Seeing Iselin kidnapped, Kaitou Kid had followed them all the way to Scarecrow's hideout, where something dangerous was being cooked up.
Iselin was dragged in front of Scarecrow, who clearly had no plans to let this nosy reporter walk away.
"Pa! Pa!" Two sharp slaps snapped Iselin awake, but the drugs still clouded her mind. Everything around her twisted into nightmares—there was nowhere to run.
"Tell me, who sent you to investigate us??!!" Scarecrow's terrifying mask was almost pressed against her face.
"Ahhh—" Her scream echoed through the ruins of the asylum. Iselin was terrified, trapped in a blur of hallucination and reality.
"Fear! Scream! Then tell me everything. Obey me, lady!" Scarecrow's distorted voice pierced through the mask. "Who are you working for?"
One scream drained all her strength. She collapsed into the chair, shaking uncontrollably.
"Tell me. Say your name."
"Iselin." Fear broke her, and she answered without thinking.
"Very good, very good. We're off to a great start. Now tell me who's behind you."
Silence. There was no one behind Iselin.
"Not scared enough, are we?" Scarecrow grabbed for more of his drug, ready to hit her with another dose. This one would break her completely—maybe even kill her.
Just as Kaitou Kid was about to make his move, the door burst open. "Scarecrow, what the hell are you doing? I told you, no killing. We're drug dealers, not murderers." Then the man saw her—and screamed. "God, Iselin, what happened to you?!"
That man knew Iselin? That surprised even Kid.
Scarecrow was surprised too. "Anthony, my dear boy, you know this girl?" Clearly, they were close—Scarecrow's twisted nickname for him sent chills down Anthony's spine. He knew Scarecrow was after his money, after his control. And if he wasn't careful, Scarecrow could kill him too.
"She's my daughter! What did you do to her?" Anthony shoved the thugs aside and rushed to hold Iselin, whispering her name. "Iselin, Iselin…"
Scarecrow froze. This nosy reporter was his partner's daughter? Maybe he'd messed up.
"It was just an accident, you know how it is," Scarecrow said flatly.
"Damn it, what did you do to my daughter?! Why is she like this?" Iselin just trembled in his arms, her eyes blank, none of her usual fire left. Anthony's heart shook along with her.
"Just a little new mix, that's all," Scarecrow shrugged.
Anthony wanted to curse him out, but he didn't dare push too hard. "Start the car. I'm taking her to the hospital."
No one moved.
Anthony hadn't realized it yet, but everyone here now belonged to Scarecrow.
"Tut tut, that won't work. A trip to the hospital, and everything comes out. I can't risk that. Better if she stays here. She's clearly curious about our little business—maybe she can join us."
"Iselin would never join you. She doesn't like my business, let alone yours. She was just digging into me, not you." Anthony knew things were getting bad fast. Scarecrow's tone was getting colder, but he had to stand firm for his daughter.
"I can't take that chance. So…" Scarecrow stepped back. "Grab him."
The thugs jumped on Anthony, slamming him to the ground. Scarecrow stepped closer. "A little dose, just a little, can fill you with unimaginable fear. Where else in the world can you find something so wonderful?"
Anthony had been a tough guy in his youth, but he was older now. Running a gang left little room for staying in shape. He couldn't break free, couldn't stop Scarecrow from coming closer.
If Kid didn't move now, he'd have two helpless people on his hands. Time to act.
A playing card whizzed through the air, slicing through Scarecrow's coat and cutting off the hidden gas line beneath it. The severed pipe sprayed its toxic contents right into the face of the thug in front of him. The gas then spread through the room.
Scarecrow stumbled back, covering his mouth and nose. Anthony broke free quickly, while the poisoned thug collapsed in terror, his face twisted like he was staring into the eyes of a monster.
Holding his breath, Anthony grabbed his daughter and rushed toward the door. Scarecrow, too familiar with this kind of chaos, didn't give chase. Instead, he glanced around the room, panic flickering in his eyes. "Batman?"
He didn't notice the card on the floor wasn't a batarang—it was a playing card. But years of being ambushed by Batman had conditioned him. He jumped at shadows. Even Gotham's master of fear had someone he feared the most.
Kid had just pulled off a perfect bluff.
Outside, an engine roared to life. Kid made sure Iselin and her father were gone, then headed back to the roof. The wind hadn't died down yet—he still had time for one more flight.
In the car, half-conscious, Iselin caught a glimpse of a white triangle soaring through the night sky.
"Kaitou Kid…" she murmured.
All in white, gliding on that triangle-shaped wing—it was easy to recognize Kid. The patrolling police spotted him too and immediately gave chase, alerting headquarters.
Kid circled Gotham once and stirred up a full-scale manhunt.
"Kaitou Kid is heading toward Lincoln Street. We're in pursuit, over." The police radio buzzed with updates as every unit zeroed in.
"Kid, we've got you now! It's really him, Kaitou Kid! Step on it!"
Woo woo, woo woo— Sirens filled the streets.
Captain Gordon couldn't make sense of it. The gem had been returned, so why was Kid suddenly stirring up trouble again? But a wanted criminal was still a criminal—he had a duty to catch him.
"Where's Kid now? Over."
"Lincoln Street turning onto Fulton Road, heading toward the city limits. Over."
Whoosh—
Kid didn't have his phone on him. With no other choice, he'd pulled out this "kite-flying" move. If he'd gone into the city to report the crime, the cops would've been too slow. This way, he brought every single officer out in force and led them straight to Scarecrow's hideout.
Anthony was startled when a long line of police cars sped past, heading toward the asylum. He quickly pulled his car over, narrowly missing them. Was it really Batman who saved him just now? Were these cops just following Batman's lead?
Woo woo woo— Sirens blared, chasing after Kid.
Batman also picked up the police chatter and knew they were going after Kid. He silently joined the pursuit in the Batmobile.
The cameras had already picked up Kid. His figure flashed across the screen, flying west. It was obvious he was leading the police somewhere. But where? Batman couldn't tell yet. One thing was clear—Kid was skilled with that glider, and this new triangle design was far more advanced than the one he'd used with the decoy.
The Batmobile was faster than any police car and could cut through alleys and narrow streets. Batman was soon right beneath Kid.
From above, Kid noticed something odd—something black moving quickly below him, too fast to be just a shadow. Was that… Batman?
Almost there. He was almost there. Being a good guy wasn't easy.
Batman saw the lights of the asylum ahead and immediately understood this was Kid's target.
The sirens startled the gang inside, but it was too late for them to run. Batman had arrived. "Gordon, Kid's leading you to the abandoned Maria Asylum. There's illegal activity going on inside."
Batman radioed Gordon. They knew how to prioritize. Kid was just a thief, but a drug den was a real threat.
"Surround Maria Asylum!" Gordon ordered, and the police cars scattered into position.
From here on, it was up to the cops and Batman. Kid gave a little wave of his cloak and vanished into the night sky.
But in his heart, he felt a strange anticipation. That shadow below—had to be the Batmobile. The time for him and Batman to meet was getting closer.