Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)-Chapter 178: A Cockroach?

"Oh, I just followed a cockroach that scurried in here. I wonder where it went."

Saying so, Kael acted like he stepped out again, his boots scuffing the floor lightly, the door creaking open and slamming shut with a hollow thud, the Haven’s silence swallowing the sound.

"What? Cockroach?" Tila’s voice rang out, loud and sharp, her blindfolded head jerking, her cuffed hands twitching behind her back, the power-suppressing collar glinting faintly.

"I know you’re lying, you bastard!" she yelled, her words meant to provoke, but her voice shivered, a crack betraying the fear seeping through her defiance.

Kael stayed silent, pressed against the wall, his breathing inaudible, watching her closely, her trembling form small in the dim room.

Tila crawled across the cold floor, her knees scraping, her breaths ragged, until her head bumped the bed’s wooden leg with a dull thunk.

She flinched, then scrambled up, dragging herself onto the sagging mattress, the springs groaning.

She rolled herself into the thin blanket, wrapping it tight around her like a cocoon, her cuffed hands pinned awkwardly, her body a shivering bundle, the collar pressing against her throat.

She wasn’t breaking, not fully, but the edge was close—her defiance a brittle shell, her fear pulsing beneath, raw and real.

Kael’s chest tightened, the sight hard to stomach.

Tila, for all her venom, looked like a scared kid, her tough facade crumbling under the blindfold’s weight, her shivering a quiet plea she’d never voice.

He’d pushed her too far, too fast, but her stubbornness left him no choice—her walls were iron, and this was the only way to crack them.

Still, it felt wrong, like tormenting someone already scarred, her curled form a stark reminder of how scared she was beneath the rage.

He stepped closer, silent, and... faintly grazed her exposed ankle with his fingertip, mimicking a cockroach’s skitter.

"AAAAAAAAAA" Tila screamed, a raw, panicked sound, and erupted from the blanket, stumbling off the bed, running blind circles, the blanket tangling around her legs.

"Cockroach! It climbed my foot, you fuck!" she yelled, her voice cracking, her cuffed hands flailing, the blindfold skewing slightly, her breaths gasping, the room’s cold air sharp with her fear.

She ran around in circles, yelling, trying not to get caught by the creepy thing. Tears, forming in her eyes, wailing.

Kael rushed forward, opening the door from inside to mask his presence so far, then he caught her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close, "Calm down, Tila," he said, his voice low, steady, his hand firm on her arm, his powers subtly influencing her spiking heartbeat, easing it down, a gentle pulse of calm radiating from his touch. "It’s okay."

"Let go, don’t fucking touch me!" Tila squirmed, her voice sharp, her body twisting, the blanket slipping, her collar glinting as she fought his hold.

"Get off, you creep!" But her struggles weakened, her heartbeat slowing under his influence, an odd clarity settling over her, even in the blindfold’s darkness.

Kael’s warmth, his steady grip, became an anchor, grounding her panic, her breaths softening, her voice lowering to a shaky mutter.

"Easy," Kael whispered, his voice a quiet tether, his arms still around her, her shivering easing against him. He stomped the floor hard, the thud echoing, and said, "I got the cockroach. It’s gone, Tila. You’re fine."

Her breathing slowed further, her body relaxing, though her cuffed hands twitched, her blindfold damp with sweat, the room’s creaks softening around them.

Kael guided her to the bed, sitting beside her, his hug lingering, his powers keeping her heartbeat steady, though it tried to spike each time his influence waned, a sign of how deeply scared she was.

The room’s stale air felt heavy, the blanket’s rough texture clinging to her legs, her collar a faint hum in the silence.

Minutes passed, Tila’s tension draining, her shivering fading, Kael’s warmth a quiet presence she couldn’t fully reject.

"You can leave now, you fucking pervert," Tila said, her voice sharp but softer, a spark of her usual fire returning, her blindfolded head turning slightly. "Had your feel, so piss off."

"I wasn’t trying to feel you up," Kael said, his tone calm, his arm still around her, the bed creaking under them. "I’m not leaving."

"Then leave me!" she snapped, her voice rising, her cuffed hands shifting. "I hate you touching me, you asshole."

"I won’t," Kael said, his voice firm, his powers steadying her pulse. "You’ll be scared if I leave."

"No, I won’t," Tila retorted, her tone defiant, her blindfold tilting as she leaned away.

