Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)-Chapter 85: And it began

Kael patted Freya’s shoulder, and stepped behind her, his hazel eyes sharp, his presence a steady anchor as he positioned himself just outside the doorway, the air thick with the promise of violence.

Freya’s fists clenched, her nails biting her palms, the memory of this woman—her betrayer, who’d crossed her after a heist and left her bleeding in a lonely alley months ago to die at the hands of the hero who lay the trap—igniting a fire in her chest.

And it began...

They charged, two A-class villains unleashed, their collars locking away their powers, forcing a clash of raw strength and technique.

The floor shook as they collided, Freya’s fist arcing toward the woman’s jaw, a blow meant to shatter.

The bear-woman smirked, anticipating. She twisted, her reflexes viper-quick, and countered with a brutal elbow to Freya’s ribs, the impact stealing her breath, pain flaring like a brand.

Freya staggered, her vision swimming, but her resolve held firm, her body moving on instinct and she stood tall again.

She blocked a follow-up punch, her forearm screaming from the force, and retaliated with a knee to the woman’s gut, forcing a grunt from her lips.

The bear-woman smirked stay still, as if plastered, her dark eyes gleaming with malice, and stooped to underhanded tactics.

She snatched a rusted nail from the floor and clenched it inside her fists, its jagged edge glinting between her fingers as she slashed at Freya’s face.

Freya jerked back, the nail grazing her cheek, blood welling hot and sticky, but she didn’t flinch, nor complained about her using a nail.

The bear woman swung her fist again, but this time Freya grabbed the woman’s wrist, twisting until the nail clattered free, and drove a fist into her jaw, the crack echoing like a gunshot.

The woman stumbled, spitting blood, but lunged again, kicking dust into Freya’s eyes, a cheap ploy that stung and blurred her sight.

Freya blinked through the haze, her senses sharp thanks to the training she did for Kael’s challenge, and ducked a wild swing, feeling the air whistle past her ear.

She charged and tackled the woman, their bodies slamming into a rotting wall, plaster crumbling around them, dust choking the air.

They grappled, nails clawing, knees striking, the fight a brutal dance of survival.

Freya’s strength surged, and she hooked the woman’s ankle, sending her crashing to the floor with a bone-rattling thud.

Before the woman could rise, Freya pounced, pinning her shoulders with her knees, her fists hammering down merciless, unrestrained—crack, crack, crack—each punch a thunderclap, blood splattering the concrete.

Freya’s face twisted into a terrifying smile, her blue eyes wild, her damp hair falling like a veil.

Then all of a sudden something weird happened, in her vision, the woman’s face flickered, morphing into her own past self—the icy queen who’d killed without remorse, who’d bathed in power, who’d crushed lives for pride.

Then it snapped back to the bear-woman’s battered face, her dark eyes defiant, blood streaming from her nose.

But Freya’s punches didn’t stop, her breath ragged, she yelled with each hit landing on her face, the mirror of her villainy fueling her rage, but a flicker of doubt pierced her—Is this who I am?

She slowed, her fists trembling, the woman groaning beneath her, barely conscious, her defiance fading.

Freya turned to Kael, her chest heaving, blood dripping from her knuckles, her clothes stained red, her cheek stinging from the nail’s cut.

"Please, open our collars, Kael," she begged, her voice raw, a desperate edge to it. "I promise I won’t do anything to you, now I will let anything happen to you, I will save you, no matter what."

Her blue eyes locked on his, a vow etched in their depths, her body trembling with the weight of her choice.

Kael’s expression was a mix of trust and calculation, his hazel eyes glinting in the dim light.

"Fine," he said, stepping forward. Leaning closer to her ears, he stated "I trust you, Freya."

He pressed a button on her collar, a soft beep cutting the silence as it fell away, her neck bare, a chill stirring in her veins.

He knelt beside the bear-woman, who lay spitting blood, her face swollen, her dark eyes flickering with fear and defiance.

"Well, who didn’t see that coming," Kael whispered, his tone dry, as he unlocked her collar with another beep.

The woman transformed in a heartbeat, as if waiting for it, her body swelling, fur sprouting, becoming a grizzly bear with huge furry breasts, her roar shaking the walls, her massive paw swinging toward Kael with bone-crushing force.

Freya’s hands flashed, frost erupting from her palms, conjuring a shimmering ice wall that rose like a fortress.

The paw slammed into it, the crash deafening, cracks spiderwebbing the ice but holding firm. Kael smirked, scrambling to the doorway, his voice warm. "Nice save, Freya," he said, giving her the stage.

"Thanks Kael"

Freya faced the bear, her icy powers unleashed, the air turning frigid, her breath visible in clouds.

The bear charged, her claws raking the floor, splintering wood, her bulk a juggernaut.

Freya slid back, her hands weaving frost, coating the floor in a slick sheet of ice.

The bear skidded, her roar furious, and swiped, her paw grazing Freya’s arm, tearing fabric and skin, blood welling hot against the cold.

Freya gritted her teeth, pain sharpening her focus, and retaliated, freezing the bear’s foreleg mid-swing, the ice crackling as it locked her fur, the limb heavy and useless.

The bear let out a low hoarse chuckle and shattered the ice with a flex of her muscle, her strength monstrous, and lunged, her jaws snapping inches from Freya’s throat.

Freya rolled, her movements fluid, and conjured icicles—sharp, gleaming, a dozen daggers hovering in the air.

She hurled them, the projectiles whistling, embedding in the bear’s shoulder, drawing a bellow of pain.

Blood dripped, steaming on the icy floor, but the bear pressed on, her eyes burning with rage. She landed a heavy punch, her paw slamming Freya’s chest, sending her crashing into a wall, plaster exploding, her ribs screaming, breath stolen.

"Gah~!"