"You were certain I would take this route, so you've been waiting here all along. Clever. No wonder you're a Kitty who can give even Batman a headache."
Kaitou Kid praised her in a sincere tone, voice carrying just enough admiration to sound genuine.
Swoosh!
At that moment, Catwoman suddenly fired a dart forward, grazing Kaitou Kid's hand just as he quietly reached behind his back.
"Close call, close call. I almost lost a hand there."
Kaitou Kid quickly raised his hand to check it, clenching and unclenching his fingers several times to test for damage.
"Don't move, kid. I know you like to play with strange little gadgets, just like Batman, so I'm not even letting you move a finger."
Catwoman warned with a smile that was equal parts playful and dangerous.
"Don't worry, my job is just to keep you tied up so you don't interfere with Harvey's murder mystery game. Understand? Once he's done on his end, my job is over. What you do after that is none of my business."
"So it seems I can only stay in this position without moving? That's quite a headache. I'm the type who prefers action to sitting still."
Kaitou Kid sighed and spread his hands naturally, the gesture casual and open.
As he did, something slipped from his sleeve.
Crack!
In that instant, Catwoman flicked her wrist, and a long whip appeared out of nowhere, snapping forward to knock away the object falling from Kaitou Kid's sleeve.
Boom!
An explosion erupted behind Kaitou Kid, accompanied by a blinding flash.
Yet Catwoman was completely unaffected. The specialized goggles she wore filtered out most of the flashbang's glare.
Because of that, she could clearly see Kaitou Kid's movements within the intense light.
"Didn't I tell you not to move? Why can't you just save me some trouble?"
Catwoman swung her whip hard, and with a sharp crack, it coiled around Kaitou Kid's ankle.
"Huh? What is this?"
Amid Kaitou Kid's startled exclamation, Catwoman yanked the whip, dragging him back.
...
Inside the "courtroom."
Two-Face declared passionately to the "judge" and "jury."
"I must reiterate once again that in this trial, you only need to hear testimony from one witness, the victim himself, me! We will prove that the defendant deliberately committed…..."
He resentfully rattled off a string of charges that did not exist in any legal code, voice rising with theatrical fervor.
"Harvey, what on earth are you talking about? I don't understand a single word."
At that moment, a mature, charming female voice suddenly interrupted him, cutting off his accusations.
"That voice is…"
Hearing the voice from the side, Robin looked puzzled.
"Catwoman? What is she doing here?"
"Selina, didn't I tell you to deal with Kaitou Kid? What are you doing here? This trial is closed to unrelated personnel."
Two-Face turned toward the source of the voice with obvious displeasure.
"I'm not interested in your courtroom game, Harvey. I'm here because—"
As her voice drew closer, her sultry figure stepped out of the darkness into the candlelight, seemingly carrying another person over her shoulder.
"My job is done. You don't have to worry about Kaitou Kid interfering with your game anymore."
Catwoman placed the person she was carrying onto the floor. The iconic white suit was strikingly conspicuous in the dim room.
"The clothes, the top hat, the monocle… even the height and build are the same as the Kaitou Kid I've seen. Did he really get caught by Catwoman?"
Robin had encountered Kaitou Kid several times and was quite familiar with his physique in his normal state. While he could not be perfectly precise, a rough visual judgment was no problem.
Because of that, he was the most shocked person in the room.
So Catwoman was hired by Two-Face to deal with Kaitou Kid. That explains why she's here.
Right, Catwoman is also a top-tier master thief. Sending a thief to catch a thief is indeed a smart move.
But I still can't believe Kaitou Kid was caught so easily…
Looking down at the unconscious Kaitou Kid on the floor, Two-Face broke into a delighted smile.
"Haha! Excellent. Now another sinner has arrived in our court. He actually thought he could steal something from me. Truly foolish, ignorant, and utterly wicked."
"Hey, Harvey."
At that moment, Catwoman stepped forward and tapped Two-Face on the shoulder, reminding him she was still there.
"Don't forget what you owe me."
"The money is already prepared. It's at the usual place. Go get it yourself. The code is the same as before."
Two-Face replied impatiently.
"Then I won't disturb you. See you next time… actually, it'd be better if we never meet again."
Catwoman turned and left, her figure disappearing into the darkness.
"Now, Your Honor, let us continue with the previous proceedings and then convict this shameless thief who was just captured."
Two-Face quickly slipped back into character, speaking loudly to the "judge" on the bench.
"God above, Mr. Dent, I… can we skip these… whatever-you-call-them steps? Just do whatever you want to do directly. I can't take this anymore."
The "judge" spoke with a miserable expression.
"No!"
Two-Face's eyes widened in fury.
"Your request is contempt of court. Even if you are the judge, you cannot do that."
"I think he's right, Harvey Dent. Save it. We all know what you're really thinking."
Robin sneered from his chair, still bound.
"What court, what trial, what conviction? You just want revenge because I beat you last time. You went to all this trouble to stage such a farce. Do you really expect anyone to believe you're delivering justice?"
"I am justice!"
"If the old you had said that, I would agree. But now you're just a criminal deluding yourself."
Robin's words were like a spark, instantly igniting the fury in Two-Face's heart.
"Nonsense! I have never changed. From beginning to end, we are two people. Good people don't do bad things, and bad people don't do good things."
Two-Face slapped his chest with one hand, glaring fiercely at Robin.
"We are perfectly balanced, like the two ends of a scale. Impartial."
"You're just making excuses for your madness. That's all."
Robin stared back at him without backing down.
"…Fine, fine, fine. Every single one of you is in contempt of court. I was wrong. This trial never needed a judge or a jury in the first place. The verdict will be decided by fate."
Ping~~~!
Two-Face took his coin from his breast pocket and flicked it into the air with a sharp ping.
It landed on the back of his hand.
"Hahaha! Now! I announce that the verdict is… What!?"
Staring at the coin, Two-Face's eyes filled with disbelief.
"Huh..? How.. How can this be?"
The room fell silent except for the soft flicker of candle flames.
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