The Search for Voyd

Chapter 31

Morning dawned. Inside the bedroom, Voyd was awakened by a nudge. As she opened her eyes, she saw Avia in front of her. "Hey. How's my favorite super this morning?" The cat asked in a sweet tone. Voyd smiled at Avia and giggled silently. "You're going to have a great day! I know it!" Avia said. Voyd got up from her bed. She noticed that the bird of paradise flower was beside her. She grabbed and hugged it. She had an expression of love on her face. Avia smiled. "Hey, I actually found a few things to help you get your confidence back." Avia said. Voyd looked at Avia hesitantly. "Really?" She asked the cat. "Yes." Avia said. "Last night, I was looking up information on how to regain confidence and I actually know the perfect ones. I know what you're thinking. How can you look up something? You're a cat. Well, let's just say a device that can understand languages did the favor for me." "Oh. Well, that makes sense." Voyd said. "The device gave me lots of information on how to regain confidence." Avia continued. "And I think I found the perfect one." "And what is it?" Voyd asked. "By talking to someone who has very special guidance." Avia said. "So, basically, a counselor." "A counselor?" Voyd asked. "Yes." Avia said. "A counselor helps people who have problems. Physically or mentally. It's like a doctor. A doctor to emotions. So I think talking to a counselor might help you feel a bit more confident, because he or she is going to help you feel brave and smart. Even independent." "I don't know," Voyd said nervously. "What if it doesn't work?" "It will work, Voyd. Trust me. This is for you." Avia said. "It's going to help you realize that you're strong and courageous. Just enough time before you face any danger around the world again. It'll be fine." Voyd still looked timid at the suggestion. "It's going to be okay, Voyd." Avia said. "This will actually be much better than the zoo. Instead of training, the counselor's just going to help you by talking and doing fun activities. It might also help you be easy on your leg since it's still trying to heal. You'll love it, Voyd. Trust me." Voyd began thinking about what Avia just said. It did sound a bit easier to talk to someone. Training was another great option as well, but when your appendage has a cast around it, it's always best to let the injury heal on its own rather than to cause more pressure to it. Voyd needed help to find her confidence back, but she needed it verbally. Finally, Voyd said, "Alright. I guess I can try it out." "That's what I like to hear." Avia said. "Now, I wonder if there is a counselor in Metroville. Is there?" "Why don't we ask Edna? She may be an artist, but she is smart." Voyd said. "That sounds smart. Let's do that." Avia said. Voyd and Avia head down to the living room. They went ahead and ate breakfast before they could talk to Edna. After they were finished, they went looking for the suit designer. They unexpectedly run into her. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry, Miss E!" Voyd said. "I didn't see you there!" "Ah, it's fine, darling. That always happens with me." Edna said. "I see that you're already up on this fine morning." "Miss E, I wanna ask you something." Voyd said. "Well, what is the question, my darling?" Edna asked. "Do you happen to know where the nearest counsel is in Metroville?" Voyd asked. Edna began thinking. "Hmmm. I think I happen to know one." Edna said. "Why?" "Because Avia suggested that I'd talk with a counselor to help me find my confidence the next time I battle against crime." Voyd said. Edna looked at Avia confusingly. "The cat suggested that to you?" She asked in a confused voice. "Yes." Voyd replied. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. So, could you help us? Please?" Edna still looked hesitant about Avia telling Voyd about the counselor since she didn't understand animal language like Voyd. Unlike the super, Edna would only hear animal noises. The only animal she knows who can talk to her is the Parr family's dog, Stare since they are superheroes and that they're allowed to share their identity to Edna. Finally, Edna said, "Alright, darling. I'll see what I can do." And so, Edna went inside a room. She picks up a phone and starts calling the counselor. As Voyd and Avia were waiting, the super asked, "Now, are you sure this is going to work?" "Yes. Just give it a chance. Counselors know what to do. They're intelligent." Avia replied. "They understand how people feel whenever they're going through anxiety and depression. They can even help others feel good about themselves by talking