Chapter 20: The Big Shot Takes Off

"Wow, you're really good-looking! Is he your brother?" In Dick's place, the mischievous kid Damian was being playfully fussed over by the competent and beautiful detective Claire. Even though he was already 15, Damian's youthful appearance and slightly stubborn expression only heightened Claire's maternal instincts, leaving Dick feeling quite embarrassed.

"Yeah, he's the son of my guardian," Dick replied awkwardly when Claire asked about his relationship with Damian.

"He's adorable~"

Damian, cradled in Claire's arms, turned to look at Dick, whose face was completely expressionless. The glare he shot Dick was filled with a hint of menace, signaling that if Dick didn't come to his rescue soon, he would take matters into his own hands and knock Claire out. Only then did Dick step forward to gently pry Claire's arm away.

"Alright, Claire, why are you here?" Dick was curious about why Claire had come to find him; they weren't close enough for this sort of visit.

"I know you're working on the Hellfire Gang case. The police chief asked me to tell you that you can investigate or make arrests, but it has to be in Naxinor City, and I've been sent to supervise you. By the way, Midler will be moved out of the ICU tonight. The chief wants you to handle Midler's security to prevent Nightwing from causing any trouble."

Claire explained her reason for being there, completely unaware that Dick was Nightwing. Forcing Dick to oversee Midler was like delivering Nightwing right into Midler's hands. Dick had been contemplating how to sneak into the hospital to talk to Midler, but now he could just walk in without any subterfuge—he'd just need to deploy a few smoke bombs.

"So, that's it? This is your job here?"

"Yep." Claire was momentarily taken aback, not fully understanding the implication.

"Alright, you head back to the precinct. I need to have a word with my brother. See you later."

With that, Dick displayed his typical straight-man demeanor, dragging Claire towards the door and shutting it behind her, leaving her outside looking bewildered.

"It seems your father's assessment of you is a bit too flattering. Is this how you treat girls? Rude and thoughtless," Damian commented from the couch.

"It depends on who it is. I've never liked getting into this kind of superficial stuff with colleagues."

"Have you told Barbara that?" Damian continued to dig into Dick's past missteps.

Caught off guard by Damian's remark about his history, Dick paused, shook his head, and let out a wry smile. "Looks like Alfred has shared everything with you."

"He's a respected elder. He remembers everything about you guys. And there are photos."

"Make sure to say hi to Alfred for me when you get back."

"That's your job. I'm not one to carry messages. What's next? Are we bringing in that Kaito guy from last night?"

"Yeah, I'm looking up his info now. I'll get ready. Tonight, I might need you both to create a diversion."

Nodding thoughtfully, Dick walked to his room, retrieving a box emblazoned with the Wayne Tech logo. After going through a three-step unlocking process—fingerprint, voice, and retinal scan—the box opened to reveal another piece of Batman's high-tech gear: a computer. After inputting Kaito's name, Dick quickly found Kaito's basic information online, including profiles on Facebook and YouTube, where everyone has accounts. Using this basic info, he swiftly located Kaito's contact number and called him directly.

During lunchtime, Kaito glanced at the call from an unknown number and, after some thought, decided to answer.

"Who is this?"

"Hi, Kaito. We have an operation tonight at 10 PM at the city hospital."

"Huh? Hello?"

Just as Kaito responded, the call ended. Feeling a bit frustrated with Dick's abruptness, Kaito wondered why he was already being put to work; he had hoped for a few more days of leisure. Regardless, he knew he had to fulfill the task. With a powerful figure leading the charge, Kaito figured he could not only make a name for himself but also complete a side mission.

That evening, Kaito used basketball as an excuse to leave early, meandering toward the city hospital. Before he could even buy a drink from the convenience store nearby, Dick suddenly yanked him into a side alley, where Damian was already dressed in his uniform.

"Hey, can you not pull on my clothes? They're expensive," Kaito complained as he wriggled free from Dick's grip.

"I told you to put on your uniform before coming here! Walking into a hospital like this? Don't you know this place is crawling with cameras?" Dick exclaimed, exasperated. This newbie didn't even seem to have the basic common sense required of a superhero; did he really think he could just wander around in plain sight as if the cameras were decorations?

"What's wrong with cameras? I'm just an ordinary passerby. Are you seriously going to search the footage for someone acting like a superhero? And this is my uniform, isn't it?"

Kaito was equally bemused. Did Dick really think he was unprofessional? He wasn't even supposed to be here—if it weren't for that darned stubborn system, he would be at home sleeping like a couch potato. Feeling disgruntled, he activated his transformation, instantly donning his Deadbeat Armor and G3 suit. After seeing Kaito's effortless change, Dick decided to let it go; no wonder the kid felt so free to wander around.

"Alright, do what you want. I've been assigned to watch over Midler. The precinct only knows I'm in Naxinor City, and they're unaware of you or Robin. So your job tonight is straightforward: create chaos around the hospital. I've got word that Midler's men plan to come and take him away, so you two need to keep those guys at bay. Make as much noise as possible to attract the police's attention; I'll handle the interrogation with Midler."

"Okay, that sounds easy enough. But when are those guys coming? You don't expect us to just stand on the rooftop all night, do you?"

"Don't worry; it won't be later than eleven. Now, get ready."

Dick understood Kaito's concerns and reassured him before leaving the alley to buy some food from the convenience store, using the excuse that he was grabbing a late-night snack.

"Hey, what are you waiting for? Are you just going to stand there until they spot us?"

After Dick left, Damian grew impatient with Kaito, who was still dawdling, and then pulled out a grappling hook from his utility belt, shooting it to the top of a nearby building. With a few leaps, he reached the rooftop, looking down at Kaito with a mocking challenge, as if he wanted to race him up there.

Meanwhile, Kaito simply removed the G3 suit, pulled out his phone, and connected it to the Spider memory unit. With a smooth gesture, he effortlessly joined Damian on the rooftop, looking completely at ease. Watching Kaito's calm actions contrasted with his own grappling hook retrieval made Damian quietly resolve to request an upgrade to his grappling hook from Batman. It felt so unfair!

(End of Chapter)