VIP Shoutout: Massive thanks to Leaping Leamur and Natsu Kurosaki for joining the Inner Circle!
💝
_______
Some time later, the Red and Blue Twins ran back.
"Boss, we searched the entire chemical plant and didn't find anyone. Whoever it was must have already gotten far away."
"The fact that someone came straight to us means our base has been exposed. Should we move somewhere else?"
The two brothers spoke one after the other, their voices overlapping in nervous urgency.
"Hmm..."
Two-Face, however, seemed not to hear them at all. He placed the card in his hand onto the table and motioned for the two of them to come closer and take a look.
"Who is Kaitou Kid?"
"Kaitou Kid? Could the person who sent that card just now have been him?"
Hearing that, the twins hurriedly picked up the card from the table.
"It really is him. Boss, you just returned to Gotham, so you might not know much about him yet. This Kaitou Kid is actually...…"
After their explanation, Two-Face gained a rough understanding of Kaitou Kid.
"Hah~ A so-called phantom thief who thinks far too highly of himself, craves attention, and panders to the public through theft," he said with a cold snort. "In my eyes, he's nothing more than a brat who likes to show off, treating crime like a childish game from beginning to end."
Disdain was written clearly across his face.
"I heard you say earlier that Nygma lost to him recently? The Riddler really is getting worse with age."
"This…"
Seeing their boss's dismissive attitude, the Red and Blue Twins exchanged a glance.
"Boss, whether Kaitou Kid is a child or not, he's definitely a formidable opponent," the brother in red said cautiously. "Not only did he defeat the Riddler, but even… even Robin, the one who made you suffer back then, has never been able to do anything about him."
They both knew the truth. Robin hadn't merely "made Two-Face suffer." The last time, he had nearly beaten him to the point where he could barely function.
Two-Face had been missing for almost two years before returning. Most of that time had likely been spent recovering from his injuries.
"Is that so..?"
Two-Face's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing.
"Boss, aren't you planning to take revenge on Robin?" the brother in blue quickly added.
"It would be bad if Kaitou Kid took the chance to interfere while you're passing judgment on him. Think about it. The second line of that Notice mentioned judgment. Maybe he overheard our conversation just now and plans to sabotage your plans."
"…That does make some sense."
Two-Face fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"I absolutely cannot allow a thief to disrupt my court."
He then raised another question.
"But why would Kaitou Kid come looking for me?"
"He clearly arrived at the ACE Chemical Plant before overhearing our conversation, so sabotaging our trial can't be his primary objective. There's nothing of value here, and we haven't provoked him the way the Riddler did…"
"So what is his purpose? What does he want to steal from us?"
Two-Face frowned, thinking aloud.
"It's possible that after defeating the Riddler and tasting the popularity that came with it, Kaitou Kid has set his sights on us this time. After all, the return of Two-Face is also big news in Gotham…"
As he continued speaking, his choice of words subtly shifted from "I" to "we/us."
The twin brothers understood that the "we" their boss referred to did not include them.
"He's entering that state again."
They quietly edged away from Two-Face and whispered to each other.
"Yeah. I wonder which boss will come out on top this time."
"What are you talking about? We only have one boss. No matter how it plays out, he always ends up in control."
Inside the room, Two-Face paid no attention to his subordinates leaving and continued speaking to himself.
His demeanor and emotions gradually slipped out of control, splitting apart.
"Kaitou Kid always leaves messages in his Notices. If we can decipher their meaning, we can understand exactly what he intends to do."
As he said this, Two-Face's expression was calm, his tone steady.
"What? Who do you think we are, the Riddler? I won't play childish guessing games. No matter when or where, everything we do is arranged by fate. If Kaitou Kid wants to ruin my plans, then let him come. I'll send him to hell with my own hands."
His face twisted, his voice turning fierce.
"You're too arrogant. To this day, no clues about Kaitou Kid have been found. Looking at Gotham's criminal history, people like him are exceedingly rare. Perhaps only the Joker is as mysterious, along with Batman and Robin. We cannot afford to underestimate him."
"So what? Can you even understand what's written on this damn Notice? 'The gavel falling for the seventh time,' 'redemption for a tainted soul.' What does any of that mean? I can't even tell what Kaitou Kid wants to steal. Whose soul does he want to redeem, ours?"
"Maybe yours."
"No. My soul is not tainted. We simply follow fate's arrangements to judge the guilty. Our soul is righteous."
"But justice is never served through vigilantism."
"It seems we disagree once again. In that case, we need an impartial arbiter. Let fate decide the outcome."
Two-Face stopped arguing with himself and took out his coin, one side pristine, the other scarred.
"Heads, I win."
"Heads, I win."
Ping.
Two-Face caught the falling coin and looked down.
Several scratches were clearly visible across the face of the Statue of Liberty.
Seeing that side, Two-Face slowly smiled.
"I ...am justice."
...
"I know you're eager to catch Harvey as soon as possible, Tim, but I still suggest we put your health first and…"
In the Batcave, Alfred spoke to Tim, who had been sitting in front of the Batcomputer all day without moving.
Before Alfred could finish, Tim turned around and interrupted him. "Don't worry. I'll eat the sandwich you made, Alf."
Alfred smiled in relief. Tim was much more cooperative. If Bruce were here, Alfred could hardly imagine how many times he would have had to reheat that sandwich.
"Have you found anything in the database?"
"Nothing at all."
Tim shook his head helplessly.
"There isn't a single clue pointing to where Two-Face might be hiding. And he hasn't shown himself since the mall attack. I don't believe Two-Face would stop after just one job. He must be planning something in the shadows."
"Since there's still no news from Oracle's end, perhaps we really have no choice but to wait."
Alfred sighed. "I only hope Harvey can overcome his darker side."
"That depends on which side of the coin comes up."
Tim was not optimistic.
Just then, the Bat communicator chimed, and Oracle's symbol appeared on the screen.
"Oracle's contacting us. Maybe she's found something."
Tim immediately accepted the call.
Barbara's image appeared before them.
"Hey, Tim. Alf."
"Hey Barbara, got a lead on Two-Face?"
____
For those who didn't get it. Two-Face uses a double-headed silver coin that features the profile of Lady Liberty on both sides.
It has a scarred Lady Liberty on one side and a flawless Lady Liberty on the other.
🐼🐼🐼
12 Advance chapters:
Patreon.com/serioza