Running in My Veins: Jicheol SVT AU ✓

Chapter 42

Hi! I am back a week earlier than normal with a new chapter for you all. I don't know if I'm going to keep going with this update schedule. It's mainly up to you guys too. If you would prefer for me to post the rest back to back like this, please let me know. Regardless, I think it also sort of depends on how free I am. Anyway, let's just get into this chapter!

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Seungkwan asks. Seungcheol, along with his advisory board, are making their way towards the hunters' bunker. It's an underground area that's pretty well hidden. "Are you scared?" Soonyoung teases.

"Of course I am!" Seungkwan exclaims, "I'm a vampire going into hunter territory! You should all be as freaked out as I am."

"Oh, quit squealing," Minghao huffs, "It's not like we're going there to kill them. We're working on putting a stop to the secret faction. We're allies."

"Hao is right," Jun says, "There's no reason to freak out. We're on the same team."

"Still!" Seungkwan says in an over-dramatic way, "C'mon, hyung, you have to agree with me that meeting up with hunters like we're old friends is a bit much...."

Seungcheol sighs, "Maybe it is, but we need to see that paper and I want to know if they've found anything about the faction's newest hideout location." Hansol pats Sungkwan on the shoulder which does little to calm the vampire as he continues to ramble until they come to a large metal door that is a part of what looks like an old power grid area. "This is the hunter's hideout?" Hansol questions. The area isn't exactly in perfect condition. There's graffiti all over the walls and old water stains on the ground that is probably the source of the unpleasant smell that burns their nostrils. "This is the location Daniel gave me," Seungcheol says. The crown prince moves to stand at the door and knocks on it. The sound echoes loudly to the point that even the vampires can hear it loud and clear. The vampires stare at the door waiting for someone to answer. After another second, the sound of a lock grating open rings and the door is slowly opened up. "Hello, everyone. Come on in," Daniel says, smiling at the group of vampires. Seungcheol walks through the doorway followed by his friends with a bit of hesitation. Once inside, Daniel shuts the door and locks it. "Follow me," Daniel says, making his way to the front of the group and leading them down the stairs. The vampires look around the hunter's base with awe. The interior is nothing like the outside. It's a huge area fit for the vampire slayers. There's a high ceiling with bright lights and an abundance of technology used to communicate with other hunters or to search for possible jobs. From the top of the stairs, they can make out a large wall in the back that shows a huge map of the country that has little red dots over it to monitor possible vampire sightings. There are many hunters walking about, chatting aimlessly while others are busy in front of computer screens or with papers within their hands. "Wow..." Soonyoung murmurs.

"It's kinda cool, right?" Daniel says, "My clan has owned it for years. We haven't come back until recently cause of the newborns and the whole other faction. It was so dusty and they had these weird old tech. We had to refurbish a lot of it to fit modern day society. It was not fun...weeks of cleaning and heavy lifting, but it was worth it." The vampires nod their heads, completely enthralled with the hunter's base. Daniel leads them down a hallway where they pass by training rooms, private rooms, and a full kitchen. Hunters eye them a bit when they walk by making all the vampires feel a bit unwelcome. Seungcheol did his best to quell his friend's uncomfortableness. He knew it would be like this, but there's nothing you can do. They're still vampires and they're still hunters. There will always be this tension between them. "We're here," Daniel says, coming to a stop in front of a large meeting room. The hunter knocks on the door and waits for someone to say come in before entering. It's a dim room, the only light coming from a small hanging one on the ceiling. There's a clear whiteboard in the corner with writings on it regarding the faction. On the walls is a full out murder board that spans most of the room. There are three other hunters within the room, who sit at a round table that has papers scattered around. "Hey," Daniel says, approaching the group, "Guys, this is Seongwu, Jisung, and Sungwoon.