Steel didn't have a lot of reaction to what Lee told him. Cyanide sure sounded awful, probably painful. He wasn't sure though since he very much remembered how little attention he paid in school. Lee probably expected him to be upset about the news, but Steel had his reasons not to be. Right, he should say something about that.

"Uh...how should I say this?" Steel chuckled nervously as he ran a hand through his short hair. "I think I was sent here to kill you. Good thing we got that thing out because I would never. Actually, I told them that..." Steel couldn't keep the awkward smile on his face so he let it fall away. He wondered how they were supposed to know if he had killed Lee anyway, or anyone here. Sure they could watch until he got captured, but he hardly remembered he came here to kill Lee in the first place. Maybe the whole plan had ended as a fluke and with the thing out of his leg, it was all over with. He certainly hoped so. "I remembered a lot last night. The Americans want you dead because you're freakishly good at your job."

A sharp pain blossomed in the pit of Lee's stomach at the revelation. He grimaced and looked up, snorting in something that he couldn't tell was surprise or a sense of dread. "I guess I should feel something like... pride?" He shrugged, not really looking for Dustin to answer. "I mean... There are other torturers out there. I guess I'm the entirely best... the most disgusting, awful, sadistic, horrible person in China. And there's more than a billion people in this Godforsaken country. God... Out of one-eight of the population I'm the most effective at being a complete sadomasochist?" He shuddered hard. "Fuck me... I'm an awful person. It might have been a good idea to kill me, maybe."

Just hearing his thoughts actually confirmed---that he was the best, and there was no one else that could possibly live up to his methods---was more painful than he thought it might be. "I... have a meeting, Dustin. I'll... come back later. I've been thinking about how to get us out... And I will. Damned if I don't." He stood, stretched a bit, and tried to gather his composure as he walked away. If he looked at all out of the ordinary, it would be strange. It would bring up questions.

Steel narrowed his eyes through Lee's little rant. It was a little...he wasn't sure what to say to something like that. Lee obviously took the fact that he was good at his job harder than someone wanted him dead. Steel supposed he might as well if he were in the guy's shoes. But shouldn't it be disturbing that someone sent a brainwashed friend to kill you? Or to be that brainwashed friend? Because it definitely felt disturbing.

"You're not so bad....okay, whatever. Bye," Steel muttered after Lee who left far to quick for him to really respond. He doubted Lee said all that expecting a response anyway. At some point though, he'd have to tell Lee that he most definitely deserved to live. Loneliness set in quickly and Steel settled against a wall to close his eyes and wait without sleeping. At least his leg didn't hurt so much now, compared to the drama going on in his mind.

He didn't have to worry about walking as if he were completely normal; he did so anyway because his mind was in knots. So, someone wanted him dead because he was the best at what he did. The best in all of China. The Americans sent Dustin to kill him. Why Dustin? Why someone he'd loved? Why Dustin, damn it? He couldn't figure it out. Did they want Lee to suffer when Dustin killed him, having forgotten who Lee was? Did they want that knowledge that Lee had died trying to convince Dustin of who he was, what they'd been? That hurt. That hurt a lot. He sighed, rubbing his arms before stepping into the meeting tent. He had to focus now, he had to. And when he was in the white room, saw the white table, the white chairs, the white lights that glared at his dark eyes and made him blink a few times, it was as if the outside, an his turmoil, had been shut out. His general sat at the table with the guards.

"Lee, I'm glad to see you finally decide to join us." The older man spoke calmly, with a detached coldness. "Now, why have we come to meet this way?"

Lee sat, sighing and glaring at the two to the left of him. "General, I trust you know that these men are two of my own guards. Two guards who, with the assistance of others, keep my prisoners in check, and at my behest, force their bodies to betray their minds."

"Indeed I do, Lee. Are we going to get to a point?"

"Certainly, General, straight to the point. I have reason to believe that these men are wrongfully abusing prisoners against my direct and very clear orders. I overheard a conversation in which they describe beating a man for looking at them wrong and withholding food from a young woman that they felt had too much to eat per day already. Of course none of this was at my knowledge or agreement."

