Cameron woke up slowly, and immediately wished that he had just stayed asleep or unconscious or whatever he had been, because he did not feel very well at all.
Not only did he feel completely drained of energy, but his whole body felt weird and his muscles were sore. His head was hurting like crazy and he felt slightly nauseous. He also felt warmer than he usually was, and he didn't know why. Usually his core body temperature was pretty low, a side effect of his cyrokinesis. The only times he could remember feeling actually warm or hot was when he had overexerted himself with his powers. Cameron was pretty sure that he hadn't done that this time though. It had to be for a different reason.
Wanting to get a better idea of what had happened, Cameron sat up, groaned at the pain that went through his body because of the sudden movement, and looked around at his surroundings. He immediately recognized where he was, though wondered how he had gotten there. Hadn't he been in a penthouse before? So what was he doing back here in the office that used to belong that his father and Sportsmaster?
Cameron turned his head to get a better look at the room that he hadn't been in ever since his father had died, about three years ago. Immediately Cameron let out a sharp cry of pain when the movement caused his neck to start hurting. A lot.
His neck hurt like the rest of his body did, except so much worse. Cameron instinctively brought a hand to his neck and was surprised when he felt something metal rather than skin. Cameron felt at the metal with both hands and quickly deduced that it was a collar like thing. He didn't know what exactly it was, or what it was for, but he knew that he didn't like it.
Cameron raised a hand and tried to use it to freeze the stupid collar thing so that he could just shatter it right off. For some reason though, it didn't work. No short ice blast came shooting out of his hand.
Cameron frowned and looked curiously at his hands. He tried to summon ice again, but, once again, nothing happened. There was no ice. No frost. He didn't even feel a slight chill in his hands. There was just...nothing.
Cameron felt a wave of panic come over him. His breathing became short and quick His powers weren't working. Why the hell weren't his powers working?! Cameron tried to force himself to calm down before he started hyperventilating, because freaking out wouldn't do any good. He needed to breathe, focus, and try to remember what the heck had happened.
Last he remembered he had been back at that penthouse talking with that Oliver guy, Green Arrow, then some guys had shown up. Guys that worked for The Light. Cameron remembered stopping them from attacking Oliver and while he was distracted doing that one of the guys had slapped something around his neck. That must've been this stupid collar. After that had come the pain, like an electrical shock or something.
...Wait a minute.
This collar. An electrical shock. A feeling of weakness. An inability to use his powers. Cameron shuddered when he realized just what the collar was. It was an inhibitor collar, specifically made to restrain a person's powers. What was scary was that each collar had to be programmed on the exact power it was meant to block. Besides him and Crystal, there really weren't very many, or any, metahumans that used ice. So for The Light to just happen to have one on hand was a frightening thought. As if they had predicted that they would have to use it.
But why did The Light feel the need to use the collar on him. Just what were they planning? Were they even up to anything at all, or was this just some sick, twisted way to control him?
Cameron stiffened when he heard the door unlock, which meant that somebody had seriously locked him in here. Cameron turned towards the door and just wished that his powers were working. Without his ice he was completely defenseless, and he hated it.
The door opened slowly and Cameron scowled when he saw who was coming into the room. Lex freaking Luthor. He should have known.
"What do you want?" Cameron growled. He tensed and became more nervous when Luthor shut and locked the door behind him. Cameron realized just how weird it felt to not have the feeling of frost on his fingertips accompany his feelings of anxiety. Stupid collar.
"There's no need to be nervous." Luthor said in that calm, patronizing voice of his. "I'm just here to talk."
"Yeah, I can tell." Cameron scoffed darkly, gesturing to the locked door and the collar around his neck. He knew that he should be more careful and civil, because he was treading on dangerous ground. But he had been brought in against his will, locked up, and had his powers blocked. Cameron believed that he had every right to be irritated.
