Here we go! Chapter 6! Yay! Only one more chapter left after this (Chapter 7: Ray's Finale...hehe)! And then...I don't know...my sister wants me to write a sequel. Well, anyway, there are a few things I'd like to say to all my readers before they venture into Chapter 6. First off, I changed the title from "Confessions of Love" to "Declarations of Love" which is really trivial, but I thought I'd just let you all know. Second, I'd like to assure everyone that Brad will NOT be raped (as some people feared). I know this may be sort of a spoiler, but, well, I didn't want to scare any readers away from some good Skyler fun because the first part of the chapter seems to sort of being going that way (although some people may not read now because they like that sort of thing...oops! Oh, well!). However, there ARE reasons why rape could just not work in this story. First off, I don't write sex scenes! Nope, just don't feel comfortable doing it. I may write the before and after, but none of the graphic stuff in the middle. Second: remember this IS suppose to be a comedy! And I personally don't think rape is really a joking matter! It's like up there with harming children and stuff-it's just a point where I have to draw the line. If Brad were to be raped, well, it wouldn't be very funny anymore. It would make the whole story very serious and we wouldn't want that, now would we? Thirdly, and most importantly, the author has NO IDEA what Ray's sexuality is. I have no idea whether or not Ray is gay, bi, or straight nor do I know if his love of Brad is one of a brother, friend, or lover. I really wanted to leave it up to the reader's interpertation of what would be the funniest sexuality for Ray in their minds and I can't do that if Ray rapes Brad (although I guess if you look at it psychologically, you could argue that if Ray did rape Brad it wouldn't be out of any real sexual desire but out of a sense of control...but it you did that you would be taking it way too seriously when it's supposed to be a comedy!) So, thus, to keep Ray's ambiguous sexuality intact, Brad could not be raped. Okay, onto another topic...oh, yeah: why the Blitz team has not had a Zoid battle with the Skylers. Well, I said this before, but just to clarify, I really can't write Zoid battles all that well. Besides, do you really think it would be safe to trust someone like Mikey Skyler with a heavy piece of machinery? I don't think so! LOL! Also, this kind of gets a bit more violent with blood and stuff (nothing graphic or anything like that), just to warn you all. But that's why it's PG-13 now. Another note: Jamie's not in this chapter. But don't worry; he plays an important part in the last chapter! I just didn't want him to come in in this chapter because I'm saving him and his "revelation" (I'd guess you'd call it) for the last one...it's kind of hard to explain without giving anything away, so...well..yeah. I'd just thought I'd tell you all. Lastly, and most importantly, DON'T TAKE ANY OF THIS TOO SERIOUSLY! Really, it's no fun like that! It's supposed to be black humor not some serious drama or anything! Okay, I'm done ranting! Have fun reading Chapter 6! And remember, after this comes the final chapter: Ray's Finale! Aren't we all so excited?! Probably not, but you could all at least pretend to be! LOL! Anyway, here we go! The demented tale continues on...

Brad grumbled miserably as he neared his room. What a horrible morning it had been. If only Naomi knew how to keep her mouth shut, Brad thought bitterly. It was true; Naomi definitely had made the situation worse between him and Ray. And Brad was still unclear on what Ray had meant earlier that morning when he said he planned to "get rid of" Naomi Fluegel-and that he seemed to be planning on dragging Brad into his ridiculous scheme.
"Whatever," Brad muttered aloud, placing a hand to his forehead. He sensed another migraine coming on; he seemed to be getting a lot of them over the course of the last three days.
And suddenly, then, Brad had a revelation: Ray was nowhere to be seen. In fact, Brad hadn't seen him for over a half an hour now; it must have been some sort of miracle. Brad beamed, feeling suddenly ecstatic, as if his sense of life had rushed back into his veins. Perhaps life WASN'T so bad. And with this pleasant thought, Brad entered his room, nearly skipping as he did so.
