One Girl Revolution - Superchick

"Hi Julian, my name is Dr. Hargreeves. It's very nice to meet you." I said to the quiet eight-year-old boy in front of me.

I was kneeled down to his level to make myself appear less intimidating. It was hard to do while wearing a blouse and pencil skirt but I managed. I usually try for casual attire when speaking to my child clients but my last three appointments were adults and I didn't have time to run upstairs and change.

The boy didn't reply, just stared at the floor stubbornly and angrily. I sighed and stood up to look at his mom who was standing behind him with a hand on his shoulder. She was sad and heartbroken as well which was understandable considering her husband just died but as much as I wanted to help her, she wasn't my client today.

"If you're comfortable with it, I'd like to try to speak to Julian alone. Kids tend to open up more when their parents aren't around." The mother hesitated, squeezing her sons' shoulder firmly, "There is a waiting chair just outside the door and I will leave it unlocked. If anything happens or you get too nervous, you can come back in at any time." I reassured her.

She nodded and smoothed out her son's shirt before kissing the top of his head and leaving, shutting the door softly behind her. Once gone, I looked down at the boy and smiled gently, though he couldn't see it.

"How about we play a little?"

The boy looked around, "You don't have any toys in here."

"Hmm...that's true." I said as I tapped my chin and went over to the coffee table. I lifted the top of the coffee table to reveal a compartment that held many boardgames, "But I have these and we can play anything you like."

Julian came over and looked through all the games carefully before deciding on Snakes and Ladders. I told him it was a good choice and helped him set it up before getting started.

I liked to think my office was quaint and homey. When I designed it, I wanted to make the atmosphere as relaxed as possible. If it was too prissy or pristine, people wouldn't feel as comfortable talking about thier issues. It needed to have a living room feel, not a hospital one and I think I succeeded.

There were large windows across the left wall which was opposite to the door to enter my office. The door to enter was thick mahogany and I tried to get my furniture to match. So, my bulky desk was of the same wood that rested under the window with a spinney leather chair behind it. Adjacent to that wall was a mahogany bookshelf that was filled with many psychology books – except for the bottom shelf which had a bunch of children's books. On the other wall there was a side board with pictures on it. Underneath was a chest that held a few toys but Julian didn't need to know that. It would negate what I was trying to do with him here today.

In the center of the room where Julian and I were was the coffee table we were playing the game on. Surrounding the coffee table was comfortable furniture to sit. There was a soft leather sofa where Julian sat and two chairs of the same material one of which I was sitting on. The room had hard wood flooring but underneath our feet was a red and black area rug.

There were lots of pictures on the wall too. Mostly of artwork I like and one or two of me and my family growing up, but neither passed the age of seventeen. There was a safe under my desk as well but no one needed to know that.

"You beat me again." I said as I moved the pieces back to the beginning, "You must play this game a lot with your friends and family."

Julian shrugged and rolled the dice, "Just my mom really."

"I'm sure you played with your dad a lot too."

"Not really. He was always working. He barely had time for me." He muttered angrily, "He didn't even come to my baseball games very often."

"I'm sure that was really frustrating." I said, taking my turn.

"He was supposed to come to my last one when he died. He always found an excuse not to go. Now he never has to go to another one again!" Julian exclaimed as he picked up the game board and threw it across the room.

I didn't even flinch, I just let him be destructive because that was what he needed right now. I would let him do whatever he wanted too as long as it didn't cause any harm to him. He was grieving and angry and didn't know what to do with his feelings. I watched as he tore my books off my bookshelf and threw those, took the cup of pens off my desk and scattered them around, he kicked anything he could find as well. Then he took the paperweight off my desk and lifted it over his head and aimed for the window.

"Julian, think before you throw that. It's not the window you're angry at." I spoke calmly as I stood up and went over to him. He paused in his movement and I kneeled down beside him, "You can throw it if you want too, I won't stop you but it won't change anything either." I tried to reason.

That's when the boy dropped the paperweight to the floor and started to sob. He threw his arms around me and cried into my shoulder, "I want him to come home. Make him come home!"

It was heartbreaking to hear the boy cry out like this but it was what he needed. He was bottling everything up and it wasn't healthy for anyone to do, let alone a child. When his sobs finally calmed down, I pushed him a little bit away from me so I could look him in the eyes.

"I can't make him come home. No one is able to do that," Though I immediately thought of Klaus I shook my head and continued, "But I can show you something else that might help you feel better, if only for a few minutes."

"You can?"

I nodded, "Tell me something you've always wanted to see."

Julian thought for a moment, "I've always wanted to see a unicorn."

"Describe the unicorn for me Julian." I said softly as my eyes flashed crystal blue for a moment.

