[That's something Ben both understands and doesn't; the concept, yes. The isolation. But that isn't what happened to uncontrollable subjects where he came from, not by a long shot. There had been fights amongst the units, of course, there was bound to be when children were trained to be soldiers, taught combat abilities far superior to even several of their adult guards, and expected to grow up together in such an environment.

Unit against unit. Never unitmate against unitmate. They were too short on allies to ruin any that they did have and they knew it long before the classes on sound team strategies came into play. But Ben thinks... maybe it was better, for him. At least he knew why. At least he had that answer.

It wasn't something that happened to him and then left him alone to deal with it as best he could, among people who were afraid of him and didn't understand. Later, perhaps, but he still suspects that was more his own doing than anyone else's.]

I'm... sorry that happened to you. I'm sorry they didn't understand. [This in earnest, studying the small smile, Alex's eyes above it.] The family... you were staying with. They did nothing?

[He doesn't ask, yet, why Alex phrased it that way. It feels less like something he should ask about and more like something Alex should offer him if he wants to, when he wants to.]