The groans of the alloy pillar still echoed in his ears, and the emergency red light swept back and forth like a disco ball in an old-fashioned disco. Ye Mo leaned against the overturned control panel, the cracks on his left palm slowly healing, blood seeping to his fingertips and dripping onto the floor with a soft "plop" sound.
Tony looked down at the scanner; the armored left arm was bent like a flattened soda can, and the flight thrusters had long since stopped working. "The signal source is still moving; it's coming this way." He pointed to the west passage. "Not just one or two, it's the whole team."
Ye Mo squinted at the spot where the isolation door was stuck—forty centimeters off the ground, just enough for a person to crouch and squeeze through. He casually picked up the vibrating knife on the ground and swung it a couple of times to test its feel. "How many missiles do you have left?"
"Three shots. After that, we'll have to rely on verbal attacks." Tony pointed the shoulder-mounted launcher at the doorway, smoke puffing from the vents. "Hey, could you do that time-stop trick again? I'd love to see the enemy do a slow-motion dance."
"Don't even mention it, I'm afraid I'll turn into a dried-up corpse if I do it again." Ye Mo flexed his wrist; his Steel Bone Transformation hadn't fully recovered, and a faint metallic sheen shimmered beneath the skin of his right arm. "Right now, I'm just relying on my acting skills."
As soon as the words were spoken, the sound of orderly footsteps came from the end of the passage, the rhythm of boots striking the ground like a military training performance. This was followed by the metallic clang of equipment clashing, and eight figures appeared in the infrared field of vision, advancing in a fan shape with electromagnetic guns in hand.
"Here it comes!" Ye Mo kicked over a metal box next to him, the loud crash echoing through the empty laboratory. Almost simultaneously, he grabbed a circuit board and shoved it into the exposed wires of the control panel, short-circuiting sparks bursting with a "bang," and blue and white electric light crackling and leaping wildly.
The enemy was clearly taken aback, and two of them instinctively turned towards the firelight.
"Right now!" Ye Mo roared.
Tony's shoulder-mounted miniature missiles instantly locked onto the heat source and fired three in quick succession. Boom! Boom! Boom! The blast waves, carrying smoke and dust, rushed into the passage, knocking the three people in the front row to the ground, and forcing the others behind them to take a few steps back, throwing their formation into chaos.
Taking advantage of the three-second gap, Ye Mo took a running start and leaped onto the steel frame beam, using the momentum to swing to the edge of the high ventilation opening, where he surveyed the enemy situation from above. "Two on the left are about to flank, three on the right are preparing for suppressive fire, and the one in the middle leading them... damn, he's holding a pulse jammer!"
"Got it!" Tony's palm cannon was fully charged, and a beam of red light shot straight to the ground in front of the three people on the right. The Quake from the explosion forced them to stop in their tracks. He himself quickly took half a step back and hid in the blind spot of the control panel.
However, the enemy reacted extremely quickly. The remaining five immediately adjusted their tactics, splitting into two groups to advance in a crisscross pattern, with electromagnetic guns firing alternately to suppress the enemy's firepower. Tony's armor was grazed by a bullet on his right leg, the shield flashed red, and he staggered.
"This is tougher Bobby one," Tony gasped. "They know we're almost out of gas."
"Then let them think we're really no good." Ye Mo gritted his teeth, pressing his right hand to the ground, secretly mobilizing the remaining energy flow within his body. Although the " Time Lag " was still cooling down, a tiny fluctuation could still be squeezed out. "When I count to three, two, one, fire a shot at the ceiling."
"What are you up to now?" Tony frowned.
Don't ask, just trust me.
Tony scoffed, "I regret saying that every time."
"Three... two..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ye Mo slammed his right hand on the ground, and a faint golden light spread out. The two enemies who were about to charge suddenly faltered, as if they had stepped into an unseen quagmire.
"One!"
Tony reacted instantly, unleashing a palm strike towards the ceiling. A blinding flash of light erupted, sending dust plumes down and obscuring vision. In the same instant, Ye Mo leaped down from the ventilation duct, his Steel Bone Transformation right leg delivering a powerful kick to one person's back, sending him flying and knocking over two others.
"Nice!" Tony followed up with a knee strike, taking down the last enemy who managed to stay upright.
