Kimiko wrapped her arms around Black Noir's waist, and Mother's Milk's fist slammed into his mask right after.
Bang!
Black Noir had just raised his arm to fling Kimiko away when Mother's Milk's second punch hammered into his ribs. The enhanced force traveled through his armor, knocking him several meters sideways.
Watching this, Hughie finally looked a little more relieved.
They could win.
They had a chance!
Kimiko couldn't die, and Mother's Milk was terrifyingly strong now, too. Even if that vial only lasted twenty-four hours, even if it killed Mother's Milk after those twenty-four hours, there was still time.
As long as they could make it back alive.
Let Marvin see his wife one more time, hold his daughter, and say he was sorry in person.
Maybe the side effects Lucian had mentioned weren't that serious. Maybe Mother's Milk could pull through. Maybe-
Bang!
A blue blur crashed into the fight from the side.
Kimiko was about to lunge at Black Noir again, but before she could even react, she was sent flying dozens of meters sideways, smashing through two trees before tumbling into a pile of rubble.
The smile froze on Hughie's face.
The blur stopped in front of him.
Dark skin, a blue uniform, and that face he had seen countless times on television, then over and over in every nightmare.
A-Train.
Hughie's fingers began to tremble.
An image flashed past: Robin standing by the street, smiling at him.
The next second, blood splashed all over his face.
Those severed arms still clasped in his hands.
And those words A-Train had said when he looked back: "I can't stop."
After all this time, he had thought he was used to it. He could confront A-Train, work with Butcher to use Robin's death as leverage, and even swallow