Liu A'dou charged straight in, heading deep into the industrial district. He had already confirmed Rachel's location. Without any hesitation, he arrived at the abandoned factory.
Rachel was inside the precision workshop of the factory. Bursting through the open gates, Liu A'dou parked the white motorcycle right at the entrance.
The door was shut tight, sealed with a U-lock from the outside. Clearly, Joker hadn't worried about anyone coming in—only about the hostage inside escaping.
Liu A'dou, using his expert lock-picking skills, took just three seconds to snap open the cheap, ordinary lock. He checked the time. It was 3:50. Only ten minutes until the explosion.
Inside, Rachel had already given up, slumped in despair, waiting for death. She was going over her entire life in her mind. As a child, she played in every corner of Wayne Manor, a wild little girl with no fear. But after Bruce's parents were gunned down, she and her mother left the manor. Bruce soon went abroad. They didn't meet again until they were teenagers—16 or 17—at the trial of Bruce's parents' killer. Bruce was full of rage then. She was the one who showed him Gotham's darkest side, pushing him away.
When they met again, Rachel had graduated and become an Assistant District Attorney. Bruce had returned, flaunting his status as Gotham's infamous playboy. But she never believed he'd truly fallen. And she was right. Bruce had become Batman, fighting for Gotham's justice under the cover of night.
Rachel knew Bruce was still the kind, determined boy she had always known. She didn't know what he'd gone through while he was gone, but she knew the skills of Batman were forged during those missing years.
Then came Harvey Dent, transferred to the DA's office. He had pursued her passionately, and over time, she fell in love with the bright and earnest Harvey.
Until he proposed. Rachel had hesitated then, but now she was sure—she truly loved Harvey Dent. She wanted to spend her life with him.
"Harvey, see you in the next life." The countdown was almost at zero. Death was seconds away.
Each tick of the clock was death's chant. Each second passed was a step closer to the end. Rachel bowed her head, closing her eyes. She had no more hope. Even her radio was cut off—she couldn't even say goodbye.
Such a tragic end. But Rachel had no regrets. Her life, though short, had been lived to the fullest. She had fought, she had loved, and she had stayed true. Not perfect, but not wasted.
There was barely any time left. But Rachel felt strangely calm.
BOOM—
It had come?
Rachel knew that sound—death's herald. Soon, flames would swallow her. It would hurt, she thought. She braced herself, wondering what burning alive would feel like.
"Miss, are you asleep?"
But instead of pain, a young voice reached her.
Rachel opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was white trousers. Looking up, she saw the tall, gentleman's top hat—Kaitou Kid. "Kaitou Kid?" She never expected he'd save her again. He had already saved her once. Now, a second time.
"Don't move, miss. Let me untie you!" Kaitou Kid used his magic card gun, precisely snapping the ropes. "No time—we have to go!"
Rachel followed him, stunned to see that the explosion earlier had blown a hole in the wall. Kid hadn't used the door. He'd blasted through the wall.
Kid explained, "If I were Joker, I wouldn't leave the front door untouched. I'd trap it. That's why I didn't bother with it." He was right. Knowing Joker's tricks, Liu A'dou had planned for this.
But just as they were about to leave, a sharp "beep beep" from the electronic detonators rang out. All the bombs' green lights instantly turned red—and that was definitely not a good sign.
"Run!" Liu A'dou grabbed Rachel roughly by the waist, dragging her with him as he bolted.
But how could human legs outrun an explosion?
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—
A deafening blast roared behind them, like the fist of God crashing down.
Liu A'dou didn't dare look back, didn't dare slow down. He didn't even bother with the stolen motorcycle. All he could do was run, clutching the girl, running for their lives.
But the heatwave was right behind them, about to swallow them whole.
Several high-powered explosives, barrels of gasoline—the chain reaction of the blast could consume the entire factory in seconds. Anything touched by the flames would be reduced to ash.
Liu A'dou was still over 40 meters from the exit, carrying a 50-kilogram American woman. He needed at least 10 seconds to reach safety. They didn't have 10 seconds.
He couldn't understand it. He hadn't triggered any traps, the timer hadn't run out—why had the bombs gone off suddenly? Did Batman fail? Did Joker set them off? No, Liu A'dou refused to believe Batman would fail.
A thousand thoughts flashed in less than a second. The flames licked at the back of his head, scorching his hair.
Gritting his teeth—no choice but to go all in!
Liu A'dou knew if he didn't push beyond his limits now, he and Rachel would die here. There was no second option.
Whoosh—
His next step landed harder. His arms pumped faster. Liu A'dou exploded forward, suddenly running at an inhuman speed, beyond anything possible.
The firestorm chased him like a wild beast, but in an instant, he became the hunter. Just as the flames were about to consume him, he surged ahead impossibly.
Three seconds saved—enough to save them both.
"Miss, we're safe!" Liu A'dou gasped, lowering Rachel to the ground. Behind them, the entire factory was engulfed in flames.
Rachel couldn't believe it. She'd been sure she'd die in there. She thought she'd burn to death. But at the last second, this Kaitou had pulled off a miracle, accelerating beyond belief. "You... just now... how did you—?"
"You mean, how did I suddenly speed up at the end?" Liu A'dou caught his breath. "That's my magic secret. If I tell you, it won't work anymore."
Mysterious. Rachel could only think, this guy loves to keep people guessing.
Liu A'dou didn't have time to feel proud. The motorcycle he stole was still in the factory—now a heap of melted metal. He loved that bike, and now it was gone.
"Miss, I have to go. Stay hidden until the fire department or Commissioner Gordon gets here."
Just as he was about to leave, Rachel called out, "Kaitou Kid, thank you!"
"You're welcome." He looked up, spotting the Batplane approaching fast. Liu A'dou didn't want to meet Batman now, so he picked up speed and vanished. Behind him, he could already hear the sirens blaring.
Then he froze. Something was wrong. The police arrived way too fast.
He rushed back—and saw a scene that shattered him. Rachel was hit, sent flying by a speeding police car, her limbs spread out as she spun through the air, crashing hard to the ground, unconscious.
Rage consumed him. The woman he had fought so hard to save—struck down by a traitor in uniform?
Without hesitation, Liu A'dou fired his magic card gun, blasting out the tires. The car skidded out of control and smashed into a wall.
Batman saw it too, dropping swiftly from the Batplane to check Rachel. Blood covered her. Her bones felt like they had shattered.
Furious, Liu A'dou stormed over, yanking the officer out of the car—it was someone he recognized. She worked directly under Commissioner Gordon.
He didn't need to ask. He already knew. This cop was working with Joker, helping to kidnap the hostages. She stayed nearby, waiting to confirm whether Rachel survived. When she saw Rachel escape, she tried to silence her—for good.
"Damn you!" Liu A'dou raised his fist, ready to kill.