When Ye Mo pushed open the metal door of the command center, his head was still buzzing, as if he had just crawled out of an old-fashioned washing machine. He didn't say anything, but walked straight to the main control panel and stuffed the piece of paper with the simple diagram into the projection interface. The screen flashed, and an offline map popped up, with a red dot marked three kilometers to the northwest, next to which were crookedly written "rotten building + heat source".
"The coordinates have been set." He wiped his face, his voice a little hoarse. " Killian is there."
As soon as he finished speaking, a semi-transparent holographic image appeared in the air— Tony, wearing Mark 42 armor, hovering in mid-air, his mask half-open, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, human GPS is online? Weren't you just saying your head was about to explode? Now you can start a meeting?"
"It's still usable after being fried." Ye Mo sat down and adjusted his glasses. "The system notification says this is called 'mild concussion-like awakening,' and suggests drinking more hot water."
"You're using the system as an excuse again?" Tony scoffed. "Last time you said the system warned you not to wear red underwear, and my new armor paint job almost went wrong."
"That's because red interferes with energy calibration," Ye Mo said seriously. "You didn't believe me, but you insisted on trying it."
"Alright, alright, you're Mr. X, you're the expert." Tony waved his hand, the image shaking slightly, clearly adjusting his posture in mid-air. "Let's get down to business. What's the situation over there? I just circled it once, nothing's happening on the outer layer, but the infrared scan shows at least six highly heated individuals inside. Pepper's signal is still there, and her vital signs are fluctuating wildly."
"This means they're advancing their experiment." Ye Mo nodded, pulling up the residual data stream from his Spatial Perception. "The base structure is dilapidated; half the outer wall has collapsed, there are ventilation ducts on the roof, and there are three layers of defense inside: the first layer is an automatic turret, the second layer is an electromagnetic shielding wall, and the third layer... I couldn't see clearly; my consciousness is almost falling apart."
"So you deduced that from your imagination?" Tony squinted.
"I rely on logic," Ye Mo retorted, "And you forgot, Vibranium fragments can resonate. The moment it vibrated, I knew something was fishy."
"Can you two stop bickering right from the start?" Emma Frost's voice came from the doorway. She walked in, dressed in black tactical gear, her silver hair tied in a low ponytail, her eyes cool and aloof. "We're here to rescue people, not to film a sitcom."
Tony shrugged. "I didn't do anything to her."
"Even your breathing is defiant." Emma Frost walked to the tactical simulation platform, lightly tapping the table with her fingertip, a ripple of mental energy spreading out. "Let me see what you're all thinking."
The next second, two dynamic path diagrams appeared in the air. On the left was Tony's plan: Iron Man would crash through the door, EMP would clear the area, and within three seconds, he would break into the core area, rescue Pepper, and blow up the laboratory. On the right was Ye Mo's plan: first, cut off the external power supply to create a brief power outage window, then the two of them would infiltrate, with Emma Frost interfering with the guard's mind, advancing layer by layer to avoid triggering the self-destruct program.
"Huh?" Tony looked at his plan being submitted and sneered, "Your drawing makes me look like a complete idiot."
"Isn't this what you were thinking just now?" Emma Frost said calmly, "' Pepper won't be able to hold out if this drags on too long,' 'We'll be on the defensive once they've set up their formation,' 'I didn't come here in armor to camp.'"
Ye Mo suppressed a laugh, "She's quite accurate."
"Are you all ganging up on me to humiliate me?" Tony said dramatically. "That's strategic aggression! Not recklessness!"
"But in my mental reading, the first word that pops into your head is 'charge'," Emma Frost said mercilessly.
The air was silent for two seconds.
"Alright," Tony sighed, "I admit, I want to get started quickly. But you know what Killian is like—when he goes crazy, he'll even blow up his own people. I don't believe he'll obediently wait for us to deploy our forces."
"That's why he didn't set up any obvious guards," Ye Mo continued. "The lack of outer security doesn't mean there aren't traps inside. I bet if we forced our way in, the whole building would turn into a furnace. He's not afraid of death, but he's afraid of his plans being disrupted. So he must have a backup plan—like remote detonation or mind-controlling Pepper to kill us."
"So you mean, play it safe?" Tony squinted.
