Hydra's Gaze

Ye Mo tapped his fingers on the edge of the bar, then tapped again, the rhythm a little off. He wasn't drinking; he was just watching the arc of the bartender's wrist as he poured ice. Tony was chatting with the other man about some special recipe, his voice light and cheerful, as if he genuinely considered it a normal celebration night.

But Ye Mo knew that wasn't the case.

From the moment I stepped through the door, the air felt off. It wasn't the smell or the temperature; it was an indescribable stillness—too quiet. Music was still playing, and people were still talking, but the emotions in certain corners seemed to have been paused.

He closed his eyes, his fingertips pressing against his temples. With a gentle push in his mind, a faint ripple spread outwards. Telepathy is non-aggressive, like a breeze sweeping through a crowd. Most people's thoughts are chaotic, filled with anxiety and excitement—perfectly normal. But the three points were an exception.

At the table by the window, there were two men in leather jackets and a man in a suit sitting in the corner drinking coffee. Their heartbeats were abnormally steady, their breathing rates were almost identical, and their minds were devoid of images or emotional fluctuations, like a pool of water with its sluice gates turned off.

Trained blockers.

Ye Mo opened his eyes, picked up his water glass, and took a sip. The water was lukewarm, without ice. He put down the glass and casually put his arm around Tony's shoulder. "You really have a lot of fans. Those two guys at the door were staring at you for several seconds."

Tony glanced back and laughed. "What, jealous? I'm an openly known person now, people will be watching me every day."

"I'm not jealous," Ye Mo said calmly. "I mean, the way they look at you isn't like they're fans."

Tony's smile faded slightly, and he didn't reply. He looked down and took out his phone, pretending to check a message, but actually using the screen's reflection to scan the doorway. Two seconds later, he swiped his thumb and quickly typed in a command.

Ye Mo didn't ask about the content. He knew Tony understood what "something's not right" meant.

The bartender brought over two glasses of amber liquid. Tony took one, smelled it, and said, "Hmm, not bad. Better than my armor fuel."

"Keep bragging." Ye Mo took his glass, didn't drink it, and put it aside. He suddenly raised his voice, "What time is the press conference tomorrow? Nine o'clock? Then you really need to go to bed early tonight, don't stay up late."

Tony paused for a moment, then realized what he meant and nodded, "Right, we need to conserve our energy; after all, the whole world is watching."

This sounds like a joke, but it's actually a smokescreen. They haven't scheduled a press conference for tomorrow at all.

After saying this, Ye Mo stood up and straightened his collar. The movement was natural, but as he folded the collar, he flicked his fingers lightly. A metal piece, not much larger than a grain of rice, slipped through his fingers and silently fell into the soil of a flowerpot beside the bar. It was the Vibranium Sense chip he had obtained from Black Panther earlier, capable of capturing high-frequency encrypted signal sources, with a maximum standby time of forty-eight hours.

Now, it's starting to work.

"Let's go?" Ye Mo patted Tony on the back.

"You're leaving already?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "You haven't even finished your drink."

You just said you needed to conserve your energy.

"Oh, right." Tony shrugged, downed the remaining half-glass of liquor in one gulp, and left the money on the bar. "I'll try their new recipe next time."

The two walked out. The two men in leather jackets at the door didn't move, not even raising their heads. As Ye Mo passed by, he caught a glimpse of an old scar on the web of one of their hands, shaped like a cross—one of the marks of low-level Hydra agents.

But he pretended not to see it.

Stepping outside, the night wind brushed against his face. The streetlights were on, and cars streamed by. Tony took out his car keys and unlocked it with two beeps.

He had just opened the passenger door when his phone vibrated. He glanced at it, his brow twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"What?" Ye Mo asked.

"It's nothing." Tony stuffed his phone into his coat pocket. "JARVIS reminded me there's a backup system that needs checking."

Ye Mo didn't press the matter further. He knew how Tony lied—his lips were pursed too tightly, and his eyes darted around just right.

