Author's Note: Oh, man! Talk about a difficult chapter to write out! I don't know why this chapter was so rough to get through, but it was! Honestly though, it was thanks to all the readers who reviewed that I was able to really grit my teeth and get through this part. Generally speaking, I just want to give an overarching thank you to all those who reviewed the last two chapters. I almost feel like people could sense I was hitting a massive writer's block—sure would explain the sudden flood of reviews. SO encouraging, let me tell you.
To BattleCryBlue - I don't know if this update was soon enough for you, but to make up for it, this is probably one of my longer chapters for this fic.
To Booth Seeley Booth - Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy my writing. Hopefully this chapter also is to your satisfaction.
To CovenantGirlLoki - Glad you're enjoying it. Hope this one is just as entertaining!
To Billie Jane - YOU make MY day with your long and thought out reviews! Hopefully I didn't keep you hanging too long with this one. Oh, and if it happens I've terribly butchered your native tongue, please let me know so I can fix it right away!
To Rin - Hello, one of my favorite anonymous guest reviewers ever! Hahaha. I really appreciate the compliment—I do try my best to make everyone seem believable and in character when I write, so I'm definitely glad to hear you feel that I do that well. And I enjoy writing very much and hope to only get better and better at the craft each time I write something new!
To DeusAngeloEnd - LOL! Thank you. Hope you see the update, I know it's been quite a few days.
To Andorian Ice Princess-AIP - My newly found ffnet friend. Oh how our PMs amuse me so! (Also, is it bad that I take a little pride that I hooked you, a non-slash fan onto my writing? Hahaha.) For that reason alone, compliments from you I savor greatly, because I know you wouldn't read it if you thought it was awful or unbearable. Sorry this update took so long, I was really super stuck. Better late than never though, no?
It is no understatement when I say I couldn't have done it with the support of all you readers. I only hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well, even if it's more of a transitional one.
XI
Later came and went, but Cobb and Eames never really did get around to their intended conversation. The mission had gone awry, and horribly so. Never had the extraction team come across a mark that had been ready for them, but somehow on this particular mission the mark had. In fact, the mark had been two steps ahead of them the whole time.
Which is how Cobb and his team ended up, in the waking world, on the rooftop of a building opposite of the one the mark was standing on. That wasn't all, either. The mark had somehow gotten a hold of Cobb's wife, who was forced by gunpoint to stand dangerously close to the edge. Mal being the strong woman she was though, had on a brave face that didn't betray even an ounce of fear, not even in her eyes. She appeared to be calm and completely serene. Around her neck was a simple scarf, which fluttered about with the wind.
"Mal!" Cobb exclaimed as soon as he saw her.
"I'm fine," his wife called back. "I'm alone."
Cobb frowned. "Then where are...?"
James and Phillipa, their son and daughter. Cobb didn't ask the tail end of his question.
"Gone!" Mal called back with a small smile. "Miles away."
Safe. They're with their grandfather. Cobb let out a shaky breath. It was mild comfort. Mal flinched when the mark poked her backside with the barrel of his gun.
"Shut up!" he said.
On Cobb's side of things, there was only Eames and Arthur. The rest of the team was scattered; Yusuf had only been responsible for providing them the compounds they needed, so he had stayed behind at his shop in Mombasa. And at some point, Ariadne had made a break for it to contact Saito when plans had gone sour.
"This ain't one of your parlor tricks, charlatan," the deranged mark called from the other rooftop. "This be the real thing, now."
Cobb's jaw clenched once; he knew. "You're making a big mistake here."
"Oh, am I?" the mark sneered. "I be thinking I've got some pretty good leverage right here. Get it? Pretty?"
Cobb bristled when the mark nudged at his wife. "You keep your hands off her!"
"Or you'll what?" the mark snapped. "Nothing, am I right? Yeah, thought so. I'm calling the shots here, man, not you."
"What's the plan, Cobb?" Eames asked in a low voice. "The odds aren't looking good."
"You think I don't know that?" Cobb hissed back.
He shook his head at Arthur, who was sitting on the ground, hidden from view behind the wall of the ledge and preparing a long-range firearm he had at his disposal. The point man reluctantly halted in his actions, face tight.
"Look, let's talk this out," Cobb said, trying to keep control of his emotions. "What is it that you want?"
"Ah, there it is," the mark said, laughing. "Li'll mousey knows it's caught so it's trying to strike a bargain. That's rich."
Cobb's jaw set. The mark laughed some more.
"I don't want anything, man," the mark continued. "I just like watching you lot squirm. Give you all a taste of your own medicine—it's not fun when your heads are the ones being messed with, is it?"
Just then, Arthur's phone pinged with a text message from Ariadne. His expression darkened when he read the message. Help wasn't coming; at such short notice, any resources Saito could provide would not be able to make it to their location in time. The pained look on Cobb's face crushed Arthur when he saw it; even without Arthur relaying Ariadne's message, he could tell Cobb already had an idea of what she might have said.