How wrong Brad had been for there, on his bedroom floor, lay the unmoving Naomi Fluegel, eyes shut and blood trickling down her forehead. Brad gasped loudly and quickly rushed to her, kneeling by her side.
"Naomi!" he called as he shook her shoulder. Then, a steady smacking noise came from behind him. Brad's eyes widened in a horrified realization as he slowly rose to his feet, knowing the worst was to come. Then, he said to himself: "Ray." His face filled with a worried expression as it took all the courage he had to turn around…
And there was Ray Skyler, sitting on Brad's bed, head lowered as he hit a baseball bat over and over again into the palm of his hand. He seemed frighteningly calm, as if the blood that dripped from his bat was no big deal, his eyes a twist of tranquility and insanity. Then, he spoke in a low, coarse voice:
"I had to, Brad," he explained. "I had to-for us." Brad hesitated for a moment, his body swaying back and forth as he deliberated his next move.
"That's understandable…I guess…" Brad lied weakly as he chose to inch his way toward the door.
"I knew YOU'D understand!" the deranged Ray exclaimed, lifting his head and rising with a great grin. He stepped toward Brad excitedly, heavy, blood-covered bat still in hand, and Brad winced and groaned as he noticed that Ray blocked the exit-Brad's only means of escape. "That's what Naomi Fluegel DIDN'T understand," Ray continued, advancing as Brad stepped back warily, eyes set fearfully on the baseball bat. "SHE didn't understand our bond, Brad-and THAT'S why we have to get rid of her-TOGETHER." Brad cringed as he backed into Naomi's unmoving body and he looked down at it with a frown. Then, he glanced back up at Ray, trying his best to smile, though he looked rather frightened and disgusted instead.
"Together?" Brad managed to squeak out. "But Ray-"
"No buts, Brad! I won't let myself have all the fun!"
"Because bashing someone's skull in is SO much fun…" Brad muttered sarcastically, yet Ray heard it loud and clear.
"It is, isn't it?" His grin widened, obviously not detecting Brad's sarcasm. Then, he dropped the bat and threw his arms around Brad joyously. "You DO understand! I knew you would! I knew you would!"
"How about we call the police?" Brad suggested, voice strained as Ray's massive arms crushed Brad in their embrace. "I'm sure THEY'D understand." Ray let out a booming chuckle as he released Brad, though keeping both of his hands firmly on Brad's shoulders.
"Now, Brad, you know we can't do that!" he explained as if the idea were preposterous. "Not until we're done, anyway; we wouldn't want to show the police a half finished product!"
"No. No we wouldn't…" Brad mumbled miserably, realizing that Ray actually thought he was doing something noble. Brad sighed in exasperation, deciding the only thing he could do was attempt to rationalize with the delusional Ray. "Look, RAY, it was really…er…sweet of you…or something…to do this all for me-"
"US," Ray corrected.
"Yeah, us, whatever," Brad agreed hastily and continued on, "But it really isn't necessary-"
"But it IS, Brad!" Ray cried as he took Brad by the arm and swung him against the wall. Brad closed his eyes and let out a cry of pain as he felt his back become severely bruised. Then the sound of Ray's two hands slamming firmly against the wall, one beside each of Brad's ears, boomed through out the room like a clap of thunder. Brad groaned and reluctantly opened his eyes.
It was at that moment that Brad truly realized how big Ray really was. Even leaning forward with his flashy grin, he still towered a foot over Brad. He was a giant of a man, muscle covering every inch of his body, stomach and chest as hard as stone. His feet were large and stood sternly on the floor, like heavy anchors while his hands were twice the size of Brad's and were as strong as hammers. And Rays' arms were like iron prison bars, unbreakable and unmovable, caging Brad inbetween them.
"Don't you see, Brad?" Ray asked now. "Don't you see? I love you, Brad Hunter!"
