Chapter 16: A Dance with Shadows

A dark silhouette leaped overhead, and Peter had already chased after it along the rooftops. James didn't hesitate; he stepped onto his skateboard, which shot forward like an arrow. With Peter guiding from above, James felt confident he wouldn't get lost. He kicked hard, and the skateboard surged ahead, easily outpacing even the fastest motorcycles.

The thruster-equipped skateboard, once owned by a deceased student, could keep up with trains and subways. In a nation as mobile as the United States, the nighttime streets were alive with the promise of excitement—high-speed pursuits through bustling alleys and highways. However, due to budget constraints, we won't dwell on those details here.

Meanwhile, Peter vaulted from building to building, communicating with James through his mobile phone.

"They changed direction... Who are these people? Are they really that fast?" Peter's voice crackled over the line as he leaped effortlessly from one rooftop to another.

"Remember that incident on the street?" James replied, the screech of brakes echoing in the background. "One was in a coma, and the other was seriously injured. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Those two are members of a gang that abducts women—part of the Russian Mafia."

"Russian Mafia? They sound dangerous," Peter replied, peering down at a speeding van. "They just took a right turn."

"How did you know they were the Russian Mafia? Wait, they turned too fast! A trash can just exploded on the side of the road!" James exclaimed.

"I know their identities because I caused it," Peter admitted, hitting the brakes and nearly losing his balance on the rooftop.

"James, you... are you serious?" Peter asked, a mix of disbelief and concern coloring his voice.

"Keep moving. Where are they now?" James urged, heart racing.

"They're on the road, heading straight ahead," Peter replied, still processing the revelation that James was involved in something much bigger than he had imagined.

"That's right. The name may be misleading, but it's really me. To do this kind of thing, you need an alias."

From the outset, James hadn't intended to keep his secret from Peter. Loneliness is a formidable adversary for any hero. If the path of a hero is destined to be solitary, then the doubts and ridicule must be borne alone. But what does it matter if you're alone? Even if your body is battered, you must still live beautifully. Isn't being a lone star like Spider-Man beautiful?

The era of solo heroes has passed. When aliens invade, armies of intelligent machines rise, and world-destroying villains emerge, James knew he couldn't fight alone. The duty of the Zodiac Knight is to protect, not to destroy. Destruction is easy—a single punch could annihilate aliens, Ultron's army, maybe even the entire planet. But to protect the Earth, one must temper their destructive power and unite allies.

James needed a team.

Since discovering he'd crossed into the Marvel world, he had envisioned this plan. His provisional name was the "Guardian of the Zodiac," and his duty was to safeguard the Earth. Peter, Thompson, and Jessica Campbell were all potential members of this team, with many more to come. Just the classmates of Peter Parker alone possessed strength beyond comprehension.

Teaching Peter and Thompson the ropes was part of this plan.

Upon hearing James's confession, Peter felt an inexplicable yearning instead of repulsion.

Peter idolized Captain America, longing to charge into battle like him. But in this age of peace, there weren't many opportunities for adventure.

Now, however, the city was rife with evil and darkness. He could become a guardian of the steel jungle, starting by maintaining order in the city.

"Guardian, can I join you?" Peter asked, excitement bubbling in his voice.

"Of course, it's an honor," James replied, a smile creeping onto his face. "Welcome aboard, Spider-Man!"

As they exchanged words, they continued their pursuit. Half an hour later, they followed the van to an abandoned factory building.

As the van entered the factory, James and Peter surveyed their surroundings with caution.

"Let's assess the situation first—no rash actions. Lightning is right; these gangs are armed," James said, gripping Peter's arm. "With our current abilities, we may not be able to avoid gunfire completely, so caution is paramount."

Peter nodded, his face flushed with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

Meanwhile, atop a tall tower several hundred meters away, a man with short hair observed them through night vision binoculars.

After the van entered the factory, James and Peter fell into the man's line of sight.

He adjusted his collar and spoke into a microphone, "Natasha, we have two unidentified individuals outside the factory. Should I engage them tactically?"

"No," a low, raspy voice crackled over the line. "Let Jimmy make contact and ascertain their identities. They may not be trained operatives, but one of them has impressive speed and agility. Exercise caution."

The short-haired man nodded, continuing to surveil like a hawk on the hunt.

"Jimmy, the targets are in your direction—nine o'clock, one hundred meters away. They lack experience in tracking and evasion; they shouldn't be trained operatives. However, one exhibits remarkable speed and agility. Proceed with caution."

"Understood," came the reply, the sound of a car door opening and closing echoing through the earpiece.

As James and Peter planned their approach, Peter suddenly detected movement behind them.

"Jimmy, you've been compromised; adjust accordingly. They appear to have anti-tracking measures; the threat level has increased. Exercise caution."

Jimmy tapped his earpiece to acknowledge, then drew his silenced pistol and began to creep toward them.

"What do we do?" Peter turned to James, anxiety creeping into his voice.

This was James's first encounter with such a situation, and he lacked experience in handling high-stakes scenarios. With the stranger's identity unknown, he couldn't afford to rashly confront them, but if they were indeed mobsters, engaging them directly could spell disaster.