Chapter 138: Rehearsal Simulation
"If you focus on what you left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead."
-Gusteau (Ratatouille)
...
'I hope that kid knows what she's doing,'
Barbara could only think this way.
In some ways, Barbara may not know Cassandra as well as Dean did.
Dean knew at least that Cassandra was a good martial artist, which Barbara had no idea about.
The reason is simple.
Barbara always sees Cassandra only in the library. She doesn't even know where Cassandra lives.
Barbara had offered to help Cassandra find a place to live or at least take her to one of the Wayne Foundation's foster homes if necessary.
However, Cassandra refused Barbara's proposal and did not let Barbara know where she lived every day.
Cassandra and Barbara would go to the library every morning, where Barbara would teach her how to read.
As the afternoon came to a close, Cassandra would leave the library on her own and never let anyone follow her.
The only exceptions are the few times Barbara took Cassandra shopping, buying clothes, or having a big meal.
When they went out together, Cassandra seemed uncomfortable and had a lot to learn about daily life.
She doesn't know how to use a knife and fork to eat, doesn't know how to put on a skirt, has no interest in make-up, and even has a strange fear of lipstick, as if it were poison, and refuses to let her lips touch it.
Cassandra is like an autistic person when it comes to talking with others; she avoids eye contact, hides from store clerks in clothing stores, and gives them the impression that she is a thief.
As a result, these trips not only didn't bring Barbara and Cassandra closer together, but they also made Cassandra afraid to go shopping with Barbara for a while.
After that, Barbara did not ask Cassandra to have contact with human society again. She started by teaching Cassandra to read.
When she can understand commonly used English words, she will slowly try to integrate Cassandra into modern society.
It was obviously safe to teach in the library and go outside during the day in parts of Gotham that were normally safe.
Cassandra doesn't need to use her martial arts in front of Barbara. Barbara didn't have the ability to predict, so she couldn't know this.
After all, who would expect this fourteen-year-old girl to be a hidden martial arts expert?
Dean just happened to have good luck and walk with Cassandra at night, and they even took a shortcut through an alley.
It was normal to encounter criminals and muggers.
In short, Barbara was worried about Cassandra's ability to make a living, but as time passed, she saw that Cassandra didn't seem to be suffering from hunger, and her body was quite healthy.
Barbara doesn't seem to have much to worry about other than the fact that she wears out her clothes quickly.
Barbara also lets Cassandra do her own thing over time. After all, she wasn't in a position to tell Cassandra what to do.
After Cassandra left, Barbara shifted her thoughts to the Phantom Thief.
'In a few days, the Phantom Thief is going to steal Bruce's Ocean Gem at the Gotham City Stadium... I wonder how Bruce will deal with him.
Barbara thought with interest.
'Batman losing to the Phantom Thief is hard to imagine, but it might make things more interesting if he does. The look on Bruce's face would be priceless."
She continued jokingly.
Barbara wasn't hoping for trouble; she was just joking with Batman. Those who have never worked for Batman can't really understand how hard it is.
Barbara and Dick might have quit a long time ago if it weren't for their strong beliefs and the importance of Batman to Gotham.
Even though they never said it out loud, their frustration at Batman had built up over time, and every small problem added up to a large amount of dissatisfaction.
Batman was a very controlling person, and his orders were always final. He didn't let anyone question them. This often left Barbara and Dick in awe, wishing to see Batman suffer and fail.
They sometimes wished in silence that Batman would have some trouble.
Other criminals were one thing, but Phantom Thief was a different story.
He was a good-hearted criminal who could make Batman taste defeat. Batman losing to him wouldn't be a disaster, but it would be a loss.
In this unique situation, both Dick and Barbara secretly hoped that Batman would fail.
But if Batman completely beat the Phantom Thief, they'd both be happy too.
After all, the Phantom Thief had already beaten them both, so it would be nice for Batman to take revenge for them.
So, whether Batman or the Phantom Thief won, the show was sure to be exciting and give them a sense of victory.
In this way, it seemed like a win-win situation.
...
At the same time, in the Batcave
Dick also had a similar mood as he watched Bruce keep working on strange things.
"Having some trouble there?"
Dick asked with a smirk.
"What are you doing here, Dick?"
Bruce asked in a calm tone.
"Well, where else would I be? It's my day off from school, and it's still noon, and it's not yet for Robin's time to shine."
Dick shrugged and replied.
"You could do your own work or go through the case files of past important cases. How long have you been involved in this case, and how many case files have you reviewed?"
Bruce questioned.
"Um..."
Dick was left speechless.
"Your detective skills have a lot of room for improvement, Dick. That's why you're having trouble catching Phantom Thief, and he keeps outsmarting you."
Bruce said it calmly.
Bruce's hand, which had been working with different things, suddenly stopped.
He turned to Dick and revealed a sandbox he had been working on, which looked like a simulated sandbox.
"What's this?"
Dick exclaimed in surprise the moment he saw the sandbox.
"This is a simple sandbox modeled on the central football field at the stadium."
Bruce calmly explained.
A small iron object stood in the middle of the smaller version of the football field's grass on the sandbox.
That iron object was none other than a small Bat-Signal.
In addition, there was a layer of white, cloud-like paper hanging above the sandbox, with a small white figure standing next to the Bat-signal.
This is where Phantom Thief has rehearsed his tricks!
...
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