Julian looked around him in wonder as he saw many unicorns in the room, "They look like horses. Some are white, some are black. They all have silver, sparkly horns on their head." One of the unicorns went up to him and Julian lifted his hand to the snout and pet him, "They're really pretty."

I let the unicorns stay for another moment before letting them disappear one by one until it was only us in the room again, "How did seeing those unicorns make you feel?"

"Happy." The boy said quietly and looked back at me.

"Good. Our session is almost up Julian but we'll talk again soon. In the meantime, whenever you feel angry, I want you to think of those unicorns and how seeing them made you feel. That is your own private memory just for you and when you come back, we'll sort through your feelings until you don't need the unicorns anymore. Does that sound okay?" He nodded and I smiled, "Let's go get your mom okay?"

When I opened my office door, Julians mom jumped up from her seat right away. She saw the mess in the office before looking at her son and then me apologetically. I said it was no big deal and that I would see Julian same time next week. Once they were gone, I turned back to my office and sighed as I got to work cleaning up the mess.

Julian was my last appointment for the day. I never take appointments passed six-o-clock because I needed a life as well. When my office was put back together, I stepped out into the hallway and locked the door. This building only had my office and single apartment upstairs which I also occupied. I made my way up the flight of stairs, unlocked my apartment and went in.

It was small, simple, and cozy, just how I liked everything else in my life. There was a kitchenette to the right of the living room and to the left there was a door that lead to the bathroom and an archway that lead to my bedroom. The furniture in the living room was not like the furniture I had in my office. I had Ikea coffee tables and a grey cloth sofa with red pillows and a black throw hanging off the back. Across from the sofa was a flat screen tv mounted to the wall. Underneath was a small bookshelf that held both books and movies.

I went to my fridge to get something to eat but stopped at the unappetizing leftovers that were there. Clearly, I needed to go grocery shopping but that could wait until tomorrow, my day off. Tonight, I'm going to the pub. I closed the fridge door and went to my room to change. I put on a pair of pink skinny jeans and black crewneck t-shirt and my black converse. I threw my hair up in a pony-tail and left my apartment.

I got to the pub a couple blocks down and immediately ordered a gin and soda as I perused the menu. I don't know why I look at the menu when I come here, I order the same thing every time. I closed it as my drink came and ordered my usual meal.

I stayed at the pub for a few hours after I finished eating. I felt like letting go and having a few drinks before heading home for the night. I had just paid my bill when another drink was set in front of me and I furrowed my brows as I looked around. There was a good-looking guy on the opposite side of the bar who winked at me. I lifted my drink, smiled and took a sip. He must have taken that as an invitation because he came right over and sat down. I knew what his end game was but since it's been awhile, I decided to humour him.

"What is someone so beautiful, sitting by herself at the pub for?" He asked.

I snorted and rolled my eyes, "You make it seem like I need a man beside me for some sort of validation."

"Not at all. Just someone who looks like you, is rarely seen alone."

"Not all women like me have the confidence to be." I forced a smirk. Being alone was actually one of greatest fears.

"I like you, I'm James." He said, holding out his hand.

"Malia." I said and took his hand, intending to shake it but he brought my hand up and kissed my knuckles.

We chatted for a while until I was near past the point of tipsy and then I asked him to walk me home. I knew what he wanted and I decided I wanted the same thing. A girl has needs after all. We got to my building and I giggled as we walked through the front door. I took his hand and was about to bring him upstairs but a familiar feeling started to build in my chest. It was faint but it was there and I stared at the heavy door to my office with a frown.

I left Josh at the stairs and put my ear to my office door. There were hushed whispers in there. Three people by the sounds of it, though there could be more. I was tipsy and likely in no conditions to fight but I couldn't just let people case my office. There was a lot of money in that safe and a gun in a secret compartment of my bookshelf.

"Ma-"

"Sh!" I interrupted Jake as I unlocked my office door as quietly as possible, "Stay here." I whispered to him.

Then, without any preemptive, I pushed the door open so fast it slammed against the wall. My eyes moved quickly to the three distracted men dressed in black with masks on. Great, masks, this would make it harder. I went after the one closest to me and wrapped my arm around his neck. The other two came at me and I managed to kick one back over my coffee table but the other managed to get me around the waist and pull me off of his accomplice. I was thrown onto the sofa and a wave of dizziness hit me from the alcohol I consumed.

By the time my vision cleared, one of the men had a hand around my neck. I reached my hand forward as I was gasping for air that wasn't coming and happened to grasp his mask. I pulled it off quickly and made eye contact with the scruffy-haired man. My eyes flashed blue and he backed off, screaming that he was 'melting' before promptly passing out. It's not what my muddled mind was going for but it worked so I wasn't complaining.

