Kamen Rider ZZZ from the American comic book world

"it is good."

Afterwards, Li Ai carried her luggage to her room on the second floor.

The room is simply furnished, with a single bed next to a desk with a computer, plus a wardrobe—that's all the furniture. However, this leaves enough space for a separate bathroom.

Li Ai quickly tidied up his things, drew the blackout curtains, and then went to the wardrobe. With a slightly excited feeling, he placed his hand on the wardrobe door and mentally planned out a space.

As a wisp of black mist emerged from his palm and flowed into the wardrobe through the doorknob, he waited until a red light seeped out from the gaps in the wardrobe before opening the door again.

The originally narrow wardrobe suddenly became spacious, as if it had connected to another space.

Li Ai stepped into the wardrobe and entered a space formed by his perception.

The atmosphere here is classic, with deep colors. On one wall hang alarm clocks from different time zones, and on the other wall hangs an LED panel that says 'Good morning' in different languages.

The space is divided into two floors. The upper floor has a mahogany desk and is connected to the lower floor by a retractable staircase.

The lower level is the main activity area, with storage rooms for hanging work clothes, tables and chairs for temporary meetings, parking areas for vehicles, a wall made up of gashapon machines, and a wooden door.

The prototype of this space is the war room of the protagonist Manzumo in the Kamen Rider ZZZ series. In the original series, it is a special space formed by Manzumo's deep psychology as a lover of spy movies.

Li Ai's situation was somewhat different at the beginning. When he first awakened the power of ZZZ, he only had the driver and the impact capsule, but not this combat room.

After defeating Freddy and the dream demon within him, he absorbed most of their power to form his own war room.

Compared to Wan Jinmo's operations room, Li Ai's is slightly different. He can choose any door as the entrance to the operations room, without a fixed entrance, and can also set up a temporary entrance to improve mobility.

In addition, his operations room also gained an extra space for training.

He then went to the parking area and began to examine the red and white high-performance motorcycle.

One of the defining features of Kamen Rider is the variety of exclusive vehicles, and ZZZ's motorcycle is the 'Code Zero Eclipse' right in front of him.

In the series "Kamen Rider ZZZ", the protagonist, Manzumo, initially had a global intelligence organization called "Code" behind him, which developed many kinds of equipment for intelligence agents.

However, Li Ai is not backed by this organization, and the motorcycle in front of him is a manifestation of his power.

As for how to drive the motorcycle out, it's certainly not through the wardrobe that serves as the entrance, but through the 'exit' of the parking area.

This exit leads to anywhere. As long as Li Ai has a deep enough impression of a certain location, he can quickly pass through the exit and ride the Code Zero Eclipse to that location.

However, the farther away the location, the greater the drain on Li Ai, so she still needs to use it with caution.

Chapter 9 The Parker Family

"I need to find some time to familiarize myself with all the streets of New York before I can make the most of the operations room."

Li Ai rode on the Code Zero Eclipse and experienced the riding comfort.

Besides serving as a basic means of transportation, the Zero-Erosion Code also has the ability to transform into a humanoid robot, but that requires someone to remotely control it using equipment, which will be considered later.

The Code Zero Eroder is a high-performance motorcycle with a top speed of 329 kilometers per hour. It has two main power sources: one is the use of 'thrust capsules' to extract the power from dream capsules to drive the vehicle, and the other is the use of traditional fuels, which also allows the motorcycle to run.

The vehicle is also equipped with a helmet with a one-way visor, which can effectively conceal the identity and provide bulletproof protection.

After trying it out for a bit, Li Ai got out of the car and came to the wall made up of multiple gashapon machines.

These 'gas capsule machines' are actually special devices that can transform the user's deep psychological state into dream capsules, and are the source of most dream capsules.

The capsule toy machine was filled with many blank, grayish-white dream capsules. Li Ai placed her hand on the knob and then turned it gently.

With a 'click-clack' mechanical sound, Li Ai's power flowed into the gashapon machine, and a blank dream capsule was stained orange-red before falling into the retrieval port through the conveyor channel.

He picked up the orange-red dream capsule, turned around and went up to the second floor, where he found a black and green cell phone on the mahogany desk.