to yourself in a very positive manner. That's what helps people get their confidence back. They're going to do the same thing for you. Help you realize what you're made of by reassuring yourself that you are strong and courageous." "Well. Okay." Voyd said. Edna comes back to the others. "Alright." She started. "I just talked with Mrs. Fiddlestein and she is happy to talk with you. Your appointment is going to be at eleven forty five this morning." "Thank you, Miss E, I really hope that this does help me." Voyd said. "Yes. Yes. I think it'll work out. They know what they're doing." Edna said. "Not for money, but for life. Everyday, people try to make this world a much safer place when it comes to life. It's not just the supers' job, but it's our job as well. Helping others is another way to make life easier and talking to them is one of them. We must be thankful for that." Avia smiled At Edna's words of wisdom. She did have a point. People outside also need to make the world a safer place and not just supers. It was another way of living. By taking care of our population. Voyd felt touched by the moral as well. "You're right, Miss E." She said on the verge of tears. "You are absolutely right." "Help yourself, darling." Edna said while holding a handkerchief. Voyd grabbed it and wiped her eyes with it. Avia nudged on Voyd's right leg in comfort. She even hugged it. "Thank you." Voyd said. "Any time, darling." Edna said. "Any time." "Well, I should probably start getting ready." Voyd said. "Um. How far is the counseling center?" "Probably about an hour and a half." Edna said. "And before you ask, yes. I do know where it is. Mrs. Fiddlestein happens to be a friend of mine back in high school. She tells me all about her life and where she works in case I visit. She doesn't tell anyone else about her friendship with me since I design suits and that it's a secret identity." "Oh, nice." Voyd said. "Well, I'm pretty sure she won't mind you coming inside as a super, because she'll understand that you were with me." Edna said. "You don't even have to tell her. She knows." Voyd nodded and Avia smiled. Two hours passed by and it was time for the appointment. Avia and Voyd went inside Edna's secret car. Surprisingly, the wheel was right in front of Edna. It was like the car was designed for her while the backseat was for special guests. In the backseat, Voyd was carrying the bird of paradise flower that Avia gave her. "Alright. We gotta be there in thirty seven minutes." Edna said. "Now let's get going!" And so, the car drove off into the city of Metroville. Meanwhile, a limo was driving. Inside were Rick, Winston, Mrs. Lunatin, Ma'am, and their four cats. Henry was comforting Jennifer, who was still worried about Avia. The other supers happened to continue doing their job as well. They went around the city to find any sign of Avia. Winston was calling one of the supers. "They're still looking." Winston said as he finished the phone call. "No sign of her yet." "Okay." Rick said. "Well, I know where Miss E's mansion is, so it may not be that bad. But it's a good thing that you've let your supers continue doing their job just in case something did happen." "Always prepared." Winston said. "Oh, Avia, I hope you're okay, my sweet kitten." Jennifer said. "Henry, what if they'd already taken her? What if they got her captive before we got into the limo?" "Just hang in there, honey." Henry said. "Just keep your faith inside. The supers are still roaming around and looking for her and we're on our way to Miss E's mansion right now. Hang tight." Jennifer was still nervous for her daughter as she licked and chewed her paw in anxiety. Henry nudged in comfort. Ms. Ginger and Squeaker saw the distressed parents in pity. "You know." Ms. Ginger started. "This reminds me of the time when I lost my kittens." Jennifer looked at Ms. Ginger. "You had kittens?" Jennifer asked. "Yes." Ms. Ginger said while sighing. "You see, I was pregnant with seven kittens. After they came into the world, they were the most beautiful and precious things I've ever seen in my whole cat years! They were like little angels around me. I never let them go. They were my life. However, time flew and my kittens grew a little. That's when that day came. My owner was selling my kids to humans. All of my babies were being taken away from me. I felt hopeless as I watched them being taken away from the door by the hands of those needy people. I felt like I was gonna die, but I saw that one kitten was still with me. It made me feel a little bit whole again. Unfortunately, he didn't stay with me very long as he staged