Sunlight slanted onto the empty beverage bottle in the corner, causing it to roll halfway and make a slight metallic sound. Ye Mo stared at the reflection for two seconds, then reached out and pressed it down to prevent it from shaking any further.
No one spoke in the room, nor did anyone get up to leave. After the laughter subsided, the air grew heavy, as if someone had switched to a "let's talk the truth" mode.
Captain America strolled back from the doorway, squatted down next to Bucky, and placed his hand on Bucky's shoulder again, not too hard, but not too loose. "How much do you remember?" he asked.
Bucky looked down at his robotic arm, his fingertips tracing the scratches along the seams. "Not all of it," he said, his voice low and seemingly coming from afar. "Sometimes... I can hear myself laughing, but my mouth isn't under my control. My body moves, but my mind doesn't. It's like being trapped in a glass dome, watching myself kill."
He paused for a long time after saying that. No one urged him.
"The hardest part isn't the pain," he continued, "It's not being able to distinguish which memories are real. Yesterday's events, events from ten years ago, or the illusions they gave me—I have to recognize them all again."
Ye Mo gripped the bottle in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white. He didn't make any jokes or mention the system; he just listened attentively.
"I understand that feeling," he suddenly said. "I wasn't brainwashed, but when I first came here, I didn't even dare to ask for directions. I was afraid of saying the wrong thing and revealing that I was an outsider, afraid that a single glance would make me a target." He glanced around. "I'm still afraid now, just in a different way—I'm most afraid of making the wrong judgment and implicating you all."
Emma Frost turned her head to look at him, her eyes showing a hint of surprise.
"Take the time Wall Phasing," Ye Mo continued, "It's not that I'm truly fearless. I calculated that the wall had cracks in its load-bearing capacity, and that my Regeneration could hold for more than three seconds. But what if I was wrong? What would happen to the people behind me? So before using my ability, I have to think three times: Is it worth the risk? Is there a way out? Can you catch me?"
He grinned, a somewhat forced smile, "I used to think that being alone was the safest thing to do, since I could handle anything myself. Now, it's like I have to consider the team's emotional state even when I'm in a fight."
Black Widow sat motionless at the control panel until now, then slowly spoke, "You're right. But our information synchronization is too slow. When you blocked the explosion, I didn't receive the warning; Emma Frost noticed the signal anomaly but didn't relay it in time. This isn't a matter of ability, it's a mismatch in coordination."
She paused, her tone softening slightly. "Before the next operation, let's take five minutes to exchange information. Anyone with an old injury that hasn't healed, anyone who's in a bad mood, can speak up. There's no need to hold back."
The room was silent for a few seconds.
"Are you trying to organize Mind Stone team-building activity?" Ye Mo raised an eyebrow.
"I'm talking about combat efficiency." Black Widow glared at him. "You think I want to see you Regeneration a backlash and cramp up? Say so earlier, so I can adjust my position."
"Fine." Ye Mo raised his hands in surrender. "Then I'll declare now: my left arm isn't fully Regeneration yet; the cold wind is making it a little itchy. I expect it to be fully recovered within two hours. Also, I definitely haven't digested the chive pancakes I ate yesterday. Emma Frost, do you want to make an announcement while you're at it?"
Emma Frost gave a soft snort, "I already know."
"Look!" Ye Mo shrugged, " The Mental Scan comes with gastrointestinal monitoring; this feature is too powerful."
Bucky finally snapped, "Can you shut up for five minutes?"
"No." Ye Mo shook his head. "Whenever it's quiet, I feel like someone's going to hang down from the ceiling and attack me."
Captain America chuckled, stood up, and stretched his arms. "Then let's not be quiet. While we can still talk, let's say what we need to say."
He looked at Emma Frost: "What pattern of reaction did you discover?"
Emma Frost sat up straighter. "Every time Ye Mo activates his perception-type abilities, his heart rate increases by 0.3 seconds beforehand. It's not nervousness; his body is pre-loading." She looked at Ye Mo. "You don't even realize it yourself."
"Huh?" Ye Mo was stunned. "I thought it was because of nervous sweating."
"No," Emma Frost shook her head. "And Bucky —when you hear a high-frequency metallic sound, your right hand trembles slightly, very little, but it happened three times in a row. It's probably a conditioned reflex triggered by residual programming."
