The concussion grenade traced an arc in the air before crashing down at Abomination's feet. Just as Ye Mo released his grip, he heard the roar of engines overhead growing ever closer. The triangular aircraft swept past at low altitude, Tony's armor deployed its thrusters, and he made a sudden stop in mid-air, unleashing a series of electromagnetic pulse waves.
The thing struck the Abomination squarely in the ear, causing it to jerk its head, its roar caught in its throat, and its movements slowed for a moment.
Now!
Ye Mo activated his Wall Phasing Technique, his body instantly sinking into the wall, and emerging from the other side of the control tower platform a few seconds later. He leaned against the broken metal frame, panting, a dull pain shooting through his ribs. The Steel Bone State had begun to fade, and the metallic sheen on his skin was slowly disappearing.
Tony landed on the edge of the platform, his helmet off, face covered in dust, and hair a mess as if he'd been struck by lightning. His first words were, "Can you stop waiting until you're about to die before you signal?"
Ye Mo grinned. "I was just afraid of disturbing your coffee."
As the two were talking, a white figure sped towards them from afar. Emma Frost landed, her body shimmering with a crystalline light, transforming into Diamond Form, and she directly blocked a flying piece of concrete. She walked between the two, her eyes sweeping across the battlefield. "Are you planning to stand here until dawn?"
"Of course not." Ye Mo stood up, supporting himself on his knees. "But we need to figure out how to fight first."
Tony immediately activated the HUD projection, and a 3D map appeared in the air. Red dots represented military forces, yellow dots represented drone distribution, and the huge green dot in the middle was the location of Abomination.
"This thing isn't just charging blindly," Ye Mo pointed at the projection. "It can predict its landing point and even use the environment as a weapon. That steel beam was deliberately swung over to force me to catch it head-on."
Emma Frost closed her eyes for a second, then opened them with her pupils slightly constricted. "I just scanned its neural responses with my Telepathy. Its pupils constrict once every 0.7 seconds before each attack, as if it's locking onto a target."
Tony whistled. "So, it actually has tactical thinking?"
"Not only that," Ye Mo rubbed his temples, "It also knows how to avoid EMP. When I threw a jammer before, it only twitched its ears and wasn't affected. That means it's already adapted to high-frequency noise."
The three of them were silent for a moment.
This monster shouldn't exist in the first place, but now it's out there, and it's getting smarter and smarter.
"So we can't just fight it head-on," Emma Frost said. "We have to make it make mistakes."
Tony nodded. "Then let's set up a trap. I'll lure you in, you control the situation, and he'll clean it up."
"Standard procedure." Ye Mo cracked his knuckles. "Psychological interference + aerial suppression + close-quarters attack, the same old routine."
"The old tricks will do as long as I survive." Tony put his helmet back on, closing the armor shell. "The problem is, how are you going to get close? You can barely stand up right now."
Ye Mo didn't answer, looking down at his still trembling hands. His Regeneration ability hadn't been activated yet; the battle had taken a heavy toll, and his body was on the verge of collapse.
Emma Frost glanced at him. "I can help stabilize your nerve signals, but only for three minutes. After that, I'll start convulsing myself."
"Three minutes is enough," Ye Mo said. "As long as it can't move, I have a way to make it fall down."
Tony set up the decoy missile launch program in the system and checked the armor's power level again. "I still have 68% power. High-altitude maneuvering is no problem. But if it jumps too violently, I might not be able to control it."
"You don't need to suppress it." Ye Mo stared at the Abomination figure in the distance. "You just need to lure it to the designated location."
Which location?
"The underground pipeline layer." Ye Mo pointed to a gray area on the map, "The structure there is complex, the space is narrow, it's too big to turn around easily. And..." He paused, "I remember there are high-voltage power lines there."
Tony laughed, "You want to electrocute it?"
"Not just electricity." Ye Mo pulled out the last piece of Vibranium fragment. "I'm going to short-circuit its nerves."
Emma Frost frowned. "Are you sure you want to do this? If you fail, you'll be smashed into a pulp on the spot."
"That's why I called you all here." Ye Mo stuffed the fragments into the arm guard's clip. "I'm not fighting alone."
The three huddled together, very close, their voices hushed.
Emma Frost activated a closed mental link, and a visual tactical map was directly transmitted into their minds: she first implanted a false threat perception, causing Abomination to misjudge the direction of the attack; Tony simultaneously released a swarm of decoy missiles to lure it to the entrance of the underground passage; Ye Mo, on the other hand, sneaked through the Wall Phasing into the pipe below in advance, waiting for the opportunity to disrupt the nerve conduction in its legs.