in his adolescence, because we discovered a very unusual behavior in him. It turned out that he was diagnosed with feline leukemia. He also had a tumor in his leg that was spreading nonstop. He kept getting weaker everyday. And then we had to eventually put him down." That was when Ms. Ginger started to cry a little. "It was very hard..." She continued. "But we had to because there were no other choices....no treatment couldn't help him......the surgeries were too expensive and the tumor was too large to remove......after we got him put down, I felt like a drill dug in my heart.....it left a gigantic hole that was very impossible to fill in.......the hole was probably enough to fit a whole human hand through.....I was hurt all of my life. I never got better ever since that fateful day. I lived in the dark depths filled with depression as the clouds were around me.......however, I learned that my baby wasn't in any pain anymore......because he's now in heaven with our Heavenly Father.....where there's no pain, no sickness, and no fear or sadness.....he is with our true owner now....however, despite all of that, it still didn't cheer me up fully. I did manage to get my positive energy again, but not as hyper as it was before, because everyday, I still think of my kitten. That's why I also became a teacher. To be with kittens so that I wouldn't be so lonely. It may have helped me, but it still didn't make me stop thinking about my baby. I knew that nothing could replace him. Not even students. My pain was never cured. It still remained. And now, since you've lost your daughter, it now makes me think of that devastating time again and it hurts my punctured heart." "Oh, we are so sorry about that. I'm pretty sure that it was terrible." Jennifer said. "It was." Ms. Ginger said. "My ears are still sore after my owner told me the devastating news. It still echoes everyday. It never stops." The cats then started to embrace each other. "I really hope that you'll find your daughter again." Ms. Ginger said. "Because I would hate for you to lose her like how I lost my baby...." "Me too..." Jennifer said in sadness. Ma'am and Mrs. Lunatin notice the cats embracing each other. "Awww. Look at them." Ma'am said in affection. "I have a feeling that Squeaker and Ginger are gonna be good friends with your cats. We should work on a play date sometime." "Yeah. I guess so." Mrs. Lunatin said. "Alright everyone, we got a few more miles to go and we should find your cat." Rick said. "Oh, Avia. We're coming, baby." Jennifer silently said. Meanwhile, far from the others, Kathleen, Donatello, and Chuck were in the Incredibile with the Incredibles and Frozone. Inside the mobile, the family and animals were having Chinese food. "I can't believe we had to spend the night in a motel at three in the morning!" "We were all out of gas and we had a flat tire. You can't beat that." Donatello said. "Besides, the car needed repair anyway. It happens." As the animals were talking, Jack Jack accidentally dropped a chicken nugget. Donatello notices the nugget. "Here. Have a nugg." He said as he pushed the nugg to Kathleen. "Uhh...no thanks..." Kathleen said in an uneasy voice. "I'd rather be on a no chicken diet...." Donatello scoffed and ate the chicken nugget. "So, hold on." Chuck said to Stare. "They adopted you and now you're a part of the family. Well, how come the daughter isn't allergic to you and she's allergic to Avia and Donatello?" "It's the length of fur." Stare said. "Your friends happen to shed a lot and it irritates Violet's sinuses. However, I was born with little fur because my birth mother had cancer. So, I only shed a little. I'm a chihuahua, so it doesn't bother Violet at all. But since you guys are with us, she has to wear a very special mask so her allergies won't get out of whack." Chuck looks at Violet, who was wearing a mask to help her not breath in all of the hair. "Oh. That explains a lot." Chuck said. "Now before you ask," Stare started. "No. I don't shed a lot in the seasons. That's why I was the perfect fit for this family. Of course, after I was born, I never knew my real parents because the vet had to keep me in a special humane society after they discovered that I had superpowers. They did it, because supers were illegal back then and they wanted to protect me so I wouldn't get in trouble or killed. The reason why I never knew my birth family was because I was only a little pup. Fortunately, I was adopted by Mr. Incredible after the law changed. Now, I have a new family and that's what makes me happy." "Wow. That's deep." Chuck said. "Yep. Very." Stare