The crisis subsided, victory celebrated

Dark energy surged in like a tidal wave. Ye Mo's fingertips were still numb, and the electric current Lightning Control pulsed intermittently in his palm, like a lighter running out of power. He gritted his teeth, and the Steel Bone tissue in his right arm bulged slightly as he forcefully squeezed out the remaining energy in his body. Tony's Palm Cannon was already charged to its limit, and a blinding arc of blue light exploded in front of his chest.

"I'll cover you," Tony growled. "Don't mess this up."

Ye Mo didn't reply, but stared at the fleeting electrical patterns on the right side of the dark figure's neck—that was it. The attack just now confirmed for him that it wasn't a natural ability node, but an artificially implanted control device responsible for regulating energy output. Once overloaded, the entire system would collapse.

The shadowy figure raised a hand, and a dark purple energy ball condensed again, causing the temperature to plummet and even the air to begin to crystallize into tiny black ice crystals. Tony's armor shield glowed red, issuing an alarm: Left arm power system damaged, defense reduced to only 32%.

"Three seconds," Tony said.

Ye Mo nodded.

The instant the shadowy figure made its move, Tony lunged forward, unleashing his Palm Cannon at full power. The beam grazed the opponent's shoulder, missing a vital spot but causing the energy ball to vibrate violently. In that fraction of a second of vulnerability, Ye Mo thrust his right arm forward, concentrating the last burst of high-voltage electricity into a needle-like shape, which he then plunged into the electrical ripples on the enemy's neck.

"Sizzle--!"

The electric light pierced through the skin and flesh, drilling into the internal device. The creature froze, letting out a non-human roar, its surrounding mist churning wildly as if trying to break free from something. But the implant had already begun to overload, crackling and emitting black smoke.

"No... it's not over yet..." His voice trembled as he raised his hand, wanting to retaliate.

But it was too late.

The reverse energy flow detonated the core module, and his body began to disintegrate from the inside out. His skin cracked, and his muscles turned into Ashes- like particles, which drifted away little by little with the wind. In the end, only a pile of smoky metal fragments remained on the scorched earth, not even bones were left.

The self-destruct countdown screen in the factory flickered a few times, stopped at 00:17, and then went out completely with a "beep". The fire gradually weakened, leaving only a few broken steel frames creaking softly in the wind, as if taking their last breath.

Ye Mo slid down to the ground, leaning against the wall. Blood was still seeping from his ears, and his nose smelled metallic. He raised his hand to wipe his face; his palm was covered in blood and ash. His Regeneration abilities hadn't recovered yet, and a dull, jagged pain shot through his ribs; each breath felt like a knife scraping through his lungs.

Tony stood there, his armored left arm hanging limply, the joint locked, the blue light from the palm cannon dimmed. He looked down at his hand and sighed, "This damn armor, it'll cost half a month's salary to repair."

"You're still worried about the money?" Ye Mo laughed hoarsely. "We almost got buried here together."

"I'm Iron Man, not a martyr." Tony walked over and reached out to pull him up. "Get up, stop playing dead. You're tough as nails; even the King of Hell wouldn't dare take you."

Ye Mo grabbed his hand and struggled to her feet, her legs feeling weak. The factory was a scene of utter devastation; the explosion had ripped off most of the roof, and moonlight slanted in, illuminating the twisted metal and charred equipment. The place where they stood had once been the enemy's command center, now nothing but a pile of scrap metal.

"Is it over?" Ye Mo asked.

"At least this wave," Tony glanced around, "But I feel there's someone else behind it. Killian couldn't create a modified creature of this caliber."

"Don't think too much about it." Ye Mo flexed his wrist, the metallic sheen beneath his skin faintly visible. "Right now, I just want to take a shower and sleep for three days."

As they were talking, a soft buzzing came from above. A small aircraft slowly descended through the breach, the hatch opened, and Emma Frost Thaddeus Ross stepped out. She was wearing a tactical trench coat, her face expressionless, but when her eyes swept over the two of them, she visibly relaxed.

"You two," she said calmly, "If you keep causing trouble, I'll have to write an obituary."

"Aren't we perfectly fine?" Tony shrugged. "At most, we're just slightly injured but still fighting."

Emma Frost ignored him, walked to Ye Mo's side, and reached out to support his swaying body. "Your ear is bleeding."

"It's alright," Ye Mo waved his hand, "It'll stop flowing in a bit. Although the Regeneration ability is cooling down, the foundation is still there."

Emma Frost frowned. "Don't use yourself as a guinea pig."

"I'm used to it." Ye Mo grinned, revealing a mouthful of bloody teeth.

Without another word, the three helped each other onto the aircraft. Emma Frost initiated the return procedure, and the aircraft slowly ascended, moving away from the ruins. The city lights below gradually lit up, as if waking from a nightmare and illuminating the world once more.

During the flight, no one spoke. Tony leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, resting; the cracks in his armor were particularly glaring under the lights. Emma Frost focused on piloting, her fingers occasionally tapping the control panel to adjust the flight path. Ye Mo gazed out the window; the night wind made the glass vibrate slightly, and the distant sirens of fire trucks gradually faded into the distance.

