CH 50: Stars
Lex and Kara spent the next several minutes flying slowly over Krakoa, neither of them in any particular hurry to return to the mainland. From above, the island looked considerably different from when they had first arrived, not merely because the damage caused during the confrontation had already begun disappearing, but because the land itself seemed to possess a strange vitality that ordinary islands simply did not have. Trees swayed gently beneath the sea breeze, patches of vegetation were already thickening where the soil had been damaged, and the enormous living structure that made up Krakoa seemed almost to be breathing beneath them, its presence detectable even without any special senses. Since Lex intended to use the island as one of his bases, however, admiring it from the air was only part of the reason they were flying around; he was trying to decide what exactly he wanted to do with the place.
"I think Regina's base should go underground," Lex said eventually, pointing toward a broad section of relatively flat terrain beneath them. "That way she can build whatever ridiculous laboratory she wants without turning the whole island into a giant workshop. Above ground, though, we could make something more pleasant, maybe a castle with some hot springs, a proper spa, a gym large enough for superhumans, gardens, and whatever else we decide we want."
Kara glanced down at the island before looking back at him with an amused expression. "You should probably give Regina a very small piece of land, then. From everything I've seen, if you give that woman an entire island, she'll probably have it covered in laboratories before you finish building your castle."
"That's exactly why I'm building the castle first," Lex replied, sounding entirely serious despite the amusement in his eyes. "Once there's a castle here, I can officially declare the rest of the island reserved for things that aren't Regina's latest experiment."
Kara laughed, and Lex began looking for a suitable location. He eventually settled on a broad elevated section overlooking the ocean, far enough from the areas where the rescued researchers and the two X-Men were currently gathered that it would give them privacy, while still offering a spectacular view of the surrounding sea. He stopped in midair and looked over the terrain for a few moments before deciding that there was no reason to overthink it.
"Here."
The moment Lex activated Build, the ground beneath them seemed to answer.
Mana and energy surged outward from his position, spreading across the earth in an expanding pattern as the skill began constructing something far larger than the word castle initially suggested. Stone rose from the ground in enormous sections, but rather than simply erupting upward in crude blocks, each piece formed with deliberate precision, the surfaces smoothing themselves as towers emerged one after another. Foundations settled into the earth before massive walls climbed toward the sky, their pale stone surfaces gradually taking shape beneath intricate architectural details, while tall windows appeared between elegant arches and enormous wooden doors formed beneath an imposing central entrance.
The construction continued upward with almost impossible speed, yet there was no sense of instability to it. Towers rose from the corners of the structure, each crowned with steep roofs and decorative stonework, while a central keep emerged above them, giving the entire building the appearance of an old royal fortress that had somehow been transplanted into the middle of a tropical island. Balconies extended from several upper chambers, overlooking the ocean, and broad terraces formed along the rear of the castle where they could eventually place gardens, pools, and whatever other amenities they wanted. Even the surrounding grounds seemed to recognize the structure as their new center, with paths naturally forming through the soil and patches of greenery beginning to grow around the foundations.
The most ridiculous part, however, was that the castle wasn't merely an empty shell.
By the time the final tower had settled into place, the interior was already complete. Furniture occupied the rooms, chandeliers hung from ceilings, fireplaces stood ready in several sitting rooms, kitchens contained everything necessary to prepare meals, and the plumbing and electrical systems were already installed as though the building had been constructed by an army of workers over several years rather than summoned in the span of a few minutes. Bedrooms, bathrooms, libraries, meeting rooms and guest quarters filled the structure, while several larger halls remained open enough that Lex could already imagine people gathering there during future celebrations.
Kara slowly descended beside him, staring at the finished structure with her mouth slightly open.
"You know," she said eventually, "I was expecting a castle."
"That is a castle."
"I know. That's the problem." She gestured toward the enormous structure below them. "You said it like you were going to put up a nice little house."
Lex looked down at the castle, then back at her. "I have a Build skill that makes castles. What did you expect me to do, ask it to make a cottage?"
Kara shook her head, laughing as she wrapped an arm around him. "You're ridiculous."
"You're dating me anyway."
"Unfortunately."
They eventually settled on the highest point of the central keep, where a broad stone balcony gave them an unobstructed view of the horizon. The sun had begun its descent by then, casting long golden reflections across the ocean while the clouds above the distant horizon slowly changed color. For a while neither of them spoke, simply sitting together with Kara leaning comfortably against Lex's shoulder as the newly built castle stood behind them, its towers illuminated by the fading light.
The quiet lasted long enough for Lex's thoughts to wander beyond the island.
"Do you ever wonder what's out there?" he asked, his gaze drifting toward the stars beginning to appear overhead. "Not just the places we already know about, but everything beyond them."
Kara laughed softly and rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm an alien, dumbass. I literally came from the stars."
"Right." Lex paused, then nodded slowly. "I keep forgetting that."