On the opposite rooftop, Mal watched the expression on her husband's face change from hopeful to grim; subtle differences that only those closest to the man would readily notice, like herself and Arthur. She did not know if Cobb had a plan, but outside help would not be coming, of that she was most certain. So she steeled herself for the worst.
Which is why she was prepared for the message conveyed in her husband's eyes when they met her own; that there was no plan. Mal gave her husband a small smile then; she knew what she had to do. After all, she was the daughter of a retired general.
Without giving any sort of warning, she made her move before her husband had the chance to realize what she was plotting, and managed to take the mark by surprise as well. In several swift movements, she managed to twist the gun out of the mark's hand. Unfortunately, even with her preemptive strike, she was still at a disadvantage in terms of strength. At some point during the scuffle, the mark had regained some of his bearings and so when Mal pushed him over the edge of the building, he took her with him. Cobb took several steps forward where he was, eyes wide in shock.
"No! Mal!"
Mal let out a scream, half in terror and half out of frustration. At the last second she had been able to grab hold of a jutted out ledge, but her grip was slipping; the mark had a tight hold of her ankle and was cursing up a storm.
Cobb was frantic. He looked over at Arthur, who was already positioned to fire at the mark.
"Arthur!" Cobb said. "Can you do it? Do you have a clear shot?"
The point man didn't respond, focusing all his mental energies on keeping his hands steady and taking aim. Down below, passersby were beginning to notice the spectacle; some had stopped and were point up at what was going on above them. A few in their crowd were getting out their cell phones, some to call emergency services, others to take heartless camera footage. There would be a hell of a media circus that the extraction team would have to find a way to contain later, but for now those thoughts were furthest from all their minds.
Knowing he had no time to waste, Arthur sucked in a small, short breath just before he took the shot. His body jerked back in recoil as the bullet discharged from its chamber. The projectile went clean through the mark's neck, killing him instantly. Mal was immediately released from the now deceased man's grip and she let out another cry as she tried to renew her hold on the ledge. Exclamations could be heard from the thickening crowd below, and several people dove out of the way to avoid the falling body.
"Shit, Mal!" Cobb shouted.
He turned to look for Eames, but at some point the forger had disappeared. Cobb looked at Arthur, hoping for some sort of explanation. The point man shook his head.
I don't know where he went. Arthur signed. I didn't see him leave.
"Damnit, Eames!" Cobb cursed, pulling out his cell phone.
Eames answered on the second ring. "Can't talk, Cobb."
"Eames, where the hell are you?" Cobb asked angrily.
"Ran as soon as I saw her move," Eames said. "Elevator is almost to the first floor now. Off to the second building as soon as I'm out. How much time have I got?"
Cobb's anger subsided some, but his anxiety grew. "Not a lot, Eames. Mal forced the mark off the roof, but the mark took her with him.
Eames cursed. "Bugger!"
Cobb swallowed. "Arthur's disposed of the mark, but Mal..."
He watched with dread as his wife dangled from the side of the building. Arthur's eyes flitted back and forth between Cobb and Mal, his face pale.
"She doesn't have a lot of time, Eames," he said in an audible, but softer tone. "Please hurry."
"I'll do my best, yeah?" Eames said before cutting off the connection as he fired off into the thick crowd at the base of the two buildings, roughly pushing his way through to the other side.
The call ended, Cobb leaned against the edge of his building and called out to his wife. "Just a few more minutes, honey, please! Just hang on for a few more minutes!"
"I'm trying, Dom!"
Cobb turned his head when he felt a hard pat on his shoulder; Arthur wanted his attention. Cobb's eyebrows furrowed.
"What is it, Arthur?"
There's something there, on the edge. Arthur signed urgently. I saw it through the telescope on my rifle.
He motioned at his neck. Her scarf. See if she can wrap her scarf around it.
Cobb wet his bottom lip with his tongue. "Will it hold?"
Arthur hesitated. I...I don't know, Dom. Maybe it will, maybe it won't.
"But it's worth a try, is that what you're saying?"
The point man's lips pressed into a firm line. Cobb let out a small sigh.
"All right," he said. "You're right. It's worth a shot."
Cobb turned back in the direction of his wife. "Mal! Mal, are you listening to me, honey?"
Her wife let out another scream of exasperation before responding through gritted teeth. "I'm listening, Dom!"
"Arthur says he sees something up there, something you might be able to wrap your scarf around. Can you feel around for it, honey? Do you think you can figure out what he's talking about?"
Mal let out a loud groan as she tried her best to reach up further with one of her arms. She almost lost her grip entirely however, and one of her shoes slipped off her foot, falling to the ground.
"Dom!" she called back. "Dom, I can't, I'm so sorry..."
"Oh God..." Cobb said. "Oh, Mal, it's all right. It's all right! Just hang on!"
Just then his phone vibrated in his hand; it was a call from Eames. Cobb growled into the phone.
"Eames! Where are you?"
"Inside the building," came the forger's quick reply. "Fucking crowd of invalids kept me from getting here sooner. What floor is she closest to, Cobb? I need to know."