said. "Ugh, how long is this drive?!" Dash asked while complaining. "I feel like we've been in here for four thousand years!" "Oh, stop it, Dash!" Violet said. "You knew this was going to be a long drive!" "No, I didn't! Not with all of the stops!" Dash said. "I mean, it's the Incredibile! I didn't think it would have any problems!" "No cars are perfect." Violet said. Chuck looked at Stare. "Don't worry. I disagree with anything that Dash says." Stare said. "I'm more of Violet's dog. I help her with any problems she faces." "Please don't mention-" Violet was cut off by Dash saying, "Who? Tony Rydinger?" "Shut it!" Violet yelled. "Oh no. Here we go again...." Stare said. "Kids! Enough!" Mr. Incredible said. "I don't wanna start this trip with anymore fighting! We're doing this together and that's a big final! So, no more bickering and let's all get along!" Violet and Dash remained silent. Stare shook her head when Chuck looked at her. "Dang..." Kathleen whispered. "For a strong super, he has such strong vocals..." "Hey, how about we listen to some music that way we can make time fly?" Frozone suggested. "That sounds nice." Mr. Incredible said. The father then pressed some buttons on the radio. It began playing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Turkish March". Jack Jack giggled in delight. "Oh, classic." Kathleen said. "Well, at least we won't get bored now." Chuck said. Suddenly, the music stopped as the radio exploded. "Oh come on!" Mr. Incredible complained. "Is there anything else wrong with this mobile that I should be concerned about?!" Jack Jack noticed the music not playing. He began whining. He started to get angry. Stare looked at the baby. "Uh oh..." she said. That's when Jack Jack turned into a red monster. He started to go ballistic. He ate through the seatbelts and began raging in the car. Kathleen notices Jack Jack in his monster form and begins to scream. "What? What is.." Donatello was cut off when he saw the monster. Chuck yelped in fear. "No! No! Why?!" Stare complained. "Jack Jack! No!" Violet yelled out. Violet tried to grab Jack Jack, but failed. "Dash! Get him!" She yelled. Dash tries to grab Jack Jack, but fails as well. "No!" He yelled. The monster began to attack Frozone. "Wha? AHHHH!!! Get him off me!" He screamed. Mr. Incredible looks at Frozone and Jack Jack jumps on him. "Ahh! Can't see!" Mr. Incredible yelled as the monster was attacking him. The Incredibile starts going out of control. Everybody starts screaming. They suddenly crash into a wall. The Incredibile was damaged. Everybody groaned in pain. An airbag puffed out on Mr. Incredible. Jack Jack was back into his normal self and began giggling. Everybody seemed to be alive. "Is everyone okay?" Mr. Incredible asked. "We're fine." Violet said. She reveals everyone that was with her in a force field. She makes it disappear. Kathleen shook in trauma. "Well, this is great!" Mr. Incredible said sarcastically. "Now I'm gonna have to pay for the damages! No doubt that it'll be expensive now!" "Well, it can't be that bad." Frozone said. "At least the windows are okay." The windows then shattered and Violet protected everyone from the glass by a force field. Mr. Incredible groaned in frustration. "Oh, great! Now how are we going to get to Mystocay now?!" Kathleen asked. "Just keep your head up high." Donatello said. "We'll figure something out." Meanwhile at Metroville, Edna dropped Voyd and Avia off at the counsel center. The super even carried her bird of paradise flower as the cat was on her shoulders. "Thanks, Miss E." Voyd said. "I'll be sure to call you when we're done." "Anytime, darling." Edna said. "See you in a few minutes." And so, Edna drove off leaving Voyd and Avia at the center. "Alright. Let's do this." Avia said. The duo was about to head inside until they saw the rules on the door. One of the rules said, "No pets allowed". "What? Oh come on!" Voyd said in a distressed tone. "No! Why? That's not fair! Why would they do that?! C...come on! So rude!" "Don't worry, Voyd." Avia said. "Maybe it's there for reasons. Some people inside might be allergic to pets, you know." "But still!" Voyd said. "Poor pets! Poor you, actually! Now how do we get in?!" "It's okay, Voyd." Avia said. "How about you go inside and I'll wait for you out here?" "I... I don't know, Avia." Voyd said nervously. "What if you get attacked or kidnapped?" "I'll be fine, Voyd. Trust me." Avia said. "I've dealt with danger before, so I know I can deal with this one." "Are you sure?" Voyd asked. "Yes. It'll be fine." Avia answered. Voyd still felt hesitant, but decided to accept Avia's