"You WHAT?" Brad questioned in horror. However, as soon as his eyes fell past Ray onto the unmoving Naomi Fluegel, he quickly corrected himself, though the horror and fear refused to leave his face. "I mean…er…" He let out a nervous chuckle. "That's…uh…nice, Ray…I guess…" His voice was reluctant as he spoke and his eyes warily wandered up to the ceiling.
"Yes. Yes, it is, Brad," Ray stated in his own oblivious bliss. "I've loved you since I met you, Brad. Ever since that first day of kindergarten, I loved you."
"Don't you think LOVE is a strong word?" Brad inquired desperately, but Ray was too involved with his declaration of love to give Brad any heed.
"And ever since then, I devoted my life to you and only you."
"Sort of…" Brad mumbled, slightly annoyed, recalling Ray's selfishness rather than his generosity.
"But, then-" Ray's face become infuriated now- "But then, SHE came. And I realized, she was going to ruin everything! Everything that WE worked for! How could I have her do that to you?"
"I don't know, Ray," Brad answered flatly. "How could you?"
"Well…I couldn't!" Ray answered frantically as if the image of Naomi destroying their "bond" had frightened him, any other answer eluding his miniscule mind. "And that's why-that's why I had to get rid of her Brad-for good. There was no other alternative."
"Because we should ALWAYS kill the people we dislike," Brad replied sarcastically.
"Exactly!" Ray exclaimed loudly and Brad almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of Ray's booming voice. "But now she's gone, Brad. You don't have to worry. I killed her."
"Oh, I'm not worried, Ray," Brad stated. "Not worried of HER, anyway. YOU, on the other hand…" Ray, however, simply ignored Brad's comments as he often did.
"And now that she's gone, we can be together-FOREVER." As the word "forever" escaped Ray's lips, Brad's face lit up in horror at the thought of an eternal and agonizing future with Ray Skyler and Ray suddenly wished that he was the one lying dead on the floor instead of Naomi Fluegel.

Bit, in all honesty, was unsure how he had gotten outside that noon, so far from the hanger, alone and defenseless. He had somehow just wandered there into the desert, the bright sun beating down on the sand, and Bit supposed that it was his own forlorn fate that had lured him to that very spot that afternoon, the same spot where Kylie had confessed her twisted love to Bit just last evening. He wondered if he ought to simply wait there for his inevitable doom like the brave warrior from fables who stands steadfast, awaiting his destiny, no matter how bitter it may be.
Immediately, it struck him how utterly stupid the idea was to just wait to die, no matter how courageous it was, when he could just easily run and hide, a coward, but alive and well nonetheless. It seemed far more clever an act, in Bit's opinion, than that of the resolute, brave, supposedly intelligent warrior. A sudden panic flung onto his face then and seized it as he fully comprehended how utterly alone and defenseless he indeed was and that he was too far to call for help if needed. Of course, Bit failed to realize that there was no point in running from a Skyler, whether it be Mikey or the newly initiated Kylie, for either one would eventually catch up to him and even if someone could hear him scream for help, none of his friends would bother to come to his aide. The only question remaining was which Skyler would catch him first.
As he turned about, ready to flee back to the hanger as if it were some form of security, he learned his answer. There stood Kylie with a deranged grin on her face and a twitch right eye. Bit let out a shrill gasp and jumped back.
"Kylie!" he cried in horror.
"Yes, Bit; I've come," she began in a low, tremor of a voice. "For YOU." Bit gave a sound that resembled a pitiful whine.
"But, Kylie-WHY?"
"Because, Bit-" her voice became sweet and dreamy- "I LOVE you."
"But you don't even KNOW me!" Bit protested.
"But I DO know you! Even better than I did yesterday!" She threw her arms around Bit then and squeezed tightly as Bit desperately tried to pry her off of him, his eyes wavering around him in fear that he may spot Mikey coming-no. That Mikey may spot HIM.
