Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Liu had been waiting for this moment for the last few years. Dreaming about it for the last few months. Savoring it for the last two weeks. And finally, after so many deaths, so many searches, so much shit to endure, today he would see Jeff.

Today would be the perfect opportunity to kill him once and for all, avenging his parents and stopping the ongoing massacre of that son of a bitch who once was his brother.

Knowing he shared blood with someone like Jeff made him sick. Maybe that’s why they ended up the way they did. Like two broken killers, two bastards abandoned to their luck in a world that wanted to devour them alive.

Only it wasn’t that. Jeff had always been a maniac and a weird idiot. Burning himself alive only brought out his worst pathologies, but there was no way something as dark and sinister as the forest stretching before him hadn’t been brewing inside Jeff long before.

Speaking of forests, Liu stopped in the middle of the path for a moment. There were several fallen leaves on the ground at the foot of a tree, and when he looked up, he found an arrow drawn on a sheet of paper.

The stroke was messy and rushed, as if someone had made it in desperation before pinning it to a tree in the middle of the woods.

Without thinking too much, he continued his walk down that path. Nothing could surprise him anymore in this forest.

No. Better said, nothing could surprise him anymore after that demon, Zalgo, had appeared before him to offer that deal.

It seemed like a fair deal.

Kill people in exchange for finding Jeff. He hadn’t even thought it over much. He would’ve given anything to kill Jeff. His life had been shit long before his fiancée’s death. Jeff had taken away everything that once gave him enough joy to keep living.

It sickened him to think that Jeff had once been part of the small group of people who brought him joy to live. So Liu shoved those memories deep down in his mind and focused instead on that cabin—more like a mansion—settled in a clearing in the middle of the forest.

Liu felt his heart begin to pound hard inside his chest. Heat and excitement buzzed through his body. He could almost feel Jeff’s warm, sticky, thick blood on his hands. The idea thrilled him—he could almost taste it.

But it wasn’t time yet. Too many things could go wrong if he let himself be carried away by anger. He hadn’t even reached the house yet, much less located Jeff. So he forced himself to calm down and look straight ahead.

He almost stepped back at the sight of the figures standing in front of the house. A tall, faceless man in a black suit. A guy in a black ski mask with a sad expression, a dark yellow hoodie and blue jeans. Another guy—who couldn’t be much older than Liu—wearing black pants, a mostly dark jacket with ash-colored line details, a lower half mask like a firefighter’s, and most striking of all, an axe strapped to his back.

Liu didn’t let himself be intimidated (though seeing the faceless white man had rattled him), and he walked until he was standing before them, finally stepping onto the mansion’s grounds.

“Homicidal Liu,” began the tall man. His voice was distorted and strange—Liu almost grimaced at the sound of it. His name spoken by that thing sounded confusing and wrong. “It’s a pleasure to have you here. I am Slenderman,” he continued calmly.

Liu nodded slowly, analyzing the name. “Well, you already know mine,” he said dryly.

To his right, the young man (who Liu noticed was making small odd movements out of nowhere) looked strangely cheerful while whispering something to the guy in the orange hoodie. Liu didn’t give them more attention and turned his gaze back to Slenderman.

“If you follow me, we’ll show you the house and the others who live here,” assured the creature as it turned to enter. Liu followed him inside, the other two trailing after.

The house looked old, but elegant. A bit messy, but nothing outrageous—just enough to show people actually lived there. In fact, it was much more than he expected, considering it was a house full of killers and psychopaths.

“You already know Tobby and Hoodie,” said Slenderman as they entered what seemed to be a living room, judging by the sofa in the center, where another guy was sitting. Liu glanced again at the other two. “The kid with the axe is Ticci Tobby. The other is Hoodie,” he added simply. Liu mentally thanked him for clarifying.

When he looked back to the front, he focused on the man on the sofa. He was a creature like Slenderman—or at least looked like one, with a blue mask from which thick, black tears dripped. He was dressed entirely in black, and his masked face turned toward them as they entered.

“This one here is Jack. Eyeless Jack,” said Slenderman calmly.

