A series of explosions jolted Liu A'dou awake—an unending string of blasts.
Bane had finally trapped all the police.
"I want Batman to watch Gotham fall into ruin step by step."
Sure enough, they were being held at Gotham Stadium.
When Liu A'dou was dragged out and saw the wide expanse of green field and towering spectator stands, he knew he hadn't guessed wrong.
Not that it helped them any.
"There's a full set of broadcast equipment here. I want you to contact the TV station and go live," Bane said.
Gotham Stadium had hosted countless major events.
Its broadcast gear was top-notch.
Bane tossed the reporters' phones back to them. "Call."
Thomas, being Liu A'dou's senior, made the call.
Station Chief Howard finally heard the voices of his two missing reporters.
Relief flooded him—they were still alive.
The terrorists demanded a live broadcast.
He agreed without hesitation.
With a nuclear bomb hanging over the city, how could he dare say no?
The bomb was placed right in the middle of the stadium's grassy field, guarded by twelve armed men arranged in a square formation.
Any enemy trying to approach would be shot on sight.
Their mission was simple—protect the bomb until it exploded.
Bane stood beside the bomb, microphone in hand.
The camera zoomed in, projecting his masked face onto the stadium's giant screen, and simultaneously broadcasting it through Independent News Channel, Gotham City Channel 3, and other networks across the city.
"Good morning, Gotham," Bane said—sounding more like a weather forecast than a terrorist announcement.
This guy might look good on camera, but he sure doesn't have any hosting skills, Liu A'dou silently complained.
"Dear citizens of Gotham, today we bear witness to the activation of the bomb.
I am not here to destroy Gotham.
I am here to liberate it.
But know this—if anyone tries to escape or seeks outside help, the bomb will detonate.
No one can disarm it.
This machine is your liberation."
Sweat poured off the citizens watching on their TV screens.
A nuclear bomb.
This bald lunatic really was insane.
Liu A'dou shifted the camera to the bomb, then back to Bane.
"Now, citizens, go home and embrace your loved ones.
Because from this moment forward, the choice to reclaim your rights lies in your hands.
The shackles placed upon you have been removed.
It is time for the corrupt officials and heartless rich to pay their debt.
Let the oppressed rise up.
No longer will anyone interfere or dictate your lives.
The wealth stolen from you will be taken back.
They will taste the real cruelty of the world.
You shall be their judges.
And their wealth shall become yours.
I return it all to you—in the name of God."
Without any law enforcement left to restrain them, the city's unstable elements stirred.
Look—the police were trapped underground in filthy tunnels.
The army outside the city dared not move, paralyzed by fear of the bomb.
Gotham had officially descended into anarchy.
After the broadcast at the stadium, Liu A'dou and Thomas were allowed to go home.
Along the way, the city was deathly silent.
Not a single person in sight.
"I'll take you home first," Liu A'dou said.
Thomas had a family waiting for him.
"Thanks," Thomas replied, his heart heavy.
What he wanted most now was just to be with his family.
Looking out at the empty streets, Thomas sighed.
"Do you think Batman is still alive?"
"I don't know," Liu A'dou said honestly.
"But even if he is, he's probably stuck in a hospital bed for months. We can't count on him before the bomb goes off."
"You really think Bane will detonate it?"
Thomas still wanted to hold onto some hope.
"If he doesn't, then why plant the bomb there at all?"
Liu A'dou shrugged.
"Bane doesn't look like the type who came here to 'liberate' us. It's just a matter of when, not if."
Thomas didn't say another word.
Even though he wanted to ask, what do we do now, as an ordinary person, what could he possibly do?
Liu A'dou was just another poor soul trapped inside Gotham City.
They drove into a neighborhood.
Hearing the sound of the car horn, Thomas's family rushed out to greet him.
The moment they saw him, they threw themselves into his arms, unable to hold back their tears.
Meanwhile, Liu A'dou drove on toward his own place.
First thing—he needed a shower.
After wandering through Gotham's sewers for days, he absolutely stank.
Chinatown was eerily quiet.
Most shops were shuttered, and no one dared to venture out.
Right now, staying home was the safest option.
"Shower, shower," Liu A'dou sang as he scrubbed himself clean.
Washing away that disgusting stench—finally, he felt human again.
As a gentleman thief, he couldn't go around smelling like a sewer.
"Ahhh, much better."
Wrapped only in a towel, Liu A'dou didn't bother getting dressed.
Instead, he went straight to the kitchen and grabbed a cold drink.
After eating nothing but those miserable prison meals for days, this cold soda was heavenly.
"Glug, glug, glug."
Bam—
Ada Wong slammed her fist against the doorframe.
She had been worried sick about Liu A'dou, and when he finally came home, he didn't even call.
Instead, he just took a long, relaxing shower and drank soda like nothing had happened.
Infuriating.
"Ada-jie, why are you here?" Liu A'dou reflexively covered his chest, feeling awkward.
"Want a drink?"
"You little brat, where the hell have you been these past few days?" Ada demanded.
Liu A'dou tossed the empty can into the trash, then slowly sidestepped out of the kitchen, half-blocked by Ada.
"jie, let me get dressed first," he said, embarrassed.
It's hard to act tough when you're half-naked.
As for the past few days, there wasn't much to say.
He'd been locked up by Bane—no torture, no beatings.
They had just been forced to film some propaganda.
Liu A'dou summed it up in a few sentences.
"Bane's seriously crazy. Even if he and Batman have some old grudge, dragging Gotham City into it? Come on. Their personal beef shouldn't mean the whole city has to suffer."
"You're telling me the nuke is real?" Ada was still wrapping her head around the idea that someone could just casually build a nuclear bomb in this world.
"Yeah, it's real," Liu A'dou said.
"Sure, the basic theory of a nuke isn't complicated, but making one? It's not like you can just whip one up in your garage. You need highly enriched materials, which are insanely hard to get."
"But Penguin actually managed to build one.
This world really is insane.
A nuke is nothing here.
This world's got aliens, demons from hell—you name it.
In front of them, even nuclear weapons seem like child's play."
"So," Ada asked, "you think Superman will show up?"
Ada was adapting fast.
In this world, when in trouble, you pray for superheroes.
But Superman wouldn't come.
If Superman stepped in, he could wipe out Bane in seconds.
Batman wouldn't even get a chance to fight back.
And honestly, if Superman came, Liu A'dou's plans would go up in smoke too.
"Gotham City's problems should be solved by Gotham's people," Liu A'dou said firmly.
"jie, wanna help me steal something?"
"...?" Ada raised an eyebrow at Liu A'dou's mischievous grin.
"You've got a plan?"
"Of course."
Liu A'dou's eyes shone with excitement.
"I've got a perfect plan.
But I'm gonna need your help."
After all the times he'd been caught off guard, Liu A'dou's confidence was still rock solid.
Ada didn't want to get blown up by a nuke either, so she agreed.
Plus, she was now Kaitou Kid's temporary sidekick.
"Alright, let's see what you're really up to."
"Nothing but good intentions," Liu A'dou said with a sly smile.
"I, Kaitou Kid, am going to steal the nuclear bomb."