The middle-aged man turned his cold gaze on the two guards, who looked rather gaunt. "Men. Is this true? Do not lie to me, or the punishment will be more severe."

Lee almost smiled. Almost. He sat with a twitching lip as the men stumbled over explanations and decidedly let his mind drift to Dustin. They would get out. Maybe tonight. Maybe tomorrow. He would have to get into the control room, however.

The silence made it easy to think, or maybe it wasn't silence and he had just learned how to tune it all out. Steel needed to do a reevaluation of his life, now that he finally knew what his life was. He didn't think he was really 'Steel' anymore. That part of him still existed, but now he was starting to think that it was a fabrication someone had forced on him so he would be more useful. He was Dustin and he should probably start thinking of himself as that person again. He wasn't a killer and never had been even if he killed people, because he didn't enjoy it. He wasn't that happy kid anymore, but he was still Dustin. A soft sigh escaped his lips which twitched into the smallest of smiles. Lee would probably be happy. At least now if they did escape, it would be as Lee and Dustin. No more lies or masks. They would do this together.

Their fumbling excuses had been silenced by Lee, who was tired of hearing it. "General, I will not accept this... this mutiny among my guards. I will not accept that there are those that will go against me and will do as they please as they hear my commands. I would request these two to be released from my command and done away with, at least for me."

The man nodded, and the guards looked between them as if their death certificates were being signed right in front of them. Lee glared their way, gritting his teeth in whatever anger he could feign in the moment. Of course, part of it was real. He didn't like being disobeyed when these men were supposed to obey. "Very well." The general stood and Lee did the same immediately. "I will send in my orders tomorrow, at first light. Lee, would you like two new guards to be---?"

"No, sir. I can handle my prisoners as they are. Even with the new additions I am still very well stocked with trustworthy men and women."

The general nodded simply. "Very good then. You are dismissed. I will deal with these two on a personal basis."

Lee was glad his word could be taken so solidly. He nodded, leaving the tent and looking up at the sky. It was beginning to grow twilight. If he wanted to get Dustin out, he had to do it by nightfall. He would have to talk to the man, though. There was still a lot Dustin didn't know about their past and that was still frustrating Lee, but he couldn't spill it all out in the vague hope that he would suddenly have it all click into place. He sighed, going back to the underground prison.

It was strange, but the cell felt small not because of how it cramped Dustin, but because his head was so cramped with thoughts that it made the space seem small. He wondered exactly what sort of plans Lee had for escaping. When? How? It was great and all that Lee had some serious power in this prison, but Dustin had less faith in his self. How could he when he couldn't even remember the last time he had a decent meal and then there was his leg which hadn't exactly healed overnight. He clung to Lee's promise to get them out though. He clung to it with ridiculous desperation.

Dustin stretched his leg out and then tried putting his weight on it. It hurt, but it wasn't like the cut was intended to maim him. He wouldn't be jumping hurdles anytime soon, but he could walk, probably run too, with a little help from his stubborn mind. After hobbling for a bit, he dropped back to the ground. It sucked that he didn't have anything to do. He wanted to be helpful, but the most helpful thing he could do was rest, even if he didn't feel like sleeping considering that was all he ever did. At least his eyes though, he could let those rest.

He stopped by the pantry on his way. They called it a pantry, but in reality it was a hovel dug out where one could stand in, and shelves had been installed to hold food and bottles of water. Lee grabbed a bottle and a pack of fruit and granola baggies and stepped out, locking up the room with one of his many keys. He kept forgetting that Dustin was hurt. That he'd been cut, by Lee, to get that strange chip out of him. How well could he run? Or even walk? If Lee took some generic painkillers from the pharmacy, Dustin would be able to handle it well enough. He would have to take some medical supplies too. That would have to be a quick midnight raid, for certain.

