"What… what are you trying to say?"
Dean froze for a moment, genuinely startled by Dick's unusually serious expression.
This wasn't how Dick Grayson normally looked. There was no joking smile, no playful confidence, no casual charm. His eyes were steady, focused—almost heavy, as if he had already made up his mind about something important.
Lay his cards on the table?
Dean subconsciously ran through everything he already knew.
The eldest son of the Wayne Family.
A former circus prodigy.
A campus celebrity.
A natural leader.
And, most importantly—someone who lived in the shadow of Batman.
Dean had already accepted all of that.
So what was left?
Before he could finish overthinking, Dick spoke.
"I want to become a police officer in the future."
His voice was calm, but firm.
Absolutely firm.
"…Huh?"
Dean stared at him, clearly stunned.
For a full two seconds, his brain refused to process those words.
A police officer?
This had to be a joke.
Dick Grayson—who could leap across rooftops, who had fought criminals alongside Batman, who would one day stand among the world's greatest heroes—wanted to become… a cop?
"You're kidding, right?"
Dean looked Dick up and down, as if checking whether this was some elaborate prank.
"You're already a vigilante. You're practically guaranteed a place among the top heroes. With your background, your connections, your ability—joining the Justice League is basically inevitable."
"And you're telling me you want to wear a badge and fill out paperwork?"
Dick didn't flinch.
"I'm serious, Dean."
That alone made Dean stop laughing.
"I've already decided," Dick continued. "After I graduate this year, I'm applying to the police academy in Blüdhaven."
That single word made Dean's expression twist.
"…Blüdhaven?"
Now he was sure something was wrong.
Blüdhaven wasn't some prestigious city.
It was a harbor town in New Jersey—economically weak, poorly developed, and drowning in crime. Corruption was rampant, technology lagged behind, and the police force was notoriously understaffed and underfunded.
Compared to Gotham's dark glamour, Blüdhaven wasn't dramatic.
It was just ugly.
A slow, grinding hell.
"Are you sure Bruce Wayne is going to let you do that?" Dean asked carefully. "That place is practically a crime landfill."
"And let's be real—you could easily get into any top police academy in a major city. Blüdhaven isn't just unnecessary suffering. It's career suicide."
This time, Dick actually smiled—but it wasn't a happy one.
"Dean," he said quietly, "you're saying all this because you care. I get that."
"But you're missing the point."
He stopped walking and turned fully toward Dean.
"What I want to discuss isn't where I'm going to college."
That made Dean fall silent.
Dick took a slow breath.
"For years, we've fought crime the same way. Masks. Fear. Violence against violence."
"And what changed?"
He gestured vaguely, as if pointing toward Gotham itself.
"The criminals come back. The corruption stays. The city never heals."
Dean didn't interrupt.
Dick continued, his voice steady but thoughtful.
"I've started to wonder if we're doing it wrong."
That sentence carried far more weight than it sounded.
"If vigilantes were enough," Dick said, "Gotham should've been saved by now."
"So I want to try something else."
Dean finally understood.
"You want to see whether the system can be fixed… from the inside."
Dick nodded.
"Law enforcement. Real procedures. Real authority. Accountability."
"And if that fails," he added softly, "then at least I'll know."
But there was another truth Dick hadn't said aloud.
He couldn't stay in Gotham.
If he did, his path would inevitably collide with Batman's—and that was exactly what he wanted to avoid.
This choice wasn't just about justice.
It was about stepping out of Batman's shadow.
Dean exhaled slowly.
"…Alright."
He stopped trying to argue.
"I still think Blüdhaven is a terrible idea," Dean admitted, "but you're not the type to say something like this without thinking it through."
Dick relaxed slightly.
"All I want," Dick added, "is to become a good detective."
"And for that, I need experience. Real experience."
Dean's eyes narrowed.
"So that's why you're obsessed with Kaito Kid."
Dick smiled faintly.
"You figured it out."
"You want to prove yourself by catching him," Dean said, "and you want my help to do it."
Now it all made sense.
Dean sighed.
"Do you honestly think Commissioner Gordon won't throw us out for interfering with official police work?"
"We won't interfere," Dick replied quickly. "We'll stay in the shadows. The police handle him their way—we handle him ours."
"And besides," he added, lowering his voice, "I have a friend who can help."
That raised Dean's eyebrow.
Before he could ask, something clicked in his mind.
"Wait," Dean said slowly. "You already decoded the Notice Letter, didn't you?"
Otherwise, there was no way Dick would know that Kaito Kid wasn't acting at night this time.
Dick immediately raised a finger.
"Shhh."
"Keep your voice down."
He leaned closer.
"I'll tell you everything," Dick whispered, "but only if you promise to come with me to the Exhibition Hall."
Dean laughed quietly.
"So this whole 'I want to be a policeman' speech was just to recruit me?"
"Not recruit," Dick corrected seriously. "Collaborate."
Dean shook his head.
"You want to play cops and robbers, call it 'skill development,' but really you just want a technician to crack a thief's tricks for you."
"That's called teamwork," Dick said solemnly. "Even the best detectives rely on experts."
"…Fine," Dean said at last. "I'm in."
Dick grinned.
"I knew it."
True to his word, Dick explained the entire logic behind the Notice Letter—tarot cards, sequence numbers, astrological symbols, and how all of it pointed toward April 1st at 19:51.
Dean listened carefully on the surface.
But inside?
He was smiling.
Dick and Barbara no longer suspected him.
The earlier alibi had worked perfectly.
To them, Dean and Kaito Kid were now two completely different people—different personalities, different habits, different ways of thinking.
That meant something important.
Dean could start moving more freely.
Risky?
Yes.
Worth it?
Absolutely.
---
Time passed quickly.
Before Dean realized it, March 31st arrived.
It wasn't the day Kaito Kid announced.
But it was still special.
Because on this day, the legendary cursed gem—the world-famous Hope Blue Diamond—was officially unveiled at the Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall.
For days, the diamond had been sealed under maximum security.
Now, it was finally on public display.
Which meant only one thing.
Every thief in the world was watching.
Standing inside the ultra-modern exhibition hall, Dean casually glanced around, blending in perfectly with the tourists.
"Tomorrow is Kaito Kid's announced date," he muttered. "So why drag me here today?"
Dick's posture was alert, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd.
"Because," he said quietly, "Kaito Kid always scouts his targets in advance."
Dean's gaze sharpened.
"You think he's already here."
"Yes," Dick replied. "Hiding somewhere. Watching. Measuring."
The crowd moved.
The diamond gleamed behind bulletproof glass.
And somewhere in the hall—
The game had already begun.
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