He suddenly felt that all of this was somewhat unreal.

A few months ago, he was just an ordinary college student, worrying about final exams and his cafeteria card balance every day. And now? He just defeated a modified monster that could control dark energy, is riding in the White Queen's private jet, and Iron Man is sitting next to him.

Even system notification sounds aren't this outrageous.

The aircraft landed on the edge of the city center square. Dawn was breaking, the air still carrying a chill after the rain. A group of people had gathered in the square sometime earlier: young people livestreaming on their phones, students holding banners, and several children clutching hand-drawn portraits of heroes with the words "Thank you" scrawled on them in a crooked hand.

"Wow, here comes the big shot." Tony stretched his neck, opened the hatch, and jumped out.

The crowd erupted in cheers. Someone shouted "Iron Man!", someone else shouted "Mr. X!", and a child even tiptoed to shove a drawing into Ye Mo's hand. The drawing depicted a bespectacled man in black standing amidst flames, with lightning bolt wings on his back, and the words below: You're super cool!

Ye Mo paused for a moment, looked down at his work pants covered in blood and scorch marks, then looked at the painting, and couldn't help but laugh.

He took off his silver half-rimmed glasses, wiped the lenses with his sleeve, and put them back on. His vision was much clearer. Looking up at the sky, the dark clouds were dispersing, and the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the fountain in the square, making the water droplets sparkle.

"So this is what it feels like to be needed..." he murmured.

Emma Frost stood beside him, saying nothing, only gently touching his shoulder. Tony went over and said a few polite words to the reporters, waved his hand to signal them to stop taking pictures, then came back carrying two bottles of water.

"Here you go." He handed a bottle to Ye Mo. "Electrolyte water, to replenish your electrolytes."

Ye Mo took it, unscrewed it, and took a sip. It tasted like medicine. Looking at Tony's tired yet still punchable face, he suddenly thought that this guy wasn't so bad after all.

"Don't call me Mr. X," he said, "It sounds like a wanted criminal."

"So what's your name?" Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Ye Mo. Just a name."

"Alright, Ye Mo." Tony sat down on the bench next to him, looking up at the sky. "But you spread that nickname yourself, so don't blame me."

"The system notification told me to do this," Ye Mo shrugged.

"The system again?" Tony sneered. "You always blame it on it."

"Because it never argues." Ye Mo smiled.

The two sat there in silence. Emma Frost stood a short distance away, her back to them, watching the crowd slowly disperse from the square. Rescue workers were still clearing the rubble, construction vehicles were operating in the distance, and announcements of temporary traffic control were being broadcast over the loudspeaker.

The city came back to life.

Ye Mo looked down at the water bottle in his hand, the label blurred by sweat. He thought of the battle just now, of the weakness he had painstakingly found, of Tony's back as he stood in front of him, and of Emma Frost's punctually appearing aircraft.

This is not a victory for one person.

He had only ever wanted to live a peaceful life. After transmigrating here, his first reaction was to find a corner to hide in. But now, sitting in the city center, with injuries on his body and tinnitus in his ears, he felt a sense of peace.

He wasn't running for his life.

He is protecting.

Tony suddenly turned to look at him. "Well done, Mr. X."

Ye Mo rolled her eyes. "I told you not to use that name."

"It can't be changed," Tony laughed. "All of New York knows there's a mysterious man with glasses who can handle anything."

Ye Mo didn't reply, but simply crushed the water bottle and tossed it into the nearby trash can. The sunlight shone warmly on the bench. He squinted, watching the sky between the tall buildings in the distance gradually brighten.

The aircraft's engines roared to life. Emma Frost glanced back at them. "I'm going back now. You guys... don't stay too long."

"Okay, Mom." Tony waved.

She ignored it and boarded the plane.

The square was less crowded, with only a few scattered citizens jogging and sanitation workers cleaning up. Tony stretched, his armor joints clicking.

"Go back and get some sleep?" he asked.

"Hmm." Ye Mo stood up, his legs were still a little weak, but he could walk.

The two walked side by side toward the parking lot, their shadows stretched long by the rising sun. As they passed a convenience store, they saw today's newspaper front page pasted on the glass door. "Mysterious Heroes Team Up with Iron Man to Frustrate New Threat," accompanied by a blurry image of a night battle.

Ye Mo glanced at it, but didn't stop.

Tony walked to the car and opened the passenger door. "Get in."

Ye Mo opened the driver's side door, got in, and even fastened his seatbelt a little slowly. Tony glanced at him. "You really don't need me to drive you?"

"I can drive." Ye Mo started the engine.

The car slowly drove out of the square and merged into the morning rush hour traffic. The sunlight shone on the windshield, a little dazzling. Ye Mo raised his hand to shield his eyes, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw in the rearview mirror that the city was quietly awakening in the morning light.

He let out a soft breath.

They resolved the crisis in this way.