Cameron should have known better than to let his irritation show so obviously, because it was not a good idea to get mad at a member of The Light. Cameron was violently reminded of this when Luthor took something out of his pocket. Before Cameron could get a good look at it and figure out what it was he felt a shock of electricity from the inhibitor collar.
Cameron cringed and doubled over in pain. It didn't hurt as much as it did last time, and the shock certainly wasn't bad enough that it would knock him out again. It still hurt like hell though. The shock itself ended as quickly as it had started, but he could still feel the after effects of it.
"Are you going to be civil now?" Luthor asked, his hand on the remote that probably controlled the collar. Cameron glared at him, but wisely kept his mouth shut. He just nodded. "Good." Luthor smirked. "I really am just here to talk. Once you answer one question of mine you will be free to go."
"What?" Cameron asked, making sure to keep the bite out of his voice this time. The last thing he wanted to do was be respectful toward this guy, but he also didn't want to get electrocuted again. At times like this it was best to just go along with the rules that other people laid out. Play their game and you won't be hated or get hurt. That was what his father had taught him.
"I simply want to ask about this." Luthor said as he brought out a familiar looking blunt arrow. Cameron felt a brief moment of panic when he saw it. That was Oliver's arrow. The one that he had shot at the guys who had tried, and succeeded, to take Cameron. One of those goons must have grabbed it and brought it to Luthor.
"An arrow? What about it?" Cameron asked. On the outside he seemed calm and oblivious. On the inside though, Cameron was very nearly panicking. He didn't let his fear show though. He couldn't.
"Who does it belong to?" Luthor asked. This was the exact question that Cameron had been afraid of, because it was the one question that he couldn't answer.
Cameron believed that he knew why Luthor wanted to know whose arrow it was. When Oliver had fired that arrow he had attacked men who worked directly for The Light, which was seen as an attack against The Light themselves. The only people who had the guts anymore to stand up against The Light were those that were part of some sort of resistance group.
Cameron knew though that Oliver wasn't part of just any resistance. He was a member of The resistance. The Justice League. They were the only people who had any hopes of taking down The Light and bringing order back to the world. The Justice League's greatest advantage at the moment was that nobody was aware that they were still around. This meant that they would have the element of surprise when the opportune moment for them to strike arose.
That would all be ruined if Cameron told Luthor the information that he wanted. Even if he only mentioned Oliver's civilian name, how could Cameron be sure that Luthor didn't know Green Arrow's identity? Or that he wouldn't be able to figure it out? And even if nobody ever found out that Oliver was the Green Arrow, Cameron still wouldn't rat him out.
Just like he had told Oliver before, he wasn't going to let anybody else get hurt because of him. It had been Cameron that The Light's goons had wanted. Oliver had never had anything to do with it. The only reason that Oliver had interfered was because he had been trying to protect him, because that was what heroes did.
Now it was Cameron's turn to do the protecting. Oliver's identity as Green Arrow. The existence of The Justice League. Cameron was going to keep it all a secret, no matter what happened to him. Not because he was a hero, because he wasn't. But the world needed Green Arrow, and all of those other real heroes, much more than it needed some punk kid who barely knew who he was anymore.
"It just belongs to some guy that I met today." Cameron answered. It wasn't exactly a lie. Sure, today technically hadn't been the first time he had met Oliver, but he couldn't really remember the other times, so it counted.
"Why would somebody that you only met today endanger himself to protect you?" Luthor asked, the suspicion in his voice made it clear that he knew that there was more to this.
Cameron shrugged. "How should I know? The guy's a freak. Guess he felt responsible for me or something." Cameron told a partial truth again, because something his father had taught him once was that the most convincing lies were those that were layered with truth.
Apparently it wasn't convincing enough because the next thing he knew Cameron felt another shock from the collar. It was stronger and lasted longer than the one before. Cameron cried out in pain and his muscles grew tense because of the electrical shock.
"W-what the hell?" Cameron groaned when the shock finally let up. He looked at Luthor with wide eyes. "What was that for?"
