Ye Mo's fingers were still trembling, but not because the system was pulling him; it was because he was gripping them too tightly. The electric arcs followed his palm, like a tamed snake obediently circling his fingertips. He knew that the "Welcome back, Master" from earlier was fake; someone was impersonating him, trying to drag him into it.
He immediately severed the direct nerve connection and switched to using lightning pulses to push energy outward little by little. The current no longer followed his thoughts but jumped to his rhythm. Seven short flashes followed by one long flash; this time, he was actively setting the beat.
"Something's wrong," Emma Frost suddenly said, her voice low. "The signal source has changed direction."
She stood on the high platform to the left, sweat trickling down her forehead, her eyes closed, her mental energy spreading out like a net. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes. "It's not the terminal moving; someone outside is using Mind Stone link to steal data. They're reading our defense frequencies."
Tony's helmet visor flashed, and a series of waveforms popped up on the scanning interface. "Magical fluctuations, high-frequency resonance, typical Asgard remote control." He looked up at the ceiling. "And this guy seems to know his stuff; he knows how to bypass the shielding layer."
" Loki?" Ye Mo asked.
"Who else but him would recite poetry while doing bad things?" Tony sneered. "I bet he's on top of some crumbling tower right now, having afternoon tea and poking our system with a stick."
The Hulk growled, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his eyes fixed on a point in the air.
"Don't rush," Ye Mo gestured, "Now that we know who's behind this, we need to make them come out of hiding."
Emma Frost nodded. "I can trace that mental link in reverse, but it requires a stable connection for three seconds. It can't be interrupted during that time."
"You have three minutes." Tony deployed his armored shoulder cannon. "I'll clear the area for you."
Ye Mo moved his right arm; the seams of the Steel Bone still bore scorch marks, but he ignored them. He walked to the center, pressed his hands to the ground, and high-voltage lightning arcs spread out along the floor, forming a ring of electric grids around him. The electric light reflected on his face, his glasses gleaming coldly.
"Let's begin."
Emma Frost closed her eyes, her mental energy surging forth. Her fingers trembled slightly, as if pulling an invisible thread. Three seconds later, she opened her eyes. "Found it! The old weather station tower, two kilometers northwest. He used the residual energy of the Bifrost to build a spell array."
"Alright." Tony took off immediately. "Target locked, prepare for attack."
"Wait," Ye Mo called out to him, "It's a remote projection; its real body might not be there. It could be an illusion luring us there."
"Then let him think we've been tricked." Tony grinned. "I'll fly first, you guys take your time, put on a show for him."
He finished speaking and charged out, his armor whistling as it sliced through the air. The Hulk followed closely behind, kicking down a wall and leaping out.
Ye Mo didn't move, staring at the electric arc on the ground. The rhythm was still the same, but he noticed that the feedback of the current was a bit strange—every time he released lightning, there would be a slight echo in the air, as if someone had secretly copied his homework.
"He's imitating me," Ye Mo said softly.
"I know," Emma Frost said, standing beside him. "So he'll definitely be on guard against a frontal attack. What are you going to do?"
I'm going to slap him in the face head-on.
He had barely finished speaking when he charged forward, lightning crackling around his feet and sparks flying everywhere. Emma Frost followed closely behind, her Mental Network fully activated, ready to intercept any sudden interference.
By the time they arrived at the weather station, Tony had already engaged three illusionary clones in the sky. These shadows were dressed in Loki's battle robes, wielding twin blades, and their movements were so synchronized it was like they were copied and pasted.
"It's all fake!" Tony shouted while dodging the lasers, "The real thing is hiding!"
The Hulk stood at the base of the tower, staring up at the rotating energy ring. It was the core of the spell array, constantly emitting low-frequency Shockwave that interfered with electronic devices. He roared, leaped up, and slammed his fist into the base.
boom!
Stones flew everywhere, the energy ring swayed, and its light dimmed instantly. The illusions in the air also began to distort and deform.
"Well done!" Ye Mo landed, drawing lightning with both hands. "Now it's my turn."
He deliberately stood in the open space, his hands raised high, and lightning struck down with a deafening roar, illuminating the entire ruins. The bright light and loud noise instantly drew everyone's attention.
The next second, a dark figure flashed out from the side of the tower, wielding twin blades and charging straight at them.
