Something's not ..right.
Something's ..very wrong.
At the dining table, Darren quietly observed Tim and the others as they chatted and laughed while eating. The clink of silverware against plates, the low hum of casual conversation, the rich aroma of grilled steak and fresh herbs filling the room — everything seemed perfectly normal.
So far, not a single word has been meant to test me. It's like they're really just here to have a meal.
So, was I just overthinking things? It looks like my disguise is really flawless.
Darren thought to himself, though a small thread of caution still lingered in the back of his mind.
"Hey, Darren, is your stomach bothering you?"
At that moment, Jack looked at him with genuine concern, fork paused halfway to his mouth.
"You haven't really eaten much since we sat down."
"Oh, no, I'm fine. I've just been managing my physique lately, so I'm eating a little slower."
Darren came up with an excuse on the spot, offering a small, polite smile.
Their brief exchange drew the attention of the others at the table. Heads turned, eyes curious.
"Darren, your physique is already great. There's no need to go out of your way to manage it, is there?"
Barbara said, a hint of playful envy in her voice as she glanced at his slender frame.
"Barbara's right," Jack added. "You're even more slender than a woman, especially your hands. They're as white and soft as tofu. If you ask me, your physique management should be about building muscle. You need to eat more meat."
Dick nodded in agreement, gesturing with his fork toward Darren's plate.
"You don't have to take Darren's words too seriously. He's probably just joking."
Tim swallowed the bite of steak in his mouth and chimed in, trying to lighten the mood.
"Then you really must be feeling unwell. Or maybe the food just isn't to your taste?"
Jack continued to ask with concern, his brow furrowed in that familiar fatherly way.
"Neither. Actually… I was just thinking, with the GCPD commissioner's daughter and the eldest son of the Wayne family both here today, is there something important you need to discuss with the Wayne family and the GCPD? Would my staying here be an intrusion?"
Darren answered with a mix of truth and deliberate misdirection, keeping his tone light and curious.
"Oh my boy! Ahaha~ Then you've clearly misunderstood," Jack said with a laugh of realization, shaking his head. "Barbara and Dick are also Tim's friends. They were invited by Tim as well. We don't have any official business to discuss."
"So that's how it is. Then I'm relieved," Darren said, letting a small breath escape. "Tim, why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"
He turned and accused Tim with mock indignation.
"Hey, don't go making false accusations," Tim protested immediately, cheeks flushing. "I clearly told you a few more friends were coming."
"Did you? How come I don't remember?"
"Of course I did. Think about it again. Don't tell me you really forgot."
"Anyway, you definitely didn't say the friends coming were this high profile. You made me worry for nothing."
Darren snorted, crossing his arms for effect.
"You… I…"
Tim's face flushed deeper as he stammered, caught between embarrassment and exasperation.
The others watched their bickering with amused expressions — Barbara hiding a smile behind her hand, Dick chuckling softly, Jack shaking his head fondly.
"Alright, the steaks are getting cold. Hurry up and eat."
Jack finally said, waving a hand to end the teasing.
After the meal, everyone moved to the living room to sit and chat. The atmosphere remained relaxed — soft lamplight, the faint crackle of the fireplace, the occasional clink of coffee cups on saucers.
"Darren, there's something I've been wanting to ask you since earlier."
Dick suddenly spoke up, tone casual but eyes sharp with genuine curiosity.
"What is it?"
"Have you looked into Kaitou Kid?"
At those words, Darren's heart tightened instantly.
So here it is. The test, late but inevitable.
"I've looked into him a little, but only through the news and what Tim has told me. I haven't seen him in person yet."
"That's enough," Dick said. "What I really want to ask is this. Can what Kaitou Kid does still be considered magic?"
He looked genuinely curious, leaning forward slightly.
"Tim asked me the same question before, and my answer is still the same. Kaitou Kid's methods are certainly miraculous, but they are still within the scope of what magic can achieve. It's just that they would be extremely difficult to pull off."
Darren answered as he always did — calm, measured, professional.
"Then, in your opinion, across all of Gotham, or even nationwide, how many magicians are on a level comparable to Kaitou Kid's?"
Dick followed up smoothly.
At once, Tim and Barbara both turned to look at Darren, their expressions suddenly attentive.
That was right. With Kaitou Kid's level of magic, he definitely was not an amateur. Wouldn't investigating professional magicians reveal some clues?
Even if they could not judge which magicians matched Kaitou Kid's level, someone else could.
Darren Greer.
With such a professional right here, having him help identify candidates would greatly narrow the scope of the investigation.
Why had they not thought of something so simple all this time?
It must be because I subconsciously didn't want Darren to get too deeply involved. I should have thought of this from the very beginning.
Tim thought to himself, a flicker of self-reproach crossing his mind.
"Well, that's hard to say…"
Facing Dick's question, Darren put on a thoughtful expression, fingers tapping lightly against his coffee cup.
"Even though I'm a magician, I don't really mingle in the magic community. After all, I'm still a student. My understanding of those senior magicians isn't much different from yours as members of the audience. It's hard to judge a magician's true level just from a few performance recordings, but…"
At the end, his tone shifted slightly, drawing their full attention.
"To be honest, in all of Gotham, no, even across the entire country, I believe there's only one person who could pull off the same methods as Kaitou Kid, and perhaps even more exquisitely."
"Who?"
The moment he finished, Dick, Barbara, and Tim spoke in unison, their eyes lighting up with surprise and excitement.
If there was only one suspect, then it was almost certain that Kaitou Kid was that person.
They already knew Kaitou Kid's magic skills were impressive, but they never expected them to be so outstanding that even a magic prodigy would say he stood alone in all of America.
"Wait, you're not talking about yourself, are you?"
At that point, Tim seemed to realize something. He raised an eyebrow and stared at Darren.
Heh~
"Hey, don't take me for someone that narcissistic. I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm number one in the world."
Darren rolled his eyes, the gesture light and playful.
"I'm talking about Master Giovanni Zatara, a descendant of Da Vinci and the world's foremost stage magician. No matter how miraculous the trick, he could perform it. Although he has passed away, his daughter Zatanna and his nephew Zachary are both top-tier masters of magic. They shouldn't be inferior to Kaitou Kid…"
As Darren spoke, the disappointment in Tim's and the others' eyes steadily grew.
Because they knew all the people Darren had mentioned, and knew them quite well.
Especially Zatanna.
One of the most powerful witches on Earth, the Justice League's primary magician, and Batman's ex-girlfriend.
Giovanni and Zachary were also legitimate magicians.
But not in the misleading sense.
They almost never used magic to deceive their audiences during performances. Aside from their knowledge of magic, their technical skill alone was already world-class among magicians.
None of these people could possibly be Kaitou Kid.
"So, other than the Zataras, you don't think any magician could do what Kaitou Kid does?"
Dick asked with a frown, leaning back in his chair.
"Ah~ I wouldn't put it that way. Given enough time and thorough preparation at a specific location, I believe most famous magicians could pull it off… myself included."
Darren smiled as he pointed a finger at himself, the gesture light... almost teasing.
____
He's playing with fire..
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