He sighed, and dropped his train of thought as he approached Dustin's cell, crouching and sliding the water and baggies under the rectangle. "Hey, got you some food and water... And I got some news... I don't know how good it is yet, but I'm hoping you'll be able to get around on that leg really soon... Like... within hours...?" He winced. Hours. Hours after ripping a mysterious chip from his leg.

Dustin raised an eyebrow at Lee as he approached the cell. He quickly snatched up the water and food and pulled them close to him though. He'd just been thinking about food and walking. Maybe they were on the same wave length for some reason. Dustin tried his best smile which came off as somewhat annoyed looking. "Hours? What exactly have you got planned? I mean...you have planned this right?" he asked because it was obvious why Lee asked about his leg. He let out a sigh, trying not to pout as he did so. He stretched out his leg again, then patted it as if to reassure himself as well as Lee.

"It's not so bad. I do hope your plan involves walking, not climbing over walls though." He winced just thinking about jumping down from on top of even a low wall. Yeah, that would not be a pretty sight. He seriously hoped Lee knew what he was doing, but it wasn't like Dustin would even want to rely on anyone else.

"I have a plan." Lee nodded quickly. "It'll just... have to take place very quickly... I'll handle the most of it but you won't have to do anything harder than a quick sprint here and there. I've done a lot of surveying, so I know this countryside like the back of my hand. There's a weak spot in the fence behind the control room, I'll be able to cut the wires holding it closed and tie it back."

He bit his lip, glancing around. "Damn... I won't be able to get everyone out, though... I'll barely have time to get supplies from the pharmacy or pantry." He had to collect his bag and empty it of needless things. "I'll get you painkillers that don't have drowsiness effects, it'll at least take away the dull ache in your leg since you'll be using it a lot. Later this evening I'll freeze the security cameras so they won't catch us, and we'll get out the secondary entrance." He put his head against the bars. "Now... Now that the... whatever that thing is... is out of your leg, maybe you'll be able to remember things... It might have been suppressing memories somehow." He was hoping. Desperately hoping. Wishing, almost.

So soon...He supposed he should be happy that escape was imminent, but it brought it's own anxieties. Other than the possibility that they could be caught and killed before he got a chance to remember everything, Dustin also feared what life would be like outside of this place. Where to go from here? He shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking like that so soon. He lived just fine before he got captured so he would live just fine after, even if it would be different and not alone.

He offered Lee a soft smile. "You've already done so much. Don't feel guilty because you can't help everyone." He really hoped that Lee was right and he'd start remembering things easier now. He hadn't tried to do much remembering yet, so he wasn't sure. Nodding his head, he pushed those thoughts aside. "Don't worry, I'll be ready when you are."

Lee nodded slowly, thinking hard. If he were gone, and another prisoner were gone, the others would be left alone. If he tossed their cell keys into their cells, or at least the whole keychain into a cell, they'd be able to get out on their own. He knew he shouldn't feel guilty about leaving them, but what else could he do? He tormented them mentally and physically, and now he would leave them to the mercy of his superiors? The least he could do was give them some kind of fighting shot.

"Yeah... Good, that's good. I'll be here sometime between midnight and three, that's when the lull in activity is the greatest... Hide those bags in the wall so no guards see them. Try to sleep until then, eh?" He stood, stretched and ran a hand through his hair, loosening it out of its ponytail. "See you soon..." He moved away, down the hall, and closed himself back in his office. Soon he would be out, with Dustin, trying to get him to remember who he and Lee had been before Lee had said goodbye. That was one of the hardest things to deal with---Dustin not remembering their last day together before an ocean and multiple countries separated them, presumably forever. He sighed, pulling a duffel bag from under his desk and emptying the old, errant papers and pencils from the bottom. He would have to sleep, too, and eat before then. Glancing at his watch, he stuffed the bag under his desk again and hurried out of his office to join the early dinner rush above ground.

"Bye," he whispered in response, already too late for Lee to hear. Nodding, Dustin kept his eyes on Lee until he disappeared from sight. He pulled away from the cell bars and ate some of the granola before hiding the baggies behind him. He stretched out as well he could and decided that sleep wasn't a bad idea. Tiredness crept up on him quick, though he hadn't realized he was tired until now. Less than a minute after he lay down, he fell asleep.

