Some time later, in a quiet and deserted corner of Gotham City, a tall figure leaned against a cold brick wall and finally allowed himself to breathe freely.
"Phew—I'm burning up!"
Dean lifted the heavy bat-shaped helmet off his head and took in a long, desperate breath of fresh air. The cool night breeze brushed against his sweat-soaked hair, and for a moment, he felt as if he had just escaped from a furnace.
His forehead was covered in thick beads of sweat. His back was completely drenched. Even his gloves felt like they were trapping steam inside.
Without hesitation, he began removing the rest of the costume.
First, the thick Bat-suit.
Then the exaggerated muscle padding made of layered silicone.
Then the heavy combat boots that secretly added nearly ten centimeters to his height.
When everything finally fell to the ground in a messy pile, Dean stretched his arms wide and rolled his shoulders.
Suddenly, he felt dozens of pounds lighter.
It was as if he had returned from the dead.
"Yes… I'm alive again."
The person Director Ofe encountered earlier was not the real Batman.
It was Dean.
Disguised.
He had carefully crafted the illusion from start to finish. Gotham's fear of the Dark Knight was stronger than any weapon. All he needed was a few seconds of intimidation.
The moment Director Ofe saw the silhouette in blinding light, the psychological battle was already over.
Dean had used a high-powered searchlight first, blasting Ofe's vision. When the light suddenly switched off, he moved quickly behind him, lowering his voice into a rough, hoarse whisper.
In that instant, Director Ofe's imagination did the rest.
Fear always fills in missing details better than any costume.
And Dean's Bat-suit?
It was nothing more than a crude imitation—plastic armor, cheap black coating, a little metal framing to hold shape.
There was no advanced technology. No bulletproof fabric. No hidden gadgets.
Just bold acting.
"Honestly… how does Batman even breathe in that thing?"
Dean coughed a few times, rubbing his throat.
"Cough—cough! My voice already hurts after speaking only a few lines. Does he talk like that every day? Isn't he afraid of becoming mute someday?"
He gathered the pieces of the fake suit carefully and packed them away.
But while his body relaxed, his mind did not.
"I didn't expect this to be the Penguin Gang again…"
The name lingered heavily in his thoughts.
The last time, they had used the Dragon Egg Ruby Necklace as bait. They even hired Firefly to eliminate him.
That had been dangerous.
But this time—
This time, they had somehow obtained the real Stone of Misfortune.
That was no ordinary jewel.
That was the legendary Hope Diamond.
Hope Diamond
"How far is Penguin willing to go?"
Dean frowned.
"Just because I exposed his money-laundering network? Was it really necessary to escalate things to this level?"
The truth was, he had only assisted the investigation.
It was Vicki Vale who had truly uncovered the evidence.
Vicki Vale
Yet strangely, Penguin never targeted her.
Why only him?
Why did every major criminal in Gotham seem oddly tolerant toward Vicki Vale?
It was said she once interviewed the Joker face-to-face at a crime scene filled with hostages.
Not in prison.
Not inside Arkham.
At an active crime scene.
Joker
And somehow… she walked away unharmed.
"Is there some invisible protection around her?"
Dean could not understand it.
But one thing was clear.
If he didn't make Penguin pay a heavy price, this wouldn't stop.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"The Stone of Misfortune… perhaps I can turn this into something useful."
His eyes gleamed faintly in the dark.
---
Meanwhile, at Wayne Manor.
Wayne Manor
Dick returned home late that night, his steps slow and tired.
"Welcome back, Master Richard."
Alfred greeted him with his usual calm smile.
Alfred Pennyworth
"Was today's mission smooth?"
"Please don't tease me, Alfred," Dick sighed. "You already saw the live broadcast from Wayne Tower. Kaito Kid made all of Gotham look foolish on April Fool's Day."
Kaito Kid
He shook his head.
"I decoded the date correctly. April 1st. And yet I still believed he would act. I underestimated how playful he is."
Alfred chuckled softly.
"If no one was harmed, and the performance caused no true damage, perhaps it isn't entirely bad."
Dick paused.
"I don't dislike him," he admitted.
"I've noticed something interesting," Alfred added.
"On the nights when Kaito Kid appears, Gotham's overall crime rate decreases."
Dick blinked in surprise.
"That can't be coincidence."
"You may confirm it on the Bat-Computer. The numbers show a clear downward trend."
Dick thought carefully.
On recent patrols, the number of robberies he encountered had indeed dropped.
Tonight, on his way back, he stopped only three robberies.
Normally, five or six would be considered light.
Could it be…
That criminals were distracted?
Or afraid?
Or simply staying indoors to watch the spectacle?
Whatever the reason, a strange realization dawned on him.
Kaito Kid's presence brought temporary order to Gotham.
That thought unsettled him.
Was a thief… helping the city?
---
The next morning.
April 2nd.
Dean did not appear at the Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall.
Kaito Kid's true move was scheduled for the third day.
Without the Phantom Thief persona, Dean was simply a magician.
If he stayed too close to the diamond without purpose, he might become a target himself.
Dick did not summon him either.
Instead, Dick and Barbara arrived early to reinforce security.
Barbara Gordon
Their mission was simple.
Protect the Hope Diamond.
But the moment they stepped inside, an angry roar echoed through the exhibition hall.
"What did you say?!"
Director Ofe's voice was full of fury.
He stood before two trembling maintenance workers.
"Last night, I personally saw the two of you enter the Hope Diamond exhibition room for maintenance!"
His finger pointed sharply at one of them.
"And now you tell me you somehow fell asleep? And only woke up at home?"
The man stuttered nervously.
"We—we don't remember anything… Sir…"
Director Ofe turned red with anger.
"Then who did I see last night? Was it Kaito Kid?!"
Silence.
He spun toward the second worker.
"I assigned only the two of you to maintenance duty. How did Kaito Kid know that? And how could you not recognize your own partner?!"
Dick and Barbara exchanged a glance.
This was bad.
Very bad.
If someone impersonated staff…
If access codes were compromised…
If memory was erased…
Then this was no simple prank.
This was preparation.
Careful.
Calculated.
Professional.
Dick stepped forward calmly.
"Director Ofe, please allow us to inspect the security footage."
Ofe hesitated, then nodded.
Inside the control room, they replayed the recordings.
At first glance, everything looked normal.
Two maintenance workers entered.
They performed routine checks.
They left.
But when Barbara zoomed in frame by frame, something subtle appeared.
The posture was slightly off.
The walking rhythm was too precise.
And one worker's reflection in the glass display case flickered strangely.
Dick narrowed his eyes.
"Could it be…"
Barbara finished his thought quietly.
"Could it be Kaito Kid?"
The name hung in the air.
But if it was truly him—
Then yesterday's April Fool's performance was not the real show.
It was only the opening act.
And somewhere in Gotham, under a calm expression and elegant smile, a Phantom Thief was already preparing his grand masterpiece.
The true performance was about to begin.
-----------------------------------
🕷️ End of Chapter
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