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He ended up sleeping in some sort of bicycle rack, a metal box, in the park surrounding Lake Mead. He heated it up with the stove as best he could without getting carbon monoxide poisoning, then closed the door and settled in for a cold night.
It got colder and colder. His sleeping bag was good, but it was still cold. Just as he was beginning to think he couldn't bear it, and that he would have to reset and risk capture, there was a sudden stillness and silence and the wind stopped blowing through the cracks. He snuggled up and rested until morning.
When he tried to open the door, it was jammed. At that point, he realised that the reason it had got warmer was the bike shelter was completely buried in snow. In fact, if it stayed that way, it was almost a pleasant temperature. So although he could have pushed the snow away, he stayed in there for a bit and ate some of his supplies.
A couple of hours later, reading a comic, an odd noise made him stop. It sounded like a child crying. Why was a kid this far out in the snow? It was miles away from any shelter.
"Please, please let me go! I won't tell nobody, if they ask, I'll say I didn't see."
He pushed his way out of the shelter and blinked in the bright light of the snow. There were two men arguing, and a little girl of about six with no coat on. They all turned and looked at him in surprise. One of the men raised a gun, there was a bang, and Vyvyan felt a sharp pain in his arm.
"OI!" he made a jump towards the men, and to their surprise he was suddenly upon them, headbutting them in the face and grabbing the gun.
"Piss off!" he yelled at them. "She didn't see you, she's going home."
The men fled. Vyvyan looked down at his arm, which was bleeding, but a quick peep into his sleeve suggested that the bullet had just nicked his arm. It would heal next time he reset, which he didn't want to do right now with no van and nowhere else to shelter.
"Wow." the little girl said. "Are you a super hero?"
"No." Vyvyan took his coat off, and put it round the girl.
"This smells funny." the girl said.
"Do you want to be cold or not?" Vyvyan asked.
"Not." The girl decided.
"Come on then, let's go back to the road."
She didn't tell him what the men had done, and he didn't ask, not wanting to put her at any more risk. His mind was racing. He had to get this kid somewhere safe, but he couldn't use his powers, and people were bound to ask questions if he turned up with her. She'd obviously been kidnapped, and that would make him a suspect.
When they reached the road, he looked up and down for some signs of where to go.
"What about the call box?" the girl asked.
"Call box?"
"The one the men used."
"Which way?"
The girl pointed to the right, and they went further down the road. Vyvyan dug into his pocket and pulled out some loose change.
"You call your Mom, or someone, tell them where to pick you up. I don't want to be here if the cops turn up, but I'll stay nearby and I won't leave until someone collects you and you give me the thumbs up that it's not another kidnapper."
"Why don't you want to be here? Are you a criminal?"
"No." Vyvyan said. "Bad people want to hurt me too. That's why I'm homeless."
"You could come live in my closet?" the girl said.
"That's very sweet of you, but your Mom would soon smell me." Vyvyan said.
She made the call and came out to tell him that her Dad was on his way with the cops. He climbed up into a tree.
"Remember. Thumbs up to tell me it's a safe person." he said.
"Okay. Thanks Mr Cornetto."
About ten minutes later, a swarm of cop cars appeared in the road. He watched the little girl, who hugged a man in a plain jacket, and then she turned and gave him the thumbs up. He waved to her, jumped out of the tree and teleported as he dropped into a bush. By the time the cops came over to investigate, he was long gone.
It got colder and colder. His sleeping bag was good, but it was still cold. Just as he was beginning to think he couldn't bear it, and that he would have to reset and risk capture, there was a sudden stillness and silence and the wind stopped blowing through the cracks. He snuggled up and rested until morning.
When he tried to open the door, it was jammed. At that point, he realised that the reason it had got warmer was the bike shelter was completely buried in snow. In fact, if it stayed that way, it was almost a pleasant temperature. So although he could have pushed the snow away, he stayed in there for a bit and ate some of his supplies.
A couple of hours later, reading a comic, an odd noise made him stop. It sounded like a child crying. Why was a kid this far out in the snow? It was miles away from any shelter.
"Please, please let me go! I won't tell nobody, if they ask, I'll say I didn't see."
He pushed his way out of the shelter and blinked in the bright light of the snow. There were two men arguing, and a little girl of about six with no coat on. They all turned and looked at him in surprise. One of the men raised a gun, there was a bang, and Vyvyan felt a sharp pain in his arm.
"OI!" he made a jump towards the men, and to their surprise he was suddenly upon them, headbutting them in the face and grabbing the gun.
"Piss off!" he yelled at them. "She didn't see you, she's going home."
The men fled. Vyvyan looked down at his arm, which was bleeding, but a quick peep into his sleeve suggested that the bullet had just nicked his arm. It would heal next time he reset, which he didn't want to do right now with no van and nowhere else to shelter.
"Wow." the little girl said. "Are you a super hero?"
"No." Vyvyan took his coat off, and put it round the girl.
"This smells funny." the girl said.
"Do you want to be cold or not?" Vyvyan asked.
"Not." The girl decided.
"Come on then, let's go back to the road."
She didn't tell him what the men had done, and he didn't ask, not wanting to put her at any more risk. His mind was racing. He had to get this kid somewhere safe, but he couldn't use his powers, and people were bound to ask questions if he turned up with her. She'd obviously been kidnapped, and that would make him a suspect.
When they reached the road, he looked up and down for some signs of where to go.
"What about the call box?" the girl asked.
"Call box?"
"The one the men used."
"Which way?"
The girl pointed to the right, and they went further down the road. Vyvyan dug into his pocket and pulled out some loose change.
"You call your Mom, or someone, tell them where to pick you up. I don't want to be here if the cops turn up, but I'll stay nearby and I won't leave until someone collects you and you give me the thumbs up that it's not another kidnapper."
"Why don't you want to be here? Are you a criminal?"
"No." Vyvyan said. "Bad people want to hurt me too. That's why I'm homeless."
"You could come live in my closet?" the girl said.
"That's very sweet of you, but your Mom would soon smell me." Vyvyan said.
She made the call and came out to tell him that her Dad was on his way with the cops. He climbed up into a tree.
"Remember. Thumbs up to tell me it's a safe person." he said.
"Okay. Thanks Mr Cornetto."
About ten minutes later, a swarm of cop cars appeared in the road. He watched the little girl, who hugged a man in a plain jacket, and then she turned and gave him the thumbs up. He waved to her, jumped out of the tree and teleported as he dropped into a bush. By the time the cops came over to investigate, he was long gone.