Bruce's spine had been healed by the League of Shadows' physician, but it would still take two months to fully recover.
Alfred publicly claimed that his young master had injured himself skiing—after all, it wasn't the first time. The old butler was genuinely worried, fearing that one day someone might dump Bruce's corpse at the doorstep like trash. He had initially opposed Bruce becoming Batman, but his young master's determination had moved him. However, as Batman faced increasing dangers over time, the butler began to regret his decision.
"Master Wayne, during your absence, Kaitou Kid has been using the Batcave," the butler mentioned. He was actually considering asking the thief to impersonate Batman—preferably to replace him entirely. Salary wouldn't be an issue. As long as Kid agreed, Master Bruce could be freed.
"He didn't steal anything, did he?"
"No, not only did he refrain from stealing, but he also left this." The butler produced a phone. "He said you should contact him personally; this phone only has his number."
Bruce nodded in acknowledgment. Bane and Penguin were still at large and could cause trouble at any time. The most important thing now was to recover. Next time he faced Bane, Bruce would be wearing an exoskeleton.
"Master Wayne, you rest. I have another patient to attend to," the butler said.
"?" Bruce was puzzled. "We have a guest?"
"A pigeon. An injured pigeon landed in the yard. I treated it," the butler explained.
Bruce thought to himself that the old butler was truly kind-hearted and went back to sleep peacefully.
That night, moonlight streamed through the bedroom's floor-to-ceiling windows, resembling a snowy landscape. In a half-asleep state, Bruce felt a figure standing in the moonlight.
He immediately woke up and saw that the figure under the moonlight was indeed Kaitou Kid. "Do you always enjoy breaking and entering?"
"Can't help it; I'm a thief," Kaitou Kid said, standing against the moonlight. "But I'm not here to steal anything tonight, so relax."
"Then why are you here?" Bruce asked.
"Aren't you curious how I got into your house?"
"The Batcave. That's the only way you could have entered silently."
"Correct." Kaitou Kid walked to Bruce's bedside. Bruce could barely move and had no strength, so he could only watch as Kid approached.
"I came to thank you today." As he spoke, a cooing sound came from the gap in the bedroom door. A white pigeon flew in and landed on Kaitou Kid's hand. "It was injured. Thanks to Alfred's care."
"You can come back another day to thank him in person—during the day."
Kid smiled slightly. "Sometimes the best way to express gratitude isn't face-to-face, but like this."
Bruce saw Kaitou Kid suddenly extend his index and middle fingers. Before he could react, the fingers pointed directly at him.
The two fingers jabbed into Bruce's chest.
"Ahhh—" Bruce let out a loud cry, feeling his lungs being compressed, followed by a surge of electricity coursing through his body.
"Ah!" Bruce sat up abruptly. "What did you do to me?" He looked at his hands in disbelief, feeling his strength rapidly returning. Even the persistent pain in his spine had vanished. Kid had merely touched him with his fingers—what exactly had happened?
"I expelled all the air from your lungs, adjusted your breathing, and guided your energy throughout your body. Your injuries are healed."
In disbelief, Bruce got out of bed. He felt no discomfort at all—completely baffled but amazed. Then he suddenly thought of Rachel. "Can you heal Rachel's injuries too?"
"Sorry. With my current skill level, I can only accelerate recovery. I can't actually repair damage. I'm powerless against Rachel's nerve injuries."
"You can't now. But will you be able to in the future?" Bruce pressed.
Kaitou Kid nodded. Yes, one day he'd be able to. He might even be able to revive dead trees or use Ripple (Hamon) life energy to glimpse someone's future. Of course, to reach that point, he'd have to push his Ripple cultivation to the extreme. From beginner to mastery—who knew how long that would take? But the deeper Liu A'dou delved into Ripple, the more he found it absolutely mind-blowing.
Bruce understood. When Kid reached that level, he'd come to help without being asked.
"You're back in action now, ready to go fight crime."
Footsteps sounded outside. Clearly Bruce's earlier shout had startled Alfred awake. As a butler, even the slightest movement could wake him.
"Master Bruce." Alfred pushed open the door—and the first thing he saw was Kaitou Kid standing in the moonlight. His young master was standing beside him.
"Then I'll take my leave." Liu A'dou opened the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, without anyone noticing, the yard had filled with white doves.
Kid stepped outside, startling the doves. But they didn't fly far. They circled once under the moonlight and then landed on Kid's white uniform.
The two men watched from the window as the doves regrouped into the shape of a human figure. Then, in a sudden flurry of wings, they soared into the sky and vanished.
"He's gone?!" Alfred gaped in astonishment. A second ago, Kaitou Kid had still been toying with the doves under the moonlight. Now he was completely gone—as if he'd never been there. Had they just seen an illusion?
The magician in the moonlight had once again shown the brilliance of his craft.
Bruce hadn't expected Kid to be so committed to showing off. Clearly he was still salty about those times Bruce had shown up behind him without a sound. This must be his way of getting even.
"Young people," Bruce sighed.
"Master Bruce, Kaitou Kid's magic really is remarkable," Alfred said. He'd met plenty of magicians in his day, but none like Kaitou Kid. This disappearing act was the only one that had ever truly amazed him.
"The Moonlight Magician lives up to his name." And Bruce knew Kid possessed something more than magic—he had real power. Remembering the feeling of being struck by that Ripple energy… it was like basking in tropical sunshine, or savoring aged wine. That warm, radiant sensation had been incredible. In that moment, it felt like being a child again, listening to his father's loving words. Kaitou Kid wasn't a villain. He was just… eccentric.
Then Alfred's voice snapped him out of his thoughts: "Master, you're standing!"
"I'm healed," Bruce said. He jumped on the spot, threw a few punches, then headed toward the Batcave.
The butler sighed and followed after him. But he couldn't resist adding, "Master Wayne, have you considered switching from bats to doves? I must say, doves are far more elegant. Bats are rather ghastly."
Bruce didn't respond. Wasn't the whole point of choosing bats to be frightening? If he wanted something elegant, there were a hundred flying animals he could've picked instead. Why on earth would he have chosen a bat?
When his young master didn't respond, Alfred added with a wry smile, "And if we do change the branding, I'll cover the rebranding costs."
Since all the dividends from Bruce's stocks were now under Alfred's management, he actually could afford it.
"Alfred…" Bruce shook his head, helplessly amused. Sometimes, his butler's humor really went too far.