"The Kaitou Kid 'you' captured on the ground earlier really was you, Selina Kyle. My hunch was indeed correct!"
Just then, a voice rang out unexpectedly from behind Catwoman.
She froze for half a heartbeat, then turned slowly, one hand resting casually on her hip.
"My My~~ , it is you, the Bat Family's little bird. Sneaking up on a lady changing clothes ~? Shouldn't you be following Harvey to the police station, or chasing after that Kaitou Kid who knows where he ran off to?"
Catwoman regarded Robin with a lazy smile, her eyes glinting in the dim rooftop light filtering up from the chemical plant below.
"After all, I haven't done anything bad today~"
"That's also the reason you're still standing here talking to me instead of sitting in an interrogation room."
Robin spoke expressionlessly, arms crossed, cape fluttering faintly in the night breeze. His tone carried the quiet weight of someone who had seen too many half-truths in Gotham.
"But regardless, it's a fact that you accepted Two-Face's commission. You clearly promised to stop returning to your old profession, and Batman chose to believe you."
Robin's eyes narrowed as he added, "And you failed him."
"Is that so? Ahaha~ Maybe that's exactly what Batman likes about me."
Catwoman laughed nonchalantly, the sound low and unconcerned, echoing softly off the rusted vents around them.
"Why did you go back to your old trade? I don't believe you're short on money. You accumulated enough wealth to last several lifetimes years ago."
Robin pressed, stepping forward just enough to close the distance without crowding her.
"That's a good question, but you wouldn't understand. Just like you wouldn't understand why Kaitou Kid commits those seemingly meaningless thefts, while I know what he truly wants."
Catwoman said meaningfully, tilting her head as if weighing how much to reveal.
"We're not Cobblepot, nor Sionis, and certainly not Crane. What we enjoy isn't the joy of possession, but the thrill of the process."
"Of course, compared to Kaitou Kid, who treats money as absolute filth, I'm still a bit more pragmatic."
Robin studied her for a long moment, the silence stretching between them like taut wire. Finally he gave a small nod, not in agreement, but in acknowledgment that the conversation had reached its natural end.
...
Several days later.
Gotham, Iceberg Lounge & Casino.
The air inside was thick with cigar smoke, expensive perfume, and the low murmur of high-stakes bets. Crystal chandeliers cast icy blue light over velvet tables and polished marble floors.
At the center of it all sat Oswald Cobblepot, perched behind an oversized desk in his private office overlooking the main floor through one-way glass.
"So, Two-Face really reverted to his former self, Harvey Dent? He not only voluntarily surrendered to Blackgate Penitentiary, but also expressed remorse to everyone in court?"
Penguin asked the subordinate standing below him while reading the newspaper in his hand, his voice calm but edged with something colder.
"Yeah Boss, our informant inside Blackgate Penitentiary just sent word. He says Two-Face is indeed different from before."
The subordinate replied, shifting his weight uneasily.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
Penguin crumpled the newspaper into a tight ball, knuckles whitening. A cold glint flashed in his eyes behind the monocle.
"So the newspaper's claim that Kaitou Kid is responsible for all of this is also true?"
"Um.. yes."
"I don't care what Two-Face has become. Since Harvey chose to be a weakling, let him rot in Blackgate Penitentiary. But the one thing I absolutely cannot accept is being deceived!"
Penguin, Oswald Cobblepot, the undisputed king of Gotham's underworld, whose power at its peak had even surpassed the entire Falcone Family.
What kind of fool, blind to death, would dare to deceive the Penguin?
As it turned out, after his arrest, Harvey Dent gave a detailed account of everything that had happened on the day of the incident, from his plan to kidnap Robin to the moment Kaitou Kid took the coin. He recounted every detail he knew.
Because he still retained the fundamental qualities of an excellent prosecutor, his logical thinking during the statement was extremely clear. As a result, even those who had not witnessed the scene could vividly picture it after reading the confession.
Although criminal confessions are usually not made public, Gotham's resourceful reporters always find ways to obtain the information they want.
In short, the newspapers in Gotham over the past few days had been filled with reports about Two-Face and Kaitou Kid.
At first glance, neither Two-Face nor Kaitou Kid seemed to have anything to do with the Penguin.
But the Penguin did not think so.
He spotted a blind spot in the fragmented records mentioned in the newspapers.
That was the series of preparations Kaitou Kid had made against Two-Face. They could not have been completed without sufficient time and detailed knowledge of the ACE Chemical Plant's internal structure.
He must have known in advance that Two-Face was hiding inside the ACE Chemical Plant in order to make those arrangements beforehand.
But how did Kaitou Kid know Two-Face's hiding place?
No one, not the GCPD, Robin, Oracle, or even the enemies Two-Face had made on the streets, had guessed the location of the ACE Chemical Plant.
Only a very small number of forces, whose connections and intelligence networks were no weaker than the Penguin's, could have obtained this information.
The Penguin did not believe that Kaitou Kid possessed such an intelligence network. If he did, the Penguin would certainly be part of it.
On this point, the Penguin had absolute confidence.
So, upon learning what Kaitou Kid had done to Two-Face, the Penguin immediately realized the problem.
Because several days earlier, he had made a deal with someone and told that person Two-Face's hiding place.
"Lupin III... that monkey-faced gambler must be Kaitou Kid!"
The Penguin spoke through clenched teeth, a furious smile twisting his features as he crushed the balled-up newspaper in his fist.
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