"Stupid?"
"Exactly!" Brad shrugged.
"Not sure…you've got any ideas?"
"No. You?"
"Already told you: no."
"Nothing?"
"Nada."
"Damn."
"Tell me about it."
"But…you're working on it."
"Yeah, I'm working on it."
"BRAD!" Brad winced as Ray burst through the door, grinning wildly and placing his hands on his hips. "Well, that felt good!" Dr. Toros's face paled in disgust.
"RAY," Brad sharply began through tightly clenched teeth. "BACK? So soon?" Ray laughed.
"Yes. Yes, I am." He bounced on the couch, right beside Brad, and swung his arm around Brad, nearly choking Brad.
"But…don't you think you might have to GO again?" Brad interrogated desperately. Ray thought for a moment, lifting his head high and placing a hand to his chin.
"No. No, I don't think so…"
"SURE you do," Brad insisted. Ray chuckled.
"If I didn't know any better, I would think you were trying to get rid of me!" Ray then burst into a hysterical fit of laughter, smacking Brad hard across the back. Brad groaned. Dr. Toros grimaced.
"On second thought," Brad decided, rising as Ray's laughter slowly died out. "I think I have to go to the bathroom." Dr. Toros quickly panicked.
"Don't be silly, Brad!" he exclaimed as he took to his feet. "You don't have to GO! NOW!" He anxiously eyed Ray and then looked pleadingly back at Brad.
"I'll go with you!" Ray insisted, grabbing at Brad's arm. Luckily, Brad jumped back in the nick of time, leaving his arm free of Ray's painful grip.
"NO!" Brad exclaimed in horror. Ray stared up at him from the couch in puzzlement. Brad chuckled nervously, trying to calm his voice. "No. You just stay here and…uh…talk to Doc."
"But, BRAD," Dr. Toros began, trying to keep his temper and control his fear. "What could me and Ray possibly talk about?"
"Well, I'm sure you'll think of SOMETHING." And then Brad fled. Dr. Toros whimpered and warily returned to his seat, eyeing Ray in complete anxiety. Ray just grinned stupidly from the seat opposite him.
"So, Steve, how's it going?" he asked, slapping his knee with his hand.
"Oh, fine…Ray…" Dr. Toros answered nervously, his eyes wandering about the room.
"You know, I was thinking," Ray began. Dr. Toros's very startled eyes focused on Ray.
"Oh, really?" he asked in a cracking voice. he was jumpy, his left leg shaking anxiously.
"I was thinking: maybe I shouldn't call you Steve anymore." A glimmer of hope sparkled in Dr. Toros's eyes.
"Really? You-you mean it?" Ray nodded and gave him an excited grin.
"I think I ought to call you Dad!" Dr. Toros's face dropped in a grotesque twist of utter horror and shock.
"D-DAD?!"
"Sure! We are like family, after all, like I said before! It's only appropriate that I call you father!" A drop of sweat dripped down the forehead of Dr. Toros.
"That's…uh…that's really great, Ray, but-"
"Call me son, Dad!" Ray exclaimed as he jumped from the couch and swung his arms around Dr. Toros, lifting him from his seat.
"SON?!?!" Dr. Toros cried in a shrill voice, in both pain from Ray's tight grip crushing his body and fear of the frightening, nightmarish vision of Ray ever being his son. Ray, however, didn't notice the terror in Dr. Toros's voice. Instead, he just laughed loudly and joyously, and continued to cling on to Dr. Toros.
"That' the spirit, father!" Ray closed his eyes, smiling dreamingly as he hugged his new "father." Dr. Toros sobbed.
Jamie halted when he entered the kitchen, seeing Dawn sitting at the counter, apathetically munching on potato chips in the darkness. Jamie chose to stand in the doorway.
"Dawn," he greeted her in a cautious voice. Dawn looked up, obviously not amused, and greeted him with a roll of her eyes, not bothering to even speak to him. Then she returned her eyes back to the potato chips. Jamie sighed then and made his way to the counter, taking a seat beside Dawn. There, the two munched quietly for the next few minutes, until Dawn chose to speak in a cold, flat voice.
