To counter the Lin Feng mode, Tony had conceived of it long ago, but due to Lin Feng's strength and their life-or-death camaraderie, he had set it aside.
It was only after Lin Feng handed him the Mind Stone that Tony revisited the plan.
However, despite calling it the Anti-Lin Feng mode, Tony harbored no apprehension towards Lin Feng.
Tony simply felt that calling it the Anti-Lin Feng mode best represented the mode's formidable power, with a greater degree of playful mockery involved.
Thor's hearty laughter echoed through the earpiece.
"Tony, aren't you afraid Lin Feng will beat you up for giving it that name?"
With Tony's support, Thor felt much more at ease, even capable of cracking jokes.
Tony rolled his eyes and said, "Spare me the talk. Hurry up and finish them off."
"Friday, mark the positions of all enemy ships!"
Too lazy to bicker with Thor, Tony intended to annihilate them all. They were targeting Earth and Lin Feng, after all.
What's more, Tony had already perused their ship's data logs; not a single one of them was a good person!
"Wait, what are they doing? Are they retreating?"
Tony, in the heat of battle, suddenly noticed the bounty hunters seemingly in agreement, rapidly returning to their ships.
"What's going on?" Thor was equally bewildered.
Were they really that pragmatic, to flee when outmatched?
However, their assumption was incorrect. Soon, the retreating bounty hunters reappeared.
This time, they were armed with peculiar-looking staffs.
Each staff was topped with a long, diamond-shaped crystal emitting an orange glow.
"What is that thing?" Tony amplified his view using his suit's functions for analysis.
"Sir, the energy readings are too high. Material analysis is impossible."
At the same time, Thor's voice chimed in, "Tony, be careful. I sense that those staffs they're holding are no simple matter..."
Thor had shed his earlier joviality, his tone grave.
As the Crown Prince of Asgard, he could sense threats to his life.
"I know!" Tony replied, a shiver running down his spine as he looked at the staffs, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
His intuition screamed that he must not let them touch him!
"Friday, increase propulsion energy allocation to fifty percent. Engage in ranged combat; do not get close to them!"
In the time it took for this exchange, the bounty hunters had rejoined the fray.
They discarded their previous weapons, charging directly at the duo with the staffs.
These were precisely the unique weapons from the Time Variance Authority that the bounty hunters had specifically requested upon accepting their mission.
These weapons possessed two primary functions:
Teleportation and the ability to obliterate and sever any life form they touched.
They operated akin to a computer mouse, effortlessly dragging life forms to the recycle bin to be pulverized.
Normally, these weapons were not lent to bounty hunters. The Time Variance Authority administrator's action was a severe violation.
Even if they succeeded in capturing Lin Feng this time, it would only be seen as rectifying their mistakes; the administrator would still face punishment.
Armed with these staffs, the bounty hunters became relentless, chasing Tony and Thor in a frenzy.
Behind the battlefield, the bearded leader watched with confusion.
"Do they know the weapon's capabilities?"
"They were fighting just fine, why did they run the moment they saw these staffs?"
Finding no answers, the leader bellowed over the public channel.
"Attention everyone, time is of the essence. Seize this opportunity to eliminate these two natives."
"Also, be careful not to damage the black ship."
Lin Feng's daughter was inside the black ship. If they accidentally eliminated her, their leverage would be gone!
The bounty hunters did not reply, but their charge towards the duo intensified.
On the battlefield, Thor narrowly dodged the approaching bounty hunters.
His flight capabilities were limited, and his speed was not particularly impressive. Each time, he narrowly avoided the staffs.
Meanwhile, Tony.
Fueled by the Mind Stone and with fifty percent of his energy diverted to propulsion, no one could keep up with him.
Tony kite-fought, counter-attacking with long-range weapons. While the bounty hunters couldn't apprehend Lin Feng, their numbers began to dwindle.
"This can't go on!" Tony's gaze flickered towards Thor's predicament, and he changed course, flying towards Thor.
This protracted struggle was unsustainable. His energy was virtually limitless, but Thor did not have infinite stamina.
Moreover, there were two young children behind him. If this continued, it would devolve into a war of attrition.
Tony directly connected to the Iron Legion's channel: "Lin Jili, Martina, return to Earth immediately! Now!"
These staffs were too bizarre. Tony genuinely feared touching them. The best course of action, as calculated, was for the two youngsters to return to Earth, and for him and Thor to retreat immediately.
He wasn't sure if these individuals would directly attack Earth, but retreating now was the best option.
Such is the battlefield, where fortunes shift in an instant. In a mere few minutes, a disadvantage turned into an advantage, only to revert back!
Inside the Iron Legion ship, Lin Jili frowned slightly. She observed the combat zone, understanding.
The battle was proving to be quite a stalemate!
"Perhaps I should just go and deal with them, no more games?" Lin Jili mused, tilting her head.
That staff was indeed peculiar, but Lin Jili had effortlessly analyzed its functions.
Indeed, this was no longer a time for playful sparring. Lin Jili felt that if she didn't intervene, her Uncle Tony and that strange burly man would be in grave danger!
At that moment, on the battlefield, Thor, momentarily distracted, missed one of the bounty hunters.
The staff darted directly towards him.
Thor froze.
"Death! I'm about to die!" was Thor's immediate sensation.
But the staff was already at his face, and Thor had no energy left to dodge!
"Thor!"
Tony roared, the armor on his arm snapping open. A streak of orange energy flashed across space, reaching Thor's position.
The orange energy formed a shield in front of Thor.
The moment the staff touched the energy shield, sparks flew.
In less than a second, the energy shield dissipated, but it bought Tony and Thor precious time.
Thor unleashed a bolt of lightning, repelling the attacker.
Meanwhile, Tony, his stingers flying, also reached Thor's side.
Without a word, Tony grabbed Thor and flew away.
The armor on his nanotech suit's forearm was emitting black smoke.
The energy shield he had just deployed had utilized the Mind Stone's energy, representing the highest level of defense he currently possessed.
Yet, this energy shield had shattered in under a second, making Tony even more apprehensive.
Furthermore, due to the energy overload, the forearm armor was damaged, rendering him unable to employ that defensive measure again.