Jack stood up energetically, quickly approaching the group.

“Is this the new one, Slendy?” he asked happily, which was surprising given his appearance.

“Yeah,” said Tobby cheerfully, speaking before Slenderman could answer. “It’s him. Should I call the others?” he asked, stepping in front of Liu to stop next to Jack, tilting his head at Slenderman (and twitching slightly as he moved, which Liu completely ignored).

“Yes, tell them to come to the living room,” Slenderman said simply. Hoodie and Tobby both left calmly, climbing the creaking stairs.

Left alone again with Jack and Slenderman, Liu glanced around with his hands in his pockets, just to make sure his knife was still there. He squeezed it lightly when he found it, holding its cold length to calm his anxiety.

“I’ll give you the tour after the introductions, uh…” Jack said, trying to start some conversation, but stopped when he realized he didn’t know the newcomer’s name.

“Liu,” he said quickly, stepping forward with an extended hand for a more formal introduction, which Jack accepted immediately. “Homicidal Liu,” he finished, giving his new name—fair enough, since Jack had done the same.

Jack froze for a moment, holding his hand longer than expected, staring at Liu as if he’d just told him he killed his dog.

“Liu? You wouldn’t happen to be—” Before Jack could continue, a new figure appeared in the room, thrown to the floor by Hoodie.

“Hey!” yelled the blond teenager crying blood, holding a video game console in his hands.

Liu tensed for a moment until he realized the kid wasn’t injured or anything like that—he was just… permanently bleeding, or something.

“That’s Ben,” said Slenderman in a tone that reminded Liu of his father after scolding him and Jeff one afternoon when they’d been particularly annoying during a move.

That tired, resigned tone of his father had always irritated Liu while also making him feel guilty. But in this moment, it only gave him chills and fueled his hatred toward Jeff even more.

“He’s a lover of video games.” A female voice called his attention, pulling him back to reality.

This time, he truly took a step back at the sight of the girl in front of him. Memories of that night swirled in his mind at the sight of her slit smile, pale skin, and clearly burned black hair. She looked like Jeff—only in a red skirt and purple sweater.

Without realizing it, his hand was in his pocket again, clutching his knife like a hidden savior.

The girl looked at him and somehow smiled wider. “A pleasure, Liu,” she said lazily as she dropped onto the couch. “I’m Nina.”

Ben plopped down beside her, still huffing as he tried to play on his console. Hoodie sighed and sat on the arm of the sofa.

Noise came from the doorway, where Tobby entered with a little girl perched on his shoulders.

The girl looked at him happily, as if he’d just given her a new toy or offered her ice cream.

“Hi! I’m Sally and we’re going to eat pancakes! Do you want some?” she asked brightly. But Liu didn’t get a chance to answer as Tobby kept walking into what Liu assumed was the kitchen. The girl’s laughter mixed with Tobby’s filled the room for a few seconds, then faded into echoes, leaving Liu more unsettled than he expected.

Zalgo had said there were people of all kinds and ages. But he’d never believed there’d literally be a child here.

He really thought the teenagers were young enough. He hadn’t expected someone younger than that. Honestly, it left a bad taste in his mouth.

What had they done to that girl to end up like this? Worse, what had they done to all of them to end up like this?

“Where are the others?” asked Slenderman, snapping Liu out of his thoughts. Was there really more people here?

“Jane and Masky left last night after the fight,” said Hoodie in a deep, calm voice. Liu distractedly noted it was the first time he’d heard him speak. “No idea where Laughing is. And Jeff said he was on his way.”

Everything else disappeared instantly at the mention of that name. Jeff was here. Zalgo hadn’t lied. He would definitely kill anyone Zalgo asked him to.

Footsteps echoed on the stairs, followed by groans and curses from a voice Liu recognized instantly.

His hand slid to his knife. His body moved almost ethereally toward the living room entrance. His mind flew back to that moment years ago, his own gut-wrenching screams echoing in his ears.

“What’s with all the noise?” Jeff complained as he stood before Liu.