"I'm not the enemy."
"Huh?" Jamie glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said; I'm not the enemy." Jamie blinked in bewilderment.
"So that means you're…"
"No," Dawn interrupted sharply. "Do not interpret this gesture as friendship. I am strictly and ally."
"Ally?" Dawn gave a nod.
"An important ally," she started to remind him, her voice still unemotional. "I've studied the REAL enemy for the last fourteen years of my life; I know them well.
"You mean-"
"Yes."
"But-that means you're on our side, right?"
"Technically," she remarked objectively. "It's all really business, though."
"Business?"
"I don't hate you, Jamie. I don't really like you much either, but that's beside the point. The point is, I understand your torment-the same torment that I undergo-and, therefore, we have an understanding."
"Understanding…?" Jamie's voice trailed off as he recalled what he had told Leena earlier that evening. "Hey that's what I said-"
"It ends tomorrow," she cut him off coldly, rising from her seat and pushing away from the counter. Then she started to leave.
"Ends?" Jamie was very confused. Suddenly, Dawn cracked a smirk before she exited the kitchen.
"No. Not the end. The BEGINNING."
Bit stood outside in the desert, a dozen yards or so away from the hanger, standing up at the night sky. No one would believe him and no on would help him, so he opted for solitude, all alone without Kylie to bother him or Mikey to kill him. He sighed and raised his head to gaze up at the stars. It's so peaceful, he thought, things haven't been this peaceful since before THEY arrived…
Suddenly, there were footsteps. Bit snapped his head straight and his eyes widened in fear. Who could those footsteps belong to? A thief? A murderer? A monster even-no, what Bit feared was far more frightening than any of the three or even a combination of all of them. No, Bit knew what was approaching and he feared it more than anything in the world; it must be one of the Skylers.
Then, the footsteps stopped and he bravely turned about to see Kylie Atwater a yard away, head lowered and hands politely clasped. Bit gulped. Though she appeared innocent, Bit knew better. He stumbled back a step and felt his breathing becoming harsh and coarse.
"K-Kylie!" he stuttered. Kylie, however, remained eerily somber, head lowered, and shadows covering her eyes. Bit hesitated, not knowing what his next move should be; he was sure Kylie had some sort of diabolical plan up her sleeve. Out of the little choices he had, Bit somehow managed to choose the stupidest one: he chose to try to reason with her. "Listen…Kylie…I really think you're a sweet girl, but-" Bit cut himself off in fear as Kylie's head snapped up, her mouth twisted into a psychotic grin and her eyes gleaming, locked in a vision of an insane dream. "Now, Kylie…" Bit's shaky voice trailed off as Kylie slowly walked toward him, arms extended forward. Bit felt himself on the verge of screaming in terror, but he remained as calm as he could, though his voice had begun to crack. "Kylie! Please!
He let out a blunt shriek as Kylie clung onto him, gripping onto his shirt and still smiling.
"I love you, Bit Cloud!" she cried. They were the first words that Bit had ever heard her speak. Moreover, they were the most frightening words Bit had ever heard in his life.
"WHAT?!" Bit shouted in horror. "But-you hardly even know me!"
"But I DO, Bit!"
"No, you don't! You only met me yesterday!"
"That doesn't matter! Time has no power over my heart! It's love, Bit; can't you see? As soon as I saw you-"
"Are you crazy?!" Bit cried and tried to get away from Kylie, but Kylie's grip on him just tightened.
"I'm not, Bit! I just see you as…my knight in shining armor! My only true love! We can get married-"
"MARRIED?!"
"Yes, Bit! MARRIED!"
"But-what about Mikey?! I thought you were-"
"That's why I NEED you, Bit! To be my knight! My hero! To rescue me from Michael Skyler!" Bit hadn't thought it was possible, but he was suddenly more frightened than before and he tried to release himself from Kylie's grip.
