Bad Blood [NoRenMin] ✔

39

He doesn't have much time.

He's gone through a set of double doors (one of them practically falling off the hinges) and into an empty room. It resembles a parking lot, with all the painted lines and pillars. He can hear a set of footsteps somewhere behind him, and out of pure panic and not much options, he ducks behind a pillar. He's hands are trembling as he tries to grip them into fists and all he wants is to shut his eyes, but he knows that would be an absolutely terrible idea.

The set of footsteps he heard are softer as they enter the room. Humming echoes through the room; a song Jaemin knows, but can't place his finger on. He focuses his breathing; taking slower breaths and trying his best to control it the way they taught him in training. He's crouched near the back. The breeze that flows through the broken windows is cold and he mentally cusses at himself for not bringing a jacket with him. He didn't think he would have needed it.

"Jaemin," Lucas sing-songs, his voice bouncing against the walls as it echoes. There's a loud smashing sound and a groan follows a moment after. "Was so sure you were here," Lucas murmurs. His footsteps continue, but they're softer this time. He strains his ears in order to effectively listen to the echo of Lucas' footsteps. He contemplates walking off to another pillar, but that's too dangerous. He could be caught. Vampires hearing was ten times better than norms and hunters and he wasn't prepared to risk it.

"You know, if you come out, it'll be less painful." What, Jaemin wants to ask, but instead bites his tongue. You're supposed to be a good kid, he wants to say, remembering Kun's words. You don't like to kill. A lie he told Kun? He looks down at his hands, fumbling with his pocket. His hand grips tightly around the shape of the stake. He kept it in his pocket; he'd specifically chosen this outfit knowing the pockets would be able to hide it.

He lifts his head as he realizes that he's gotten quieter. He makes eye contact with a fang-bared, grinning Lucas. "Ah-hah!" He exclaims gleefully. "Found you—" He's cut off as he falls to the ground with a loud thud. Jaemin pulls back his leg and without a second thought, he's dashing off to another pillar. Though he doesn't suspect Lucas to take all that long to recover from his fall.

Don't look back, don't look back, do not look back, Jaemin pleads to himself, sliding across the floor and stopping right behind another pillar. He's shaking.

"Jaemin!" Lucas yells, the anger completely enveloping his tone in a mixture of a growl. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Panic sets in when he realizes he can no longer hear his footsteps. "You're going to pay," he says in that sing-song voice. It's eerie and unsettling. Not as much as the silence that settles in the moment Lucas stops speaking. It only heightens the panic within him, and all he wants to do is run. He wants to make a move, but doing so without a plan was too big of a risk. He only had one stake, and he couldn't mess this up.

Bang!

Jaemin flinches. Turns his head to the side to see whether he can make out anything, but he doesn't know where Lucas is. All the focus in the world couldn't make him figure it out. This is the capability of a vampire; completely rid their presence like it was just that easy. This was why they always had the upper hand.

A wind whirls by. It comes out of nowhere and it's especially odd as it comes from the opposite direction. Jaemin doesn't need to question it to know that he's been found out. Lifting his head, he's met with bared fangs. An image he can say with high assurance he absolutely despised. It only brought about horrid memories; things he wished to forget. It tied his past to his present and he hated it. Lucas hovers over him in a dark, looming form. His hand presses up against the pillar, and Jaemin can almost imagine this scene in a movie or plucked right out of a book. His eyes flare in annoyance.

"Now, I suspect you will go along with my terms," Lucas murmurs, leaning close until their faces are only inches apart. "If you wish to be spared the pain."

"Do you not need the key?" his voice is a whisper and he barely realizes that he's managed to voice the words until he sees the way Lucas' eyes flicker.

He smirks. "They didn't specify taking it from you without harm," he reminds. The words roll differently, now that he's speaking with his fangs out. It's fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

His hand presses around his pocket. The timing is contemplated.

There's another whirl of wind. It passes Jaemin strongly, causing his eyes to shut against it. He can feel the presence of someone in front of him moments before he opens his eyes and lifts his head. "Renjun?" Jaemin murmurs, hiding most of the surprise in his voice. He notes the way Renjun tenses at the sound of Jaemin's voice, and he feels bad.

"Move aside, Renjun." The annoyance in his tone is thick; the aura radiating off of him is screaming out his annoyance twice as much.

"Not a chance." His hands are fisted at his sides and either Jaemin is shaking so much that his fists appear to be shaking, or Renjun's hands were actually shaking.

"Renjun."

"I won't let you hurt him," Renjun insists firmly. He pushes against Lucas' shoulder until they're both upright. Though Jaemin cannot see it, he imagines the glare Renjun's face is displaying.

"Look," Lucas starts, "I—"

"Why, Lucas?" Renjun pauses. "Why did you target him?"

"Oh, well, that's simple. Hunter blood is always more appealing."

Renjun looks surprised. Jaemin himself is as surprised. Though perhaps they were surprised by different bits of what has been said. He's sure that is it.

"You knew?" Jaemin surprises himself by asking. He's looking right at Lucas, as if Renjun wasn't standing between them like a wall (or a barrier or shield, but he didn't like thinking that.)

"Of course. Hunter blood compared to a norm's? You can always tell." A sickening smile crosses his face, and he's certain that whatever Lucas told Kun, the whole good kid thing was an act.

"Renjun?" is all that Jaemin seems to be able to say.

"I didn't believe it." He's lying. Jaemin doesn't know how, but he just knows that Renjun is lying.

"This is annoying," Lucas mutters, pulling both of them out of their discussion. Jaemin looks at him, brows pulling into a frown. A moment later, he's lunging at Renjun.

Jaemin acts on his own. Zero thought is put into place as he wraps an arm around Renjun, pulling him back as his hand tightens around the stake. Lucas is wide eyed and ready to move out of the way, but it's too late as the stake plunges right into Lucas' heart.