*AUG 18, 2012 NOTICE* FFnet took down 25 of my stories because they deemed the content 'inappropriate'. Because of this, any story I post with this notice at the beginning will be censored and incomplete. I will have edited it to make it suitable for FFnet and will still be a 'story', but in my opinion the quality will be decreased. I have either taken out scenes for sexual content or violence. If you would like to read the full story, which I strongly recommend, you can do so on AO3 here: archiveofourown(dot-org)/users/OneWhoSitsWithTurtles.

At least 50% of my stories cannot be reposted on FFnet because they will be removed again and I could get banned. I strongly encourage you to simply bookmark my AO3 page and read all my stories there. You can also follow me on Tumblr for story update news, here: onewhositswiththeturtles(dot-tumblr-dot-com)

Thank you.

Memories

An Inception fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Inception or the characters.

Warning: Spoilers. Some dark themes. M/M pairing

Rating: M

Pairing: Arthur/Eames (not established)

Note: This story is a little different from my others as the relationship between Arthur and Eames is not the sole focus. It's there, obviously, but I also wanted to delve into some of the ethical and moral dilemmas that seem to come with this type of profession. I also decided to switch it up a bit since it's always been Eames helping Arthur through something. I hope you'll forgive me for taking some creative liberty since we don't actually know Eames's past. But I hope you still enjoy it even though it's a little different from my previous Inception fics. Once again, input and opinions are very welcome and helpful.

Summary: The team's upcoming job requires the use of an experimental compound – a compound that is dangerous and may not be worth the risk. When it backlashes on Eames during their trial run, the team must aid Arthur as he tries to reach Eames before his subconscious tears them both apart. Arthur/Eames

Part I

"Darling," Eames cut in, exasperated, "Slow down and explain this to us again."

Arthur let out a tiny sigh of frustration, shooting the other man a quieting glare, "What's the matter, Eames? Can't keep up?"

"No, no, pet," Eames was leaning forward in his chair, focused and concentrated on the current discussion, "I just think you're explaining this quickly so we won't know what we're agreeing to."

"For once I think I'm going to have to agree with him," Ariadne looked a little guilty and also shocked that she and the forger shared a thought. "From what I caught this is sounding really dangerous."

"It is," Cobb joined the discussion from where he had been leaning against a rusty old table, listening. "That's why Arthur and I are briefing you on what this job will require before we agree to anything. Arthur?" the extractor nodded to his point man to continue.

Arthur nodded and flipped back through his notes, ready to begin again when Eames's voice spoke over him yet again, "Slower this time, darling, if you please." The man somehow made the comment sound dirty, adding a wink in just to annoy the point man.

Arthur's eyes flashed in annoyance before he looked back down at his notes calmly, "The mark is an ex-Colonel James Marshall who stole a large amount of information on a new military program being developed, as well as other military secrets before dropping off the grid entirely."

"Doesn't the army keep a pretty tight watch on people that high up?" Ariadne asked, eyebrows furrowed in thought as she took in the details, "It's not easy to just disappear from the army and the government."

"The man was highly trained and knew what he was doing. They did manage to track him down, however, last month. They've been keeping subtle tabs on him but have not acted yet in fear of losing him again." Arthur skimmed his notes but was interrupted yet again.

"Wait, so why do they need us, exactly?" Ariadne looked around the warehouse at their haphazardly drawn-together team.

"Marshall has been trained to withstand extreme torture. Our employer is of the belief that the information can only be extracted through a dream." Arthur tapped his pen against his pad of paper, ready to move on to the real problem the rest of the team seemed to be missing.

Finally, Eames was the one to point this out for Arthur, "If the mark was in the army and trained to withstand torture then he must have had his subconscious prepared as well. We'll be going up against a subconscious army…literally!"

"It's worse than that," Arthur sighed, resting his forehead in one hand as he leaned against the armrest of his chair. He shared a conflicted glance with Cobb before looking at every other team member seriously, "The new military program that the Colonel was leading was designed to train the dreamer's subconscious to attack invaders in a new way. I'm not just talking strategic, militarized armies," he met Eames's gaze for a moment before moving on, "The subconscious actually turns the invader against themselves, or in our case turns our team members against each other."

"How would the subconscious do that?" Ariadne asked. Arthur could see her fidgeting with her scarf nervously.

Arthur shrugged, "From the information I gathered? Mimicking the invaders or people we love, creating hallucinations, anything that could confuse our understanding of what reality is and who our allies are."

