The hostage exchange went smoothly. Liu A'dou wasn't even searched—just thrown into a dark room. He could only hear sounds from outside and see faint light through the door crack.
He had no idea whether Iselin had gone back with Anthony. Only now did Liu A'dou remove the hood and take a tiny earpiece from his pocket. Just moments ago, he had stuck a button-sized bug onto one of the men outside. By now, it should be picking up audio.
He sat quietly on the bench, waiting for any useful information.
Unfortunately, all he heard at first were heavy breathing sounds and the rhythmic smack of flesh—nothing of value. So this really was a brothel, huh? He'd need to chant a calming mantra just to keep listening. No humanity at all.
Finally, after the "oh-oh, ah-ah" noises died down, the conversation turned to something useful.
Liu A'dou listened carefully, nodding as he pieced the story together.
So that's how it was... It all made sense now.
Iselin had encountered Selina—Catwoman—sometime over the past fifteen days. The reason for Iselin's kidnapping was to pressure Selina into doing something.
Liu A'dou guessed—were they after Bruce Wayne's fingerprints? He remembered that after Bane appeared, it was precisely by using Bruce's fingerprints that he managed to dump all of Wayne Enterprises' stock overnight, crashing the company's value and plunging Gotham's economy into chaos. The middle class collapsed. That incident created a massive wave of anti-rich sentiment. Later, Batman even faked his own death, and Wayne Enterprises nearly dissolved. It was a vicious move.
Gotham City couldn't afford more chaos. At the very least, Wayne Enterprises had to survive. Liu A'dou told himself he had to stop Catwoman.
But the only one who seemed to have information on her was Iselin. So he'd still need to see her.
This tiny cell couldn't hold Kaitou Kid. It was as if he had never been locked up in the first place—Liu A'dou was gone without a trace.
In the dead of night, on the rooftop of a tall building, Kaitou Kid stood, overlooking all of Gotham. Graceful and composed, unmoved by the howling wind. A quick wash and change of clothes hadn't taken long. Now, standing here, he already knew Anthony's current residence from the earlier bug.
Clearly, not all of Anthony's assets had been frozen. He still had usable resources.
Spreading his arms to greet the cold wind, he leaned forward and leapt, the delta wing unfolding as he dove between the buildings.
Iselin had locked herself in her room. She was devastated. She'd come to a bitter realization—there wasn't a single normal person left around her.
Her meeting with Catwoman—or rather, their reunion—started the moment she left Liu A'dou's place.
Her mind had been a mess back then. She just wanted to run away from the city. After hurriedly packing, she'd stormed out. What she didn't realize was how dangerous it was for a woman to be wandering alone at night.
Without a destination, she unknowingly approached the worst place she could've gone—Street of Swallows. The men looking for a one-night stand mistook Iselin for a working girl and surrounded her.
But she was lucky.
Just as she was completely overwhelmed, someone stepped in to save her—Selina, her old high school classmate. The very girl who once encouraged Iselin to be brave and stand tall.
After all these years, in the chaos of Gotham, Selina still recognized her instantly. Though their time as classmates had been short, their bond was strong.
Iselin never expected to meet an old friend in such a place. And truthfully, she almost didn't recognize her at first—Selina wore heavy makeup and revealing clothes, looking exactly like one of the street girls.
Selina had rescued her and taken her home. For the past fifteen days, Iselin had been staying with her.
Only then did she start to understand what Selina had been through. After dropping out of school, Selina had struggled at the very bottom of society and eventually became a thief.
That's right—Selina wasn't a prostitute. She was a thief.
She only dressed like a sex worker to bait rich targets. Once she got them into a hotel room, she'd find a way to steal their wallets.
Iselin wanted to set Selina straight about her stealing, but what she didn't expect was that Selina had a far more famous identity—the legendary Gotham thief who came long before Kaitou Kid, the one known as Catwoman.
The stories said Catwoman specialized in stealing valuable treasures and often knocked out male guards like it was nothing. Unlike Kaitou Kid, she didn't return what she stole. Instead, she gave everything away to the struggling women of Street of Swallows, never keeping any for herself.
Iselin didn't learn the truth until she was kidnapped and Selina came to rescue her. That's when she realized even her best friend had lied to her. First her father, then the man she loved, and now her friend—everyone had deceived her. The betrayal hit hard.
Back in her room now, Iselin sat blankly. Her mind was empty. What was there to think about? Everyone around her had lied. Thinking wouldn't change that.
Kaitou Kid landed softly at the window. He saw Iselin in profile, seated before her makeup mirror like a porcelain statue of a princess.
He opened the window and entered with the wind. Calm and composed, he spoke, "Iselin, long time no see."
Iselin slowly turned her head. This was her first time seeing Kaitou Kid in person.
So this was the phantom thief?
Her mind flickered. That clean white silhouette had burst through the window so suddenly, and yet it didn't feel intrusive at all. Every move was graceful, his presence seamless with the world around him—as if nothing could reject him.
"Kaitou Kid," she muttered.
She knew the man behind the mask was Liu A'dou, the one who had lied to her. But seeing him now, standing right in front of her, she realized something—Kaitou Kid and Liu A'dou felt like completely different people. The difference in aura was huge.
Liu A'dou was a sunny, honest, straightforward young man.
Kaitou Kid was a composed, battle-hardened noble with a quiet presence.
And nobles were far more dangerous—yet far more charming—than sunshine boys.
Iselin couldn't help but wonder... which version was the real him?
"What are you doing here?" she snapped, finally snapping out of her daze and turning away with an angry huff.
"I know you've met Catwoman. I need to find her—before she makes a big mistake."
"Hmph, you're all liars," Iselin shot back, full of resentment. She didn't even want to talk anymore.
Kaitou Kid stood still, searching for the right words.
"Liu A'dou is Kaitou Kid. That's a fact I can't change. Iselin, I was already a thief before I met you. All I can say is... I'm sorry."
Explaining would only complicate things, so he went with the simplest answer: a sincere apology.
That caught Iselin off guard. She turned back to look at him and asked, "Why? Why do you all do this? You, Selina—why dress up in weird costumes and sneak around in the night breaking the law? Why can't you just live a normal life?"
She didn't get it. Why couldn't they just follow the rules, like she did? Was that really so hard?
"If I had to give a reason," Liu A'dou said, "it's because I can. I want to prove that I can. That I'm not any less than the strange people in this world."
It was a blunt answer. But sometimes, the blunt ones made the most sense.
Iselin's thoughts were all over the place. She wanted him to change—to come back to the right path. But she was also deeply curious about Kaitou Kid.
That complicated, contradictory mindset of hers—it was something only a woman could truly understand.
"Selina lives at 1025 Lincoln Avenue," she said quietly.
In the end, Iselin chose to take a step back. She distanced herself from both Liu A'dou and Kaitou Kid.
She figured it was the only way she could see her feelings clearly. She'd never read any military strategy books, but as a woman, she instinctively understood the value of staying still to regain control.
"Thank you," Kid said.
He had no time to waste—he had a new destination.
Iselin was left alone, standing at the window, staring blankly into the distance.
Kaitou Kid disappeared into the stars.