"It's not about playing it safe, it's about not letting him control the rhythm." Ye Mo pointed to the projection. "We need to make him think we're going for a strong attack, but actually we'll take a flank. If he defends the front, we'll deliberately avoid the front."
Emma Frost looked at the two of them and suddenly said, "I can interfere with the guards' judgment, causing them to have a cognitive delay of about ten seconds. That's enough time for you to break through the first line of defense."
"How long can you control it?" Ye Mo asked.
"The first mental connection is unstable, lasting a maximum of ten seconds." She paused. "The second one will take longer, but it requires getting closer to the core area."
"That's enough." Ye Mo turned to Tony. "You're in charge of drawing fire. Wear the armor and stand in the front, keeping everyone's attention on you. I'll sneak in along the wall and find the power cut-off point. Emma Frost will follow. Once I cut the power, she'll immediately launch jamming, and we'll advance amidst the chaos."
"It sounds like I'm the bait." Tony frowned.
"To be precise, it's 'primary firepower demonstration unit'," Ye Mo corrected. "After all, you're wearing Iron Man armor, not an invisibility Cloak."
"I thought you were a teammate, not a tactical commentator." Tony rolled his eyes. "Fine, it's not the first time I've taken the fall for you."
"Same here." Ye Mo smirked. "Last time your armor almost spontaneously combusted, who helped you remove the pulse valve?"
"It's you, alright?" Tony snorted. "I remember you even stole half of my energy core as a souvenir."
"That's called loot recycling," Ye Mo said matter-of-factly. "The system notification says it helps with ability fusion."
"The system again?" Tony looked incredulous. "Your excuse is practically a mantra."
"Believe it or not," Ye Mo shrugged. "Anyway, my head hurts like it's been wrenched with a wrench right now, I don't have time to make up stories."
Emma Frost glanced at the two of them. "The plan is fine, but there's a prerequisite—we must act in unison. Even a second's difference could trigger a chain reaction."
"Raise the encryption level of the communication channel to the highest level." Ye Mo brought up the access control interface. "I'll set up a temporary network that only the three of us can access. We'll use Vibranium fragments as signal relays to avoid external interference."
"You think your broken rock can do this?" Tony asked in surprise.
"It doesn't just generate heat." Ye Mo placed the fragments on the table and gently pushed them aside. "Now it's our private router."
Tony paused for two seconds, then suddenly laughed, "Fine, I give up. You're not a time traveler, you're here to do IT maintenance for the Marvel Universe, aren't you?"
"Enough talk." Emma Frost tapped the table. "Time is running out. We need to act before Killian completes the next round of virus synchronization. He activates a new batch of soldiers every twelve hours; the last time was at three in the morning, and the next one should be around nine tonight."
"That means within three hours." Ye Mo checked his watch. "That's enough time to prepare."
The three gathered around the simulation platform, making a final check of the route, signal frequency, and emergency codes. Ye Mo entered the last command, and a confirmation box popped up on the screen: [Operation Protocol - " Operation Daybreak " locked, activate?]
He reached out and nodded.
The system remained silent, and three identity icons lit up simultaneously: Iron Man, White Queen, and Mr. X.
A brief silence fell over the conference room. The equipment hummed softly, the indicator lights flashed rhythmically, and there was no tense breathing or emotional mobilization in the air, only the subdued sense of order that one feels before departure.
Ye Mo took off his glasses and wiped the lenses with his sleeve. The crack was still there, and the edges were rubbing against his eyelids. He put them back on, and the lenses reflected his slightly tired face.
"This time," he said in a low voice, "Don't rush in alone."
"Then you'd better stick close." Tony chuckled, the image fading out. "Don't wait until I've blown up the building before you even get to the door."
Communication was lost, and the holographic image disappeared.
Emma Frost glanced at Ye Mo, said nothing, and turned to walk towards the changing area. Her steps were steady, and her back view was neat.
Ye Mo remained seated, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the Vibranium fragment in his pocket. It was cold, not warm yet.
He knew that when it got hot, that would be the start of the battle.
He slowly stood up, grabbed his coat, slung it over his shoulder, and walked towards the exit.
The corridor lights remained steady, and the metal doors slid open automatically.
The night wind blew in Ashes, and he stepped out, his footsteps echoing clearly on the concrete.
One step, two steps.
Behind me, the screen in the command center was still lit, and the red dots on the map were flashing silently.
He didn't turn around.