Bloodline | Maknae Line (21+)

34:

Chapter 34:

"We had a run in with some hunters. Nothing we couldn't handle, but it turns out the little human didn't get taken. She ran." Jimin explained, standing a bit to the side, so he could face both Lazarus and you.

"Did she?" Lazarus raised an eyebrow and used one slender hand to stroke his hair back, as if trying to fix his disheveled appearance. "Then I suppose you know what I've been doing down here." He glanced around at the scientific set-up and you took a deep breath, puffing out your chest.

"Yes, I know what you've been doing." You said, lifting your chin to look him in the eye, feeling Jungkook take your shoulder preemptively. "I know about your experiments and your delusion that you think my blood can turn you human again." You continued, your hands fisting at your sides. "I know that you're psychotic and deluded and... you have had my mother this entire time!"

You moved forward, shaking Jungkook's hand off as Lazarus smiled and crossed his arms. He glanced to the side at the gurney closest to him and your attention was drawn to it. There was someone on the gurney, tubes and electrodes coming off their pale body. You could see a tube coming from their arm, just under the elbow joint where blood was traveling from their body to the workbench that Lazarus was standing in front of. You moved closer as you looked at the short tufts of hair of the body, the shape of the nose and jawline, recognizing all of it in your own features. Your mother.

You could barely make out her features, but it was definitely her. There was no one else it could be. She looked gaunt, like a corpse on the table, with only a sheet covering her body. Her hair, which you could just see over the tip of her nose, was thin and pale and even from here you could see that much of was either lost of cut off. A choked sob escaped your lips.

"Mom?" You stumbled toward the gurney, but your path was blocked when Jimin appeared in front of you, crossing his arms. You stopped, just before colliding with his chest and you felt Jungkook grab your arm and pull you back into his chest. You trembled against him, but didn't try pulling away as you continued to stare past Jimin at the woman lying unconscious on the table.

"I really didn't mean for you to find out this way," Lazarus said, rubbing the bridge of his nose in mild annoyance. "I was hoping to avoid any unnecessary violence." He took a few steps forward and you whipped your head toward him, a newfound fury bursting from your stomach through your chest.

"Let her go!" You shouted, trying to stomp toward him. Jungkook held fast to your biceps, keeping you in front of him, despite your struggling against him. Lazarus blinked, looking confused.

"Let who go?" He asked, tilting his head. You choked and stared at him with wide-eyed. Was he serious? Was he that out of touch, or was he mocking you?

"My mother, you sick freak! Let her go, right now!" You shouted, fighting to free your arms from Jungkook, but he held firm. You wanted to slap him for stopping you, but at the same time, the rational part of your brain was grateful to him for not allowing you to put yourself in an even worse situation. It was that thought alone that allowed you to take a ragged breath and stop struggling.

"Your mother?" Lazarus raised an eyebrow and pointed at your mother's body. He looked from you to her body and then laughed nastily. "I can't let her go. And even if I did, it's not like she could ever go anywhere."

You let out a sharp breath, leaning back against Jungkook's chest. "She's... alive?" You whispered, a lump forming in your throat. Lazarus scoffed.

"Of course she's alive, I couldn't use her blood if she was dead." He rolled his eyes, like he was speaking to a child. You bristled with indignation and Jungkook's grip on your arms tightened. "She's alive, but not functional. She lost her brain capacity a long time ago." Lazarus continued, flicking his wrist toward her casually. You blinked, looking from her to him, your brain feeling fuzzy, like there was too much static.