"What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"Ma'am, fighting isn't going to get you anywhere. If you could settle down—"

"Settle down? How am I supposed to settle down? You people abduct me from my home, lock me in this room, and you expect me to be calm!?"

"We just need information. This doesn't have to be—"

"You don't have the right to do this to me! I demand to be released!"

It was a tiring day at the police station, for both the cop and the poor woman he was attempting to reason with. The young woman went by the name Lukara, and though she was acting irrationally, she could hardly be blamed for her behavior. She was the daughter of Kuzo, the wealthy radio host, and the brother of Feng, the petty thief. She wasn't really those things anymore; she didn't have a brother or a father. They were gone, stripped from her life in just a few short days. When she heard of the news, she had locked herself inside her apartment for several days, hiding in her closet like a scared little girl. The only reason she was here now was that the cops had forcefully taken her against her will; she would give anything to return to her home, to the life she used to have. Now, all she could do was wait and beg in the small interrogation room.

Through a one-way mirror, Mako watched intently as the cop failed to extract any useful information. She simply repeated the same phrase over and over again: "Take me home. You're violating my rights." He sighed mournfully; his investigation had reached a standstill. Lukara was his only major lead, and she refused to cooperate. Soon, he would have to let her go, and he would be left with nothing once again.

Lin popped into the room. "Mako, I need a word with you."

"Not now," he said passively. "We're interrogating a prime suspect here."

"Don't you think I know that? Trust me: you need to see this."

Mako shook his head. He made three quick raps on the glass; the blocky man inside looked at the mirror, and quietly walked out of the room. Mako followed Lin to her desk, unamused.

"You know, I think we were actually getting close," he lied.

"No, you weren't," Lin retorted. "She was as close to cracking as a bank vault."

"I don't think cracking her is the problem," said Mako. "She's pretty broken up as it is. But still, we need to get something out of her. She's our clear connection to the crimes."

Lin grabbed a file from her desk, and shoved them into Mako's grasp. "Not anymore," she said regretfully. Mako looked at her quizzically, and then opened up the files. Upon seeing its content, the color drained from his face. There were pictures of a dead woman, her body broken and torn and cut into like meat. Her arm was lying ten feet from the rest of her body, and her neck was broken and cracked sideways.

"What the hell is this?" Mako asked, feeling a pit grow in his stomach.

"It's a disruption," Lin explained. "We ran a background check on her. Her name was Nuo. She was one of the… night workers in the dark heart of the city. Her body was found earlier this morning in the park by a passing jogger. Based on what we could find, she was killed at about two or three in the morning, and left in the brush to rot. We haven't identified what did her in yet, but whatever it was, it doesn't appear to be pretty. Poor girl."

"And you think this is relevant to the Kuzo case?"

"This is the Kuzo case," Lin clarified. She grabbed another photo from the pile, and pointed to its contents. "Look familiar?"

Mako stared at the picture, and his heart empty. It was a photograph of a single character smeared on the ground next to Nuo's head:

Lustful.

"The killer struck again," Mako said quietly. "And it looks like he has a calling card."

"It appears that way," Lin agreed grimly. "I don't like this at all. Two bloody homicides and a haunting suicide all in a week. We need to step up our game on this. Be glad that your brother isn't getting married for another few months, because you're working overtime until this psychopath is caught, understood?"

"Yes, Chief," Mako said sternly.

"There's only one other problem," Lin sighed. "This new death has left us without a lead. This girl, Nuo… I doubt she has any family or friends to act as witnesses. Considering all of the people she met, I doubt we can find a solid suspect."

"Hopefully, if Lukara talks, we might be able to find something," Mako thought aloud. Lin sneered.

"Don't bother with her. Send her home."

Mako was taken aback. "What do you mean? She could hold precious information."

"She has nothing useful; I can tell just by looking at her," Lin said, leaning against the nearby desk. "So, you should save us the trouble and send us home."

"Chief, I respectfully disagree," Mako said confidently. "She holds the closet viable link with the victims that we have. I know she seems to be distraught now, but if we get her to talk, we could learn insight about the murders of her father and brother."

"About her father, maybe," Lin corrected him angrily. "The problem is: this isn't just about her father, is it? It was before, but now, it's the case of a dead hooker left to rot in the park. I'm sure I don't have to remind you, but Lukara and her colleagues are high society types. I doubt they even know what prostitution is. I need a lead that fits the profiles of both victims, so unless she has been living on the street for her entire life, I doubt she can give us a suspect who could have connections to two people on the opposite side of the social spectrum."

