Later that night, the breakroom was empty, and their glasses full. Satina tried to balance her hot chocolate mug while she threw her cards on the table. "I take back what I said, Roberto. You're a complete imbecile and a terrible partner!"

Satina growled; as much as he tried, Léon couldn't hold back a laugh.

He raised the card in his hand. "Your answer is wrong. The Mayor started to build New Continent in 2027 after the whole world almost exploded. In 2030 people were still moving here." He chuckled and placed his last card on the table. "You used to work with the man, Roberto. How could you not know something like this?"

Mary squealed and slapped the yellow button on the board to increase her and Léon's score. "Nineteen to Sweetie Peas versus eight to Sad Bears!" She mocked a sad expression.

When they started playing, Léon never imagined Rob would know so little about everything in New Continent. If he had known that, Léon would've given him a history class instead.

Roberto's cheeks flushed. "I forgot it, okay? Blimey. In 27, I was..." He furrowed his brow and counted on his fingers. "Five years old. I had just begun my intensive training for the Heroic League, so don't expect me to remember something like that."

Satina choked on her hot chocolate. "Intensive training? At five?"

"I also learned the basics of history." Roberto massaged his chin. "Like the atomic chaos that left the world in the state it is now and how Atomic Girl sacrificed herself to save us. That sort of thing."

"Well, at least you know the bare minimum," Satina muttered. "That should earn our team a few points."

Mary snatched Satina's fingers and squinted. "No."

"I know way more than my answers let on. That thing is rigged!" Roberto jerked an index finger towards the trivia board. "And I don't see why I'd need to know those things."

Satina clicked her tongue and pulled her hand back. "Well, did you know Atomic Girl's real identity was Josephine Chie Liu? And did you know her trace was actually elasticity, not super strength, as some people say? And did you know she was Iara's protege, which means Iara helped to save the world once?"

"Oh, oh, me!" Mary raised a hand while the other rested on her breastbone. "And did you know little ol' me was the first baby ever born in New Continent? And that my Daddy alone invested a fortune in it?"

Roberto furrowed and raised his eyebrows several times until his face cemented in a blank expression. "I... had no idea."

Satina nodded. "A lot of people invested in New Continent's construction. A fucking continent in the middle of the ocean doesn't build itself, you know. Iara helped with that too. I think Invidia invested around 30% of the total value."

"33%," Léon corrected.

"So she's...." Roberto scoffed. "What? Good?"

"This is an odd adjective for her." Léon pushed a lock of hair behind his ear. "For most people, she's the best thing that happened to New Continent after The Mayor. She's the CEO of a powerful megacorp, has lots of social programs, charities, etc. But you have to remember she's also the leader of a secretive group of villains—and we are the only ones who know what she really is."

"Which is...?"

"A businesswoman," Satina said. She rolled her eyes. "C'mon, man, think. You can't earn money on a destroyed planet, can you?"

"There's a lot we don't know either, but... Roberto." Léon leaned in and looked for his eyes. "When The Mayor united all the continents under the Heroic League, and the construction of NC began, we all left Old Continent to the cockroaches. This"—he raised the cards—"is what he used to convince everyone that leaving billions of people with barely enough to survive was the best choice. Why do you think most supers live in New Continent?"

"Your ex-boss, mentor, or whatever he is to you, is one of the most charismatic and intelligent fuckers this world has ever seen." Satina propped her chin on the palm of her hand and smiled. "He's way too correct for my taste, but I respect the old man. And I bet you do too."

Roberto's eyebrows knitted together; his breathing quickened.

Léon took the cards Satina had thrown on the table, plus the ones spread around the board. He created a perfect pile with them and placed it on Rob's palm. "Here. Knowing your history is the best way to avoid the same mistakes... or to take advantage of them, in our case." Distasteful words, Léon knew that. But that was the truth.

Roberto stared at the cards. His jaw tightened. After a deep breath, he reached out and took them.

"Hey, Robbie-Bear. Watch that new action movie, I, Werevampire-wolf death machine nine thousand, part seven. You'll see that avoid-the-same-mistakes thingie perfectly well," Mary said.

"Oh, mate, I love that movie!" Rob said, sitting up. "The part where Azziz discovered he was a half-breed vampire-robot and that he and his alfa-mate couldn't be together until he unlocked the Death Machine power to save his people and activate the werewolf mark! Sheesh, that spoke to me."

"Seriously?" Leo said. "We're spilling our guts about our real history here, and you're talking about an action movie?"

Mary nodded, eyes closed. "I know what you mean. He was dealing with the coldness of a new reality, new responsibilities, and the prejudice of the vampire-robot clan, all the while facing his internal monsters and his clan's mistakes." Mary stopped and raised her eyebrows, staring at Léon. "Much like our Bear, Leo."

Léon pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe it."

Mary shrugged. "It was a success of public and critics. You have to watch it someday."

"And it's actually pretty good," Satina added. "Very romantic."

Rob and Mary stared at her.

"For an action movie!" Satina said, shifting in her seat. "Goddess, what's so wrong with a little romance?"

"Oh, look!" Mary said, pointing at the holotelly. "Speaking of The Mayo-naise..."

Satina smiled. "Grab your hololenses, quick! And raise the volume."

It was close to nine, and the window-screens covering the walls showed mountains in the dim evening light and a small campfire. In the middle of the room, a tubular holotelevision was tuned into the news channel's flat broadcast. Roberto reached for the pair of glasses on the table. He gave one to Léon, who put his on.

The flat tubular holo screen expanded and took over the entire room.

Léon was now in the middle of a crowd. He and hundreds of people gathered around a platform. On it, a group of people stood proudly.

Mayor Brash was among them.

"Raise the volume," Rob said. Satina did, swiping two fingers upwards.

The news narrator continued, '...Finally showed up this afternoon, after three months missing. The Obliterator, as he's been called since his first appearance in 2045, attended the ceremony alongside The Mayor and Fire Sapphire to offer insight on his time inside the Heroic League headquarters.'

"Who's the bloke?" Rob asked. "I don't remember seeing him in the League's HQ."

"He's an Old Continentian, like us," Léon answered. "He's part of the people who arrived after 2040."

"And he was a freelancer." Satina quirked an eyebrow upon seeing Roberto's expression. "Holy shite. What do you heroes do in the Heroic League? You're completely alienated. Freelancers don't have ties with the League nor with Invidia. They're not villains or heroes either; they just work for whoever pays better."

Rob nodded.

'I have only to thank Mayor Brash for this opportunity,' said The Obliterator in the holoprojection. 'As of now, I'm leaving my old alias behind and embracing a new one: The Sheriff. Mayor Brash's twelve-step de-villainization program changed my life—and I'll now give back to this city all the good he has given me in these past three months.'

'Tell us, Sheriff, how was your time in the League's Quarters?' asked one of the reporters.

The Sheriff smiled, moving his eyes to The Mayor. 'Enlightening. I trained under Grizzly Bear and Cicinnurus for a time—'

"That's a bloody lie!" Rob growled.

'—then The Mayor himself finished my training,' The Sheriff continued. 'Grizzly Bear and Cicinnurus are now working on a new mission, a more secretive and dangerous one. And while they're gone, I'm in the team of heroes who will take care of New Continent in their place.'

'What kind of mission are they on?'

'I can't say much for their own security. I'm sure you understand how an undercover mission works.'

The sound was all too sudden and way too loud to be ignored, even as the reporters laughed.

Satina's whips crackled on the marble floor and wrapped around Bear's wrists. "So you're working undercover, huh?"