The car started and drove away from the roadside. In the rearview mirror, the bar sign gradually shrank. Ye Mo leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. His consciousness sank into the Gene Spiral Tower, where the second level was slowly rotating. The "High-Speed Regeneration" path glowed faintly, like a wound slowly healing. This was an activation trace left from the previous battle, and his body and abilities were adapting to the new rhythm.

He didn't speak, and Tony didn't turn on any music.

The city lights flowed across the car window, alternating between red and green, like some kind of silent code.

After three intersections, Tony finally spoke, "Those three weren't on the security list."

"I know."

"The heat source signal lasted for six minutes and fourteen seconds, then the evacuation proceeded. The trajectory pointed towards the industrial area in the east of the city."

Ye Mo opened his eyes slightly. "You didn't tell me."

"I don't want to interrupt your acting." Tony's lips twitched slightly. "Your acting was pretty good when you said 'Go to bed early'."

"You cooperated quite well too."

"We're partners," Tony said calmly, but his grip on the steering wheel was a little tighter. "But this time is different. Before, it was a technology war—viruses, armor, production lines. Now it's covert surveillance; they show up without warning."

"Because they're afraid of you," Ye Mo said. "Revealing their identities is like tearing off their masks. Hydra prefers the shadows, but you've deliberately turned on the light."

Tony snorted. "So now I'm a target?"

"You're a living advertisement now," Ye Mo opened his eyes, "But they don't know there's someone behind you who doesn't speak."

"Mr. X?" Tony glanced at him sideways.

"I'm not a person, I'm a system bug."

"Then you're quite a troublesome bug."

A brief silence fell over the car. Streetlights swept by, illuminating the fluctuating numbers on the dashboard.

Ye Mo suddenly asked, "Why did you insist on making it public today?"

Tony paused for a few seconds. "Because I don't want anyone else to take the blame for me anymore. Obadiah my technology, Hydra wants to control my armor, and one day, someone might even wear my armor to kill people. If I don't stand up, who will define who Iron Man is?"

So you're building a monument for yourself?

"I'm drawing a line for the future." Tony stared ahead. "With great power comes great responsibility. That's not just for show."

Ye Mo remained silent. He knew Tony's words were simple, but every step he took was fraught with danger.

The car turned onto the main road and picked up speed slightly. In the distance, tall buildings stood tall, their neon lights flashing. Ye Mo's gaze fell on the taillights of a black van ahead. The van had already changed lanes twice, but its speed was slow, as if it was waiting for something.

He remained expressionless.

Tony suddenly slammed on the brakes to avoid a scooter that was cutting in front of him. The scooter swayed, and Ye Mo's elbow hit the window. In that instant, his fingertips unconsciously brushed against Tony's cuff.

A notification sounded in my head:

[High-intensity X-Gene residue detected, source: unknown individual contact material. Suggested fusion direction: Neural Shield + Thermal Vision]

Ye Mo abruptly withdrew his hand.

It's not Tony who has a problem.

It was that brief contact that allowed him to sense the trace biosignatures attached to the other person's clothes—from someone who had used mutant abilities.

Such residues are not usually found in ordinary people.

Unless... Tony has previously been in contact with people he shouldn't have.

Or, his clothes have been tampered with.

Ye Mo calmly withdrew his hand and leaned back in his seat. He didn't tell Tony about it. Now was not the time.

The car continued driving. The city remained bustling, and the streets remained brightly lit.

But some things have quietly changed.

Ye Mo closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking back into the Gene Spiral Tower. The light on the second floor was brighter than before, and the Metal Reconstruction trajectory began to heat up slightly.

He knew the storm was yet to come.

But it's already on its way.

The car headlights cut through the night, and a red light appeared ahead.

Tony released the accelerator, and the car slowly came to a stop.

Ye Mo opened his eyes and looked at the sidewalk on his right.

A man in a trench coat was walking by with his head down, carrying a briefcase.

His shadow was stretched long by the streetlights, casting a slanted shadow on the ground.

But on the ground, there were two shadows.