"Sir, look up!"
A red highlight appeared in Tony's helmet, descending from the sky.
*CRASH!!!*
The indicator slammed down between the two combatants in an instant, creating a hole in the asphalt road and kicking up a cloud of dust that engulfed the area.
A figure could be faintly seen in the dust, it was Lin Feng, flying back to Earth at extreme speed.
"Lin?!" Tony Stark tentatively called out.
"Cough, cough..."
"Hi~ Tony."
Lin Feng, unharmed, waved away the dust and walked out of the crater.
He greeted Tony Stark with a hint of embarrassment.
It was his first time flying, and to save Tony, he had gone a bit too fast. He had wanted to emulate Tony's cool entrance with his armor, smashing into the ground, but his landing wasn't quite skillful. Still, it was no big deal; practice makes perfect, Lin Feng consoled himself.
"Wh-at the f***?" Tony said, syllable by syllable.
His gaze, a mix of surprise and trepidation, flickered between Lin Feng and the sky, finally settling on the large crater.
"Buddy! Did you just fall from space?"
"No, no, no," Lin Feng quickly shook his head in denial.
"More accurately, I flew down!"
"It's just my first time flying, a bit rusty," Lin Feng chuckled.
"Stop looking at the hole! It was just an accident, believe me!"
Lin Feng's words drew Tony's gaze back.
"Oh! Buddy, I don't even know what to say." Tony pointed a finger at Lin Feng.
"You are absolutely an alien!"
"No, I'm human!" Lin Feng retorted.
"What human can fly?" Tony shot back.
...The question left Lin Feng speechless.
Seeing them chatting as if no one else was around, Obadiah, standing by, grew restless.
*WHOOSH!*
With a mechanical roar, Obadiah raised his robotic arm and aimed it at Lin Feng.
"Hey! Kid with black hair!" Obadiah called out.
"Hm?" Lin Feng turned his head. "You calling me?"
"I don't care what your relationship with Tony Stark is, I'm giving you one minute to leave this place!" Obadiah's robotic arm deployed a missile, aiming at Lin Feng as a threat.
"You don't want to sacrifice yourself for this playboy, do you!"
Obadiah didn't fire the missile directly; the crater Lin Feng had made gave him pause.
He suspected Lin Feng was an unregistered mutant, and one with immense physical strength.
If Lin Feng could leave, that would be for the best. If not, Obadiah would have to test if Lin Feng could withstand a rocket launcher!
"Oh! I can't agree to that! Tony is my... friend!" Lin Feng said righteously.
*BOOM!* With a hiss, the missile, leaving a trail, accurately hit Lin Feng.
Seizing the initiative, the cunning Obadiah fired without hesitation, creating a massive "firework" in the air.
"Lin!" Tony cried out worriedly! In this situation, Lin Feng's simple words had magically brought them even closer.
But if Lin Feng were to die because of this, Tony felt he would live with immense guilt for a long time.
"Oh! I'm fine, Tony!"
From the dust, Lin Feng slowly walked out. To be honest, he had been startled by the rocket himself.
But the rocket felt like a tickle against his skin; its power was insufficient!
Lin Feng's lips curved upwards. The Man of Steel was truly useful!
Seeing Lin Feng completely unharmed, Tony and Obadiah's eyes widened.
Not only was his skin unbroken, but thanks to the biological field's protection, not even Lin Feng's clothes were scathed.
"What kind of monster are you!" Obadiah exclaimed, a mix of shock and anger.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!* Three more missiles hit Lin Feng in rapid succession.
"Are you trying to tickle me!" Lin Feng sneered dismissively, finding it rather boring.
Under the power of the Man of Steel, Obadiah's attacks seemed dull and childish.
"There's an old saying back home, 'It is impolite not to reciprocate,'" Lin Feng said, slightly crouching.
"You take a hit from me too!" As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Feng shot out and, with no finesse, punched the chest of Obadiah's mech!
*CRUNCH!* A massive impact sound echoed.
Giving Obadiah no time to react, the enormous mechanical body was sent flying instantly. Lin Feng's punch broke the sound barrier, sending Obadiah dozens of meters away, embedded in the ruins.
Poor Obadiah, before he could utter another defiant word, met his end.
Lin Feng disdainfully blew on his fist. "Is that all? Boring."
The Iron Man armor was no match for Lin Feng's fist. Perhaps only later models like the Mark 50 would last a few seconds against Lin Feng.
