The defensive line comes under pressure
The ground shook the moment the assault vehicle burst out of the portal.
Ye Mo stood motionless on the rooftop, his hat brim pulled low, his eyes fixed on the gray-blue tracked vehicle. Its cannon hadn't been raised yet, but the chassis had already begun to turn, clearly trying to bypass the signal tower near the subway ventilation shaft. Emma Frost's crystal spike array was indeed blocking the way, but the enemy wasn't stupid; they knew to veer off course.
"We're here," Ye Mo said.
Emma Frost stood diagonally behind him, her hand resting on the edge of the building, her knuckles white. She didn't speak, she just nodded.
The first wave of pressure arrived immediately. Three assault vehicles drove side by side into the main road, their tracks crushing the asphalt, their cannons humming as they charged. Their objective was clear—to blow up the ring of spikes on the top floor of the shopping mall and open up a passage on the flank.
Ye Mo closed his eyes, and his Mental Network unfolded.
The status of the three positions was transmitted back in real time: the spiked cones on the top floor of the office building were intact, there was a slight tremor on the top floor of the shopping mall, and the steel spike caps on the edge of the signal tower were swayed by the wind by half an inch, but the structure was not affected. The enemy's movements were also clear: six aircraft had taken off and were approaching them.
He was about to speak when a loud gust of wind exploded overhead.
A red and gold shadow swooped down from the sky, Tony's armor engine leaving a long trail of flame. He didn't slow down, but made a sharp turn and flew close to the ground, firing three shots from the particle cannon, all three hitting the energy compartment of the assault vehicle in the middle with precision.
Boom!
A burst of fire erupted, the assault vehicle swerved sideways, and rammed into the two vehicles on either side, causing them to veer off course. The street erupted into chaos, and the units behind slammed on their brakes, their tracks screeching.
"No big deal," Tony's voice came through the comms. "I just counted, seventeen flying things in total, and six of them are chasing me now. They're pretty cooperative."
After he finished speaking, he pulled up, circled the block, and fired several chaff. The aircraft indeed turned around and gave chase, firing energy beams wildly, leaving half of the building's exterior wall riddled with craters.
The pressure has lessened considerably.
Ye Mo opened his eyes and looked southeast. The gray-blue tracked vehicle had bypassed the explosion site and was approaching the signal tower along the side road. There was a small device with blue flashing light on its top, like a temporary communication node.
"Found it," he said.
Emma Frost immediately understood what he was looking at.
Which one?
"Go around that vehicle, the gray-blue one with the blue light on top. That's a command center; don't let it into the city center."
As soon as she finished speaking, Emma Frost pushed off with both feet and leaped off the tall building. She switched to Diamond Form in mid-air, her body reflecting light like a falling Crystal. She didn't stop upon landing, but instead burrowed directly into the ground, leaving only a tiny crack in the surface.
Ye Mo continued to stare at the Mental Network.
The assault vehicle continued advancing, the driver seemingly unaware of the danger. Emma Frost's position was rapidly closing in—three hundred meters, two hundred meters, one hundred meters...
Just as she was about to emerge from under the vehicle, the assault vehicle suddenly stopped.
The cannon barrel slowly pressed down, aiming at the ground.
Ye Mo frowned.
Something's not right.
He immediately marked Emma Frost's trajectory in his Mental Network while scanning the surrounding electromagnetic fluctuations. He discovered that the car had a simple ground pressure sensor installed on its underside, which would trigger an alarm if anyone approached from underground.
Emma Frost is about to be exposed.
Without thinking, he yelled into the communication channel, "Jump out! Stop wearing it!"
Almost simultaneously, Emma Frost burst from underground, flipping in mid-air to narrowly avoid a bottom-firing volley. Using the momentum, she leaped onto the top of the assault vehicle, her right fist transforming into a sharp cone as she slammed it down on the communication device.
Click!
The blue light went out.
The entire vehicle's control system malfunctioned instantly; the gun barrel tilted to one side, and the tracks got stuck. The convoy behind, seeing the signal interruption, immediately descended into chaos, with two vehicles even colliding.
"Done." Emma Frost landed, took a few steps back, and then submerged back underground, returning to the top floor of the mall.
Ye Mo breathed a sigh of relief.
"That tactic works." Tony circled in the air, observed the situation, and chuckled. "You guys are taking turns attacking one by one, like playing a video game."
"It's not a game," Ye Mo said. "They are real people, and so are we."
He had barely finished speaking when the ground shook again.
Thor descended from the sky, his Mjolnir crackling with electricity as it cleaved into the center of the street. With a deafening boom, the shockwave sent over a dozen Chitauri soldiers flying. These men had been sneaking around from the side street, trying to blow up the crystal spike ring on the mall's rooftop, but they were wiped out before they could even get close.
