DC: Phantom Thief Kid

Chapter 17: The Start of the Auction

"I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet."

- Confucius

...

Ahem... cough cough!

As expected, Dick tries to shove so much food into his mouth that he chokes on it.

Alfred, next to him had expected this and quickly handed him a glass of water.

Dick gulped it down and felt much better.

"Thanks, Alfred, and I'm already full."

Dick said as he reached for Phantom Thief Kid's notice to continue his thoughts.

"Master Richard, I don't remember the last time I saw you so involved in a case. Is this Phantom Thief really that difficult to deal with?"

Alfred asked.

"Difficult to deal with?"

Dick pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"It's hard to say. He doesn't have Killer Croc's immense strength, or Two-Face's twisted mind, or the extreme madness of the Joker, nor the brutality of any murderer."

"Even when it comes to intelligence, I don't think he can surpass Riddler."

Dick recalled the scene of his first encounter with Phantom Thief Kid and said with a serious tone, "But there's something unusual about him. His attitude, his methods, it's the opposite of any criminal I've encountered."

"Instead of thinking about how to defeat him, I'd rather understand why he's doing these things. I want to convince him to leave this path."

"Like what Bruce tried to do with Selina Kyle?"

Alfred interjects.

Dick pauses for a moment, then gestures with his hands, "There's a difference. At least Selina is a total beauty. Bruce was really lucky. I just wish Phantom Thief was..."

"Are you sure you're not underestimating Phantom Thief's abilities, Master Richard?"

Alfred looked at Dick and reminded him.

"As you said, Phantom Thief lacks the strengths that other supervillains have, just like Catwoman. But when Batman chased Catwoman, it was a long and tug-of-war."

"Perhaps getting some help would help you capture Phantom Thief faster and convince him to change his path."

Alfred suggested a reasonable suggestion. But Dick rejected it without hesitation.

"I can handle this on my own, Alfred. When I had to leave Gotham and temporarily focus on the Teen Titans, Batman did just fine. If Bruce can do it, then so can I!"

"And right now, Bruce is dealing with Justice League matters. Who can help me? Barbara? It's been less than half a year since Bruce agreed to let her be Batgirl. She doesn't have much experience."

At this point, Alfred pointed to himself and said, "Master Richard, I'm not so old that I can't walk around."

"The auction at Gotham International Hotel starts with entry at four in the afternoon, and the official bidding starts at nine in the evening, lasting until midnight. No one can guarantee when Phantom Thief will move."

Alfred shares his thoughts, "Master Richard, after such a long time, you can't possibly go into the hotel wearing Robin's suit or just keep waiting outside the hotel, right?"

Dick had his first meeting with Phantom Thief Kid, and it didn't go well because he waited outside instead of being inside at the scene.

"Alfred, are you saying that you and I will go to the auction directly in the name of the Wayne Family and wait for Phantom Thief Kid to appear?"