"Jarvis, did you see that?" Tony, who had been watching, asked. Lin Feng's punch was beyond his comprehension. Even a mutant wouldn't be this powerful, right?
This was far more powerful than the punch in the cave. Tony suspected that if Lin Feng had been this strong then, the entire mountain would have collapsed with one blow.
"I saw it, sir!" Jarvis replied.
"Mr. Lin Feng's punch just surpassed the speed of sound; it's almost unbelievable."
"Obadiah is dead, sir."
Jarvis quantified Lin Feng's punch and displayed the data. The blow had broken the sound barrier, and Obadiah had died undeniably from this attack.
"Whew..."
Tony let out a long breath and instructed, "Contact the logistics team to handle the scene, Jarvis."
The events of the past two days were too outrageous. Both Obadiah's betrayal and Lin Feng's immense power upon his return made Tony feel the need to process it all.
"Is my arc reactor still usable? I mean, that..." Tony pointed towards Obadiah's mech lying on the ground not far away.
"It's damaged, sir. Mr. Lin Feng's punch hit the area of the arc reactor directly."
"Alright," Tony said with a hint of exasperation. He would have to build another reactor.
"Hey! Tony, what do you think of that punch just now!" Lin Feng, feeling a bit listless after ending the fight with one punch, ran over to Tony, who was still in a daze.
"You're a monster, Lin!" Tony couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"But now's not the time to talk about that. We should leave. My people will handle the scene," Tony said.
"If we stay any longer, those annoying reporters will be swarming us."
"Okay, Tony. See you tomorrow then!" Lin Feng knew Tony needed rest after the battle and didn't linger. He prepared to fly back to his villa.
He also needed to go back and sort out his abilities and his future path.
"Wait! Lin, give me a ride back to the villa. And I have some questions for you!" Tony called out, stopping Lin Feng just as he was about to take off.
Before long, Lin Feng had flown Tony Stark back to the villa. Pepper was also on her way.
With Jarvis's assistance, Tony removed his armor and applied ice to his swollen head.
He poured another glass of whiskey and sat down opposite Lin Feng, who had been waiting.
"Hey! Tony, you're famous!"
Lin Feng, currently engrossed in watching the live news reports on the television, pointed at the screen and teased Tony as he sat down.
Tonight's battle had been quickly picked up by reporters as breaking news. Although Stark Industries' arc reactor hadn't been destroyed as in the original story, the reporters, like cats smelling fish, vied to report on the event, exaggerating it with each telling.
No one knew who had the audacity to film the scene, but the footage was clear and remarkably close.
The broadcast showed Stark, in his armor, fighting evenly with Obadiah. The reports had already made it to the evening news.
The speed of the internet allowed this information to dominate major forums and video sites.
"I've always been famous!" Tony Stark rolled his eyes and also looked at the television.
On the screen, Iron Man was gradually falling into a disadvantage. After all, Tony lacked combat experience, and with insufficient arc reactor energy, he couldn't gain an advantage against the larger mech.
Suddenly, the TV screen shifted, showing Lin Feng landing. His sonic-speed punch then caused the host to exclaim in surprise, sending waves of discussion and speculation among countless onlookers.
Everyone couldn't help but wonder if Lin Feng was a mutant.
Seeing this, Tony couldn't help but chuckle. He looked at Lin Feng teasingly. "Now you're famous too!"
Lin Feng was speechless. His face was clearly visible on the screen, and he looked somewhat embarrassed.
Why hadn't he remembered to find a cloth to cover his face!
He figured he had now entered the sight of Hydra and SHIELD. Many of his future plans might be difficult to execute.
Lin Feng felt a pang of annoyance, but he was unaware that SHIELD had already detected him the moment he entered outer space.
Still, it didn't matter. In the face of absolute power, all schemes were but fleeting shadows in the sunlight.
"Ding~ Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. You have received 100,000 reputation points and a set of Black Superman armor."
The system's voice chimed in, offering some consolation to Lin Feng.
Black Superman Armor: A Superman suit made of special materials, possessing unique technology for restoring stamina and healing injuries, while also enhancing the ability to absorb solar radiation.
Seeing the powerful armor, Lin Feng's mood instantly brightened. However, the rewards weren't limited to this.
"In this event, the host has gained 1.29 million reputation points, from the attention of ordinary citizens and the affirmation of the host's actions!" the system's melodious prompt announced.
Good heavens, that was more reputation points than the mission reward.
This time, it was a massive profit...