"RESCUE YOU?!" Bit questioned. "You ARE crazy!"
"But I'm not!"
"Yes, you are! I can't…Listen. You're a nice girl, Kylie, but I'm not willing to die for you!"
"But…you love me!"
"No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do!" Her eyes were almost on the verge of rage now. "Don't deny this passion that-" Bit then fell to the sand in his struggle to free himself from Kylie and Kylie now stood over him in an insane determination as well as the beginnings of a mad frustration. Bit whimpered as Kylie began to speak again in a low psychotic voice. "Don't deny this passion that burns deep within me-deep within both of us."
"But, Kylie, I don't feel any-"
"GRRR!" Bit froze, open-mouthed as the same "gr" as Mikey's shockingly escaped Kylie's lips. It didn't seem possible, unfathomable in Bit's mind, but there was Kylie, standing above him, just as disturbed as Mikey and then some; she was truly part of the Skyler family.
"Kylie!" a voice unexpectedly snapped from behind. Suddenly, the wicked demon child before Bit was transformed into the sweet, innocent, and pitiful girl that Bit was accustomed to. And that gave Bit all the more reason to be fearful. After all, who would believe that pathetic Kylie was really the devil in disguise?
So Kylie turned, head bowed and hands clasped, to Mikey, the one who had beckoned her, now standing many yards away, but eyeing them nonetheless.
"Kylie! Come!" he commanded. She nodded slightly and hastily walked to him. His glare then shifted to Bit, who cautiously was rising to his feet. "What are YOU doing here?"
"I…uh…just looking at the stars," Bit lied weakly. Mikey's eyes narrowed.
"I SEE. And Kylie?" This question was directed toward Bit.
"Oh…um…er…I don't know," he stammered briefly and quickly glanced away. Mikey raised a suspicious eyebrow and let out a low growl. That growl lasted for a near minute and it was the most painful minute of Bit's life; he could feel Mikey's hard eyes stabbing deep and knowingly into his back even from so many yards away. But after that painstaking moment passed, Mikey turned his suspicious glare away, taking Kylie harshly by the wrist.
"Kylie," he demanded, and Kylie bowed her head even further and obeyed. Bit could hear the two walk away and when he decided it was safe, he heaved a great sigh and turned around. At that exact moment, Kylie briefly glanced over her shoulder. At first, Bit thought he had imagined it, the glance being so quick that he would have missed it if he had blinked an eye. But he hadn't blinked, though he wished he had, and that brief second was now imprinted in his mind and, more importantly, in his nightmares for all eternity. For when Kylie turned her head toward him for that short moment, he had seen the face of a mad woman-of insanity-mouth twisted in a devious grin, eyes burning with a maniacal plan. Bit knew for certain then that it was official; Kylie had snapped.
"I can't believe that we had to call an ambulance," Jamie began.
"Neither can I," Leena answered back.
"At least both Harry and Mary are out of critical condition though, right? Even if they ARE still stuck at the hospital…"
"I guess that's an optimistic way of looking at it, Jamie." The two walked alongside each other as they headed to the hanger. They were the last in the line, except for Bit, who warily trailed a few yards behind them. Ray was far in front, Brad forced to be by his side. next came Dr. Toros who seemed very worried, and right behind him was Mikey, who held Kylie's wrist tightly and possessively. A few feet after them was Dawn, who, of course, walked alone. Jamie and Leena were behind her, obviously, but made sure that she wasn't close enough to be in hearing distance.
"I still can't believe it, though," Leena now said, shaking her head. "Ray broke her-Ray broke BOTH of them." Jamie frowned.
"Well…he didn't MEAN it exactly."
"You didn't see Ray with the glasses this morning."
"Huh?"
"Never mind…what about the others, then?"
"What about them?"
"Well, Ray may or may not have MEANT it, but Mikey-I'm sure HE'S got some violent intentions."
"Yeah, obviously. But the others-"
"Come on, Jamie! You can't be serious. Sure, Kylie's a nice girl, but…wacko! And Dawn-"
"Dawn's ALL RIGHT." Leena was surprised.