Before they could even catch their breath, the ventilation duct above their heads suddenly made a muffled "click" sound.
The next instant, the entire sheet of metal exploded!
A silver-white figure leaped down from the air, instantly crystallizing upon landing, its Diamond Form fully unfolding. A grenade flying towards her head struck her chest, Mars flying but failing to penetrate; instead, she deflected it with a flick of her wrist, sending it bouncing back the way it came.
"Boom!"
The explosion knocked three people off their flanks, and the firelight illuminated her face— Emma Frost Thaddeus Ross landed steadily, a faint blue halo flashing between her brows.
"You two, you always end up in a near-collapse state before waiting for someone to rescue you." Her voice was cold, but her eyes held an undisguised concern.
"Isn't this what you're waiting for to show off your skills?" Ye Mo grinned, a trickle of blood still clinging to the corner of his mouth.
Emma Frost ignored him, closed her eyes, and unleashed her full mental power. Her brainwaves, like an invisible spiderweb, enveloped the entire area, instantly invading the brains of every enemy.
Suddenly, someone's eyes widened in horror as they stared at their teammate. "You... how did you turn into a monster?!"
The other person clutched their head and screamed, "Stop talking! Stop talking! All I can hear are screams!"
The third person immediately knelt down and vomited; the fourth person turned around and fired at his companion; the fifth person threw down his weapon and retreated frantically...
In just a few seconds, the previously tight battle formation completely collapsed, and infighting began.
"You're pretty good at psychological warfare," Tony clicked his tongue. "But come earlier next time, so we don't have to put on this melodramatic show."
"We encountered three ambushes on the way, and it took some time to clear them." Emma Frost opened her eyes, her breathing slightly erratic, but she was still alert. "The two of you really do need immediate medical attention."
Ye Mo leaned against the wall to stand up. The cracks in his left hand had mostly healed, and the golden light flowing beneath his skin had slowed down. "What do we do now? Let them escape?"
"We can't release them." Tony pulled up the scan data. "These people are all carrying recording devices. If the experimental data is transmitted, it will cause even more trouble later."
"Then leave none behind." Emma Frost's eyes turned cold, her Diamond Form still intact, and she strode forward.
The three remaining enemies realized something was wrong. Two of them turned and ran towards the tunnel entrance, while the third reached for the explosive belt around his waist, clearly intending to take everyone down with him.
"Leave it to me." Ye Mo shouted, pushing off the ground with his right foot and charging forward. Just before reaching the fleeing enemy, he pressed his right hand to the ground, releasing a slight Time Lag fluctuation once more. The two men's movements suddenly slowed down, as if they had been slowed down to 0.5x speed.
Tony was prepared; the last two restraints on his shoulders were released, and the mesh metal ropes instantly wrapped around their bodies, pulling them violently to the ground.
The last person has pulled the detonator, and the red indicator light has begun to flash.
"I'll stop it!" Ye Mo flashed in front of the explosive device, his left arm instantly Steel Bone Transformation, the metallic texture spreading to his shoulder blade.
boom!
The shockwave struck the Steel Bone arm head-on, sending Ye Mo flying several meters before his back slammed heavily against the wall. He felt a sweet taste in his throat, but thankfully didn't vomit. The force of the explosion was absorbed, and while the surrounding equipment tilted and swayed, no secondary damage was caused.
"Are you still alive?" Tony walked over and reached out to pull him up.
"I won't die." Ye Mo wiped his mouth. "It's just that my ribs are a bit sore and jagged, probably cracked."
"I suggest you don't use your body as a riot shield next time." Emma Frost walked over, her expression slightly tense. "Do you know that just now almost triggered a backlash from your Regeneration ability?"
"I know, but I also know you don't want me to die." Ye Mo winked at her.
Emma Frost gave a soft snort and turned her head away from him.
Tony looked around; the ground was littered with unconscious or convulsing enemies, some still muttering incoherently, clearly not yet recovered from their hallucinations. "Alright, this shipment is done. Can communications be restored?"
Ye Mo took out the Vibranium fragment from his pocket and examined it—it wasn't hot, and there was no notification sound. "It won't work for now; we might have to wait for the system to recalibrate."
"Let's clear the area first." Tony crouched down and removed a recording device from an enemy's belt. "These things need to be destroyed, and while we're at it, we need to find out who sent them."