"Kylie! PLEASE!" Bit begged, but Kylie ignored him.
"When you let Michael Skyler drink that poison this morning, I knew then-for sure-you were my knight in shining armor!"
"But you were the one who poisoned him!"
"But that's just it!"
"It is?!" Bit's voice was cracking as Kylie continued talking nonsense.
"You're silence-the silence you had as Mikey drunk up the poison-THAT was your declaration of love!"
"But-I didn't say anything like that!" Bit objected her irrational arguments.
"You didn't have to, Bit!" Kylie insisted. "Saying 'enjoy the coffee' was enough!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"Isn't it obvious?! You LOVE me!"
"No, I don't! The only reason I let Mikey drink the poison was because I don't like him! IT-HAD-NOTHING-TO-DO-WITH-YOU!" he shouted his sentence in frustration emphasizing each word clearly as so Kylie would understand.
Kylie's face went blank as she slowly pulled away from Bit, arms dropping to her side, limp lifeless. And Bit took a small, quiet step back as he listened to Kylie's breathing become labored and watched her head hang loosely from her neck, as if ready to roll off.
"You don't…love me?" she questioned, her body beginning to shake as if she were having a seizure. Then she screamed a horrible, ear-piercing scream: "YOU DON'T LOVE ME?!" Bit cringed as she lunged for him, fingers curled and nails sharp, pointed directly at his flesh. Her face was a hideous mix of fury and insanity. Bit screamed in panic.
And then Mikey came.
He stood a few feet away, arms hanging loosely on his sides, thick butcher knife in hand. His face was tense and infuriated; he looked more insane than usual.
"Mikey!" Bit cried out in horror. Kylie's anger left her and was replaced by a sudden fear as she turned to face the bloodthirsty Michael Skyler. She stared at him, eyes frozen and body trembling.
"I should have known," he said in a low, frightening voice. Bit immediately stepped back cautiously, face wild with frenzy.
"Now, Mikey, it's not want you think-" Bit was cut off, however, by Mikey's brutal, savage scream that sounded distinctly like the war-cry of an uncivilized man. He pounced on Kylie, knife raised above her and stabbed down on her as she screamed and wrapped her fingers tightly around his throat. Bit grimaced at the grotesque sight of Kylie's blood as he stood watching and hoped that the two would kill each other quickly, Mikey stabbing her to death and Kylie strangling the life out of him.
However, Bit wasn't so lucky. For a few moments after Mikey attacked, the poison finally kicked in. He dropped the butcher knife on the sand and ripped himself fram Kylie, grabbing his chest in pain. He let out a choking noise before he fell to the ground and didn't move again. Kylie, on the other hand, lay on the ground, her wide eyes unblinking and her left shoulder bleeding from the two shallow stab wounds Mikey had given her. Then, suddenly, she sat up with a jolt. Bit whimpered and jumped back. She then seized the butcher knife and turned to him, eyes blazed with rage.
Her face was that of a madwoman, full of passionate hate and wild insanity. She heaved herself off the ground and tightened her grip around the knife until her knuckles were white. Her teeth were bared and clenched, her breathing harsh and violent, and her eyes vengeful. They dug directly into Bit with a fatal animosity. Then, clutching the knife, she ran for him, ready to viciously slit his throat. Bit could think of nothing else to do but scream and close his eyes…
A blast sounded. Bit opened his eyes to see an unconscious Kylie lying at his feet, a pool of blood forming under her limp body.
Kylie Atwater had been shot.

"I can't believe this guy's still alive," Bit overheard the EMT say as he rolled an unconscious Mikey Skyler into an ambulance car. "That poison should have killed him instantly." The other EMT just shrugged and closed the car doors.
Meanwhile, the police officer who had shot Kylie had just finished her questioning of Bit. "Ms. Atwater should survive," she now informed him. "After her bullet wound and stab wounds are treated, she'll be taken to see psychiatric help."