Kara gave him an amused look, but Lex's expression soon became more thoughtful.
"Actually, do you want to go out there sometime? We could find your planet. It probably wouldn't be the Krypton you remember, but you've told me before that sometimes a place can still mean something even when it isn't exactly the same as the one you remember. I know how you feel about Earth, even though it's not the world you were born on, so maybe seeing Krypton would be similar. Maybe it wouldn't be home anymore, but it could still be your hometown, you know?"
Kara stared at him.
For several seconds, she didn't answer. Then her eyes widened as something seemed to click into place inside her mind, and she abruptly stood from the stone ledge so quickly that Lex nearly lost his balance.
"Wait."
"What?"
"Krypton."
The word came out almost breathlessly.
Lex straightened, watching her expression change as the implications began unfolding in front of her.
"Of course Krypton could exist here."
She turned toward the sky, her eyes moving across the stars as though she could somehow find the answer simply by looking hard enough. "Why didn't I think about that before? I kept thinking about this world as different world, but why would that mean Krypton can't exist here? Earth exists. Space exists. There are aliens everywhere, apparently, so why wouldn't there be another Krypton somewhere?"
Her excitement was rapidly overtaking her initial disbelief, and Lex could practically see her mind racing through every possibility. She began pacing across the balcony, looking upward every few steps while trying to piece together a route to something she had not even known was possible until moments ago.
"I need to find it," she said, almost to herself. "I want to see it. Even if it's completely different, even if the planet is nothing like the Krypton I remember, I want to know whether it's there."
Lex smiled softly as he watched her. He knew better than to assume that discovering another Krypton would somehow heal everything she had lost. Kara had already experienced something similar with Donna's discovery of Themyscira, and the fact that a familiar name existed somewhere in another reality did not mean the place itself would resemble the home that lived inside her memories. Still, he understood what she meant when she talked about wanting to see it, because sometimes you didn't need something to be your home for it to matter.
"I can't just fly there, though," Kara continued, her excitement gradually colliding with reality. "I can travel pretty damn far, but we're talking about another star system, maybe farther. I don't even know where to start looking, and I don't have a ship."
"Do you know where Krypton is?"
"Not exactly." She turned back toward him. "Space isn't just a giant map where you point at something and fly there. Everything is moving, and we're moving too. Stars, planets, galaxies, everything. You need an accurate star map and calculations to know where something is going to be at the time you reach it."
Lex nodded thoughtfully. "And Earth probably doesn't have a map detailed enough to help."
"Probably not."
"Then we'll find one."
Kara blinked. "Just like that?"
"Why not?" Lex asked, spreading his hands. "We already know there are advanced civilizations out there. SHIELD has records on the Skrulls and Kree, and Asgardians are apparently aliens despite everyone treating them like gods. There are probably plenty of other civilizations we haven't even heard about yet. If Earth doesn't have what you need, we'll find someone who does."
Kara's expression softened, but Lex continued before she could dismiss the idea.
"You said you can travel farther than most people here. So go look. Don't try to reach Krypton itself yet; just explore as far as you safely can and see what you find. Spend a week traveling outward, then come back. If you find nothing useful, we'll figure out another method. If you find a civilization with a proper star map, we build a ship and go together."
For a moment Kara simply stared at him.
Then she smiled.
It wasn't her usual mischievous grin or the playful expression she wore when teasing him. It was something quieter, warmer, and far more personal, because she understood exactly what he was giving her by saying those words. With Sharon in Asia and Donna in Europe, Lex had already been feeling the absence of the people who normally filled the mansion with conversation, arguments, laughter and simple companionship, and once Kara left, the house would become even quieter. He could have easily asked her to stay, could have reminded her that they had only just found each other in this universe and that he wanted her close, but instead he was encouraging her to chase something that might matter to her far more than his own comfort.
"Thank you," Kara said softly.
Lex stepped closer and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin lightly against the top of her head. "You don't have to thank me for wanting you to be happy."
She hugged him a little tighter, then pulled back just enough to look at him. "I'll be gone for a week at most."
"That's the plan."
"I'll come back."
"I know."
"And tomorrow I'm staying right here with you."
Lex's eyebrow rose.
Kara smiled innocently. "I need to charge before I go. Sunlight, remember?"
"Of course."
She leaned closer, her smile becoming more mischievous. "And since I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow, I figured I should spend as much time with my boyfriend as possible before then."
Lex looked at her for a moment before laughing softly. "Ah. So that's why you're giving yourself an extra day."
"Maybe."
He pulled her close again as the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the ocean, leaving the first stars shining clearly above them. For now, there was no need to worry about finding Krypton, locating an advanced civilization, or building a ship capable of crossing the galaxy; tomorrow could be spent together, and the day after that could begin an entirely new adventure. Whatever waited among those distant stars, Kara would eventually see it for herself, and Lex intended to make sure she never had to face that journey alone.