He recognized him. Of course he did. Liu saw it in the way Jeff’s eyes scanned him up and down until they settled on the carved smile on his face.

“Oh, you’re already here, Liu,” Jeff said simply and… and that was enough. That was all Liu needed to surge forward, knife raised, and plunge it into the neck of the boy who once had been his brother.

Blood spurted in bursts, staining the walls and floor as Jeff fell. Liu climbed over him, ignoring the screams and protests around him, stabbing again and again into the bastard’s cold body beneath him.

Slowly, Liu stilled. His arm lowered softly, dropping the knife to his side. Hot blood stained his face and hands, sticking disgustingly to his skin.

But none of that mattered. Not when Jeff’s lifeless body lay beneath him. Not when his parents could finally rest in peace. Not when, finally—finally—the boy who had once been his brother could rest too, knowing that the monster who’d stolen his body was dead.

Now he could live in peace. He could just run out into the forest and put a bullet in his head. He could go to some forgotten town where no one knew him, start a new life. Now he could—

His thoughts shattered when a knife brutally stabbed into his neck.

His eyes widened, his hands instinctively clutching his throat, trying to stop the blood.

His gaze locked on the body beneath him—the one that had been dead a moment ago—and his eyes widened further. Jeff was the one driving the knife into his neck, grinning with that familiar smile, eyes gleaming with a bloodthirst that begged for more. The angle of the light even made them look blood red as Jeff lunged forward, ripping the knife free from his neck, letting Liu bleed out.

Nothing had worked. Nothing had been worth it. Nothing could stop that beast that was Jeff the Killer.

His parents wouldn’t be avenged now that Liu would surely die. Liu himself wouldn’t be avenged. The old Jeff would never be avenged.

Liu closed his eyes, resigned to fully embrace death, longing to be reunited with his beloved fiancée and parents.

Maybe even with the ghost of little Jeff Woods.

Only… that moment never came. Instead, Liu suddenly sat back on the blood-soaked floor, gasping deeply, trembling like hell.

A mad, unhinged laugh tore through the room, catching his attention. His eyes locked with Jeff’s, who sat on the floor before him, grinning like a maniac.

The wounds on Jeff’s chest and neck were closing right before Liu’s eyes. It was both hypnotic and disgusting to watch the flesh knit itself back together until it was almost intact again, only faint pink marks left on his porcelain-white skin.

Liu felt like he was going to vomit right there.

A deep sigh filled the room. Liu didn’t even have the strength to look at Slenderman, but he focused on his words—they were the most “normal” thing here, which was saying a lot.

“Rule number one: members of the house are strictly forbidden from attacking one another. If they do, they will be brought back to life by their contract with Zalgo,” Slenderman said heavily, moving to help Jeff to his feet. “When will the day come that someone doesn’t try to kill you the first time they arrive?”

He grumbled as he looked at the holes in Jeff’s torn clothes.

“Sorry, Slendy. I should’ve introduced him first,” said Jeff, wiping his face with the remnants of his shredded shirt. “This is Liu Woods,” he added cheerfully, turning to Liu as if it were the funniest thing in the world. “My big brother.”

A collective gasp filled the room in an instant.

And Liu… Liu finally understood that Zalgo had never said he could kill Jeff. No. That demon had only spoken of finding him.

Shit. So this is what being scammed feels like?

Chapter Text

“Did you really think you could kill Jeff the Killer just by walking into his house and stabbing him?” asked a very amused Sally, happily munching on her honey-soaked pancakes.

The ghost girl looked at him with a huge smile, her lips slightly smeared with honey. Liu sighed, reached out, and handed her a napkin. She thanked him quickly and wiped herself clean.

“You talk about Jeff like he’s a big deal,” Liu muttered in annoyance.

He looked down at his hands, now covered only in dried blood scabs. That was the only thing he couldn’t wash off before trying, once again, to kill his damn brother. And once again, he had failed.

Although this time, it was only because Slenderman had pulled some tentacles out of nowhere and dragged him into the kitchen, where little Sally was eating and Tobby was making more pancakes.

