Ages: Cameron is 24 and Artemis is 22.
A/N: Beach episode? Sure. Something like that.
Mr. Dragic Comes To Town
Early Fall, Team Year 7
Trust me, I got the trip details all planned out. The perfect way to spend the week we get off for faculty conferences.
Artemis had been skeptical. She'd been skeptical when he'd first brought the idea up, bursting at the seams with nervous energy. She'd been skeptical when he'd insisted that she couldn't know any of the details beyond their flight plans. She'd definitely been skeptical when he'd insisted she be blindfolded for the last – and suspiciously bumpy – leg of the trip.
And yet right now, standing in front of breathtaking scenery, that skepticism was completely wiped out. She stared in awe as expansive windows, enlarged by a high ceiling, gave way to a breathtaking view of the snow–capped mountains of the swiss alps. She could see jagged mountain cliffsides contrasting against the clear blue skies, the sharp edges counterbalancing the downward slopes of the mountains. Other homes could be seen nearby, dotting the mountainside with smoking chimneys.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Cameron said, standing besides her, watching carefully to see her reaction.
"Yeah," she answered truthfully.
"Here," Cameron said with a nod towards the rest of the house. "Let me show you the place and then we can rest for a little bit."
The living room she'd been standing in was beautiful, with a homely atmosphere that played strongly into the window view. Comfortable sofas and chairs were littered around a fireplace that, to her surprise, Cameron was quick to get started on a slow burn. A bookcase was nestled alongside one of the living room walls, stacked to the brim with worn books that Cameron had waved dismissively at as "from the original owner, some reclusive writer or something."
Knowing Cameron, Artemis made a mental note to circle back to that comment later.
The house itself wasn't that big. For the standards of any normal Gothamite, it was luxurious. For Artemis, it was nowhere close to the excess of some of exorbitant Wayne Estate mountain homes she'd stayed in over the years, but nice nonetheless. The house itself was made from stone and timber but the entrance was modest, in stark contract to the towering entrances at the end of sweeping driveways unlike the grand entrances at the end of sweeping driveways.
Inside, a deceptively large foyer gave way to the living room Cameron had found her in. A side door led to a small kitchen that showed clear signs that someone had lived there: Mismatched dishes strew around. A burn mark on one of the countertops. An older oven contrasting with a newer stainless steel microwave and toaster appliances.
"How long have you had this place?" Artemis asked curiously, as he guided her outside of the kitchen.
"It's not actually mine. Crystal owns it," Cameron replied as they walked back towards the foyer. "She uh, can't really use it right now so she told me I can use it however I want."
"That's nice of her," Artemis answered, pausing for a second. "What do you mean she can't really use it right now?"
Cameron shrugged. "Crystal things. You know, picking a fight with the swiss metahuman mafia. Not being welcome in this part of Europe. You know," he said with a dismissive wave. "Crystal things."
"There's a swiss metahuman mafia?" she asked, wondering why she'd never heard of this.
"Nice guys, relatively speaking. Crystal really didn't need to pick that fight with them," he replied, shaking his head in disappointment.
"And what, they're not mad with you?" she asked, as they approached the stairway.
"Me? Please. They owe me like, two favours and a dinner, not to mention–" Cameron stopped himself, shaking his arms to end the conversation. "We're getting off topic. Let me show you the upstairs."
Artemis nodded, silently adding it to the list of things she needed to bother Cameron about later.
The staircase creaked with each step but neither Cameron nor Artemis were fooled: True Gothamites knew what questionable staircases felt like and this was a far cry from one. Once they made it to the second floor, Cameron showed her the two bedrooms housed in the home, both of which were reasonably spacious and came with the same simple furnishings: A large, queen sized bed, a dresser with a mirror, and a large closet off to the side. Each bedroom also included an adjacent bathroom, with a door inside the room and a Jack & Jill bathroom.
"And there you have it: Casa Mahkent–slash–really–Frost," he said, ending the tour with Artemis's room.
"Very nice, but with that view downstairs the rest of this place could be a cave and I'd still love it," she replied, collapsing onto the bed. Cameron winced visibly, which did not escape Artemis's eyes.
"Cam, I can hear you silent bed neat freak judgement from all the way over here," she teased.
"You're not supposed to just go into the bed with your outdoor clothes right after a long trip," he said exasperatedly.
"Oh come on, I know you've collapsed onto the bed in your clothes after a long night more than once."
"It's not the same," he grumbled.
Artemis grinned and threw one of her pillows at him. "No time for cleanliness Jack Frost. We're going to make the most of this trip."
...
A surprise winter storm decided that for their first two days, making the most of their trip involved doing little more than sitting inside. Not that it bothered Artemis, who was perfectly content to spend that time lounging by the fire place with the beautiful mountain view displayed in front of her. She alternated between gazing at the view and absorbing herself in one of the various books available.
As it turned out, the "random" author happened to be none other than the Terry K. Schutt, fabled eccentric mystery author. His book collection ran the gamut from his own works to fantasy literature and to period pieces from a variety of other famous others, some of which were signed copies.
