Hi guys! I'm back with a new chapter! I just found out that I might not be able to review for longer than I thought, so I am probably going to update right up to the 13 of December when finals start. The reason for this is because I'm going to visit my dad's family in a different country. On a brighter note, I might be finished with the story by then! It feels like soooo much time has pasted since I begun this story! It is really a great feeling!

XInfernal: I'm not trying to make Julia that stubborn, but I think that it's understandable that she is trying to cling to the belief that the woman who has watched over her for many years is innocent. Thanx for the comment!

Ignes Fatui: I love updating my fics, and it will hurt a lot for me to not be able to update. Thanx for the review! I hope you update your story soon!

TheWishOfNight: Thanx for the review! I'm sorry you're so tired.

TheWritingBee: Thanx! I'll try to make all of my chapters as good as 18 was!

Katisan-karisan: Thanx for the review! I hate essays with a passion! My mind always goes blank when I write them! Unfortunately, I have to write them... Glad you liked this chapter! I'm looking forward to the next installment of your fabulous fic!

Krappkarmin: Sheesh girl! And I thought that I was busy! I'm glad I don't have to do the whole college thing yet! If you don't mind me asking, what colleges did you apply to? I hope you get in! I promise I'll review for your fic, and don't underestimate yourself! Before I started writing, I thought I would be horrible at it and hate it, but now it's one of my favorite things in the world! I hope you write it as soon as your schedule clears up!

HEYYY!!!: I'm glad you liked my chapter, and I promise I won't make Ling die... I think... You'll have to just keep reading and see!

Diamond Xiaoli: Thanx! Well it's true, you're one of the first Tekken authors I ever heard of! Please keep reviewing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken unless I'm in my wacky little dream world.

Bonds of Love

Ling let out a moan of pain as she tried to rub her sore stomach. Cold resistance met her hands as she tried to move her arms. Her arms were strapped down to a cold, metal table with metal cuffs, as well as her legs. Ling struggled against the bonds as hard as she could, but she didn't gain any purchase.

How did she get here? She remembered hearing a gunshot and seeing Jin in the bullets way. Then there was blood all over her, but somehow, it didn't really feel to painful. She had felt more tired... Her last thoughts were is thid how it feels to die?

Suddenly, an older woman entered the room.

"Let me go!" Ling screamed. This could not be happening to her. She had just gotten free from Heihachi, and she and her friends were finally back together. Now here she was, once again, held prisoner with no way to get free. Tears of frustration sprang to her eyes as she thought of the chances of this happening to anybody else. Was she just cursed to be used by crazed madmen or something?

"Now, now. You're up early. That dart was supposed to keep you down for a couple of days. OH well. Calm down. I promise I won't hurt you," the woman's voice was oddly soothing and motherly, and despite herself, Ling felt calmer just by being in her presence and hearing her voice.

"I'm sure you've heard of me, my name is CC. I'm Julia's adopted mother." Ling regained her attempts to pry herself free when she heard this information. CC! That was the woman who hired Hwoarang to kill Jin!

The woman looked slightly surprised at Ling's violent reaction to her name, but she soon regained her composure.

"I see Hwoarang told you who ordered him to pull off that little stunt then," she said, her voice icy. "This makes things... Difficult." CC lifted a strange clear liquid from her pocket.

"See this girl?" she asked. "This is a toxic mixture of carbon and Nitrogen also called Cyanide. Are you familiar with what cyanide can do to the human body?"

Ling shook her head no, terrified. She had heard that Cyanide could do horrible things to your body and kill you, but she didn't know how it would kill her. It could be slow and painful. Ling watched the liquid that CC was holding in her hands. Was she going to inject it into her?

"Cyanide is a poison. If it is consumed in massive quantities, it can cause neurological damage. First it causes you to hyperventilate and pass out. Then it damages your heart, irreparably. Finally, it greatly harms your brain and can lead to a Coma, or death. I wonder... Do you think your friends would like to have this slipped into their food? It might be interesting to watch them die..."

Ling looked at the bottle with newfound horror. She violently strained against her bonds, trying desperately to escape. Gruesome pictures of Julia, Jin, and Hwoarang entered her mind. They were lying dead in a room splattered with blood.