"I suggest you begin telling me what I want to know." Luthor said, his finger hovering just over the button.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Cameron cried out desperately. Obviously telling only half truths wasn't working, so Cameron turned to a different strategy for keeping something a secret. He remembered his dad telling him that if he couldn't tell somebody what they wanted to know, that he should tell them what they expected.
After Cameron's little screw up earlier that night Luthor and the rest of The Light probably saw him as just some weak, scared kid who couldn't handle pressure. While it wasn't the reputation that Cameron would want, maybe he would be able to use it to his advantage.
If he acted like the helpless kid who was in way over his head that Luthor thought that he was, maybe it would get the man off his back. Maybe he could convince Luthor that he really didn't know anything.
Unfortunately, Luthor wasn't convinced yet. For the third time he activated the collar and, once again, Cameron was subjected to the electricity it caused. This one was even more powerful than the previous ones, and the pain caused Cameron to fall to his knees. He clenched his teeth and waited for the shock to stop, but it just kept on going.
Just before the pain became too much to bare and Cameron was sure he would end up blacking out again, the shock mercifully stopped. Exhausted, Cameron's still convulsing body fell to the ground. He couldn't move. He could barely think. He could only lay there helplessly, completely at Luthor's non-existent mercy.
Cameron thought that Luthor must be speaking to him, repeating his previous questions, but he couldn't understand his words. Cameron's ears were ringing, and his pounding headache had only gotten worse. He just wanted all of this to stop, and for this very long, painful night to just end already.
After a moment Cameron heard another pounding, different from the one inside his head. No, this one sounded real. It almost sounded like somebody was trying to break the door down, but that was ridiculous. Who would possibly-
With a final loud strike the door was broken open. Cameron's head cleared ever so slightly when he saw who had kicked the door down, and he could barely believe his eyes.
"A-artemis?" Cameron said quietly in disbelief.
"Cam!" Yep. That was definitely Artemis. She ran to his side and knelt next to him. "God, what happened to you?" Artemis asked as she helped Cameron up to his feet. "You're shaking."
"I'm fine." Cameron muttered. He tried to pull away from Artemis but his limbs weren't cooperating and he nearly ended up falling over again. Fortunately Artemis was right there to catch him.
"That's bullshit." Artemis said. She snapped her gaze to Luthor who seemed to be watching the two of them in amusement. "What did you do to him?" Artemis asked accusingly.
"I was simply asking him some questions." Luthor said.
"Yeah, that's exactly what it looks like you were doing." Artemis said sarcastically, the venom dripping from her voice.
"I admit, I took more - how shall I say it? - drastic measures than was possibly necessary. But I had to ensure that I got the answers that I was looking for." Luthor said.
"And did you?" another voice asked and Cameron groaned when he heard it. He hadn't noticed that the Dick brat had come with Artemis.
"Unfortunately, no." Luthor said, though his tone suggested otherwise. "I am convinced that your friend doesn't know the information that I am looking for." If Cameron had been more aware of things, he might have noticed the deceitful look in Luthor's eyes. As it was though, Cameron was too tired to notice or care.
"If that's the case, do you really think that the inhibitor collar is still necessary?" Dick asked.
"Of course not." Luthor pushed a different button on the remote and the collar deactivated. Cameron could feel the use of his powers return and he gasped at the sudden return of the chill he was so used to. The first thing Cameron did once he was able to use his powers again was freeze and shatter the collar off, just like he had tried to do in the first place. "I hope there are no bad feelings between us." Luthor looked Cameron in the eyes. "This was just business, after all. Nothing personal."
"Yeah, sure." Cameron knew that the words were bullshit, but he didn't let his hostility show. Artemis on the other hand wasn't bothering to hide her anger in the least bit and Cameron practically had to hold her back so she wouldn't attack Luthor, because that wouldn't end well at all.
