The smile makes a brief return. "I don't think people are quite that desperate to fly," he says. "Especially if they end up a smattering of molecules the moment something goes wrong." It's meant to be a joke. Really.

"The... other Brainiac 5 told me a bit about the battles you faced and some of the... losses." Enough to make him feel distinctly uncomfortable about approaching the topic just yet. "So I suppose some of the day-to-day things would be nice."

He's not homesick, he's simply curious. And that odd change in his voice wasn't loneliness, it was... Well he was certain it was something else.

"And if you don't mind, I'd also be interested to hear something about yourself and how you came to join the Legion," he adds hurriedly.