"On the third day Europa learns her true name,
A burning chariot shall fall from the sky.
Under the watchful gaze of Clytie,
I shall pass through the invisible prison,
And kiss the Goddess's Tear.
—Yours truly, Phantom Thief Kid."
Inside the Gotham City Police Department, Jim Gordon looked down at the white card in his hand. The text was accompanied by a cartoon caricature of a man wearing a top hat and a monocle in the bottom right corner.
Across from him, Zack, the curator of the Gotham Art Museum, looked visibly anxious.
"This... looks like some kind of riddle," Gordon said after a long silence, setting the card down. "You believe this is a crime notice from a thief targeting the 'Goddess's Tear,' a gem worth tens of millions? And you suspect the sender is... the Riddler?"
Curator Zack nodded solemnly. "But the signature says 'Phantom Thief Kid.'"
"I've never heard of any 'Phantom Thief Kid.' And I can't think of anyone who would send a riddle as a warning letter to their target beforehand—except the Riddler! In Gotham, he's the only one who does this!" Zack said through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with certainty. "Phantom Thief Kid must be the Riddler's new alias!"
If one only considered the riddle aspect, Gordon might have agreed with Zack. However...
"The Riddler was incarcerated in Arkham Asylum a year ago. It's impossible for this notice to be his handiwork."
"That just means he's about to escape!" Zack was clearly convinced of his theory.
"Alright. I'll notify the guards at Arkham to keep a closer watch on the Riddler." Gordon didn't argue further. He simply promised to keep eyes on the villain. After all, this was Gotham; the impossible happened every Tuesday. "As for this notice, we will launch an immediate investigation to decipher its meaning. If you find any other clues, please contact us immediately."
"I'm counting on you, Commissioner Gordon. The Goddess's Tear is a precious treasure. It is not only priceless but holds profound historical significance. You must protect it," Zack pleaded.
"If someone really intends to steal that gem, the GCPD will bring him to justice," Gordon promised solemnly.
Some time later, having filed his report, Curator Zack left the station. Two detectives accompanied him to the museum to question the staff for further information.
No one noticed a pair of eyes watching from the shadows of an alley not far from the precinct.
"It looks like the GCPD hasn't completely ignored my advance notice. Now I don't have to worry about my debut performance lacking an audience."
A teenage boy stepped out of the shadows. He appeared very young, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, with black hair and blue eyes. He had long legs, a slender waist, fair skin, and handsome features with perfect proportions. If one were to find a concrete image for the Prince Charming of a young girl's dreams, it would look exactly like him.
The boy's name was Darren Green. He was a transmigrator, born in a Gotham hospital seventeen years ago. His mother in this life had been frail and passed away less than two years after his birth. His father had died in an accident years ago.
Darren's father, Phil Green, had been a renowned escape artist. His performances earned a substantial income, leaving behind an inheritance large enough that Darren wouldn't have to worry about money for a long time. Furthermore, Darren had shown high talent for magic himself. Thanks to his father's connections, he was occasionally invited to perform on stage at theaters. While other kids were still playing in the mud, Darren had already earned his first pot of gold.
At first glance, Darren seemed to be living a good life. The problem was... this was the DC Universe.
Food and clothing weren't issues, but staying alive was.
Gotham was a ridden treasure land of chaos, and the Arkham alumni association was full of talented individuals. If you walked down the street and met a stranger, he might inexplicably shoot you, or he might shove a pile of cash into your hand. The reason? He probably just flipped a coin.
So why not move?
Good question. Setting aside the logistical difficulties of a minor relocating alone, the outside world wasn't necessarily safer. The rest of the world just wasn't as crazy. DC wasn't like Marvel, where New York served as the frontline for every alien invasion and major event. In this universe, danger was evenly distributed.
Fortunately, Darren had arrived in this world with a "Golden Finger"—the [Flamboyant Phantom Thief System].
The System was essentially a minimalist UI. It gave no messy missions and didn't speak. It only chimed with notification sounds during operations or when triggering key information.
[Host: Darren Green]
[Skills: Magic Mastery, Voice Change Mastery, Disguise Mastery, Driving Mastery, Shooting Mastery, Lockpicking Mastery, Escape Artist Mastery]
[Items: Card Gun, Bulletproof Cape, Grappling Gun, Hang Glider, Smoke Bomb, Flashbang, Inflatable Dummy]
The Phantom Thief System was exactly what it sounded like. As long as he acted in a way befitting a "Phantom Thief"—using a style distinct from ordinary thieves, employing flamboyant methods to steal treasures, and eliciting awe from the crowd—he could draw random rewards. The more magnificent the method, the larger the shocked audience, and the higher the value of the treasure, the greater the probability of drawing top-tier rewards.
The System did not assign tasks; Darren arranged all his targets himself.
Up until now, Darren hadn't initiated a formal operation. All his current skills and equipment came from the novice gift pack. For over a decade, he had persisted in practicing these techniques until he mastered them all.
During this process, Darren had also decided on his image and alias.
Since he had to be flamboyant, unique, and breathtaking... the most suitable choice was naturally the white phantom who embodied elegance, the figure whose style differed from all other thieves—
Phantom Thief Kid!
After making all necessary preparations, Darren had unknowingly delivered the heist notice to the Gotham Art Museum, then watched closely from the shadows as Curator Zack ran to the GCPD.
If Zack or the Gotham police had ignored the letter and thrown it in the trash, Darren would have had to activate his backup plan. Fortunately, this was Gotham. Things rarely followed a normal trajectory.
"Next, I need to prepare for the performance in a few days. My debut battle has to be beautiful."
Darren watched Zack's car disappear at the end of the street, then turned and walked away.