This phone is called the 'ZZZ phone'. Its structure is very similar to the smart touchscreen phones that will appear in the future, but its functions are much more powerful. The most intuitive function is that it can transmit analog signals to communicate with other people without inserting a SIM card.

In addition, it also has functions such as voice collection, encrypted communication, and voice conversion, which are designed for special agent missions.

And an ability that can resolve Li Ai's doubts.

He placed the orange-red dream capsule on the interface at the top of his phone, allowing it to access the dream capsule's capabilities.

The reading was completed in an instant, and a holographic projection panel appeared in front of Li Ai.

[Transformation: Capsules that can change the shape of your body at will]

"Transformation? That's good for expanding my fighting style." Li Ai wasn't discouraged by not being able to shake out the Power Dream Capsule. He put the transformation capsule away, and then a wave of drowsiness washed over him.

The brief appearance of the combat room and the Code Zero Eclipse, along with the release of another capsule, was quite taxing for someone who had only been awakened for a few days.

He left the operations room, the wardrobe door closed tightly, and black mist surged. If anyone opened the wardrobe again, they would have no way to enter the operations room, ensuring sufficient privacy.

Back in his room, he lay down on the bed and within three seconds began to snore softly.

....................................

The next day

Li Ai woke up in bed to the sound of knocking on the door and a shout.

"Time to get up and visit the neighbors."

"understood!"

Li Ai responded, broke free from the blankets, quickly washed up and changed, and went downstairs where he saw Ida in the living room.

Ada wore a black women's suit with a red shirt underneath, well-tailored flared straight-leg pants, and five-centimeter black high heels, giving her an elegant and intellectual look. She wore hair extensions and makeup, making her appearance completely unrecognizable as a free agent.

There were some tote bags placed by the door, containing gift-packaged coffee beans and chocolates, which were small gifts for the new neighbors.

It's not uncommon in America for people to give gifts to their neighbors when they move into a new community. The main purpose of this is to "get acquainted" with the neighbors and prevent them from mistaking the newcomer for a suspicious stranger.

States that allow gun ownership need to place greater emphasis on neighborly relations.

For example, New York State, where shootings are rampant.

Li Ai picked up several bags of gifts and then complained, "What a hassle, I still have to give them gifts."

“This is also a test for us,” Ada said matter-of-factly. “We need to be aware of our surroundings at all times and be wary of unfamiliar faces.”

"Let's go then."

The two then visited their neighbors to confirm that these people were all ordinary citizens.

Most neighbors would give the newly arrived Asian mother and son a smile out of courtesy for the gifts, but it was all just politeness; only a few were truly sincere.

The two arrived at the last house. Ada presented a gift to the lady of the house who opened the door, while the lady noticed Li Ai's presence.

"Your child is so healthy," the woman remarked, looking at the robust young man, before asking:

Which school does he attend?

“Midtown High School,” Ada replied.

“My nephew attends a nearby junior high school, and he’ll probably go to Midtown High School after he graduates,” the woman said familiarly.

At that moment, shouts came from inside the house.

"Mei, is there a guest?" A man with completely white hair walked to the door.

“Ben, it’s a gift from our new neighbor,” replied the woman called ‘Mei’.

"Hello, just call me Ben Parker, this is my wife."

“You can call me May Parker.”

The two introduced themselves, and as soon as they uttered their names, Li Ai felt they were very familiar.

They are Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Peter Parker's parents. Peter Parker was raised by this couple after his biological parents left.

Li Ai looked up and saw the bespectacled boy standing in the room.

The boy was slender, wore glasses, had slightly messy hair, and was neatly dressed, which fit the stereotype of a bookworm.

This is naturally the future 'Spider-Man' Peter Parker, but he is still in junior high school and has not yet been exposed to the radiation of the special spider.

“Hey Peter, come say hello to your new neighbor,” Uncle Ben and Aunt May encouraged.

Peter was a little shy. As a thin and weak child, he was easily overlooked on campus and gradually became withdrawn.

Encouraged by Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Peter finally stepped forward to say hello.

Hello...