I stood up and looked to my left and right. The other two were on either side of me. Luckily, not holding any weapons yet. They probably thought they wouldn't need them to deal with a woman. Well, that was an oversight on their part. I jumped onto the sofa and launched myself at the guy to my left and tackled him to the ground. Not the most graceful of attacks but I was drunk. I held in my vomit before standing up and putting pressure on his neck with my foot. I was going to press harder to constrict his airways completely but I heard a click from behind me. I had expected the other guy to come at me physically, not pull out a gun.

"Step away from him girl." He had a deep voice.

I held up my hands and took a couple steps back from the guy on the floor who gasped for breath, holding his throat. I turned to the guy with the gun and sighed. Never in a million year did I think this was the way I would die but it was bound to happen at some point I suppose. I hope Jim left, he didn't need to get caught up in all this and die too.

"What is the code to your safe." He asked. His friend crawled his way over to him and finally got to his feet, still gasping.

"I don't have a safe." I played stupid.

"Don't toy with me, it's under your desk." He snapped.

"There is a safe under the desk? Who knew?" I shrugged, looking up at the ceiling, bored.

"Tell me the code whore!"

I tilted my head back down and glared at him, "Take off your mask and ask me face to face and I might."

"You think I'm stupid? I saw what you did to my friend." He released the safety, "Tell me the code."

"No."

I closed my eyes, prepared to get shot when I heard a sharp wisp cut through the air. I opened my eyes as the guy with the gun grunted and fell to the floor with a familiar knife sticking from his chest. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms as a man dressed in black, wearing a mask over his eyes and knife holsters on his chest, came into the room and knocked the other guy out cold.

"What are you doing here Diego?" I asked, annoyed.

"Saving your ass!" He snapped as he took his knife out of the guys chest.

"I totally had this handled."

"Yeah, it looked like it with you about to be shot and all."

"I had them right where I wanted them." I didn't, but I would never tell him that. I could never give Diego the satisfaction of saving my life, ever, "How did you even know to come here?"

"I've been tracking a group that's been robbing many places in the area. This is just one division. I didn't know this was your place at first. Coincidences am I right?"

I rolled my eyes once again, "Yeah, sure."

"Uh, Malia? Is everything okay now?"

Diego and I turned towards the door, "You're still here?" I asked, exasperated. I was no longer in the mood for the fun we had planned.

"I wanted to make sure you were safe."

Diego scoffed, "Stellar job."

I shot Diego an unimpressed look. He was right but he didn't have to be a dick about it. I turned back, "That's nice of you John, but it's probably best if you went home."

"Uh, it's James."

Wow, maybe I'm the dick, "Regardless, you should head home."

"Can I get your number at least?" James asked.

"Umm... how about I give you my number the next time I see you?" I suggested, "If we meet again, we'll know it's meant to be."

He frowned and turned away, "Whatever, I just wanted to get laid."

I heard the front door shut and sighed as I rubbed my temples. I felt a killer headache coming on and I did not want to deal with it. I looked up at Diego when I heard him chuckle. I glared at him as I watched him walk around my office and pause at the two personal pictures I had. The pictures were of all of us in civilian clothes. The pictures scattered around my apartment were of us in our uniforms. I didn't want any of my clients figuring out I was THAT Malia Hargreeves. Not that Malia Hargreeves was a common name to begin with.

"What are you still doing here?"

"Can't a guy stick around and visit an old friend?"

"We were never friends Diego. Out of everyone, I probably missed you the least." I told him as I plopped down on the sofa.

"You did miss me though."

"About as much as I'll miss these criminals." I said as I eyed the three men strewn across my floor. One dead and two unconscious. We should really move them before they start to wake up... or rot. "I suppose I should call the police."

"Well, if you're going to do that. Here." He handed me the knife he used to kill the guy with the gun, "I wiped my finger prints. You need to put yours onto it."

"You want me to say I killed him?" I asked, taking the knife.

"Self-defense, you won't get in trouble. I can't be here when they get here." He said, "You're going to need to put the knife back in his body."

I sighed as I stood up and walked over to the dead guy, "There really is no way around this is there." I slid the knife back in carefully, making sure I get a little blood on my hands before standing up and turning to Diego who averted his eyes from me, "I was hoping I'd left all this behind."

"You did. I mean, you seem to be doing well for yourself." Diego gestured around the office. That was actually the nicest thing he's ever said to me.

"Thanks, I'm proud of it." I said, "What about you? Last I actually heard of you, you were in the police academy."

He shrugged, "It wasn't for me. I wanted to stop crime and help people but being a cop is too rigid."

I laughed, "In other words, too many rules to follow."

"Too many criminals get away with shit because of the law. I couldn't handle it."

"So... you got thrown out?" I asked.

"W-w-w-w-w-w..."

"W-w-w-w-what? Cat got your tongue?" I loved making fun of his stutter. It was one of my favourite pastimes growing up.