"Well that sounds all well and lovely," Eames muttered sarcastically, standing up from his chair, "But I think I'm going to pass on this one."

"You haven't even heard the worst of it yet," Arthur set a challenge in his tone that he knew the other man could not resist. Arthur knew that he and Eames could barely manage to call each other co-workers, let alone friends, and that Eames's personality of a mosquito buzzing around his ear would not disappear. But he dragged up every ounce of professionalism he possessed, knowing that they would never accomplish this job if even one team member left their circle.

Eames sat back down with a stiffness that spoke of tension, curiosity, and dread, "How could it possibly get worse, pet?"

Arthur ignored the name and stared down at his pad of paper for a long moment. "The job will only require one level in the dream-"

"Well that's bloody easy, how is that bad news?" Eames spoke over him, clearly relieved.

Arthur aimed another harsh glare at the forger, quickly quieting him, "Maybe if you stopped interrupting me we might actually get to the bad news." He saw Eames's sheepish smile before continuing, "The job will also require the use of an experimental compound Yusuf created for this which will-"

"Wait, wait, wait! Did I just hear the word experimental come out of your mouth? And not in the sexual way I'd readily agree to?" Eames smirked, but it was clear to everyone that the joke was forced.

Arthur prayed for the patience he knew was quickly untwining, "Yes Eames, you did manage to hear the word 'experimental' over your inability to keep your mouth shut. I'm surprised you managed it, too."

"I just finished creating the compound based on the employer's requirements," Yusuf finally stepped forward to defend his own work, giving Arthur a momentary break from Eames's attention. "It is designed to force the dreamers into using parts of their own subconscious to create projections; specifically memories. So any projection you saw using this compound would represent a memory."

"What happens if we kill the projections?" Ariadne asked, remembering her question to Cobb when they were on the third level during the inception job.

"That specific memory will be erased," Yusuf answered helplessly, having nothing to lessen the blow that the truth held.

"Why would we even need a compound that could do that?" Ariadne looked flustered, glancing around to each member of their five person team.

"Because our job isn't just extracting the information for the military," Cobb cut in, everyone turning expectantly to their unofficial leader. Dom lifted his eyes and carefully met the gaze of every other team member, "We're supposed to erase that information from his mind permanently."

The silence that hung in the air after Cobb's statement was thick and heavy. Arthur was surprised when it was Eames who stood from his chair in outrage in a very similar fashion to how Arthur had reacted privately when he and Dom had discussed this earlier. "Okay hang on a minute," he blurted out, "We are toeing some serious ethical boundaries right now. I'm not even talking gray area here, this is full kettle black! We'd be completely altering this man's mind."

Eames caught Arthur's gaze with a hard expression that wiped any former smile from his face. Arthur found that he could not break the eye contact until he heard Ariadne respond, finally having caught up to the implications of this job, "How could anyone even justify something like this?"

"Marshall has been selling his information and they're worried that it could lead to an outbreak of war," Cobb spoke quietly, staring at his feet. It was quite clear that this thought weighed heavily on his mind.

"That's not our problem; we shouldn't be held personally responsible for stopping a war," Eames spoke from his chair where he had sat back down, subdued for the moment. "Why doesn't the military just pick him up? No more secrets being sold, no war."

"If the military picks him up they'll have to kill him; it's the only way they'll be able to guarantee Marshall won't spill any more information," Cobb finally looked up at Ariadne and Eames; he had already had a lengthy discussion about this with Yusuf and Arthur before the compound was even created. "Either we erase that information from his mind, allowing him to return to a normal life minus a few missing memories, or Marshall gets picked up and killed."

"So you're saying that we go under with this compound, which I'd like to remind everyone has not been tested," Eames shot an apologetic glance at Yusuf, knowing it was not the man's fault, "And we face a highly militarized subconscious without being allowed to kill the majority of the projections lest we turn this man's brain to mush."

"More or less," Yusuf muttered weakly.

"Why are you even getting involved in this, Cobb?" Ariadne asked after a long string of silence in the warehouse, "So soon after you got back to your children?"

Dom took a shaky breath and pushed himself away from the table, physically joining their circle. "I'm getting involved because I don't know what will happen if we don't do this." The concern for his children's wellbeing was written across his troubled face. No one met each other's eye as they considered the ominous undertone of Cobb's words. Eventually, the extractor spoke up again, "Listen, everyone needs to seriously consider what lines they are and are not willing to cross. Everyone think on it and we'll meet back here tomorrow after dinner."