" Killian men." Emma Frost scanned the fallen bodies. "The uniform codes are the same as the later Hellfire Club, only the insignia are different."
"So in the end, it's still a game with old acquaintances." Ye Mo leaned against the wall, catching his breath. "But this time, we win."
"A partial victory," Tony corrected. "Don't forget your left hand is still bleeding, my armor is only half-dead, and she's expended a lot of mental energy too."
"But the enemy is all lying down." Ye Mo looked up at the large hole in the ceiling. "And the three of us are still standing."
Emma Frost walked up to him and extended her hand. Ye Mo was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and took it. She pulled hard, dragging him off the wall.
"Don't always try to shoulder everything alone next time," she said.
"Then don't be late all the time next time," Ye Mo replied.
"I'm here now, aren't I?" Emma Frost released her grip, turned, and walked towards Tony. "Tie these people up first, then check the lab for any potential secondary hazards."
"Yes, Your Majesty the White Queen." Ye Mo gave a comical salute.
Tony was scanning the vital signs of the last unconscious enemy when he suddenly looked up and said, "Hey, you two, can you stop flirting right after the fight? I have important business to attend to."
"Who's flirting with him?" Emma Frost said coldly.
"You were the one who held my hand first." Ye Mo shrugged.
I'm helping you up.
You can kick it with your foot.
"So you want me to do that?"
"That's not necessary."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright, you guys can talk about personal things after I'm a bit further away. Let's clean up this mess first."
The three of them got to work. Ye Mo was in charge of collecting weapons, Tony handled the data terminal, and Emma Frost checked the consciousness status of each enemy to make sure no one was faking unconsciousness to launch a sneak attack.
The laboratory gradually quieted down, leaving only the clanging of metal and the beeping of instruments. The emergency red light was still flashing, but the atmosphere was no longer as oppressive as before.
Ye Mo stood in the central control area, looking around: shattered glass, charred wires, collapsed supports, equipment wreckage scattered everywhere... This battle was fierce, but they won.
He grinned, his eyes still bearing traces of blood, but he smiled like a boy who had just finished a video game.
Tony walked over and tossed a bunch of destroyed recording devices into the trash can. "How's it going? Still holding up?"
"I can manage," Ye Mo nodded. "As long as there's enough steak."
"Is your mind filled with nothing but food?"
"Yes, there are beautiful women and money too."
"Then you're missing one thing."
Which way?
The beautiful woman isn't interested in you.
" Emma Frost just pulled me."
That was for saving a life, not for falling in love.
"Being moved is also a kind of emotional movement."
Tony shook his head. "With a mouth like yours, it's a waste that you're not a comedian."
Emma Frost walked over and stood in front of the two. "The lab is safe; there are no hidden threats. There are no signs of reinforcements outside."
"That means we've truly won." Ye Mo breathed a sigh of relief. "The crisis is over."
"For now," Emma Frost reminded her.
"It's a victory, even if it's temporary." Ye Mo smiled. "Look, the three of us are still here, the enemy is all down, and their armor isn't even completely destroyed—isn't this the standard ending?"
Tony looked at the mess on the floor, then at the two bickering yet perfectly in sync partners, and suddenly smiled.
"Alright," he said, "Since we're all still alive, let's celebrate first."
"How are we going to celebrate?" Ye Mo asked.
"Once I can fly, I'll treat you to an expensive meal."
"I've said that so many times, but I still haven't kept my word."
This time it's for real.
"I'll remember that."
The three stood together, gazing at the battlefield that had just witnessed a fierce battle. It was scarred and the smoke of gunpowder had not yet cleared, but their eyes showed no weariness, only the ease and certainty of surviving a calamity.
Ye Mo raised his left hand, palm facing up, a fleeting golden light flashing before his eyes.
Tony glanced at him. "Still keeping the cheat codes?"
"Just a little bit." Ye Mo withdrew his hand. "The fiercer the enemy, the more time I can buy."
"Hopefully, next time it won't be used for rushing to pay the bill at a restaurant."
That's not necessarily true.
Emma Frost smiled gently, walked to the control panel, touched the screen lightly, and started the basic monitoring program.
In the center of the laboratory, the three stood side by side, their resolute figures silhouetted against the flickering lights.