Chapter Text
"This round's killer is: 1x1x1x1."
The familiar robotic voice echoed across the sky like a system alert.
1x1x1x1?
That's a name you'd only heard through whispered rumors, always with a tone that blurred between fear and sarcasm. People treated him like a ghost story, the boogeyman of sorts, something the Admins made up to scare Robloxians into behaving. The Exploiting Community knew he wasn't actually a real Hacker, just like John Doe.
That thought made you realize maybe this was another John Doe situation, where the stories paint her as the most terrifying hacker in existence. But in truth, she was just a normal Robloxian- caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, consumed by old corrupted code.
For a moment, none of you moved. Builderman, Noob, and you stood rooted to the terrain of Planet Voss, having spawned next to each other. You all had gone through so many loops by now, always running from familiar Killers like John Doe, c00lkidd, and Jason.
But this? This was new.
Unfamiliar and unpredictable.
And those alone were already terrifying.
Builderman immediately took charge, like always. He placed his hands on his hips, squinting at the terrain, skeptical but determined. "Alright, let's move. I don't care if this one's new- ain't no reason to panic. We've got pumpkins to grab, so let's get to it."
Noob was visibly shaking. "B-but how do we know h-how to counter this one?"
"Ain't gotta know," Builderman said, scanning the area with a sharp eye. "What matters right now is we keep movin'. Now. Go."
Noob hesitantly darted off, nervously muttering to themselves about needing to be useful. Their footsteps were uneven and jittery, like their fear was tripping them with every step.
Builderman jogged in the opposite direction with determined strides, likely heading off to find a good vantage point to set up his sentry.
The familiar flick of metal rang out, and you turned your head just in time to see Chance casually flipping his coin, eyes glued to it as he slowly made his way toward one of the walls near the border of the map. They must've spawned in with a weak body, now trying to get a good roll that can give them a slightly stronger one.
Shedletsky quickly passed by you and followed in Builderman's direction, his expression hard to read beneath the urgency in his steps.
You inhaled deeply, rolling your shoulders, grounding yourself. Your ability this round was Elliot's. Not bad at all, especially in dealing with an unfamiliar Killer on the loose. Better than having Two Time's or Chance's.
You started moving, eyes searching the brush and behind trees, looking for any glimpse of orange tucked into the greenery. The wind on this map carried a soft hum.
Then you heard it, a sharp rattlesnake sound. It echoed from somewhere far off, but the metallic rattle was crisp enough to make every hair on your arms lift. You looked around frantically, ears straining.
Nothing. No signs of movement or footsteps near you.
Your muscles loosened slightly. You exhaled slowly and forced yourself to continue walking and shake off the tension. Just nerves, you told yourself. Just the wind-
That's when Elliot's passive kicked in.
Your body locked up again, this time not from fear but from instinct.
You blinked a bit, and suddenly, Shedletsky's silhouette pulsed into your view- his form faintly glowed in neon yellow. He was running fast from something and was already injured, which, of course, isn't surprising considering the situation- but it's still a bad sign.
If he was hurt this early, then the Killer really wasn't playing around.
You bolted.
The world became a blur of flickering leaves and fast-moving trees. Every part of you focused on his glowing silhouette ahead. Your heart hammered in your ears, each beat syncing with the rhythm of your pounding feet.
That's when you saw them.
The first thing you noticed was their torso. It was a translucent bright neon green, almost see-through, with a jet-black skeleton inside. Their white hair gleamed under the artificial stars. Eyes red and glowing, sharp. They were brawny and tall- though not as towering as c00lkidd, with a smokey-like aura surrounding their very being.
You couldn't tear your gaze away. Your eyes locked onto him, frozen- not entirely from fear, but from something stranger. Something deeper. Awe? Curiosity? Admiration? It held you in place like a glitch freezing a process mid-execution.
You didn't mean to. You didn't want to. But it was as if every instinct to run had been overwritten, leaving you frozen in a haze of disbelief and involuntary wonder.
This was 1x1x1x1.
They looked nothing like what you imagined. You had pictured her to be just like John Doe- a normal Robloxian, consumed and covered with exposed defunct code. But this? This was something else entirely.
And she's somehow… heartbreakingly beautiful.
They were chasing Shedletsky, every movement clean and terrifyingly fast. The chicken man's voice rang out, "Run!" as he sprinted past you, but it sounded like it was underwater, muffled by the sound of your own heartbeat.
