"They Have Arrived."

Afterward, Lanes pulled out the storage device and handed it to Leon. "All the data is in here, including the virus's backdoor key."

Leon took the device, his gaze lingering on her face for a second.

"You want to save everyone."

Lanes gave a cold laugh. "No. I'm only making up for the UED's crimes."

She looked toward the monitoring screen, which displayed the scene outside the base.

Homelander hovered high in the sky, scarlet beams constantly tearing through the heavens. In the distance, UED warships were still madly pouring down firepower, utterly unconcerned that thousands of researchers remained inside the base.

"They would rather destroy this place than let the technology leak out." Her nails dug deeply into her palm. "That's how the UED operates."

"Let's go." Leon pressed a hand to her shoulder. "It's time to end this."

Meanwhile, Mike was already clearing the way ahead, while Chris covered the rear. The team swiftly withdrew along their original route.

The base's alarms shrieked harshly, and the corridor lights flickered on and off, like a dying Kaiju making its final struggle.

When they rushed out of the maintenance passage, the Stealth-class vessel's boarding hatch had already opened, hovering above the ice field.

Homelander was still intercepting the final wave of missiles, his red cape snapping wildly amid the fiery explosions.

Lanes glanced back at the steel tomb where she had once worked, then stepped onto the shuttle without hesitation.

The instant the hatch closed, the Antarctic Base collapsed behind them in a thunderous roar, becoming a pillar of flames that soared into the sky.

The shuttle's engines emitted a deep hum as it steadily climbed through the polar gale.

Lanes stood before the porthole, her fingertips pressed against the cold glass, her eyes fixed on the Antarctic Base shrinking