"Leave my friends alone!" Ling screamed. "They didn't do anything to you!" Tears flowed from her eyes, and she cursed herself for showing weakness in front of this horrible woman. CC leaned down and stroked er cheek with a cold finger.

"Now now," she cooed, as if talking to a small child, "I won't hurt your friends if you do exactly what I say."

CC leaned forward until her mouth was directly next to Ling's ear. "All you have to do is convince Julia to tell you what is on the scroll she found. Tell me what you heard, and take the key and the map. Then I'll let you all go. There won't be any point in keeping useless kids like you around after that. Oh and one more thing. You can't tell anyone what you're up to. If you tell them, they die."

Ling quickly nodded in agreement. It's just a stupid treasure, she thought. After all, it was just some gold and jewels. It's not like it could change the world, right?

Hwoarang stared at Jin. He could feel the fright creeping onto is face, but for once he really wasn't trying to keep up his tough guy appearance. The devil Gene?!? That thing was said to be just a myth, nothing more... Then again, Hwoarang remembered the first time they met.

Suddenly Hwoarang was thrown to the side, and an extremely angry Jin went after him. He punched him three consecutive times before Hwoarang was able to block him. Jin's eyes were glowing red, and his nails lengthened and sharpened to form claws. Black wings had sprouted from his shoulders. Hwoarang's eyes widened and Jin continued to beat into him, blood flying into the air with each attack. Jin backed him into a corner and continued his assault.

Hwoarang remembered that moment especially well. It was the only time Kazama had ever beaten him. His punches had been so strong... too strong to be human. It all fit into the legend. The red eyes, the tattoos, claws, wings, everything, but somehow Hwoarang couldn't believe it. After all, Jin wasn't exactly the best guy in the world, but he wasn't evil, was he? Then again, how else could he have survived that bullet? Hwoarang took a deep breath and decided it was time to inform Jin about the necklace, and this time he would tell the truth. The whole truth.

"You know what we told you about the treasure?" Hwoarang asked. He saw Jin nod his head, and he continued his explanation.

"There's more that we didn't tell you. Besides the treasure, there's one other thing. Whoever finds the treasure gets one wish. Whatever that wish is could change everything for better...or for worse."

Jin suddenly interrupted him. "What the Hell does that have to do with me of whatever this 'Devil Gene' is?"

Hwoarang lifted his arms up in the air in front of him in a sign of mock surrender. "Calm down dude. I was just about to get to that. Anyway, this monster that guards the treasure is said only to be able to be defeated by someone with the Devil Gene in his body. Heihachi probably knew. That's why he kept you around."

Jin looked at him with deep-set distrust and anger. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

Hwoarang gulped. If Jin knew that this was what Julia had been telling him before Jin had gotten there and freaked out there would be trouble. He would demand to no why Hwoarang hadn't told him about it first thing, and the answer to that particular question would ruin the fragile trust that he had just started to win over.

"I don't know. It never crossed my mind." At least that's half the truth. I never thought he would possess the Devil Gene... Jin looked at him skeptically as if he were searching for any hints of a lie. Apparently he didn't see anything wrong with Hwoarang, and he just turned and walked back into the mansion. Hwoarang shrugged and followed him back out feeling glad that his head wasn't being fed to Ling on a silver platter.

Wait a second... Why were they here in the first place?

"Jin!" Hwoarang shouted, "we have to go make sure that Ling's all right."

Jin turned around and without comment walked in the direction he had seen the people come from. Hwoarang sighed and followed him. It looked like he was going to be getting the silent treatment for a while.

Jin hurried towards the room he knew Ling was in. What was the number again? 20846? That was close enough. He'd find her and get her out of the hands of these homicidal maniacs whether or not Julia and her little lover boy helped.

Suddenly, he came to the room. He tried to turn the knob, but it was locked up. He was about to punch the door open when hinges swung inward and a tired looking Ling stepped out.

"Hi," she whispered. Jin looked at her shocked. Wasn't she supposed to still be unconscious? He started to suspect that Hwoarang had something to do this, but a quick glance behind him showed him that Hwoarang was just as shocked and surprised as he was.

An awkward silence filled the air as the three teenagers stared at one another. Finally, Ling broke the silence.

"If you don't mind. I have to go and ask Julia something." She brushed past Jin without another word and walked off. Jin lost track of her when she turned a corner. He and Hwoarang both stared at each other. Since when was Ling that serious? What was going on?