In the empty corridors of Stark Tower, Rhodey strode quickly toward the laboratory doors, with another Black man following behind him. The two stopped together outside the lab.
Rhodey straightened his back and opened his eyes wide. After the scanner by the laboratory door swept his facial and iris data, the doors opened.
The moment they entered, they saw Stark, bare-chested, adjusting a new suit of armor. He had yet to remove the faceplate, making him look somewhat strange. When he saw Rhodey come in, he turned with his hands on his hips and said, "Oh, you're here. Look, I made a few upgrades to the new suit's power system. Not bad, right?"
After speaking, Stark removed the faceplate, tilted his body slightly, and glanced at the Black man behind Rhodey. Then he returned his gaze to Rhodey's face and asked, "Is this the new test pilot you found for me? He looks a bit like you. Are you two brothers?"
"That joke isn't funny at all." Rhodey shook his head. "But I know you have face blindness when it comes to race, so I won't hold it against you."
Then he patted the Black man on the back and said, "Sam Wilson, former member of a US Air Force parachute rescue special operations unit. He's retired now and currently lives in Washington."
Stark stared at Rhodey with utter disbelief. "I asked you to find me an armor test pilot, and you brought me a parachute rescue team member??!!"
"I think it was necessary." Rhodey spoke with great seriousness. He glanced at the armor beside Stark and said, "Over the last three days, you've crashed more than eighty times in every possible manner and posture. You've even surpassed the number of parachute jumps a rescue special operations unit makes at