Kaito Kid is Superhero

It was a winter night, but the cold couldn't freeze the fans' excitement. Their breath steamed in the air as they tightened their scarves, stamping their feet and rubbing their hands to fight the chill.

All this discomfort was worth it—for a chance to see Kaitou Kid. Fans had blocked off two intersections, completely jamming the streets.

"Kaitou Kid will definitely show up. He saved Gotham City before. He won't let Bane do as he pleases."

"I think so too." Leopard Head nodded from where she sat on a rooftop across from the TV station, nibbling on a plate of cream cake. It was almost time. Kaitou Kid should be arriving any moment now.

Bane stood on the helipad atop Gotham City Channel 3, eyes closed in meditation. He needed to keep himself at peak condition before Kaitou Kid arrived. The air was icy at that height, but Bane wore only a vest, his muscular arms bare. His body was a sculpted wall of power that made countless men jealous. The raw strength he radiated seemed to roll off him in waves.

"Commissioner, the crowd's growing too big. Our men can't hold them back much longer."

Cold sweat rolled down Gordon's face. If that building exploded now, it wouldn't just be the hostages inside who died—people outside would get hurt too. But those fans couldn't be driven off. Gordon was under tremendous pressure and could only pray this would end safely.

Iselin had just been informed that she'd be riding in a helicopter with Liu A'dou for aerial coverage. But A'dou was nowhere to be seen—he'd already gone to prepare for battle.

Just as she was about to decline the assignment, a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, and a familiar voice said, "I'm right here. Let's get in that chopper—no problem at all."

"Wha—but…?" Iselin stammered. Weren't you supposed to meet Bane soon? How are you back?

"What's going on, Iselin?" Selina asked curiously, looking at them.

"Nothing," A'dou answered quickly. "We've got a ride to catch. Selina, you good here?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll stay and watch," she said. She wanted to see if Kaitou Kid would really show up.

"Alright, let's move." Liu A'dou grabbed Iselin and pushed through the crowd.

"I get it now," Iselin said, her eyes lighting up. "You're going to do that sky-walking trick again, aren't you?"

A'dou didn't answer. He just sped through the streets with her, racing back to Independent News Channel, where they boarded a helicopter bound for the scene.

It was almost time. Kaitou Kid was due to appear. Iselin looked at A'dou beside her, heart pounding, wondering how he would pull it off.

7:56 PM.

Leopard Head popped the last bite of cake into her mouth, picked up her binoculars, and stepped to the edge of the rooftop.

"Little girl, that's dangerous. If you fall, you're dead."

She hadn't sensed anyone behind her and turned in alarm—only to find the elegant thief descending from the night sky. His white cape billowed upward as he dropped, confirming he had just landed. He looked like a wingless angel, a moonlit figure returned from a celestial palace.

Kaitou Kid.

Leopard Head's evaluation of him shot up several levels.

"Little one, this area is off limits. You should head down," Kid said. He could tell this child wasn't ordinary—there was a wild, animalistic scent about them, confirming his suspicion that they were no innocent bystander. But that wasn't his concern. Without waiting for a response, he rose again into the wind.

"Kaitou Kid is here!" The crowd, necks craned upward until sore, finally erupted with cheers. Their faith was rewarded—he really showed up.

But this left Iselin completely stunned.

Was Liu A'dou not Kaitou Kid? Or was Kaitou Kid Kaitou Kid, and this Liu A'dou wasn't Liu A'dou?

She was completely confused. Liu was clearly beside her filming—so why had another Kaitou Kid just appeared?

Which one was real? Which one was fake?

Of course, the real one was Kaitou Kid. The Liu A'dou in the helicopter was actually Ada Wong in disguise, using a voice modulator to mimic Liu A'dou's voice. That way, no one would suspect Liu A'dou of being Kaitou Kid anymore.

The device was just like the bow-tie voice changer from Detective Conan, only smaller. Ada didn't have Liu A'dou's vocal skills, but with the modulator, she could pull it off convincingly.

Kaitou Kid landed, and Bane finally opened his eyes.

"I'm here. You can release the hostages now," Liu A'dou said.

"Aren't you supposed to be powerful? Aren't you the Moonlight Magician? Why don't you just make the hostages disappear?" Bane's rage at Liu A'dou was clear.

"What exactly will it take for you to release the hostages?"

"You and me—one-on-one. If you win, I'll let them go." Bane had planned all along to kill Kaitou Kid. His carefully plotted revenge against Batman had been completely ruined by a damn thief. Of course he was furious.

This really was over the top. Liu A'dou sighed. "If that's how it is, then cut the chatter. Let's do this."

Kaitou Kid's unshaken calm only made Bane angrier. He raised his arms and took a huge step forward, swinging a vicious uppercut.

The air trembled. The punch roared like a beast, fast and fierce, powerful like a crashing wave. This was the punch that had taken down Batman—now it was Liu A'dou's turn.

But Liu A'dou's face was still calm as water. His hands moved like twin dragons, and he launched into a basic move from Jeet Kune Do—Intercept and Counter.

Cutting off the attack and countering immediately—that was the essence of Jeet Kune Do.

One hand, charged with repelling Ripple energy, blocked Bane's thundering fist. The other hand snapped out like a whip, striking Bane's face and sending him flying.

"Huh?" Leopard Head froze. She hadn't expected that at all.

Bane hadn't either—but that was the last thought in his head before he blacked out. The solar Ripple energy had surged into his brain and knocked him unconscious.

Everyone in the helicopter was dumbfounded. That was Bane—the guy who'd defeated Batman. How could he be taken out with just one hit?

Kaitou Kid pulled out a pair of handcuffs and locked Bane to the rooftop. Then he fumbled around and finally found a radio. "Bane has been neutralized. Begin withdrawal."

He also sent a message to Batman: "No remote detonator found. All armed personnel are regrouping to retreat. Bane has been defeated."

Batman, still defusing bombs, felt slightly crushed. Kid had handled the enemy before he even finished. What a blow to the ego. What Batman didn't know was that Liu A'dou had gone all in—ten full layers of Ripple energy, launched in a surprise assault—catching Bane off guard. Bane also lacked experience fighting superpowered enemies.

The bombs were all on timers—set to explode at 8:30. After Batman dismantled the last one, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It was safe to rescue the hostages now. Batman slipped back into the shadows, using knockout gas to neutralize the rest of Bane's men before disappearing again. Mission accomplished.

Batman was never one for the spotlight. He'd entered through the elevator shaft, bypassing the crowd without anyone noticing. Right under the enemy's noses, he disarmed every bomb—worthy of the title Dark Knight.

Outside, a wave of thunderous cheers erupted. Kaitou Kid's fans were in awe. The stronger the idol, the happier the fans. Though no one had seen exactly how Bane was defeated, the fact he'd lost was obvious. With magic-like tricks, Kid had once again turned the impossible into reality.

The police rushed in to clean up the mess. The entire Bane gang was rounded up, the hostages rescued. Just like that, the crisis was over. Gordon let out a long sigh. What a rollercoaster—sounded serious but ended in a breeze.

But for Iselin, things weren't quite over yet.