Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Dance of Shadows
Chapter 17
Regardless of the other party's identity, stun him first.
Following the short-haired man's instructions, Jimmy halted quietly as he approached James.
He tapped the microphone on his collar, and the short-haired man's voice crackled through the other end.
"They haven't left, but they've definitely spotted you. I'll give you two options: attack or cooperate."
"I personally suggest the latter. These two have tracked you down all the way, indicating they're no amateurs. Fighting them both simultaneously won't bode well for you."
Listening to the short-haired man, Jimmy stood up and stepped into the moonlight. "Friend, if you don't mind, we can talk."
Before he could finish, two black shadows burst out of the darkness in the distance, too fast for Jimmy to react.
Undaunted, Jimmy calmly raised his gun and pulled the trigger at one of them.
Bang! The silenced pistol's report was muffled, but the bullet missed its mark. The enemy anticipated the bullet's trajectory.
Jimmy recognized this tactic but persisted. With his teammates backing him, he adjusted his grip and aimed again, unfazed.
Upon James's decision to incapacitate the unknown assailant, he wasted no time communicating with Parker. They sprung into action as the stalker closed in.
To James's surprise, the unknown individual wielded a gun and fired without hesitation. Though unexpected, it made sense.
Drawing on lessons from the Zodiac Knight's teachings, James discerned the bullet's trajectory from Jimmy's movements and used his agility to evade it.
Determined to subdue the assailant, James pressed forward. Sensing unnatural energies, he stopped abruptly, feeling a surge of natural gas—an instinctual warning.
Before he could react, a black shadow whizzed past him, embedding into the concrete wall beside him.
James didn't have time to identify the object. Ahead, Jimmy fired again, but James's sudden burst of speed evaded the bullets.
Unknown to James, the short-haired man had directed Jimmy to focus on James, judging Parker to be a tougher opponent due to his speed and agility.
Jimmy's finger tightened on the trigger as a black blur sped toward them, closing off James's escape route.
All this happened in a blur, leaving Peter unable to intervene in time.
Suddenly, a red flame erupted around James, boosting his speed. With lightning reflexes, he dodged the oncoming attack, narrowly avoiding certain defeat.
Peter finally reached Jimmy, disarming him and landing a punch.
But Peter's lack of combat finesse left him vulnerable. Jimmy capitalized on Peter's inexperience, landing a swift combination.
Meanwhile, James, free from Jimmy's threat, intercepted another attack. With newfound clarity, he seized the assailant—a black arrow.
Observing the arrow's construction, James detected intentional restraint in the assailant's tactics.
Realizing this, James called out, "Spider Boy, stand down."
Startled by the change in codename, Peter stepped back, embarrassed. "I underestimated them, but I've learned from my mistake. I'll turn the tables next time."
Jimmy scoffed, "You think too highly of yourself. I haven't given it my all yet."
Challenged, James nodded. "Let's find out."
Acknowledging defeat, James turned to leave with Peter in tow.
After a few blocks, Peter couldn't contain himself. "We just walked away? I wasn't bluffing; I could've taken him. I just...haven't fully absorbed what you taught me..."
Seeing James's silence, Peter's voice trailed off.
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