"It's time!"
Watching the sky darken, Curator Zack looked nervously at Gordon beside him.
Gordon pulled out his walkie-talkie, his expression grim. "Positions, everyone. From now on, evacuate all tourists in the Gem Craft Exhibition Hall. Close the hall under the pretense of maintenance. No one enters!"
"Anyone entering from the East Gate, whether tourist or staff—if you see suspicious behavior, detain them immediately for identity verification!"
As his orders went out, the police and security guards inside the museum sprang into action.
"What's happening? Why are there so many guards suddenly?"
"They closed the Gem Hall? They said it's for maintenance? I was just in there, nothing was broken!"
The changes alerted the tourists to an unusual scent in the air. Some quick-witted individuals were already heading for the exits. In Gotham, when things felt wrong, the best choice was to leave immediately. Run as far as you could. Don't ask what happened. Don't be curious. By the time you figured out what was wrong, you'd likely be on your way to meet your maker.
Hundreds of tourists scrambled toward the main entrance.
Just as they stepped outside, the sun was completely obscured by the shadow. The sky turned as dark as night. Accompanied by the descent of darkness, a striking white figure appeared against the canvas of the sky.
The extreme contrast drew everyone's gaze.
"Is that a big bird? Or a plane?"
"I think it's a person."
"That is—Phantom Thief Kid!?"
Gordon stared in astonishment at the white figure flying toward them. He hadn't expected a thief to adopt such a high-profile entrance. It was flamboyant to the point of arrogance.
What kind of thief wears all white and flies a hang glider in the sky in front of everyone while committing a crime?
Sending a heist notice could be interpreted as overconfidence or a provocation to the incompetent GCPD. While not normal behavior, it was understandable. But showing up so blatantly, as if afraid people wouldn't see him? It was incomprehensible.
This wasn't theft; it was walking into a trap!
If Catwoman saw this, she would facepalm in sheer disappointment. Things aren't stolen like this! Theft required the dead of night, tight black clothes blending with the shadows, silent footsteps bypassing guards, and exquisite technical skills to crack safes. You took the treasure calmly and vanished without a trace. That was true theft!
For a moment, Gordon wondered if some rich kid was playing extreme sports in the city and just happened to clash with Kid's predicted time.
"Fire warning shots. Intercept him," Gordon ordered the guards on the balcony.
BOOM!
A loud noise erupted—but it wasn't a gunshot.
"F*ck! That guy in the sky just—exploded!" Curator Zack screamed, jaw dropped.
The Phantom Thief Kid, who had just glided over the museum, suddenly swelled up like an overfilled balloon and burst apart.
On the plaza at the museum entrance, hundreds of fleeing tourists were startled by the explosion. They instinctively crouched, covering their heads with their hands. It was a long time before anyone dared to move, touching their faces in disbelief.
"Jesus, I'm alive!"
"I thought someone was trying to blow up the museum. Thank god it wasn't that."
"God! What just happened?"
"If he wanted to kill himself, fine, but why come here to scare people?"
After confirming they weren't injured, the crowd sighed in relief, cursing the "suicide bomber" in their hearts.
Gordon, who witnessed the entire process, was also stunned. Wasn't Kid here to steal the Goddess's Tear? Why did he self-destruct before he even arrived? He came to catch a criminal, but the criminal died in front of him before committing the crime. What was this?
"Sir, we've reached the crash site, but..."
Soon, the guard who went to check on the corpse reported in.
"Kid isn't there!"
"We didn't find any remains. Not even bloodstains!"
Hearing this, Gordon's heart sank.
"Not good! The explosion outside was a decoy to attract our attention from the start!"
As if confirming his fears, the moment he realized this, harsh alarm bells rang throughout the museum.
This meant the laser alarm system for the Goddess's Tear had been triggered!
Gordon hurriedly turned and sprinted toward the Gem Craft Exhibition Hall, pulling out his radio to contact the guards stationed there. "Team Three, report the situation immediately!"
No response.
The uneasiness in his heart grew stronger.
"Lock down all museum exits at top speed! No one in or out!" Gordon barked orders to his other subordinates.
Having deployed the emergency response, Gordon ran full tilt toward the Gem Hall, cursing his own carelessness.
I've been a cop for so many years, how could I be so stupid? How could a thief really wear such flashy clothes to steal something? He must have infiltrated the museum long ago, waiting until now to make us think he was some eccentric freak, using the distraction to steal the Goddess's Tear...
Gordon felt the anger of being played. However, amidst the anger, he wasn't anxious about losing the gem.
He was certain Phantom Thief Kid could not take the Goddess's Tear out of the museum. Even if the bulletproof glass and laser alarms failed to stop him, the third and final line of defense was destined to make him fail.
Gordon wasn't far from the hall. Sprinting, he burst through the doors in under two minutes.
The first thing he saw was Team Three lying on the floor. No injuries, no signs of struggle. They had likely been gassed or tranquilized.
"You arrived a bit later than I expected, Commissioner Gordon. I thought you'd be here sooner."
Suddenly, a voice reached Gordon's ears.
Standing atop the display platform for the Goddess's Tear, an elegant, mysterious man appeared before Gordon's eyes.
The man's attire was identical to the white shadow that had exploded in the sky. A pristine white suit, a tall white top hat, a blue shirt with a red tie, and white gloves that ensured no fingerprints would be left behind.
Over his right eye, he wore a monocle with a dangling clover charm. The glass seemed to perpetually reflect light, making it impossible to see his face clearly—as if you saw it, but couldn't remember it the moment you looked away.
And in the glass case beneath his feet, the Goddess's Tear was gone.
"You are Phantom Thief Kid? Where is the Goddess's Tear?"
Gordon raised his gun, aiming it at the thief.