Author's Note: No, this isn't an April Fools chapter. Not doing that crap on a story I've only just started.

And I am so thrilled to have people following and favoriting this story! Got comments? Love to hear 'em. Got aspects you'd like me to go into? Let me know.

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February 10, 1999

(Mirikon’s POV)

As much as I would have loved to wallow in self-pity and generally beating myself up for being an idiot, that lizard part of my brain that is all about ‘not dying’ decided that I needed to actually do some stuff. A bullet to the brain is quick. Starvation isn’t, and really, I’m not a fan.

That night at the rail yard, I slipped onto a refrigerated freight car. Figured that if I lost control, no one would notice there. They also wouldn’t notice the results of my ‘practice’, or so I hoped. Yeah, practice. Ship’s already sailed on me being a freak, so I’ve gotta get a handle on this, at least enough to keep it under control.

See, I’ve already figured that the main focus of my powers is an environmental type, mainly what the egg heads call ‘cryokinesis’. The rest of us call it Cold Control. In other words, I can freeze shit, and do some other things. Leastways, I will be when I get a handle on it. And I need to get a handle on it, because uncontrolled environmental type powers can be bad. As in ‘force of nature’ bad. A thirteen-year-old girl in Italy with geokinetic powers accidentally set off Mt. Vesuvius when her powers went berserk last year, burying Pompeii in lava. Again. A crazy plant-controller down in South America turned a section of the Amazon rain forest into a jungle of death, the trees killing anyone who came close. He’s still out there, because no one can figure out how to get rid of him without burning the jungle down. And the list goes on. So yeah, I need to learn control.

So far, I’ve discovered that in addition to the normal ‘boosts’ we freaks get (stronger, faster, and so on), I’ve got a few extra enhancements. As in, I’m sitting in a freezer right now in just a pair of underwear, and I’m not even chilly. So I’m probably immune to the cold. Of course, ‘immune to cold’ doesn’t mean ‘immune to cold things that hurt you’. I could probably shrug off a beam of pure cold energy as if it were nothing, but stabbing me with an icicle will do just as much damage as it would to anyone else. I know that because I accidentally tried it when I slipped on the ice. And that’s when I learned I could use ice to stop bleeding, sealing wounds. Of course, in anyone else, that would be… bad, since they’d probably go into hypothermia before the wound healed. But as emergency first aid, it could be useful.

Right now, I’ve basically got an idea about my powers. The two main things I’ve found is the ability to freeze the air into an icy mist, which is useful for sneaking around, or throwing off some security guard who doesn’t want me by the trains, and the ability to create ice, even make shapes out of it. I don’t know the limits of this, but I think I could do some really cool stuff, eventually.

Now, I’ve stayed with the trains for the last few days, switching out as need be, to keep on the move. I think I’m somewhere in Iowa now. So far, I’ve done OK as far as food and water goes. Well, not really. I’ve been scavenging from vending machines when the train stops, and then getting on a new train to head elsewhere. Also why I have no clue where I am right now. But I’m in the mood for something a bit more filling than Cheetos and Coke, so I guess we’re going to start that whole ‘life of crime’ thing. See kids, ain’t it glamorous?

Getting off a moving train is dangerous. Anyone who tells you differently is lying. But then, crossing the street can be dangerous, so there’s really no point in worrying about it so long as you know what you’re doing. First thing to do is find a good spot to jump. Ideally, you’re looking for places that won’t impale you or crush you on impact, because that’s bad. So jumping directly into a tree line or rocky areas isn’t a good idea. Fortunately, this is Iowa (I think), and you can’t get much more boring than this, except for Utah. So finding a good spot is easy.

Now, when you land, you might think you’re going to do like you see people do in the Olympics, and stick the landing, or something like that. And you’d be a moron. You’ll break your legs like that. Crumple like a sack of bricks, and roll the shoulder. This’ll help reduce the shock, and spread any impact around. Also makes you less likely to break important bones.

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Looking down at my clothes, I realize that I could really do with a change of clothes. And a bath. But we’ll have to wait on that. Slipping off to the side of the railroad, I begin trekking towards town. Off to one side, I see what looks like ponds set up for irrigation. Not being picky, I take the time to wash my face and hair, before using a neat trick I picked up, freezing the water on my skin and hair, and then shaking it off. Instantly dry. Feels good to be at least somewhat clean again.

By the time I get into town, it is already late at night. Thankfully, this is a sleepy little suburban community. I think I saw the name Ottumwa as I was coming in. Anyways, this isn’t the big city, and we’re honestly miles from anywhere important. Which is good, because that means there’s only going to be local cops to deal with as I do what I’ve gotta do, not supers. I think Iowa has a super team, but they’re off in the capital, so I don’t have to worry about them unless I get the idiotic idea to stick around for a few days. Which I won’t.

First thing is to get some supplies. Now, some people would start by knocking over a convenience store. That’s stupid, because that’s where all the desperate idiots go. It is also the reason why most of those desperate idiots get caught. I need supplies, not the cash from the drawer and a carton of Newports. So we’re going to go to the mall. The mall’s already closed, but that’s not an issue for me. We’re not going to be using the doors, after all.

First things first, I hit up the Goodwill. In the back, at the loading dock, I use mist to hide my features as I get to the door. I’m no master thief, so this is going to be getting in, finding the things I need, and getting out again without making too much noise. Getting in isn’t hard. I simply froze the lock off. OK, so that was more difficult than I thought it was going to be, but it worked, and that’s what counts.

Opening the door, I know I’ve already set off the alarm, so time to get to work. A big garbage bag from the supply closet, and then I go to the ‘mens’ section. I’m not picky. I get t-shirts and jeans in my size, a few pairs each, and some other essentials. I even find a couple pairs of sneakers in my size.

Its been ten minutes, and I can hear a mall cop opening the grate leading to the rest of the ‘mall’. Well, of course you’re not going to send SWAT out for an alarm at a local mini-mall. After all, it is probably just some punk kids getting into trouble, right? I’m not looking for trouble, so I slip out the way I came, and find a dark corner to change into my new clothes. Nothing fancy, but I feel better.

Now, time to get more actual supplies. Which is why I find a sporting goods store a little way away. This time, I want to have a bit more time before the cops come, since I’m not too far from my last crime. This time, I go in from the roof. No really, the vents in the roof for these big sporting goods stores are perfect for what I’m going to do. Yeah, I know, you’ve seen Die Hard, so you know it isn’t exactly comfy in the air vents, but I make do.

Fortunately, there’s a vent that comes out only a few feet above some shelves. Somehow, I manage to get down without breaking my neck. I’ve got some basic clothes, so now I’m doing shopping for gear. A hiking backpack, a travel cooking kit, matches, flint & steel, rope, a couple carabiners, hiking boots, and a second knife are the main things I take. Well, I also grab a metal baseball bat, because bats have better reach than knives. In the manager’s office, I freeze the door to the safe, allowing me access. There’s almost a grand in the safe, so I steal it, too. That’ll take me a long way, once I get out of this town.

Last thing before I go, I take the tapes for the security system. This place still used VHS tapes, so that makes everything easy. Making sure I got my kit together, I head out the back door, tripping the alarm, and begin moving down back roads until I get to the railroad. Getting on a moving train is tough, but not as much as you might think. Trains slow down a lot in residential areas, so getting on isn’t too much trouble. The tapes from the security system I toss under the wheels of the train before getting on.

Climbing up on top of the freight car I’m on, I smile, and decide to take a nap until morning. I’m looking forward to actually being able to buy breakfast for a change.