Lex's POV
Man-cave
Lex had abandoned the capital city life the moment he could, retreating to the true center of his world: the hangar bay of his 900-meter-long floating battleship, the Endeavor, which floated besides the partner, in the Capital's longstay piers, a silent sentinel of advanced technology.
Inside the vast, climate-controlled fabrication bay, the air hummed with industrial power. The massive space, usually reserved for fabricating components for the burgeoning fleet, was currently repurposed as a high-tech garage.
Heavy metal music—specifically, an aggressive track from a band called Dragons, sourced from the deep archives of Jarvis's data drives—thundered from the speakers, the guitar riffs providing the rhythm for Lex's focus.
"Jarvis, bring up the schematic for the 'Solar reactor' drive assembly,"
Lex shouted over the noise. He was stripped down to a tank top and tactical pants, his hands already stained with hydraulic fluid and oil.
"Right away, sir," Jarvis's smooth, British accent cut through the music via Lex's integrated comms. A holographic schematic, shimmering in blue light, materialized in the center of the bay, rotating slowly.
"Luxion, monitor the energy modulation thresholds on the plasma containment field," Leon's orb floated nearby, its red eye glowing with interest.
"Affirmative," Luxion deadpanned. "Probability of catastrophic failure remains at 47%. I suggest increasing the density of the magnetic field by 3%."
"Do it," Lex replied, grabbing a welding torch. The intense blue flame roared to life.
The music intensified into a frantic guitar solo as the bay became a hive of automated activity, choreographed by Jarvis's precise commands.
Cut 1: The Frame.
Automated fabrication arms moved with blinding speed, pulling sheets of an ultra-light, orichulcum-magisteelv alloy from storage. Laser cutters screamed, shaping the metal into the sleek, aggressive frame of a racing air-bike. The pieces snapped together with magnetic precision, the welds glowing white-hot under Lex's expert hand.
Cut 2: The Core Components.
Holographic overlays tracked the assembly of sophisticated systems. Jarvis fed a progress report. "Thruster assembly at 80%. Gravitational stabilizers integrating seamlessly. Weapon systems deliberately omitted, as per your request to 'not cheat too obviously' in the culture festival race, sir, but we do plan to put them later. "
Cut 3: The Refinement.
Lex worked in a blur of focused motion. He used a precision screwdriver, tightening minuscule energy relays. A fabrication arm extended a tray with complex wiring harnesses, which Lex integrated into the main console. He wiped sweat from his brow with his shoulder, his golden eyes sharp with concentration. The bike began to take shape: black alloy with sharp, silver accents, a beast built for speed.
"Baseline assembly complete, sir," Jarvis announced. "Performance metrics suggest a 20% lead over standard Academy-issue bikes."
"Twenty percent is for second place," Lex grinned, shutting off his welding mask and looking at his nearly finished creation. "Time for the secret ingredient."
The Hidden Card: Solar Rector
"Luxion, Jarvis, prepare for the core integration. I need a stable, contained particle acceleration field," Lex commanded, his voice serious. He retrieved a specialized, heavily shielded container from a secure locker. Inside was a raw, uncut amethyst crystal, humming with potent, Mythical Grace energy he had been feeding for months.
"Sir, activating a particle accelerator to induce a fusion reaction is highly unstable at your current B-Rank Grace mastery," Jarvis cautioned. "Containment probability remains low."
"I know the theory," Lex said, channeling his Sunfire Aspect. His golden hair seemed to glow in the bay's light. "The gravity manipulation required to hold a mini-sun together is A-Rank level, I get it. The containment field will struggle."
"Indeed," Luxion added, scanning the crystal as Lex lowered it into the bike's core. "And the latent Solar energy required will severely tax your stamina."
Lex sealed the drive bay. "That's why I'm using this setup. This is my last-ditch card for the final lap, if I need it. It's a temporary power boost, not the main engine."
He looked Jarvis's orb in its golden eye. "The chances of this thing exploding?"
"Significant, sir. If the gravitational field fails, the resulting plasma burst will be… comprehensive."
Lex clipped his Rita axe to a magnetic rack on the wall and stretched, activating his Grace just enough for his body to radiate a familiar heat.
"I'm fireproof, It'll be fine, I hope."
Lex climbed onto the newly finished air-bike, which roared to life with the subtle hum of standard energy, the miniature fusion core waiting silently within its shielded bay, a ticking time bomb of pure, Mythical solar power.
"Bike is ready for the culture festival," Lex declared, the heavy metal music reaching its crescendo. "Let's win this thing."