Ariadne was the first to leave, rushing out of the warehouse as soon as her bag was packed. Yusuf disappeared shortly after to a separate room of the warehouse, muttering quietly that he was going to continue doing every test he could on the new compound without actually using it on someone. Arthur excused himself to return to his desk while Cobb packed up and prepared to leave and Eames remained thoughtful in his uncomfortable lawn chair. Arthur was trying to sort through all the information he had on the mark, anything to give them some advantage, but eventually he could barely keep his eyes open and clicked off his table light.

He was just slipping his bag over his shoulder, headed towards the warehouse entrance when he saw that Eames was still in his chair. The man was motionless and Arthur wondered if he had fallen asleep in the cool darkness. He walked over quietly, unsure of why he was being so careful not to make noise, and peered down at Eames. Arthur straightened back into his stiff posture as he realized he had been leaning over the man when Eames's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Arthur curiously. "I wondered if you had fallen asleep," Arthur felt the need to explain himself.

Eames chuckled quietly, stretching like a newly awakened cat before standing up from the chair. "Are you sure you weren't just enjoying staring at me, pet?"

"Hardly," Arthur watched Eames emotionlessly as the forger wandered around picking up his bag and jacket.

Arthur did not even realize he was waiting for the other man until Eames stood beside him with a smile, "Thanks for waiting."

"I wasn't-" Arthur began, but what could he say otherwise?

"Sure thing, darling. Whatever you say," Eames smirked before they both began walking out onto the street, locking up the warehouse behind them. Eames seemed uncomfortable with the silence, or maybe he really was incapable of keeping his mouth shut. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep at all tonight, thinking about this."

"I'm not expecting to, either," Arthur heard himself responding quietly before he could stop himself.

"You seemed pretty accepting of the job in the warehouse," Eames seemed to be trying to keep any taint of blame from entering his voice.

"Well I wasn't," Arthur spoke a little harshly, "I don't know what to think. The question alone of whether we have the right to erase someone's memories is impossible to answer. Besides that there's the question of whether it is right for us to risk every team member for one man who made his choices already."

"The problem is that there is no right and wrong answer," Eames spoke quietly, holding the hotel lobby door open as Arthur passed through it. "There's just 'wrong' and 'wrong'." Arthur was genuinely surprised by the man's depth as he considered this job, which must have shown on his face because Eames smiled at him smugly, "Didn't think I deeper than a puddle, did you?"

Arthur shrugged, feeling a little guilty, but didn't say anything. He only realized that Eames was trailing behind him out of the elevator when Arthur paused to slip his key into the hotel door. The door clicked open, which Arthur pressed a foot against so it wouldn't close again as he looked back at Eames, "Isn't your room on the ninth floor?"

"Yeah." They were currently on the twelfth floor.

Arthur allowed himself the instinctive reaction of rolling his eyes in exasperation, "Goodnight, Eames."

"Night, sweetheart," Arthur heard Eames chuckle as he allowed the door to click shut behind him.

Everyone sat quietly in their haphazard circle, waiting for someone else to talk first. Eventually Cobb gave up and spoke his mind, "I think we should do the job because the implications of what might happen if we don't are very dangerous. And I think as long as we test out the compound first to understand how to handle ourselves in this type of dream we will be able to erase the specific memories while leaving the rest of his mind fully intact."

"I've completed every test I can do on the compound without a human subject," Yusuf chimed in. "It's stable and safe to inject so no one will get poisoned. The main concern will be dealing with the projections; killing the right ones while leaving the rest intact. It'll take some time in these dreams to get accustomed to it and it will require extreme caution."

"It would require such care..." Ariadne held her hands tightly in her lap, not looking up at everyone else, "If we accidentally killed a projection, or even were forced to if the situation got bad...we could be erasing memories of his family, his kids—we wouldn't know until it was too late."

"Unless we could know for sure which memory each projection represented beforehand," Cobb offered thoughtfully.

"Are you really going to just stand there though, gun pointed in your face and say 'Oh hi, what memory are you?'" When Arthur looked over at Eames as he spoke he could tell that the other man had not slept much, if at all. Eames leaned back in his chair, clearly tired, "There's so many risks with this...but if we could be absolutely sure that we knew what we were doing...we could give a man another chance at life."

