Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Unforeseen Consequences
I'm calling security, this isn't a robbery!" The middle-aged man stammered, "Who are you?"
The intruder struck the man's head with the butt of his gun, sending him reeling. "I'm here to rob you! Get it?"
The middle-aged man's cries ceased as the charitable facade vanished, replaced by compliance as he began stuffing money into the bag.
Dennis spotted the cash James was holding and demanded, "Kid, put that money in the bag!" He pointed his gun at James, attempting to coerce him into surrendering the cash.
In a swift motion, James seized the gun, wrenching it from Dennis's grasp. Dennis felt his hand caught in a vice-like grip, a sharp pain coursing through him.
"What the—!"
"I'll never let anyone point a gun at my head," James declared, his voice steely.
Dennis's yellow hair puzzled James. While Parker beside him embodied the Garfield version of "The Amazing Spider-Man," the appearance of Toby's Uncle Ben's killer here was perplexing.
James turned to Peter, asking, "Peter, how are you getting home?"
"I'm meeting Uncle Ben at the New York City Library. He'll pick me up later."
James raised an eyebrow. "Peter, have you heard the saying, 'With great power...'"
"Comes great responsibility, right," Peter finished. "Uncle Ben couldn't have come up with that on his own. So, you've heard it before. Did you read it in a book?"
The plot thickened. After Dennis's robbery, he would exit and attempt to steal Peter's uncle's car, ultimately leading to Uncle Ben's demise. But if James intervened now, Uncle Ben would remain unharmed.
But was it right to eliminate Dennis, who hadn't yet committed a crime? Was it justifiable to kill him when he hadn't harmed Uncle Ben?
"Stop! Drop the gun!"
The security guard burst in, aiming his pistol at James and Dennis, uncertain whom to target.
In a moment of hesitation, James shouted, "Heart!" and seized Dennis's hand, aiming the gun at the security guard.
Without hesitation, the guard fired.
Boom!
Dennis collapsed, shock etched on his face, a bullet hole in his forehead.
James released his grip, offering a grateful nod to the guard. "Thank you for your assistance. You've done a great service."
The guard wiped his brow, shaken. "I was just defending myself. He aimed a gun at me, and I reacted."
Despite his poor marksmanship—missing a ten-meter target, then hitting the robber's forehead—the guard didn't dwell on it.
As chaos erupted in the office following Dennis's death, James and Peter slipped away amidst the confusion.
Night had fallen when Peter escorted James to Ben Parker, waiting on the roadside.
It was James's first encounter with Uncle Ben, Spider-Man's mentor in life.
Ben Parker, affable and kind, greeted James warmly. "You're James, right? I heard Peter made a friend at school. That's you, huh?"
"Uncle Ben, your friend is quite something," James remarked, settling into the back seat, the St. Clothes Box straining the car's suspension.
"Haha, just teasing," Ben chuckled, starting the old car. "This jalopy's like an old friend, always there when you need it."
"Uncle Ben, let me introduce you to someone in Chinatown, get some health tonics," James suggested.
Ben rolled his eyes. "Forget it."
After learning of James's circumstances, Uncle Ben graciously invited him to stay. James accepted gladly.
Thanks to the car trouble, they returned to the Parker residence late.
Aunt May greeted them warmly, learning of the situation before welcoming James with open arms.
"Wondered why you were so late. Blame it on the car. Wash up, I'll whip up some of my famous meat rolls tonight."
After Aunt May retired to the kitchen, Peter led James to wash up, then they settled at the dining table with Uncle Ben.
The news played on the TV nearby.
"The news is so sensational," Uncle Ben muttered, flipping channels. "Ah, here we go."
A police officer appeared on screen, addressing reporters.
"Regarding the brutal incident at the abandoned factory last night, we've made progress. The suspect is a man with a phoenix tattoo on his back..."
A distant image showed a figure in black armor with a phoenix tattoo, eerily glowing.
"According to sources, this man, known as Sentinel, is wanted in connection with sixteen deaths. An arrest warrant will be issued, and we urge the public to come forward with any information..."
"Sentinel?!" Peter gasped, turning to James with disbelief.
He'd spent the previous night designing the web launcher, oversleeping into the morning. He hadn't had a chance to check the news until now.
"Sixteen lives... That's too much," Aunt May interjected, visibly distressed.
Uncle Ben sighed, "While these individuals may have been criminals, Sentinel's actions were excessive. No one has the right to take lives."
Thankfully, it was someone else's problem. After a brief discussion, they set the matter aside, enjoying a pleasant meal. Afterward, Peter took James to his room.
As the door closed and James settled in, Peter confronted him.
"Is it true? Are you Sentinel? Did you really kill... so many people?"
James didn't answer, instead posing a question of his own. "Do you think they deserved to die?"
"But, but..."
Peter fell silent. Despite his aspirations to be a guardian of the city alongside James, he remained a seventeen-year-old, far removed from James's decisive demeanor honed by the Zodiac armor.
Killing people, let alone sixteen, was unthinkable for Peter.
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