"Do you wish to follow them through the stars?" Val asked.
"Only if you wish to." Kara hummed. He shook his head.
"I will leave that to the young ones."
A bit of kryptonian genes mixed with AI led to the birth of weaker soldiers. Weaker but more than enough for now. As Val and Kara lazed around in their own Fortress of Solitude, they would allow the young ones to enjoy a brand new adventure.
Val and Kara had been working nonstop for this moment. Their time to rest had finally come. So they did. They deserved it.
Years went by like water flowing through a river. Humanity was able to find another planet that was hospitable for human life. It was named Bastion.
That wasn't all. Space colonies were under construction. Man-made mini planets for an excess amount of people. Humankind reproduced at an incredible rate, therefore overpopulation was a constant concern.
The human race was thriving. It wouldn't be long before people could go back and forth between planets and colonies as if it was a plane ticket away. Everything was going smoothly. Until it wasn't.
"Val-Ul. Wake up." A harsh feminine voice cut through the room.
The resting man only groaned. He was feeling quite lazy. Suddenly, the sun dial turned off, removing the constant sunlight from the room. Val clicked his tongue in mock annoyance.
"Val."
"Yes. Yes. You were saying?" He grunted.
The recently sunbathing kryptonian turned to the holographic image of Faora Ul. His mother. His AI. She had been here for him all along.
"I'm getting pings and alerts from our younger kin. It seems they've made contact with another alien race. They're asking for humanity's leader."
"Then let humanity's representative deal with it." He waved his hand in dismissal.
"They aren't looking for weak humans. Bigger forces are at play. There may be something dangerous on the horizon. You should take a look, just in case."
"...So be it." Val nodded. The regality of his voice casually took hold.
As he washed up and donned his royal threads, he called out to Kara. She didn't answer immediately. She was out cold in the living chambers, a bunch of empty food wrappers and snacks littering the floor. A TV was quietly playing in the background.
His x-ray vision caught all of it. She was truly committing to the idea of resting. He was The Father, and she was The Messenger. It was time to rest their titles, as they'd done what needed to be done…but nature had its ways of calling people back.
"I know you're awake now. You'll be very angry if I leave without you. You should get up, Kara." He kneeled beside her, his face inches from hers.
Her eyes snapped open without any lethargy, and she pounced on him once again. A mischievous smile adorned her lips. With a lazy drawl that suggested she wasn't leaving, her words echoed.
"Where are you going? Do you truly need me to go with you?"
"It seems the Expansionary Forces are experiencing some trouble. While humanity's business is no longer our problem…it wouldn't hurt to take a look."
With such an explanation, Kara's expression grew excited. She'd never flown beyond the solar system before. This would be her first deep space travel.
"Yes! I'm going! Yes, yes. Let's go." She repeated before leaving multiple pecks on his cheek.
Val shook his head with a wry smile. Kara was a whirlwind, donning her regal threads in only a few seconds. Completely washed and refreshed.
SMACK
His palm casually slapped her shapely bottom, the sound echoing through the entire fortress. Both of her hands covered her butt, an eyebrow raised as she looked at him. Val inclined his head.
"Stay right beside me. If you veer too far off, you might get lost. Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes. Can we go now?" She tapped her foot.
"Val-Ul, my son. Kara Dru-Zod. I wish you safe travels. I'll guide you to the confirmed coordinates." Faora-Ul commented from the speaker system.
The two kryptonians floated toward the entrance. As if recognizing their presence, the entire wall opened up in a seamless transition. The sun washed over their frames along with flecks of snow.
"What if we encounter a red sun while in space?" Kara asked. She just wanted to make sure. It seemed she was nervous. Val patted her head.
"It will not affect you. With the changes I made to your genetic sequence, you are no longer weak to anything. You shall never rely on the sun. It shall rely on you."
With those words, the two abruptly took off. The sky roared with fury to announce their departure. The atmosphere fizzled around them as they left the planet's sphere of influence.
They looked down at Earth in all its glory. Free from blemish. Free from filth. Humanity had been molded to perfection. Stripped of their endless greed. Now it was the thirst for knowledge of the great beyond that stoked their greed. A much better redirection.
Multiple freighter class ships and citizen class ships were constantly leaving and entering the planet's atmosphere. Val pointed in the direction that the ships were heading. With a nod of acknowledgement from Kara, they accelerated.
Within seconds, they'd surpassed lightspeed. It only increased as they traveled. Kara had never felt so free. She couldn't help but grin. Her body flipped in space, doing barrel rolls and tricks.
Val had long since covered her in his bioelectric field. He didn't want her to veer too far…as he knew she would. As the two made eye contact while moving at cosmic velocities, they knew. The two were destined to walk under the sun together.
The feeling of space travel. The feeling of speed. Having someone beside you while doing it. This was another experience entirely. Their lineage was truly blessed by the universe. As if it was their rightful place to stand above the masses.
After an unknown amount of time, they'd reached their destination. A new galaxy…a new solar system…still having a yellow sun, but much younger. Much more robust.
Bastion could be seen. Another beautiful planet. Humanity's second home. The atmosphere was a light purple, painting the sky in its hue. Two moons were in orbit.
Now that Val had actually seen the planet and felt its location in the universe, he knew teleportation was now an option for future travels. His abilities seemed to have no end, and Val knew that he would discover more over the course of his long life.
'We are here.' He spoke to Kara telepathically.
'Hmmm. Already? I wanted to fly more.' She drawled.
'Look at this planet. What do you see?'
'There are plenty of military bases all over. Civilians have started living here. Business chains have opened up shop. This planet had much denser gravity than Earth. Future humans will evolve to have stronger bodies.' She evaluated.
'Good. Let's proceed.'
The two descended onto Bastion, their bodies heating up the surroundings. They resembled shooting stars while entering the atmosphere. At first glance, the fauna was beautiful.
The grass was a mix of green and purple. Trees and plant life were towering. The air was clear. The temperature was stable. Truly habitable.
"Father!"
A young but gruff voice called out from below. A young man had just leapt from one part of the city to another, landing nearby. It was a kryptonian-human hybrid, birthed through AI. Through Faora. A young chap.
Wearing a black armored uniform, he kneeled. His fist pressed against his chest. A show of loyalty. Val nodded slightly, his crown glowing with radiance.
"Rise." Val's telekinesis lifted the youth to his feet.
"Reporting! I am Coz-Vor, Captain of the Expansionary Forces - Hand of the Guide Battalion."
Val raised an eyebrow. So this man was the leader of the hybrid forces on Bastion. Nobody could order him except Faora, Val, or Kara. That was the right of those blessed by the sun. Authority.
"Speak."
"We've made contact with an alien race that call themselves the Cathexis. They wish to inform us of a looming threat. However, they are stubborn. They wouldn't explain unless you were there to listen." Coz explained. Val waved his hand.
"Lead the way."
Coz bowed before running off. Val flew behind at a distance. Kara remained silent, never straying too far. Her gaze would constantly take in the surroundings. He couldn't help but smile.
'She tries so hard to keep up appearances in front of others. If it was just us, she'd be bouncing with excitement right about now.' He thought.
What a funny girl.