All eyes turned to Arthur and he forced himself to maintain his calm expression. "I think everyone is making good points, but everyone seems so caught up on keeping this man's mind safe and not spending enough time realizing how much danger we're putting ourselves in. After all, we will be the ones testing this compound and if we accidentally bring in our own projections we're faced with the same danger as Marshall unknowingly would be."

"I'd rather not end up in a mental hospital by the end of this year," Eames chimed in helpfully.

"Neither would I," Arthur traced the metal arm of his chair thoughtfully. "But I think if anyone was going to attempt this...we would be the best team to do it."

Silence prevailed again until Cobb stepped forward, "Alright, we all agree that we're breaching some severe moral codes here and that there are some devastating risks. We also agree that we need to test this compound and put in a lot of preparation before we can even consider doing this job." Cobb sighed, looking worn out, "But we need to decide now so if you're in, put your hand up."

Cobb raised his own hand and watched as everyone else slowly, hesitantly raised their own. Arthur saw Eames look over at him, watching Arthur raise his hand before he raised his own. Everyone was in silent agreement but no one was willing to take the next step. Arthur stared at his notepad, building up his courage so that no one else would have to take the risk, "I'll test the compound."

No one had been willing to say it first, but now that Arthur had everyone else felt obligated as well. "Absolutely not; I'll be testing the compound," Cobb stated with his lips pressed into a thin line.

"You're not testing the compound," Arthur retorted immediately in a no-argument tone.

"Yeah, no one wants to face projections fuelled by your memories of Mal. Not to mention the fact that you have to remain fully intact for your children," Ariadne pointed out. She steeled herself, "I'll test the compound. I'm young so there aren't a lot of life changing memories for me to lose."

"Don't turn yourself stupid just to be self sacrificing," Eames cut in. "The very fact that you are so young means that there's no way in hell we're letting you test the compound. You haven't made enough memories yet to afford losing any of them. I'm going to test the compound."

"You're not testing the compound," Arthur bit out, frustrated that everyone felt obligated to make an offer. They had made a complete circle now, minus Yusuf who would be forced to stay in reality to monitor them. Did they not realize how dangerous this was? Arthur would feel better if they just let him do the tests.

"Actually darling, yes I am," Eames crossed his arms in a 'that's final' sort of gesture. "We could keep arguing back and forth but we both know how unproductive that is. Just close that pretty mouth of yours and agree." Eames smirked when he saw Arthur's mouth snap shut and a tint of red brush along his cheeks.

Arthur forced himself not to fidget under the other man's gaze, thankful when those bright eyes were dragged away by Cobb clearing his throat. "Well I guess it's settled then. Let's start first thing tomorrow morning."

Everyone stood up and stretched from where they had been sitting for the discussion, though Arthur was already halfway to his desk by the time anyone else's feet touched the unyielding concrete. He was frustrated and agitated without an outlet so he pulled out his chair with a noisy scraping sound before sitting down and pouring through his research. He had pulled up more than enough information on their mark but the severe lack of information they held on the new compound left Arthur uneasy.

They knew that projections would represent memories and if that projection was killed then that memory would be erased. That was under the assumption that the compound actually worked the way it was supposed to. But how much was left unknown? Would projections act the way they were used to, just representing a fraction of the dreamer's subconscious, or would they mimic that memory with appearance and behaviour? Would only the dreamer's projections hold memories or would everyone who dropped into the original dreamer's dreamscape have projections representing memories?

Arthur was startled out of his musings when he heard Eames pulling a chair over to the side of his desk, uncomfortable shivers running along his spine at the sound of rusted metal scraping on concrete. When Eames finally brought the chair to a rest and flopped down in it lazily Arthur sent him a glare, "Was that entirely necessary?"

"Not entirely, pet," Eames gave him a mischievous grin. "So what have you been working on for so long?" Eames craned his neck up, glancing over the paper spread across Arthur's desk.

Only at Eames's words did Arthur realize how much time had passed, the sun well below the horizon now. He tapped his pen on the desk, irritated and not understanding why Eames insisted on asking him questions he already knew the answer to. What else would Arthur be working on? Instead of answering Eames's question, Arthur instead asked, "What happened to everyone else?"

"They went home to catch up on some sleep, just like you should be doing," Eames spoke in exasperation, shaking his head because he knew Arthur would not listen.

