Disclaimer: I do not own Inception.


Eames followed behind Arthur as they went into the bank. Concern continued to build in the Forger as he noted the young man's stilted pace. Sweat glistened on the man's brow, but there was no sign of any wounds. "So what are these elusive Russians up to?"

Arthur paused as they came to a set of stairs that Cobb and Pyotr would have had to gone up to reach the vault. A look almost of indignation crossed his features, but was gone the next instant as he glanced at Eames. "Well, you just saw that they had a forger. I'm guessing the other was a point man...and Pyotr an extractor."

Eames's brow wrinkled. "An extraction team? But why?"

"They want Cobb's information. Think about it." Arthur led the way up the staircase, his breath catching more than the exercise warranted. "Dom is the best extractor in the business. He's stolen hundreds of secrets. If someone could break into his mind, they would have access to raw blackmail material. Cobb, of course, would never use it, but Pyotr has no such compunctions."

"But surely Pyotr knows that Cobb's mind would be able to defend itself against such attacks?"

"Hmm, one would think so. And that is precisely what concerns me. Pyotr's been smarter than we have given him credit for, so who is to say that he doesn't have some sort of secret weapon that he could use against Dom?"

They reached the top of the stairs at this point. Eames turned to reply and just barely managed to catch Arthur before he fell back down the stairs. "Woah! Easy there, darling. What's wrong?"

"Nothing...nothing..." gasped Arthur. His thin fingers gripped Eames's arm tightly. Cold sweat coated his fingertips.

"What did they do to you?" Eames put his hand on the point man's forehead, while he scanned his body more closely to see if he'd missed something.

With great effort, Arthur pulled away from his touch. "We have to hurry. We don't have time for this."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong with you." The forger grabbed his wrist to keep the young man from taking off again.

Arthur's expression twisted with frustration. "Not now! Just trust me when I saw we don't have time."

With a strength that Eames did not anticipate, the point man twisted himself free and took off down the hall at a sort of limping run. He cursed under his breath and took off after him.

They passed door after door and Eames found himself wondering how Arthur seemed to know exactly where he was going. That question was answered shortly thereafter when the Arthur blazed past the room with the vault in it.

"Arthur!" Eames hissed.

The point man pulled up, glanced back, and nodded when the forger jerked his head towards the door. A faint flush of embarrassment colored his cheeks - something Eames would have surely teased him about under any other circumstance. Now, it only served to heighten his concerns about the young man, for Arthur was never this reckless.

They paused on either side of the door and drew their guns. Eames spared one last glance at the pale man, then grasped the handle of the door. "Ready?"

"Yes."

Eames threw open the door and charged in, Arthur hot on his heels.

Cobb was unconscious, tied to a chair, hooked up to something that looked like a PASIV device. Pyotr stood over him, about to attach himself to the machine. He whirled around at their intrusion, but Eames was already on top of him, disarming him and giving him a few knocks about the head for his trouble.

Arthur moved over to Cobb and examined him and the machine closely. His brow creased in puzzlement. "What on earth are you doing to him?"

Pyotr twisted angrily in Eames's grip. "I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"That's what they all say." A hint of a smile tugged at Arthur's lips.

"Is it a PASIV device?" asked Eames.

"Appears to be." The point man ran his hands over the machine, checking all of the buttons and wires. "It's like they are trying to go under again."

"Again? What? But that's not possible, we're already dreaming."

Arthur was only half-listening to him, his expression one of deep concentration. When he spoke, his voice came out hesitantly, as if her were piecing together a puzzle as he talked. "Maybe...we've never tried anything like that before...a dream within a dream. Could it be?"

The next second, Arthur's face grew dreadfully pale and he sank to his knees, clutching his side.

"What is it? What's the matter?" Eames tightened his grip on Pyotr as the Russian tried to use his distraction as an opportunity to escape.

Arthur shook his head slowly. His dark eyes were frightened. "Nothing. I'm fine. Listen, you have to keep Pyotr here. Don't let him wake up before us."