"You're kidding, right?" Jamie said nothing. "RIGHT?!" Jamie shrugged.
"I think I'm starting to understand her now." Leena looked at him in disbelief and Jamie chose to explain further. "I mean, well, think about it. She's been stuck with Ray and Mikey her whole life. And she's been forced to go along with Ray's stupid whims and listen to Mikey's ridiculous sexist attitude her whole life, too. I'd start hating the world, too, after awhile…I mean, tonight, when we were dancing because Ray made us, I was getting annoyed; I felt what she feels everyday of her life."
"Pissed off?"
"Yeah! But it doesn't mean I like her or anything. It doesn't mean I want to be her friend, either. It means…it means we have an understanding, that's all." Leena took a moment to process this all.
"I GUESS that makes sense…" Leena then looked over her shoulder. "Hey. Do you know what's up with Bit?"
"Hm?" Jamie looked behind him to see Bit plodding along, head lowered, face filled with anxiety. He was murmuring nonsensically to himself and both Jamie and Leena cringed. "I don't know…he sure does look distraught, though…"
"That he does."
"He mentioned something about Kylie this morning at breakfast…"
"He did?" They both halted and studied Bit as he walked toward them. He stopped as well when he reached them, standing between them, and started to whimper. Leena and Jamie frowned at each other. Then, Leena placed a hand on Bit's shoulder. "Bit? Is everything…all right?" There were a few more seconds of whimpering until Bit burst.
"No! Everything is NOT all right!" Both Jamie and Leena were taken aback by this.
"Well, what's wrong, Bit?" Jamie inquired.
"EVERYTHING!"
"Could you be a BIT more specific?" Leena questioned. Bit hesitated.
"It's…it's Kylie!" Jamie and Leena were stunned.
"KYLIE?!" they simultaneously cried.
"YES! KYLIE!" After a moment, Leena laughed.
"Kylie? What could Kylie possibly-"
"She has a crush on me!" Leena's face cringed as she let out a disgusted groan of "Eew."
"Are you SURE?" Jamie asked. Bit nodded.
"VERY sure. She was-" He then stopped, hastily looked around, and then changed his voice to a whisper. "She was FLIRTING with me!"
"Now way!" Leena exclaimed in shock.
"Well, she WAS acting weird today…" Jamie rationalized, but then shook his head. "But she'd never betray Mikey. Well, if she valued her own life, anyway. Maybe you're just imagining things."
"But I'm NOT! I wish I was, but I'm really-"
"Jeez, Bit, even if she DID like you, Kylie's not the type of girl who would FLIRT with a guy," Leena stated scoldingly, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "She's much too shy for that."
"But-" Bit tried to dispute.
"Leena has a point, Bit, now that I think about it," Jamie interrupted.
"What about that cackling of hers, hm?" Bit questioned. "That's not very Kylie-like, now is it?"
"That's a good point, too…"
"Jeez, Bit!" Leena exclaimed, turning and starting to walk away. "Just let it go!" Jamie began to follow after Leena.
"But-I WANT to let it go!" Bit cried in desperation. "I never wanted to have it in the first place!
Leena jus sighed in disgust, shaking her head once more as she walked. "But-it's true! Guys! Guys, I need your help! Come back!" Jamie turned to him then with a frown.
"Look, Bit, I'm sure you're making too much of this. Just forget about it, all right?"
"But-" Leena and Jamie were off again and Bit stopped speaking, realizing it was futile, and just slouched into a sulk. "Guys…" he whined to himself. When Bit was out of hearing distance, Jamie whispered up to Leena.
"Do you think it could be true? That Kylie really-"
"Probably." Leena said with a casual shrug. "But it's not OUR problem. After all, we want to live to see another day; Bit, on the other hand, is expendable."
"Expendable?" Jamie questioned. "But, Leena-"
"Do YOU want to get involved?" Jamie bowed his head in silence. Leena smiled in satisfaction. "I thought so. No-Bit will simply have to sort this problem of his out on his own…with Kylie…and Mikey."
