Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)

Tila’s lips curled into a sneer, her voice venomous. "We don’t need your ’help.’ Lila and I are fine where we are, living how we want. Leave us alone, and I swear I won’t come for you later."

Kael stood, his grin fading, his voice soft but firm. "Sorry, Tila. I can’t do that. I see the pain you’re carrying—it’s eating you alive. If you don’t face it, you’ll drag it to your grave, a life full of regrets with no end. I’m not letting you stay this way."

Tila fell silent, her glare fixed on him, but his words sank in, heavy and unyielding. He was stubborn, deaf to her defiance, his resolve a wall she couldn’t crack.

She hated it—hated him—but a flicker of doubt stirred, her fear mingling with something she couldn’t name.

Kael stepped closer, his hazel eyes searching hers. "If I uncuff you right now, will you attack me?"

Tila’s lips twitched, a grim smile breaking through. "You bet," she said, her voice honest, her eyes glinting with defiance.

Kael chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, wouldn’t want to get my ass kicked by a girl." He moved swiftly, his hand catching her face, his fingers brushing her neck as she wiggled to bite his hand.

Using his empathetic resonance, he sent a gentle pulse, her eyes fluttering as she slumped, unconscious.

He uncuffed her wrists and ankles, the metal clinking softly, and laid her carefully on the bed, her black hair fanning out, her sharp features softened in sleep.

He locked the door behind him, his hazel eyes narrowing, ready to move on.

At the same time.

The Haven’s door burst open with a thud, Lila charging out, her glasses askew, her loose gown billowing, her black curly hair wild.

"Kael!" she shouted, her voice a mix of panic and fury, her shadow-mask gone, revealing her wide, terrified eyes.

"What happened? Are they in trouble?" Kael asked, his hazel eyes wide with worry as faced Lila.

Barely an hour had passed since the team left for the mission, and Lila’s frantic arrival screamed disaster.

Kael’s mind raced—had Vulpes’s safehouse been a trap? Were Freya and Rhea hurt, pinned down by gunmen or superhuman bodyguards?

Lila snapped out of her panicked daze, her expression softening, a faint smile breaking through as she adjusted her glasses, the power-suppressing collar glinting faintly.

"No, no, they’re fine," she said, catching her breath. "The mission... it was a success."

Kael’s shoulders eased, his grin creeping back, though his hazel eyes still searched her face."Whoa... you really gave me a scare there."

"How’s Tila doing?" she asked, her voice tentative, her earlier suspicions lingering.

"We had a talk," Kael said, his tone casual but steady. "Went fine. She’s sleeping now, taking a breather."

"What are those in your hands?" Tila asked, suspicious of his perverted ways.

"These?" He held up the handcuffs in one hand, the metal catching the kitchen’s dim light. "Just used them to keep Tila in check. Can’t have a rational chat with her unless she’s bound."

Lila’s eyes flicked to his other hand, narrowing at what looked like a plastic wrapper—suspiciously condom-like wrapper. "And... that?" she asked, her voice tight, her glasses glinting with doubt.

Kael glanced down, his grin widening. "This? Just a cookie wrapper. Felt like eating something sweet." He tossed it into the kitchen dustbin with a flourish, the foil crinkling as it landed.

"Basket!"

Lila’s brow furrowed, her suspicion unswayed, her hands clenching her gown.

"Can I see her?" she asked, her voice firm, her earlier fears about Kael’s intentions resurfacing. "I need to check on Tila."

Kael’s grin faltered, his hazel eyes catching her distrust. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fine, Lila. Go ahead." He unlocked Tila’s door, stepping aside, his expression a mix of exasperation and understanding.

Lila peered inside, her glasses reflecting the room’s glow.

Tila lay on her bed, her black hair fanned out, her sharp features softened in sleep, her breathing steady.

The air carried a faint scent of salt and chocolate—no weird odors, no signs of anything sinister.

Faint red marks circled Tila’s wrists and ankles from the cuffs, but nothing alarming.

A half-eaten bag of chips sat on the floor, the cookie’s sweet aroma lingering.

Lila’s shoulders slumped, shame washing over her. She’d misjudged Kael, letting Freya and Rhea’s twisted tales cloud her judgment.

"Anything wrong, Lila?" Kael asked, leaning against the doorframe, his hazel eyes gentle but probing.

Lila turned, her cheeks flushing, her voice small. "N-no... I was just worried about Tila. Sorry."

Before Kael could respond, Rhea’s voice cut through, sulky and loud, from the Haven’s entrance.

"Ugh, what a joke," she grumbled, storming in, tossing her black mask onto the floor with frsutration, her orange-and-black bodysuit flaring as her crimson hair bounced.

Freya followed, her frost-patterned bodysuit shimmering, her reinforced cloth mask dangling from her hand, her blue eyes smoldering with irritation.

Both looked deflated, their heads low, despite the mission’s apparent success.

Kael’s brow furrowed, his hazel eyes darting between them. "Why the long faces? Something go wrong?"

Freya’s glare snapped to him, her blue eyes icy. "I don’t want that bitch on our team," she said, her voice low but venomous, her cape twitching with her agitation.

Rhea crossed her arms, her amber eyes flashing. "Yeah, exactly! She doesn’t get what a team is. Waltzing in like she owns the place and can do whatever she wants—screw that!"

Kael’s confusion deepened, his gaze shifting to Lila, who shuffled toward him, her head bowed, her glasses hiding her shame-filled eyes.

"What did you do, Lila?" he asked, his voice calm but firm, his hands on his hips.

Lila looked up, her voice barely a whisper.

"I’m... sorry," she said, offering no explanation, her gown pooling around her feet.

Kael’s eyes narrowed, pieces clicking together.

Lila’s rapid return, her suspicion about Tila, her insistence on checking the room—it all pointed to something Freya and Rhea had done.

He turned to them, his grin gone, his hazel eyes sharp.

"Why’s she sorry? And why’re you back so quick? Wait..." He folded his arms, his voice hardening. "Lila came rushing back before you even parked, acting like I was up to no good with Tila. What did you two say to her?"