plan. "Alright." She said. "Well, I'm going in. Just stay right here and I'll be back." "You got it, Voyd." Avia said. The cat went inside a bush while Voyd went inside the building. Avia peeked from the bushes and whispered, "Good luck, my friend." Inside the building, Voyd was in the waiting room as she signed herself in. She waited all alone in the room. Nobody was there. It was only her. Voyd was alone. She wished that Avia was with her, but the building wouldn't allow pets for various reasons. Voyd felt really lonely. But then she realized that her bird of paradise flower that Avia gave her was with her. It turned out that she bought it inside. This made Voyd feel less lonely. She began to hug the flower. Outside, Avia was waiting patiently for Voyd. The cat still believed that her favorite super would regain her confidence again by talking to someone. Voyd wasn't sure about it, but Avia was. "You can do this, Voyd. I know you can. I believe in you." Avia whispered. Inside the building, Voyd continued waiting. Suddenly, the door opened and it revealed to be Mrs. Fiddlestein. "Voyd." She called out. Voyd jumped in surprise. She saw the counselor staring at her. "Hi." The counselor said. "My good friend, Edna told me everything about you. You're a super, right?" "Y...yes...." Voyd said nervously. "Awesome! Well, I'm Mrs. Fiddlestein and it's a special pleasure to meet you." Mrs. Fiddlestein said. "We're ready for you, just so you know. You don't have to be nervous. All we're going to do is just talk about what's bothering you and we'll see what we can do to help you get through your problems. Okay?" Voyd thought about it and nodded. "Okay, come with me." Mrs. Fiddlestein said. Voyd followed the counselor into a special room. As they were inside, Mrs. Fiddlestein was setting stuff up. She then noticed the collar around Voyd's neck. She looked concerned, but she decided not to ask, thinking that it wasn't important. After she was done gathering her stuff, she sat down. "Alright, Voyd." Mrs. Fiddlestein began. "You're here because you wanted to talk to me about something?" "Y...yes." Voyd replied. "Okay." Mrs. Fiddlestein said. "Could you tell me what your problem is? I might be able to help you out if you tell me. You name it, I'll see what I can do to help you." Voyd still felt nervous. Especially when she had the collar around her. Something told her not to tell the counselor about her problems. But why? "So, Voyd. What is it that you're facing?" Mrs. Fiddlestein asked. Voyd began to stutter nervously. She tried to think of what to say so she wouldn't spill out the wrong reason. She finally said, "You see, I'm a super.....who've hid in my entire life back when supers were illegal....I'm a super, but I'm very nervous.... and scared of fighting crime.....I'm afraid that I might fail and get hurt.....I worry about it whenever I face those challenges.... I just feel like I can't do it....." "Alright." Mrs. Fiddlestein said. "So, what you're dealing with right now is fear and lack of confidence. There is actually a way to help you get through that. And that's by telling yourself that you are strong and brave. It may be hard, but it will help you get better and have more faith in yourself. I promise it will. You see, I've dealt with the same problem when I was a kid and it was very hard for me. But you know what? My parents told me that if you say positive things to yourself over and over again, you will find your strength and courage. It took me days and weeks to achieve it, but it worked. Now, I have full faith in myself and right now, I'm going to help you just like what my parents did with me." Voyd started to feel sadness in her soul again. It turned out that Mrs. Fiddlestein said something that got the super that feeling of depression again, but what was it? Voyd immediately ignored her sadness and listened to the counselor. "So, Voyd." Mrs. Fiddlestein began. "What I would like you to do is close your eyes and focus inside your mind. Close your eyes and focus in your mind." Voyd closed her eyes and let herself focus inside her mind. She cleared it until she saw nothing, but pure black. She focused very deeply. "Okay," Mrs, Fiddlestein said. "Now, breathe in deeply and let it all out." Voyd inhaled very deeply and exhaled all of the oxygen out. "Good." Mrs. Fiddlestein said. "Now. Continue focusing inside your mind and say these words:I am smart. I am brave. I am strong. I will never give up. I can conquer everything that stands in my way. I am Voyd. Try it." "I am smart," Voyd began. "I am brave. I am strong. I will never give up. I can conquer everything that stands in my way. I am Voyd." "Good. Now do it again." Mrs. Fiddlestein said.  