Dick Grayson scanned the crowd with sharp, restless eyes.
Every movement. Every whisper. Every flicker of reflected light.
He stood straight, hands behind his back like a young detective already on duty. The exhibition hall buzzed with visitors, journalists, and police officers, but Dick treated it like a battlefield. In his mind, danger was everywhere.
What he didn't realize was simple.
The person he needed to be most wary of was often the one standing closest.
"Hi! Richard and Dean."
A clear female voice cut through the noise.
Barbara Gordon approached with confident steps, her red hair catching the light. She looked calm, but her eyes were alert — always calculating.
"Dick said before that he had a friend in GCPD with a lot of pull. I should have known it was you, Miss Gordon," Dean said politely.
Barbara smiled faintly.
"You're one minute and twenty-three seconds later than expected, Barbara," Dick said seriously, glancing at his watch.
Barbara rolled her eyes.
"Look at his performance. That's why you'll never be as popular as Dean."
Dean chuckled softly.
Dick frowned.
Barbara then explained, her voice lowering slightly.
"I was late for a reason. I just saw my father speaking with a group of outside consultants. They were discussing adjustments to the security posts once the formal exhibition begins."
Dean widened his eyes dramatically.
"Wow. Is this really information I'm allowed to hear?"
"You two," Dean continued, pointing between them, "one is the daughter of the Police Commissioner, and the other is the eldest young master of the Wayne Family. Of course you know secrets. As for me? Humble background. Maybe I should step aside."
Dick sighed.
"Your cold joke isn't funny. It's not even cold."
Barbara shook her head.
"Don't forget who we are today. Detectives. Our only goal is to investigate Kaito Kid."
She said the name clearly.
Kaito Kid.
The world-famous phantom thief.
The magician who sent advance notices before every heist.
The man who treated security systems like puzzles designed for him alone.
Dean gave Dick a sideways glance.
"You're really getting into character."
Then he turned to Barbara.
"One thing I'm curious about. Why would you want to play cops and robbers with this guy?"
He pointed at Dick.
Barbara crossed her arms lightly.
"Just call me Barbara. You don't always have to be so formal."
Then she answered.
"This kid wants to become a police officer. That reminds me of myself when I was younger. If my father hadn't overprotected me, maybe I would have joined the force by now."
She paused.
"Of course, I might also have been blown up somewhere. That's a possibility too."
There was truth hidden inside her joke.
Protection.
That word meant different things to different people.
To parents, it meant keeping children away from danger.
To children, it sometimes meant being locked away from growth.
Barbara looked at Dick.
"If he wants to chase that dream, why shouldn't I help? Even if it's just a game."
Dean nodded thoughtfully.
He understood far more than he showed.
He knew Dick and Barbara hoped to use his unusual abilities to test whether magic could counter Kaito Kid's illusions. At the same time, they were careful not to let Dean connect any dots that could reveal deeper secrets.
They were playing a careful game.
So was Dean.
In his mind, he wondered something else.
When Robin and Batgirl appear later… how exactly are Dick and Barbara going to disappear without raising suspicion?
Both sides were working hard.
Just in different ways.
"…Actually," Barbara suddenly said, turning toward Dean, "I came here for another reason."
Her tone changed.
"That is to meet you."
Her eyes carried genuine apology.
"When we met in the library, I forced you to eat that cheese beef roll so the cafeteria wouldn't change the recipe. I've wanted to apologize."
Dean blinked.
He knew that wasn't what she truly meant.
But he played along.
"Oh! That. I almost forgot. It wasn't bad at all."
Dick coughed loudly.
"Let's talk about the main topic first. What about the security adjustments?"
Barbara nodded.
"I didn't hear everything. But one thing is certain."
She lowered her voice.
"The Hope Blue Diamond will not be displayed in the main Orpheus Exhibition Hall."
Dean's expression sharpened.
"It will be exhibited in a separate hall. A special one built just for it."
"Director Ofe spent a fortune," Barbara continued. "It has the most advanced civilian security system available."
Dick leaned closer.
"Where?"
Barbara pointed down the corridor.
"This way."
The three walked together.
As they moved, Barbara explained the upgrades made to the entire exhibition complex.
"The glass windows have been replaced. Fire-resistant. Explosion-proof. High-temperature resistant. Stronger than normal bulletproof glass."
