Page 63 of Elite Metal: Warriors

“I do not look like a George.”

“Yeah. You kinda do.”

“You’re not calling me George.”

“I’m not calling you Lithium.”

“Lithium is my name.”

“Was your mother into chemistry? What are your brothers’ names? Argon and Fluorine?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Right. Fluorine would be your sister.”

He fell silent, and then muttered, “I don’t have any siblings.”

“None?”

“And I don’t have a mother.”

“Everyone has a mother.”

“No. They don’t.”

She had to stop needling him. She had to stop then. The ribbon of pain in his voice was too much to bear. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I never had a mother. Never had a family. Never had anyone.”

Her heart ached. How sad. It was bad enough losing everyone, the hole it left. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to never have had them, never have loved them. Never been loved by them. “Who raised you?”

“The state. Foster care.”

The way he looked away told her a lot. Not everything, but a lot.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, well don’t be. It is what it is. It made me the man I am.” There was a hint of pride in the words, but a hint of regret as well.

“So you were raised in foster care? What was that like?”

He didn’t answer, but to send her a look.

“And then you joined the military?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“It’s pretty obvious.”

“Is it?”

“You have a military bearing. Which branch?”

“We shouldn’t be talking. They could be listening.”

Balderdash. “Which branch?”

He huffed a sigh. “Marines.”