"Disguise? Why would you think that?"
Dean's hand, which had been reaching toward the glass cover, stopped mid-air.
He slowly turned his head toward Robin.
A playful smile curled on his lips.
He raised one hand and pinched his own cheek hard—hard enough to redden the skin. Nothing peeled off. No mask edge appeared.
"See?" he said lightly. "What if this is my real face? I am Dean Thurston… and Dean Thurston is Kaito Kid."
He lifted both hands in surrender, looking almost amused.
"So? How does it feel to discover that your best friend is actually your greatest rival? Want to let me go for old times' sake?"
Robin didn't move.
"Save it, Kaito Kid. That kind of emotional trick might have worked before. Not now."
His voice was calm. Certain.
"You've studied me. You know my identity. You know my circle. Disguising yourself as Dean is the most logical choice."
Robin took a step forward.
"But you made one mistake."
He pointed directly at him.
"Dean could never be Kaito Kid."
"Oh?" Dean's expression shifted to a perfectly timed look of surprise.
"During the Natural History Museum incident," Robin continued, "Batgirl and I confirmed Dean's location. When you appeared at the museum, Dean was still at home."
His eyes sharpened.
"Unless Dean can split himself into two people… you are not him."
For a moment, silence filled the exhibition hall.
Then Dean nodded slowly.
"So that's it. You suspected Dean before. You even monitored him."
He clicked his tongue softly.
"Tsk. Monitoring your best friend? Is that how superheroes treat friendship? I don't think I could ever do that."
Robin's jaw tightened slightly, but his gaze never wavered.
"You won't shake my resolve."
Dean spread his hands again.
"Fine. Even if you're sure Dean isn't Kaito Kid, how do you explain this face? I passed two GCPD identity checks. Harvey Bullock personally inspected me."
He leaned closer.
"Are we just identical by coincidence? Do such miracles happen?"
Robin crossed his arms.
"When Bullock failed to tear off your mask earlier, I was confused too."
He reached into his belt and pulled out something small.
A gray feather.
"This feather," Robin said calmly, holding it up under the bright lights, "isn't naturally gray. It's dyed."
He pointed toward the ceiling.
"And the ceiling is gray."
Dean's eyes flicked upward.
Robin continued.
"You disguised yourself as a staff member in advance. While working, you stuck countless feathers to the ceiling using adhesive that loses its stickiness after a certain amount of time."
He walked slowly around Dean as he spoke.
"You couldn't specify the exact time of your appearance because you couldn't predict the exact moment the glue would weaken. You could only estimate."
Robin gestured upward again.
"And some feathers are still stuck there. Proof."
Dean followed his gaze.
Indeed, a few stray feathers remained clinging to the ceiling panels.
He smiled faintly.
"I didn't expect you to notice that. Impressive."
"But what do feathers have to do with your face?" Dean asked casually.
Robin's lips curved slightly.
"I'm not talking about feathers."
He lifted the gray feather closer.
"I'm talking about glue."
Dean's expression shifted almost imperceptibly.
Robin continued steadily.
"Unless you and Dean are twins, the probability that two magicians with identical faces both exist in Gotham is absurdly low."
He stepped closer.
"So either this is an impossible coincidence… or a deliberate deception."
Robin's eyes burned with certainty.
"Making a disguise mask impossible to tear off is simple. Extremely crude, in fact. So crude that most people wouldn't believe someone would use it."
He paused.
"But as Dean once said—"
"A magician does what everyone can imagine… but no one actually expects."
Dean's smile widened slightly.
Robin nodded.
"You used industrial-strength adhesive. You glued Dean's mask to your own face."
He stared straight into him.
"You didn't refuse to remove it earlier. You couldn't remove it."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Dean applauded slowly.
"What a beautiful deduction. Everything flows so perfectly."
He suddenly grabbed the collar of his jacket with both hands.
With one sharp motion—
Rip!
The outer layer of clothing tore away dramatically.
Underneath—
A pristine white suit shimmered under the lights.
Cape flowing.
Monocle gleaming.
Top hat falling gracefully into his waiting hand.
Kaito Kid stood revealed.
Elegant.
Composed.
Unbothered.
"I can't hold it anymore," Kaito thought privately. "If this continues, I might actually laugh."
Robin narrowed his eyes.
Something was slightly different.
The face.
Perhaps slightly fuller than usual.
But in Robin's mind, that made sense. If a mask was glued beneath another layer, subtle distortion was natural.
"As expected," Robin thought, "he used Dean's identity from beginning to end. He couldn't switch disguises multiple times tonight."
There had to be a reason.
Some limitation.
Robin spoke aloud.
"You committed to one identity. That's unlike you."
Kaito Kid tilted his head.
"Maybe I wanted to try something new."
"No," Robin said firmly. "You couldn't change again."
The hall fell silent.
Robin's mind raced.
If the mask was glued…
If the face couldn't be removed…
Then Kaito Kid was stuck in this appearance for now.
That meant—
This was his vulnerable moment.
Robin lunged forward suddenly.
Kaito Kid's cape swirled.
A smoke bomb detonated at their feet.
The hall filled with thick white vapor.
"Don't move!" Robin shouted.
But Kaito's laughter echoed from somewhere unseen.
"You've grown, Robin."
The smoke cleared quickly.
Kaito Kid stood atop the display stand, perfectly balanced.
The Hope Blue Diamond glittered under the lights inside the case.
Untouched.
Robin frowned.
"You came back for something."
Kaito Kid tapped the glass dome lightly.
"I came back for applause."
He raised one gloved finger.
"You were right about the feathers."
Another finger.
"You were right about the glue."
He leaned forward slightly.
"But you were wrong about one thing."
Robin tensed.
"I didn't glue Dean's mask to my face."
Kaito Kid's monocle flashed.
"I disguised myself as Dean."
He reached toward his collar.
And peeled.
Not skin.
Not a mask.
But a thin, flexible layer that came away cleanly.
Underneath—
Another face.
Sharper.
More familiar.
The true Kaito Kid.
Robin's eyes widened.
"You—"
"The adhesive?" Kaito said smoothly. "It wasn't on my face."
He flicked the removed layer aside.
"It was part of the mask's internal structure. Designed to bond under pressure and release with solvent."
He smiled brightly.
"You assumed crude methods. I used refined ones."
Robin clenched his fists.
"So everything you let me deduce…"
"Was intentional."
Kaito bowed slightly.
"Suspicion must have a direction. I simply helped guide yours."
The lights flickered suddenly.
Robin turned sharply.
When he looked back—
Kaito Kid was already at the window.
Glass intact.
Standing impossibly close.
"How—"
Kaito winked.
"Gravity sensors measure weight. They don't measure absence."
Robin's eyes widened in realization.
The diamond in the case—
Was fake.
Again.
A final smoke flash.
White feathers erupted into the air.
When they settled—
Kaito Kid was gone.
Only one white card remained on the floor.
Robin picked it up.
It read:
"A magician reveals only what he wishes to reveal."
Outside, somewhere in Gotham's night—
Kaito Kid laughed softly.
And for Robin—
The suspicion had only just begun.
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More secrets. More danger. More answers waiting beyond this chapter.
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