Ye Mo's fist slammed into the third vertebra at the back of Abomination's neck, producing a dull thud. That area had been torn apart by the Wall Phasing Technique before, making its structure inherently unstable. His second punch followed immediately, pressing in with all the power of his Steel Bone Body, causing the bone to snap and dislocate. Abomination swayed, its knee buckled, and it knelt on one knee, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He didn't stop. The third punch landed directly on the nerve bundle junction. The Regenerative Phasing microcurrents burrowed into the tissue through the wound, scraping the nerve like a knife. A Abomination growl rolled from his throat, his entire right leg convulsed, and he couldn't support his body. He collapsed to the ground, trying to get up with his hands on the ground, but his muscles wouldn't obey him.
Ye Mo jumped back, creating a five-meter distance. He placed his right hand on the EMP port on the back of his neck, his palm beginning to charge. Blue light crackled through his fingers. He stared at the massive figure on the ground, his voice low but clear. "You won't get a second chance."
The Abomination raised its head, its eyes bloodshot and devoid of pupils. It opened its mouth, revealing a set of crooked teeth, as if it were about to laugh or roar. It braced itself on one hand and slammed the other hand against the ground, trying to stand up. But as soon as it raised half its body, its leg muscles twitched again, and its knee slammed back onto the ground, sending pebbles flying.
It didn't try to hold on any longer. It grunted in its throat, turned and ran. It stumbled and crashed into half a wall, sending bricks tumbling down. Ignoring everything, it plunged headlong into the ruins, its figure quickly disappearing among the broken beams and pillars.
Ye Mo stood still. He knew this thing wasn't killed, it was terrified. Its Regeneration ability couldn't keep up with the rate of damage, and its nervous system was disrupted; running was its only option now. But he didn't dare relax; his hand was still on the EMP interface, the energy hadn't dissipated.
He looked down at his hands. His palms were burning, and a warm current flowed beneath his skin—his Regeneration abilities were still active. The series of attacks he had just endured had taken a toll, but his body was recovering quickly. The dull pain in his ribs was gone, the cracks on his arms had scabbed over, and even his breathing was much smoother. He took a deep breath, calming his heartbeat, determined not to let his adrenaline surge through him again.
He looked around. The fire was still burning, and the smell of smoke mixed with the stench of burning filled his nostrils. Collapsed walls lay scattered about, and cables hung down, sparking. In the distance, several armored vehicles lay overturned in a ditch, and the wreckage of drones was strewn all over the ground. The ruins were even quieter than before; apart from the crackling of the flames, there was almost no other sound.
He walked to a broken pillar and touched the cracks on it. Those were left when the Hulk and Abomination collided. He looked up, jumped up, and landed firmly. From this vantage point, he could see most of the base. He squinted and scanned the area, confirming that there were no signs of an ambush in the direction the Abomination had left, nor did he see any other heat sources moving.
"I've withdrawn..." he said softly, "But not for long."
He took out a recorder from his backpack, opened the interface, and quickly entered data.
" Abomination Regeneration is delayed by approximately 1.7 seconds."
"EMP blinding effect lasts for more than 3 seconds."
"The weakness is concentrated in the posterior cervical nerve bundle, and the area of old injury is more sensitive."
After entering all this, he clicked "encrypted upload." Tony should be able to receive it. Even if he didn't, at least the information was preserved. He turned off the device and put it back in his bag.
As he came down, he picked up a piece of alloy. It was magnetic, and one end was sharpened. He held it in his hand and tested its weight; it wasn't too light or too heavy, and could be used as a short stick. In case that thing came back, he wouldn't be left empty-handed.
He walked toward where Emma Frost lay. She was still unconscious, leaning against the wall, covered by his hoodie. He didn't get too close, stopping about two meters away. Now was not the time to relax; he had to maintain a wary distance.
He gazed at the eastern sky. The horizon was already turning white, and a hazy light spread across the ruins. The fire had subsided somewhat, but black smoke was still billowing upwards. The air was filled with the smell of burning, mixed with the stench of molten metal.
He started thinking about what would happen next.
Although the Regeneration ability has been activated, it cannot be used indefinitely. That fierce attack just now almost drained me; if it happened again, I might not be able to withstand it.
The Wall Phasing Technique is still on cooldown; it'll probably take a few more minutes.
Only 3% of the Vibranium fragments remain; EMP can only be used a maximum of two more times.
If Abomination returns with reinforcements, or General Ross sends new troops, the three of them will have to change their tactics.
He crouched down, digging his fingers into the cracks in the ground. The cement, baked brittle by the high temperature, crumbled easily with a gentle break. He rubbed the powder between his fingers, then suddenly remembered something and looked up in the direction of the electrical distribution box.
The Vibranium shard just flew out of her hand and landed in that container. Emma Frost reached out to catch it, but missed. Is it still there? Can it be retrieved?
He stood up, about to go take a look, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of movement at the edge of the ruins in the distance. A steel plate had been lifted, revealing a hole. He immediately stopped and touched the back of his neck.
A few seconds later, no one came out of the hole.
The wind whipped up some dust, the steel plate swayed, and then fell back down.
He was too nervous. He breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't lower his hand.
He continued walking, approaching the electrical box. The casing was deformed, the door was half-open, and the wiring inside was charred black. He reached inside and rummaged through it, touching a piece of metal—not Vibranium. He reached further in, and his fingertips touched something cold.
He took it out.
It's a fragment of Vibranium.
There are some melting marks on the surface and the edges are blackened, but the overall condition is intact. The battery level is 2.8%. It's still usable.
He carefully put it away in his inner bag. This thing couldn't be lost again.
He returned to his original position, standing two meters away from Emma Frost. She was still asleep, breathing steadily, and looked better than before. He didn't wake her, letting her sleep a little longer. He would talk to her when Tony returned.
He looked up at the sky. It was getting light. The gray fog had dissipated somewhat, and he could see the outline of the distant mountain ridge. Birds chirped and chattered from the woods, as if they had no idea what had happened here.
He flexed his wrists, the bones cracking. The Regeneration ability was still circulating within him, but the pace had slowed. He tried to channel the heat into his limbs. His muscles tensed again, his nerve signals became clear, and the bloody afterimages disappeared from his vision.
He closed his eyes and silently recited the mantra Bruce had taught him:
"Pain shielding, emotional isolation, cognitive reboot."
Once, twice. His heart rate dropped from 120 to 90, then to 80. He opened his eyes, his gaze clearing.
He knew the battle was not over.
Abomination will return.
Thaddeus Ross won't give up.
There might be other troubles on the way.
But now, they have time.
A few minutes or tens of minutes are fine.
As long as Tony gets back in time, Emma Frost wakes up, and they can redeploy their defenses, that's enough.
He stood there, gazing eastward.
The wind blew by, carrying with it the smell of ash and burnt grains.
He didn't move.
His hands were still in his pockets, his knuckles gripping the alloy strip.
A dark shadow moved slowly at the edge of the distant woods.