The Kaitou Kid special aired, and its ratings skyrocketed, becoming the number one show in Gotham City. It also topped online streaming platforms. That was because the interview with Kid wasn't just about him—it included plenty of side stories about Batman, Iron Man, Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, and other heroes. Every fan got to know more about their favorite character through it.
Everyone realized that Kaitou Kid's connections in the hero world were insane. He had ties to both the Justice League and the Avengers. He had helped Iron Man and was even one of the Justice League's founding members. His network was almost unimaginable.
People also found out that Kid had done far more than just steal things. After watching the special, their view of him completely changed. The circles he moved in were far from ordinary. Without real strength, someone like him would've been crushed long ago. Just look at the hacker war incident—once you draw the bad guys' attention, you're basically being roasted over a fire. Once you're done, you're just another meal on their plate.
To be honest, even if someone paid him a fortune, Liu A'dou wouldn't pretend to be Batman. Being targeted by Gotham's criminals every day was no joke. It was only thanks to Batman's secret identity staying hidden that things weren't worse.
Liu A'dou felt great about his current situation. After the two-hour program ended, he strolled into the Batcave like it was his own place. Alfred had already prepared a late-night snack. Too bad Batman was still out, so Liu A'dou took it upon himself to eat everything.
The life of the rich was ridiculous—food served to your mouth, clothes handed to your hands, and not a single thing to worry about.
Neo lay in the corner, hooked up to an IV. Kid had already stolen a chunk of flesh from the Organization, but Batman wasn't okay with the surgical plan. Even though they had examples from the Claymore, the death rate was way too high.
Batman wasn't about to let someone die in his Batcave. So instead, he carefully analyzed the flesh from the Organization and came up with a new plan: extract the parasitic cells and inject a treatment into Neo's body to improve his condition and stop the cells from turning him into a monster.
"When are we starting the treatment?" Neo had waited for days and was losing his patience. He even began to doubt Kid's intentions.
"I can't even feel my fingers anymore. I get worse every day. If you're not going to save me, just kill me already." He had come to terms with reality. He had targeted Kid in the past—Kid had no reason to help him. "Stop torturing me. I'm already a cripple. I don't want to live anymore."
"Man, why are you so impatient?" Kid said calmly. "The delay was just to bump up that 50% survival rate a bit. Don't worry, the treatment starts tomorrow morning. Just get some rest for now."
But before Neo could fall asleep, a harsh, grating noise echoed through the Batcave—the sound of metal dragging across the floor. Kid jolted. 'Did Batman get jumped by those down-to-earth Gotham citizens again? Even his car's trashed now?'
Then a tire rolled across the floor and toppled in front of Kid. "..."
The car door opened. Batman stepped out, bringing with him a filthy little boy. Even through the mask, Kid could see Bruce's awkward expression.
"What happened?" Kid asked, curious. "Who's the kid?"
Before Batman could answer, the boy stepped forward boldly, eyes shining with mischief. "My name's Jason Todd. Are you Kaitou Kid? Can you teach me how to steal?"
"…" Both Kid and Batman fell silent. Batman hadn't expected Jason to be so... off track. First time meeting Kid, and he already wanted to learn how to steal.
But Kid suddenly remembered—wasn't Jason Todd the second Robin? That poor kid who got beaten to death by Joker with a crowbar, then resurrected by Ra's al Ghul in the Lazarus Pit, only to return as Red Hood—a hero-villain hybrid. Judging by that loose wheel earlier, Kid figured Batman probably had a rough night again. If he remembered the comics right, Jason had once removed the Batmobile's tires during one of Batman's missions. Batman caught him red-handed when he got back.
Batman had seen Jason Todd's potential and decided to train him as the next Robin to keep him from going down a dark path. The first Robin had gone off to college. Now came Robin number two. Kid thought, 'Guess I'm witnessing history again.'
Jason really did have that rebellious energy. In a totally unfamiliar place, he wasn't scared at all. It was like the word 'fear' didn't exist in his vocabulary. First thing out of his mouth? He wanted to learn how to steal. If Batman didn't straighten out his mindset, Gotham might end up with another criminal prodigy.
In response to Jason's bold request, Kid smiled. "Batman's gonna train you. When it comes to stealing, I rank first. He's a close second. His technique's not bad."
Sounded like a compliment, but Batman wasn't exactly thrilled.
Jason was fearless and full of curiosity. The moment he stepped into the Batcave, he was poking around everything. Batman couldn't control him at all. But Kid knew these two, the old and the young, would end up being great partners.
"Batman, I've decided. We'll start treating Neo tomorrow. You good with that?"
Batman was a jack-of-all-trades, and his medical skills were top-tier. In fact, he was the one leading the treatment plan. Liu A'dou's idea was a bit crude—just cut it open. Batman came up with something much more sophisticated and stabilizing.
"Do it," Batman replied after checking Neo and confirming he was ready.
So the two got to work while Alfred took Jason upstairs for a bath and change of clothes.
Neo, lying there, saw Kid and Batman standing by his side like Black and White Impermanence. But instead of fear, he felt calm.
"This treatment's gonna hurt," Kid warned again. "You can't use any anesthesia. You'll have to bear it all on your own."
"It's fine. As long as I can feel my body again, the pain's worth it," Neo said firmly.
Even so, Kid gave him a towel to bite on, then he and Batman got to work.
This was Earth, after all. Even if they were making a Claymore, they couldn't be as brutal as the Organization.
Batman had already extracted the parasitic cells. Now it was time to inject them—via IV—into Neo's bloodstream.
Both men watched closely, eyes locked on Neo's reaction.
At first, nothing. But then sweat started beading on Neo's forehead. The parasitic cells rushed through his body, slamming into every nerve. The pain hit his bones, carved into his heart, and shredded his muscles. It was worse than death.
Neo bit down hard on the towel, but his eyes... his eyes were full of joy. He could feel every part of his body screaming in pain. He could feel his fingers. He could feel his toes. And just like he'd said, if he could feel something—anything—that pain was a kind of joy.
There was only one thought in Neo's mind now: 'I have to hold on. I have to survive.'