"But did Dad get the wrong idea or something?"
"I wasn't picking on Clark," Dio said, tilting his head with a puzzled look.
The tractor hit a rock, jolting the cab.
Lock seized the moment to snatch the vampire hunter novel from Dio's hands.
What was he thinking, buying that book for this kid?
"Don't give me that. The book today, the spider last week, the stuff from last month—"
"Those were accidents," Dio said with a pout, suddenly pointing to the roadside. "Dad, look! Fireflies!"
Lock instinctively turned, catching the faint green glow flickering in the grass.
But when he looked back, Dio had somehow grabbed the book again, waving it triumphantly.
"…"
The night breeze poured into the cab, carrying the cool scent of dew.
"You little…" Lock sighed. "Do you know Clark, that sweet dummy, still thinks you're actually afraid of the dark? When you stayed at Jonathan's, he left a nightlight on for you every single night."
"And get this—he even pulled me aside today and said…"
Mimicking Clark's earnest tone, Lock continued, "'Dio's always pulling pranks, but I bet he's just lonely.'"
"?"
Under the moonlight, Dio's face sharpened, like someone had drawn strange, jagged lines across it.
He gripped the book's spine so hard the leather creaked under the strain.
"Clark's an idiot!"
The words hissed out through clenched teeth, dripping with a coldness that didn't match his boyish appearance.
But Lock noticed the tips of Dio's ears turning red in the moonlight.
Clunk!
The tractor rumbled over a dirt hill, rounding the final bend. Lock's farmhouse came into view.
"Dio, try to get along with Clark, alright? He's a good kid, and I think you are too," Lock said, rambling on. "If Clark ever gets mad, that's gonna be scary. You don't want him sending you flying into the sky with one punch, do you?"
The tractor stopped at the front door. Lock pulled the key out, while Dio stuffed the book into his backpack, muttering something under his breath.
"What's that?"
Lock didn't catch it.
"I said!" Dio's voice shot up, his eyes red as he glared. "He's the one always trying to take my stuff!"
As he shouted, a single tear splashed onto the dashboard.
Dio froze, as if shocked by his own reaction, then wiped his face with his sleeve and jumped off the still-rolling tractor, bolting into the house.
Watching the small figure stumble through the door, Lock touched the back of his neck, chilled by the night air.
Was he really that bad at balancing things?
No…
Maybe he'd been so focused on being fair that he'd overlooked how Dio felt.
Lock sighed.
As a parent, he felt pretty lousy for missing the signs of Dio's struggles.
---
Time slipped by quietly amid the golden waves of the farm's wheat fields.
Another year passed.
Lock's farm had grown by thirty acres. A shiny new combine harvester gleamed in the sun, the barn overflowed with plump oats and wheat, and with some extra cash, he'd even built a small windmill on the west side.
The Kent farm next door stayed the same size. Jonathan and Martha poured their energy into raising Clark.
Their barn sported a fresh coat of red paint, and the garden brimmed with Clark's favorite sweet corn. They weren't rich, but it was enough to raise their special boy right.
The relationship between the two boys was steady but still had an odd tension.
Maybe because Lock had called him out, Dio stopped picking on Clark.
But it was clear…
This fragile peace was just waiting for a spark to blow it up.
Like one afternoon…
Lock stood by the newly built fence, watching Dio and Clark "play" in the clearing by the wheat field.
If you could call one-sided chasing "playing."
"Clark! Give me my book back!"
Dio's face was red with fury as he chased after Clark.
"What's so great about these books?" Clark darted between hay bales, holding up a copy of Basic Physics. "Come on, let's play!"
"Jerk! Give it back!"
With an angry yell, Dio lunged at Clark.
But Clark's reflexes were too sharp for that.
Dio stumbled and face-planted into the dirt, lying still.
Sensing trouble, Clark swallowed hard and stepped forward to help the fallen boy.
"Sorry, Dio, I…"
Another fight brewing.
Lock, busy fixing the fence, sighed and started to step in, but then—
No way?!
"Dio! Stop it!"
His heart nearly leaped out of his chest. The wheat field blurred into streaks of gold at the edges of his vision, his heavy breathing drowning out everything else.
Lock had never run so fast in his life!
Not far off, Dio shakily stood, his blond hair practically glowing like fire in the sunlight.
His body trembled at an unnatural frequency, the air behind him warping strangely…
A golden, muscular humanoid figure suddenly appeared!
"The World!"
"Beat him to a pulp!"
?
Clark froze in place.
Wha—what world?
World what?
But before he could process it, the golden figure moved—too fast for human eyes to track, leaving only a scorching afterimage in the air.
Clark didn't even have time to blink before a heavy fist slammed into his stomach!
"Ugh—!"
He flew backward, crashing through three fence posts before skidding to a stop, curled up in the dirt, his face full of disbelief.
What hit me?!
What was that?!
Could it be…
"Dio!"
He looked up, incredulous. "You too?!"
"Shut up!"
Dio screamed hysterically, the invisible golden figure behind him striking an attack pose.
"You jerk! You're always stealing my stuff!"
"But now I've surpassed you! I'm gonna teach you a lesson, Clark!"
"Hit him, World!"
Boom!
The golden fist stopped inches from Lock's nose, the gust of its force blowing his cowboy hat clean off.
But Lock stood firm, arms spread, shielding Clark and staring down the floating golden monster.
"Dio Kent!"
His voice was ice-cold. "Put that thing away!"
"How could you raise a hand like that against family?!"
It was the first time Dio had been scolded so harshly by his father.
His eyes widened in shock. "But Dad, this time it's real—he started it!"
The boy trembled, the figure behind him flickering unstably.
"Jerk!"
"You and him are always ganging up on me!"
With Dio's final scream, the golden figure shattered into countless specks of light, like broken glass.
He turned and bolted into the distance, vanishing from sight.
Clutching his aching stomach, Clark stared blankly after Dio, his blue eyes filled with confusion and hurt, his shock lingering.
"Uncle Lock…" His voice shook. "What was that thing Dio had?"
Lock took a deep breath, glancing at the purple figure only he could see behind him.
He crouched down, placing a hand on Clark's shoulder.
"Listen, kid, it's complicated."
Ruffling Clark's hair, Lock softened his tone. "You okay right now?"
Clark shook his head. "I'm fine. I heal fast."
"A little sun, and the pain's gone."
"But…" The boy hesitated. "Does Dio really hate me?"
"No, he's just…" Lock paused, searching for the right words.
"Mad. Mad at me," he sighed.
"Clark, Lock! What just happened?!"
"I saw Clark go flying!"
Jonathan and Martha's frantic shouts came from afar.
The commotion had clearly drawn them over.
"Clark," Lock stood, "head back home. Don't let Martha and Jonathan worry."
"If they ask, just say Dio and I have something to sort out. You'll probably find us at the windmill later."
"The windmill? The one Dio…"
Clark started to say something but stopped, nodding instead. "Okay!"