♦—On the third day after Europa learned her true name,
The burning chariot fell from the sky,
Under Clytie's watchful gaze,
I will pass through that invisible prison,
And kiss the tear of the goddess.
Kaitou Kid—♦
At the Gotham City Police Department, Jim Gordon looked down at the white card with text printed on it. In the lower right corner was a cartoon head wearing a top hat and a monocle.
Across from him, Curator Zack of the Gotham Museum of Art wore an uneasy expression.
"This… looks like some kind of riddle."
After a long moment, Gordon set the card down and looked at Curator Zack.
"You believe this is a thief's calling card. The target is a precious gemstone called the tear of the goddess, worth tens of millions, and the sender is most likely the Riddler?"
Curator Zack nodded solemnly.
"But the signature says Kaitou Kid."
"I've never heard of any Kaitou Kid, and I can't think of anyone in Gotham who would use riddles to write a notice and send it to their target in advance except the Riddler. Only he would do something like this."
Curator Zack spoke with absolute conviction, his teeth clenched.
"Kaitou Kid must be the Riddler's new alias!"
If he were only considering the riddle itself, Gordon might have agreed with Curator Zack.
However, he shook his head. "The Riddler was incarcerated in Arkham Asylum a year ago. This notice cannot be his work."
"Then that means he's going to escape soon!"
Curator Zack was clearly convinced of his own conclusion.
"All right. I'll notify the guards at Arkham Asylum and have them keep a closer watch on the Riddler."
Gordon did not continue arguing about the Riddler with Curator Zack and simply stated his decision.
After all, this was Gotham, where anything impossible could happen.
"As for this notice, we'll begin investigating it immediately and try to determine its meaning as soon as possible. If you discover any other clues, contact us right away."
"Please, Commissioner Gordon. The tear of the goddess is an extremely precious treasure, not only priceless but also of great historical significance. Please make sure it's properly protected."
Curator Zack's tone carried a note of pleading.
"If someone truly intends to steal this gem, the GCPD will bring them to justice."
Gordon gave his promise solemnly.
Some time later, after reporting the case, Curator Zack left the Gotham City Police Department. Two detectives accompanied him to the museum to question the staff and see if they could gather more relevant information.
No one noticed that, in an alley not far from the police department, hidden deep within the shadows, a pair of eyes was watching Curator Zack leave in the police car.
"It seems the GCPD didn't completely ignore my notice. Now I don't have to worry about my debut performance having no audience."
A young man stepped out of the darkness.
He looked extremely young, only sixteen or seventeen, with black hair, blue eyes, long legs, a slender waist, fair skin, and a handsome face, his proportions nearly flawless.
If one were to imagine the ideal prince from a young girl's dreams, it would probably look exactly like him.
The young man's name was Darren Greer, a reincarnator with memories of a past life.
He had been born in a Gotham hospital seventeen years ago. His mother in this life had been frail and passed away less than two years after giving birth. His father had also died in an accident many years earlier.
Darren's father, Phil Greer, had been a famous escape artist. Each performance brought in a considerable income, and the inheritance he left behind was enough to ensure Darren never had to worry about food or shelter for a long time.
Not only that, Darren himself displayed extraordinary talent in magic. With the help of his father's old connections, he was occasionally invited to perform on stage at various theaters.
At an age when most children were still playing in the mud, Darren had already earned his first bucket of fried chicken with his own skills.
At first glance, Darren's life seemed quite good, but the problem was that this was the DC world.
He didn't need to worry about survival, but staying alive was another matter entirely.
Gotham was an especially notorious place, and Arkham Asylum was filled with extraordinary individuals.
When you walked down the street and met a stranger, they might inexplicably shoot you, or they might hand you a large sum of money. As for the reason, it was most likely decided by the flip of a coin.
So why not move?
Good question.
Leaving aside whether young Darren could easily find another place to live, the outside world was only slightly less insane and not necessarily any safer than Gotham.
The DC world was not like Marvel, which had New York, a city packed with heroes and villains that served as the frontline for major events. All kinds of monsters and disasters had to circle New York a few times before spreading elsewhere. Here, danger truly existed everywhere.
Fortunately, along with Darren's transmigration came his cheat: the Gorgeous Phantom Thief System.
The system resembled a monotonous UI interface. It had no complicated tasks and did not speak.
It only emitted a prompt sound when operated or when key information was triggered.
♦♦♦
Host: Darren Greer
Skills: Magic Mastery, Voice Mimicry Mastery, Disguise Mastery, Driving Mastery, Shooting Mastery, Lockpicking Mastery, Escape Artistry Mastery
Items: Playing Card Gun, Bulletproof Cloak, Grappling Gun, Glider, Smoke Bomb, Flash Bomb, Inflatable Mannequin"
♦♦♦
As its name implied, the Phantom Thief System allowed the user to obtain random rewards by performing actions befitting a phantom thief. These actions involved acquiring treasures through methods far more flamboyant than those of ordinary thieves, stunning the audience.
The more flamboyant the method, the greater the shock to the spectators. The higher the value of the stolen treasure, the higher the chance of obtaining high-quality rewards.
The system did not assign tasks. All targets were chosen and arranged by Darren himself.
However, up to this point, Darren had not carried out a single formal operation. All the skills and equipment he currently possessed came from the Newbie Gift Pack.
For over a decade, he had practiced these techniques relentlessly, until he had completely mastered them all.
During this process, Darren also decided on his phantom thief persona and moniker.
Since it had to be flamboyant, unique, and capable of astonishing the audience, the most suitable choice was naturally that white phantom who embodied elegance simply by standing there, carried that elegance through to the very end, and possessed a style completely distinct from all other master thieves.
The gentleman thief Kaito Kid.
After making all the necessary preparations, Darren discreetly sent the notice to the Gotham Museum of Art, then secretly watched as Curator Zack hurried to the GCPD to report the case.
If Curator Zack or the Gotham police had ignored the notice and tossed it into the trash, Darren would have activated his backup plan.
Fortunately, this was Gotham, and things rarely unfolded in a normal way.
"Next, I need to prepare properly for the performance in a few days. The first battle of my debut must be spectacular."
Darren watched Curator Zack's car disappear into the distance, then turned and left.
____
Note-
MC is an anti-hero, specifically a "gentleman thief archetype," not a villain.
He avoids killing, bloodshed, and collateral damage.
He exposes deception.
He honors his own rules and promises.
His conflict with Batman is ideological, not destructive.
His enjoyment is in craft, performance, and intellect, not domination or chaos.