Just as Eames assumed, Arthur blinked and turned back to his research, writing frantic notes, "I need to get all of this summarized before we do your trial run tomorrow." Arthur heard Eames sigh and slide lower in his chair. He didn't bother telling the man to go back to the hotel because one thing he knew for certain was that Eames was just as stubborn as he was.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he was suddenly coming back to consciousness. Eyes still closed as he slowly pulled himself out of a dreamless sleep Arthur took stock of what was going on around him. He was aware that he was moving, although he was not doing it himself. He could also feel a cool breeze brushing against one side of his body while his other side soaked up a comforting and relaxing heat. It was only as he grew more conscious that he began to realize what this implied. He felt two strong arms supporting him and that was when he blinked his eyes open, looking up quickly, "Eames, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Eames glanced down at him with a smile but did not break his stride, "You fell asleep," he said as if that explained every question Arthur could possibly think of.

Arthur struggled but just felt Eames tighten his grip, "You could have left me there."

"To sleep in a cold warehouse all night? Darling, I think not," Eames seemed entirely oblivious to the odd stares they were receiving from other individuals sharing the sidewalk with them.

Arthur buried his burning face into the rough fabric of Eames's jacket slightly in embarrassment, worried that some random person would recognize him, "Why didn't you just wake me up?" All he got in response was a chuckle and Arthur groaned, "Put me down, Eames. Right now."

"Alright, whatever you want, pet," Eames paused in his pace and allowed Arthur to slip out of his arms and regain his bearings.

Arthur bolted three steps away before smoothing his clothes back into place, trying not to act as uncomfortable and embarrassed as he felt. He calmed himself down after a moment, shrugging off Eames's odd behaviour as yet another (successful) attempt at annoying Arthur. "Do me a favour, Eames. Stand there and don't move until I'm out of sight."

He could not make himself meet the other man's playful eyes, instead turning on his heel and stalking away. He shivered as the breeze hit him, this time with no heat to counterbalance it even though Arthur ignored this thought avidly. He had only crossed two blocks, the hotel finally coming into view when Eames was suddenly at his shoulder, falling into a mirrored pace. "What happened to waiting until I was out of sight?" Arthur asked, knowing that he had been walking a straight line away from Eames.

"I closed my eyes," Eames grinned wider than the Cheshire cat, pleased with his own wit.

Arthur sighed but gave up, "Of course you did." They walked into the hotel together, their actions practically a replica of the night before. Arthur wasn't sure what brought on the urge but Arthur felt compelled to speak, "You don't have to be the one who tests the compound you know."

"Don't tell me you're worried about little old me, love," Eames smirked at him, leaning against the hallway wall as Arthur worked his key out of his pocket. Eames had once again followed him past his own floor to Arthur's door, much to Arthur's annoyance. "But I'm not all that concerned; I've made plenty of memories and would be happy to see a few of them go."

Arthur had had his door open but he allowed it to drop closed again with a thud at Eames's words. He whirled on the surprised forger, "How could you say that?" He watched Eames flounder for a moment, caught off guard without a comeback so Arthur pushed on. "Every single memory someone possesses shapes who they are, what they will become. Every memory is important."

Eames blinked at the point man, surprised and curious as he leaned closer to Arthur with a look on his face like he was trying to dig secrets out of Arthur's eyes. Arthur blinked and leaned away subconsciously, pressing himself against his door. Finally, Eames smiled, "Arthur darling, did you just tell me that you like me the way I am?"

Arthur rolled his eyes and turned, sliding his key in the lock and pushing his door open. He sent Eames a glare as his door fell closed, "Go to sleep, Eames."

"That wasn't a no, love!" he heard Eames's triumphant voice call through the heavy wooden door as it clicked shut, leaving Arthur alone in his room. He could imagine Eames's smirk in his mind on the other side of the door, which caused him to stalk away and prepare for sleep with a huff. Eames was still the mosquito buzzing around his ear.

Everyone had their chairs in a semi circle surrounding the dream device while Yusuf was standing by preparing the compound. There had been another long argument about who would test the compound, everyone finally agreeing upon Eames due to his sheer stubbornness. Now they were trying to determine the best and safest method to test the compound.

They decided that Eames would take the compound and go under on his own for a minute to see what it was like for a solo dreamer first. Then Arthur would go down, without taking the compound, to see the differences when dream sharing and to see if the compound's effects were transferred to other dreamers. Another minute after that Cobb and Ariadne would go under to see what it was like and to determine if the compound affected the number of dreamers a dream could support.