Slenderman let out a heavy sigh and left the room, muttering something about having a talk with Jeff. The mere mention of his brother made Liu scowl again—at least until Tobby placed a plate of pancakes in front of him.

Liu looked at him with curiosity, waiting for words, but instead he only got a wide grin filled with far too many teeth.

“Pancakes lift your spirits,” the teenager said cheerfully. Liu slowly reached for the honey, unable to look away from the gaping hole in Tobby’s cheek.

For a moment, it almost reminded him of his own scars. But from how raw it looked, it couldn’t have been more than a few days old. Yet Tobby seemed far too comfortable and experienced eating like that. It was… unsettling.

Liu sighed and focused on eating his pancakes. Everything here was unsettling. Not just the rules, the supernatural, or the impossibility of dying. No. The strangest thing was how everyone treated it all as normal.

There were ghost children and teenagers wandering around. Psychopaths and killers arguing over which movie to watch in the living room. And worst of all, everyone seemed perfectly fine with his brother’s presence.

They all knew him well—at least from what Liu saw while being dragged in by Slenderman.

Ben and Jack had stayed by Jeff’s side as Liu was taken away. Nina had clung to his arm like it was her rightful place. And little Sally spoke of him like he was some great legend.

Just how much had Jeff brainwashed them? That was a question Liu knew would haunt him for a while.

“So, you’re Jeff’s brother, huh?” Tobby asked. Liu huffed in irritation.

“Unfortunately, yes,” he answered with a heavy sigh.

Sally giggled. “It must’ve been so fun being Jeff’s brother!” she exclaimed. And Liu… well, he wasn’t going to be an ass to a child. Besides, most of the time it had been good. At least, until everything went to hell and Jeff snapped.

“It was, for a while,” said Jeff’s voice from the doorway. Liu shot him a murderous glare, ready to meet that manic grin, but instead all he found was Jeff’s calm gaze. That threw him off.

“Oh, Jeff, do you want pancakes?” Tobby asked, already standing to make more.

“No, don’t bother, thanks. I came to apologize to my brother,” Jeff said simply. Liu was ready to pounce on him, ready to—

Wait. Apologize?

Jeff stepped close, only an arm’s length away. If Liu reached out, he could touch him. He didn’t know if that thought terrified him or thrilled him.

“I’m sorry, Liu. I shouldn’t have attacked you—especially since you don’t know the house rules, and it’s my job to teach them and blah, blah, blah.” Halfway through, Jeff’s conviction crumbled, and he just muttered the words awkwardly.

Liu frowned, while Sally and Tobby snickered quietly.

“Jeff!” boomed Slenderman from his not-so-hidden spot behind the door.

Jeff spun toward the creature, turning his back on Liu. If only he had his knife…

“Come on! Do you really think Liu even wants to see me?!” Jeff snapped—and, well, he wasn’t wrong. Liu didn’t want to see him, not after his failed attempt.

“That doesn’t matter,” Slenderman said, peeking further through the door, which was oddly comical. “You know your responsibility is—”

“I know my duties with Zalgo!” Jeff shouted suddenly. “But you also know I almost killed Liu, and Liu wants to kill me. That’s not just bad for me—it’s bad for him too!” His outburst left the room in silence.

Slenderman stared at him quietly. Liu’s eyes widened. Jeff wasn’t wrong. Having to admit Jeff was right was already infuriating him.

Slenderman sighed and looked away, clearly considering Jeff’s words.

“Don’t you have to go hunting?” he finally asked.

“Yeah, I do,” Jeff replied, walking past him. He stopped when they were side by side, placing a hand on Slenderman’s shoulder. It would’ve been funny if the tension in the air wasn’t so thick. “Take care of my brother,” he said coldly before leaving.

Slenderman didn’t reply—only sighed and looked at Tobby, who stood up straight like a soldier awaiting orders.

“Finish eating and show him his room,” he ordered tiredly, before leaving in silence.

Jack slipped in as Slenderman left, watching the creature go without a word.

“Well, that went better than expected,” he said, sitting beside Sally.

