Moonlight streamed in through the broken window, illuminating the UPS power supply. The green light flashed again, slowly and deliberately, twice every three seconds, as if giving a secret signal. Ye Mo stared at it, his eyes bulging, his temples throbbing, the lingering effects of the forced push of his consciousness still lingering in his mind, as if someone had rubbed his nerve endings with sandpaper.
He sat down against the wall, the bloodstains on his work pants knees already dried, clinging stiffly to his skin. Captain America squatted opposite him, his shield resting horizontally on his lap, his fingers unconsciously tracing the notched edge. Emma Frost's voice came through the earpiece, unnaturally calm. "Signal frequency stable, no remote monitoring fluctuations detected, but I advise against touching that machine—what if it's live bait?"
"I know," Ye Mo said hoarsely, "I'm not stupid enough to just start defusing the bomb myself."
He took off his glasses, wiped the lenses with his sleeve, and put them back on, his pupils contracting slightly. The green light of UPS was reflected in the mirror, flashing, going out, flashing again. He memorized this rhythm, which perfectly matched the pulse during the mental contact just now.
"This isn't a makeshift, makeshift setup," he said. "It's a relay station modified from civilian equipment, deliberately hidden here as a smokescreen. The real one is definitely deeper inside."
Captain America nodded. "That's why we can't act rashly."
"But we have to move." Ye Mo raised a hand to his temple, his voice low. "When I pushed the emotion in just now, Bucky's mental barrier relaxed every three seconds, like a system reboot. This means the control signal is refreshed periodically, not continuously suppressed. This means—if we interrupt that cycle, he might regain consciousness for a few seconds."
"What can you do in a few seconds?" Steve asked.
"Enough for you to say one word," Ye Mo said, looking at him. "Enough for me to take action."
Emma Frost's voice came through the earpiece. "I can monitor his consciousness fluctuations and alert you immediately if any non-programmed reactions occur. But I can't guarantee how long it will last; this level of brainwashing will trigger a backlash if you probe even a little deeper."
"No need to probe too deeply." Ye Mo shook his head. "Just stay outside and catch that fleeting 'abnormality.' For example, a sudden pause, a freeze in movement, a change in his eyes—any detail that doesn't fit the expected behavior pattern."
"Okay," Emma Frost agreed readily. "I'll create a low-intensity Mind Stone fog to keep other enemies away. Non- Mutants who come within ten meters will feel like they're going the wrong way."
"You're quite the schemer," Ye Mo said, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
"Same here," she retorted. "Don't you always use system notifications as a shield?"
Ye Mo didn't reply, but instead drew a simple diagram on the dusty ground: a box representing the power distribution room, a dotted line pointing east, marked "signal source direction." He then pointed to the location of the UPS: "This is a relay, not the source. If we remove it now, the main control unit might immediately switch to the backup protocol, or even initiate a self-destruct sequence."
"So what are you planning to do?" Steve asked.
"Wait," Ye Mo said, "Wait for them to expose their weaknesses. The control signal refreshes every three seconds; such a regular rhythm can't be perfect forever. Any delay, deviation, or fluctuation in intensity will be our opportunity."
"How are you planning to sabotage this?" Steve pressed.
"Find the strongest point using your senses, then make your move." Ye Mo pointed to his head. "I can feel that 'wire,' though it's weak, it's always connected. As long as I get close to the source, even through a wall, I can pinpoint its location. Then—" He paused, "Either physically dismantle it, or use my abilities to interfere with the frequency."
"Can you use your abilities in your current state?" Steve frowned.
"No," Ye Mo admitted. " The Psi Link is still alarming. Using it again could cause amnesia at best, and fainting on the spot at worst. But I can try other combinations, such as Wall Phasing + Short-Range Resonance, to crack the main unit's casing first, and then find an opportunity to strike."
"The risk is too great." Steve shook his head. "What if you collapse halfway through? Who will clean up the mess?"
"You," Ye Mo looked at him, "You're the only one who can make him stop. He doesn't know me, he doesn't know Emma Frost, but he remembers you. As long as you stand in front of him and call his name, he will definitely hesitate. Even if it's just for a second, that's enough for me to complete my action."
The two stared at each other for a moment, but neither spoke.
The wind blew in through the broken window, causing the corner of a piece of scrap paper on the ground to tumble.
Finally, Steve spoke first, "I'll distract him. But there's a condition—you can't push yourself. If you feel unwell, retreat immediately. This isn't a drill; Bucky's life is important, and so is yours."
Ye Mo grinned. "Don't worry, I haven't lived enough yet."
Emma Frost chuckled coldly into the earpiece, "Can you two stop pledging your loyalty to each other? The plan sounds good, but it overlooks one thing—what if more than just the Winter Soldier comes? What if the enemy has sent others to monitor the scene, or there's a hidden security mechanism?"
"So you need to keep watch on the perimeter," Ye Mo said. "Once you spot anyone approaching unusually, immediately use the mist to hold them off and buy us time. If necessary, you can use the Diamond Form to cover your retreat route."
"Understood." Emma Frost's tone turned serious. "I will set up three psychological warning zones outside the east wall. I will be able to detect anyone who steps into the area immediately."
"Okay." Ye Mo wiped away the dust from the ground, redrawn a triangle, and labeled the three points "you," "me," and "her" respectively, connecting them with a dotted line. "The starting point of the operation is when I touch the UPS host. Everyone remain silent until then, do not move any equipment, and do not trigger any alarms. We will move when the signal fluctuates or Bucky reappears."
"Who decides the timing?" Steve asked.
"I," Ye Mo pointed to his head, "Can sense the rhythm of signals. Once there's a deviation, that's the window of opportunity."
"What if you're wrong?" Steve stared at him.
"Then it's up to you." Ye Mo looked at him. "You know him best. You know better than anyone when he'll stop and when he'll charge. You're responsible for confirming whether he really has a chance to come to his senses—if he doesn't even hesitate, it means the plan has failed, and we'll retreat immediately."
Steve was silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded. "Okay."
The three of them said no more and checked their own status.
Ye Mo leaned against the wall, eyes closed, suppressing the red warning in the system while repeatedly replaying the 3.2-second pulse rhythm. He knew it was mentally taxing, but he had to memorize every detail. Captain America stood up, stretched his wrists and shoulders, slung his shield back behind him, and kept his gaze fixed on the doorway. Emma Frost's whisper came through the headset, "I've reached the outer perimeter. Mind Stone surveillance network deployed. Any thought activity within a 15-meter radius will be detected."
"Received," Ye Mo replied softly.
The room fell silent.
Only that green light stubbornly remained on, then went out again.
Like some kind of countdown.
Ye Mo opened his eyes and glanced at his hands. His fingertips were still twitching slightly, a side effect of nerve overload. He knew that the next move could not tolerate the slightest mistake, and he also knew that his body had reached its limit. But he had no choice.
He raised his wrist and tapped the communication node twice, sending a Morse code message: [Standby].
Emma Frost's response came through the earpiece: [Ready].
Steve glanced at him and nodded slightly.
Ye Mo leaned back against the corner of the wall, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing.
The wind howled outside, rustling the sheet metal on the broken window and producing a faint metallic scraping sound.
Inside the room, the three people each stood in their own corner, as still as water.
Waiting for the next signal fluctuation.