Brad and Dr. Toros sat opposite each other in the living room, each staring the other in the eyes at full intensity. The two had no knowledge of where the others were, except for Ray, who had gone to the bathroom for the moment. Both on edge and leaning forward, the two began to exchange conversation, in low, abrupt voice; Dr. Toros started first.
"Any ideas?"
"No. Not yet."
"When do you think he'll be…" Brad's eyes shifted to the door as Dr. Toros's voice trailed off. Then he glared back at Dr. Toros.
"We have time."
"How MUCH time?"
"A couple minutes. Maybe more. Maybe less."
"Damn…no ideas?"
"Nope." Dr. Toros then began to raise his voice.
"There's got to be SOME way we can-"
"Sh!" Brad demanded and the two were quiet for a moment, listening anxiously. After a few moments of silence, Brad finally decided that it was safe and said, "continue." Having lowered his voice to a low whisper, Dr. Toros began again.
"There's got to be SOME way we can get rid of them."
"I'm working on it."
"And Ray?"
"Still oblivious." Dr. Toros sighed.
"I don't understand how this can be so difficult when they're all so…"
"Stupid?"
"Exactly!" Brad shrugged.
"Not sure…you've got any ideas?"
"No. You?"
"Already told you: no."
"Nothing?"
"Nada."
"Damn."
"Tell me about it."
"But…you're working on it."
"Yeah, I'm working on it."
"BRAD!" Brad winced as Ray burst through the door, grinning wildly and placing his hands on his hips. "Well, that felt good!" Dr. Toros's face paled in disgust.
"RAY," Brad sharply began through tightly clenched teeth. "BACK? So soon?" Ray laughed.
"Yes. Yes, I am." He bounced on the couch, right beside Brad, and swung his arm around Brad, nearly choking Brad.
"But…don't you think you might have to GO again?" Brad interrogated desperately. Ray thought for a moment, lifting his head high and placing a hand to his chin.
"No. No, I don't think so…"
"SURE you do," Brad insisted. Ray chuckled.
"If I didn't know any better, I would think you were trying to get rid of me!" Ray then burst into a hysterical fit of laughter, smacking Brad hard across the back. Brad groaned. Dr. Toros grimaced.
"On second thought," Brad decided, rising as Ray's laughter slowly died out. "I think I have to go to the bathroom." Dr. Toros quickly panicked.
"Don't be silly, Brad!" he exclaimed as he took to his feet. "You don't have to GO! NOW!" He anxiously eyed Ray and then looked pleadingly back at Brad.
"I'll go with you!" Ray insisted, grabbing at Brad's arm. Luckily, Brad jumped back in the nick of time, leaving his arm free of Ray's painful grip.
"NO!" Brad exclaimed in horror. Ray stared up at him from the couch in puzzlement. Brad chuckled nervously, trying to calm his voice. "No. You just stay here and…uh…talk to Doc."
"But, BRAD," Dr. Toros began, trying to keep his temper and control his fear. "What could me and Ray possibly talk about?"
"Well, I'm sure you'll think of SOMETHING." And then Brad fled. Dr. Toros whimpered and warily returned to his seat, eyeing Ray in complete anxiety. Ray just grinned stupidly from the seat opposite him.
"So, Steve, how's it going?" he asked, slapping his knee with his hand.
"Oh, fine…Ray…" Dr. Toros answered nervously, his eyes wandering about the room.
"You know, I was thinking," Ray began. Dr. Toros's very startled eyes focused on Ray.
"Oh, really?" he asked in a cracking voice. he was jumpy, his left leg shaking anxiously.
"I was thinking: maybe I shouldn't call you Steve anymore." A glimmer of hope sparkled in Dr. Toros's eyes.
"Really? You-you mean it?" Ray nodded and gave him an excited grin.
"I think I ought to call you Dad!" Dr. Toros's face dropped in a grotesque twist of utter horror and shock.
