"Kai! Jay!" Nya breathed, bursting into their room, "You've got to come quickly! There's been another attack!"

"When?" Kai asked immediately, "Where? Is the trail still fresh?"

"If we get there as soon as we can, probably," Nya told him, "At any rate, it's our best lead yet..."

"Then let's get there fast," Jay said. Nya nodded and hurried back to the bridge.

Over the past several days the memory thief had struck again- multiple times. None had given the Ninja a clear lead, however, at least not before now. It was only this time that they'd recieved word soon enough to be able to have a chance at getting a good clue.

In a few minutes the Bounty had pulled in not far from the scene of the attack, and the Ninja piled out, scouring the area. Despite their haste, however, their search revealed nothing- it was another dead end.

"Again?" Jay groaned, shaking his head, "Too late again?"

"Unfortunately," Cole muttered, "It seems you're right..."

Even as they groaned over their misfortune, however, they were unaware of the figure crouched just around the corner...

***

She licked her lips, staring at them. Ninjas... more Ninjas. Their memories would be good to acquire... yes... they would quench her maddening thirst at least for a little while. More memories... she needed more... the old ones were so tiring... she needed fresh thoughts.

If only those blasted police hadn't interrupted her when she'd faced the first Ninja, the girl. She could have had more... she hated them for that.

The police...

Yes. She would go to the police. They would pay for stealing what was rightfully hers, and their memories would become hers. She could not lose! She would always win...

She cast a glance upwards at the flying ship. The girl was up there, she knew. But she could come back to finish the job later... yes, she would return.

In an instant she'd swept off into the shadows again. It was time to pay a call to the police themselves...

***

Misako looked up as they boarded the Bounty again. "Still nothing?"

Kai gave an incoherent growl in response and stalked off to his room without a word. Nya watched him go with sympathy in her eyes and slipped after him, and though the words that passed between them never left that room, when they emerged again at last Kai was still dejected, but no longer angry. "We have to keep looking," he murmured at last, setting himself once more to the task of analyzing the things they had found.

An eerie silence fell over the Bounty those next days. No calls came in from anywhere. They were completely undisturbed.

"There has to be something we're missing," Cole muttered, rubbing at his forehead. Though he refused to admit it to the others, it had been at least three days since he'd gotten a good night's sleep. "Something we just don't see..."

"It's right in front of us," Kai sighed, hitting his head against the table in frustration. "Something right here... right in front of us... and we're so focused on everything else that we're just completely missing it..."

"That's it!" Jay breathed suddenly, startling all of them. "Everything else- what everything else?"

Cole stared at him. "Mind explaining just what in Ninjago you mean?"

"Where are the calls?" Jay asked, "The police used to contact us at least three times in a day at the beginning of the search- so why is it that we haven't heard so much as a whisper from them lately?"

A cold silence fell over the room as the meaning of his words sunk in. All of them realized all too clearly the danger they'd failed to see...

At last Kai broke the spell, leaping up. "Set a course for the police station!" he shouted, "Quickly! There's no time to waste!"

They were too late.

The police station was a total wreck. The officers were nowhere to be seen. The entire building was deserted.

No one dared ask who was responsible. It was obvious- their quarry had struck again, right under their very noses... only now, they were alone in the search. The police would clearly not be helping them any longer...

"And now we'll have to handle all the crime in the city, too," Cole muttered, "I've gotta hand it to them- whoever is behind this is smart..."

"We can ask the Elemental Masters to keep the peace," Skylor offered, "They should be able to help..." Lately, she'd joined them in the search, helping look for clues, but like the others, her efforts had met with little success.

The team continued on in their murmuring, but Zane turned at a faint creaking sound that came from deep within the building. Curious, he slipped away from the others, into a back room.

He was not alone.

Almost as soon as he'd stepped through the doorway, a dark shape sprang at him, sending him tumbling backwards. Claw-like hands clutched at his forehead, but his assailant retreated again in another moment with a yowl as her fingers collided with his metal skin. Zane wasted no time. He bolted upright and gave a shout of alarm, just before the stranger leapt on him again. Then all chaos broke loose as the other Ninja charged in.

The shadow retreated away from Zane at the sight of them, hissing and growling like a wild animal, but the figure was undeniably human. She crouched on all fours now, lashing out like some mad feline, her eyes shadowy hollows of pooling madness. Yet there was a calculating gleam to them, a cunning, predatory gleam, a hunter's instinct. She hissed at them, knowing she was outnumbered, and sprang to a open window behind her, agile as a panther. Yet even as she slipped outside she turned, giving a last snarl. Her eyes locked with Kai's, revealing immediately her wordless threat- "You haven't seen the last of me... I will be back."

"Who... in the world..." Jay breathed, staring in shocked horror at the open window.

Kai didn't answer. He knew exactly who they'd just seen- and his fists clenched.

"Too late again..." Cole muttered, heaving a sigh. "She's always one step ahead..."

Zane got to his feet. "This was undoubtedly our memory thief. She tried to grab my forehead, but she could not drain my memories- but I could feel her trying..."

"We're just lucky it was you and not any of the rest of us..." Jay murmured, shaking his head. "She's not used to Nindroids..."

Kai suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. "Skylor!" He whirled around, but she was no longer behind them. Frantically he glanced around, searching for her, but saw no one.

"My sensors detect a life form three rooms over," Zane offered helpfully.

They ran toward the office. The door was slightly ajar, but the window was closed and locked- though there were long scratch marks down the outside, as if something had been clawing at it and trying to get in...

Skylor had taken shelter under the desk, pale and trembling, as if she'd seen a ghost. Immediately Kai went to her. "Are you alright?"

"T-that face... those eyes..." She shook her head, closing her eyes and putting a hand to her forehead, and seemed unable to finish.

"She did this to you, didn't she?"

Skylor nodded. "I... I didn't see her before... but I felt her... I felt her eyes... it couldn't have been anyone else..."

He clenched his fists. "We'll find her. I promise."

She grabbed his arm. "Her mind is chaos. There is no reason left- only cunning. She is a madman... and..." She broke off.

"And?" he questioned softly, eyeing her with concern.

"And... and she wants you..." she whispered, wide-eyed.