"What if the chain breaks halfway through?" Emma Frost asked.
"Then I'll take over the basic interference," Ye Mo said. "While it won't be as precise as yours, at least it'll make it pause for a moment."
"What if my armor is damaged?" Tony asked again.
"Backup gliding module activated, I've marked the evacuation route." Ye Mo pointed to the corner of the map, "You just need to hold out in the air for ten seconds."
"What if he's lost contact?" Tony asked Emma Frost.
" Storm Protocol," Emma Frost said calmly. "Full fire support, cover the retreat."
All three understood what this meant—activating the Storm Protocol was tantamount to admitting the plan had failed, and everyone would give up resistance and only seek to survive.
Nobody wants to get to that point.
"One last check." Ye Mo looked up. "The signal for the final assault is a red flare. Get into position within ten seconds of the countdown. There will be no second chance."
Tony gave a thumbs-up. "Roger that."
Emma Frost nodded. "Ready."
Ye Mo took a deep breath, and the energy within his body began to slowly flow back. He knew he hadn't fully recovered, and he knew this battle could very well be fatal. But he also knew that if he didn't fight, Banner would be captured, and many more people would die.
He looked at Tony: "When will the signal flares be ready?"
"Anytime is fine." Tony took out the launcher. "Just waiting for you to say 'start'."
"Then--"
Before he could finish speaking, the Abomination suddenly roared in the distance, kicked over an armored vehicle, and strode toward the control tower.
"It's found us!" Tony shouted.
"There's no time to wait." Emma Frost immediately went into battle stance. "Activate ahead of schedule!"
Tony immediately pressed the button, and a red flare shot into the sky and exploded in the night.
ten.
Emma Frost's eyes gleamed with silver light, and she unleashed her full mental power, sending out an invisible wave of energy. Abomination paused, its pupils contracting sharply as it abruptly turned to the ruins on its left, as if it had seen something terrifying.
Nine.
Tony activated the thrusters and ascended into the air. The missile bays on his armored shoulders opened, and dozens of miniature decoy flares were launched simultaneously, leaving a dense line of fire in the air, all pointing towards the entrance of the underground tunnel.
eight.
Attracted by the false target, Abomination changed direction and ran wildly away, each step shaking the ground.
seven.
Ye Mo activated his Wall Phasing Technique, his body quickly sinking into the wall and moving along the predetermined path towards the underground pipe.
six.
Emma Frost's forehead was beaded with sweat, and tiny cracks appeared in the Diamond Form, but she did not stop, continuing to exert mental interference.
five.
Tony hovered in the air, keeping a close eye on Abomination's movements, his finger on the trigger of his primary weapon, ready to deliver the final blow at any moment.
Four.
Ye Mo arrived at the pipe level and hid behind a thick cable. Looking up, he could see the grilles of the ventilation openings above vibrating.
three.
The Abomination rushed into the passageway entrance, its massive body squeezing through the narrow space, its movements noticeably slower.
two.
Tony growled into the comms channel, " Ye Mo! It's in!"
one.
Ye Mo gripped the Vibranium fragment tightly, and the energy within his body finally completed a cycle. He could feel the 11th layer of the Gene Spiral Tower getting slightly hot, and his new ability, " Synergistic Resonance Perception," began to operate automatically, resonating slightly with Emma Frost's mental frequency.
He looked up and saw through the fence the Abomination's enormous feet stepping down the stairs.
Right now.
He placed his hands on the ground, inserted the Vibranium fragment into the cable interface, and activated the Wall Phasing Technique, his body beginning to slowly sink.
The next second, his hand had already pierced through the concrete floor and accurately grasped the nerve bundle connection point on the back of Abomination's right leg.
Current begins to conduct.
Abomination suddenly tilted its head back and let out a tearing roar. Its entire right leg convulsed violently, and it lost its balance, crashing heavily into the wall.
Tony yelled from mid-air, "It's working! Keep going!"
Emma Frost gritted her teeth to maintain the mental link, her lips turning white, yet she still stared intently ahead.
Ye Mo did not respond; he knew the most crucial moment had arrived.
If it persists for just three more seconds, the electric current will completely burn out its motor nerves.
His left hand was firmly fixed to the cable, while his right hand gripped the nerve bundle, the Vibranium fragments emitting a blinding blue light.
The Abomination left fist was already raised, about to slam down hard on the spot where he was hiding.