"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
- Shoyo Hinata (Haikyuu!)
...
"If we consider the Phantom Thief's past performances, it's more likely that he doesn't have future technology or real magic. So, let's start with the idea that he is a very good ordinary magician.
Bruce began to speculate.
"The fundamental principle of magic is that the Bat-signal couldn't just disappear out of thin air; it must have moved from one place to another, giving the illusion that it had disappeared."
"So, the important question is, what was the purpose of the Phantom Thief covering the Bat-Signal with the white cloth?"
Bruce asked himself as he slowly placed the white cloth model he had been holding onto the small Bat-Signal on the sandbox's grassy field.
"In this scenario, the white cloth completely covered the Bat-Signal, preventing any of us from seeing it. We can't see what's happening to the Bat-Signal. The only thing we know for sure is that the Bat-Signal is still on the ground because the white cloth covering it shows its shape."
Bruce explained.
"Most importantly, Phantom Thief didn't touch the Bat-Signal or the white cloth during this process. If he could do something with just his ideas, it's clear that it's not possible with normal magic."
Bruce pointed to the white figurine model of the Phantom Thief, which didn't touch the Bat-Signal or the white cloth directly.
Dick nodded to show that he agreed with Bruce's analysis.
"No matter how amazing a magic trick may seem on the surface, it can't really go beyond what humans can do. If a magician performs magic without doing anything, it means that there must be a trick involved."
Bruce kept talking in a logical way.
"The magician's trick doesn't have to involve actors; it could also involve the magician guiding someone's choices in their favor without the person knowing it."
"Now, there was only Phantom Thief near the Bat-signal, so no one else could have been his accomplice. The Bat-signal could only have stayed in its original spot."
Bruce concluded.
As if to prove his point, Bruce took the white cloth model off from the Bat-signal model, which showed that the Bat-signal was still underneath.
"Now, we've reached the most important step. The Phantom Thief started to move. He only did one thing, which was to pull the white cloth off of the Bat-Signal. At the same time, the Bat-Signal just disappeared. Everyone can see that this move hides important information."
Bruce said this to set up the next part of his answer, which left Dick looking very surprised.
He then manipulated the white figurine to grab the white cloth and forcefully pull it away from the Bat-signal model.
In the moment the white cloth separated from the Bat-signal, the Bat-signal vanished!
"What? What just happened? What did you do?"
Dick was sure he hadn't blinked for a moment. He had seen the Bat-signal model inside just a second ago.
How could it suddenly disappear?
"Bruce, did you do something just now?"
Dick remembered when Bruce had moved the white cloth away from the Bat-signal model and asked with suspicion.
Bruce calmly shook his head and said, "This is why I want you to improve your skills, Dick. Think carefully about it. What would you do if you wanted to hide something from others but couldn't physically remove it?"
"Well, I would use specially designed glass or mirrors to hide the object, making it appear as if it had disappeared... Wait a minute!"
Dick responded without hesitation.
As he spoke, he suddenly paused and asked, "Are you saying that Phantom Thief hid a designed glass inside the white cloth and put it so that others couldn't see the Bat-signal?"
"That's impossible!"
Dick immediately rejected the idea.
"I considered that possibility before because Phantom Thief used to play tricks like that, but this time it's different."
"Phantom Thief touched the white cloth more than once. The first time, he pulled it off the Bat-signal, and then the Bat-signal disappeared. But right after, he put the white cloth back. If the Bat-signal had stayed in the same place, the white cloth would still be on it. It wouldn't just spread out on the floor."
No matter how amazing a magic trick was, it couldn't break the rules of physics. If the white cloth was spread out on the ground, it proved there was no Bat-Signal underneath it.
The white cloth can't become invisible and pass through the Bat-Signal, right?
Bruce gazed at Dick and didn't say anything. He just put the white cloth model back where it was on top of the Bat-signal model.
"Ah?"
Dick was astonished to find that the white cloth model had indeed spread out.
Did that mean the Bat-signal model had disappeared?
'No, Bruce's attitude clearly showed that the Bat-Signal model was still in its original place...'
Dick furrowed his brows deeply.
"Cameras."
Bruce suddenly said.
"Cameras?"
Dick was dumbfounded by the quick change in subject.
'What does this have to do with what they were talking about before?'
"Phantom Thief destroyed seven surveillance cameras. Why? What important move of his might have been captured on camera that he wanted to hide?"
Bruce seemed to be guiding Dick's thoughts step by step.
"In scenario one, Phantom Thief moves too quickly to see with the naked eye, but a high-speed camera can still catch it."
"In scenario two, the Bat-Signal hasn't moved from its original position, which goes against the white cloth that was laid on the ground."
"In scenario three, Phantom Thief has never touched the Bat-Signal, but he has touched the white cloth many times."
Dick mentally arranged all the known information.
'What did Phantom Thief Kid actually do if these scenarios were true?'
'Why did he destroy the cameras?'
Dick felt he was close to figuring something out, but he still didn't fully understand.
"Think carefully about the angles of those seven cameras. What could they capture of the Phantom Thief's actions?"
Bruce suddenly asked.
As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of inspiration struck Dick.
The angles of the seven cameras would perfectly capture the Phantom Thief picking up the white cloth!
When Phantom Thief first pulled the white cloth away and made the Bat-signal disappear, there was no footage of him putting his hand on the white cloth.
When Phantom Thief spread the white cloth flat on the Bat-signal's location for the second time, there was no footage of him throwing the white cloth!
So, considering all this information, how could he have spread the cloth flat on the grass while keeping the Bat-signal in its original place?
The answer became obvious.
...
Meanwhile, at the Iceberg Casino,
"In two days, Phantom Thief is going to take on Bruce Wayne's challenge at Gotham City Stadium and try to steal the Bat-Signal and the precious gem inside it.
The casino manager announced this loudly to all the gamblers in the room.
"For this, our boss has decided to open a betting pool. You can bet on Phantom Thief winning or losing!"
"There is only one rule at the Iceberg Casino, you play, you pay!"
The casino manager grinned mysteriously and continued, "According to our inside information, Batman might also be getting involved in this. So place your bets!"
...
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