"The most important rule:" Cobb restated while everyone relaxed in their chairs and Yusuf came over to Eames to slip a needle into his arm and inject the compound, "Don't do anything to kill or harm any projections, even in self preservation. We're only going one level down and there is no sedation so if you die you'll just wake up."

"Yeah, no messing around with my brain," Eames pointed an accusatory finger at everyone jokingly, pausing on Arthur. "That goes for you too, darling. No weeding out the stuff you don't like."

Arthur sat up, offended that Eames would even suggest something like that. But before he even took a breath to retort Eames had sent him a wink and slipped the needle under his skin, falling asleep. Arthur leaned back in his chair, back still stiff. "He was just joking, you know," Cobb reassured him quietly.

"Well he shouldn't joke about something like that," Arthur took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as Yusuf handed him another lead. When a minute had passed he nodded at Cobb and Ariadne and slipped the needle under his skin, immediately feeling himself being pulled down.

When he opened his eyes he found himself in downtown London on the edge of the Thames opposite the London Eye. Arthur wondered if Eames had chosen this location specifically or if it had been dragged up from a memory, forced by the compound. He began walking along the sidewalk that lined the Thames, watching Eames's projections curiously. None of them looked like the other man, surprising Arthur; he had assumed that they might carry the appearance of the memory.

He purposefully bumped shoulders with one, wondering if he could trigger the memory upon contact, but the projection merely sent him a warning glare and continued walking. He found Eames then, sitting on a bench overlooking the water. The forger stood up when he saw him and they began walking away from the river and deeper into the city together in silence. Arthur wanted to tell Eames off about his joke but realized that now was not the time, and instead recited what he had learned, "I'm surprised that your projections don't appear as they would in the memory. And unfortunately I can't trigger a memory playback through contact to know which projection holds which memory."

"Really, you can't trigger a memory? As soon as I have skin on skin contact with a projection I can see that memory in my mind. It happened when I brushed hands with someone passing me," Arthur could see Eames unconsciously move his fingers, like trying to stretch out an uncomfortable feeling.

"Then I guess we'll need Marshall's help if we do the job in order to find the right memories," Arthur spoke more to himself, voicing the notes he was mentally taking. They walked in silence for another while until they came to Trafalgar Square; based on the length of the walk Cobb and Ariadne would be arriving soon. He and Eames sat down on the steps in front of the National Art Gallery, looking over the courtyard. "Your projections are being surprisingly calm with me here," Arthur noted offhandedly.

"Yeah, I found that surprising too since my projections are often pretty suspicious by nature just because of how much dream work I've done; compound or not," Eames shrugged his shoulders helplessly, unable to explain it.

All of a sudden, as if on some hidden cue, every single projection stopped in their tracks and turned their attention to the far end of the square where the statue of Nelson presided. It wasn't just projections milling about the square either; Arthur saw projections on the sidewalks and streets stop and turn as well. Again, as if on cue, the projections began walking to the base of the statue where, now that Arthur looked closer, he could see Cobb and Ariadne. "Eames, we need to help them."

He wasn't sure why that urge suddenly came to his mind, knowing that they would wake up if they died. But the fear of an experimental compound causing some other reaction as well as seeing a horde of projections all close in on Cobb and Ariadne at once made him momentarily panic. Eames was already halfway down the stairs and Arthur was about to follow when he felt arms grip him from all sides and begin dragging him backwards. "Eames!" was all he got out before a hand was clamped over his mouth.

Arthur struggled frantically, not knowing what the projections would do since they were not immediately trying to kill him, but there were too many people holding onto him at the same time for him to break free. He had been too busy watching the square converge on Dom and Ariadne to notice another swarm of projections pouring out of the Art Gallery behind him. He itched to grab hold of his gun but restrained the urge, not willing to wipe out Eames's memories.

Suddenly he was dropped to the ground, back hitting the sharp angle of the stone stairs painfully. As he groaned and pushed himself away from the ground he saw Eames shoving through his own projections, yelling at them to stop. Arthur was shocked that the projections actually listened and were creating a small circle around Arthur. Eames kneeled down in front of him, a step or two lower on the staircase, and pulled out a gun from an inside pocket of his jacket. Arthur saw that projections were beginning to take a careful hold on Eames, his jacket, his arms, his body, trying to slowly pull him away. He saw Eames swallow and point the gun at Arthur's head, "Do me a favour, love? Come back for me."