Life probably wouldn't be much easier from here, but he hoped he was at least on the right path now. When Dustin dreamed, he dreamed of a self from not long before the war began. He was watching something in the distance and it brought great sadness to him, but at the same time, he felt relieved. He watched without moving though he was sure something was leaving him. Maybe it was because he now knew that thing wouldn't be gone forever. That's why Dustin slept peacefully.

He ate a sandwich outside the tent quickly, barely tasting any of the dry meat or half-stale bread. But food was food, and it wouldn't do well to work, or think, on an empty stomach. He dusted his hands on his shirt and stepped away from the tent, slipping behind the nearest dwelling, nearly breaking out into a sprint as he dodged toward the control room. What he didn't need was someone seeing him, and with most people either in the mess hall or complaining about their awful shift because they had to wait for a relief, no one would really be paying attention to the door or inside the control room. In the falling twilight Lee slipped through the door and breathed a sigh of relief to see that he was the only one in the room. Buzzing towers stood underneath a long desk of large monitors. He bypassed the first, the second, then the third tower and quickly fell to his knees, pulling out his multi-tool and detaching the small flashlight.

He had to work fast but make sure it wouldn't be fixed if it was found out. Unscrewing the side panel, he sought out the blue and black wires that were twined together. He used the blade to shave off bits and pieces of the outside, then slice through the interior. It would look like a rat got to it if anything. And rats could easily squeeze into the hand-sized hole near the back of the towers. He glanced up at the monitors and smiled. They had frozen, he could tell by the single bird in the topmost corner of the southeast survey camera 4 that was frozen mid-flight. It would be overlooked easily.

Sighing, Lee stood and pocketed his multi-tool and slipped out of the room. There was one step done. He slipped away from the control room and sat on a randomly placed chair outside the medic's tent. What else to take care of? He had to get some guns. Right, of course. He would take some from his guards' lockers. They were always loaded and there were boxes of extra ammunition and cleaning kits in the storage room just next door to the locker rooms. He put his hand to his forehead, staring at the ground. So much could go wrong...

Dustin slept for a number of hours without much trouble. When he woke, he had to guess, but he figured it was late into the night around when Lee said he would come for him. The normal noise of the prison had turned to the near silence that came with the late hour. He pulled out the baggies again to finish eating the food. It felt good to eat something reminiscent of a meal again. Hopefully being a fugitive would be an improvement over prison. Although he almost doubted it. He still had so much more to figure out.

After a little longer of waiting, Dustin finished eating the food in time to hear someone's footsteps in the hall. Probably Lee. He pulled himself to his feet in readiness, ignoring the way his leg felt stiff. A couple shakes and it'd probably be better.

He passed Dustin's cell several times on his way to get the necessary equipment. Going by once, he paused to lean against the bars and study the sleeping figure, hoping in too many ways that he'd begin to remember. Just a little at a time. Just a bit of his memory, maybe some regarding Lee. It might have been selfish but he wanted Dustin back. He had to tear himself away to retrieve the necessary items from the dark medical room. Various syringes and a small packet of replacement needles so they syringes could be used again with clean needles. Several bottles of painkillers. Penicillin in case of an infection. Rubbing alcohol, gauze, medical tape and a two splints in case of a broken bone or twisted limb. He shoved it all into a small bag and slipped back to his office, carefully stowing it all into the larger bag. Then as the guards changed shifts he slipped into the locker rooms with his bag and easily found the weapons rack, a key to which he had. He pulled a few handguns out, and some larger shotguns and two rifles. Then he slipped extra ammunition into one of the outer pouches and hefted the bag back to his office, where he'd filled some water bottles. He stuffed them into the main compartment and carried it along, out of the underground and to the broken part of the fence.