"Yes, you will," Kael said, his grin faint, his voice gentle but unyielding.

"No, I won’t," she shot back, her voice cracking, her collar glinting with her movement.

"Yes, you will," Kael repeated, his tone almost playful, cutting through her stubbornness.

"You’re annoying," Tila muttered, her voice low, her body slumping slightly, the fight draining.

"Maybe I am," Kael said, his grin widening, his arm still around her, the room’s cold fading in their shared warmth.

A minute passed, the silence thick, the Haven’s distant groans faint.

"How long you gonna hold me, you creep?" Tila asked, her voice quieter, a mix of irritation and resignation, her blindfolded head dipping.

"Till you admit you’re scared of the dark," Kael said, his voice soft but firm, his powers keeping her calm, her heartbeat steady now.

"No, I’m not," Tila said, her tone sharp, her cuffed hands twitching, the blanket slipping off her shoulder. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

"Yes, you are," Kael said, his voice steady, his grin faint.

Tila sighed, a low, frustrated sound, her body tense. "You’re honestly so fucking annoying," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, her blindfold damp, her collar pressing against her throat.

"Yes, I am," Kael said, his tone light, his arm unwavering, the bed’s creak punctuating the quiet.

She growled, a soft, defeated sound, her defiance crumbling.

"Fine," she said, her voice broken, hesitant, barely audible. "I’m scared of the dark. Happy? Now take this damn blindfold off and leave me alone."

Kael eased his hold, his voice gentle, probing. "Why are you afraid of the dark?"

"Who isn’t?" Tila snapped, her voice sharp but shaky, her blindfolded head turning away, her cuffed hands still.

Kael leaned closer, his tone curious. "If I was blindfolded and cuffed in a room with a cockroach, I’d probably just sleep. I’m not scared of the dark—prefer no night lamp, honestly."

"I’m not scared either," Tila muttered, her voice defensive, her body curling slightly, the blanket tangling around her legs.

"But you just said you are," Kael said, his grin faint, his voice soft but pointed, the room’s silence amplifying her hesitation.

She growled again, a low, frustrated sound, her blindfold skewing slightly, her breath hitching. Another moment passed, the air heavy, the Haven’s creaks a distant hum.

"I know why you’re afraid," Kael said, his voice quiet, insightful, his arm loosening but still there.

"Your powers let you see in the dark, like night vision don’t they? Shadows are your domain, so you were never scared before. But now, with the collar suppressing your powers and the blindold, it’s just... darkness."

Tila didn’t answer, her silence deafening, her blindfolded head dipping, her body still.

Kael knew her too well, saw through her armor, her powers, her bravado, and it unnerved her, her fear laid bare.

"Then leave me alone," she said, her voice low, raw, a plea masked as a demand. "Why are you torturing me?"

"Is Lila afraid of the dark like you?" Kael asked, his tone gentle, shifting the focus, the bed creaking as he adjusted.

"No, she’s brave," Tila said, her voice soft, almost proud, her blindfold tilting as she spoke, her cuffed hands relaxing slightly.

"Then why are you scared?" Kael pressed, his voice curious, his powers still calming her pulse, her heartbeat steady but fragile.

"If you know, stop fucking asking," Tila snapped, her voice sharp but tired, her body slumping, the blanket slipping further.

"I’m curious," Kael said, his grin faint, his tone earnest. "It’s odd, isn’t it? Why’s one sister scared of the dark and not the other? And weirder still—the tough one, the fighter, is the one trembling, not the quiet, gentle one."

Tila went speechless, her blindfolded head still, her breath shallow, Kael’s words cutting deep, exposing the paradox of her fear, her strength, her bond with Lila.

The room’s cold wrapped around her, the collar’s hum a quiet reminder of her powerlessness, her silence a confession she couldn’t voice.

"My sister is brave," Tila said, her voice soft, almost reverent, her blindfolded head dipping, the power-suppressing collar glinting faintly on her throat.

"She’s braver than I am. She isn’t afraid of anything. Nothing can scare her." Her words carried a quiet pride, the room’s cold air heavy with her confession, the creaky bed groaning beneath her, the blanket tangled around her legs.

"Hmm," Kael said, his tone thoughtful, his hazel eyes studying her curled form, his arm loosening but still resting on her shoulder. "Do you know what Lila asked me to do yesterday?"