“At least they didn’t try to kill each other,” Tobby chuckled.

Liu growled to remind them he was still there. But all he got was Sally’s apologetic smile while Jack and Tobby kept chatting.

Liu sighed and returned to his pancakes. He ate in silence—though he had already lost his appetite.

“And this will be your room,” Tobby said as he opened a door.

The room wasn’t bad. Like the rest of the house, it was made of old wood but still elegant and clean.

There was a bed in the middle, curtains on the window, an open empty closet, and another door that Liu assumed led to a private bathroom. It was more than he expected.

“Thanks,” he murmured as he stepped inside.

“No problem!” Tobby said cheerfully. “My room’s right next to yours.” He pointed down the hall. Liu peeked out and saw several doors on both sides, and one at the very end.

“Let me guess, that last one belongs to Slenderman,” he said with a smirk.

Tobby chuckled softly, shaking his head.

“No. That’s Jeff’s room.” His words killed the mood a little, making Liu groan. “He was the first to arrive, along with Slenderman, so he picked whichever room he wanted.” Tobby’s gaze lingered on the door. “Sorry I couldn’t put you farther away from him,” he added apologetically.

Liu relaxed a little. Tobby was just a teenager. None of this was his fault.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said gently. “I already know I can’t kill him.” He looked away as he finished speaking.

Tobby huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “It’s not that you can’t kill him—he’ll just come back. And Jeff’s pretty slippery anyway.” He squinted, which looked like a smile beneath the mask he had slipped back on before guiding Liu to his room.

“Everyone here seems to hold Jeff in such high regard,” Liu remarked, his eyes still fixed on the uneven patterns of Jeff’s door.

“Something like that. He’s not a bad guy.” Tobby shrugged. “At least, by this place’s standards.” He added quietly, sneaking a glance at Liu as if to gauge his reaction.

“Then their standards are pretty damn low,” Liu muttered, stepping inside his room. Tobby laughed behind him.

“We’re all like him here,” he said as he walked away. “We’re all abandoned, lonely psychopath killers.”

Liu watched him go, ignoring how easily those words could apply to himself as well.

Closing the door, he collapsed face-first onto the bed. Well, now he was settled. All that was left was figuring out how to contact Zalgo. 

Chapter Text

It was well into the night when Jeff walked into the house, his white hoodie drenched in the blood of his victims, a grocery bag full of snacks and bottles of alcohol hanging from his arm.

Could you really blame the guy? Liu’s sudden appearance had thrown him off, even though he knew it beforehand. Shit, even when Zalgo told him, it still sounded like a terrible idea.

Of course, he left the responsibility of guiding and adjusting Liu to Slendy. Literally his only interaction with his brother in years had ended with the two of them temporarily killing each other.

Besides, the formal job was Slendy’s. Jeff still preferred keeping a low profile. Even if some people were already beginning to suspect his true position, no one had said anything yet, which kept him calm.

“You’re here.” A feminine voice spoke from the kitchen. Jeff turned toward her with a tired look.

“Hey, Jane.” He said, walking in and setting the bag on the kitchen island. “How was the hunt?” he asked casually while looking for a bottle opener.

“Excellent.” She said, leaning against the counter. “I just imagined they were all you.” she added simply, handing him the opener. Jeff gave her an apologetic smile as he took it.

“Sorry, Jane. I have to admit you were right.” he said, pulling two glasses from the cupboard and setting them on the table before uncorking a bottle of red wine.

“What’s this? The great Jeff The Killer apologizing?” she teased, accepting the glass he handed her. “I must be hallucinating.” she muttered under her breath.

Jeff chuckled softly, filling his own glass almost to the brim before sitting silently on the counter beside Jane.

“Liu’s here.” he said quietly. From Jane’s reaction, Jeff knew she was completely surprised beneath that mask. The little “wow” that slipped from her lips only confirmed what Jeff already suspected.

“That explains all the blood Masky had to clean.” Jane remarked as she turned her face away and lifted her mask to sip her wine.

Jeff snickered at the image of Masky coming home from hunting, only to have to clean up the mess he and Liu left behind.