"Third from the top," Cobb said, voice tight. "Eames...I don't know if—"
"Third from the top, got it, thank you," Eames said before abruptly terminating the call.
On the other side, Mal pressed her face gently into her arm, wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes. She breathed in and out slowly; she wasn't going to be able to hold on for much longer and she knew it. She muttered a few prayers under her breath for her family, Arthur, Eames, the rest of the extraction team, and herself. Then she closed her eyes tight and clenched her jaw, forcing her face into a neutral expression before turning to look over her shoulder. She could only see her husband partially out of the corner of her eye.
"Mal!"
"Dom!" she called out. "Dom, listen to me."
"No," Cobb said, shaking his head. "No, no, no, don't look at me like that, Mal. I know that look! Don't look at me like that!"
His wife let out a small laugh. "Oh, Dom..."
"No! Mal, just a few seconds longer, honey, please! Eames is on his way up! He's in the elevator now, coming up to get you!"
"I can't hold on any longer, Dom!"
"Mal!"
If Arthur could have screamed, he would have at that point as well. Instead, all that could come out of his mouth was a raspy breath.
Mal, as they all knew, was one incredible woman. She knew how to fight, but she also knew when to accept a loss. Her last words were shouted, but they cut through the air so clearly that it almost felt to Cobb and Arthur as if she said them at a normal volume. The small calm and reassuring smile that was faint on her lips would be an image forever burned in to their memories.
"Je t'aime, Dom," Mal said, her eyes glassy from tears. "Vous également, Arthur!"
Another call came in to Cobb's cell phone from Eames, but this time the extractor was too distracted to respond. The forger had just come onto the floor when he realized he had no idea which window he needed to go to.
"No!" Cobb screamed. "No! No, Mal!"
"Tell my darlings, Mommy loves them," Mal continued. "Je vous embrasse!"
Then she turned back around, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and let go. She dropped quickly, but the flapping of the scarf wrapped around her neck gave the illusion that she was falling slowly and gracefully. There were shouts of horror that erupted from the streets below, and people scattered so as to avoid the falling body. The scream that came out of Cobb was guttural and barbaric. Arthur grabbed him and brought him down to the ground, in case the man thought to do anything rash. Cobb was too distressed to fight back.
Eames had seen Mal's body fly downward from the window of a room he had just entered, and the hand that had been holding the cell phone dropped slowly to his side. The silence for him was deafening, even with a million thoughts simultaneously rushing through his mind and the roar of the crowd from below. After a few minutes he quickly ran back to the elevator. His priority now was to make a clean getaway, and with the streets still thick with people, he knew that his best opportunity would be in that moment. He did not plan on wasting any more time and only hoped that Cobb and Arthur would do the same.
Arthur was the first to snap out of his stunned state. He was gentle but firm when he shook Cobb to get the other man's attention. Cobb looked at him, though he was still clearly in a daze. Arthur's eyes were shiny with tears. He mouthed the words as he signed with his hands, which were trembling.
Dom. We need to go.
Cobb just stared at Arthur blankly at first. Arthur's jaw clenched, and there was a slight ripple in the muscles on the side of his face as he tried to keep control. He moved his hands slowly and managed to keep them steady.
There's nothing we can do now, you know that. We have to go. Come on. Get up.
Then the extractor did move, but it was as if he were on autopilot. Gone was the man of action; Cobb was now a shell of his former self, simply going through the motions as Arthur led him down the stairs to an elevator. They soon reached the ground floor and made their way outside. Though the streets were still very loud and bustling with chaos, both men were numb to the sounds—it was as if they were enveloped in an invisible bubble of silence. They were absorbed by the sea of people and were able to slip away without much incident.
####
The funeral is still and quiet. It's a partly-cloudy, warm afternoon. No one speaks during the ceremony, and those shedding tears do so with no sound.
Eames doesn't approach Arthur until the end, after the casket has been lowered and Cobb has gone to be alone for a while. He places a gentle hand on the point man's shoulder, feeling it tighten on instinct before relaxing when Arthur sees who it is behind him. The forger offers the faintest of smiles, which Arthur returns with a tired one of his own.
When Eames doesn't say anything, Arthur turns his attention back to Mal's headstone, and Eames drops his hand. They stand like that for a while. Eames tries several times to say something, but ultimately he decides against saying anything at all because the timing is just not appropriate. So at some point, Arthur is left alone and the point man doesn't realize it until much later, when he turns around expecting Eames only to find the man has long since gone.
Eames left assuming the team would get back together someday, not counting on the fact that Cobb would later send him notice through Saito that all extraction projects would be halted until further notice. Of course, in hindsight he'd realize that he shouldn't have been surprised by that at all, and furthermore mentally kick himself for at the very least not obtaining some way to keep in touch with Arthur.
The forger knows better than to tap into Saito's resources. For one thing, he doesn't want to owe the Japanese businessman any favors. Additionally, Eames knows Arthur is the best point man in the world of dreams and extraction—he is not only efficient, his methods are effective, and Eames knows that the man will only be found if he wants that to be the case.
A year goes by without word. One day though, Eames finds the point man again.