When he came back down, Lee paused. "What do you think you're doing?" His voice was low as it addressed one of his guards, who had stopped outside Dustin's cell. The man startled, but tried to put on a brave face.

"Excuse me." He said quickly. "I just think you're taking special consideration to this one..." He thumbed Dustin's direction, and Lee glowered.

"Do you, now?" He narrowed his eyes, stepping forward. "And you want me to give others, those that have been here longer, those that have nothing else to give, more attention than this one? You want me to not give him the same treatment I've given the others? You want this American to keep his information all to himself?"

The guard was faltering, looking from Lee and glaring at Dustin. "Well?" Lee snapped harshly.

Unfortunately for Dustin, it wasn't Lee who approached the cell at first. The guard must have seen the hopeful expression on Dustin's face because he stopped and he got a weird look in his eyes. The look didn't even seem human, or at least not the sort of look you'd expect from someone with a human heart. Dustin pulled back, but thankfully before either of them had a chance to say anything, Lee walked up. Trying not to look relieved, Dustin watched the tense conversation between Lee and the guard.

After ten long seconds of silence, the guard finally answered. "O-of course, sir. I'll leave you to your job," he muttered before making a quick exit, despite the reluctance in his voice.

Dustin finally let out the sigh of breath he'd been holding in. "It's a good thing we're getting the hell out of here because that guy sounded seriously suspicious," he grinned.

Lee let out a harsh breath and shook his head. "God..." He sighed, slipping his keys off his belt. "Damn good thing we're getting out right now, is more like it." He looked left and right and unlocked the cell door. "All right, look..." He slipped the door aside slowly so it didn't creak. "I have the bag hidden up by the hole in the gate. We just grab it and run. It's got guns, painkillers, antibiotics, patches for wounds, alcohol for disinfectant, and extra ammo. Better safe than sorry and all." He pulled Dustin out of the cell and closed it up. "We have to be careful. There's a back exit out of here and it avoids the main areas and floodlights, but we can still be seen easily."

He prodded Dustin to walk ahead of him, and tossed the keys into a random occupied cell. The person was half-awake, but noticed the keys when they hit the dust. Lee passed by without looking in, and pulled Dustin to a stop outside a metal door. "C'mon, up here. It's a low hall so you'll have to duck down a bit." It was basically a crawlspace between the surface and the cells downstairs, and Lee stepped in, closing it tightly behind them.

Dustin stepped out of the cell and looked around himself just to be sure. He walked quickly without breaking into a panicked run, though he did want to just run. When they came to the door, he stepped inside and had to hunch over to keep walking. "Damn, were you a boy scout when you were a kid? You sure know how to be prepared," he said with a slight chuckle. Who knew, maybe Lee had been a boy scout. He shuffled along as quick as he could, still worried that they would be caught before they even got out. The thought of that was seriously making him feel emotional.

"Uh...hey man, in case we die in the next five minutes, I wanna say thanks anyway. I mean, thanks for at least trying to get us out. You're a good person." He sighed. Since when did he get so gushy over stuff like this? Or maybe he always had been and he was just now realizing it. "I just hope I get a chance to remember some shit about us before we get mowed down by machine guns."

Before he followed Dustin, Lee twisted a power outlet and a small string of lights flickered to life. He snorted at Dustin's comment. "No, not a boy scout..." He wished Dustin remembered. "But... No, just really careful. I always was, but it never really stopped me. Hopefully you'll remember that. We got into some deep shit sometimes and I'd figure out a way to get out, or learn about little secret places..." He went quiet and bit back a sigh. The last thing he needed was to get all sad and forlorn when they were getting the hell out of this prison. Hopefully those other prisoners were getting out, though...

"You're not going to die, damn it." He growled, tense at the idea. "Don't think like that, got it?" Passing Dustin, he hurried forward and came to a turn. "This is a shorter hall, it'll end in a trap door." He couldn't just ignore the fact that Dustin seemed to be going back to how he was. Saying what he actually meant, meaning what he said, almost not hiding anything. "But... yeah, you're welcome. I can't... There's no way I can keep this up anymore, especially not with you... here." He grimaced at the waver that he could hear in the last word.

