"When you feel like quitting, remember why you started."
- Unknown
...
In mid-air, a figure of red, green, and yellow suddenly appeared and landed in the middle of the grassy circle in a classic superhero pose.
He stared at the Phantom Thief.
"We meet again, Phantom Thief, and this time, you won't escape!"
Robin stood with his arms crossed and smiled at the Phantom Thief.
"Robin."
The Phantom Thief stared at the youthful hero before him, squinting his eyes slightly and chuckling.
"I've lost count of how many times I've heard you say that. Aren't you tired of it?"
Hearing this, Robin's face froze for a moment before he snorted and said, "Hmph! Just wait and see, Phantom Thief. I hope you'll still be able to say that later."
The Phantom Thief glanced discreetly in Bruce's direction, and Bruce stood still and watched from the sidelines.
'Where's Batman? Is the Bruce I see really Bruce? Does Batman think that the Phantom Thief isn't worth his time? Well, it looks like I might not be as strong as he is, but it doesn't seem like something Batman would do.'
'Or is Batman hiding somewhere while Robin is being used as bait to attract attention?'
Phantom Thief pondered in his mind.
He kept an eye on Robin's movements and was always aware of his surroundings in case someone came up behind him.
This would consume a lot of energy, but the possibility of facing Batman made him cautious no matter what.
Even though he was more careful on the inside, the Phantom Thief kept his face confident and relaxed, as if nothing could stop him.
"I heard Batman has been back in Gotham for a while. I thought he would be working with you."
Phantom Thief said to Robin with a smile.
He didn't sound or act like an enemy. Instead, he sounded and acted like he and Robin had been friends for a long time.
"Hmph,"
Robin chuckled with disdain at the Phantom Thief's curiosity.
"Batman has more important things to do. He doesn't have time for a petty thief like you, Phantom Thief. There are far more important people and situations in this city than you."
"But you've never missed any of my performances, do you?"
The Phantom Thief teased with a sly grin on his face.
"Phan-tom! Thief!"
Robin's face turned red with anger as he said each word.
"Think carefully; trying to talk your way out won't make me go easy on you!"
Meanwhile, Robin's appearance caused a stir and discussion in the audience.
"I knew lighting the Bat-Signal wasn't that simple. Even though it's Robin and not Batman who came, I believe their confrontation will be just as intense."
"Look, Robin seems to be talking to the Phantom Thief. What are they saying? Why can't we hear their voices? Did they cut off the loudspeakers?"
"Why is Robin chatting with the Phantom Thief? And it looks like they're getting along. I thought that Robin and Batman were both strong, determined people who hated villains."
"Stop chatting, and let's see some action! I want to see them fight! I want to see them fight!"
"Enough, what nonsense are you talking about? If you're sick, go to Arkham for treatment; stop making a scene here!"
A small black-haired girl in the audience was lost in her thoughts as she stared in the direction of the Phantom Thief and Robin.
"Hey! Look at that! The Phantom Thief is moving! He's walking over to the Bat-signal!"
At this moment, an audience pointed towards the grassy area.
"So, what's your plan? Are you going to charge at me recklessly like those GCPD officers did, rush over here, and give me a good beating?"
On the grassy field, the Phantom Thief continued speaking as he walked.
He went around the Bat-Signal to the other side and reached out to gently touch the Bat-Signal and the torn white cloth that covered it.
The Bat-signal was lit this time, unlike earlier, when the white cloth covered it.
This allowed a small slit of light to show through the white cloth.
Also, when the Birdarang had long cuts in the white cloth a few moments ago, some of the light from the Bat-signal got through the holes and into the sky.
But what used to be a clear and complete Bat-symbol in the sky is now a broken and unclear image.
In addition to the light shining through, the torn holes also showed some parts of the Bat-signal, which the high-speed cameras could see.
"There's no need to go to all this trouble to deal with you."
Robin spoke confidently.
"I've seen through all the tricks you used last time, and you have no way out."
"Oh, it sounds like you're very confident in yourself."
The Phantom Thief expresses surprise.
"But if I remember correctly, you weren't present during the last rehearsal, right?"
Seeing Robin's certainty, the Phantom Thief observes him skeptically.
"Do you mean to tell me that you've figured out all my tricks just from watching rehearsal footage? I find that hard to believe."
Phantom Thief said skeptically as he examined Robin from head to toe.
"I guess someone helped you put everything together," he suggested with a knowing look.
"Hmph, and what if they did? I'm not a lone wolf like you. I have partners. What's wrong with accepting help from a partner?"
Robin answered with confidence and showed no sign of being embarrassed.
"You truly are something, Robin."
The Phantom Thief chuckled and shook his head. His eyes gleamed with a hint of admiration.
Another thought crossed his mind, 'Indeed, the tricks from last time couldn't escape Batman's eyes. But fortunately, I have prepared Plan B. I wonder if Batman will think of something even deeper than me.'
On the other side, Robin also thought, 'For the past few days, I've been reviewing the entire process of the Phantom Thief's actions with Bruce. In the end, I came to the best conclusion.'
Robin stared intently at Phantom Thief while recalling the method he used that day.
Bruce thinks that a unique mirror or lenses on the inside of the white cloth concealed the Bat Signal rather than making it appear to disappear as the Phantom Thief claimed. In other words, there are a ton of lenses hidden beneath the white cloth that is currently covering the Bat Signal, and some of them might have already suffered damage from the Birdarang.
'Phantom Thief covered the Bat-Signal twice with the white cloth. The first time was to cover the lenses on the surface of the Bat-Signal. The second time was to make everyone believe that the Bat-Signal had vanished. After all, if the Bat-Signal was still in its original place, the white cloth couldn't have been spread out on the ground.'
'But... were the two white cloths used in the Bat-Signal and the spread out on the ground actually the same?'
Robin's eyes gleamed as he focused on the Phantom Thief's hands.
'With Phantom Thief's incredibly quick hand speed, it wouldn't be difficult to switch between two white cloths without attracting anyone's attention. All he had to do was dig a hole in the middle of the second white cloth, just big enough to let the Bat-Signal through. The special lenses on the Bat-Signal would make the cloth and the ground look like a single piece of fabric, as if the entire white cloth had indeed been spread out...'
'This is why Phantom Thief had to destroy those seven high-speed cameras, because his action of switching white cloths may have been caught on camera!'
...
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