"Time's up!"
Watching the sky grow darker, the Curator glanced nervously at Gordon beside him.
Gordon pulled out his walkie-talkie, his expression grave.
"All units, take your positions. Starting now, evacuate all tourists from the Gemstone Craft Exhibition Hall. Close the hall under the pretext of maintenance. No one is allowed to enter."
"Anyone entering through the east gate, whether tourist or staff, if you notice any suspicious behavior, detain them immediately for identity verification."
As he issued one order after another, the police officers and security guards throughout the museum sprang into action.
...
"What's going on? Why did so many security guards suddenly show up?"
"They even sealed off the Gemstone Craft Exhibition Hall, saying it needs maintenance. But I was just in there. Nothing was broken at all!"
These sudden changes made the tourists in the museum sense that something was wrong.
Some of the more alert visitors had already started rushing toward the exits.
In a place like Gotham, the moment you feel that something is off, the best choice is to leave immediately and put as much distance between yourself and the situation as possible.
Don't worry about what's actually happening, and don't be curious.
Because by the time you figure out what's wrong, it's usually just about time to meet your ancestors.
Under these circumstances, those who remained in the museum were either out-of-towners or people directly involved.
Hundreds of tourists rushed toward the main entrance.
Just as they stepped outside, the sun was completely swallowed by shadow, and the sky instantly darkened as if night had fallen.
As darkness descended, a striking white figure appeared against the sky.
The stark contrast immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Is that a giant bird? Or a plane?"
"It looks like a person."
"That's…"
"Kaitou Kid!?" Gordon stared in shock at the white figure gliding toward them.
He hadn't expected a thief to choose such a high-profile method of entry.
High-profile to the point of outright flamboyance.
What kind of thief dressed entirely in white while committing a theft, soaring through the sky on a hang glider in full view of everyone?
Sending an advance notice could be interpreted as confidence in one's abilities or a deliberate provocation toward the museum and the incompetent GCPD. While abnormal, it was still understandable.
But appearing this openly, as if afraid people might not notice him, was utterly incomprehensible.
This wasn't theft. It was practically turning himself in.
If Catwoman saw this, she would definitely say in exasperation, "That's not how you steal things!"
Theft was supposed to happen under the cover of night, wearing a bodysuit that blended into the darkness, slipping past guards with silent footsteps, sneaking into the vault, opening the safe with exquisite skill, calmly taking the treasure, and escaping without anyone ever noticing.
That was real theft.
For a moment, Gordon even wondered if some rich playboy was out in the city attempting an extreme stunt for fun and had just happened to coincide with Kaitou Kid's scheduled time.
"Fire a warning shot and intercept him."
Gordon issued the order to the guards on the balcony.
Bang!
As soon as the words fell, a loud noise rang out.
But it wasn't a gunshot.
"What the hell? That person in the sky just exploded!"
Curator Zack exclaimed beside him, completely stunned.
They watched as the Kaitou Kid who had just glided over the museum suddenly expanded and burst apart like an overinflated balloon.
In the plaza in front of the museum, the hundreds of tourists who had just fled were startled by the explosion. They instinctively crouched down, tightly shielding their heads with their hands.
It took a long while before anyone dared to move, touching their own faces in disbelief.
"Jesus, I'm still alive!"
"I almost thought someone was trying to blow up the whole museum. Luckily, it wasn't that this time."
"Oh my God! What just happened?"
"If you want to commit suicide, just do it. Why come here to scare everyone?"
After confirming that they were truly unharmed, the crowd finally breathed a sigh of relief, silently cursing the person who had just self-destructed.
Gordon, who had witnessed the entire scene, was equally stunned.
Wasn't Kaitou Kid supposed to be here to steal the tear of the goddess? Why would he self-destruct before even reaching the target?
He had come to arrest a criminal, yet the criminal had died before committing the crime. What kind of situation was this?
"Sir, we've reached the crash site, but…"
Soon, a report came from the guard who had gone to check Kaitou Kid's body.
"Kaitou Kid isn't here!"
"We didn't find any remains, not even a trace of blood!"
Hearing this, Gordon's heart skipped a beat.
"Not good! The explosion outside was a decoy from the very beginning!"
As if confirming his fear, the moment the thought crossed his mind, a shrill alarm echoed throughout the museum.
The laser alarm system protecting the tear of the goddess had been triggered.
Gordon spun around and sprinted toward the Gemstone Craft Exhibition Hall, pulling out his walkie-talkie as he ran.
"Team Three, report the situation on-site immediately!"
There was no response.
The unease in his chest grew heavier.
Gordon immediately issued another order to his other subordinates. "Seal off all museum exits at maximum speed. No one is allowed in or out!"
After making the emergency arrangements, he rushed toward the Gemstone Hall at full speed, cursing his own carelessness.
"I've been a cop for so many years, and I'm still this stupid. How could a thief really wear something that flashy to steal? He must have blended into the museum long ago and waited until now, deliberately making us think he was some eccentric lunatic, then seized the chance to steal the tear of the goddess…"
A wave of irritation surged through Gordon at being thoroughly outplayed.
Yet despite his anger, he wasn't actually worried about the tear of the goddess being stolen.
Because he was certain that Kaitou Kid could not take the tear of the goddess out of the museum.
Even if the bulletproof glass and laser alarms failed to stop him, the final third line of defense was bound to make him fail.
Gordon wasn't far from the Gemstone Hall. After sprinting for less than two minutes, he burst into the exhibition hall.
The first thing he saw was the members of Team Three lying scattered across the floor.
No one was injured, and there were no signs of a struggle. They had clearly been knocked out by gas.
"You arrived a little later than I expected, Commissioner Gordon. I thought you'd be here sooner."
A voice suddenly reached Gordon's ears.
Above the display stand that had once held the tear of the goddess, an elegant and mysterious figure appeared before his eyes.
The man's attire was exactly the same as the white figure that had exploded in the sky earlier.
A spotless white suit, a white top hat, a blue shirt paired with a red tie, and white gloves that ensured he would leave no fingerprints behind.
Over his right eye was a monocle that seemed to emit a constant backlight. It gave the strange impression that one could see his face clearly, yet when trying to recall it afterward, no details would remain.
And inside the glass case beneath his feet, the tear of the goddess was already gone.
"You're Kaitou Kid? Where is the tear of the goddess?"
Gordon raised his pistol and aimed it at him as he demanded an answer.