Joining Forces, the First Display of Combined Might

The aftershocks of the lightning explosion hadn't yet dissipated, and the workshop was filled with the smell of burnt metal and molten metal. Ye Mo knelt on the ground, his right leg Steel Bone creaking loudly, like a bicycle chain about to fall apart. He gritted his teeth and held on, blood still dripping from the severed wound on his left hand, each drop hitting the concrete floor like a second hand reminding him—if he didn't move soon, the next drop might be his brains.

Thor stood in the center, Mjolnir hanging to the ground, crackling with electricity. A corner of his cloak was corroded by the black mist, leaving only tattered strips. He didn't turn around, but roared, "Are you two still alive? Don't lie down, this guy hasn't given up yet!"

"Who's going to lie down?" Ye Mo replied in a muffled voice, his right leg suddenly kicking out, the "click" of the Steel Bone Reassembly making one's teeth ache. He slid two meters to the side, blocking Emma Frost's path. Over there, Emma Frost lay on the ground, her forehead covered in sweat, her fingers digging into the ground until her knuckles turned white, but her eyes were wide open, staring intently at Malekith.

Malekith stood three steps away, black mist swirling around his arms, the scorch mark on his chest still smoking. He raised his hand, and the black mist condensed into three short blades, hovering in front of him, their tips pointed at the three men. The air was so heavy you could wring water out of it.

"You were lucky with that last blow," he said, his voice as sinister as mold in a basement. "Now, it's my turn."

As soon as he finished speaking, black mist daggers shot out like lightning, aiming straight for the throats of the three. Thor reacted the fastest, sweeping his hammer horizontally, and lightning exploded, instantly vaporizing two of the daggers. But the third one went astray, heading straight for Emma Frost's face.

Ye Mo's pupils contracted, and he didn't have time to rush over. But just as the short blade was less than ten centimeters from her nose, Emma Frost's eyelids twitched, and her fingertips trembled slightly—the short blade suddenly changed direction and stuck into a pile of scrap metal next to her with a muffled "clang".

"You scared me to death." She gasped for breath, her voice trembling slightly, but a slight smile actually appeared on her lips.

Ye Mo almost burst out laughing, "Your mental distraction is getting more and more effective! Next time, could you give me a heads-up? My heart rate is about to explode."

"No time." Emma Frost closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again, her gaze turning cold. "His right-side casting rhythm was 0.5 seconds slower; the shockwave from the lightning strike affected his nerve conduction—the three-second window, should we use it?"

"Use!" Ye Mo twisted his right leg, and the Steel Bone propulsion system started up with a "hum," propelling him sideways like a cannonball, heading straight for Malekith's right side.

The black mist immediately shifted, condensing into a shield. But in that instant, Thor moved. He didn't charge; instead, he took a half-step back, slammed his hammer into the ground, and growled, "Come!"

Dark clouds rolled overhead, and a thin bolt of lightning struck the Hammerhead with a "crack." Thor swung the hammer, not with a horizontal slash, but with a diagonal strike—the lightning transformed into an Arclight, precisely cutting into the edge crack of the black mist shield.

"Boom!"

The black mist shield tore apart instantly, crackling with electricity at the breach. Malekith grunted, his body swaying, and before he could even replenish the black mist in his left hand, Thor's hammer was already upon him.

He was forced to retreat, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground.

"Beautiful!" Ye Mo landed with a tumble, almost falling flat on his face, but he still managed to stand up. "Old Thor, your lightning strike was more accurate than my phone charging!"

Thor grinned. "Of course, I am—"

Before he could finish speaking, Malekith roared, and the black mist on his arms suddenly expanded, transforming into two tentacles that slashed along the ground. One tentacles aimed straight for Thor's ankle, while the other coiled towards Ye Mo's severed arm.

"Watch out!" Emma Frost shouted, her mental energy spreading out instantly, not as an attack, but as a gentle nudge—like someone suddenly tapping you on the shoulder while you're walking.

Thor instinctively leaped up, dodging the tentacle. Ye Mo, however, didn't dodge; instead, he charged headlong into the black mist tentacle. He raised his right hand, and arcs of electricity crackled and exploded in his palm, directly piercing the tentacle's interior.

"Are you crazy?!" Thor exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"The system notification says this move has a cooldown!" Ye Mo grinned. "But I bet it's ready now!"

The electric arc traveled along the black mist, instantly detonating the internal energy structure. With a "bang," the tentacle exploded into a cloud of black smoke. Ye Mo was also thrown back by the recoil, his back slamming hard against an abandoned transformer, coughing up blood.

"It was worth it," he said, wiping his mouth and panting.

Malekith was truly enraged this time. He raised his hands high, and black mist condensed into a swirling vortex above his head, casting a shadow that darkened the entire workshop. The air began to distort, and cracks spread across the ground, as if something was about to crawl out from underground.

"He's about to unleash a powerful attack." Emma Frost lay on the ground, her voice weak. "I can feel it... his nervous system is overclocking; he's preparing a wide-range attack."

"Then don't let him release it!" Thor raised his hammer, lightning gathering once more. "I'll crush him head-on, you guys find an opening!"

"Wait!" Ye Mo suddenly spoke up, "He likes to ambush from the shadows of ruins. Those few moves just now were all along the generators and pipes—I bet his next move will be behind the electrical box to the left rear!"

