The Earth was beautiful from up here.
It was a swirling marble of blue and white, suspended in the infinite dark. From 250 miles up, you couldn't see the grime of Gotham, the corruption of LexCorp, or the scars of battle. You just seen the peace.
Elias floated in the thermosphere. He was in his Super form, his golden fur radiating a soft, warm light that rivaled the sun peeking over the horizon. His upturned quills flowed in the vacuum as if underwater.
Ring Energy: 40... 39...
He had learned to cycle the energy almost perfectly now. In a low-stress environment like space, he could maintain the Super form for nearly an hour before needing to recharge. It was his sanctuary. It was the only place where he didn't have to hold back, didn't have to hide, didn't have to worry about breaking the world just by walking too hard.
"It's quiet," Elias whispered. His voice carried in the vacuum, not through sound waves, but through the Chaos field he generated.
"It usually is."
The voice was calm, deep, and carried the same kind of effortless authority as gravity.
Elias didn't flinch. He had felt the approach. A presence that felt like a sun—warm, powerful, and surprisingly gentle.
He turned his head.
Superman hovered twenty feet away, his red cape drifting lazily behind him. He wasn't in a fighting stance. He had his arms crossed loosely over his chest, a small, polite smile on his face.
"Nice view," Superman said.
"Best seats in the house," Elias replied, turning his body to fully face the Man of Steel. "I was wondering when you'd come say hello. Batman sent you?"
"Bruce is... concerned," Superman admitted. "He likes to know everything. You're a variable he can't solve."
"And you?" Elias asked. "Are you concerned?"
Superman floated a little closer. He looked Elias over—the golden fur, the ruby eyes, the aura that felt like the heart of a star.
"I was," Superman said honestly. "When you fought Luthor in Times Square... I was watching. I saw the black form. The rage."
Elias looked down at the Earth. "Yeah. Dark Sonic. Not my proudest moment. But necessary."
"I know what it's like," Superman said softly. "To have so much power that you feel like you're living in a world made of cardboard. To be afraid that if you lose control for even a second, someone gets hurt."
Elias chuckled. "Cardboard? Try tissue paper. I have to calculate the friction coefficient of the pavement just so I don't melt the street when I go for a jog."
Superman smiled. "You're holding back. Always."
"I have to."
"Why are you here, Elias?" Superman asked. He used the name. Batman must have figured it out, or maybe the telepathic Martian had plucked it from the ether. "Not here in orbit. Here on Earth."
Elias floated on his back, looking at the stars. "I didn't choose to come here. I died. I woke up in a Gotham alley with a head full of alien memories and a chest full of magic rocks."
He sat up, crossing his legs in the void.
"I'm looking for the rest of them," Elias explained. "The Chaos Emeralds. I have one. There are six more scattered around your planet. If I don't find them, someone like Luthor or Joker will. And if they use them... this pretty blue marble cracks in half."
"Chaos Emeralds," Superman tested the name. "Like the one in the Sahara?"
"Exactly. They turn thoughts into power. Positive or negative. In my hands, I can be... this." He gestured to his golden form. "In the Joker's hands? He'd warp reality into a circus of nightmares."
Superman nodded slowly. He seemed to be listening to Elias's heartbeat, judging his truthfulness.
"We can help you," Superman offered. "The League. We have resources. We can help you find them and secure them."
Elias hesitated. "I work better alone. No offense, but your team has a lot of rules. And a lot of leaks. Luthor knew about the Emerald because he hacked your satellites."
Superman winced slightly. "Fair point. But you're young. You have power, but you lack experience. You nearly lost yourself to that dark form. Batman thinks you're a threat. I think you're just lost."
Elias looked at the Man of Steel. The symbol of Hope. It was hard not to trust him.
"I'm not joining the club," Elias said firmly. "I'm not wearing a communicator. I'm not taking orders from the Bat."
He drifted closer, extending a golden hand.
"But... I wouldn't mind a race sometime. Just to see who's really faster."
Superman's grin widened. It was a genuine, competitive grin.
"Flash says you beat him in a sprint," Superman said. "But he claims he tripped."
"He didn't trip," Elias laughed. "He blinked."
"Tell you what," Superman said. "We have a containment facility. Safe. Secure. If you find an Emerald, and you don't have a safe place for it... bring it to the Fortress of Solitude. I'll give you the key. No questions asked. No Batman involvement."
Elias studied him. It was a generous offer. A safe house.
"I might take you up on that," Elias said. "I have the Purple one stash—somewhere safe. But I'm tracking another one. It's underwater."
"Atlantis?" Superman asked.
"Deeper," Elias said. "The Trench."
Superman's expression darkened. "That's dangerous territory. Even for me."
"I'll be fine," Elias said. He checked his internal timer. Ring Energy: 15. "I have to go. My battery is running low."
"Battery?"
"Long story. It takes a lot of cardio to stay golden."
Elias turned to leave, angling himself toward the atmosphere.
"Hey," Superman called out.
Elias paused.
"Welcome to Earth," Superman said. "Try not to break it."
Elias smirked.
"I'm trying to save it, Supes. Just doing it my way."
He curled into a ball.
Sonic Boom.
He rocketed downward, a golden meteor streaking across the sky, leaving the Man of Steel floating alone in the silence, watching the new protector fall back to the world.