"D-DAD?!"
"Sure! We are like family, after all, like I said before! It's only appropriate that I call you father!" A drop of sweat dripped down the forehead of Dr. Toros.
"That's…uh…that's really great, Ray, but-"
"Call me son, Dad!" Ray exclaimed as he jumped from the couch and swung his arms around Dr. Toros, lifting him from his seat.
"SON?!?!" Dr. Toros cried in a shrill voice, in both pain from Ray's tight grip crushing his body and fear of the frightening, nightmarish vision of Ray ever being his son. Ray, however, didn't notice the terror in Dr. Toros's voice. Instead, he just laughed loudly and joyously, and continued to cling on to Dr. Toros.
"That' the spirit, father!" Ray closed his eyes, smiling dreamingly as he hugged his new "father." Dr. Toros sobbed.
Jamie halted when he entered the kitchen, seeing Dawn sitting at the counter, apathetically munching on potato chips in the darkness. Jamie chose to stand in the doorway.
"Dawn," he greeted her in a cautious voice. Dawn looked up, obviously not amused, and greeted him with a roll of her eyes, not bothering to even speak to him. Then she returned her eyes back to the potato chips. Jamie sighed then and made his way to the counter, taking a seat beside Dawn. There, the two munched quietly for the next few minutes, until Dawn chose to speak in a cold, flat voice.
"I'm not the enemy."
"Huh?" Jamie glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said; I'm not the enemy." Jamie blinked in bewilderment.
"So that means you're…"
"No," Dawn interrupted sharply. "Do not interpret this gesture as friendship. I am strictly and ally."
"Ally?" Dawn gave a nod.
"An important ally," she started to remind him, her voice still unemotional. "I've studied the REAL enemy for the last fourteen years of my life; I know them well.
"You mean-"
"Yes."
"But-that means you're on our side, right?"
"Technically," she remarked objectively. "It's all really business, though."
"Business?"
"I don't hate you, Jamie. I don't really like you much either, but that's beside the point. The point is, I understand your torment-the same torment that I undergo-and, therefore, we have an understanding."
"Understanding…?" Jamie's voice trailed off as he recalled what he had told Leena earlier that evening. "Hey that's what I said-"
"It ends tomorrow," she cut him off coldly, rising from her seat and pushing away from the counter. Then she started to leave.
"Ends?" Jamie was very confused. Suddenly, Dawn cracked a smirk before she exited the kitchen.
"No. Not the end. The BEGINNING."
Bit stood outside in the desert, a dozen yards or so away from the hanger, standing up at the night sky. No one would believe him and no on would help him, so he opted for solitude, all alone without Kylie to bother him or Mikey to kill him. He sighed and raised his head to gaze up at the stars. It's so peaceful, he thought, things haven't been this peaceful since before THEY arrived…
Suddenly, there were footsteps. Bit snapped his head straight and his eyes widened in fear. Who could those footsteps belong to? A thief? A murderer? A monster even-no, what Bit feared was far more frightening than any of the three or even a combination of all of them. No, Bit knew what was approaching and he feared it more than anything in the world; it must be one of the Skylers.
Then, the footsteps stopped and he bravely turned about to see Kylie Atwater a yard away, head lowered and hands politely clasped. Bit gulped. Though she appeared innocent, Bit knew better. He stumbled back a step and felt his breathing becoming harsh and coarse.
"K-Kylie!" he stuttered. Kylie, however, remained eerily somber, head lowered, and shadows covering her eyes. Bit hesitated, not knowing what his next move should be; he was sure Kylie had some sort of diabolical plan up her sleeve. Out of the little choices he had, Bit somehow managed to choose the stupidest one: he chose to try to reason with her. "Listen…Kylie…I really think you're a sweet girl, but-" Bit cut himself off in fear as Kylie's head snapped up, her mouth twisted into a psychotic grin and her eyes gleaming, locked in a vision of an insane dream. "Now, Kylie…" Bit's shaky voice trailed off as Kylie slowly walked toward him, arms extended forward. Bit felt himself on the verge of screaming in terror, but he remained as calm as he could, though his voice had begun to crack. "Kylie! Please!
