The first target was a confirmed PRC ops base in the heart of the city. It was manned by mercs/operatives. I landed in broad daylight right in front of the target. I enabled the suit's voice enhancer. "Listen up communist scum. This is Iron Patriot. You're an enemy agency working on US soil. Your mortal end is about to occur..." At first they didn't come out. I took a few armored steps forward. I had the suit's nano bots replicate shoulder mounted missile launchers on each shoulder. "Don't test me!" They stayed hidden. The suit confirmed they were all enemies. I fired off one missile. It struck the side of the structure and blew away part of it and some of the shooters inside.

That did it.

They came out firing...five fired Rpgs all at the same time. They struck the suit head on but it barely shook it. The suit's AI could out anticipate the enemy to a high degree. "Last chance!" They fired more yet. So be it... I fired off a volley of missiles. They struck the front of the base at different key points at the fore of the target and obliterated it and the enemy with it. They screamed as they were blown to pieces or burned alive from the hellfire variant ordinance. The suit then formed compact mini guns on my upper arms and fired both together; the intense fire hosed down the base and killed more yet. It was loaded with enemy agents; more than I'd realized.

A handful tried to make it for their getaway car. I - the suit rather - let them get to it...before instinctively hitting it with two rockets. There was nothing left of them. The suit reported it was now forensically scanning over the mostly destroyed base. Even though much of it was gone the suit's sensors could still pick up forensic evidence most others couldn't. It further confirmed the PRC was indeed behind these and many other such places throughout the city and nation; and all were out to bring down Tony to pave the way for a full communist takeover. This was already happening throughout the homeland anyway from the domestic side; the commies were working with their green/jihadist allies to make it all happen.

The suit even found the mastermind behind it all from its solid forensic scans...the Mandarin. The Mandarin, Tony's Ares, was a top PRC operative in this reality. He'd been charged by Beijing to bring down America's top company and thus tank its economy. Tony/Mandarin were as yin/yang as brother and I were. Moreover, the Mandarin in this reality was magical too... He was a reincarnating demon from Chinese mythology that had been largely responsible for ending democracy in China and for backing Mao's bloody ascent. Taiwan, the "renegade province", was all that was left of the ROC. The Mandarin had wanted Taiwan forced into the fold long ago but he hadn't wanted to risk China's safety. If China was destroyed in any aggressive action communism would fail. Unlike other isms communism depended on the earthly; if it couldn't create its "utopia" it was a proven failure from the commie perspective (even though it was anyway no matter what! Go figure!). Thus Mandarin's hands were tied in that sense.

The suit sent the vital intel to Happy for his eyes directly. This hit alone had proven useful. Now it was time to build on it. I was back up into the sky again as responders came to deal with the Iron Patriot aftermath.