Thor stood in the center of the ruins, hammer in one hand, and looked up in Ye Mo's direction.
"Your trap is quite good." His voice was deep and resonant, audible even without a communicator. "Unfortunately, there are too many enemies; nails alone won't stop them."
"Nobody expects to win with nails," Ye Mo replied. "What we're waiting for is cooperation."
After he finished speaking, he began to mark three new locations in his Mental Network: one was a gas station platform where Tony could land, one was the roof of a substation where Thor could charge up and attract lightning, and the other was a shopping mall mezzanine where Emma Frost could hide and rest.
He synchronized these points with the three people, along with a simple set of instructions: Red light to assemble, Yellow light to restrain, Green light to launch a surprise attack.
This was a makeshift solution he came up with on the spot, without any complicated coding, relying entirely on mental commands. He knew that among these people were geniuses and geniuses who might not appreciate such childish tactics, but the worst thing on the battlefield is for everyone to fight their own battles.
A few seconds later, Tony responded.
"Received. The green light is mine. Let's see who dares to show their face."
Thor didn't say anything, but walked to the roof of the substation, stuck Mjolnir into the concrete, and stood with his arms crossed, as if waiting for the power to be fully charged.
Emma Frost returned to the top floor of the mall, stood in the center of the crystal spike circle, and scanned the street. She knew that something was about to happen, as long as Ye Mo gave the order.
The first opportunity to counterattack came quickly.
Five assault vehicles formed a wedge formation and advanced from the main road, clearly intending to force a breakthrough. Four aircraft provided aerial cover, all with their cannons locked onto the rooftop where Ye Mo was located.
Ye Mo immediately assessed the situation.
"Yellow light." He lit the signal in the Mental Network.
Tony acted immediately. He swooped down from high altitude, deliberately slowing down to allow the aircraft to pursue him. Sure enough, the four enemy planes turned around and followed him eastward.
"Red light," Ye Mo issued the command again.
Thor pulled out Mjolnir and leaped into the air. He stirred up the dark clouds, and several bolts of lightning struck down, landing right in front of the assault vehicle and creating a wall of fire. The convoy was forced to stop, and the drivers frantically reversed.
"Green light." Ye Mo made his final move.
Emma Frost moved.
She burrowed underground again, this time targeting the last assault vehicle. She emerged from under the vehicle, her right hand transforming into a sharp blade, plunging it straight into the power lines. The vehicle shook violently, billowing black smoke, and then came to a complete standstill.
Upon seeing this, the first four vehicles were thrown into disarray.
Thor seized the opportunity to charge into the ranks, swinging his hammer and smashing two assault vehicles to pieces. The rest turned and ran, only to be blocked by Tony from the air, who then blasted the intersection with a micro-missile.
All five vehicles were totaled.
Ye Mo stood there, his breathing heavier than before. His Mental Network had been running continuously, which was mentally taxing. But he didn't show it on his face; he simply raised his hand to push up his glasses.
"It works," he said.
Tony landed on the gas station platform. His armor had some scratches, but no leaks. He opened his mask and wiped the sweat from his brow. "These lights are pretty useful," he said. "Could you add a vibration alert next time? I'm worried I won't be able to hear it."
"Design your own set next time," Ye Mo said.
Thor walked back to the top of the signal tower and slung the hammer over his shoulder. He looked towards the portal, where new units were gathering, even more than before.
"They won't stop," he said.
"I know," Ye Mo nodded, "But we won't back down."
He closed his eyes again, and his Mental Network unfolded once more. This time, he wasn't just monitoring the enemy's situation, but also calculating the rhythm. He was memorizing the intervals between each wave of attacks, the distribution of firepower, and the movement routes.
This data will be useful later.
Emma Frost stood on the top floor of the mall, her Diamond Form momentarily dissipating as she caught her breath. She looked in Ye Mo's direction, her lips moved, but she didn't utter a sound.
After checking the armor's condition, Tony took off again and hovered at low altitude. He occasionally checked the tactical direction with Ye Mo, his tone relaxed, but his actions were anything but hesitant.
Thor stood on high ground, hammer handle in hand, his eyes blazing.
None of the four people left, collapsed, or went missing.
The defenses are still in place, and the rhythm is starting to stabilize.
Ye Mo opened his eyes and glanced at his watch.
There are seven minutes left until the next attack.
He put his hands in his hoodie pockets and whispered, "Get ready for the next round."
Emma Frost straightened up.
Tony traced an arc in the air.
Thor raised Mjolnir above his head.
The wind blew in from the west, carrying the smell of burning and metallic char.
In Ye Mo's Mental Network, a green light flashed.