All Things Retreat

The Federal Captain hesitated over whether to attack the Girl, and Hawkeye, steady and levelheaded as ever, took his lead from the captain. He held back too, waiting to see how the battle unfolded.

That left them at a genuine stalemate.

Homelander did not dare make the first move either. He knew whoever attacked first would become the main target, and he was no match for the Girl. If she humiliated him in front of everyone, it would only confirm that she had defeated him before.

Under the others' cover, a battered Queen Maeve quietly retreated. Tatsumaki's earlier blow had left her blood churning, and she needed a moment to steady her breathing.

Just then, a figure shot into the sky.

Luke suddenly noticed that the Young Man beside him had vanished. "Crash Boy, what are you doing?"

Hovering in midair, the Young Man looked back at his master, determination on his face. "Master, remember how I told you there were two people I had to kill?"

Luke paused.

Crash Boy pointed at the dust-covered Queen Maeve. "That woman and the guy who uses fire were behind the chip implanted in my brain. They're the ones who locked me in that room."

Pain crossed Crash Boy's face as he recalled those unbearable years.

For as long as he could remember, he had grown up in that dark, oppressive place. The chip had severely restricted his powers, and every day, all he heard and sensed were the screams of test subjects being tortured.

A person's upbringing could profoundly shape his character. If Crash Boy had not grown up there, he might have been a cheerful young man.

The ruthless, cold side of Crash Boy was slowly fading in his new surroundings, but there were people and things from his past he