Now I can't even access at all, so hopefully it's back up before I finish this chapter...
A/N:
Liz & Mickerayla sorry for the cliff hangers, I really don't do it on purpose, I swear! Haha I just sit down and write a chapter until my boyfriend wakes up every day and then post it. I don't even know where the story is going until I start writing that chapter, and Liz I'm sure there'll be plenty more angst. ;)
Sylvanelf, feathered filly, blushing cherry and all you other great reviewers, thank you so much for your insightful reviews! 3 you guys are so sweet and awesome!
is really bugging out on this story, so I apologize to everyone trying to read it. I couldn't access the site the whole morning, I'm not sure if that was for everyone or just me.
Part 4
The three men found themselves standing in a vast grassy field on the edge of a large city. While everything looked relatively normal, there were small differences that clued Arthur immediately into the fact that this was a dream.
For one, the moon was an oversized crescent; so pale in the cloudless sky that it gave only a faint golden glow. The inky black sky surrounding it didn't hold a single star, and in the opposite direction where there were no city lights the impenetrable darkness seemed to swallow both the land and the sky.
Strange misshapen leafless trees reached their bony branches into the sky with eerie cocoon-like shadows hanging off of them. They way the bundles swayed disturbed him deeply, and he realized it was because they moved back and forth to a non-existent wind.
They began to pick their way through the long grass toward the city, each man silently contemplating the bizarreness of this place.
Eames strayed off their path a bit to inspect one of the bundles closer.
"Well, now we know what will happen to us if we piss off Russo's brother, eh?" He held his sleeve to his mouth against the smell as he looked up at what upon further inspection happened to be several bodies wrapped in cloth, hanging from nooses in the branches.
"Who puts corpses in a tree as a decorative feature to their dream?" Arthur wondered aloud, looking anywhere but their sightless bulging eyes.
"I don't think they're decorative." Cobb replied. "I think he's been here long enough building this world for himself, he's probably done this as a punishment to some of his projections."
"So what you're saying, dear friend is we may be dealing with someone crazier than Russo." Eames summarized, heaving an exasperated sigh.
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Arthur replied, as he began to lead the way towards the city lights.
It didn't take long to reach to reach the outskirts of town and they stepped onto a paved road surrounded by tall dark concrete buildings. There were streetlights, though they illuminated next to nothing, and the dark windows looking down at them gave no signs of life.
Heading on, they walked for twenty minutes in silence before they came across a large mansion with light spilling out of the windows and music drifting out into the silent night. Looking at each other they shrugged their shoulders and crept up the driveway.
"Enter. No one is supposed to be out after dark. It's the Prince's rules." A monotone voice startled them, and they make it out to be a guard by the door, almost invisible in the shadows.
Looking warily from one to the other, they walked towards the double doors and the guard opened them to reveal a large foyer with a grand staircase. Past that through some more doors, they see an elegant masque ball going on. Hundreds of projections dressed in their finest clothes were whirling around to the music, elegant masks adorning their faces. Raised somewhat higher than the rest, a man sat broodingly on a large throne like chair surveying his 'subjects'. Next to him, slightly lower, a projection of Russo drinks from a wine glass, his beady dark eyes darting about.
"I was thinking I could forge the identity of Russo to convince his brother to wake up, though we'd have to find a way to distract the other one." Eames suggested to the others.
Cobb nodded slowly in agreement. "That might be our best bet. Arthur and I will separate Russo from his brother, and then Eames can step into his place and try to work on waking him up." Cobb spotted a large cake knife on a nearby table and picking it up, he deftly hid it behind his back.
"Hide behind that door to the left, Cobb. I'll get him to chase me away from all these projections, and when I lead him your way, stab him with your knife. That should get him out of the picture and Eames can take his place." Arthur directed as he picked up a large glass of red wine on a nearby table and took a deep breath.
Nodding at each other they wordlessly split up, and Arthur picked his way through the dancing crowd and strode purposefully towards Russo and his scrawnier brother. They both looked at him with bored eyes, and though it wasn't actually the real Russo, Arthur grinned to himself in satisfaction as he quickly lifted up his wineglass and upended it all over Russo's head.
