Boxman’s circuits were still buzzing from the chaos as he rushed through the smoke-filled ruins, his only thought fixed on Venomous. The skirmish had been a blur of heroes, villains, and destruction, but now, as silence settled, he felt his anxiety spiking as he scanned the scene for his husband. He had already sent Fink back with his henchmen to keep her safe—now it was Venomous he needed to find.

Finally, through the dissipating dust, he spotted Venomous, standing tensely amidst the debris. Relief washed over him, but it was quickly tempered by the sight of a woman and child at his feet. The woman was lying protectively over the small boy—K.O.. They were both disheveled, her arm curled tightly around the child as if shielding him from some unseen threat. Boxman’s brow furrowed; he’d only ever seen her like this in flashes of memory Venomous had let slip.

But it wasn’t just her stance that made Boxman freeze. Venomous was also braced, his tall, calm figure half-turned toward Boxman with an arm instinctively raised, as though shielding him. The gesture was so subtle, so out of character for the normally cool, distant Venomous that Boxman couldn’t help but stare, feeling a strange warmth twinge within his usually jumbled emotions.

For a brief, tense moment, neither side moved. Boxman’s heart thrummed as he looked between Venomous’s steady form and the woman’s wary, protective one. Venomous’s gaze remained locked on him, a barely perceptible flicker of concern in his eyes. And for that single, silent second, he understood that his husband’s protectiveness wasn’t just an instinct—it was a choice, as if even amidst his dark ambitions and tangled past, Venomous had finally decided where his loyalties lay.