[Yeeeeaaaaaaah that's not even the worst of what happened. But Tony's just glancing up, taking in the other man's face and letting his lips twitch up in response.]

Yeah, wasn't just gonna leave it there, don't worry. [Still, as he shifts a little, as he delves into his memories a bit more, picks through what happened and what he wants to tell Charles... it's almost as if the memories themselves make his headache worse, cause a throbbing itch of pain between his eyes, a discomfort bleeding down to his chest, curling tight just to the side of his arc reactor.

At the very least, with that metal sitting heavy in his chest, he doesn't have to worry about the phantom fear of heart failure.]

I was dying. Heart failure. Probably would have died in a few days anyway, so instead I got a bounty on my head and gave it to someone who needed it.

[And since Charles has his file, knows his past... it should go without saying just how close to home that story hits.

Palladium poisoning. Dead within months. Making sure everyone else was set and taken care of while Tony drove himself into the ground, ruined his image and took care of it all.]