He let out a blunt shriek as Kylie clung onto him, gripping onto his shirt and still smiling.
"I love you, Bit Cloud!" she cried. They were the first words that Bit had ever heard her speak. Moreover, they were the most frightening words Bit had ever heard in his life.
"WHAT?!" Bit shouted in horror. "But-you hardly even know me!"
"But I DO, Bit!"
"No, you don't! You only met me yesterday!"
"That doesn't matter! Time has no power over my heart! It's love, Bit; can't you see? As soon as I saw you-"
"Are you crazy?!" Bit cried and tried to get away from Kylie, but Kylie's grip on him just tightened.
"I'm not, Bit! I just see you as…my knight in shining armor! My only true love! We can get married-"
"MARRIED?!"
"Yes, Bit! MARRIED!"
"But-what about Mikey?! I thought you were-"
"That's why I NEED you, Bit! To be my knight! My hero! To rescue me from Michael Skyler!" Bit hadn't thought it was possible, but he was suddenly more frightened than before and he tried to release himself from Kylie's grip.
"RESCUE YOU?!" Bit questioned. "You ARE crazy!"
"But I'm not!"
"Yes, you are! I can't…Listen. You're a nice girl, Kylie, but I'm not willing to die for you!"
"But…you love me!"
"No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do!" Her eyes were almost on the verge of rage now. "Don't deny this passion that-" Bit then fell to the sand in his struggle to free himself from Kylie and Kylie now stood over him in an insane determination as well as the beginnings of a mad frustration. Bit whimpered as Kylie began to speak again in a low psychotic voice. "Don't deny this passion that burns deep within me-deep within both of us."
"But, Kylie, I don't feel any-"
"GRRR!" Bit froze, open-mouthed as the same "gr" as Mikey's shockingly escaped Kylie's lips. It didn't seem possible, unfathomable in Bit's mind, but there was Kylie, standing above him, just as disturbed as Mikey and then some; she was truly part of the Skyler family.
"Kylie!" a voice unexpectedly snapped from behind. Suddenly, the wicked demon child before Bit was transformed into the sweet, innocent, and pitiful girl that Bit was accustomed to. And that gave Bit all the more reason to be fearful. After all, who would believe that pathetic Kylie was really the devil in disguise?
So Kylie turned, head bowed and hands clasped, to Mikey, the one who had beckoned her, now standing many yards away, but eyeing them nonetheless.
"Kylie! Come!" he commanded. She nodded slightly and hastily walked to him. His glare then shifted to Bit, who cautiously was rising to his feet. "What are YOU doing here?"
"I…uh…just looking at the stars," Bit lied weakly. Mikey's eyes narrowed.
"I SEE. And Kylie?" This question was directed toward Bit.
"Oh…um…er…I don't know," he stammered briefly and quickly glanced away. Mikey raised a suspicious eyebrow and let out a low growl. That growl lasted for a near minute and it was the most painful minute of Bit's life; he could feel Mikey's hard eyes stabbing deep and knowingly into his back even from so many yards away. But after that painstaking moment passed, Mikey turned his suspicious glare away, taking Kylie harshly by the wrist.
"Kylie," he demanded, and Kylie bowed her head even further and obeyed. Bit could hear the two walk away and when he decided it was safe, he heaved a great sigh and turned around. At that exact moment, Kylie briefly glanced over her shoulder. At first, Bit thought he had imagined it, the glance being so quick that he would have missed it if he had blinked an eye. But he hadn't blinked, though he wished he had, and that brief second was now imprinted in his mind and, more importantly, in his nightmares for all eternity. For when Kylie turned her head toward him for that short moment, he had seen the face of a mad woman-of insanity-mouth twisted in a devious grin, eyes burning with a maniacal plan. Bit knew for certain then that it was official; Kylie had snapped.