Luthor pocketed the now useless remote and the blunt arrow. He turned to leave but just before exiting the room he looked back at Cameron. "You may want to know that The Light has made its decision. Come and find us when you're ready to hear it." And he left without saying or explaining anything more.
Cameron sighed in relief and slumped forward once Luthor had left. That had not been a pleasant experience, and Cameron was relieved that it was over.
"He's such a jerk." Artemis said as she continued to glare at the doorway. "I seriously hate that guy."
"Everybody does." Cameron muttered as he rubbed at his sore neck. The skin felt raw and slightly burned, but he was sure that it would heal. Artemis' eyes softened and she looked at Cameron's injury in concern. She lifted her hand and ever so gently touched Cameron's neck, and even though the touch was soft Cameron still flinched when her skin came in contact with his.
"That looks like it hurts." Artemis commented. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine." Cameron looked at Artemis sorrowfully. "What about you?" He could feel that her skin was much colder than it should have been. The ice in her veins had obviously progressed, and it pained Cameron that he had done this to her. And yet, even though she was the one who was dying, she was still concerned only about Cameron's wellbeing. That was just so like her.
"Me? I'm just a little cold. It's fine." Artemis said, though Cameron knew that it couldn't be further from the truth. No, she was not fine. And it was all his fault. Artemis must have seen the guilt in Cameron's eyes. "Hey, don't do this to yourself, Cam. This is not your fault."
What was she talking about? Of course it was his fault! "But I-" Cameron tried to disagree with her, but Artemis wasn't hearing it.
"No." She said insistently. "It was an accident, got it?" Cameron did and said nothing, and Artemis' gaze grew fiercer. "Got it?" She repeated, her voice firmer and leaving no room for arguments.
"Whatever." Cameron sighed in defeat. "What are you doing here anyways?" He asked, because it was kind of weird that she had shown up when she had.
"What do you think?" Artemis chuckled. She shoved at Cameron's arm playfully. "I came to help you, Frostbite." Cameron couldn't help but grin at the old nickname that Artemis had given him when they were little. She probably hadn't even known what frostbite was at the time, but she had heard somebody else call him it once, and decided to adopt the nickname for use herself. Cameron hadn't heard her call him that in years, and he hadn't realized how much he had missed it.
"How did you know I needed help?" Cameron asked. He hadn't thought that anybody had known where he was, let alone that he was in trouble.
"Oliver told us." Dick said from the corner, which annoyed Cameron to no end. Seriously, what was that kid doing here?
"You know Oliver?" Cameron raised an eyebrow at Dick, who smirked in return.
"I've known him for years." Dick said.
"So, you know that he's-" Cameron trailed off, because he didn't know for sure that Dick knew that Oliver was Green Arrow. In fact, it was a pretty big assumption.
"Yeah, I know who he is." Dick said. "That's actually how I know him in the first place." Cameron's eyes widened. Apparently he had assumed correctly in thinking that Dick knew just who Oliver was, which was absolutely insane. Was this kid involved with The Justice League? Not for the first time that night Cameron wondered just who the hell this Dick kid was.
"Speaking of Oliver, that reminds me." Artemis said and, without any other warning, she punched Cameron in the arm. Hard.
"Ow." Cameron rubbed at where she had hit him. "What was that for?"
"That was for you being an idiot." Artemis said, and Cameron frowned at her tone of voice. It sounded like she was trying to sound angry, but Cameron thought he could hear a slight quiver of fear in her voice. "Seriously, Cam, stop trying so hard to protect people. Especially when it just ends with you being the one in pain."
"I don't like seeing other people in pain, Arty." Cameron said. "Especially if it's my fault."
"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe I feel the same way?" Artemis took Cameron's hands. "I don't like seeing you hurt, Cam. And, yeah, this hate thing you have towards yourself counts as you hurting."
Cameron grimaced. "I-i don't…" He gasped slightly and looked to the side, avoiding Artemis' gaze. "I can't help the way that I feel about myself."
