Sherlock awoke on a grey couch in what appeared to be an unused warehouse. His head was pounding as though he had drank a whole bottle of vodka last night as he slowly sat up and observed his surroundings. There was a dim light coming from somewhere and he could feel a slight wind from the open window behind him, no one else seemed to be around so he decided to go and find someone who could explain this. Sherlock walked around the huge warehouse searching for anything that could indicate where he was and then he realised he was alone, no one next to him, no John. Where had he gone? He couldn't remember the last time he saw him and the harder Sherlock tried to remember the more his head hurt. God what happened last night he thought.
Sherlock gave up on his search and returned to the hard grey couch he had awoken on.
*dot*
"What did you do to him!" John shouted at the man he now had pinned against the wall.
The man was the same one who had pointed a gun at his head earlier that morning and as John asked him this question a mocking smile came across the mans face which made it hard for John to resist punching that smirk off his head.
"What, you mean you don't know?" The man said as though talking to a 5 year old.
"No I don't and I am seriously considering punching you if you don't tell me!"
"Ok, since you're so desperate I'll explain." The man replied still mocking John.
A smile that some might call insane crossed the mysterious mans face and he started to laugh uncontrollably as he said to John "We're in a dream!"
"What?! You're crazy ok crazy! We are not in a dream..." John exclaimed.
But before John could say anymore the man pulled out his gun and shot John in the head causing him to fall and hit the hard wooden floor with a bang.
*dot*
Sherlock remained on the couch until a man entered who was quite tall and wearing a suit, why was everyone wearing suits today? The man carried a gun but didn't seem to be threatening Sherlock so Sherlock remained where he was. The man approached him and as he reached Sherlock he extend his hand and Sherlock shook it.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Holmes" The sharply dressed man announced.
"And who are you?" Sherlock asked a frown emerging on his face.
"I'm Dom, Dom Cobb I'm in charge of this operation."
"Well I wouldn't go as far as saying that." A second man entered the room and who was smaller than Mr. Cobb. He also carried a gun but didn't seem to be using it, this second man seemed more stressed and less collected than Cobb. Cobb laughed and then brought his attention back to Sherlock.
"Why am I here?" Sherlock questioned.
"Oh you'll find out soon enough and don't worry we're not going to kill you we just need your help."
Sherlock was still apprehensive but smiled politely at Cobb. "I'll explain as much as I can when you're friend gets here, for now just stay where you are." And with that the two men left the warehouse.
Sherlock pondered the events that had just passed and wondered where John was, right on cue a distressed looking John stumbled into the warehouse held by another two men Sherlock hadn't seen before. They placed a disgruntled John on the couch next to Sherlock and left just as abruptly as they had arrived.
"Hello John." Sherlock said quite calmly.
"Oh hi Sherlock, I was just SHOT IN THE HEAD." John exclaimed worry thick in this voice.
"So was I John, I believe we will be fine though, these men seem normal enough."
"Normal, they're what you call normal? We're in a random warehouse after being shot and somehow not dying, I'm not one to call that normal Sherlock!"
Before either man could say anything else the man whose house they were in just moments ago appeared suddenly in front of them, this time without the threatening weapon and with a much more relaxed expression on his face. His sudden arrival caused Sherlock's face to twist into a confused frown while John looked as though he was about to have a breakdown.
"Ah there you are," this voice could be heard but not seen until Dom walked towards them from the shadows into the light, "sorry about our friend here he can be a little extravagant when it comes to inception."
"Inception? wha..what are you talking about?" John questioned.
"You were just dreaming." Dom replied quite calmly.
"Seriously? You as well! Everyone around here is insane, WE ARE NOT DREAMING!" John exclaimed ignoring Sherlock's attempts at quietening him.
"Oh, I assure you, you were," Dom remained calm although the man in front of him continually raised his voice. He had experienced people like this before, refusing to believe anything out of the norm, he knew how to handle him. "If you don't believe me, tell me how you got here."
"We were this mans house," John said pointing angrily at the man still lying on the fall, "and then we...we..."
"Hard to remember isn't it? When dreaming have you noticed how you always seem to go rapidly from place to place no way of knowing how you got there, do you remember the house you were in? How empty it was, how strange there was nothing but a sofa, you only notice these things when waking up, you realise the strangeness of the dream."
"I think Dom is right John, this is fascinating." Sherlock tried to encourage John to believe they were dreaming but John refused and took to sitting in silence with a angry expression on his face.
"Dom," Sherlock began, "This is all highly intriguing but why do you need us here?"
"Follow me." Dom said swiftly turning and walking back towards the shadows of the warehouse. Sherlock got up and John reluctantly followed leaving the man lying on the concrete floor and following the strange person they had just met into the depths of a warehouse to find out why they were here and just what they were here to do.
*dot*
