The air inside the cabin was so dry it made his throat parched, and the roar of the engines sounded like a tireless Beast growling in his ears. Ye Mo pulled his hoodie down low, covering most of his face, leaving only his eyes staring at the darkening skyline outside the window. The flight from New York to southern Africa hadn't been easy; there were three layovers, and each security check felt like walking a tightrope. He adjusted his posture; the knees of his work pants were wrinkled from being hunched over for so long, and his sneakers made a soft thud on the metal floor.
Emma Frost sat opposite him, holding what looked like a travel guidebook, but her gaze wasn't on the pages. As Mutants, her sensitivity to her environment far surpassed that of ordinary people. At this moment, she was slightly squinting, seemingly sensing the emotional fluctuations of the passengers around her in some way. These travelers from all over the world—some anxious, some excited, some exhausted—surged in like a tide, yet she carefully kept them at bay.
"Forty minutes until landing." Ye Mo broke the silence, his voice low, audible only to the two of them, "The signal jamming here is stronger than expected; cell phones are practically bricks by now."
Emma Frost closed the book, her fingertips lightly tapping the cover. "I know. From the moment we entered their airspace, I felt a... sticky sensation. Not humidity, but a mental oppression. Someone here is deliberately interfering with our senses."
Ye Mo nodded without asking further questions. Although the system notification didn't sound, the " Gene Spiral Tower " in his mind was trembling slightly. It felt like countless tiny needles were probing the boundaries of his consciousness, trying to find a loophole. This was an instinctive reaction, but also a danger signal.
The plane began its descent, shaking violently a few times. Through the window, one could see a vast expanse of red earth below, with sparse shrubs like scattered withered grass dotting the rolling hills. On the distant horizon, several huge mine pits stood out like scars etched into the earth, their black soil exposed and particularly jarring.
This is Ulysses Klaue's territory.
The hatch opened, and a wave of heat rushed out. The Africa night wind, carrying the scent of dust and wildness, stung his face. Ye Mo took a deep breath, suppressing his discomfort with the humid climate. He stood up, straightened his collar, and glanced at Emma Frost. Emma Frost had changed into a dark tactical uniform, her hair tied back, looking capable and aloof.
"Remember the rules," Ye Mo said in a low voice, "Don't initiate contact, don't reveal your identity. If you are discovered, retreat immediately, don't linger in battle."
Emma Frost nodded, her eyes calm and serene. "Understood. Telepathy will be used as radar; I'll mark all areas with abnormal heart rates. You'll be responsible for physical concealment."
The two mingled with the disembarking passengers, walking along the boarding bridge towards the exit. Instead of choosing the regular immigration channel, they left the airport through a secluded maintenance passage. This route, though rudimentary, was well-prepared by the resistance organization and provided sufficient concealment.
The night outside was dark, the moonlight obscured by thick clouds, and all around was pitch black. Ye Mo activated the passive perception mode of the " Gene Spiral Tower " and scanned the surrounding environment. A faint smell of sulfur permeated the air, the unique energy residue of Vibranium. This smell was very faint, and no one who had not undergone special training could detect it at all.
They avoided the main road, moving along the shady areas with dense vegetation. The soil underfoot was soft, and they had to be careful with every step to avoid making a sound. Ye Mo's steps were very light, as silent as a cat's. Relying on his years of survival experience, he chose the most concealed path, bypassing several obvious patrol posts.
Emma Frost walked ahead, her fingers lightly tracing the roadside grass, sensing the subtle energy fluctuations in the air. Suddenly, she stopped and raised her hand to signal Ye Mo to stop.
"There's movement." Emma Frost's voice was almost inaudible. "Two hundred meters to the left, there are two heartbeats. The frequency is fast, and they seem tense. It could be mercenaries."
Ye Mo looked in the direction she was pointing and sure enough, he saw two dark figures moving among the trees in the distance. They were wearing camouflage uniforms and holding powerful flashlights, the beams of light sweeping across the tree trunks.
"Go around it." Ye Mo gestured.
The two changed direction and proceeded along a dry riverbed. The riverbed was overgrown with thorns, which tore their trouser legs and scratched their skin, but they did not stop for a moment. Sweat streamed down their foreheads and dripped into their eyes, causing a stinging sensation, but neither of them reached out to wipe it away.
Finally, they arrived at the rear of an abandoned observation post. The terrain here was high, offering a view of the valley below. Ye Mo lay prone behind a rock, peering down through a crack.
The sight before him made him frown.
What was initially thought to be just an ordinary armed group turned out to be a heavily fortified military base. Barbed wire, searchlights, and surveillance cameras densely covered the entire camp. Even more surprisingly, the camp had no artificial lighting, relying entirely on infrared night vision equipment. Everything was shrouded in an eerie, ghostly green glow.
"This isn't right," Ye Mo said in a low voice. " Klaue is a businessman, not a soldier. He doesn't need to make such a big fuss."
Emma Frost closed her eyes, projecting her mental energy to detect the psychological states of the guards within the camp. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes, her expression turning serious. "It's not just mercenaries. I sense the auras of at least three high-level ability users. Their mental fluctuations are very strong, and... they're filled with killing intent."
Ye Mo's heart sank. It seemed the intelligence was wrong, or rather, the person behind Klaue was more powerful than he had imagined.
Just then, several figures appeared near some containers in the center of the camp. They were wearing protective suits and moved quickly and stealthily, carrying something. There was no conversation around them, only the low-frequency noise of machinery, like some kind of large generator in operation.
"They're moving supplies," Ye Mo observed the details. "And they're being extremely cautious, as if afraid of making the slightest sound. This means what's inside is priceless, or... extremely dangerous."
Emma Frost turned to look at Ye Mo: "Should we make a move?"
Ye Mo shook his head, his gaze fixed on the containers. "No rush. Rushing in now would play right into their hands. That 'hunter is in position' warning wasn't a joke. Since they've laid a trap, they're definitely waiting for us to walk right into it."
He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to act immediately. The mysterious text message he had received earlier, as well as the warnings from Tony Stark and Black Widow, flashed through his mind. All of this told him: this was an elaborate trap.
"Observe first," Ye Mo said. "Record the guard shift changes and figure out the flow of supplies. We need more information to find the best time to intervene."
Emma Frost nodded, readjusted her posture, and extended her mental energy to the perimeter of the camp, establishing an invisible early warning network. The two of them lay prone behind the rocks, like two statues, blending into the surrounding darkness.
The night wind howled, fluttering the hems of their clothes. The distant camp remained silent, but the oppressive atmosphere grew stronger. Ye Mo knew that a storm was approaching. And he had to find a glimmer of hope in the eye of the storm.