Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)-Chapter 130: How?

"Bath? How?" Kael asked, his brow furrowing, skepticism in his hazel eyes. "It’s a waste of money to rent a place just for a shower. Clara doesn’t even mind us stinking up her car."

"Thanks again, Clara," Kael added, turning to her with a grin. "I’ll make it up to you one day."

"Oh, okay!" Clara replied, her voice gleeful, a glint in her green eyes that hinted at exactly how she’d like him to repay her.

"No need for a room," Freya said, her tone calm but laced with amusement. "Just stand there." She pointed to a patch of asphalt in front of them.

Rhea’s grin widened, mirroring Freya’s. "Yeah, right there," she echoed, her amber eyes dancing with anticipation.

Kael raised an eyebrow, curious but wary, and stepped to the spot.

Freya and Rhea exchanged a quick nod, their grins turning downright wicked.

They raised their hands in unison, and a slab of shimmering ice formed above Kael’s head, glinting in the sunlight.

Before he could react, Rhea’s flames surged, melting the ice in a controlled burst.

Warm water cascaded down like a gentle rain, drenching Kael in a perfectly tempered shower, neither too hot nor too cold—just the way he liked it.

Kael stood in the downpour, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, water dripping from his lashes.

He took a deep breath and wiped his face.

Through the curtain of rain, he looked at Freya and Rhea, his smile breaking wide, radiant with pride.

His hazel eyes shimmered, and maybe it was the water, or maybe it was something deeper, blending with the droplets streaming down his face.

His heart swelled, an overwhelming urge to pull them close washing over him.

He stretched his arms forward, the gesture open, unguarded.

Freya and Rhea froze, caught off guard, their eyes flicking to each other in a fleeting moment of surprise.

Then, as if drawn by the same unspoken pull, they lunged forward, crashing into his embrace, hugging him tightly from the front.

The warm rain enveloped them, their laughter muffled against his chest.

"I’m so damn proud of you two," Kael said, his voice thick with joy, his arms tightening around them, the weight of their victory and their newfound bond grounding him in the moment.

Clara watched from the sidelines, her green eyes soft, giving them their moment to absorb.

Then, with a burst of glee, she couldn’t resist.

"Yay! Group hug!" she squealed, darting forward to join them, wrapping her arms around Kael from behind, her white hair catching the water as she laughed.

The four of them stood there, soaked and laughing under the makeshift shower, the street a bubble of warmth and camaraderie.

_________

The team stepped into the ’Blue Lobster’, a cozy restaurant with nautical charm, its walls draped with fishing nets and weathered buoys.

The savory scent of seafood filled the air, a sharp relief from the sewer’s lingering stench.

Clara’s treat was a golden opportunity, and Rhea and Freya were set on making her regret her generosity.

They slid into a booth, Rhea and Freya taking one side, their shoulders brushing as they sat close, a new ease between them.

Rhea’s superhero suit was still clung to her frame, its crimson and black design scorched but intact, her crimson hair loose and wild. Whereas Freya was in her usual Cyan t-shirt and dark pants.

Kael and Clara claimed the opposite side, their movements relaxed.

The group smelled faintly of ash and smoke, their clothes dried by Rhea’s flames, her control over her powers now sharper, as she dried them all without burning their skin or their clothes and also killed all the smelly bacteria off them.

The waiter handed out menus, and, Rhea and Freya pounced, each ordering a whole lobster, their eyes glinting with mischief as they shot glances at Clara.

Kael raised an eyebrow at Clara, his hazel eyes curious. "What’re you getting?"

Clara smiled, her green eyes gleaming with sweetness. "I can’t finish a whole lobster alone," she said, her voice soft, leaning slightly toward Kael. "Mind sharing one with me?"

Kael’s grin spread, his tone warm. "Sounds good. I can’t eat a whole one by myself either."

Freya and Rhea’s eyes narrowed, their glares pinning Clara like daggers.

Well played, bitch, they thought in sync, their expressions a mix of annoyance and grudging admiration.

Clara met their stares with an innocent smile, her face serene, as if clueless to the rivalry crackling across the table.

The blue lobsters arrived, their vibrant shells steaming, their beady eyes fixed in death.

Rhea stared at hers, her amber eyes locked in a mock standoff with its eyes.

"I don’t like how it’s glaring at me," she said, her voice half-serious, half-playful, her superhero suit creaking as she leaned forward. "It’s taunting me. My lobster’s mean."

"It’s dead, Rhea," Kael said, his tone flat but his hazel eyes twinkling with amusement as he cracked into his shared lobster with Clara.

"If you don’t like it, trade with us," Clara offered, her green eyes sparkling with kindness.

"But mine’s bigger," Rhea countered, her grin sly, clearly savoring her prize.

Freya sighed and snapped her fingers, a faint chill rippling through the air.

The lobster’s eyes frosted over and shattered with a soft pop.

"There," she said, smirking at Rhea. "Now it’s blind, it won’t look at you."

"Oh, thanks, Freya," Rhea said, her grin widening, but she paused, staring at the eyeless lobster. "Now I feel bad eating a blind one."

"For God’s sake, take mine," Freya said, rolling her eyes but laughing as she swapped plates with Rhea in a quick motion.

Rhea’s grin turned triumphant—she’d successfully snagged Freya’s noticeably larger lobster without even asking her.

"My lobster had warned me that you were looking at it the wrong way," Freya teased, her voice light, her platinum-cyan hair catching the restaurant’s warm glow.

The table burst into chuckles, the tension dissolving into shared amusement as they dug into their meal.

Kael and Clara shared their lobster with an easy rhythm, their movements in sync, stopping just short of feeding each other—a line that would’ve made them look like a couple straight out of a rom-com.

Their chemistry looked obvious, and Freya and Rhea exchanged a quick glance.

This Bitch has to go.

The lobster dwindled to its final bite, a succulent piece sitting between Kael and Clara. "You take it," Kael said, nudging it toward Clara, his tone genuine.

"I’m full," Clara replied, her green eyes soft as she picked up the morsel and held it toward Kael’s mouth. "You have it."

Kael, claiming he was full too, half-opened his mouth anyway, the gesture playful, almost intimate, as Clara brought the piece closer.

CHOMP!

Rhea leaned across the table, snatching the bite with a quick snap of her teeth.

"You’re welcome," she said, chewing smugly, her amber eyes glinting with victory as she leaned back in her superhero suit.

Freya stifled a giggle, her blue eyes dancing with amusement, her hand covering her mouth to hide her grin.

Clara blinked, caught off guard, then laughed, her green eyes sparkling with good-natured defeat.

Kael shook his head, his chuckle low and warm, his hazel eyes flicking between Rhea and Freya with emotions he couldn’t explain.