Spluttering, the vicious projection looked around in disbelief and his brother broke into hysterical laughter. Unsure of how to react, the projections followed suit pointing at the wine drenched man and laughing. His face turned red with rage and humiliation and Russo leapt up while Arthur bolted off, empty wineglass still in hand. The younger man used his thin agile frame to his advantage, able to keep himself several paces in front of Russo as he burst through the doors where Cobb would be waiting, and turned to face his pursuer.
Russo stopped running and advanced slowly, his malicious beady eyes holding Arthur's large brown ones in a glare. Cobb snuck up behind him and stabbed his knife into his enemy's back, twisting it with all his might. An expression of shock crossed Russo's face, and Arthur smashed his wineglass across his head as he sank down to the ground, delighting maybe a little too much in the unnecessary act. Eames emerged from the shadow, now appearing as an extremely convincing replica of the now expired Russo.
Panicking, they suddenly heard footsteps coming towards the door and Cobb grabbed the arms of the dead man and dragged him into a nearby closet. Arthur just managed to shut the door on Cobb and the corpse as the other door opened and Eames and Arthur both looked up in surprise at the scrawnier twin who was flanked by two guards.
"Brother, I came to apologize." He said, smiling softly. The two guards advanced on Arthur and each grabbed one of his arms. "I'll admit, I've been the butt of so many of your jokes, I enjoyed seeing you embarrassed for once. I wasn't being a very good brother though, was I?"
"It's alright, I forgive you!" Eames smiled a bit nervously, clapping his twin on the back.
"No, let me make it up to you! Now I know I made you promise not to hang any more of my subjects...but to make things right between you and I, you can do it again...but just this once!" The prince smiled a humongous grin, as if he had just offered his brother a brand new car. Eames took a nervous step back as Arthur looked up at him in horror, trying to thrash his way out of the iron grip the two guards had on his upper arms.
"Shit shit shit!" Eames thought to himself desperately. He was going to need to use all of his charm to get them out of this one.
"Brother, I know how much you hate me hanging your subjects, and I've played far too many jokes against you to begrudge you just this one. I think we're even." The Prince's face fell as he looked up at Eames.
"You refuse the olive branch I extend to you?" He asked icily. "Our relationship has been strained as of late, I thought this perhaps could bring us back together again." Eames could feel this mission slipping of control no matter how hard he was trying to keep a firm grasp on it.
"Just stab him and be done with it, then. I tire of this subject." The Prince compromised, somewhat annoyed as he retrieving the broken wine stem off the ground and put it into Eames's hands. Eames looked down at the jagged glass in his hand and into Arthur's eyes which had gone blank with the knowledge of what was to come. Pausing, he looked down at the dull instrument in his hand and knew there was no way he could drive a jagged wine glass stem into his friend no matter what the situation.
"What's wrong with you? You're acting so strangely. Do you need me to do it for you?" The Prince inquired, suspiciously.
"No!" Arthur yelled out. "Don't let him do it." He begged, his eyes pleading with Eames.
Cobb sat hunched in the closet, frustrated with what he was hearing. This job had gone so ridiculously wrong he didn't even know where to start. Wrenching the knife out of the back of the man at his feet, he tried to plot how to get Arthur out of that situation with as little pain as possible. He was frustrated at Eames for not just getting it over with, and even more frustrated at himself for being stuck listening to everything in the closet without being able to help.
"Fine, you leave me no choice." The Prince sighed with exasperation, taking the jagged wine stem out of Eames' hands. Arthur started screaming and thrashing as he moved towards him, and Eames looked away in horror.
"Jesus Christ, Eames." Arthur swore, unable to take it any more as he slammed open the closet door. Before anyone could react, he strode forward two steps and swiftly drove the knife into Arthur's side. Glaring at Eames, he took off running down the hall while the two guards gave chase.
Dropping to the floor, Arthur breathed a sigh of relief through the pain as he was sucked down into the darkness and awoke with a sharp gasp back in the basement, safe from the sadistic Prince.
A/N: I'm not too happy with this one, I had a hard time with all the characters for some reason...I promise I'll do better the next one! I think the hardest part was having Eames, who's a strong personality type impersonate Russo who is also a strong personality type. Blegh. Next chapter will be better, guaranteed! : S