In the past couple of days, there had clearly been a surge of people heading to the World Trade Tower for sightseeing. But their eyes kept darting toward corners and shadows. They were obviously looking for something.
These people were Kaitou Kid fans—coming in early to try and spot him. What they didn't know was that Liu A'dou was currently in hiding and hadn't gone near the tower at all. They also didn't realize they were already part of Kaitou's trap.
"Boss, slow down!"
Hans, fresh out of college and now interning at Gotham City Channel 3, was running after the station's star reporter. He was drenched in sweat—not because he was weak, but because he was lugging a video camera that weighed over 10 kilograms.
At first, he'd been excited to be assigned to such a beautiful reporter. Later, he finally understood the smug looks the senior staff had given him.
Working under most field reporters was just tiring. Working under this boss was exhausting and downright dangerous. She'd dragged him into filming gang deals, gotten them both threatened at gunpoint more than once. Hans honestly felt it was a miracle she was still alive to hold the title of top reporter. "Boss, wait for me!"
"Hans, this won't do! This is one of the biggest stories of the year! If we're too slow, the other stations will scoop us!"
"Got it, Iselin, Boss!" Hans huffed into the elevator, soaked in sweat.
He figured maybe Kaitou Kid held some special meaning to Iselin—after all, she was the first reporter to ever broadcast his appearance. You could say she was the one who introduced him to the public, and Kid gave her her first real headline.
Thinking that way, Hans understood why she had arrived so early and waited at the site. But he had only scratched the surface.
In truth, Iselin really wanted to see Kid again. It had been two years. Had he changed?
Even though the scheduled heist was set for sunrise tomorrow, lots of people were already gathered on the rooftop. They planned to camp there overnight, all just to wait for their idol's arrival.
Gotham police were even present on the rooftop to maintain order. They weren't there to arrest Kid—just to make sure no one got hurt in a fan stampede.
Everyone still remembered Kaitou Kid's incredible performance during the nuclear crisis two years ago. Now that he was back in Gotham, enthusiasm was off the charts. Some longtime fans even dressed up in full white suits, cosplaying him almost perfectly.
Kid's popularity in Gotham was sky-high. Just look at today's crowd. The rooftop couldn't even fit everyone. More fans gathered around the base of the tower, hoping to catch even a glimpse of him appearing—or escaping.
Hans wiped his sweaty brow as he watched the nonstop stream of fans. 'Good thing we came early,' he thought. 'This could've been a nightmare.'
"Excuse us! Press coming through!"
He spotted other reporters also trying to push their way up, but getting stuck in the dense crowd. Hans couldn't believe it. 'Is this Kaitou Kid really that big of a deal?'
Hans was born in Gotham, but he'd gone to college out of state. He didn't have any first-hand experience with Kid.
He had no idea what it felt like to live in fear during a nuclear crisis, with no hope, trembling through each day. Even Batman had been defeated.
If Kid hadn't shown up and stolen that nuke…
To this day, people still talked about how he walked through the snow that night.
That moment had become legend. Even world-class magicians admired that performance—calling it true magic.
"Kaitou Kid's popularity is off the charts," Hans muttered, only to be met with disdain from everyone around him.
"And you call yourself a reporter? Kid's popularity was even higher two years ago. I still remember watching him steal the nuke at the stadium with 30,000 people. That was the most thrilling Christmas Eve of my life."
It was pure nostalgia. Even as spectators, they were blown away by how calm and fearless Kid had been, even when facing the brutal Bane.
Hans listened, but still couldn't quite wrap his head around it. Kid in the videos didn't seem that magical. Of course, watching a video and being there in person were two completely different things.
In just seven more hours, Hans would see the real Kaitou Kid for himself.
"Smart, hiding like that. But with no preparation, how are you going to find my calling card?"
Neo could see every angle of the rooftop from where he was. After Liu A'dou went into hiding, he completely lost track of him.
But Neo wasn't in a rush. His goal was to force Kid into revealing his true identity. He knew Kid always prepped before every heist. But now, with Neo throwing obstacles at him, Liu A'dou probably didn't even know where the calling card was hidden.
Neo had even prepared a special gift—something Kid would definitely remember.
The long wait continued. Fans sat on the rooftop. Luckily, it was still late summer. Even so, the air was cold at that height. The building staff handed out blankets to keep people from catching colds.
Whoosh—
Batman exhaled a puff of white breath. He stood on a tall building in the distance, watching everything through a telescope.
He wasn't thrilled that Kid had returned to Gotham without saying a word. Not even a heads-up. Did Kid think he could just ignore the city's protector?
But Batman was actually blaming him unfairly. Right now, Liu A'dou was completely clueless. Even if he'd gone to Batman, it wouldn't have helped.
Besides, Liu A'dou was a member of the Justice League. If he couldn't handle a threat aimed directly at himself, what right did he have to stay in the League?
Still, something felt off. Batman scanned the rooftop but couldn't find any of Kid's usual gadgets or setups.
'Is he… not coming this time?'
But Kid had already sent out the announcement. If he said he would appear, then he definitely would.
Time ticked away.
What no one knew was that Liu A'dou—just like Batman—had picked a tall building and was watching the rooftop through a scope.
He wanted to see if there was anyone suspicious among the crowd.
Since his identity had been exposed but not publicly revealed, could it be that someone among the fans was targeting him?
Right now, anything was possible. Liu A'dou had to consider every scenario.
So far, he hadn't spotted any suspects.
'Damn it. Who the hell is targeting me like this? And what do they want?'
Stay calm. That was the most important thing now.
If no suspects turned up, then he'd just have to deal with whatever came. He checked the time—thirty minutes left.
Many people on the rooftop had already fallen asleep, lying across the concrete.
Through the telescope, Kid spotted a familiar figure—Iselin. She looked alright. Seemed like she was already mentoring rookies.
She could handle things on her own now. Time really flew.
Seeing her face brought back old memories. But the past was the past. All he could do now was move forward.
"Alright then," he muttered, "time for the showdown. Let's see what kind of massive trap you've set up for me."
What had started as a misunderstanding had already caused Liu A'dou more than enough trouble.
But no matter what the opponent had planned, he would face it head-on.
He loosened his grip, letting the cape fall—and that was the signal.