"Oh…" Bit replied, disappointed with the fact that Kylie would still be alive. "And Mikey?" The police officer sighed.
"Psychiatric ward, too," she stated flatly and Bit frowned ever more disappointed that Mikey would be alive, too. "I'm just glad we got that phone call when we did. Otherwise…"
"That's right; how did you know to come?" Bit then remembered to ask. The police officer got in her car with a sigh.
"Some mysterious phone call from some mysterious girl," the police officer told him. "Didn't leave a name or number." She shrugged with a "hmm" and drove off with the other police and ambulance cars leaving Bit alone in the desert with only his own confusion to keep him company.

Brad had to think-think of some logical way to rationalize with the deranged Ray Skyler who was twice his size and towered over him a good few feet. Yet Ray talked about love and forever and many other terrifying things that made Brad fear that no reasoning would be able to penetrate through Ray's thick, insane skull. Besides, Ray had him pinned up against the wall; there was no escape.
"Together…forever…" Ray repeated, letting the words sink in for his own enjoyment and to Brad's own sickening fear. Ray's eyes flashed with excitement and he exclaimed, "Won't it be wonderful, Brad?" Brad just shook his head with a grimace.
"No…no, it won't, Ray." Ray's face dropped for a moment, but was quickly restored with joy.
"You're right, Brad; it'll be even BETTER than wonderful!" He then embraced Brad and Brad felt as if Ray were crushing every bone in his body. Ray then slammed brad back against the wall and Brad winced in unbelievable pain. "NOW," Ray started with a devious smile. "All we have to do is get rid of HER."
"Her?" Brad inquired innocently, although he knew perfectly well who Ray was talking about.
"Naomi Fluegel," Ray snarled and dug his fingers into Brad's shoulders, locking him against the wall. He leaned close to Brad, staring psychotically into Brad's frightened eyes. "For our love, I killed her. Now, for our love, YOU'LL get rid of the body."
"Get rid of the body?" Brad's voice was cracking and he hastily swallowed and cleared his throat. "I mean, I don't think that's a good idea."
"Of course it is, Brad," he said as if it were fact. Brad frowned.
"Uh…not really." He went to look past Ray, but Ray wouldn't let Brad's eyes leave his.
"Well, why not, Brad?" Ray questioned, his devious smile becoming insane. His voice was frighteningly calm and his eyes widened as he spoke.
"Well…because it's not," Brad stated matter-of-factly. Ray looked as if he was ready to short-circuit.
"But…you…MUST. Because…you…love…me," Ray insisted, separating each word as his face began to twitch. "You DO love me, don't you, Brad?"
"Uh…" Brad's voice trailed off as his eyes wandered to the ceiling. Ray almost screamed out in rage then and Brad let out a cry of agony as he felt the pressure of Ray's hands begin to break his arms. Any sensibility left Brad and he found himself fill with panic. "Now, Ray-"
"Why don't you say it?!" Ray questioned in fury. "Say it, Brad! SAY you love me!" Brad winced, pretty sure his left arm was breaking, and almost certain that the right one would be breaking soon, too. How could he stop the raving Ray Skyler from ripping him limb from limb? It seemed simple enough; all he had to do was say three words: "I love you."
"I-" Brad began, but stopped himself, the words failing to escape his lips. He started again, "I…" but once more fell short. "I…uh…" He fell into a fit of nervous laughter then. "Well, why do I have to say it? I mean, you should already know-" Ray interrupted with a savage growl, however, and Brad quickly shut up. He tried once more: "I…" Yet the words refused to come out. It was simply too difficult for Brad to say those three dreadful words to the man he hated, loathed, and despised the most.
"Brad…?" Ray asked, his anger subsiding into desperation. Brad winced. Then, after a long moment, Ray let out an agonizing, ear-piercing wail that caused Brad to cringe. Ray shook his head, although still firmly holding Brad against the wall, and sobbed, "It was her, it was her. That damn Naomi Fluegel."
