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"Officer, we have a new development!"
On the rooftop of the Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall, Commissioner James Gordon's communicator suddenly crackled to life.
It was one of the GCPD helicopter pilots circling near Wayne Tower.
"What's happened?" Gordon asked immediately, gripping the communicator tightly.
Because the exhibition hall was several kilometers away from Wayne Tower, there was no way for them to see the scattered cards or hear the reactions from the crowd. All updates had to come from the helicopters.
There was a short pause.
Then the pilot's voice came through clearly:
"Kaito Kid has issued a new Notice. He changed the operation date. He says he will steal the diamond on Easter."
Gordon's face twitched twice.
Easter?
For a moment, he could not even process it.
He had mobilized manpower.
He had coordinated rooftops, patrol teams, helicopters, perimeter lockdowns.
The security measures inside the exhibition hall were already at maximum strength. Every entrance was monitored. Every shift was arranged. Every blind spot calculated.
Everything was ready.
They had simply been waiting for Kaito Kid to walk into the net.
And now—
April Fool's Day.
Just a joke.
Gordon felt as if a mouthful of blood was about to rise in his throat.
"So he was serious about April Fool's," Gordon muttered bitterly.
Sheriff Brock stepped closer.
"Jim, if he won't move tonight, it's almost closing time. Should we rotate shifts?"
Gordon exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down.
"Once the relief team arrives, you can head back. I'll stay."
He lowered his voice.
"Our opponent isn't just Kaito Kid."
Brock understood instantly.
"You mean… her."
Gordon gave a subtle nod.
Brock stayed.
On another part of the rooftop, Barbara contacted Robin.
"I still need time to get back," Robin said while sliding down Wayne Tower with a grappling hook.
"You know I can't just run across Gotham dressed like this."
"It's fine," Barbara replied calmly. "I'm here."
Robin's voice grew serious.
"I don't think he'll repeat the April Fool's joke twice. He probably won't move tonight. Focus on Kailina."
"I've been monitoring her continuously," Barbara said.
She glanced down at her tablet.
A yellow dot moved across the digital floor plan of the exhibition hall.
In her left earbud, she was talking to Robin.
In her right, she was listening to Kailina's footsteps and nearby conversations.
It sounded chaotic to an outsider.
But to Barbara, it was perfectly manageable.
Kailina was simply doing her usual patrol.
No irregular patterns.
No suspicious detours.
"The day's work is finally over," Director Ofe said as he approached Gordon and Brock. "Now I must arrange closing procedures. The ice melting and equipment maintenance must begin."
Gordon nodded stiffly.
"Kaito Kid not attempting a theft today is… good news."
He did not sound convinced.
Director Ofe smiled faintly.
"As long as the hope diamond remains sealed in ice, we are successful. The exhibition runs until April 4th. If Kaito Kid plans to act on Easter, that will be the second-to-last day."
He adjusted his glasses.
"We only need to guard that day carefully."
Then he left the rooftop.
Inside the building, the atmosphere changed.
Visitors were gone.
Only exhibition staff and GCPD officers remained.
Staff handled cleaning, equipment inspection, and routine maintenance.
Police handled patrol and guarding.
Soon, Director Ofe arrived at the independent hall containing the hope diamond.
Two maintenance workers approached him, carrying toolboxes.
"Director."
"How many times have I told you?" Ofe frowned slightly. "No unnecessary formalities. Just do your job well."
"Yes, Director."
"The maintenance of this hall is top priority," Ofe continued sternly. "No accidents. Not even minor ones."
Because the hall was independent, its systems could not be monitored through the central control panel. Every night, manual inspection was required.
To prevent Kaito Kid from disguising himself as maintenance staff, the assigned personnel changed daily.
There was no fixed schedule.
Ofe personally selected them each time.
"Yes, Director. We understand."
The two workers entered the hall.
"First, shut down the refrigeration unit and allow the ice to melt gradually…" one of them murmured.
Ofe watched for a moment longer.
Then he turned and left.
As he did—
One of the workers inside gave him a long, meaningful glance.
—
Later that night, the relief police team fully took over.
Barbara, Dick, and Dean finally gathered again.
More accurately—
Barbara and Dean finally saw Dick return.
He looked dusty and slightly exhausted.
"Where were you?" Dean asked casually. "Does it take this long to come back from Wayne Tower?"
Dick scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well… I ran into some unexpected situations."
He had avoided main roads, as usual.
Instead, he cut through alleys.
And Gotham at night was… Gotham.
Three robberies.
Four street fights.
Two pickpocketing incidents.
As Robin, how could he ignore them?
So he intervened.
Which delayed him significantly.
"You should've seen the crowd," Dick continued dramatically. "Three or four streets packed. Kaito Kid might be a criminal, but his popularity here? Superstar level."
Barbara widened her eyes.
"That popular?"
Dean watched them both.
"Keep acting," he thought silently. "You're almost convincing."
Dick stretched.
"I'm exhausted. How are you two still energetic?"
Dean yawned exaggeratedly.
"I'm heading home."
Dick nodded sincerely.
"Thanks for helping today, Dean. I should go too. Alfred will lecture me if I stay out too late."
They parted ways.
—
Late at night.
Director Ofe finished the last of his paperwork and left the building.
The corridors were quiet.
The air colder now that most systems had shut down.
As he turned a corner—
A blinding white light flashed into his eyes.
He raised his arm instinctively.
"Danilo Ofe."
A hoarse, deep voice echoed from within the light.
It was not loud.
But it carried weight.
"I have a question for you."
The light dimmed slowly.
And in front of him stood a towering dark figure.
Broad shoulders.
Heavy cape.
Unmoving like a mountain.
Behind the figure, projected against the wall by the fading light—
The unmistakable shadow of a bat.
Batman.
Director Ofe's breathing slowed.
His heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears.
The terrifying shadow stretched across the corridor walls like something alive.
And for the first time that night—
The true pressure of Gotham descended.
Not from Kaito Kid.
Not from rumors of curses.
But from the silent presence of the Bat.
And whatever question he had come to ask—
It would not be simple.
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🕷️ End of Chapter
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