Bucky frowned, trying to recall.
"I don't remember the exact frequency," Emma Frost said, "But next time if a similar sound occurs, I can remind you in advance."
"It's like installing a stabilization switch on me?" Bucky sneered. "Sounds pretty far-fetched."
"We're not machines," Emma Frost said, looking at him. "We don't need perfect synchronization, nor do we need to forcefully suppress reactions. As long as we know where each other's 'imperfections' lie, we can learn to anticipate."
As she spoke, her gaze swept across the room, finally settling on Black Widow.
Black Widow paused for a few seconds, then nodded. "We can give it a try. Trust isn't built by the number of missions you complete; it's about who dares to expose their weaknesses."
Ye Mo whistled, "Wow, today's content is all practical. I should have brought a notebook to take notes."
"Just keep it in mind," Captain America said. "We're not S.H.I.E.L.D.., we don't have standard procedures. But we need our own way of doing things—based on mutual understanding, not command codes."
"So from now on, I'll have to yell 'I'm getting a fever' before I rush out?" Ye Mo stroked his chin. "Otherwise, you'll think I slipped again."
"You can shout 'I'm going to heaven!'" Bucky sneered. "After all, it was your own choice."
"That's right." Ye Mo's joking expression disappeared. "It was my choice."
He looked at Emma Frost and added, "Just like you saw that day—I hesitated, but I still went for it. Not because of the system notification, but because I knew you would catch me."
Emma Frost didn't speak, she just nodded slightly.
The atmosphere in the room changed. It wasn't a sudden, lively change, but rather like the lingering warmth of a dying fire, slowly seeping into your bones.
Black Widow stood up, walked to the corner, picked up her coat, and put it on. Her movements were slow, not like she was leaving, but rather like she was preparing to rest there.
"Add a new item to future status updates," she said. "Anyone with psychological trauma can mention it. If things aren't clearly stated, problems can easily arise on the battlefield."
"Then you go first?" Ye Mo blinked.
"I don't close my door when I sleep at night," Black Widow said without changing her expression. "That's all."
"Wow, so much exposed?" Ye Mo exaggeratedly clutched his chest, "My heart can't take it."
"Your heart Regeneration faster than your heart rate," Emma Frost said calmly. "I suggest you get checked to see if it's mutated."
"We can't check." Ye Mo shrugged. "The hospital doesn't accept ability users without medical insurance."
Bucky scoffed, "Can't you be serious for even a minute?"
"Yes," Ye Mo nodded, "But I'm afraid of awkward silences."
"If you shut up, the conversation won't be awkward." Bucky rolled his eyes.
"Look, look, we can even banter with each other now." Ye Mo laughed. "Isn't that a sign of trust? Who dared to joke with Comrade Winter Soldier before? They'd get slapped against the wall by the robotic arm on the spot."
Captain America shook his head and smiled, then walked over and turned off the half-lit emergency light above his head. The room suddenly dimmed, with only the small table lamp in the corner still lit, casting a halo of dim yellow light.
"Take a break," he said. "We have to practice again tomorrow."
No one objected.
Black Widow sat down against the control panel, sheathing her dagger, her fingers resting lightly on her knees. Her eyes were still open, but her vigilance had largely relaxed.
Bucky shifted his position, settled himself against the wall, and the robotic arm retracted into sleep mode, the cooling fan stopping completely. He closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming steady.
Emma Frost didn't move, remaining seated in the same spot, only pulling her legs back slightly and resting her shoulders against the wall. She looked at Ye Mo and saw that he was also looking at her.
Ye Mo gestured with his chin as a greeting.
Her lips twitched almost imperceptibly, as a response.
Ye Mo didn't say anything more. He leaned back, pulling his hat brim down to cover his eyes. He didn't sleep, nor did he leave. He just sat there, listening to the sounds of breathing rising and falling in the room.
It was already bright outside, and dust floated in the low beams of light, like snow that would never fall to the ground.
He raised his left hand, looked at the newly scabbed crack on his palm, and gently clenched his fist.
It doesn't hurt anymore.
He lowered his arm and leaned back against the box.
The room was quiet, but no one felt lonely.