Arthur gasped and blinked his eyes open, seeing Cobb, Ariadne and Yusuf watching him in concern. He looked over at Eames sharply, only to see that the man was still asleep. "They have him, the projections. We need to go back for him," he tried to make himself sound calmer than he felt; though he didn't think he was very successful.

"Okay, first of all tell us what happened," Yusuf spoke from where the device was set up and still running.

"Eames and I were at Trafalgar Square watching the projections and discussing how he could trigger memories with touch but I couldn't. The projections seemed to be acting—well not normal, but relaxed and happy." Arthur shrugged, just as confused about it now as when they had been in the dream. "That was until Cobb and Ariadne showed up and all the projections converged on them. Eames went to go help you guys but came back and woke me up when the projections began dragging me away. He asked me to come back for him."

"Well I'm glad someone is welcome in Eames's subconscious," Ariadne muttered. Only then did Arthur notice how she was still rubbing her cheek with a scowl.

"What do you mean? What happened to you two?" When he had gotten dragged away by the projections he had lost sight of Cobb and Ariadne.

"We got there and the projections came up to us. They told us that we weren't welcome there," Cobb spoke calmly but his eyes were confused and troubled.

"And then we got a smashed bottle to the face," Ariadne glared over at the sleeping Eames. She knew that he could not control his subconscious, but it had still been very painful.

"We've already wasted too much time," Arthur grabbed his lead, ready to put it under his skin again. That was the problem with your brain functioning at a higher capacity in dreams. It was really handy when you needed more time than reality gave you, but hours could flash by in minutes when you were in reality, potentially leaving someone alone in a dangerous situation.

"Why don't you just disconnect him from the machine?" Ariadne asked, already reaching for the needle in Eames's wrist.

"Don't touch that!" Yusuf jumped forward and stilled her hand quickly. "If we disconnect him from the machine and he doesn't wake up it means we won't be able to reconnect to his dream to help him escape," he explained quickly. It was clear that the chemist was getting a little frantic over what his compound was doing to one of his team-mates.

Ariadne pulled her hand away from the needle as if she had been burned, eyes wide at what she had almost done by accident. "Arthur, we aren't letting you go down there alone," Cobb spoke calmly, trying to make him see reason.

"Why not? The projections seemed perfectly content with me there until you two showed up," Arthur pointed out, itching to slip the metal under his skin, feeling that momentary prick and pinch before he slipped under into a dreamscape.

"But they weren't trying to kill you like they did to us," Cobb held a hand up as if trying to convey the meaning 'one moment please, I'm about to make a serious point'. "They were trying to drag you away. And if they drag you away somewhere how will we possibly get you out? How could you help Eames?"

Arthur sat back in his chair with a small noise of frustration and impatience, but he nodded. "Alright, so what's the plan? There's no way we'll know how to find Eames."

"We'll let you go under first and hope that the projections are willing to talk to you without us there. Then we'll be there to make sure the projections don't drag you away," Cobb explained, already sitting back in his chair, holding the lead ready.

"And if they don't tell Arthur?" Ariadne asked, also preparing the lead to slip under her skin as soon as Cobb gave her the word.

"Then we'll just keep looking until we find him," Arthur stated firmly. He felt uncomfortable when everyone gave him a slightly curious look, "We'd do this for any one of our team." Why were they looking at him like that? He shrugged it off, steeling himself for what was waiting for him down below. "It's going to be painful if we can't kill Eames's projections," he thought out loud.

He wondered if it was right to ask everyone to willingly walk into a situation where they knew they'd be killed multiple times – painfully and without mercy. "We'll manage," Cobb gave him a steady nod and Ariadne flashed him a reassuring smile. "You'll have a little less than sixty seconds before we'll be on your tail," was the last thing he heard before Arthur slipped in the cool metal of the needle and fell into sleep.

He blinked and found himself standing in almost the exact same position as where Eames had sent him back to reality. He was standing at the top of the staircase overlooking the square, the Art Gallery at his back. Projections were milling around normally, shooting him occasional curious glances but otherwise passing him by. Arthur did not have time to consider this as he stepped in the path of a middle aged business man. "Watch where you're going," the man tried to sidestep him, sounding more condescending than angry.

"I'm looking for Eames," Arthur stepped back into the man's path, breaking his momentum.

"Why?" the man looked him over, considering him. "What do you think you can do?"

"I want to help him," Arthur admitted, unsure of what he should say to get the information he needed.