Then 1x1x1x1 turned to you.
They didn't stop their momentum and spoke with a voice so deep, glitched, and commanding
"Out 0f My w4Y."
One of his twin black swords slashed through the space between you and hit.
Pain seared across your arm.
You yelped after the hit struck you, stumbling backward with several steps. Your breath caught in your throat. Your vision- your entire vision, it flickered wildly with sharp, almost blinding hues of neon white, green, and electric blue.
Your knees gave out and hit the ground hard, breath hitching as the strange new sensations overwhelmed your senses. A hot, crawling sting burned through your arm, your chest rising and falling rapidly as you struggled not to spiral into full panic.
You clenched your fists, shouting internally to yourself.
Get up! Move! Or you're dead.
Your vision was still warped, flickering with glitchy hues and static snow, but you forced yourself to look up.
Nothing. She was gone.
Your heart pounded as the silence set in, the realization sinking in like a stone in your stomach. She'd continued chasing after Shedletsky.
And you felt.. relieved.
The usual heavy wave of guilt threatened to rise, but you easily buried it fast.
Your vision slowly settled back to normal. Your arm still stung, but the burning sensation had dulled. You recognized the feeling now- poison. Not unfamiliar since there was that time you'd touched that poisonous river on that one graveyard map.
But the visual glitch- that one was new.
You braced your hand on a tree trunk and pushed yourself upright. Your legs were a bit shaky.
You needed to get yourself together. You were the healer this round, and now more than ever, you had to act like it.
You were irritated, honestly. Getting knocked down that fast after just one hit? You could blame it on the sudden flood of new sensations- the poison, the glitching- but deep down, you knew that wasn't the real reason.
When you copy someone's abilities, it wasn't just their power you inherited. It was also the state of their body. And Elliot, for all his kindness and utility, was one of the weakest survivors physically, just like Builderman and Two Time. That knowledge had always baffled you since Elliot claimed that before getting trapped in this realm, he had been working at Builder Brothers Pizza nonstop for most of his life. Surely that had to count for something- some kind of endurance, or a trace of strength built over time, right? The Spectre probably had something to do with it.
A loud sharp ring sliced through the air- distant, but not too distant.
You flinched, your body reacting before your mind could process it. That sound had to mean one thing, the Killer. What else could it be?
Most people would turn tail and run the other way.
But you weren't most people. You were the healer. So with a groan, you begrudgingly sprinted toward the sound.
And sure enough, you found- Shedletsky? Again? And he looked... rough.
Deep gashes were torn across his frame, the glowing signs of poison leaking from every bleeding wound. He clutched his blood-stained side as he staggered forward, teeth gritted, every step a struggle.
"Hey!" you shouted, waving as you caught up to him.
He barely glanced your way, eyes wide with adrenaline. From the corner of your eye, you saw the green glow.
1x1x1x1 was still chasing him.
You were almost sure Noob was nearby too, but just like before, the Killer seemed to ignore anyone who wasn’t Shedletsky.
1x1x1x1 wasn't far, but far enough for you to safely act.
"(y/n)? I just told you to run. You'll get slashed again!" Shedletsky rasped out between gasps. His voice was so strained it was nearly incomprehensible.
"Too bad!" you shot back, running beside him. You summoned a pizza into your hands, practically shoving it into his mouth. "Eat."
"Mmmfgh!!" he choked, reaching to grab the pizza you'd just force-fed him. Oh right. You forgot he was also out of breath.
You slowed down slightly, watching him get a bit of energy back as his wounds started rapidly healing. He continued his run. But just before you turned, heavy footsteps thundered behind you.
You twisted around, just in time to dodge a brutal slash from 1x1x1x1. Holy shit, that would've beheaded me.
You let out a shout and bolted the other direction.
You sprinted far, breathing heavily. When you finally glanced back, the Killer wasn't behind you. Instead, you spotted the familiar glow she emitted from afar. Still chasing Shedletsky.
Seriously, what did he do to piss off the Killer that badly?
As the round progressed, you kept moving, eventually stumbling across a lone pumpkin. You picked it up, assuming the others must have found the rest already since you hadn't seen any more during your run across the map.
But it didn't matter in the end. Not really.
Even with Builderman's sentry slightly slowing down the Killer and Shedletsky's stamina management, it wasn't enough. They didn't understand the Killer's capabilities.
Before your cooldown finished, before you could heal Shedletsky again- You found him, with the Killer's sword struck straight through his head.
