6.
~ It was colder in the dream. The lack of artificial light brought out all the shadows from their hiding places. Ariadne stayed close to Arthur and Wayne as she pulled on her coat again. She longed for her flashlight. A weapon to fight against the darkness.
She heard the Team pull out guns. Training them on the door left open when the Joker fled.
"It's just a dream." Wayne said. In that same strange voice. "If you kill him, he'll just wake up."
"Were not going to kill him." Cobb said. "Just the projections."
Arthur took Point out of the theater. His cold, stern face angry and determined as Cobb and Eames followed. Wayne and Ariadne bringing up the rear.
The cells were all open. Their doors bent and broken. As if a horrible beast had broken lose. The red numbers on the doors, once so neatly painted, were now haphazardly done. Drips of blood red paint smeared on the rusting doors. The numbers off center and childishly scrawled.
Ariadne felt the warm contact of Wayne's hand take hers.
"Stay close." He whispered. She only nodded.
There were sounds everywhere. Bouncing of the walls as they past empty cells. Arkham Asylum was abandoned. Left open to rot and decay. In the waking world, the place had been terrifying enough. In the dream, it was a true nightmare.
"Ariadne, I want you and Wayne to wake up." Cobb said finally. Looking around at the fearsome shadows. Wondering what could be hiding there.
"Why?" Wayne asked.
Arthur secured the only door out and locked it. He turned to see Wayne holding the Architect's hand. His face falling.
"The situation has changed. Were not in control." Cobb was saying.
"We've been in a situation like this before." Eames said. Backing the Extractor up. "It wasn't fun for anyone." He looked at Ariadne who let go of Wayne's hand.
The laughter. Menacing and ominous. It's ghostly echoes reverberating though out the walls. The tiles making the acoustics grow louder. Impossible to pin point. The laughter was inside the very cell block Arthur had locked them in.
"He's in here." Wayne said in that hard voice of his. His face, hunter like.
"Mr. Wayne, we need to wake up and regain control of the dream. The Joker is the dreamer and quite possibly in control of the projections. Do you understand?" Cobb asked.
"Bruce?" Ariadne asked when he didn't answer. Wayne snapped his head back to the group. As if coming out of a spell.
"No, were here to get information on the Joker. This is the best way. Inside his own mind." Wayne said.
"He will tear us apart. We've seen it happen. You don't understand what it means to be inside a fractured mind." Arthur said. His voice angry. The Point Man suddenly not liking the professional Mr. Wayne anymore.
"It won't help to wake up. We need to go forward." Ariadne said agreeing with Wayne. "If we retreat now, we will never be able to get information from him. His mind will protect itself." She said.
"This mission is over, Ariadne." Cobb said. His authority as the Extractor making the decision final.
Like a ghoul from the depths of hell he grabbed her. The Joker detached himself from the shadows and captured the slight Architect, easily dragging her away.
Ariadne gave a terrified scream as Arthur made a lunge for her.
"Nah, now lets not over react!" The vicious creature teased as he held a menacing knife to her throat. "Accidents happen when we over react!" The Joker laughed. The knife flashing in the dim light. His ghastly white makeup making his face stand out more clearly in the dark. He held his knife carelessly, but perilously close to her exposed neck.
"Arthur!" She cried as the fiend's hold on her neck tightened. Her feet dragging as she tried to get away from him. He body was too small. He was too strong.
"Let her go." Wayne said in that voice he never used in public.
"Interesting set up you gentleman have here." The Joker said pulling the Architect back into the shadows with him.
Ariadne was struggling to get away as Arthur and Cobb both made careful advancements to the maniac.
"Going into people dreams to gain all those fun little facts about them. People, not even bothering to sit down with you anymore to have a nice chat. Get to know you the old fashioned way. No, no, no. Everyone's too busy. No time anymore for pleasantries." The Joker rambled as he pressed the sharp knife to her delicate skin.
She screamed as a bright red trickle of blood escaped. Spilling down her flesh.
"Manners gentlemen!" The Joker growled waving the knife at them before returning it to her throat.
"Shoot him!" She screamed. "Arthur! Shoot him!"
"He can't my Dear." The Joker said still holding the knife to her throat with one hand and smoothing her hair with the other. All the while keeping her in a vice like grip that she could not break free from.
"Shooting me will only wake me up, then I'll come for all of you in the waking world." The Joker said calmly.
Ariadne was crying softly as the sharp blade pressed harder against her skin.
"And you." He said. His face pressed up to hers. Like they were lovers. "You will be the first I come for. You can ask anyone, I've a fondness for beautiful women."
Arthur kept his gun trained on the clown. The Joker noticing the fierceness written on his face.
"Now, I wasn't the one who invited you in here." The Joker said rationally. Waving a hand at his head.
"No, I'm not responsible for your little girlfriend being in the situation she finds herself in now." He concluded.
He cut a pair of loathsome eyes at Wayne.
"It was Wayne, here, who insisted on delving into my mind. Violating me." The Joker finished logically. "I have to defend myself."
"By holding an innocent woman hostage?" Wayne growled. "You have a beef with me, you and I can work this out."
"Another thing about the dream world, Brucey old boy. Information sharing works both ways. I know lots of things about all of you now. I know about Cobb's poor dead wife, and how she got to be so... well... dead. I know about Mr. Eames, and his little gambling addiction. Arthur's chivalrous love for this girl and I know why Ariadne here is afraid of the dark." The Joker said pointing the knife blade teasingly close to her left eye.
He turned his mad, livid eyes on Wayne.
"I also know all of your dark secrets, shall I share them with the class?" He said. The Joker's horrible macabre grin mocking him.
"I guess I don't need to ask you anymore to take off your mask." He grinned.