A baseball bat then cracked against the side of Ray's head and Ray slumped to the floor, blood flinging from his forehead. And there, bat in hand and towering over the fallen Ray Skyler, to Brad's utmost surprise, was Naomi Fluegel. Blood trickled down the side of her face from her temple, and her indignant eyes were set on Ray's body with much aversion. In disgust, she threw the bat to the floor with a scoff and narrowed her eyes.
"Bastard."

Brad and Naomi had gathered the others into Brad's room, specifically Leena, Leon, and Dr. Toros. They hadn't gotten Jamie, knowing that he would immediately call the police, and Bit, unfortunately, was nowhere to be found at the moment. In all actuality, none of them really wanted Leon there either, but he had been with Dr. Toros and Leena when Naomi and Brad came, and it took a lot of convincing to prevent Leon from calling the police himself. How all five stood around the body of Ray Skyler, afraid to move or even touch him in fear that he may spring back to life.
"So…what do we do now?" Brad asked.
"I say we dump the body in some ditch," Leena stated decisively, crossing her arms. "We'd be doing the world a lot of good."
"We can't do that!" Leon protested, feeling the idea was ludicrous. "That's illegal!"
"So's murder," Leenea nonchalantly remarked and glanced at Naomi. Naomi scoffed, still livid.
"I say we dump it," she callously decided.
"But-you can't be serious!" Leon continued to argue. "That would make the rest of us accomplices! Besides, I'm sure the police would understand that Naomi did it in self-defense UNLESS we decide to get rid of the body."
"Maybe we can burn the body…" Dr. Toros thought pensively, placing a hand to his chin.
"Dad!" Leon shouted in outrage.
"Hey! That's not a bad idea, Dad!" Leena told her father.
"Leena!" Leon scolded. She placed her hands on her hops.
"Well, it's not!" Leon shook his head.
"This is ridiculous!" he finally exclaimed. "We are calling the police and we're calling them now!"
"NO," Naomi stopped Leon with the sound of her stern voice. "It's Brad's call." And no one, not even Leon, could protest. All eyes set on Brad and Brad crossed his arms and lowered his own eyes to the unmoving Ray Skyler as he began contemplating his options. An uneasy feeling swayed in his stomach and he wondered, could it really be that easy? Could Ray Skyler really be gone from his life with just a swing of a bat? Could it be that he was finally free from Ray Skyler? Yet as he stared down at Ray's body that lay flat on it's stomach, Brad suddenly feared that it would not last very long, that his freedom would be heartlessly ripped from him in a matter of moments. He wanted the body gone, out of his sight, never to be seen by his eyes again. Only then would Brad be certain that Ray would never come back to bother him again-only then could he be truly free. But to burn the body? A sickening feeling came over him as he imagined Ray's body in flames and his eyes suddenly shooting open with a wicked glare and his mouth curving into an evil grin; Ray Skyler would truly be the devil himself. So this idea was torn from his mind, the frightening image never to be thought of again. Now, he only had one option left…
"We'll dump it."
And that's what they did. They wrapped Ray's body up in a black plastic bag and threw him in the back of the Blitz team's truck. The five then drove for a long time; it was almost dark when Brad decided they were far enough away from the hanger to dump the body. So they heaved Ray's body out of the car and drove off. Strangely, none of them felt a sense of guilt for their dubious act or fear of being caught. Only Brad had a lurking doubt that Ray Skyler would come back to haunt him, that it was all just a dream and he'd wake up any second to see Ray Skyler beside him, alive and well. But as they drove farther and farther away from the body, even Brad's doubt left him as he began to laugh cheerfully with the others, the memory of Ray Skyler to be forgotten forever.
Yet from the black bag rose a hand-a massive, tense hand with sharply curved fingers outstretched, white palm reaching toward the sky…
Ray Skyler was still alive.