“It’s a pleasure to meet your family. I’m quite busy with work, and if the child encounters any trouble while I’m not home, I might need your help,” Ada said with a smile.

Afterwards, they said goodbye to the Parker family and returned to their residence.

"Do you still remember the surname Parker?" Ada suddenly asked meaningfully.

Upon hearing this, Li Ai's mind raced, recalling the two names mentioned in yesterday's intelligence report, and she replied:

"Richard Parker and Mary Parker? The file says they're CIA agents, but the two of them together only take up one page."

“That’s because most of their deeds have been covered up by an organization,” Ada said.

"organize?"

The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (SHIELD) is abbreviated as SHIELD.

"That's a really long name," Li Ai muttered, but she knew the organization very well.

Chapter 10 Dream World

SHIELD

Li Ai prefers to refer to them as "S.H.I.E.L.D."

Based on his memories from watching movies in his previous life, the establishment of S.H.I.E.L.D. can be traced back to World War II, when America formed a special force called the Strategic Scientific Corps.

The Strategic Scientific Corps was established at the behest of President Roosevelt, with the aim of countering the Axis powers on a special level.

After World War II, the Strategic Scientific Corps was reorganized and expanded in size, scope of functions, and resources. It was renamed "S.H.I.E.L.D." and was primarily responsible for handling paranormal events and superhumans.

At the same time, the forces overseeing S.H.I.E.L.D. are no longer limited to America, but include the World Security Council, which is composed of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

If S.H.I.E.L.D. were just an intelligence agency that handled special events, that would be one thing, but Li Ai knew one thing.

That was the "Paperclip Project" after World War II, which aimed to extradite scientists from Axis powers.

Through Project Paperclip, Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s archenemy, infiltrated the organization and gradually climbed to the top.

Modern people's impression of Hydra is that of a spy organization affiliated with the Axis powers, which was eventually destroyed in World War II by Captain Steve Rogers and his Howling Commandos.

However, the Axis powers' Hydra is only a part of this behemoth. Legend has it that the organization's history dates back thousands of years and is also related to extraterrestrials.

Li Ai couldn't give any more specific details, as he mainly watched Marvel movies and read a small amount of comics in his previous life, so his understanding wasn't very deep.

But one thing he was very clear about was that the modern S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were intertwined and interlocked.

It is now 2008, and some far-reaching events have yet to happen. This is the height of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s power.

In other words, Hydra's power is also considerable, and this always reminds Li Ai of the organization 'Shocker' that runs throughout the Kamen Rider story.

This is why Li Ai 'dislikes' S.H.I.E.L.D.; this massive organization harbors a darkness that is unimaginable to outsiders.

"It's always better to stay away from them," Ada advised.

Li Ai agreed, saying, "That's true."

After exchanging greetings with their neighbors, they still needed to go to Midtown High School in the afternoon to complete the transfer procedures.

Midtown High School is considered to have a better atmosphere among New York's public schools. In addition to nearby residents, some wealthy families who can afford private tutors also send their children to Midtown High School.

The current principal is the grandson of a member of the Roaring Commando. His club has participated in national academic competitions and won several championships. Sometimes, he also organizes study tours across Europe for outstanding students during holidays.

With letters of recommendation and a full A+ transcript, Li Ai completed the transfer process after submitting the required materials.

However, Chunmu Town High School and Zhongcheng High School use different textbooks, so Li Ai needs to take the list to the bookstore to purchase them again.

“I hope the new textbooks don’t have Steve Rogers’ face,” Li Ai said, looking at the book titles on the list.

The American leadership has spared no effort in promoting the story of 'Captain America,' with related merchandise available in every shopping mall.

T-shirts, toy shields, dolls, masks... it can be said to be a super popular IP that runs throughout America.

Various companies also have co-branded products. For example, a certain Coca-Cola company spends a lot of money every year to print Captain America's cartoon image on its packaging.

This isn't the end; Captain America also appears in textbooks.

The history exam asked about Steve Rogers' illnesses before he joined the army, the physics exam used the angle at which he threw his shield as an example, and the physical education textbook said that as long as you practice according to the method, you can be as strong as Captain America.

There were parts that made Li Ai unable to hold back her laughter.