After the plan was set, a dead silence fell over the quarry.
Natasha Romanoff was the first to move, her figure quickly disappearing behind the interlocking machinery and rock walls as she went to find a sniping point and an escape route.
When Lin Huai found Natasha, she was surveying the terrain atop a large rock.
"Take this." Lin Huai handed over a magazine; the bullets inside glinted with a silvery light in the dimness.
"What is this?" Natasha took it; it felt ice-cold to the touch, and a faint chill radiated from the bullets.
"Bullets specifically designed to deal with spiritual entities. Ordinary weapons can't harm Mephisto's avatar, but these can," Lin Huai explained. "The effect is limited, but they can buy a little time at a critical moment. Remember, there's only one chance."
Natasha nodded solemnly, tucked the magazine into her tactical belt, and turned back to continue her reconnaissance.
On the other side, Dr. Banner had deployed a portable workstation. Dozens of pale blue holographic screens surrounded him, displaying human physiological data and complex formulas. He needed to design a solution as quickly as possible to ensure that when Mephisto's soul entered the Marionette, Danny's body wouldn't collapse from the energy impact.
Johnny Blaze couldn't focus on work like Banner. He paced back and forth around his hell cycle, which had been repaired by Hellfire, the flames in his eye sockets flickering between bright and dim.
"Let's go, there's one more thing to do," Lin Huai's voice sounded behind him.
Johnny stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and asked hoarsely, "Where to?"
"To find a suitable skeleton for our actor." Lin Huai's tone was calm, but hearing it made a chill run down Johnny's spine.
***
Half an hour later, the jeep pulled up outside a bar in a nearby small town.
Lin Huai sat in the car with his eyes closed, his fingers rhythmically tapping his knee. Johnny leaned against the car door, smoking in silence, the smoke obscuring his expression.
"Found them." Lin Huai opened his eyes and pointed toward a dark corner in the alley behind the bar. "Two human traffickers. They have at least a dozen innocent children's lives on their hands. In an hour, they'll be conducting their next transaction here."
After hearing this, Johnny threw the half-smoked cigarette onto the ground, crushed it with the tip of his boot, and walked into the pitch-black alley that reeked of decay without a word.
Lin Huai sat in the car, listening quietly.
A few minutes later, the crisp sound of bones breaking and a muffled groan of pain came from the alley, followed by complete silence.
Johnny walked out expressionless, carrying a man over his shoulder. The man's limbs were twisted at bizarre angles, and he had already lost consciousness. He opened the jeep's trunk and tossed the man inside with a dull thud.
Back at the quarry, Johnny threw the half-dead man onto the open ground and then walked alone to the farthest corner, sitting down against the cold rock wall and burying his head deep in his arms.
Lin Huai walked over to the man and crouched down.
He extended his right hand, and invisible Spirit Thread spread out from his fingertips, silently connecting to the trafficker.
The next second, the trafficker's body began to twitch slightly. The painful expression on his face slowly vanished, replaced by a dull, numb look as his eyes lost all luster. The resisting will and memories within his soul were being erased and extracted bit by bit by Lin Huai.
A few minutes later, the trafficker slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was hollow and lacked focus; he had already become Lin Huai's Marionette.
"A good skeleton also needs a sweet enough soul to fill it," Lin Huai muttered to himself as he looked at the Marionette.
He walked to the side, preparing to take out his phone to contact Kamar-Taj, when an orange-red spark portal suddenly opened in front of him.
Mage Russell walked out with a serious expression. He was solemnly holding an ancient scroll wrapped in Holy Light runes, which radiated a divine aura.
"Mr. Lin, this is the original zarathos contract." Russell's tone was grave. "The Sorcerer Supreme said this is what you need. She believes you will succeed."
Lin Huai solemnly took the scroll. The power recorded on it caused even him to feel a surge of palpitations. "I understand."
"The Sorcerer Supreme already knows your plan, and she and Ms. Arianna will assist you," Russell continued. "She has already revealed the news of Mephisto's impending descent to Earth with his origin through Astral Projection to several Dimensional Lords who hold a grudge against him. The Sorcerer Supreme visited them personally, so you can rest assured."
"Thank the Sorcerer Supreme for me."
Russell nodded, gave Lin Huai a deep look, and turned to disappear into the portal.
***
Late at night, the cold wind howled, kicking up dust from the ground.
Johnny Blaze stood guard alone outside the container housing Nadia and her son, motionless.
Just then, the container door was quietly pushed open a crack, and Danny poked his small head out. He didn't seem to fear the man radiating the scent of sulfur at all; his innocent big eyes were full of curiosity.
"Uncle, are you cold?" the boy asked softly, his voice so tender it seemed to scatter in the wind.
Johnny's body stiffened for a moment, but he didn't answer. He didn't know how to speak to a child, especially this one whom he both had to protect and was forced to use.
Danny hesitated for a moment but still walked out from behind the door. His small body shivered slightly in the cold wind, but he carefully held a cup in his arms. He walked up to Johnny and held the cup of steaming water up toward him.
"Mom says if you drink hot water, you won't be cold anymore."
Johnny looked down at the cup of water steaming in the cold wind, the surface reflecting his face which was occasionally sparking with fire. He looked at Danny's clear eyes again, which held only simple concern. In this moment, he remained silent for a long time.
He reached out his hand, but as he was about to touch the cup, it trembled slightly.
Danny seemed to see his hesitation and pushed it forward a bit more, his small face full of earnestness.
Finally, Johnny took the cup of water.
A warm sensation traveled from his rough palm, up his arm, and straight into his heart.
"...Thank you." He heard his own hoarse, dry voice.
Danny didn't say anything; he just smiled at him and then scurried back into the container.
In the distance, Banner and Natasha watched this scene quietly without making a sound.
Banner saw Nadia poke her head out from the door crack, looking outside nervously. After thinking for a moment, he took a clean, thick coat from his backpack, walked over, and gently handed it to the woman.
Nadia was stunned for a moment. Looking at this tall man who had once transformed into a green Monster, her gaze was a bit evasive, but she still took it.
"Thank you." Her voice was very soft, carrying a raspiness from crying.
"Protect him well." Banner said only this one sentence before turning to leave.
Natasha took everything in, a ripple of emotion flashing through her emerald eyes.
Lin Huai stood at the highest point of the quarry, overlooking everything happening below.
Johnny was silently drinking water, Banner had handed the coat to the woman, and Natasha was vigilantly patrolling in the Darkness.
He looked again at the Marionette in the distance, placed at the center of the ritual, looking exactly like Danny.
The actors and props were all ready.