Chapter 16: The Guardians' Dilemma

A dark silhouette leaped overhead, and Peter had already chased out along the roof. James didn't hesitate anymore; his skateboard flew out like an arrow when he stepped on it.

With Peter guiding from above, James didn't have to worry about getting lost. He kicked hard under his feet, and the skateboard instantly outpaced even the fastest motorcycles.

The thruster-equipped skateboard of a deceased student could keep up with trains and subways.

The United States, a nation on wheels, boasted abundant nighttime traffic. Despite the hour, the bustling streets promised a thrilling action-packed spectacle of high-speed pursuits through alleys and highways.

Unfortunately, budget constraints mean we won't delve into those details here.

Meanwhile, Peter, parkouring across rooftops, communicated with James via mobile phone.

"They turned direction... Who are these people? Are they really lightning-fast gangsters?" Peter's voice crackled over the phone as he leaped from one building to another.

"Remember the incident on the street?" James's voice echoed through the earpiece, accompanied by the screech of brakes.

"Remember, one was comatose, and one was seriously injured. Are you okay?" Peter vaulted upward, effortlessly covering a distance of more than ten meters to reach the top of another building.

"I'm fine. Those two are members of the gang that abducts women and belong to the Russian Mafia."

"Russian Mafia? They sound formidable." Peter peered down at the speeding van. "Turn right."

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

"I know their identities because I caused it."

Peter hit the brakes and nearly stumbled from the building's peak. "James, you... are you James?"

"Don't stop. Where are they?"

"They're on the road, heading straight ahead." Peter continued the pursuit, still reeling from the revelation that James was something of a hero.

"That's right. Though the name may be misleading, it's really me. To do this kind of thing, you need a false name and identity."

From the outset, James hadn't intended to keep his secret from Peter. For any superhero, loneliness is a formidable adversary. If the hero's path is destined to be solitary, then the doubts and ridicule along the way must be borne alone.

But so what if you're alone? Even if your body is battered, you must still live beautifully.

Haha, isn't being a lone star like Spider-Man beautiful?

The era of solo heroes has passed. In the near future, when aliens invade, when armies of intelligent machines rise, and when world-destroying villains emerge, even if James becomes a mighty Zodiac Knight, he wouldn't dare to fight alone.

Because 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 more allies.

James needs a team.

Since he first discovered he'd crossed into the Marvel world, he'd harbored this plan. His provisional name was the "Guardian of the Zodiac," and his duty was naturally to safeguard the Earth.

Peter, Thompson, and Jessica Campbell were all potential members of his team, with more to come in the future. Just the classmates of Peter Parker alone possessed strength beyond comprehension.

Teaching Peter and Thompson the dance 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 wars for him to fulfill his ambitions.

But now was different. Since the city was rife with evil and darkness, he'd become a guardian of the steel jungle, starting by maintaining order in the city.

"Guardian, can I join you?" Peter's enthusiasm was palpable.

"Of course, it's an honor." James's lips curled slightly. "Welcome aboard, Spider-Man!"

As they conversed, 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 correct; these gangs are armed." James grabbed Peter's arm and cautioned, "With our current abilities, we may not be able to avoid gunfire completely, so caution is paramount."

Peter nodded, his face flushed with excitement or apprehension; he couldn't tell.

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

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

He adjusted his collar and spoke into a microphone, "Natasha, two unidentified individuals followed and reached the exterior of the factory. Should I engage them tactically?"

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

After the short-haired man acknowledged, he continued to surveil through the binoculars 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." The sound of a car door opening and closing reverberated 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.

This was James's first encounter with such a situation, and he lacked experience in handling such matters.

With the stranger's identity unknown, James couldn't afford to rashly confront them, but if they were indeed mobsters, engaging them directly would be perilous.

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