Time passed slowly, second by second, as if the entire city of Gotham was holding its breath.
The sky gradually darkened. The last trace of sunset faded behind the skyline, and the neon lights of the city began to glow. From a distance, Wayne Tower stood tall against the night, its windows shining like countless watchful eyes.
Inside the Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall, Dean walked casually down the corridor.
His face looked calm. Relaxed. Almost bored.
To anyone watching, he seemed like a random visitor killing time before closing hour. He glanced at the display walls, adjusted his pace lazily, and even stopped once to check his phone.
But behind that calm appearance, his mind was working fast.
Not far ahead, a woman wearing dark sunglasses walked toward him.
It was Kailina.
She looked composed as always. Elegant posture. Confident steps. The kind of woman who never showed weakness.
"Dean?" she said when she recognized him.
Her tone was natural, but she did not slow down.
"Hi, Miss Kailina," Dean replied with a small smile.
Neither of them stopped walking.
They passed each other smoothly, like two strangers meeting by coincidence.
But in that brief moment — less than two seconds — Dean's fingers moved with almost invisible precision.
When they had already walked several steps away from each other, Dick's voice came through the earpiece hidden in Dean's ear.
"How are things?"
Dean did not touch the earpiece. He simply spoke softly, like someone muttering to himself.
"It's done. The transmitter and the bug are in place. She didn't notice anything."
His lips curved slightly upward.
"My part's finished. What about you?"
Several blocks away, Dick — dressed in his Robin uniform — was running across rooftops.
He sprinted across the tops of buildings near Wayne Tower. When the gap between buildings was small, he jumped across easily. When the distance was too wide, he fired his grappling gun and swung forward without slowing down.
Despite the intense movement, his breathing was steady.
"I'm almost there," Dick replied calmly. "I need to reach Wayne Tower before 7:50."
"Barbara and Commissioner Gordon are already on the rooftop of the exhibition hall. They're watching Wayne Tower with binoculars, waiting for Kaito Kid."
Dean narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So why are you going there alone?"
Dick gave a light laugh. "Let's just say I want to see Kaito Kid with my own eyes."
Then his voice became serious.
"Barbara has taken over monitoring Kailina. You can head to the rooftop or stay inside and guard the diamond. I'm about to get busy. I'm hanging up."
The connection ended.
Inside the quiet exhibition hall, Dean slowly exhaled.
"Robin at Wayne Tower. Batgirl and Gordon on the rooftop."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"This is the best time."
He had no intention of going to Wayne Tower.
Not yet.
He checked the time.
About one hour until 7:50.
"There's still plenty of time."
Dean took out a small device that looked like a smartphone. The screen showed a radar interface. A red dot moved slowly across the map.
That red dot represented Kailina.
But this signal was not coming from Dick's equipment.
Because Dick had only asked him to plant a listening device — he had never given Dean the receiving device.
Dean had prepared his own.
In fact, during that brief moment of passing Kailina, Dean had done something almost impossible.
He had placed not one — but four miniature devices on her.
Two transmitters.
Two listening bugs.
All without her noticing.
When Dick first suspected Kailina might be connected to Kaito Kid, Dean had considered that possibility too.
But he quickly rejected it.
Kailina could not be Kaito Kid.
If she were using a fake identity, that would mean she was another thief — someone targeting the "hope blue diamond."
And that would make her his competitor.
That was unacceptable.
The entire security system of the exhibition hall had been designed by Kailina herself. If she truly planned to steal the diamond, she would have built secret advantages into the system.
She had already designed the hall to counter Kaito Kid — low temperature to reduce finger flexibility, a sealed structure with only one entrance and exit, reinforced glass, controlled lighting.
And who knew what other traps she might have hidden?
Dean did not want that possibility to be true.
"Prepare for the worst," he reminded himself quietly.
He looked at the moving red dot.
"She's in the women's restroom."
He calculated her position quickly from the signal strength.
Outside, the night deepened.
—
As the announced time approached, tension spread across Gotham.
The police were tense.
The staff inside the exhibition hall were tense.
Barbara. Gordon. Robin.
And the civilians.
Because news of Kaito Kid's operation time had somehow leaked.
People had gathered on the streets around Wayne Tower, looking up at the towering building.
Kaito Kid in Gotham had become more than a thief.
He was a spectacle.
A celebrity.
A challenge to authority.
At this moment, four helicopters hovered above Wayne Tower.
Two belonged to the GCPD.
The others belonged to major media outlets, including the Gotham Gazette.
One reporter leaned toward the camera.
"I'm Vicki Vale, reporting live above Wayne Tower," she announced, wind roaring behind her.
Vicki Vale adjusted her headset.
"You can see Robin standing at the top of Wayne Tower. He must be waiting for Kaito Kid."
Cameras zoomed in.
Robin stood tall against the wind.
The city lights reflected off his mask.
Everyone waited.
Several kilometers west, on the rooftop of the exhibition hall, Gordon held binoculars tightly.
"Helicopter One, Helicopter Two. Report."
"Everything normal— wait!"
The pilot's voice suddenly changed.
"Unidentified flying object detected. Southeast direction. Approaching Wayne Tower!"
Gordon immediately turned his binoculars.
From the southeast sky, something white appeared.
A glider.
But this glider was much larger than usual.
At least three times the size of Kaito Kid's standard one.
Even under the strong air turbulence from the helicopters, it maintained stable flight.
On Wayne Tower's rooftop, Robin stepped forward, eyes locked on the incoming glider.
The crowd below gasped.
Phones were raised.
Cameras flashed.
The glider approached fast—
And then, suddenly, it turned.
Instead of landing on Wayne Tower, it curved sharply around the building, moving toward the northwest side.
"What is he doing?" someone shouted below.
Then—
Thud!
A massive banner dropped from beneath the glider.
It unfolded mid-air and wrapped halfway around Wayne Tower.
The letters were enormous.
Bright white against the night sky.
Visible from the streets below.
Visible from the helicopters.
Visible from the rooftop.
For a moment, silence covered Gotham.
Then people began to laugh.
Because the banner read:
"HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!"
The crowd erupted.
Some groaned.
Some laughed.
Reporters burst into excited commentary.
Robin clenched his fists.
From inside the exhibition hall, Dean slowly looked up toward the skyline through a window.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Because while everyone's attention was focused on Wayne Tower—
The real game had already begun.
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🕷️ End of Chapter
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