Avery's heart was speeding faster than it ever had within her chest, a throbbing pain smashing against her shoulders. Her eyes now mimicked Jeff's as she looked over the two killers, the two brothers while time seemed to freeze.

Liu's grip on her shoulders eased slightly, allowing her shoulders relief from being harshly pressed against the wall. Looking him over, Avery saw the bubbling hatred that simmered within his emerald eyes, the harsh scowl that tugged against his lips. His scars quivered as his cheeks jerked, so much pain and anger within one person. It was obvious that Liu had seen his brother before this moment, tracking him for years. But she wondered what it was like being here now, face to face.

Jeff mimicked him, his rage clearly seen within that fake smile on his face. His pupils were smaller than she had ever seen, the dilated black peering straight through the man he had thought to be dead all these years. It was hard to even imagine what he was even thinking right now, seeing someone that you thought no longer existed. Not to mention someone you killed; your nightmares in the flesh. She noticed his eyes quickly flicker to her, softening for a moment as he gazed over her. Was he checking to see if she was alright?

She was unable to ponder those thoughts before Liu ripped her forward, his arms like a vice as they caged her. She was unable to move, facing Jeff as a harsh laugh broke through Liu's lips from behind her. Her breath hitched as true fear flooded within her, panic rising within her as his grip tightened. A small cry broke through her as if felt like her bones were close to snapping. This had been a bad idea from the start.

The smile on Jeff's face instantly fell. His eyes narrowed while he unconsciously stepped forward. "Well, Liu, it's been a while," his rasping voice growled, his fist trembling as he held on to his knife.

Unable to see Liu, Avery kept her eyes locked on Jeff, trying to ignore the chuckle that rumbled against her back.

"It's been what, around ten years? Surprised to see me?" Liu spat, Avery flinching as she felt his spit hit the back of her neck.

"Alright enough of the fake bullshit," Jeff hissed, taking another step forward. "You come to try and finish me off then?" he harshly laughed, a sparkle within his eyes. Although, Avery couldn't miss the slight pain. Knowing him like she did, she could see that behind his mask, he appeared haunted. Like he was seeing a ghost.

"I'm here to take back everything you took away from me!" Liu snarled, shaking as his anger exploded. Avery's knees wavered as his grip just continued to tighten and tighten. "Do you know what it was like, watching your brother—your best friend—try to slaughter you without batting an eye? To be in protective-custody, ongoing, for years? To get used to your new face, one that you didn't want!" he nearly screamed. "To know that your family was dead, in more ways than one, and there wasn't shit you could do? I don't give a fuck whether you wanted them around or not, Jeffrey, I did!"

Jeff was made from stone as he stared at him, no clear emotion on his face. Nearly a minute passed before a smile twitched at the corner of his lips.

"Yeah. I do." His voice was bleak and even.

Avery flinched as she truly thought over everything Liu had said. Jeff was watching his brother trying to kill him now. He wasn't in protective-custody, but he has been hiding from the world these last years. He had to get used to his new face when it was originally bleached and his hair singed black. And from his side of the story... that need he felt caused his family to die, without him able to stop it. He did know what it was like.

"I thought you weren't a fucking liar."

"I'm not."

Liu's teeth grit together as he stepped back with Avery. She didn't miss Jeff's eyes narrowing.

"Why don't we just get this shit over with, then?" Jeff huffed, seeming nonchalant. "See who the bigger killer is," he sneered as Liu growled. "Quit using Avery as a shield so I can finish what I started."

Relief tumbled throughout her as she heard Jeff's words, seeing he wanted her out of the way. The clipped, hidden protectiveness was clear to her. Unfortunately, however, Liu apparently saw it, too. Avery could feel those steely green eyes flicker back and forth between her and Jeff, but she couldn't see the wicked grin that tugged across his lips.

"Why not use her as a shield? You wouldn't care if she got a little cut up, would you?" he hummed, playing with a strand of her hair. She struggled within his grasp, a scowl ripping across her features.

Jeff's nonchalant facade slightly cracked. "That'd be pretty sad if you used a girl to hide behind. You that scared of me?" he cackled, although the anger was beginning to build within his eyes.

Liu laughed heartily, lightly running his fingers up Avery's right arm. She shivered in disgust as Jeff straightened were he stood, all humor now missing from his face. "No, I wouldn't say that," Liu murmured. Avery flinched at the sound of a pocket knife springing free. Then, the cold blade trailing up her bare skin. "You just seem pretty concerned, Jeff. You wouldn't happen to actually care about her life, would you?"

Avery didn't need to see his vicious grin to know that it laid on Liu's face. Jeff, however, looked as if he was ready to destroy the world and everything in it. "You think I'd give a damn if you killed her?" he snorted, much to her surprise. In fact, it hurt a lot worse than she'd ever imagine. "Plenty of other bitches in the world I could sway over."

Tears sprang within her eyes as she gaped at Jeff, who at the moment, was avoiding her gaze entirely. A sharp pain snagged against her arm causing a hiss to fly from her lips. Looking over, she watched the blood that trickled down her arm and the small blade. Her breath hitched as he jerked up his wrist, laying the knife against her throat.

"Is that so?" Liu laughed, pressing the blade closer to her skin. "Because I think you would."

Panicking, her eyes flashed back to Jeff, the tears miserably falling down her cheeks. She couldn't make a move. One shift, and it would all be over.

"You make one more goddamn move and I'll shove your intestines down your throat," Jeff seethed, a darkness leaking from him unlike any other.

