Clark the Snitch, Dio the Sleepyhead

Locke carefully helped Logan, whom he had knocked unconscious with a hundred Oras, onto the couch and casually covered him with a blanket.

Adamantium skulls really were hard.

His fists were starting to hurt.

"Another person from the future?"

"This time, did he come specifically for me?"

"Wow~"

The boy whistled, a teasing smile curling at the corner of his lips. "Looks like future me is pretty popular?"

It would have been more convincing if the world's fist hadn't been aimed at Logan's head when he said that.

With a sigh, Locke reached out and ruffled Dio's blond hair.

"Brat, put your Stand away first."

His gaze swept across the wreckage in the living room—

Overturned food, shattered plates, and three deep claw marks gouged into the wall.

"Do you know why he came all this way back here?"

Dio shrugged, looking completely unconcerned. "Judging by this situation."

"It definitely has something to do with me."

"Dio!"

But before Locke could explain, Clark's voice drew closer from outside the window.

"Dio! Why did you run so fast? Mom said you forgot to take your blueberry pie! She said Uncle Locke definitely hasn't eaten tonight—"

His voice abruptly cut off as a pair of blue eyes widened at the sight of the living room.

"Uh... is this some new birthday party decoration?"

"And who's this uncle?"

"An unconscious traveler," Locke said naturally.

"Okay, Uncle Locke."

Clark nodded obediently. Meanwhile, Dio snorted, shoved his hands into his pockets, and headed for the stairs, his golden bangs casting a shadow over his eyes.

"I'm going to bed, Dad."

Without looking back, he tossed out, "And when he wakes up tomorrow, kick him out. Thanks."

Watching Dio vanish around the bend in the staircase, Locke couldn't help but smile.

He definitely cared.

After all—

"Uncle Locke." The boy stuck out his tongue and whispered, "Dio is actually really looking forward to tomorrow."

"This kid..." Locke shook his head. Taking the blueberry pie from Clark, he relaxed slightly at its warm, sweet aroma. He ruffled Clark's fluffy curls and smiled. "Thank your mom for the pie."

"Mm!"

Clark nodded hard, but as he turned to leave, he couldn't help glancing at the unconscious Logan on the couch again.

The boy suddenly lowered his voice. "Uncle Locke, this uncle looks really sad. He's frowning even while he sleeps."

Locke froze at that, only then noticing that Logan's muscles were still tense even in unconsciousness.

Even the injuries Star Platinum had inflicted by repeatedly beating him earlier had healed.

Adamantium?

"It's okay." Locke gently nudged Clark toward the door. "Once this uncle wakes up, we'll treat him to your mom's blueberry pie. I guarantee it'll make him smile."

Clark nodded, but just as he turned to leave, he seemed to suddenly remember something.

His blue eyes sparkled as he turned back.

"Uncle Locke!"

"I almost forgot to tell you a secret!"

Locke raised a brow and set the blueberry pie on the relatively clean dining table. "Oh? What secret could be so mysterious?"

Clark beckoned mysteriously, signaling for Locke to crouch down.

Only once Locke leaned closer did the boy cup a hand around his mouth and excitedly whisper in a breathy voice:

"Dio actually slept in class today! He slept through two whole periods!"

"What?!"

The secret was so shocking that Locke's voice shot up.

He quickly lowered it again. "Are you sure he was asleep? Not pretending?"

"Absolutely!"

Clark nodded vigorously, his curls bouncing along with him.

"Physics class! Mr. Jones called him three times, and he didn't wake up! In the end, I had to wake him by throwing an eraser at him!"

That must have been quite a throw. No wonder Dio—

No, that wasn't the point!

Locke straightened up in shock.

It was far too abnormal. If Dio encountered a class he disliked, at most he would skip it and go to the library. But he would never sleep in the classroom, much less during physics, his favorite subject.

"Good job, Clark."

Locke ruffled the boy's hair. "You have to tell me whenever something like this happens."

"Mm!"

Clark answered happily and skipped toward the door.

"Then I'm going home to help Mom prepare for tomorrow's birthday party! Good night, Uncle Locke!"

After seeing Clark off, Locke stood amid the wrecked living room, deep in thought.

Normally, he might have let Dio do as he pleased.

After all, the kid had always been at the top of his class. Staying up late reading now and then was normal.

But—

His gaze shifted to the unconscious Wolverine on the couch.

No. Locke might be able to hold himself back, but Locke the old father probably couldn't.

"I need to have a proper talk with that brat."

He quietly went upstairs and stopped outside Dio's room.

"Dio?" Locke cautiously pushed the door open. "Dad wants to talk to you."

His words came to an abrupt stop.

The sight inside the room made all the blood in Locke's body freeze at once—

Dio lay on the bed, green energy ripples winding around him.

His eyes were shut tight, yet he was letting The World sit at the desk?!

"Scratch, scratch, scratch!"

With a physics textbook open before it, The World was actually gripping an inkless pen and furiously writing complex formulas in a notebook!

And all of this—

Was clearly being done unconsciously by Dio!

This was insane. The World was actually secretly grinding behind Star Platinum's back!

"Damn it."

Locke instinctively summoned Star Platinum. "Dio! Wake up!"

Bang—!

The World vanished, and the pen fell onto the desk.

"Dad, what are you doing? I just fell asleep."

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Dio's red pupils were full of irritation.

His blond bangs stuck up in a messy tangle, and the collar of his pajamas hung crookedly to one side, revealing the scar on his collarbone and the star-shaped birthmark on his shoulder.

Locke stood beside the bed, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Dio." He did his best to keep his voice steady. "Have you been sleeping a lot lately?"

The boy's expression instantly stiffened before he rolled his eyes. "Clark, that traitor, told you, didn't he?"

"Damn it!"

"Tomorrow, I'm turning the coordinates of his secret base into posters and handing them out to every kid in town!"

"That's not the point, son." Ruffling Dio's head, Locke carefully chose his words and said earnestly, "Didn't you feel anything just now?"

"?"

Three nearly tangible question marks seemed ready to appear over Dio's head.

"What else would I do? I wanted to sleep, so I slept!"

"Then..." Locke asked cautiously, "did you dream?"

"No."

Dio scratched his messy blond hair. "My sleep quality's been great lately. I sleep straight through until morning."

"Dad, why are you acting crazy in the middle of the night?"

"Fine..." Locke took a deep breath. "Then summon The World and let me take a look."

"Huh?!"

Dio looked as though he had just heard the most absurd request in the universe.

"You woke me up in the middle of the night just to look at my Stand?"

Though he complained, the boy still snapped his fingers.

The golden Stand appeared at once, radiating a soft glow in the darkened room.

Locke leaned closer and examined it carefully. Star Platinum's microscope-like ability allowed him to see even the tiniest details on The World's body!

And then he saw it.

At the seam in the armor on The World's right shoulder—

A diamond-shaped crystal mark emitting a faint green glow—

Kryptonite?!

Damn it, the scheduled release got stuck.