"Is he good?" Cameron had cluelessly asked, completely lost by Artemis's freak–out when she'd put two and two together.
She could've strangled him, but that would have taken precious time that was better spent reading.
Cameron was a lot more mobile, rifling through drawers and audibly moving furniture around in his room. When he wasn't presumably re–arranging half of the house, he was running in and out of the house. Where in Gotham a storm meant minimal activity outside, including during the lulls, Artemis was quick to notice that here it seemed that every time something slowed down there was a massive flurry of activity amongst the neighbors.
From her spot in front of the window, Artemis noticed adults coming out to clear snow and kids coming out to play during the moments of calm, before running back inside when the storm picked up.
However often Cameron had been here – and Artemis knew it couldn't have been that often – it became obvious that he must've left a great first impression on his neighbors. With each lull in the storm, Artemis watched as he'd trek out to some of the closest homes to help with some of the clean up. It was funny, watching him shovel at an "absurd" rate, dumbfounding the other residents who had no way of realizing he was slyly using his powers. Likewise, she had her own suspicions about the kids jumping giddily near Cameron as they played with snow that seemed to be moving just a bit too strongly.
On the third day, she settled into her spot by the window to a sight of clear blue skies and immaculate sunshine bearing down. A few minutes after, she could hear footsteps from the floor above and the creak of someone coming down the stairs. A few moments later Cameron popped into the living room.
"Goldilocks! No time to lay around this morning, we've got to head out!" he said with gusto.
"Cam, it's 9 A.M. I've already been awake for three hours," she casually responded.
"It's 9 already?!" he exclaimed, before his morphed into one of disgust: "You wake up at 6 A.M on vacation?!"
"What are you in such a rush for?" she asked for, ignoring his inexplicable confusion at her morning routine. You'd think the surprise would wear off after all these years.
"We've got to head into town before all the damn tourists wake up and make their way down there," he replied.
Artemis raised an eyebrow, craning her neck over to look at him. "And we aren't tourists?"
"No, we are globetrotters," he replied with mock offense. "And if we get into town fast enough, we'll have spots at the best breakfast spot in town before they fill up. Trust me, the bircher museli is way tastier than I ever thought fancy oatmeal could be. And the pastries are to die for!"
"Please tell me you didn't called a national food 'fancy oatmeal'."
"I call it like I see it Rapunzel. Now get ready!"
...
Even from a distance, the town was picturesque.
Located at the bottom of the valley, the town was built in concentric circles that immediately reminded Artemis of archery target practice: Larger buildings made up the center, with both the buildings and the roads decreasing in size the closer you got to the edge of town, until the roads appeared to be spider web outgrowths, clearly too small for motorized vehicles. The entire town was then surrounded by a semi–frozen river that served as a de–facto moat, with multiple bridges jutting across the flowing water to give people access in and out of the town.
To Artemis, the entire thing seemed so...quaint. A far cry from the hard concrete and towering darkness of Gotham. The buildings seemed inviting, all built in a similar fashion of steeply sloped roofs and a red tint. From a distance they had appeared to be brick, though up close they were clearly wooden. Everything was coated in a dusting of snow that was already melting, already removing evidence of the storm of the last few days.
The city was already wide awake by the time they got inside, with Artemis recognizing a mix of languages as they walked through the streets. German stood out to her the most, causing her to dimly think back to her high school German class. Unfortunately, she'd taken it with Dick and Barbara, both of whom had been complete and utter distractions.
"There's the spot!" Cameron said, pointing excitedly towards a small café. Despite the nippier weather, people were still sitting in the outdoor tables, nursing steaming cups as they chatted amongst one another. An older gentlemen with a stern expression on his face was sweeping along the front of the café, pushing some of the light dusting of snow further out onto the brick roads. As they got closer, he looked up and, upon spotting Cameron, his expression only grew sterner.
"That's the owner. Don't worry, they know me here," Cameron said confidently. Too confidently as far as Artemis was concerned.
"I'm not sure that's a good thing," she muttered quietly, as Cameron opened his arms widely and grinned at the older man.
"Dorian!" Cameron all but shouted. "I told you I'd be back!"
The older man's expression grew even sterner.
"Grüezi Mr. Dragic," Dorian greeted grimly, nothing in his town signaling happiness.
"Mr. Dragic?" Artemis whispered, vaguely recognizing the name as one of Cameron's aliases.
"One of my more popular names," Cameron whispered back, before turning back to Dorian. "I told you I couldn't stay away for long!"
"Truly, you return to soon," came the grim reply, something about his aura reminding Artemis of Alfred Pennyworth scolding Batman.
The memory drew a stifled laugh out of her, which caught Dorian's response. "And your companion this morning?" he asked Cameron.
"This is my friend Miss Crock. I'm showing her around town for the next few days."
"Grüezi Miss Crock," Dorian replied, his features warming up slightly. "Please, allow me to show you to your seats and present the morning special."
"Don't worry Dorian, I already have some recommendations for her," Cameron said, immediately causing the warmth to evaporate off Dorian's face.
