[ actually iron man stories are pretty sad, now that he's thinking about it. time to think fast. ]
That's because he is. I... am. [ yeah that. he sighs, selecting a tale to relay to leo. ] I guess I should start at the beginning.
[ he'd never really told this story from the outside so it should be quite an exercise for him. ]
I was in Afghanistan, demonstrating a weapon. That's what I used to do. I built... weapons. For the military, mainly. And I was showing them the Jericho Missile. Which is all delightfully ironic for what happened next.
[ tony swallows, conceding that at least he isn't thinking about the water. ] I was blown up in all the confusion and I woke up -- in a cave, strapped to a car battery. They told me I had to build the Jericho for them or I would die. I opted for Option C.
I was stuck there with a man named Yinsen, he was the one who saved me. And he'd do it again, once we set our plan in motion. I used the palladium needed for the missile to build a reactor in my chest instead. [ leo's already seen that, so he moves on quickly. ] After three months, our plan came together. We built a suit with the materials our captors gave us, and I... I blew my way out of the cave.
[ yinsen didn't make it, but he would mention his name to anyone who would listen. ] My best friend, Rhodey, he found me and brought me home. Ever since then, we've been Iron Man and War Machine. [ the suit and i are one. he looks over at leo to see how he's faring. ]