"Every valuable exhibit now has gravity-sensitive alarms. A change of only a few grams will trigger lockdown."
She continued calmly.
"Once triggered, all doors in the exhibition halls automatically seal. And their strength meets air-raid shelter standards."
Dean felt impressed.
"And power systems?"
"Backup power everywhere. If one line is cut, another activates. Some areas even have dual independent supply lines."
In short?
This place had turned into a fortress.
And yet.
Kaito Kid had already sent his notice.
Which meant one thing.
He intended to break in anyway.
They turned a corner.
There it was.
A small, isolated building.
The Independent Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall.
Less than ten square meters.
Only one exhibit would be placed inside.
The Hope Blue Diamond.
More than a dozen police officers surrounded the structure.
No civilians allowed.
Dean exhaled slowly.
If the public halls were protected like this…
What would this one be like?
They approached.
A familiar officer stepped forward.
"Barbara?"
Officer Brock narrowed his eyes.
"And Dick. And… Thurston's kid?"
He crossed his arms.
"Kids. This area isn't open. Go explore somewhere else."
Barbara smiled innocently.
"Uncle Brock. Is my father inside with the Smithsonian representative?"
Brock stiffened slightly.
Alarm bells rang in his mind.
"What are you planning this time?"
He leaned closer.
"Commissioner Gordon said the Natural History Museum incident was the first and last time you'd participate in operations against Kaito Kid."
His eyes shifted to Dean and Dick.
"And now you brought two minors?"
"If Jim sees this, he'll go crazy. Go home."
Barbara tilted her head.
"Then have you deciphered Kaito Kid's notice yet?"
Her voice was sweet.
But sharp.
Brock froze.
Because that was the problem.
They hadn't.
The police had analyzed the riddle.
Consultants had argued.
Experts had debated.
But no conclusion.
Barbara and Dick, however…
Had already solved it.
And they had kept silent.
For this exact moment.
Dick stepped forward slightly.
"Protection," he said quietly.
Brock frowned.
"What?"
Dick looked at the small building behind him.
"Everyone keeps saying this place is protected."
He gestured toward the heavy doors.
"Bulletproof glass. Gravity alarms. Backup power. Air-raid-level doors."
He turned back.
"But what is protection, really?"
The corridor felt quieter.
Barbara answered softly.
"Is protection building thicker walls?"
Dean added gently,
"Or understanding how the thief thinks?"
Dick looked at the officers.
"If Kaito Kid already knows every layer of defense… then those defenses aren't protection."
He paused.
"They're decoration."
The words hung in the air.
Protection wasn't about thickness.
It wasn't about fear.
It wasn't about overprotecting children.
It wasn't about sealing doors and adding more locks.
Protection was about understanding danger before it arrived.
Barbara met Brock's eyes.
"We solved the notice."
Silence.
"What?" Brock asked sharply.
Dick spoke clearly.
"Kaito Kid isn't targeting the diamond during exhibition hours."
Barbara continued.
"He's targeting the moment of transfer."
Dean nodded.
"The security adjustments you're making? They're exactly what he predicted."
Brock's face drained of color.
"Explain."
Dick took a breath.
"The notice mentioned 'hope shining when guardians shift.' That doesn't mean night. It means shift change."
Barbara added,
"He'll strike during rotation. When attention moves."
Dean's eyes flickered toward the isolated hall.
"And that separate building? It's too obvious."
Kaito Kid was a magician.
Magicians loved misdirection.
The more obvious the stage…
The more likely the trick happened somewhere else.
Brock swallowed.
For the first time, he looked at the three not as kids.
But as thinkers.
As threats to predict the threat.
"Protection," Barbara said quietly, "isn't locking everything down."
"It's staying one step ahead."
Dick looked at the independent hall again.
Somewhere in this city, a phantom thief was smiling.
Because he loved challenges.
And the more security built up around something…
The more dramatic the show.
Dean felt a strange excitement.
The real game had just begun.
Not between thief and police.
But between understanding and illusion.
Brock hesitated.
Then finally spoke.
"Stay here."
He turned and walked toward the hall.
If what they said was true…
Then the protection everyone believed in…
Might not protect anything at all.
Dick looked at Barbara.
Barbara looked at Dean.
No one smiled.
Because they all knew.
When a phantom thief announces his move… the real danger is not the theft.
It is the illusion of safety.
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🕷️ End of Chapter
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