"Are you sure?" Thor frowned.

"My residual X-Gene Energy Perception tells me that the temperature beneath his feet is three degrees lower than the surrounding area!" Ye Mo limped forward, "Trust me this once, buddy!"

Thor glanced at him and grinned. "Alright, let's go big!"

He leaped up suddenly, raising his hammer high, drawing down a thick bolt of lightning that struck Malekith directly above. As expected, the latter was forced to retreat, his figure flashing as he retreated behind the electrical distribution box on the left.

"Now!" Ye Mo unleashed the last bit of power from his right leg, took a step forward, and crashed into a discarded generator weighing about half a ton.

With a crash, the machine overturned and smashed onto the electrical box, causing a partial short circuit. Sparks crackled and popped, illuminating the corner where Malekith was hiding.

"I see you!" Emma Frost whispered, her mental focus locking on you instantly. "Thor, three o'clock, two meters away!"

Thor didn't even need to turn around; Mjolnir swept out, and an arc of lightning slashed out, striking Malekith squarely in the right shoulder. Malekith grunted, staggered back two steps, and for the first time completely lost control of the attack.

"Wow!" Ye Mo almost applauded. "Mind Stone synchronization plus lightning strike, this combination could be made into a tutorial video!"

Thor landed, flicking the arc of electricity off his hammer. "Stop talking nonsense. Did you push that generator? It almost blocked my lightning."

"That's called tactical cover!" Ye Mo coughed twice, and his right leg Steel Bone creaked again as a warning sound. "Besides, your lightning strike was powerful enough, what's wrong with blocking it?"

Malekith slowly straightened up, the black mist on his right shoulder rapidly repairing itself, his purple flame eyes fixed intently on the three. He didn't speak, but slowly raised his hands, the black mist condensing in his palms, gradually transforming into a huge scythe, the edge of the blade rippling with waves that tore through the air.

"We're doomed." Ye Mo swallowed hard. "If this thing comes down, the three of us will be sandwiched together."

"Then don't let him chop it down." Emma Frost, supporting herself on the ground, slowly raised her head. "Ye Mo, how much strength do you have left?"

"I think... I can take one more shower." He stretched his right leg, "But after that I might have to use a wheelchair."

"Enough." Emma Frost's eyes narrowed. "Once he makes his move, you rush in and tank for half a second while I disrupt his muscle response to deflect the scythe. Thor, you slam down vertically from above, using the shockwave to knock him back—can you do that?"

Thor weighed the hammer in his hand. "As long as he doesn't move, I can hit him."

Malekith sneered, raising his scythe high, as black mist energy gathered wildly. The air was compressed to its limit, making even breathing difficult.

"Now!" Ye Mo roared, his right leg Steel Bone unleashing its last bit of power, propelling him like an arrow into the path of the scythe.

"Clang--!"

The black mist scythe slammed into his right arm, instantly charring and cracking the metal, with arcs of electricity crackling around it. Ye Mo was forced to kneel on one knee, his hand split open and bleeding profusely, but he stubbornly refused to retreat.

"Emma Frost!" he shouted through gritted teeth.

Emma Frost's eyes widened, and her mental energy pierced Malekith's neural feedback system like needles. In an instant, his arm froze, and the angle of the scythe deflected by fifteen degrees.

"Thor--!"

Thor had already leaped into the air, Mjolnir raised high, arcs of electricity crackling around him. With a roar, he sent the hammer crashing down from the sky with immense force.

"Boom--!"

A pillar of lightning struck the ground, creating a shockwave that exploded in a ring. Malekith was thrown back several meters, his back slamming heavily against the wall. His black mist scythe shattered instantly, turning into billowing black smoke.

Inside the workshop, dust had not yet settled.

Ye Mo lay on the ground, his right arm charred black, his left arm still bleeding, and the Steel Bone in his right leg emitting a "beep beep" alarm sound, as if saying, "If you move again, I'll really fall apart." He looked up at the center of the battlefield— Thor held a hammer in one hand, his armor covered in scorch marks, but his eyes were still sharp; Emma Frost lay on the ground, her forehead covered in cold sweat, but her eyes were open, still staring at Malekith.

Malekith leaned against the wall, his arms swirling with black mist as he repaired his shield. He swayed slightly, clearly badly injured, but hadn't fallen yet.

The four faced off, the air thick with tension.

Thor turned to look at Ye Mo, grinned, and said, "Good teamwork, Earthling."

Ye Mo forced a smile, his voice hoarse. "It's alright, God of Thunder Thor. Could you aim a little better next time? You almost chopped me off too."

"Then don't stand so close," Thor shrugged. "Besides, aren't you pretty good at taking a lot of weight?"

Emma Frost, panting, whispered, "He... hasn't even used his full strength yet."

"I know." Ye Mo pushed himself up from the ground, slowly standing up, his right Steel Bone creaking under the strain. "But at least now, we're not alone."

Thor nodded, Mjolnir slamming to the ground, arcs of electricity crackling intermittently. He looked at Malekith, his eyes rekindling with fighting spirit.

"Next round," he said, "Let me teach him what real teamwork is all about."

Ye Mo raised his still-mobile right hand, a faint arc of electricity flickering in his palm. He stared at Malekith, his gaze like a nail.

The next second, he kicked off with his right leg, sending Steel Bone fragments flying, and he shot forward again.