Miguel laughed, glad that his words hadnât offended. Normally, he wouldnât care much one way or another. He pissed off pretty much every person he spoke to in his own time, but⌠Querl was all right. Miguel found he didnât want them to hate him the way so many people did. âNice to know that people still hate their bosses even that far into the future,â he snorted. âSome things never change, huh?â Absolute power corrupts absolutely. That was what Gabri used to quote. Miguel always thought it was a little lame, but⌠It was kind of undeniable, too. Heâd never met anyone with power who didnât abuse it in one way or another.Â
Huffing a quiet laugh at Querlâs response, Miguel shook his head. âIâll try not to be offended about the whole six thing. I didnât build her. I helped, but⌠The hard part was done by someone a shock of a lot smarter than me.â Xina was the brains behind Lylaâs code, and Miguel would be the first to admit that his (rather impressive, if he did say so himself) intellect didnât compare to hers. They were in different fields, of course, but even then⌠Xina kind of blew everyone out of the water. He leaned forward a bit as Querl displayed their own holograms, eyes darting curiously across the lights. âIf the gaps are from my time,â he hummed, âI may be able to explain it a bit. The corps that run things tend to hold any kind of knowledge close to the chest. They control who knows what⌠and theyâd kind of prefer no one know anything.â
When the holograms vanished, Miguel was actually a little disappointed. It wasnât his field of study, but heâd always been fascinated by tech. It was part of why he and Xina had clicked so quickly. âI donât know how well Iâd do at that, either,â Miguel admitted, a little apologetic. The very concept of working with a team was new to him. It hadnât been an option in 2099, and while there were far more superheroes in the Heroic Age than there were by the time he started donning a costume, he hadnât found a place where he really clicked among them. âGee, membership by default? You know how to make a guy feel special.â
      âBosses of any kind, of course. It seems to be humanoid nature to rebel.â They shrugged, synthetic eyes darting up to the sky, reminding themself of the leaders the Legion cycled through during itâs extended tenure. âThough, believe it or not, I was mostly a data-analyst and collector.â It was what they were built for, what they were the best at, despite others claiming he possesses other talents. It was much easier to focus on... Well, what was easy.Â
     The android raised an eyebrow, bringing their attention back to the planet, back to their current subject of study-... Or, rather, someone they were getting to know. He had made a minor effort to become acquainted with their new home (as much as they hated to think of it that way, that the Colu they knew was so far behind, that the Earth was still in one piece), but their transition into the new living space still felt stilted. âOnly an average. There are those who break the mold, but Iâve yet to meet someone matching my 12th Level.â They wondered if that might constitute as bragging, the near opposite of what Miguel was doing. Their smile was pulled, a bit sadder in the moment at the idea of this nameless someone probably still back in Earth Year 2099, still in Miguelâs home time. It was an empathy that Querl only had shared with Lar, but the Daxamite seemed to be making easier friends in this past than they were.Â
     Querl huffed, bringing up another hologram, the text squiggling from the shapes of the language of the Universe to English letters, holding up their open palm for the other to observe, read. âItâs quite possible thatâs a factor. I know for certain there are... Others.â Ones that didnât deserve the recognition, ones that they were actively trying to avoid mentioning at all costs for fear of someone finally connecting the dots. âAny information youâre willing to give would be tremendous.â
     Another shrug brought a long inhale, sighing as they continued to explain the barely set in stone process. âI didnât mean to offend in any way, itâs just... Tradition. We follow them, but many donât understand them, including myself. It feels a bit like a performance, one of the old shows of Broadway, if my information is correct. Normally it would be Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and Cosmic boy along with myself and a few others behind a desk and judging from afar. This time, I hope to be much more in the field.â