Ye Mo didn't dodge, taking the blow head-on. His Steel Bone arm blocked the Blade, Mars. He smirked. "Got you?"
This is not an illusion; it is a real attack.
Emma Frost was prepared, unleashing a mental shockwave instantly. The figure froze, its nervous system momentarily frozen. Tony descended from the sky, his nanochains shooting out and binding the opponent's arms.
The Hulk charged forward, slammed the man to the ground, pressed one knee against his chest, and grabbed his neck with his massive hand.
Loki lay on his back, a corner of his mask cracked, his face pale, and his breathing rapid. He tried to speak, but his throat was constricted, and he could only manage a cough.
"Hey, isn't this the infamous Fiend God?" Tony landed beside him, his helmet open. "Why aren't you reciting poetry today?"
Loki glared at him, his eyes filled with rage, and tried to struggle. Ye Mo walked over, his hands crackling with electricity, and waved them in front of him.
"Don't bother," Ye Mo said. "We've seen your little tricks eight hundred times. Illusions, Teleportation —and what's the result? We still beat you to a pulp."
Emma Frost stood not far away, continuing to scan the surroundings with her mental energy to prevent the possibility of any backup clones.
"He wasn't armed," she noted. "His double-edged sword is gone."
"It's here with me." Tony lifted his foot, his boot landing on a green dagger. "It just fell out and almost punctured my tire."
The Hulk tightened his grip even further, and Loki's face turned red.
"Do you know what's most ridiculous?" Ye Mo squatted down, looking into his eyes, "You think you're controlling us, but we knew it was you the first time you tampered with the system language."
"What did you say?" Loki finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.
"'Welcome back, Master'?" Ye Mo laughed. "You imitated my electric current rhythm very well, but you missed a detail—every time I discharge, there's a 0.3-second pause after the seventh discharge. You were too hasty; you followed the eighth discharge directly, and the rhythm was off."
Loki's pupils contracted.
"That's why Emma Frost was able to track you back in time." Ye Mo stood up. "You're not just too smart, you're too confident."
After scanning Loki's energy fluctuations, Tony shook his head. "This guy is like a remote control that's run out of power right now. His magic power is suppressed to the minimum; he can't even conjure a fireball."
"Then keep suppressing it," Emma Frost said. "Don't give him a chance to recover."
The Hulk growled, yanked Loki up, twisted his hands behind his back, and pressed his knee into Loki's lower back, forcing him to kneel on the ground. The nanochains tightened automatically, binding Loki's wrists securely.
Ye Mo stood in front, lightning still dancing on his fingertips.
"Now you have two choices," he said. "One is to cooperate obediently, and the other is to let us throw you into the quantum cage for three days."
Loki gritted his teeth, remaining silent, but half of the arrogance in his eyes had already been shattered.
"If you don't speak, I'll assume you chose the first one." Ye Mo turned to look at Emma Frost, "How much longer can you hold on?"
" The Mental Network is fine, but I have to keep a close eye on him." Emma Frost wiped the sweat from her brow. "If he tries to rebuild the Mind Stone link, I'll detect it immediately."
"That's settled then." Ye Mo nodded. "We'll take turns guarding, and we can't let our guard down."
Tony glanced at the city skyline in the distance. " The S.H.I.E.L.D.. people are almost here. Let them take over."
"No way," Emma Frost objected immediately. "Last time they imprisoned Loki, and the next day he turned the interrogation room into a stage."
"That makes sense." Tony stroked his chin. "Then we'll take care of it ourselves."
The Hulk let out a deep warning growl, Loki tried to move, but was firmly held down again.
"He wants to escape," Emma Frost suddenly said. "Not physically, but mentally. He's trying to break free."
"Then don't let him leave." Ye Mo clasped his hands together, and the lightning net reopened, covering the entire area. "Now you can't fly away even if you have wings."
Loki raised his head, and his lips moved.
Ye Mo took a step closer. "What did you say?"
Loki looked at him, his voice hoarse. "You... think you've won like this?"
Ye Mo didn't answer, but simply placed his palm on the ground. Lightning crackled down the ground towards Loki's feet, forming a closed cage.
Tony smiled. "At least for now, you can't move."
Emma Frost stared into Loki's eyes and suddenly frowned.
The Hulk's arm muscles taut even more.
Loki's lips slowly curled into a sinister smile.