You failed. You weren't quick enough.
After that, it all fell apart and everyone started dropping like flies.
1x1x1x1 was relentless, quick, and deadly. And nobody had any idea how to counter him.
Rattlesnake noises and those strange, sharp rings echoed occasionally throughout the round. You assumed they were ability cues, but you hadn't figured out which one meant what.
Builderman was next. Gone in seconds.
Chance tried to shoot with his flintlock- only for it to explode in his hand. Wrong roll and bad luck, right in front of the Killer.
And you? You weren't focused enough.
You told yourself it was the cooldowns- that if only you had a few more seconds, you could've healed someone, saved someone from their demise.
But the truth? Your eyes were locked onto him. The way he moved, precise and ruthless. Like a perfect machine built to destroy. But not mechanical, no they were fluid, alive and... beautiful-
You couldn't look away. All you did was stand still a lot like a frozen spectator, stuck between horror and something far more dangerous- fascination.
You were next on her target list, but with Elliot's weak body and your lack of knowledge on her, you didn't last long. Same with Noob, who was left for last.
And just like that, the round was over.
The Killer Won.
A heavy silence settled over the group as you all reappeared inside the main cabin. In the distance, the familiar screaming of Drakobloxxer echoed faintly- his agony a constant background noise. The steady ticking of the old grandfather clock filled the space, a grim reminder that another round was still ongoing.
No one spoke at first. The confusion lingered in the air- thick, quiet, and unnerving.
Then finally, Noob broke the silence, "W-was that really 1x1x1x1...? I-I thought he was just a myth."
Chance nodded, crossing their arms. "Yeah, same. Thought they were just a rumor. Made up for scary hacker stories. I didn’t think they were actually real."
You stayed quiet.
While the others were discussing what they'd seen, your mind had been spiraling since the moment you respawned.
You had a crush. On him. A literal Killer. Are you insane?! At this point, probably. It was something so wrong it almost made you laugh- except it didn't. Not with the way your stomach twisted in on itself, tangled with shame and confusion.
You beat yourself up silently, trying to shove the feeling down where it couldn't reach you. It was not a crush. Just... shock. Mild attraction. A fluke. You'd never seen anyone like her before, so that must be it. The glowing torso. Her bright snowy hair. That deep haunting voice. Those burning red eyes. The butterflies you feel as you think about it. This would all fade eventually.
It had to.
You sat in a daze, barely registering the quiet murmur of voices nearby. But in the corner of your eye, you caught something- Builderman and Shedletsky exchanging a look. You couldn't see their faces clearly, but it was obvious they were communicating silently, the kind of understanding born only from experience.
Meanwhile, Noob and Chance kept talking. Elliot- who must've died in the other round, wandered in and casually inserted himself into the conversation about 1x1x1x1.
Eventually, Builderman sighed and straightened his posture. The room quieted again, attention naturally shifting to him.
"Well... We might as well tell ya'll the truth of what we're dealin' with," he said, his usual drawl tinged with an edge of unease.
You snapped out of your haze, your interest pulling you back to the present. If there was any solid information on them- on what he actually was, you wanted to know.
"Long time ago," Builderman continued, "1x1x1x1 was more than just a rumor. She wasn't a Hacker nor an Exploiter. She was... somethin' close to a god. A very evil one at that. She's a being of pure hatred. Pretty much destruction incarnate."
Shedletsky crossed his arms, his tone suddenly darker. "He tore through Robloxia and killed thousands of innocents. Made the skies rain with the heads of his victims."
He trailed off, eyes narrowing as if staring into a memory no one else could see. "It was a really bloody mess."
Noob clamped a hand over their mouth, visibly pale. Beside them, Chance let out a low hiss between his teeth, shifting in his seat like the image physically disturbed him. Elliot remained quiet, but the sharp wince that passed through his features said enough.
You saw their reactions and copied them. Your hand twitched toward your face, mimicking Noob's motion even as your gut barely stirred.
It wasn't that you didn't understand the horror. You just didn't feel it the same way. Maybe it started in the Baseplate realm, or maybe it got worse here in the Spectre's realm. After so many bloodied bodies, split torsos, and rolling heads… it just stopped feeling shocking.
But the faint twist in your stomach reminded you that you weren't completely numb to it.
Shedletsky sighed, "Nobody could stop them. Not even us."
