"Highball!" A gruff voice shot from across the tarmac. "What to explain why the hell my personal aviation suit is [i]green[/i]?"

"It's called style, Mr. Stane, something you'd know nothing about judging by the Hugo Boss Large and in charge fit you're currently rocking." The pilot in the brown bomber jacket called back whilst obnoxiously smacking a was of white gum against his coffee-stained teeth. A pair of black aviators sat firmly on the bridge of his nose beneath slicked-back hair.

"It's Armani actually, and my personal stylist picked it out. Doesn't explain why the armour is green." Obadiah replied. "You can't just paint the suit on a whim, we'll need to get our engineers to look it back over, and make sure the paint didn't compromise any of the calculations. I can't lose to Stark just because my suit jockey had to customize his ride like a teenager with his first Honda Civic."

"You worry too much, it's just a little flair. I can fly circles around Captain Rhodes." Highball replied, "Though, I'd kill for another test flight. The suit responds like a dream."

"Tony is a hell of an inventor." Stane reluctantly agreed, "Boy's been like a son to me since Howard passed, but I'd never let him know that."

"Why?" Highball asked, "Afraid it'll over to his already inflated head,"

"It's easy to take potshots when you're not in the trenches isn't it, Jordan?" A third voice interjected as Stane and Highball turned to find Captain James Rhodes standing behind them

"You can't be seriously defended that blowhard?" Highball retorted, taking his glasses off to look at Rhodes. "Tony Stark builds a great machine, but you can't tell me he actually cares about the 'Metahuman' scare. It's just a way to make a profit. I'm happy to collect a paycheque kicking your tail in the Blue Yonder, but you can't deny this is all a vanity project for the 'Iron Man'."

"You're entitled to your opinion Major Jordan, but I believe in Tony Stark and I believe in Project War Machine. The American people deserve to feel safe and I intend to instill that sense of safety in them by proving the capabilities of this personal aviation suit. The American people won't have to look to the sky and hope for a 'Superman' to save them, they'll know who is coming and they'll have the confidence it being a homegrown, American-built solution." Rhodes responded, taking a couple of steps forward before clapping Highball on the shoulder.

"Plus, I'll be taking all in this competition."