Kaito Kid is Superhero

Captain America flipped perfectly through the skylight and landed squarely on the rooftop. Liu A'dou had to admit—this guy was impressive.

The officers below finally reacted, quickly moving to surround the rooftop.

"You're not getting away. Surrender now," said Captain America. Soon, Kaitou Kid would be surrounded. There'd be no escape.

Kid turned on his heel to face him. "Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away. As expected of a World War II hero—you really did jump four meters in one go. I'm impressed."

His voice was young. That made Captain America pause. Looking again at the thief's slim figure, he became certain—this guy was young. "Why be a thief? The world's at peace now. Why not live a normal life?"

Kid didn't answer. Instead, he strolled along the rooftop. "America's not the land of the free you remember. It's ruled by a bunch of rotting bureaucrats. Your enemies are right beside you—you just don't know it yet."

What nonsense is this guy spouting? Captain America frowned. Are all Gotham criminals this unhinged?

"Hurry up!" Commissioner Gordon's voice called out as more police swarmed onto the rooftop. "Surround Kid!"

Kid was in a tight spot. Surrounded. Dozens of guns aimed straight at him.

"This is the end of your thieving days, Kid," Gordon said. "You can go back to being a regular person. No one escapes a circle like this."

Captain America and Gordon now stood face-to-face with Liu A'dou, waiting for Kaitou Kid to give himself up.

Kid kept his hands casually in his pockets, standing tall, head slightly bowed. "I once told Batman that a thief is an artist in pursuit of perfection. And all those who chase him? Just critics nitpicking the artwork. I'm glad you critics could come enjoy the Moonlight Magician's latest act—but no performance lasts forever. The curtain always falls. So I must be going. Until next time!"

Everyone stared, confused. Why was Kid still so confident?

Sssssssss—

Kid's suit suddenly puffed outward like it was filled with restless spirits. But it wasn't ghosts—it was tear gas.

It exploded out from him in a thick cloud. In seconds, he vanished inside it.

Cough cough "Nobody move!" Gordon shouted. "Don't give Kid a chance to escape."

"Smart move," Captain America thought. Gordon's experience showed. This was the right call. In this chaos, any movement could let Kid slip away. He squinted into the gas—Kid's silhouette didn't seem to move.

The rooftop was open-air, and soon a breeze picked up, slowly blowing the gas away. But when it cleared… everyone was dumbfounded. Kid was gone.

"What?!"

They looked around. All they saw were police officers. Not even a flash of white clothing remained.

Even Captain America froze. He was sure no one had flown out or jumped off. Then how had Kid vanished?

The officers looked around helplessly. They hadn't seen anyone leave either. Was Kaitou Kid… actually a magician?

Only Ada had a faint suspicion. Kid hadn't left. He must've disguised himself again—likely as one of the officers still on the roof.

"Search everywhere! Kid must be hiding! Tear this rooftop apart if you have to!"

"Yes, sir!" The officers fanned out. Of course, they wouldn't find anything.

Just then, the unconscious female officer finally stirred awake. Still groggy, she found Commissioner Gordon. "Sorry, sir… Kid knocked me out in the women's restroom… I failed…"

"What?" Gordon frowned. He was sure she'd been on patrol all night—even spoke with her.

"No way," Ada said, feigning surprise.

Captain America's instincts kicked in first. "I figured it out."

Everyone turned to him.

"I know how Kid appeared and disappeared. He's been disguised as a police officer all along. When the lights went out, he removed the disguise to appear in the display hall. Then during the tear gas, he switched back—he never left. He's still among us. Call every officer in. We need to check them one by one."

Gordon snapped to action. "Everyone, regroup! Assemble for inspection!"

"Quick—check if the officers next to you are in disguise!"

"How are we supposed to check?"

"Pinch their face," said Gordon.

But there was no trace of Kid anywhere. Suddenly, one officer reached into his pocket. "Commissioner! I found one of Kid's calling cards in my pocket!"

"Same here!"

"Me too!"

…

Every officer had one in their pocket. Gordon reached into his trench coat—and sure enough, there was one inside as well.

"Captain, your shield…" Ada Wong pointed.

Captain America looked down—and there it was, stuck right onto the face of his shield:

'The Silver Star is now in my custody. —Kaitou Kid.'

"How is this even possible?" Whether it was or not didn't matter. The fact was—Kid had done it. No doubt about it.

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.

"Kid pulled it off!" No one knew who leaked the info, but the moment that message hit social media, Kid's fans outside the museum exploded with excitement. The person who broke the news on Facebook saw their followers jump by several thousand instantly. Everyone was asking: How did Kid escape right under Captain America and Commissioner Gordon's noses?

That insider hyped up the entire thing, exaggerating how miraculous Kid's moves were—teleportation, psychokinesis, remote theft, the whole shebang. It thrilled fans to no end. Of course, nobody actually believed it. Kid might be incredible, but he was still human. No superpowers.

And that's why people admired him. Because even without powers, he did things like stealing a nuclear bomb. He was the only one.

Why was everyone so sure Kid was just a regular person? Because after every heist, his entire prep work would be exposed. His techniques got dissected, his sleight of hand explained. Everyone knew he dug a tunnel to haul out the nuke—exactly the kind of work only a mortal could pull off. As for how he walked across the sky in moonlight—that secret was still unknown, though some magicians had their theories. Everyone believed Kid's "Moonlight Magician" title wasn't just for show.

"Kid! Kid!" Fans erupted again, cheering like he'd solved their rent and grocery bills. Truly inexplicable.

Frustration. This was the first time since World War II that Captain America had been utterly outmaneuvered. He stared at the calling card on his shield in silence. He had to admit—he had underestimated Kid.

Batman watched it all through his high-powered monocle. He saw exactly how Kid had blended into the officers and vanished right under their noses. But he didn't make a move. Even though Kid claimed healing him was repayment for Alfred's kindness, Batman still felt like he owed the thief. With the show over, Batman turned and melted back into the shadows.

Gem secured, it was time for Kid to share the prize with his partner—Ada. So he headed to the seaside with the diamond in hand.

It really was a beautiful gem. But holding it up to the moonlight, he could instantly tell—this wasn't Pandora's Gem. Wrong again. Liu A'dou set it aside and began meditating, channeling his Ripple.

Suddenly, he sensed a disturbance in the air—then felt an immense force surging toward him. He rolled aside just in time, as a laser blast tore through the spot where he'd been, slicing across the water like a blade.

What the hell?!

Liu A'dou looked toward the source of the laser—and saw it came from the Silver Star. But it was just a diamond. He was sure of it. How could it fire a laser?

Wait a second…

He reached back into memory, then quickly grabbed the gem and channeled Ripple into it. The Ripple bounced through its countless facets, amplifying and focusing the energy until it surged out in a beam—just like before.

"A Red Stone of Aja?!"

The so-called Red Stone of Aja was a legendary amplifier of energy—capable of absorbing and projecting heat, light, and Ripple. With a perfect Red Stone of Aja, a Ripple user could unleash power rivaling the sun. It was a divine relic for any Ripple master.

But… wasn't it supposed to be red?

No matter. This wasn't Earth anymore. Maybe this diamond wasn't an actual Red Stone of Aja, but it definitely boosted his Ripple. That much was real. Liu A'dou figured it must have something to do with the stone's insanely complex cut.

If he could unlock its full potential, it might be the answer to the problem that had long plagued him—transmitting Ripple through air.