"Is this really okay?"
Driving the tractor across the field at night, Locke asked as he and Jonathan hauled the oval-shaped object—still wrapped tightly in black cloth—into the basement of his warehouse. His tone was calm, but his mind was clearly far from it.
Jonathan wiped the sweat from his brow and exhaled deeply. "Locke, listen. Martha and I talked it through. We agreed—we're going to adopt that baby."
Locke halted on the steps. "You're serious about this?"
"You know how long we've wanted a child," Jonathan said, clapping a hand over Locke's shoulder. His voice sounded firm, yet there was a layer of exhaustion beneath it. "If fate dropped this baby at our doorstep, I won't question it."
Locke looked out in the direction of the still-smoking ruins of the Kent family barn and frowned. "But your barn just burned down. And you want to raise a child now? Can you handle it—financially, I mean?"
Jonathan gave a crooked smile and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Actually… the damage isn't as bad as it looks. I was too tired after harvesting, so I didn't move most of the wheat into the barn this afternoon. So the fire only destroyed some tools and hay."
Locke blinked. "So the harvest is fine?"
"Most of it," Jonathan nodded. "We've still got stacks of wheat stored under a temporary shed by the field. Martha nearly fainted when she heard the barn was on fire, but honestly—I've suffered worse."
Locke's heart eased a little. He had been blaming himself ever since Dio appeared. The fire, the mysterious man who vanished into ash—everything seemed linked to his so-called "adoption system." Was this really how his cheat ability delivered children? By dropping disasters from the sky?
"Come on," Jonathan said, patting the last of the dirt from his jeans. "Martha's waiting for us. Let's head back."
The two walked across the field under the pale glow of the moon. The remains of the barn stood in the distance like a charcoal skeleton, still smoldering. The air carried a faint burnt smell, but this was rural Kansas—fires happened, and neighbors helped one another. Nobody would ask too many questions.
Locke's house sat facing Jonathan's farm, only a short walk away—two simple houses standing side by side on miles of wheat and open land.
When Locke opened the door, he found Martha sitting on the living room sofa. Her face was anxious, but the moment she saw them, her stiff shoulders relaxed.
"You're back!" she whispered urgently. "Did you hide it?"
Locke nodded. "The… spaceship is in my basement. Covered it with tarp and tools. No one will find it."
Martha exhaled in relief. "Thank God."
Jonathan sat beside her and gently picked up one of the babies. His big calloused hand brushed the soft fabric of the swaddle. "Still strange, though… there were no lightning storms, no faulty wires. So why would the barn suddenly catch fire?"
Martha frowned thoughtfully. "It almost felt like… something crashed into it."
"Crashed?" Locke repeated, pretending to think. "Before I found Dio at my door, I heard a loud explosion. Then I saw the fire. Maybe a meteor? Or some kind of aircraft problem?"
Jonathan and Martha exchanged serious glances.
"So the barn caught fire when Dio appeared," Jonathan said slowly.
"That's how it happened," Locke said, giving a helpless shrug. "I know it sounds crazy."
Martha didn't speak for a long time. Then slowly, tenderly, she looked at the two infants lying in her lap. "Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. We lost a barn—but we gained two lives."
She caressed the dark-haired baby—Clark—with a mother's gentleness, then glanced at the blond one—Dio—who was staring blankly at the ceiling.
"This little guy cried so hard earlier," she said softly, "but he's finally calmed down. He must feel safe in your arms."
Locke reached over and touched Dio's hand. To his surprise, the baby suddenly grabbed his finger tightly. It was a small hand—but the grip was unnaturally strong. A strange chill ran down Locke's spine.
"It seems he likes you," Martha said warmly. "But Locke—are you sure you want to adopt him? You're still single. Raising a child alone isn't easy."
Locke looked down at the child in his arms. For a moment, the image of that mysterious man turning to ash flashed through his mind again, along with the faint sound that only he could hear:
[Adoption successful. Currently adopted character: Dio Brando.]
He exhaled slowly. "Maybe this is fate," he said. "He came to me for a reason. Just like Clark came to you."
Jonathan chuckled. "Then our family has two new members today. Clark Kent—and…?"
All eyes turned to Locke.
He hesitated only a moment before saying, slowly and firmly:
"Dio. Dio Kent."
Jonathan grinned. "Dio Kent it is."
—
Seven years passed.
Life in Smallville didn't change much. The seasons turned, harvests came and went, and townsfolk still gathered at the diner to talk about storms and tractor prices. But for two farms on the outskirts of town, everything was different.
Locke, once an outsider struggling to keep a failing farm alive, had grown into a respected farmer. With Jonathan's help—and Dio's quiet support—he had expanded his land, bought new equipment, and even paid off most of his debt. People said Locke had finally found his place in Kansas.
Things were good at the Kent farm too. Their barn had been rebuilt—bigger and sturdier than before. They bought a new tractor. And most importantly—after years of waiting—they finally had a family.
But what people talked about most were the two boys growing up in the Kent household:
Clark and Dio.
Clark was special from the start. He was strong—unnaturally strong. At five years old, he accidentally carried a whole bale of hay across the yard and set it down like it weighed nothing. He once outran a pickup truck because he "wanted to see how fast it could go." Jonathan spent most of his time teaching him one lesson:
"Clark. Never let people see your real strength. Never."
Compared to Clark, Dio was… perfect.
He could read at age three. He was polite, calm, and thoughtful. He helped with farm chores, cooked simple meals, and even managed money better than most adults. Teachers at Smallville Elementary called him "gifted." Parents in town kept asking Locke what books he gave Dio.
But nobody—not even Locke—knew what Dio was really thinking behind those golden eyes.
Because sometimes—just sometimes—there was something strange in how Dio looked at Clark.
Something quiet.
Something dangerous.
And yet, every day, they still argued like brothers.
—
"Dad!!" Dio's voice wavered from the backyard. "Uncle Jonathan—Clark is bullying me again!"
"I didn't!" Clark protested, marching after him with a muddy book in his hands. "I just touched his book, and it slipped!"
"Into the pig trough?" Locke asked, raising an eyebrow at the soggy, mud-covered mess Clark was holding.
Clark grimaced. "I sneezed. It was an accident."
Martha sighed as she wiped Dio's face with a towel. "Clark, you need to control your strength."
"I am controlling it!" Clark shouted, red-faced. "I didn't even use five percent!"
"Clark," Jonathan said sternly, "apologize."
"Why?! I didn't do anything wrong!"
At that moment, the door opened and Locke walked in, folding up his umbrella as rain pattered outside.
"Jonathan!" he called casually. "This rain is getting heavier. You'd better check your haystack before it floods."
Jonathan froze.
Then his eyes widened.
"…My haystack!!"
He bolted out the door like lightning.
Clark and Dio exchanged a look.
Locke watched them both—the alien boy destined to become Superman, and the child who would one day become something terrifying.
Seven years had passed.
And this quiet farm life…
Wouldn't last much longer.
...........
HOW WAS THE CHAPTER?