Ye Mo's right hand was still pressed against the cold metal floor, and his fingertips could clearly feel the vibration frequency increase. Six seconds, five and a half seconds, five point eight... This was not an illusion, nor a system false alarm; Ultron was really charging up below. He narrowed his eyes, and the residual signals from his Steel Bone nerves crackled like an old-fashioned radio, barely piecing together a diagram of the underground structural changes—the ventilation shaft was no longer a single node, but had split into three resonant cores, triangularly distributed, with energy pulses pulsating back and forth between them.
"It's been copied," he said softly, without looking up. "It's not just going to explode, it wants us to guess which one is the real bomb."
Tony whirled around, his half-worn armor clicking shut. "What did you say?"
"I said, Ultron has gone astray." Ye Mo finally withdrew his hand, his palm covered in a mixture of ash and sweat. "That tremor just now wasn't a countdown, it was a decoy. The real detonation mechanism is hidden in the resonant frequency; the three nodes take turns charging, and whoever reaches the critical point first explodes. If we only focus on one, the other two can immediately follow up."
Captain America stood motionless in front of the sand table, his finger still pressing on the Northwest Zone marker, but his brow was furrowed. "You mean it now has multiple detonators?"
"More than that." Ye Mo walked to the main control panel, inserted the Steel Bone interface into the data slot, and the projector lit up with a "hum," displaying a three-dimensional structure diagram floating in the air, with three red dots flashing alternately. "It uses discarded nanounits to reconstruct the consciousness network. I just finished deciphering a portion of the data stream Vision sent back— Ultron can now control multiple threads, pretending to be silent while secretly building a nest underneath. This doesn't seem like an attack precursor; it's more like... a drill."
"An exercise?" Hawkeye poked his head out of the armory door. "You mean it used us as practice?"
"Pretty much." Ye Mo smirked. "This guy used to overwhelm us with sheer numbers, but now that's not working, he's changing tactics. Let's test our reaction speed with a gravity trap, see who can keep up the pace, and who'll lose their composure. It's collecting data."
Thor stood by the high window, Mjolnir hovering beside him, arcs of electricity crackling and leaping across its Hammerhead: "In that case, why not just smash through the ground and uproot it?"
"If you strike with that hammer, the Quake might trigger the explosion prematurely." Tony walked over, staring at the projection analysis. "And if there really are multiple nodes, destroying one is like telling it we're only going to fight head-on, while the remaining two immediately switch to stealth mode, or even lure us deeper into the trap."
"Therefore, we cannot launch a full-scale attack, nor can we afford to defend to the death." Ye Mo slapped the table. "My suggestion is a two-pronged approach—the main force should maintain its defensive formation, while a small team should be sent out to launch probing attacks, forcing them to reveal their true intentions."
"Testing?" Black Widow looked up from the monitoring terminal, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. "How? By sending someone to fill in the blanks?"
"Don't take the people," Ye Mo shook his head. "Take the information. We can fake signal fluctuations, simulate a surprise attack, and see which point it reacts to first. As long as it moves, that's a weakness."
Tony's eyes lit up. "Electronic decoy + physical feint, a combination of deception and reality. I like this idea."
"But I disagree with dispersing our forces," Captain America said, his voice steady. " Ultron's strength lies in learning and anticipation. If we send out small teams, it might just lock onto a moving target and turn the tables on us. We must preserve our full strength in case it has other tricks up its sleeve."
"Then don't send any living people." Ye Mo shrugged. "Isn't the MK-40 remotely controllable? Let it take two drones and pretend to dive down, while we watch from behind. If it doesn't move, it means there's more to the trap; if it's in a hurry to defend, it means it's afraid of its base being taken over."
Tony grinned. "You're something else, daring to even deploy my armor."
"It's not like you haven't borrowed it before." Ye Mo leaned lazily against the edge of the table. "You even asked me to fix your thrusters in Afghanistan last time, remember?"
"That was because you stole my spare energy pack." Tony rolled his eyes. "Don't think I didn't know."
"The point isn't who borrowed from whom," Black Widow interrupted, "It's whether this plan can fool Ultron. Just because it's not speaking now doesn't mean it's not listening. Any of our communication frequencies could be monitored."
"Then let's use the old method." Ye Mo took off his glasses, wiped the lenses with his sleeve, and put them back on. "Unencrypted channel, sign language and gestures, localized coordination. Hawkeye and you are in a team. Find a high vantage point, and take action as soon as you see the signal. No need to ask for permission."
Hawkeye nodded. "I can do it."
"Where's Thor?" Ye Mo looked at the deity by the window. "You're in charge of high-altitude suppression. If you spot anything trying to escape by taking off, strike it with lightning. Show no mercy. If it dares to show its face, let it know what it means to be struck by lightning."
