"Are you trying to be sly? Is this some kind of game to you?" Chase Young growled, kicking the boy on the ground with every question. Not that the tan teen could do much harm, Chase had already made sure of that.

Raimundo groaned, it felt like his insides were on fire. Actually, it felt like his whole body was on fire and with each kick brought renewed pain.

"Are you trying to be some kind of wise guy?" Chase growled.

Hearing that sentences made Raimundo smirk, however painful it was; he couldn't help himself. Chase saw this and narrowed his gaze before grabbing a fist full of Rai's shirt and violently yanking the boy up. "What are you smiling at?"

Raimundo thought about it; it was a very good question. Why was he smiling? He was getting beaten half to death by the prince of evil and he found the situation hilarious. The more he thought about it the bigger his smile became. Soon Raimundo's small smirk became a full blown grin.

Chase seemed offended by the way the young dragon was acting. He shook the smaller boy and growled, more angry than before. "Are you trying to be a smart guy?"

In that moment Raimundo knew exactly what was so funny and if he wasn't sure his broken ribs would puncture his lungs he would have laughed. Instead he smiled and did the best he could to look the menacing foe in the eye. "Ya' keep callin' me smart, but comin' here alone wasn't a wise choice," Raimundo rasped, his words almost forming together from uneven breaths.

Chase growled at the teen's response before pulling Raimundo and kneeing him in the stomach. Raimundo puked blood on the older boy's shoes before he was slammed to the stone ground.

"No, you're right, it wasn't smart for you to come storming into my lair, challenging me-mockomg me! And to do this all alone," Chase barked, tired of the insolent monk. His tone lightened as did his expression when Chase looked down at the broken teen. He knelled down next to the young boy. "However I must commemorate you for such bravery,"

Raimundo spat blood at Chase, but from the ground he could get nothing more than his shoes. Chase ignored the disrespectful act and continued. "Now what is it that you want, I'm afraid I was so busy kicking your ass I hadn't had time to ask,"

"Omi...," Raimundo rasped, his voice incredibly weak.

"Ah, yes, that talented monk. What, did he get my letter requesting him to join the Heylin side?"

"You mean forcing," Raimundo rasped, his voice no more than a whisper.

"So, he did get it. Did, big brother not approve?" Chase asked, mockingly. When he was answered with silence the larger boy continued. "So what, you've joined the dark side before,"

"Stupid mistake,"

"Maybe for you, but I say we let Omi decided on his own," Chase said a bit cockily.

"Not gonna happen" Raimundo whispered with a smirk.

"And why not?" Chase asked, humoring the boy.

"...no letter,"

"What?" Chase asked, confused. Slowly Raimundo moved his arm the best he could, reaching into his pocket. Carefully he pulled out a now blood smeared letter. Chase took the letter from Raimundo and was shocked to see it was the very letter he sent. Omi hadn't even seen it.

Fueled by a new fire Chase grabbed Rai's wrist and bent it back until he heard and sicking crack followed by a blood curtailing scream.

"He's not a child, he can make decision on his own. So, why did you take this?" Chase shouted over Rai's screams of pain.

"O-omi's good, but naïve, he'll do a-nything for friends and make huge mistakes," Raimundo growled, gasping between words.

"But why come here? You're only proving my point,"

"I'm here to tell you to stop," Raimundo said in a rushed breath, still writhing in pain from the broken wrist.

"You're half dead, what good is your threat?"

"I need to protect him,"

"Your only hurting yourself," Chase said, his voice becoming softer, trying to understand the pathetic boy.

"I will protect him," Raimundo repeated, his words sounding more desperate. He wanted to protect his friend to the very end and if that meant dying to get his point acrossed he would do it in a heartbeat.

Chase frowned, he was older then he looked and in his life he'd seen more than his fair share of love. However, nothing that he'd seen up to this point compared to the passion he saw burning in the monk's eyes. If he'd ever seen love before this was it. Chase sighed, his anger seemed to melt away with such thoughts. A pity what love could do.

"I will not give up on getting Omi to join the Heylin side," Chase said, determined.

Raimundo struggled to get to his feet, ready to beat Chase to a bloody pulp if it weren't for the fact that he couldn't move. Chase put his hand up, hopping to stop the boy from injuring himself any further. When Raimundo saw he had no ill intent he stopped struggling, but kept his guard up.

"However, I respect you and shall not make a move until you are completely healed," Chase swore.

Raimundo stared up at Chase in shock, could the strongest bad guy be willing to let him go just like that? Chase touched his fingers to his lips and blew causing a whistle to echo through his chambers. In the blink of an eye tigers and lions surrounded them and one approached Raimundo. The Brazilian teen thought he was going to be eaten alive until he heard Chase give out orders.

"Take him to the Xiaolin Temple and be sure not to be noticed," Chase commanded. With that the closest tiger lowered itself to allow Raimundo to climb on comfortably. Chase neatly folded the bloody letter before he shoved it into one of Raimundo's pockets without him noticing. He then patted the tiger and it began to leap away.

"You are strong, Raimundo, don't allow emotions to cloud your judgment and you will be a fine warrior," Chase said, his words echoing not only throughout the cave, but in Raimundo's head before he let the conscious world slip and he fell into darkness.