"But Chief—"

"Mako, it's final!" Lin said harshly, walking towards Mako and sneering directly in his face. "I have two murders on my hands and a killer on the loose. I don't need you wasting my time with someone who clearly knows nothing that can be of help to us. Besides, she's been through enough as it is; let her go back to her damn peace and quiet."

Lin stormed away. It was only after she left that Mako realized ever eye in the room was focused on him. He looked down and proceeded back to the interrogation room. He felt like an idiot, even though he knew that he was completely justified. He knew he wasn't tracing a pointless lead. Even if there didn't seem to be a connection between Nuo and Kuzo, he had to find something of value. Lukara was hiding something; he could see it in her eyes. He just needed to find out what it was.

The second Mako entered the interrogation room, against his better judgment, he was screamed at.

"No! No more questions!" Lukara yelled. "Send me back home!"

"You're going home," Mako explained, taking a seat across from her. "First, I just want to talk to you."

"I told you people that I don't know anything," said Lukara, on the verge of tears. "If I knew something, then I would tell you."

"I'm not doubting that," Mako said softly. "No one here is convicting you of anything, if that's what you're worried about."

"You think that's all I'm worried about? My dad was killed in his home. Feng was killed. Someone is coming after my family, and all you're doing is drawing more attention to me. He could be anywhere."

"Look, your brother's death was an accident—"

"No, it wasn't!" Lukara proclaimed. "I know my brother. He would never do anything like that. Someone made him do it. Don't you get it? People have hated my family for decades. They've hated our lifestyle for spirits know why. Now, someone is coming after us, and they want to make it look like they're not, but they are. But when I say this… no one believes me… and I'm scared and I just want to go home."

Tears flowed freely from Lukara's eyes. She rested her head in her arms, and sobbed quietly to herself. Mako took a deep breath, and leaned in.

"I believe you," he whispered. "I… I was there when Feng died. I saw what happened, and I don't think he stepped into that road willingly."

Lukara peered up from the desk, her eyes glimmering.

"I know you're freaked out right now, but we're here to keep you safe," Mako said softly. "This person who's attacking you're family… he attacked someone else: a young woman named Nuo. This isn't an isolated incident. If we don't find this killer, then everyone in the city could be at risk. We can't let anyone else get hurt because of our inaction. Please, if you have something, anything to tell us, then we need to know it."

Lukara looked away, guilt-ridden. Mako pushed forward; he was getting close.

"Lukara, if you want to make their deaths mean something, then tell us what you know."

"I…" Lukara stammered. "I shouldn't."

"There are lives on the line," Mako emphasized. "What do you know about these killings?"

"N-nothing, really," Lukara explained, raising her head from the desk. "But, I… think my boyfriend might be responsible."

"Your boyfriend?"

"Ex-boyfriend, really. His… his name was Rei. We used to go out a few years back, but we had… cultural differences. He wasn't a fan of a wealthy lifestyle; I ended up following him for a while in the lower urban areas. Eventually, we sort of drifted apart, but he liked to check up on me once a year. He… he used to get into fights all the time. He could get pretty violent, but he never displayed any of that towards me. He's a nice person, deep down. I shouldn't be ratting on him like this; it feels dirty."

"This man, Rei," Mako asked curiously. "He wouldn't have any connection to any gangs or criminal activities, would he?"

"I'm not sure," said Lukara. "But… I suppose, given his background… there's a possibility of it. But I can't say for certain."

Mako let out a sigh of relief. He smiled warmly. "Lukara, thank you for telling me that. I promise that we'll bring whoever's responsible to justice. Now, let's get you home."

Lukara tearfully nodded. Mako helped her to her feet, and quietly walked her out of the interrogation room. He couldn't help but smirk to himself. Thanks to her willingness to speak the truth, he actually had viable information. He was after a man named Rei, hiding somewhere in the slums of the city.

Finally, Mako had a lead.

Note: Dear, readers, we request your assistance. We've received a lot of great feedback, which we're really thankful for, but we need your help on deciding where the story goes next (We're split completely down the middle on it). So, tell us what you would prefer to see the story focus on for the next few chapters: the investigation of the vicious killings in Republic City, or the relationships and emotional dilemmas within Team Avatar itself. Comment and let us know, and we'll see you next time.