Builderman nodded grimly. "We tried. All of us. Admins, Mods- But we just.. we just couldn't defeat them."
You leaned forward slightly, breath held. "Then what did you do?"
"We called for 2x2," Shedletsky said simply. "He was the only one strong enough to stop 1x1x1x1… and the one who managed to imprison her."
You blinked as a memory hit you at the mention of their name- back then during an intermission, when you'd first noticed the odd little wooden sign tacked just outside the cabin:
"Gone fishin'. Be back soon! -2x2"
You'd asked the others what it meant, confused by the name. They told you about how 2x2 was a god older than Admins, older than anything. The source of everything. She's so ancient that Robloxians these days don't even know who she is.
You had questioned them about how the Spectre was able to trap them here.
That's when Shedletsky had explained, "The 2x2 that's with us isn't the original. He's just a clone. Just a shadow of the real thing that was apparently good enough to trick the Spectre. It's why we believe there's still hope- if the real 2x2 does something, maybe then we can finally escape from this hellhole."
Builderman rubbing his temple, visibly frustrated. "Somethin' that don't sit right with me and Shed here is.. how did the Spectre bring her here? How did it capture something like 1x1x1x1?"
That thought settled like lead in your chest.
If the Spectre could imprison a being as powerful as 1x1x1x1- one that Admins couldn't even defeat
What hope did any of you have for escape?
You weren't the only one who realized it. The grim, hollow look on both Builderman and Shedletsky's faces mirrored the feeling curling in your gut. That same hopelessness passed silently from one survivor to the next until the whole room seemed dimmer.
But Shedletsky was the first to shake it off. "Well, we can't do anything about that right now," he said, forcing a note of optimism into his voice. "So we might as well do what we can do. Talk strategy."
He crossed his arms, shifting his stance like he was resetting himself. "As far as I can tell, 1x1x1x1's not exactly as strong as before. Or at least not yet? The Spectre has probably weakened her somehow."
That caught a few hopeful looks.
Everyone gradually began chiming in, sharing what they'd observed during the round. His ranged attacks, the loud sound cues- the rattlesnake-like one and the piercing rings that echoed across the map. The poison and the glitch effect.
Eventually, Shedletsky turned to you. "What about you? You got anything to add?"
You froze.
You tried to think. Really, you did. But your mind would always wander back to his white hair, that glowing green core, his bright red stare- You bit your tongue, trying to push those thoughts out before your face betrayed you.
"I... I didn't really get the chance to observe anything," you mumbled, your voice taking on an awkward tone like 007n7's, hoping it would show that you felt guilty for not offering anything useful.
"Once they locked onto me, I kind of died pretty fast before I could figure out what was going on."
It wasn't entirely a lie, but it isn't the truth either.
Builderman raised a brow at that, his expression unreadable. This made you sweat a little.
Had you stared at 1x1x1x1 too much that Builderman saw? Were your attempts to not look distracted not enough?
But he said nothing. You silently hope he assumes you were just in shock.
Shedletsky sighed. "That's fine, we'll figure something out next round. We always do."
"You know," Chance added, leaning back on their seat. "With all these so-called fake hackers turning out to be real... Jenna's probably next."
Noob visibly paled. "N-not Jenna..."
"Who's Jenna?" Elliot asked, blinking.
Builderman sighs, "Another one o' them spooky hackers folks like to gossip 'bout."
"Oh, she's real alright," Shedletsky said with a crooked grin- half teasing, but his tone left just enough room for doubt.
Builderman gave him a flat but fond look. "Jenna ain't real."
"Neither was John Doe. Or 1x1x1x1." Chance added with a smirk, "But here they are."
You tuned the rest of the conversation out. Back into your thoughts, you realized you hadn't spoken a word to 1x1x1x1. You hadn't even tried. It would've been nice, maybe- to get her to talk with you. She could speak, unlike John Doe or Jason. That alone made them just like c00lkidd. More... reachable, in a way. She'll be easier to understand. Easier to study.
But as your eyes wandered around the cabin, you took a glance through one of the windows, and your blood turned cold.
The sky beyond the glass glitched, flickering red and black like a corrupted video file. And there it was-
The Spectre.
It was watching.
You had been so focused on the Killer, so wrapped up in your own confusion and interest, that you hadn't even sensed it.
You narrowed your eyes into the most venomous glare you could muster. If looks could kill, the Spectre would've been obliterated on the spot.
It had planned this.
It was playing with all of you.