Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)-Chapter 118: fight rats

splash

Splash!

Rhea’s boots hit the sewer floor, but the slick surface betrayed her, her leg slipping out from under her.

She fell face-first into the foul, murky water, a grunt of disgust escaping her as she hit the ground, her black and crimson superhero suit instantly soaked.

Freya, poised on a small pedestal of ice she’d conjured, stood beside her, over the murky water.

A giggle bubbled from her lips, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she took a jab at Rhea.

"Nice landing, hero. Can’t even stand still, and you’re supposed to fight rats?"

"Shut up," Rhea snapped, pushing herself up, wincing as the sewer’s stench assaulted her senses.

Her crimson hair clung to her face, dripping with grime, and she cursed her decision to forgo her mask today.

The smell was worse than she remembered from her fights with Crocky and Drocky, the air thick with decay and rot.

Little did she know, Freya had laid a thin, slippery sheet of ice right where she’d landed—a prank she’d never admit to.

"Don’t get started, you two," Kael’s voice crackled through their earpieces, clear and firm, a warning laced with exasperation. "Focus."

"It was funny, Kael, you should’ve seen it," Freya said, her voice teasing.

"It’s impossible to work with her!" Rhea’s yell echoed off the damp walls, her amber eyes blazing. The sound reverberated, loud and reckless, and her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widening. "Oh, fuck," she whispered, realizing the rats might have heard her.

Freya rubbed her forehead, her eyes rolling, her expression one of exaggerated patience.

Teamed with an amateur, she thought, her lips pursing as she fought the urge to snap.

"Don’t worry," Kael’s voice came again, calm and steady.

"I saw this coming, so I dropped you at a safe distance. With the blowers on, the rats shouldn’t have heard you yet. But you’d better shut it now and focus. Remember, your future—and the Haven’s—is riding on this."

Freya’s lips twitched into a determined smirk, her blue eyes sharpening.

"I’ll get it done quick," she said, stepping forward, a frozen sheet materializing beneath her feet, carrying her smoothly over the sewage water to the pavement.

Rhea scrambled after her, drenched and grimacing, her suit clinging to her scarred frame.

"Ehh," she winced, her nose wrinkling at the filth coating her.

With a flick of her will, fire erupted across her body, a controlled blaze that enveloped her skin, evaporating the water and burning away the grime.

The air filled with the acrid scent of charred sewage, a mix of ash and smoke.

Freya pinched her nose, her blue eyes watering as she quickened her pace, moving deeper into the tunnel.

She bit back a comment, knowing it would spark another fight —especially since her ice prank had caused the fall.

Rhea’s flames died down, leaving her smelling of ash, her crimson hair slightly singed but her amber eyes fierce.

She followed Freya into the dim darkness, her boots squelching faintly.

"Take a right now, then the next immediate left," Kael’s voice guided, his tone steady, precise.

The faint echoes of rats—squeaky, skittering noises—reached their earpieces, reminding them of the threat ahead.

"Stay close, you two," Kael added, his voice firm.

Freya clicked her tongue, pausing to let Rhea catch up, her blue eyes flicking back with a mix of irritation and resignation.

Rhea jogged to her side, her suit gleaming faintly in the tunnel’s weak light, her expression a mix of determination and lingering disgust.

"I don’t see this going well," Clara said to Kael, her voice was soft but audible through Kael’s open comms. She sat on the hood of her car, her white coat folded beside her, her green eyes watching Kael as he worked on his laptop, tracking the blinking dots of Rhea and Freya’s positions.

"You’ll see," Kael replied, his hazel eyes fixed on the screen, his grin subtle but confident. He returned to the comms, his voice sharp.

"Stay alert. If you feel like you’re being watched, you are being watched."

"Just give the directions, why the drama?" Rhea whispered loudly into her earpiece, her amber eyes scanning the shadows. "I’ll charge in, burn them all before they even realize what’s happening."

"Sure you will," Freya whispered, her scoff barely audible.

"Anyway, Kael, Rhea makes sense," Freya added, her voice pragmatic. "We’ll charge in, we are wasting time this way."

Kael’s voice was a mix of amusement and caution.

"Suit yourself." Maybe he was being too cautious, he thought, his fingers hovering over the laptop keys. "Right, then straight, and take the second right."

"Gottit," Freya said, leading the way, her cyan t-shirt shifting as she ran, her navy pants a blur in the dim light.

Rhea charged behind her, her crimson hair streaming like a flame.

The tunnel echoed with their footsteps, the air growing thicker, the skittering of rats louder now.

Unseen in the dim corners, hundreds of rats trailed them, their beady eyes glinting, their claws scraping softly against the walls.

"I guess we’re being followed," Rhea said, her voice low, her amber eyes darting to the shadows, her gut churning with a flicker of nervousness despite her earlier bravado.

"I know," Freya replied, her voice calm but sharp.

With a swing of her arm, a massive ice wall surged behind them, sealing the tunnel with a crackling roar, blocking any rear attack. The barrier gleamed, its surface slick and impenetrable, cutting off the rats’ pursuit.

"Good job," Rhea said, her voice grudging but impressed, her amber eyes flicking to the wall. "Almost forgot you could use your wall for that too."

"You won’t forget once you’re as strong as me," Freya shot back, her blue eyes glinting with a mix of pride and challenge.

She turned and ran again, Rhea following close, her boots pounding the pavement.

The rats behind the wall glared at the retreating figures, their squeaks frantic before they scattered, seeking other paths. Rhea’s breath hitched, her pace slowing slightly.

"Can you go a bit slower?" she asked, her voice tight, her earlier confidence wavering as the tunnel’s oppressive darkness pressed in.

"Scared?" Freya teased, her blue eyes flicking back, her smirk sharp but not cruel.

"No, I’m not," Rhea snapped, her amber eyes flashing defensively. "It’s just... we’re going too deep into their lair, and nothing’s happened yet. It’s too quiet."

"Rhea’s right, Freya," Kael’s voice came through, his tone serious now. "Stay cautious."

Freya whispered back, her voice low, confident. "The rats are probably hiding because they’re afraid of us."

"Maybe," Kael replied, his voice tinged with doubt. "But stay close to Rhea. Take the next left."

"Okay," Freya said, as she took the left turn, Rhea close behind, her suit’s crimson accents glowing faintly.

The tunnel narrowed, the air growing colder, the skittering of rats fainter but ever-present.

"Wait, Freya!" Kael’s voice yelled, sharp and urgent.

Freya stopped dead, her hands pressing her ear. "What?" she asked, her voice tense at Kael’s yell which hurt her ear.

"Where are you going?" Kael’s voice was loud, alarmed. "There’s no left there."

Freya’s head whipped around, her gaze meeting Rhea’s amber eyes, both women frozen.

Rhea looked back, her heart pounding, and saw the tunnel entrance they’d just passed through—moving.

On Kael’s laptop, the blinking dots of their positions veered off the blueprint, no longer in the tunnels but inside a wall, out of bounds.