Lucian lay flat on his back at the bottom of the crater.
All he wanted now was to rest.
Super Healing LV5 was still working. Charred flesh kept sloughing off, and broken bones shifted back into place little by little. Every bit of regrowth brought an indescribable tingling itch, while his chest and arms still hurt terribly.
Let it hurt.
At least he wouldn't die.
Lucian gazed at the sky, unwilling to waste even the strength to raise a hand against the glare.
Winning was enough.
No matter how much Homelander refused to admit it, he was the one who had fled.
Lucian closed his eyes, then quickly opened them again.
Forget it.
Who knew whether Homelander would double back? Keeping his eyes open was safer.
Several kilometers away, Annie landed beside A-Train with Cate in her arms.
"Lucian still isn't back!"
Barely steady on her feet, Cate stared toward the explosion.
There was no movement over there anymore.
Neither Lucian nor Homelander was visible, only an absurdly enormous crater and vast clouds of dust and smoke that had yet to fully disperse.
"He'll be fine." Despite her words, Annie didn't look away. "He must have prepared for this."
"Are you sure?"
Cate spoke faster and faster.
"Why hasn't he come back? Where's Homelander? Can you see him?"
"No."
"Then you're not sure!"
Annie opened her mouth but didn't argue.
She was anxious too.
But before leaving, Lucian had told them to hide Hughie and Stormfront, then bring Mother's Milk, Kimiko, and Black Noir under control. The situation around them hadn't fully stabilized yet. If they rashly approached the center of the explosion, no one knew what they might encounter.
Especially Homelander.
If that bastard was still there, taking Cate over would only make them a burden.
"Give it one