The gas was for Soldier Boy. They knew it would work on him because the Russians used it on him.
They probably didn't know whether the gas would work on Homelander. Every supe is different, according to Frenchie in season one.
Maeve did what she did to eliminate any possibility that they'd take down Soldier Boy too soon.
And here's my take on the Ryan thing: it's one thing to risk the lives of adult bystanders who may be nearby, another thing entirely to risk killing a kid who's standing right there.
Besides, I really don't think Maeve DID have a change of heart at first. She initially shared a look with Butcher that I took to mean, "Don't give up on this now, just for the kid." And of course she went right after Homelander
All that said, we know Maeve still wants to do good, deep inside. It showed when she tried to save a couple kids from the hijacked plane.
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