Lin crossed her arms over her chest as she paced the interrogation room. Korra had stuck to her story, her heart rate and breathing giving no indication of her telling a lie. Not full ones, at least. Korra knew something that she wasn't telling Lin - but Lin knew that it didn't really matter. That she would get the information out of someone.

Sighing, she dismissed Korra, making mental note of her story. She should lock the Avatar up for breaking and entering - but she knew Tenzin would never allow that to happen. As much as she'd love to hold Korra accountable, she couldn't.

She called the younger brother in next. The poor boy could hardly keep himself upright in his seat. He folded his hands together in front of him, spoke in incredibly polite tones. Lin could admit she liked this one - but she knew she had to ask him some difficult questions.

"Did you know that Tahno was blackmailing your teammates?" Lin asked, sitting in the seat across from Bolin's.

"N-No, ma'am," he answered, shaking his head. He frowned, slightly. "Explains a lot, though. Like the other night - when Mako was playing terribly."

The way Bolin's voice jumped at simply saying his brother's name caused her to raise an eyebrow, slightly. She could sense him shaking slightly in his seat. "Were you aware that Korra and Mako had planned to break into Tahno's apartment and acquire the 'evidence' he was intending to use to blackmail your brother?"

Bolin shook his head. "All Korra told me was that she had to help him with something. She wouldn't tell me what."

"So they kept this all from you?" Lin couldn't help but feel a little relieved. Bolin looked up at her, his light trembling ceasing, if for a moment.

"They did," he answered quietly. He looked hurt. Almost angry. If he didn't know about the pictures, didn't know about the nature of the blackmail - she didn't need to question him any further.

She dismissed him, too. Only two left to go. Tahno's would take the longest - she had much more to cover with him than she did with Mako. But the way Mako had flinched when she said that blackmail works best if there's a grain of truth...

She hoped her gut was wrong. Lin frowned, called the oldest brother in next. Mako strode into the interrogation room, avoiding his brother's eyes as he did so. Lin raised her eyebrow slightly again before shutting the door behind Mako. Gestured him towards the chair intended for him.

"I'll start with the blackmail," Lin said, her voice firm. "You and I both know what that one photograph shows. Is there any truth to it?"

"No."

Except she could feel his breathing change, just slightly. How his heart rate changed. How he tensed at the question. He even tried to keep his eyes straight forward, though she saw them flicker slightly.

"You're lying," she pushed. "Have you ever touched your brother inappropriately?"

"No," Mako repeated. This time his heart rate definitely quickened again. She gave a private thank you to her mother for teaching her to recognize the physical signs of lying.

She also had to quell her brief disgust. "This will go a lot easier on the both of us if you just speak the truth, Mako. I can tell you're lying."

Mako's eyes widened just slightly, but he otherwise held her gaze. His hands tensed, as if they were going to ball into fists. "I'm not lying."

Stubborn. Of course he was stubborn. "I can bring your brother in here and ask him. I'm sure he'll tell me the truth."

But she also knew that Bolin hadn't said anything and likely hadn't told anyone about the abuse he endured because of his older brother. Bolin hadn't even taken the opportunity to tell Lin about whatever it was that had happened while he was in the interrogation room with her. So either Bolin didn't realize what Mako had done was wrong, or he was trying to protect his older brother.

Mako narrowed his eyes at her, his hands balling finally as he looked away. Remorse filled in his features, twisting them. "I never meant to hurt him," he muttered.

Progress. "Of course you didn't. Tell me, what did you do to him?" Lin knew she wasn't likely to get a full answer - but anything close to the truth would satisfy her. She didn't need to hear the details, she only needed to know whether she'd have to arrest the young man in front of her for anything else other than breaking and entering.

That is, if they couldn't strike up some sort of a deal with Tahno, as well.

Mako frowned, continuing to avoid her eyes. Eventually, he looked back up at Lin. "I was drunk. I - I threatened him. Made him - made him have sex with me."

Lin had to stop her eyebrows from flying into her hair. Instead, she frowned, too. Trying to keep her expression neutral in this case wouldn't be possible. "So you raped him?" she asked.

A beat. "Yes."

At least he stopped trying to lie his way through this? Lin saw that as progress, too. Her stomach turned a bit, but she ignored that as she sat down in the seat in front of Mako. Lin folded her hands in front of her. "You do realize I have every right to arrest you right here and now for breaking and entering into Tahno's apartment, correct?"

"I do."

"Unfortunately, your brother has not come forward about your assault on his person. I can't arrest you for that," Lin said, leaning back in her seat a bit. Suddenly the time of night hit her, her bones aching at being up for so long.

She was surprised, however, to see Mako's expression darken at her admission instead of lighting up with relief. "Please be aware, should he step forward, I will have you arrested in a heartbeat," she continued, sitting up straighter.

Mako nodded. "So what else do you need to interrogate me about?" he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.

"Why did you decide to raid Tahno's apartment instead of coming to the police about the blackmail - or even those in charge of the Pro-Bending tournament?"

"I didn't want Bolin to get hurt - those pictures - if they had gotten out to the press, they'd have destroyed him. I couldn't - I couldn't just let that happen. Especially not after Tahno said he'd - he'd keep quiet about it all if I threw the tournament for him. If I - if I had sex with him."

Of course. Lin held back a sigh. Two rapists in one night? She frowned. "You were raped, too, then," she said, frowning. "Would you like to press charges against him?"

Mako's eyes widened slightly. Then he shook his head. "I'd rather have him locked up because he's been stalking my brother."

"Stalking and doctoring photographs for the purposes of blackmail won't get him much time. It would keep him off the streets for maybe a year, at most," Lin stated. "If you press charges against him for rape he can be kept off the streets longer."

Mako shook his head again. She could feel him tense at her words. That time, she did sigh, closing her eyes briefly. She had all the answers she needed. When she opened her eyes again, Mako had turned his head away from her again.

"It's entirely up to you," she began. "Should you change your mind at any time, you know where to find me." She waved him out of the room. "Tell Tahno to come in here next. I'd like to get this over with. You and your brother are free to go - and so is Korra."

Mako nodded, getting up from his chair and leaving the room. Lin had a feeling the boy had mentally punished himself enough for what he had done to his little brother.

It still made her stomach turn, just thinking about it.

The next morning, it became apparent that the ProBending Championship Tournament had been canceled. Mako, Korra, and Bolin stood inside the gym, practice equipment already on, when they received the news. They won by default. The Wolfbats couldn't compete without a waterbender, after all.

The news relieved Mako. Bolin would be safe. Would no longer have to worry about Tahno trying to "recruit" him. And they'd still get the championship pot. They could move out of the arena, if they wanted to. Together.

The thought should have cheered him up. Should have made him happy. But Bolin's face when Mako suggested moving out of the arena - Korra's face when Mako suggested that he and Bolin live together again - they crushed him. Made it difficult for him to even consider how the championship pot could change their lives for the better. Never having to worry about rent for months - maybe not until the next probending season started up again.

But money, Mako knew, was never a concern to Bolin. He also knew, deep down, that after the Incident, they could never go back to the way they were. Part of him thought if he managed to stop Tahno, if they could just shake him and his blackmail, that they would be fine again.

Obviously, they weren't. Even more obviously, as much as Bolin wanted to forgive him and just move on from what happened, Mako wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself.

He figured that was the price he had to pay for taking advantage of his little brother - the only family he had left, and the only person he could say he loved. And it ripped him apart, made him wish he could take everything back.

But he couldn't. And nothing he could do would make it up to Bolin, either.

Mako had no choice but to accept it and try to move on, himself.