The white void shifted. The park bench remained, but the scenery around it rippled, accommodating the arrival of a guest who demanded style even in nothingness.
A grand piano, sleek and black as a starless night, manifested a few yards away. A crystal tumbler filled with amber liquid rested on its lid.
Leaning against the piano was a man in an impeccably tailored suit. He was handsome in a way that was almost painful to look at, with eyes that held the cold, bright light of the morning star.
Lucifer Morningstar took a sip of his drink and looked at the elderly man on the bench.
"You're in a good mood," Lucifer noted, his voice smooth, carrying a hint of British refinement. "I can feel the hum of the Silver City all the way down in Lux. It's unnerving."
The Presence didn't look up from the dog he was petting. "I am simply enjoying the show, Samael."
Lucifer swirled his drink. "The show? You mean the rodent? The blue anomaly that just cracked the Source Wall like a crème brûlée and rebooted your carefully curated reality?"
"Elias," The Presence corrected gently.
"Elias," Lucifer tasted the name, finding it bland. "He is a glitch, Father. A foreign contaminate. He reeks of a chaotic radiation that doesn't belong in this multiverse. He operates on a logic that is... offensive. It lacks structure."
Lucifer walked over, standing before the bench.
"He turned the Omega Effect—the ultimate force of entropy in this universe—into roses," Lucifer said, sounding personally insulted. "Do you know how hard I worked to establish the thermodynamic laws he just ignored? He treats physics like a suggestion."
"That is the charm," The Presence smiled. "You always complained that the Great Plan was too rigid, Samael. You claimed that Predestination was a cage. That you wanted true Free Will."
The Presence gestured to the marble still resting on the bench, showing the image of Elias racing Superman.
"He is the Chaos Factor. He is not written into the Destiny Book. Destiny of the Endless cannot see him. Dream cannot capture him. He is truly, utterly free."
Lucifer looked at the marble. He saw the blue streak. He saw the "Toon Force" logic Elias now wielded—the Archie Comics power that allowed him to rewrite atoms simply because it was cool.
"He is a narrative hazard," Lucifer countered. "He possesses the power of a 5th Dimensional Imp, but without the foolishness of Mxyzptlk. He has the heart of a hero, yes, but his methods... he creates messes. He leaves loose ends."
"He creates possibilities," The Presence said.
Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "Is he Yours?"
"Mine?"
"Is he part of the Plan?" Lucifer pressed, his tone sharpening. "Did You summon him? Or is he truly an accident? Because if you summoned him just to entertain Yourself, it is cruel. The boy thinks he is fighting for his life, while You are merely watching a new channel."
The Presence finally looked up. His eyes contained galaxies.
"I did not summon him. He fell through a crack in the Omniverse that even I did not see. He is a surprise, Samael. And after eternity... surprises are rare."
Lucifer stared at his Father. He searched for the lie, but found none. The Presence was genuinely amused.
Lucifer looked back at the image of Elias. For the first time, his expression shifted from annoyance to intrigue.
"A being outside the Plan," Lucifer mused. "A creature who owes You nothing. Who owes me nothing. A creature who looked into the abyss of Darkseid and laughed."
Lucifer took a slow sip of his drink.
"He will attract attention," Lucifer warned. "The Monitors. The Anti-Monitor. The Empty Hand. They do not like messy stories. They will come for him."
"Perhaps," The Presence agreed. "And perhaps he will outrun them, too."
Lucifer set his glass down on the piano. He adjusted his cufflinks.
"Very well. If You are permitting the vermin to stay, I suppose I must tolerate him."
Lucifer began to fade, his form dissolving into light and shadow.
"But Father?"
"Yes, Samael?"
"If he ever decides to visit Hell," Lucifer's voice echoed as he vanished, a smirk audible in his tone. "Do not expect me to play fair. I want to see if this 'Chaos Factor' can survive the Devil."
The Presence chuckled, watching his son leave.
"I suspect," The Presence whispered to the dog, "that Elias would simply challenge him to a fiddle contest."
The dog barked. The Presence returned his gaze to the marble, where a blue hedgehog was currently ordering a chili dog in a universe that had never seen one before.
"Run, Elias," The Presence said softly. "Make it interesting."