Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter!

Arthur blinked, unable to contain his horror. As Cassandra slumped forward, he moved towards her, his hands outstretched.

"Cass?" he whispered, his icy composure cracking. "Cass, can you-"

Suddenly, he heard the click of a gun. As he pressed his fingers to her neck, hoping to find her pulse, he felt something cold, and hard, press against his head. He swallowed, the tendons in his neck tightening.

"I wouldn't," Robert said, softly. "I wouldn't. You can help scrape her blood off my floor, but anything else-"

Arthur swallowed. "Why don't you." His voice was toneless. "Kill me now."

He heard a gasp from Ariadne, that mutated into a soft choke. He closed his eyes. Please, forgive me.

"You want me to?"

Arthur barked out a short, bitter laugh. "You've taken my mentor. You tried to kill my wife. You tried to kill me. Do you think there's anything else?"

"No. You're right. You're better off dead." He moved the gun away from Arthur's head. "But, Arthur, shooting you this way would be too easy. Too painless."

"You'd rather I suffered."

"Yes." Fischer's voice was slow, soft, sibilant. "I would." He pressed the barrel of the gun hard against Arthur's head. "Get up."

Arthur got up, not taking his eyes of Cassandra. He could see the trickle of blood, forming into an ugly rorsach blot on the floor, staining it. He felt his throat constrict.

"Cass-" he whispered.

Suddenly, he heard a soft groan. Arthur turned to Robert, his eyes blazing. "She's still alive."

Robert smirked, his handsome features contorting into an ugly expression. "Of course she is. I aimed for her thigh, Arthur. Her thigh. She's in pain, but she's not dead."

Arthur felt his fists clench. He was acutely aware of Eames, seemingly frozen, and Ariadne, whose face was white. "Can I-"

Fischer nodded, and gestured with the gun. "Of course you can. Help her up."

Arthur bent down, and reached down to Cassandra. She was starting to move. Carefully, with consideration, he managed to hook her arm over his shoulder, and carefully, started to stand. She let a curdling rasp, and he winced.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. She turned her head. Her face was white, and he could see the pain etched across her face. "What you just did-"

"Take her," she rasped out, "and run."

He shook his head. "I can't do that. I can't leave you."

"Arthur." She was speaking through gritted teeth. "Take...Ariadne...and go. Leave me. Eames will find his own way."

"What about Cobb?"

"Why do you still care?" She looked at him. "He's the one who brought you into-"

"This reunion is very touching," Fischer interjected, "but we have business to attend to. Eames!" he snapped.

The Forger, who'd seemed frozen, found his voice. "Yes?"

"Why don't you assist Ariadne?" Fischer asked, softly. "Take her arm."

Eames moved, as though sleepwalking, and put his hand on the Architect's upper arm. She appeared steadied, but her face was pale, and her eyes disbeliving.

"Now," Fischer said, coolly, "just walk her to one end of the hall."

As if in slow motion, Eames and Ariadne began to walk.

"Stop," Fischer commanded. Suddenly, he put the gun on the floor. "Arthur. Its all yours."

"What?" The Point Man looked at him, a cold feeling of dread spreading throughout his body.

"If you want to get out of this," Fischer said, coolly, "you'll have to kill one of them. Whose it going to be? Your mentor...or your future wife?"

Suddenly, Arthur felt a push. He turned. Cassandra was looking at him. "Go," she hissed. "Now!"

Robert smirked. "Looks like your choice has been made."

Cassandra glared at him. "You want me dead? Kill me yourself."

Robert's expression didn't waver. "I don't have a problem with that." He began to lean down.

Arthur didn't pause. Landing his elbow in the other man's abdomen, he shoved him up against the wall. Wrapping his hand around his throat, he pinned him up. "You...cowardly...lying...bastard!" he snarled.

"Insult me," Robert spat out, his breathing ragged due to the increased pressure on his throat. "Go ahead. But you-"

Eames stepped forward. "We can do worse," he said, softly. Leaning in, he pressed on the back of Robert's neck, causing the other man to crumple to the floor with the grace of a rag doll.

"Eames-" Arthur blinked, slightly stunned. "Eames-"

"Arthur," Eames said softly, "do you think I'm going to let him take either of the women we love?" he moved towards Cassandra, who was leaning against the wall. "Come on," he said, gently, and looped his arm around her waist.

"Eames, what about-"

Eames looked at Arthur, his jaw tightening. "We're in this mess because of Cobb," he said. He nodded, letting the stunned Point Man move towards Ariadne, wrapping his arms around her. "We need to go." Eames was already walking down the corridor. "Let's get out of here."

With a heavy heart, Arthur began to follow the Forger and Point, feeling Ariadne was supporting him, rather than him helping her.

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I'll be away for a couple of weeks, will pick this up when I get back! Thank you for reading!