Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)-Chapter 144: Taxi

"I guess cab is better than walking," Rhea muttered, her arms crossed, her amber eyes glaring out the taxi window.

"Why can’t you rent a second-hand car, Kael? Or, atleast a third-hand car. That’s got to be cheaper," Freya added, her voice low, her blue eyes flicking to the back of Kael’s head.

Both Freya and Rhea sat in the back seat of the hired taxi, the old leather creaking as they shifted, headed toward the house where the Haunter Twins, Lila and Tila, were supposedly living.

Freya wore her usual cyan t-shirt and navy pants, her platinum-cyan hair pulled into a loose ponytail. Rhea, in a white tank top and black pants, slouched with a scowl, her crimson hair spilling over her shoulders.

Their necklaces, which they still wore glinted faintly over their clothes.

Kael, up front in a shirt and jeans, checked the GPS on his phone, the driver’s radio humming softly in the background.

He turned slightly to answer their doubts, his hazel eyes meeting their glares.

"Like I keep saying, a car’s a waste of money. This ride’s forty bucks. If we take a cab every other day, that’s still less than seven grand a year. No insurance, no maintenance, no repairs. With you two, insurance would be through the roof. And where do we park during a mission? I’d be stressing about the car getting trashed in collateral damage. Plus, if we’re injured, who’s driving us back?"

The driver, an older man with a gray beard, chuckled dryly, his eyes on the road. "Think I made a mistake being a cab driver," he said, half-joking, half-depressed by Kael’s logic.

Rhea smirked, leaning forward. "Harris’s car looks spotless. Bet he doesn’t worry about this crap."

Kael shot her a look, his grin sharp. "Harris is a different breed. And you are lucky I am not half as strict as him. Else, you’d be sitting there with a finger on your lips, quiet as a mouse."

"Your finger in my lips?" Freya asked, her tone cheeky, her blue eyes glinting with mischief.

Kael didn’t bite, just glared, his hazel eyes narrowing. "Don’t start."

Rhea snorted, her amber eyes flashing. "Don’t get defensive just because you’re a cheapskate. We get it, you’re frugal."

"Says the woman who eats bacon like it’s bread," Kael fired back, his grin returning.

"Hey!" Rhea exclaimed, swatting the air, her scowl half-playful, half-annoyed.

Freya chuckled softly, leaning back, her fingers tapping the seat.

Earlier, when Kael had asked why they weren’t in their superhero suits, Freya had been firm: "I’m saving the costume for official missions. This Tila thing? It’s unofficial. I’m not dressing up for it."

Rhea, not wanting to look out of place, had shrugged and copied her. "Yeah, I’d look like an idiot if I wore mine and she didn’t," she’d said, though her amber eyes had sparkled with reluctant agreement.

Kael glanced at the GPS again, the destination now five miles out.

The city around them was lively—bustling streets, honking cars, and pedestrians weaving through crosswalks.

He’d half-expected the Haunter Twins to hole up in some creepy, abandoned alley like the Haven’s rundown neighborhood, maybe a graveyard or a haunted house, given their shadow powers and ominous name.

Instead, this area was anything but dead, the noon sun blazing overhead, casting sharp shadows that offered little cover for Tila’s tricks.

It was close to noon, perfect timing for their plan. Kael had briefed them thoroughly: Tila’s shadow manipulation made her slippery, her attacks unpredictable, but the bright daylight would limit her range. Lila is on our side, but at the same time she won’t reveal it to her sister, she would fake being knocked out, leaving Tila as the main threat.

Their goal was to subdue her and slap a power-suppressing collar on her neck—Kael had given one to each of them, the cold metal a reminder of the stakes.

He’d warned them about Tila’s sneaky strikes, how she’d blend into shadows and hit from angles they wouldn’t see coming.

Freya would use her ice to disrupt Tila’s movements, Rhea her fire to flush her out, and Kael would go in close, relying on his reflexes and training.

Kael patted the stun baton clipped to his belt, its weight reassuring.

No gun, no fancy gear—just the baton, charged and ready.

Should be enough, he thought, his hazel eyes narrowing as the taxi turned onto a busier street.

screeech!

The taxi pulled to a stop in front of a modest, single-story house nestled in a lively neighborhood, where kids rode bikes and neighbors chatted over fences.

The vibrant scene made Kael’s stomach twist with suspicion—did Lila lie about the Haunter Twins’ hideout, or did they really live in this sunny, suburban bubble?

It didn’t scream "shadow-wielding supervillains."

He exchanged a glance with Freya and Rhea in the back seat, their faces mirroring his doubt.

Kael paid the forty dollars to the driver and then from there, they walked on foot until they reached the house whose address Lila had sent.

All three clutched power-suppressing collars, the cold metal heavy in their hands.

Kael turned to them, his hazel eyes sharp.

"Alright, take positions. Freya, you’re with me at the front. Rhea, back door. Stick to the plan."

Freya’s blue eyes narrowed, her voice firm. "Kael, stay back. This could get messy, and we don’t need you in the middle of it."

Rhea nodded, her amber eyes glinting with rare seriousness. "Yeah, we’ve got this. We’ll snag Tila, no sweat. Stay safe, Kael."

Kael’s grin was stubborn, his hand patting the stun baton at his belt. "I can handle myself, same as always. This baton’s all I need."

Rhea snorted, her grin breaking through. "A baton? What, you gonna tickle her into submission?"

Freya smirked, her tone dry. "Don’t worry, Rhea. I’ll keep an eye on him since we’re together. He won’t do anything stupid."

"Fine, let’s move." Kael rolled his eyes but nodded. "I miss those days, when I made the decisions and no one objected."