Dustin was happy when Lee pushed past him to take the lead and he chuckled at what the other man had to say. He had a feeling that he was the one who jumped to get them into trouble together, leaving Lee to get them out of it. Dustin didn't need all of his memories to know he knew how to get into the worst kind of trouble imaginable. It didn't take them long to reach the end of the hall and then the trap door. "Ah whatever. I don't plan on dying, but I wanted to say that just in case."

Pausing at the end of the ladder from the trap door, Dustin couldn't stop himself from asking. "And seriously, I've got to know...were we just friends? Because I get this feeling sometimes when I look at you...and the kinds of things you say...nevermind." He trailed off and would have hit himself in the head if he thought this was a good moment for it. He didn't know what he was saying anymore. He settled for shaking his head vigorously. It only took him a second to regret saying anything. He didn't need to be prying into things based on half remembered emotions that were mixing weirdly with his current ones. "Really, nevermind. I'm just saying crap now because of adrenaline or something!"

At least he wasn't giving up. Talk of dying was off the table for Lee, however---he didn't want to do a damn thing to jinx their current situation and no one else knew where they were. As long as they were careful, they'd slip by without anyone noticing. So far he hadn't heard anything regarding the cameras and that was good.

He got into the bottom rung of the ladder where the ceiling of the low hall lifted up, grabbing the combination lock he'd put onto the trap door. His fingers stuttered halfway through and he lost his number when Dustin brought up their past relationship. It might have been obvious but Lee didn't care to think about that. He sighed shakily and twisted the combination lock to begin again. "Don't worry about it right now... We have... we gotta get out. Then whatever you're worrying about can be talked about later." Even if he did want to stop and talk right now. Dustin was feeling that emotion again. What would happen if Lee made some big move? Would it bring Dustin to remember more or send him deeper into himself and lock up what Lee had apparently already found keys to? He shook his head and unlocked the door, pulling it in and peering up into the fresh air. "Ah... Okay, we're good. C'mon up, be quiet and keep very low."

It was probably for the best that Lee didn't answer his question then. No matter how much Dustin wanted to know everything immediately, he knew going into a serious conversation now would only make the possibility of death much more likely. "But you'll tell me after we're out of here right? Right after." He said it like a question, but it wasn't. Lee didn't have a choice. Dustin was going to make him spill the details of their relationship as soon as they were safe.

Once through the trap door, they made it into the open night air. Dustin stayed quiet, focusing on staying alert instead. He could see the outline of the fence in the distance. That's where Lee said he put the bag and the fence didn't seem too far away. No one appeared to be in the area, so he moved quickly as he kept low.

Lee sighed and rolled his eyes. "You won't be ready, damn it, but fine." Fine. He couldn't believe he said it. Was he really about to admit anything yet? Before Dustin actually remembered anything... important? He didn't fret on the issue---the problem now was getting the hell out of the base and avoiding the watch towers. They rarely kept an eye on the southern area, which was near the border of China. So they would be safer that way. He followed Dustin and pointed the way he had scratched into his memory over the months spent here, and the final sweep that had taken place that night.

"Careful crossing up here." He said, nodding forward. They were between the mess hall and a medical tent and ahead, he could see the building he'd stuffed the bag behind, just beside the ruined part of the fence.

His ears listening for any hint that they could be noticed, Dustin slowed slightly and took his time crossing between the mess hall and medical tent. They were almost out now and Dustin allowed the hope to soar in him. They really weren't going to die, not that he really thought they would. He was just the sort to consider the option. They ducked behind a building on the edge of the camp. "Is the bag here?" he asked once there. It felt so good to be this close to freedom. He found himself smiling as he spotted the hole in the fence and started creeping toward it without waiting for Lee to find the bag.

Voices in the distance made him pause. Definitely time to get out of here, though he didn't think whoever it was had spotted them. Dustin started creeping forward again after glancing over his shoulder to make sure Lee was close by.