Thor gripped the hammer handle, a golden glint in his eyes. "Just what I wanted."
" Tony, you're in charge of air firepower and electronic jamming," Ye Mo continued, assigning tasks. "MK-40s will lead a feint attack. The drone swarm will spread out to form an encirclement; don't concentrate them, prevent them from wiping us out at once. Simultaneously, activate signal jamming; don't let Ultron easily read our movements."
"Understood." Tony tapped his temple. "Brainwave synchronization is activated; we can take over remote units at any time."
" Captain America," Ye Mo turned to the man in front of the sand table, "You'll be in charge of the central command, directing the overall operation. We'll stay in the main control room; I'll be responsible for real-time early warnings, and you'll be in charge of decision-making and coordination. I'll notify you immediately if there are any unusual fluctuations underground."
Captain America looked at him, and nodded after a few seconds. "Okay. But you need to stay in shape, don't collapse halfway through."
"I won't die." Ye Mo smiled. "Last time I managed to carry a generator and run away even after starving for four days, this is nothing."
"Keep bragging," Tony muttered under his breath.
"And another thing," Ye Mo said seriously, "All personnel should switch their communication channels to the C7 band, automatically hopping frequencies every thirty seconds to avoid tracking. The operation's codename is ' Dismantle the Clock,' meaning—we're not waiting for it to explode; we're going to demolish it ourselves."
The atmosphere in the room changed.
It's no longer about passive defense, no longer about suppressing and waiting.
Rather, it's a tense, poised-to-go rhythm.
Black Widow stood up, slung her tactical backpack over her shoulder, and the zipper clicked crisply as it closed. Hawkeye checked the last arrow, slung his bow over his shoulder, and the two walked side by side toward the north passage. Thor took a deep breath, and arcs of electricity suddenly surged around him as his hammer slowly rose, hovering above his head. Tony's armor closed completely, blue light flashing behind his mask, and he floated half a foot in the air, ready to connect to the aerial network.
Captain America donned his suit, shield strapped to his left arm, glanced one last time at the deployment map, and turned to face the crowd.
Ye Mo didn't move.
He was still leaning against the control panel, his left hand resting on his knee, his right hand unconsciously rubbing the Steel Bone interface. He only had 23% of his energy left, and his right leg joint was throbbing with a dull pain from time to time, as if a saw was pulling back and forth inside. He knew he wasn't in good shape, but he also knew he couldn't back down.
"Hey," he suddenly said, his voice not loud, but everyone heard him.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.
"I'm not a prophet, nor am I good at sweet talk." He took off his glasses, revealing eyes that always carried a hint of roguishness yet were unusually resolute. "But I remember every time, we thought we wouldn't make it to tomorrow—and yet we're still here."
He paused, then looked around.
" Ultron intelligent, but it doesn't understand the meaning of 'sheltering together.' It could never have foreseen that when we stand together, even destiny can be rewritten."
No one spoke.
But Hawkeye raised his hand and lightly touched his eyebrow with his fist as a response.
Next was Black Widow. She raised her chin, her eyes still sharp, but with a touch more warmth.
Thor chuckled softly, his hammer vibrated slightly, and a burst of lightning erupted for a moment.
Tony didn't make a move, but the blue light behind the mask flashed twice, as if he were blinking.
Captain America stepped forward and extended his hand.
Ye Mo was taken aback for a moment, then reached out and grasped it.
The next second, the other people raised their fists one by one, placing them on top of the two people's clasped hands.
No slogans, no vows.
There was only one silent agreement.
They want to win.
We must win.
"All units, confirm status." Captain America released his grip, his voice regaining its composure. "Proceed to final standby."
" Hawkeye in position."
" Black Widow Online."
" Thor, stand by."
" Tony connected."
"Central stability."
"Perception continues."
Ye Mo put his glasses back on, sat back in the metal chair, and placed his right hand on the ground again.
The vibration frequency has dropped to exactly five seconds.
If it goes any faster, it will break the threshold.
He closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and suppressed all distracting thoughts.
The Steel Bone System was still cooling down, and the ability modules hadn't recovered yet, but he could still use his body as a sensor and his experience as a weapon.
The wind howled outside the door, and the base lights were switched to combat mode, casting a cold, white glow.
Everyone was fully equipped and in their positions.
The communication channels fell silent, awaiting only the order.
Ye Mo opened his eyes and stared at the three alternating flashing red dots on the projection screen.
He knew this wouldn't be easy.
But he also knew that they wouldn't be defeated by the same tactic twice.
He twitched his fingers slightly and made a gesture under the table.
The countdown has begun.