The man fell into a relaxed position, no longer attempting to walk past Arthur. Arthur felt the man's eyes roam over him and then fix on his face. He also noticed that other projections were stopping and focusing their attention on him as well. He forced himself to remain calm and not make any sudden movements. "Then help him," the man finally spoke, reaching forward and grasping hold of Arthur's vest, "He is waiting for you under the waves."

The projections that had paused earlier were now crowding in around Arthur, grasping onto his clothing or arms. He felt them tugging him down the stairs, towards the direction Arthur knew the Thames was. He fought the hold but there were too many people overpowering him, keeping him from gaining any leverage. "What do you mean?" he asked the business man but he merely smiled and dragged him along.

They were at the bottom of Trafalgar Square now, just about to head into the busy streets of downtown London when all of the projections stopped and sharply turned towards the Art Gallery. There Arthur could see Cobb and Ariadne rushing down the steps, pushing projections away as harshly as they dared, approaching him. Arthur renewed his efforts and managed to break free of the projections' grasp, stumbling away.

Dom and Ariadne ran up to him and pushed him into a run with barely a moment's pause. Arthur stumbled but met their pace and they all dashed away from the square and into the downtown streets. "I think we need to go to the Thames," Arthur yelled at them, barely dodging a projection's car as it tried to stop their progress.

Cobb nodded and altered their path slightly. Projections were pouring out of street level stores and out of apartment buildings, all attempting to block their path. They came upon the projection of a police officer, hurrying out of his car and pulling a gun from his holster. "Keep going!" Cobb yelled, dodging into the bullet's path.

Arthur watched Dom fall to the sidewalk, dead, before the extractor flickered out of existence. He took hold of Ariadne's hand to pull her into an alleyway, thankful that he knew the London streets from previous visits and research. They barely made it out onto the wider streets in time before a bunch of projections swarmed out of hidden doors in the alley walls that Arthur had not even noticed.

As they rushed along the curved streets towards the courtyard outside Westminster Abbey they saw Cobb on the street corner. The extractor immediately met their pace and joined their side as they rushed by the Abbey and Big Ben. Arthur could see the Millennium Bridge that he knew passed over the Thames, his speed picking up even though his body was screaming in protest. He barely had enough energy to consider the business man's words, not knowing what he would do when he reached the water.

He heard a scream, quickly cut off as he saw Ariadne fall to the sidewalk and leave the dream. He only managed to meet Cobb's eyes for a split second before the other man was caught by some hidden sniper and hit the pavement. Arthur returned his focus to the bridge, not allowing himself to consider the excruciating pain the others had put themselves through to help him reach Eames. But a huge group of projections stood in a type of human barricade in front of him, blocking his path to the bridge.

They moved closer, gripping him more firmly now as they dragged him down. Again Arthur itched to grab his gun, fighting off the new instincts he had picked up with enough dream work. There were so many projections around him that he could barely breathe and could hardly see the sky. But then he heard Ariadne's voice, "Get off him!"

He saw the architect barrel through the group of projections; many had been caught off guard so they were momentarily pushed aside. Dom was right behind her, knocking projections away and pulling Arthur to his feet. They used brute force to shove through the surprised projections, getting Arthur into open air beside the bridge. "Do what you have to do," Cobb nodded at him before the projections yanked him back.

Arthur did not take the time to see if Ariadne and Cobb had already been woken up again. He didn't even take the time to consider what it was that he had to do. He just dashed down the bridge, not knowing what he was doing. As he approached the middle of the bridge he saw that a group of projections was headed towards him on both sides, blocking him in; so much for the odd friendliness he had received before. The Thames was rushing past him below the bridge and without a hesitation in his stride he vaulted himself over the bridge's railing.

He freefell, suit jacket fluttering around him as projections stopped in their tracks on the bridge to watch. There was a moment of weightlessness and then he hit the cold water hard, the fast current quickly sweeping him away and under. He held his breath for as long as he managed but eventually he began to feel the burn in his lungs, his body screaming for oxygen. For a desperate moment he struggled for the surface, worried he had wasted all their work just to die and wake up anyway, but the current would not relinquish its newfound hold on him.

His eyes burned as he tried to open them, looking for a hint of which way was up. He continued tumbling, feeling the pressure of the water around him and his brain slowly losing consciousness. As he sunk down, deeper than he thought the Tames would be, he finally felt his lungs rebel and breathe in water. He choked, but this only filled his lungs with more water and he felt his consciousness drift away from his hold.