"I know." Artemis admitted reluctantly. "But hey," She put her hands to Cameron's face and forced him to meet her eyes. "Maybe I can help change that. Please, Cam, don't push me away anymore. Let me help you. Please."
Cameron didn't know if it was because of his exhaustion, or all of his emotions that he had tried to keep bottled up for so many years had come up to the surface. Maybe it was just Artemis' sincere desire to help him. Whatever the reason, Cameron felt a wave of emotion come over him and, for once in his life, he acted on what his feelings were telling him to do.
He kissed Artemis.
Cameron could feel her stiffen slightly in surprise when his lips came in contact with hers, but after barely a moment she leaned into the kiss. A feeling came over Cameron like none he had ever felt before. He was actually kissing Artemis, which was something he had dreamed of doing for years now. Even better, she was actually kissing him back!
The strange feeling in Cameron grew and, next thing he knew, he felt a strange cold feeling against his mouth. Artemis must have felt the cold too because she gasped and pulled away, staring at Cameron in shock.
"What was that?" Artemis asked. Cameron shook his head. He seriously had no idea. Had he accidently ended up using his powers?
"I don't know. Are you okay though?" Cameron asked. "I mean, your mouth's not cold or anything, is it?"
"No, it's actually-" She paused and felt her lips with her fingertips. A slight smile came over Artemis' face. "It feels warm."
"Warm?" Cameron was taken aback. Because of what he had done to her earlier that night no part of her body should be feeling warm, so why…wait a second.
"No way." Cameron muttered. Artemis looked at him curiously.
"What?" She demanded. Cameron shook his head.
"Does just your mouth feel warmer than before?" Cameron asked.
"No. Just in general I feel warmer." Artemis said. "Still cold, but not freezing anymore."
"Are you serious?" Cameron laughed. He put his hands to his mouth. "Oh my god. I don't believe it. Oliver was right."
"What are you talking about?" Artemis asked. Cameron bit his lip and looked at her.
"I think I might undone part of what I did to you earlier." Cameron said.
"Wait, you can do that?" Artemis asked, a slight note of awe in her voice.
"Apparently." Cameron shrugged. "I'm not sure how though. I mean, all I did was...was kiss you."
Artemis smirked slightly. "So why don't you just kiss me again?"
Cameron's mouth fell open. "I...what?" Had he heard her right. "No, I-i don't think that's completely necessary." He stammered slightly. "I mean, not that I don't want to, but if you don't really want me to then I should be able to find a different way to reverse it the rest of the way. I don't even know if k-kissing you would even work again. I mean, you know, it might, but-" Cameron would have rambled on for even longer, but Artemis put her fingers to his lips, silencing him.
"Shut up, Frostbite." Artemis said fondly. "Just shut the hell up." She leaned forward and began kissing him again, more passionately than before. Cameron wrapped his arms around Artemis and pulled her closer. He expressed through the kiss the emotions and feelings that he just couldn't figure out how to explain with his words.
The kiss was...amazing. And absolutely beautiful. Just like Artemis was. What really thrilled Cameron was that he knew that Artemis wasn't just kissing him because it might get rid of the ice in her veins. She was kissing him because she wanted to.
And nothing had ever made Cameron feel so happy in his life.
Huh...maybe it wasn't so bad to show emotion sometimes after all.
A/N: I'm actually quite proud of how the last part of this chapter turned out. And, yeah, as some of you might guess, I did take a line from the comics. It was just so perfect though, and I think it works really well for Artemis and Cameron's relationship. I'm not really a romance writer, and I've only written stories with romantic relationships in it a handful of times. This one though has got to be my favorite, and the one I'm most proud of.
I'm glad that I'm happy with the Cameron and Artemis stuff in this chapter, because I'm kinda less happy with everything involving Lex Luthor. Seriously, I had no idea what to do with the guy, so I just wrote whatever. If he's not in character or something like that, I apologize.
