Chapter 231: Mysterious Thieves
In Gotham, Catwoman Selina Kyle had once specialized in stealing artwork and jewelry.
Hearing the lead figure mention preparing two years for this operation—even accepting museum employment specifically for tonight—Batman's first reaction was identifying another artifact theft crew.
But the tactical hand signals immediately following those words, combined with the other two members' professional window-breaching techniques, put Batman instantly on alert.
Organized. Premeditated. Expertly trained. Well-prepared.
Batman's eyes narrowed slightly as he silently followed.
This world's history partially differed from Batman's original reality. Though he'd conducted comprehensive research, he hadn't specifically become this world's artifact expert.
Therefore, despite determining this crew likely represented highly professional, purpose-driven thieves, Batman couldn't identify their specific target within extremely compressed timeframes.
Inside the darkened museum, the thieves advanced rapidly toward one direction, footsteps nearly inaudible.
They passed through the Indian artifacts exhibit, bypassed the Metropolitan Museum's largest and most important Egyptian collection, circumvented every surveillance system and security protocol along their route, heading directly toward the Roman galleries.
Batman clung to the ceiling above the thieves like an actual bat, Arkham suit's white lenses deactivated, maintaining complete concealment.
This should have been Batman's familiar tracking and infiltration methodology. But as he pursued the thieves through the magnificent columned hall between Egyptian and Roman galleries, Batman's movement suddenly stopped.
Spider-sense detected nothing. His hearing and smell detected nothing within the columns. But Batman ceased tracking regardless.
Batman's specifically trained spider-sense didn't merely trigger when danger approached—it activated when surrounding environments experienced any minute changes.
Combined with Peter Parker's body's perceptive capabilities, Batman maintained complete three-hundred-sixty-degree awareness even without visual confirmation. Zero blind spots.
Yet precisely under this comprehensive omnidirectional perception, Batman felt distinctly observed.
Behind one column in the magnificent hall, someone watched Batman quietly.
That gaze shouldn't exist. When Batman had tracked the thieves entering the columned hall moments ago, he'd confirmed with absolute certainty that position had been empty.
Under the Arkham suit and this body's enhanced perception, Batman could hear opponents' faint heartbeats and breathing. Nobody could evade Batman's detection while standing openly visible.
But current circumstances indicated Batman heard neither heartbeat nor breathing—yet someone's gaze observed him. That spine-tingling sensation felt undeniably real.
Instantly, Batman ceased tracking, slowly turning his head toward that column's direction.
Nothing there. The column remained unchanged. Throughout the magnificent hall, the thieves had gradually departed. Only Batman remained.
As though the observed sensation had been illusory.
Batman's brow furrowed. He glanced at the increasingly distant thieves, then at the position where that gaze had originated.
After two seconds' consideration, Batman mentally recorded the location and continued pursuing the thieves along the ceiling.
Matching Batman's earlier assessment, this represented an extremely professional crew.
Batman had paused merely ten-plus seconds in the columned hall. The crew had already rapidly traversed it, reaching the Roman galleries from another direction.
The Roman galleries' full designation: Greek and Roman Art. Housing millennia-spanning priceless treasures.
But these thieves' objective completely ignored those expensive artifacts. Instead, they positioned themselves beside a display platform barely three square meters—containing a black medieval stone tablet fragment under explosion-proof glass roughly aquarium-sized.
When Batman arrived, they'd already extracted the medieval tablet without triggering any alarms.
Batman's knowledge of this world's historical artifacts remained limited but not nonexistent. His current expertise would easily qualify him for Empire State University's artifact studies professorship.
Batman simply hadn't reached world-class specialist level—similar to understanding gamma radiation without matching Banner's expertise.
Nevertheless, Batman immediately determined this stone fragment bore zero connection to artifacts' typical "expensive" designation.
Art or jewelry thieves divided into two categories: those like Catwoman Selina who stole for private collection, and those pursuing rapidly monetizable artifacts.
The former typically targeted world-unique pieces—Monet paintings, for instance. The latter focused primarily on jewelry, ancient coins, and similar items—avoiding world-class repositories like the Metropolitan Museum.
But this crew's theft objective differed completely from both categories. They'd stolen an utterly unremarkable medieval stone tablet fragment.
Even in black markets, such artifacts represented difficult-to-monetize, low-collection-value categories.
"Success. Withdraw."
The lead figure secured the black stone fragment inside his clothing, then executed tactical hand signals.
Beyond necessary communication, they maintained complete silence, ignoring the Roman galleries' considerably more expensive artifacts, advancing toward their extraction route like relocating ants.
The museum interior remained pitch-black.
Actually, even during deep night, the Metropolitan Museum maintained illumination. But the lead thief had spent two years preparing tonight's operation—including disabling lighting.
Darkness served as their camouflage. But also camouflaged the monster shadowing them relentlessly.
Just as they approached the Roman galleries' exit, the lead figure's movement froze.
He clearly saw along his extraction route—an enormous inhuman silhouette suspended mid-air, watching them quietly.
Cold sweat instantly soaked through the figure's back. He immediately raised one fist before his chest—the tactical signal for halting operations.
They didn't move. That shadowed outline similarly remained motionless—resembling a statue hanging in space.
"Plan B." The lead figure stared intensely at the shadow outline, voice low as he articulated the words.
They were thieves. Beyond their target stone fragment, they shouldn't interact with anyone or anything inside the Metropolitan Museum.
Their extraction protocols contained multiple options. Currently blocked by the mysterious shadow outline, the lead figure immediately selected the secondary plan.