“I’ll tell him I’m sorry when I see him.” Jane said simply, earning a soft laugh from Jeff.

Jeff focused on his glass, choosing to ignore Jane without her mask. She’d been beautiful before he…

Jeff was a monster, yes. But he could at least give Jane that small moment of privacy, so she didn’t feel completely exposed.

“And what do you plan to do?” Jane’s voice was muffled behind the mask, so Jeff finally looked at her.

“I don’t know.” he admitted before taking another long sip. “I just left it all to Slendy.” he shrugged.

“I see.” Jane replied, staring silently ahead.

The kitchen filled with a comfortable quiet. The moonlight washed everything in its cold glow, bathing their pale bodies in a light that made them look otherworldly. More than they already were.

“Tell me something.” Jane began, her voice calm and calculated. “Your deal with Zalgo is still standing?” she asked softly.

Jeff scoffed. He downed the last of his wine, reached over for the bottle, and poured himself another glass—then Jane’s, when she slid hers toward him.

“Of course it is. The deal can’t be broken.” he said simply, turning away so they could both drink in silence.

“I’ll take care of Liu.” she said out of nowhere. Jeff snapped his head toward her, his neck cracking slightly as everything spun for a second before stabilizing.

He was thankful Jane had already put her mask back on, because Jeff hadn’t considered her vulnerability in that moment at all.

“You—what? Wait! Why would you even—?!” he stammered, tripping over his own words.

Jane burst out laughing in his face. Jeff’s cheeks flushed slightly. From the wine. Obviously. What else?

“Liu was my friend, Jeff. He went through the same thing I did.” she said as she slowly walked toward the door. “Maybe talking to someone familiar could help your brother.”

“Jane!” Jeff shouted before she could leave completely. He thought about her words for a moment, then slumped forward, lowering his head in hopes that his hair would hide part of his burning face and ears. “Thanks.” he whispered.

Jane chuckled as she walked away, climbing the stairs.

“Not so fast, Jeff. Nothing says I won’t use your brother to finally kill you once and for all.” she added playfully.

Jeff scoffed, trying to hold back a smile. But then the world around him began to spin—and this time, it wasn’t from the wine.

He huffed as he let himself fall back, knowing he wouldn’t hit the floor or the counter.

“There you are.” Zalgo’s voice reached his ears, as eerie and dreadful as always. Jeff slowly stood, no longer drunk, but the side effects of appearing in Zalgo’s dimension always left him dizzy as hell.

“Here I am.” he said simply, his eyes scanning the surroundings—the eternal fire and darkness filling the place, like every depiction of hell. It was almost cliché. “What do you need from me?” he asked, finally steadying himself.

“Your brother has been trying to contact me.” Zalgo’s seventh voice said coldly. “Make sure he understands not every whim of his will be fulfilled.” it added, dripping with disdain.

Jeff sighed. ‘That absolute idiot.’ he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Sorry, but he’ll never listen to me. You should tell Slendy.” he said, searching for any sign of anger in the creature’s face. Finding none, he went on. “That guy hates me. Nothing I say will change his mind.”

Zalgo frowned even deeper, making Jeff sigh again.

“Alright, look, let’s make a deal. You hand this off to Slendy, and I’ll give you double the souls on the next hunt.” he offered, spreading his arms as if to show sincerity.

Zalgo fell silent, apparently considering his words.

“Very well.” he finally said. Jeff’s eyes lit up. “But,” Zalgo continued, his tone turning almost sweet, “remember that Slenderman won’t handle the next one. Whoever it is, it will be you, Jeff The Killer, who takes charge of the next Creepypasta.”

Jeff huffed, letting himself fall back again. He felt reality slowly wrap around him once more.

“Don’t worry.” he muttered as he woke on the other side, staring at the ceiling of his rundown room. “I’ll endure whatever it takes as long as I stay away from Liu.” he whispered, throwing an arm over his eyes as he drifted toward sleep.

Maybe tomorrow would be a better day.

Who was he kidding? Tomorrow would be just as shitty as today.