Steel lifted his head, leveling a look steely enough to match his chosen name. "Dustin is dead. That person you say you knew died years ago and the only person who's left is me, Steel." Even if he did remember the things he'd lost, he didn't think he'd get that person back. Too long in the army listening to orders and seeing too many people die and just walking away. He was a spy, not a soldier. He didn't pick his battles, just ran when he saw them coming. For a second, he slipped his eyes closed. Did Lee really think he didn't want to remember? Clenching a hand so tight that his nails cut his palms, he flashed his eyes open again.

"Do you want to know what I remembered just now? I remember looking out over that damn lake and seeing my home town burning to the ground. My parents are dead. I joined the army because my brother has stars and stripes imprinted on his brain, and I'd be dead too if I wasn't stupid enough to follow in his footsteps!" Steel snapped. "Of course I want to remember happier things than that!" The anger sapped out of him as quickly as it had come. He sagged, hanging his head. "I'm trying to trust you, but it's just not in my nature anymore. I don't know if it ever was."