The older man simply nodded, allowing Cameron to pass before passing Artemis a knowing glance that seemed to scream don't listen to him.
...
Breakfast didn't disappoint, though they kept their meal light with Cameron insisting that they come back for more fresh pastries on their way out of town.
"I'd take them to go, but last time I tried to do that it was like I spat in the old man's face," he explained as they exited the café.
Back out on the road, it was clear that other "globetrotters" had started to filter their way in, distinguished by incessant photography flashes and fanny packs. That didn't stop the two from lazily making their way around the town, Cameron excitedly chattering away at what he remembered from his last visit as they dashed in and out of various establishments.
At Cameron's insistence, Artemis bought a few souvenirs for back home: Some folk dolls for Lian and then, upon further thought, some toy soldiers for her to raise Will's blood pressure. A swiss dagger for Jade that she knew her sister would decry as "basic" and then squirrel away somewhere. A cookbook for her mother, who would no doubt look through it with a sniff of disdain and then promptly cook several recipes "make them better".
The chime of the town clocktower coincided with their exit from an antique store – where she had to talk Cameron out of buying the most hideous 'kettle box', whatever that was – and it's boom reverberating throughout the town, signaling the noon hour.
"Noon already?" Cameron asked, glancing at his phone to confirm. "I know a great spot for lunch on the other side of town."
"Do they 'know' you there too?" Artemis asked teasingly.
"Of course!" he said, her joke going right over his head. "But we need to work up an appetite before we go. Unlike at breakfast, they have some real serving sizes there."
"We can make our way over to the place you have in mind. With all the things there are for us to watch, we'll probably kill another hour or two before we get there," she said, jiggling the brown paper bags in her arms for emphasis.
Cameron, however, seemed distracted by a group of loud tourists passing by clad from top to bottom in branded winter wear from a resort. A small smirk started to come across his face, and Artemis could see the mischievous gears turning in his head.
"We can explore the town some more later. Have you ever been skiing?" he asked.
"Cam, I've literally chased you down a mountain in skis before," she deadpanned.
"No recollection of that," Cameron replied, his answer having nothing to do with how that particular chase ended. "But have you ever been kicked out of a ski resort before?"
"...No?" Artemis answered cautiously.
Cameron's grin grew impossibly wide. "We're here for three more days, we'll have plenty of time to explore the town. But if we really want to work up an appetite, there's a ski resort about twenty minutes from here that we just have to visit."
"In the middle of the day?"
"Yes. The owner knows me, and not in a nice way like Dorian. It wouldn't be right for me to stop by," Cameron said, his grin turning a little bit malicious.
"Not in a nice way like Dorian," Artemis repeated, torn between caving into curiosity and giving an urgent course correction to whatever mischief Cameron was concocting.
"It'll be fine. We'll all have a great time," Cameron continued, his tone indicating that someone was not going to have a good time.
What the hell, we're on vacation Artemis thought, her curiosity winning out.
"Sure. Got to make the most of the vacation right?" she commented.
Cameron threw his arm around her shoulders, malicious grin morphed into an impossibly wide smile. "There's the goldilocks I know and love."
...
"This seems like a bad idea," Artemis said cautiously, staring down the steep incline before her. The incline that had been preceded by a half dozen signs posting warnings not to continue in multiple languages.
Her German was rusty, but she was fairly certain one of those signs mentioned a lifetime ban for violators.
"You, the thrill seeker of thrill seekers, are balking at a mere winter sport?" Cameron said tauntingly.
"Tubing is hardly a sport, and there are at least ten different ways this ends with us running into a tree halfway down," she said.
Cameron, adjusting himself on his own snow tube beside hers, clicked his tongue in a mocking tone. "Sounds like someone is scared. Besides, I'll be using my powers to make sure we have the safest, and more importantly, fastest, way down."
"My instincts tell me that this is a bad idea," Artemis replied, deciding that maybe she should have chosen the path of maturity back in town.
"Instinct is a lie, told by a fearful body, hoping to be wrong," Cameron replied solemnly.
"What?" she asked
"You've never heard that quote?! From the show?!" Cameron said, in actual outrage.
"What show?" she asked. Cameron let out a deep sigh, like a thoroughly disappointed parent.
"Yeah," he said, clearly overextending himself sideways to but a hand on Artemis's shoulder. "You totally deserve this."
With that, he shoved her forward with full force, sending her careening down the slope. He followed suit a moment later, using his powers as promised to start guided and propelling them both down faster.
Artemis denied screaming the whole way down. Cameron denied using his powers to make them crash into a giant, suspiciously soft, snow bank at the bottom.
Both were promptly escorted off the property afterwards.
A/N: Security meets them at the bottom with a red–faced middle aged manager whose face gets redder when she recognized Cameron, who can't stop laughing the entire time. Artemis is thoroughly embarrassed by the whole fiasco and absolutely punches him after they are escorted off the property. Behind the check–in lobby, there is a wall of people with lifetime bans. Artemis & Cameron are the only two pictures under there.