Voyd continued by saying, "I am smart. I am brave. I am strong. I will never give up. I can conquer everything that stands in my way. I am Voyd." "Again." Mrs. Fiddlestein said. Voyd repeated her saying as Mrs. Fiddlestein kept saying for the super to keep going. After a few attempts, they were done. "Alright. Now, if you keep on practicing those things everyday," Mrs. Fiddlestein started. "You are sure to have your confidence back. I guarantee it." "Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Fiddlestein." Voyd said. "Anytime, sweetie. I'm always here to help you and others, whether they're supers or not." Mrs. Fiddlestein said. "So, the next time you need me, just call me and I will do everything I can to help you through your problems that you face." "Okay. I will." Voyd said. "Alright." Mrs. Fiddlestein said. "Well, it was lovely to meet you. Come back again soon whenever you need me." "Okay, see ya." Voyd said. And so, as they said their farewells, Voyd began to walk out of the room and back to where she was going to meet Avia. She suddenly sees a vending machine and walks towards it to get a piece of candy. Outside the building, Avia continued waiting and hoping that everything worked out good for Voyd since minutes had passed. "Oh, I hope everything went okay in there." Avia said. "Because this place should know what it's doing. I do hope that everything turned out well with Voyd." Suddenly, a shadow was seen. Avia looked up and saw an old lady. However, this old lady didn't look normal. She looked crazy. Avia gasped. "Aww. Hello there, sweetie." The old lady said. "You seem to be lost. Why don't you come with me to your new home? There's plenty of room for you there. Come on." Avia began to back away as the lady came closer. She showed her claws as she hissed. Her hair stood up. "Ooh, somebody's being naughty. I think you need a timeout, young lady." The old lady said. The crazy woman then grabbed Avia by the fur. The cat yelped. "Time for you to get in the kennel." The old lady said. She walked towards her car while carrying Avia, who began to yell for Voyd. Inside the building, Voyd discovered that she didn't have any money to pay for the candy. She refused to use her powers since that would be stealing. Voyd was very aware of that. So, she went back outside. She called out for Avia, but the cat didn't return. Voyd was confused. She called a few more times, but Avia didn't appear. This concerned Voyd. So, the super went to the bush where Avia hid in, only to discover that she wasn't there. Voyd felt very worried as fear began to rise inside her chest. She started to panic. "Avia! Avia!" Voyd yelled out. Meanwhile, the old lady with Avia was getting close to her car. Avia heard Voyd's call. "Voyd!" Avia yelled out. Voyd heard Avia's call. She went to the direction the yell was coming from. She then sees Avia with the old lady. She was about to be put in the car. Avia sees Voyd and shouts her name. "Voyd!" Avia yelled out. "Avia!" Voyd yelled back. "Quiet, kitty!" The old lady said as she squirted water at Avia. "That's a bad kitty!" Avia was then thrown in the car. The old lady went inside as well. "No!" Voyd cried. Before the super was able to use her powers, the car began to drive off. Voyd was left in shock as she saw the car driving away. "No...Avia..." Voyd said. "Oh, what should I do? She needs me. I have to do something...but that lady might catch me....or call the police.....but I need to rescue Avia....." Voyd then started to think about her conversation with Mrs. Fiddlestein. It was the other way to help her get her confidence back the next time she tries to save the world. Right now, she needed to save Avia. She was still worried about her adventure, but she couldn't let her friend down. And so, Voyd began to practice what she did at the counsel center. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind. She breathed in and out deeply. Then she said, "I am smart. I am brave. I am strong. I will never give up. I can conquer everything that stands in my way. I am Voyd." She then repeated the same sentences a few more times. She then said, "I am Voyd! I am Voyd! I AM VOYD!!! AND I WILL SAVE THE DAY!!!!! I'm coming for you, Avia!!! Just hang in there! I'm on my way!" And so, Voyd began to walk towards the direction where the car went while carrying the bird of paradise flower in her mouth since she began walking with crutches. This was now the opportunity for the super to show herself what she was made of. And that was by saving a friend.