Kaito Kid is Superhero

The sudden appearance of an inner energy-wielding loli—and a fellow Chinese at that—made Liu A'dou realize this world wasn't as simple as the movies made it seem. Clearly, even his own country had hidden dragons and crouching tigers. It's just that their talents stayed so low-profile, they got completely overshadowed by flashy superheroes.

He took out the memory card he'd stolen—he wasn't even sure why he'd done it. Maybe it was just force of habit. "Let's see if this loli left behind some cute selfies," he muttered, inserting the card into his tablet.

??

There were only two files. One was a document. The other, an audio recording. The document's title: "List of Chinese Agents Embedded in S.H.I.E.L.D.". The audio file was a recent voice memo.

This had to be something huge.

He opened the document first.

Line after line of names popped up on screen, each with detailed assignments and contributions. For example, one researcher had smuggled micro-particle blade tech back to China. A military officer had retrieved S.H.I.E.L.D.'s classified Hydra battle reports. Each record was time-stamped, with names, roles, and the exact intel passed back.

More than forty agents were listed—men and women who had risked everything for their country. Liu A'dou was stunned. Could this be real? And why the hell was this stuff on a little girl?

If legit, this was classified material. If it got into American hands, every agent named would be arrested. Some might even become unacknowledged martyrs. But if it was fake... it was just too specific to be made up.

Time to play the audio.

The voice of a panicked middle-aged man played through the tablet. His breath was ragged throughout. The whole recording was in Chinese.

"I know this is all my fault. I never should've documented any of this. Huff... huff... But I couldn't bear to let their sacrifices for our country be forgotten. Someone should remember their names and what they've done... Now Liangshan Outlaw is after me. That spear-wielder must be Leopard Head. If she gets this file, she'll hand it to the U.S. government... those bastards will seize any chance to damage our nation's reputation... filthy dogs…"

"Huff... I've been running non-stop... but I know I won't make it. I could destroy the file, but I just can't... I can't ignore them just because they worked in the shadows. I couldn't live with myself. So even if I die... I'll protect this list—"

…

What the hell did I just hear?

If that guy were standing in front of Liu A'dou right now, he'd grab him by the collar and shout, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ALL THAT?! Leopard Head? Liangshan Outlaw? What the hell are you even yelling about?!"

Deep breath.

Let's assume for a moment it's all true. That means there's a group called Liangshan Outlaw working behind the scenes to sabotage national stability. And that little loli? Most likely the very Leopard Head they're talking about.

Sure, Liu A'dou had read Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, and Dream of the Red Chamber. But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine the Water Margin rebels showing up in the 21st century.

So here it was, in simple terms: the traitor group Liangshan Outlaw had obtained sensitive state secrets, and were trying to use them to discredit China's covert operations abroad.

See? Very simple. Really, totally simple.

Liu A'dou facepalmed.

Okay fine, maybe not that simple. Somehow, he'd gotten himself wrapped up in something way too big. Now what?

He did understand one thing though. In this world, his country was struggling hard. The West had always embargoed tech access. Just look at the U.S.—their superheroes had brought in piles of alien tech. China? Didn't get a damn thing. So they had no choice but to use spies to infiltrate places like S.H.I.E.L.D. and bring back whatever tech they could.

Think about it—how many headlines had he seen of NASA blocking Chinese space projects, keeping them out of the international space station, forcing them to build their own? In a world powered by sci-fi-grade technology, China was being suffocated.

"Stealing tech for the nation isn't so different from me stealing gems, huh?" Liu A'dou chuckled bitterly. And now he understood—China's real heroes weren't flashy caped crusaders. They were quiet agents, labeled terrorists by the world, yet risking everything for a country that needed them.

Liangshan Outlaw, huh? Liu A'dou committed the name to memory. Just like the Black Organization—definitely not the good guys.

There was no reason for this memory card to exist anymore. That anonymous man might've meant well, not wanting those agents' achievements to vanish into obscurity, but in doing so, he had endangered them instead. So Liu A'dou held the card in his palm, activated Ripple, and burned it into ashes.

"If I ever get the chance, I've gotta do something for the homeland." He knew the Pandora's Magic Box still had a massive trove of knowledge stored inside. What he was using barely scratched the surface. The parts he couldn't use—maybe those could help his fellow countrymen instead.

By the time Leopard Head realized the memory card was missing, it was already too late. Her moment of playful pride in challenging the Kaitou had cost her dearly. She'd failed the mission and now had no choice but to return home and face punishment from the Assembly Hall.

"Damn you, Kaitou. Next time we meet, I'll definitely take you down." She pouted, her small face flushed with frustration—completely embodying the feeling of having been played by Liu A'dou.

Of course, Liu A'dou didn't know any of that. He was already looking for his next target.

Over the past six months, Gotham City had been through enough chaos to wear down any normal place. To restore some stability and hope to this battered city, the city council had organized a massive exhibition. They'd borrowed world-famous treasures from the British Museum and the Louvre, hoping to use the exhibit to reshape Gotham's image for the better.

Naturally, city hall also demanded the police department take special care to protect these artifacts. That responsibility, of course, landed on the shoulders of Gotham's most capable officer—Commissioner Gordon.

The police commissioner specifically reminded Gordon to keep a close eye on Kaitou Kid. Sure, the Kaitou had helped save Gotham, but that didn't make him above the law. Even though the "Kaitou Act" had passed, meaning Kid couldn't be jailed even if caught, arresting him would finally reveal his identity. That alone would ensure he wouldn't be able to keep pulling heists. In a way, that would be the city's reward to him for saving it.

Gordon was feeling the pressure. Kaitou Kid's techniques were insanely difficult to anticipate or counter. But as the commissioner, he wouldn't back down. He personally took charge of the entire security operation for the exhibition.

"Ada, even though you're an out-of-city officer and not familiar with Gotham's usual protocols, you're aware of how shorthanded we are. So you're on the detail too," Gordon said to the Asian detective standing in front of him.

"No problem, Commissioner," Ada Wong smiled back.

That's right—Ada Wong had gone undercover as a visiting officer and successfully embedded herself within Gotham PD. Which meant, of course, that every move the police made would be completely visible to the Kaitou duo.