"I'm sorry, Little Jo."
"I don't want your apology! I want you to be there for me! You care more about your stupid job than your own son!"
In a fit of anger, Little Jo had jumped out the window before Clark could come in and charged into the cornfield. All he cared about was venting his feelings, so he hadn't noticed himself running faster and faster. When he realized his eyes had inexplicably begun to burn, he stopped in panic. The next second, red beams of intense heat shot from his eyes and struck the family barn as he lifted his head.
Boom!
An explosion rang out. Looking at the disaster he had caused, Little Jo had only one thought-
He was a monster!
A terrifying monster whose eyes shot explosive beams...
A monster!
Panic-stricken, Little Jo ran into a corner of the family storage shed and hid. The shed was packed with haystacks, and he huddled among them with his arms wrapped around himself, utterly terrified.
Until his father, Clark, came looking for him.
Wearing that red-and-blue "work" uniform of his.
From that moment on, Little Jo forgave every "broken promise" his father had ever made.
Come on, that was Superman! Superman was busy! He really did have a world to save!
Damian watched the boy, who was still in the kitchen arguing with Miaomiao over whether the cake should be decorated with blueberries or cherries, and said nothing.
"Little Jo's been much happier since then, but he's also had more and more secrets to keep and things to be careful about," Martha said with a smile. "Damian, you're both good children. You're around the same age, and you have similar backgrounds. I thought perhaps you'd find it easier to talk to someone your own age."
"Not necessarily."