He glared at me before turning towards the door, "Whatever."

He left without so much as a goodbye but that was fine with me. Maybe I'd see him in another ten years.

I went over to my desk and called 911, making myself sound scared or in shock on the phone. The dispatcher wanted to stay on the phone with me until the police got here and only hung up when I said I saw the squad car lights. I let the police in to do their thing and gave them my statement and sighed when they said I needed to go to the police station tomorrow to make a proper statement. They tried to get me to stay with someone but I refused, so instead, they placed a car outside my building for the night. That was a nuisance.

This whole thing was tedious and I regretted calling the cops in the first place. Diego and I should have just disposed of the bodies. Too late for that now though so I just went through the whole process. Luckily, because the guys were caught in the act, a trial was skipped and they went straight to sentencing.

The longer process was for the guy who got stabbed and killed. Apparently, the coroner could tell that the knife was taken out and put back in so the detective wanted an explanation. The detective was female, her name was Eudora Patch, and she found the knife very suspicious too. It wasn't until one of our talks in an interrogation room that I realized why.

"You say that you weren't thinking clearly when you took the knife out and put it back when your mind caught up with your actions." Detective Patch said.

"That's right."

"There is a problem with your story though. The knife was carefully placed back into the wound, barely making any more damage on the way back in." Patch explained, "If you were in a frenzy like you said you were, there would have been more damage to the entry wound than there was."

I shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you. Maybe it was just a freak occurrence. Not common but not impossible."

"True but then there is the mystery of the knife."

"I don't know what you mean. The knife is mine. The city can get pretty dangerous at night, I have it for emergencies."

"Except, I've seen knives like this before. They're custom made." She held up the evidence bag with the knife inside, "An... associate of mine, uses knives like this on the regular and has decided to take it upon himself to fight crime in this city as a vigilante."

"That is interesting." I tried to play dumb but I knew it was futile.

"You actually share the same last name as him. Tell me, how are you connected to Diego Hargreeves?"

I was going to kill Diego when I saw him next. He did idiotic things most of the time but he wasn't a complete moron despite what I tell him to his face. He knew this was going to happen and the bastard set me up. I felt a migraine coming on; I should have seen this coming. I rubbed my temples at the stress of this situation.

"We grew up together." I muttered.

"You're one of his siblings?" Patch asked.

"Definitely not." I snapped.

Patch nodded and leaned back, "So you're the one he couldn't shut up about."

My anger dissipated slightly as I looked at her with confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"You're the cute brunette that made his life hell. Or at least, that's how he told it."

I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles were turning white and was reminded of the first night we met when he had that same reaction. There were many moments of taking turns wanting to kill the other but refraining out of respect to everyone else. GOD did he ever make it hard though.

"So how about you tell me what really happened so we can get this file closed." Patch stated more than asked as she crossed her arms.

Then I spilled everything and told her exactly what happened. I left out the part about my powers but that was hardly relevant anyway. Once I was finally done, she said I was free to go, there was nothing more she needed. It was pretty cut and dry apparently and I wondered why I didn't just come out and say the truth from the beginning. Oh wait, because Diego said he couldn't be caught there. What a fucking liar.

I was going to teach him a harsh lesson when I saw him but as it turns out, it was about eight months later when I got the opportunity. By then, there was other matters that needed tending too that exceeded our need to one up each other.

I just sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV for some much-needed relaxing time. I had just finished up with my last client of the day. A needy 41-year-old woman who just got divorced and didn't know what to do with her life. I was NOT excited for my weekly appointments from her.

"... eccentric billionaire, Reginald Hargreeves, has passed away..." Was all I heard before the news anchor on the TV was drowned out by my thoughts.

Dear old Mr. Hargreeves is dead. I mean, it had to happen sometime but part of me believed the old man would never kick the bucket. There was just something about him that had me believing that he was immortal. It was stupid but with everything I've seen in my life, I'd be an idiot to not believe in the impossible.

The fact remains that he did, in fact, die and I would be expected to show my face back at the Academy to pay my respects. I kind of wanted to anyway. He was cold to me and the others growing up but he still took me in off the streets and gave me a bed, food, and family. It was for his own personal gain but he still did it. Without him, I'd probably be dead right now. This was also a chance to see my siblings again, to see Grace and Pogo again.

I pulled my MacBook onto my lap from where it was sitting on the coffee table and opened my schedule. I then sent out a mass email to all my clients that I had scheduled for the next two weeks.

Patients of Dr. Hargreeves,

Due to a sudden death in the family, I will have to postpone all appointments for the next two weeks. Once this family matter is taken care of, I will be in contact with you to reschedule your appointments. Please stay healthy and well.

Sincerely,

Dr. Malia Hargreeves

Psychologist, PhD.