Gone was the slight pain and haunted gleam to his eyes. Now, it was pure fire.

She felt like a sheep as Jeff began to circle them, a predator preparing to strike. Although for once, she wasn't one in his eyes. Liu continued to shift, keeping her facing Jeff and in between. According to her, just as Jeff had insinuated, he was a coward.

"Oh, so I was right?" Liu snickered, his words filled with joy. "Perhaps I won't even have to kill you then. Just take away the only thing in this world that you seem to care about."

Kill him, kill him, kill him.

It was on repeat within his mind like a broken record. Only this time, not only was it the demon chanting it. Both were.

Chop off each of his fucking fingers.

Finish that smile you only got halfway done.

Why not both?

For once, they all were in agreement. He just needed to kill that bastard. She was his. His, his, his. Jeff's skin felt as if it were on fire once again when he had watched the bastards fingers trail up the skin of her arm. Only he could do that. The fire began to melt his skin to the bone when her blood was drawn. No one could do that. Not even him anymore.

And now, seeing that blade against her throat, he felt a very unwelcome emotion. One he didn't even recognize at first.

Fear.

So intense he was frozen stiff for only a moment as his stunned mind tried to think of what to do. She was his.

He was jerked free from the ice within his veins as he watched her horrified eyes become nothing more than angry. Her head tilted forward, before she slammed it back with every ounce of power in her small body. Speeding forward, he watched her drop to her knees as Liu's grip faltered, then scramble away. Now he could play.

The demon within his mind laughed as his body crashed into Liu's, knocking the already frazzled bastard to the ground. Jeff's bloodlust sang as he saw the blood that flowed from Liu's nose, which was also crooked at an odd angle due to his little monster's quick thinking. His pride lasted only a moment before his free fist shot forward, eager to add more blood to his face. He wanted to do a lot more than simply kill this bastard. He was going to enjoy it.

Break every bone.

Dig out his eyeballs.

Ohh, good one. Cut out his tongue while you're at it.

Strangle him with that fucking scarf.

He ignored the truly odd conversation within his head, although the ideas were magnificent. Liu was now fighting back below him, pulling away while dodging Jeff's knife. Kicking himself up, Jeff barely realized it as the insane cackle broke through his lips, his nerves singing as the bloodlust grew. The insane need was hardly manageable.

Within the back of his mind, he remembered where Avery was, making sure he was between her and the bastard as Liu got to his feet as well. Twisting to the side, he avoided Liu's knife that had jerked forward, his knee ramming up and slamming into his gut. He growled when Liu's knife cut around, nicking him in the side.

"You need to go the fuck to sleep already," he snarled, darting forward once again.

He could feel Avery's eyes worriedly watching them as the two men ducked and dodged one another, Liu landing a solid punch against Jeff's jaw while Jeff's knife happily slammed down on two of Liu's fingers.

I said each of his fingers, the demon spat within his head as Liu furiously yelled, blood spurting from his hand.

"I'm working on it," he mumbled beneath his breath, ducking out of the way as Liu's knife sliced forward, nearly clipping his nose.

Where did the fucker learn how to fight like this?

Why didn't Avery run?

Too many questions when he had enough to focus on. He needed to end this already. Or, at the very least, immobilize him. Charging forward, almost like a bull, he rammed Liu against the wall of the shack, hearing the breath that was knocked out of him. Raising his knife, he grinned as he slammed it down, not even sparing a thought.

Disappointment along with shock spread throughout him as he watched Liu's hand raise, the knife's blade going straight through it, stopping the decent once the hilt reached skin. Still, it was sadly enough of a shield to prevent it from going through the bastard's skull as he pressed back against Jeff. He yelled out every curse as blood splashed to the ground, Jeff angrily trying to rip his knife back. A stinging kick to the groin sent him tumbling back, knife-less.

Shit.

He heard what sounded like Avery gasping as his already messed up vision tried to focus. Looking up, he saw Liu over him, knife held high, before something was slammed on top of his head. Jerking up, he saw that Avery had used the one and only thing they had. The black bag that was filled with cans and her clothes—not much of a weapon. Still, it side-tracked the bastard long enough for Jeff to push his aching muscles up and onto his feet.

He would have died.

What a weird thought. Jeff prepared to spring forward once again, finishing him as Liu ripped the bag from Avery's grip. But before he could, the world turned on its edge. Liu's knife shot back, stabbing into Avery's stomach.

The voices were silent.

She fell to the ground, crying out in pain as the now bloody knife in Liu's good hand slid free. The world started to blur, morphing as twirling as it became hard to breathe. Hard to think, hard to feel. All he could do was see. See her clutching her stomach, blood trickling from between her fingers as her usually flushed cheeks paled.

No. No, no, no.

She was his. His, his, his.

Why were his eyes burning? Why did everything hurt? What was the damned lump in his throat, and his heartbeat that was uneven, frantic?

Then there was the fire. The anger, the hatred, the fury. Avery's cries were muffled to his ears as his dilated eyes fixated towards the smirking bastard who now lingered in the doorway. He would die.

"Which will it be, brother? Chase after me or save your little pet?" he snickered, before speeding out the already open door.

He ran away.

He fucking ran! Jeff lunged forward towards the door before he heard it.

"Jeff!" Her sob stopped him right in his tracks.

Chase after him you fucking idiot!

She needs you.

They were no longer on the same side, it appeared.

Make him pay! Kill him! Go kill him right NOW!

She saved you. Repay her—she needs you.

He couldn't just listen to neither, now. He had to choose.

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