"Well of course, darling, what else do you think I am doing?" Eames's tone came out sharper than he intended, but he didn't dial it back down. The point man's evasiveness was unsettling. "What are you doing?"

Arthur held the IV line that Pyotr had been about to use. "I'm going to try it."

"Try what?"

"Going under again. I've got to get Cobb."

"How do you even know that's what is going on? You don't even know what this mad man might have conjured up. Let me try instead."

Arthur shook his head. "I can't hold Pyotr here. I don't have the strength. You have to do it."

"What do you mean you don't have the strength? What's wrong with you?!"

But it was too late. Arthur had attached himself to the machine and slipped into unconsciousness.


"Do you ever get anything other than salad?" Cobb couldn't help but ask for the hundredth time.

Arthur smiled and jabbed the end of his fork at him. "Just because you like to have meat at all of your meals doesn't mean that the rest of us do."

"But one would think you would get tired of eating plants all of the time."

Arthur laughed and continued to eat.

Dom swirled the wine in his glass a couple of times before he took a sip. Dry, but not too bitter. Just the way he liked it.

A cough from the other side of the table distracted him. He set down his glass. "You alright? Carrot go down the wrong way?"

The fork hit the table with a clatter as Arthur grasped his side. His dark, wide eyes looked up at Dom. "How did we get here, Cobb?"

"What do you mean? We usually have lunch together during a job." Cobb's concern spiked as the young man's face grew even paler.

"No, no. How did we get here?" Arthur's insistent tone started to attract attention from the rest of the restaurant.

"It's okay, Arthur, just calm down."

"No, it's not okay! We're dreaming."

"Arthur -"

Gasps echoed through the place as Arthur brought out a gun.

Dom raised his hands. "You're not thinking clearly, just hold on for a sec-"

Arthur shot him.


Cobb jerked awake, swearing up a storm.

"Ah, so the little darling succeeded? That was faster than I expected."

"Wh-What?" Dom stammered, his eyes darted around the room and landed on Eames, who was currently holding...Pyotr? Confusion surged through him. "What's going on? Where's Arthur?"

A gasp beside him answered his question. His gaze landed on Arthur's pale form as he too woke up. He seemed to have a better grasp of the situation at the moment for he didn't even acknowledge Cobb as he addressed Eames. "Alright. We have to get out of here, but we need you to stay under a little bit longer to give us a chance to take care of everybody in the real world, okay?"

Eames flashed him his most charming smile. "Of course, darling. Anything you say."

Cobb held out both of his hands. "Hold on. What is going on? Arthur - you shot me."

The point man's face showed not a trace of regret. "Sorry, Dom, it was necessary. I'll explain everything later. Right now, you and I have to wake up and take care of Pyotr and his men. Whatever you may see up there, that is our first priority, got it?"

Dom decided that Arthur should be in charge of more things. He was doing a fantastic job of leading at the moment. "Yeah, I got it."

Pyotr suddenly started laughing, drawing the attention of the other three men. His eyes were focused on Arthur alone. "Did my men prove too much for you?"

"What does he mean?" Cobb asked.

Arthur ignored both of them and pulled out his gun. "Let's go."

And he shot Dom for the second time in the last five minutes.


Cobb was out of his chair before he was fully awake. A roll of duct tape sat on one of the tables nearby. He grabbed it and started tying all of the Russians to their chairs. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the bodies of the two men that Pyotr had left behind, but he paid them no heed. As long as they weren't attacking him, he was good.

He'd just finished tying up the last Russian when he heard Eames swear.

He turned. "What?"

But he didn't need to ask what had disturbed the forger. The man was already on the ground next to Arthur, whose shirt was covered in blood.


And we're all going to pretend that Cobb and company have never heard of/tried a dream within a dream before, right? Right. Thank you for your patience once again. I so appreciate your support and all of your reviews. =)