Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me.
"Dom?" Arthur whispered, his heart pounding in shock. He knelt down, and reached for the other man's pulse. "Dom, its Arthur, can you..."
He felt something cold press at the back of his skull. "Get up."
Swallowing, his throat feeling constricted, the Point Man slowly rose to his feet. Browning kept the pressure applied at the base, causing him to wince.
"He may not have long." Browning spoke without asking Arthur to turn round. "Because this is how its going to work. I'm going to ask you some questions. And every time you fail to answer, they-" he gestured at two shadowy, black clad figures - are going to hurt him. Understand?"
Arthur nodded.
"Good. Now, the first question." He adjusted the pressure of the gun. "The weapons...have they already contracted out the development?"
Arthur swallowed. "I don't know."
Browning shook his head. "Not good enough." He gestured to the two guards. "Go on."
The Point Man blinked. Before he could move, or react, one of the men was standing in front of the prone body of the Extractor. Lifting his foot, he kicked the vulnerable man viciously in the abdomen. Cobb groaned, and choked. Smiling, his assailant repeated the gesture, causing Cobb to scream.
Arthur watched, horrified. Cobb cleared his throat, a wounded, gutteral sound, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Stop it," Arthur said, roughly, turning to Browning. "I'm the one who ran out on the team. Why are you not doing this to me?"
The older man shrugged. "Loyalty." He shook his head. "Because you're the most valuable. I don't need Cobb, and I don't need a Forger, but a Point and an Architect..." his cold gaze swept over Arthur, and then moved towards Ariadne.
Arthur shook his head. "I'm not working for you."
Browning smiled. "Petulant. We'll see how you feel after a few more questions." He pressed the gun against Arthur's skull.
"The contract. How much was it worth?"
"I don't know." Arthur spoke through gritted teeth. Browning shrugged. "Please."
Grinning malicously, Browning's minion leered at Cobb. The boot was raised again, and this time, the older man let out a scream of pure pain.
"All right!" Arthur shouted. "Stop it!" Browning looked at him. "What do you need to know? What do you want to know?"
"I want to know how you can extract people's secrets," Browning informed him, coldly. "You never did tell Robert, and I want to know. Because, I think its time I took over the payroll."
Arthur blinked. "I-"
"He won't tell you anything, Peter," a voice interrupted. Arthur blinked. Fischer, dishevelled, but awake, had just entered. He'd regained consciousness, but the anger in his voice was palpable. "We need to stop wasting our time with them- all of them." He shrugged his shoulders. "Scrape him off my floor," he snapped, gesturing to the two guards. He looked at Browning. "Time to get rid of the evidence."
The older man's shoulders sagged. "Robert, listen to me-"
"Oh, I've had enough humiliation," Robert said, coldly. "This isn't going to work. They'll do anything to protect each other, but eventually, no-one will protect them."
Arthur looked at him. "Robert-"
"Sorry, Arthur." Fischer shook his head. "Out of chances, out of luck. Its time I finished what I sent Eames and Dom to do...only, they couldn't go through with it. Except, Dom will be joining you."
"So you're letting Eames go?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Eames will know he's been marked," Robert informed him, smugly. "They'll be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives." He shrugged, and pulled at his shirt.
"Robert." Arthur spoke, quietly. "If you don't want to let Cobb and I leave, fine. But please, let Ariadne go."
"Can't do that." Fischer shook his head. "Sorry, Arthur." He turned to the guards. "OK. Bag them."
Browning spoke. "Robert, I thought we-"
Fischer looked at him, his eyes chips of ice. "Do you want to go with them, Uncle Peter? You've interfered in my affairs long enough."
Browning blanched. "Robert, I-"
"I thought the understanding was that the dream extraction would be operated solely by myself," Robert cut in, smoothly. "Instead, you're trying to interfere." He glared at the older man. "Enough problems were caused by these two falling in love." He looked at Ariadne. "If you'd be sensible enough to reserve your affection for me, there wouldn't have been a problem."
Ariadne swallowed. "There is no way I would have-"
"Oh, he doesn't know, does he?" Fischer said, his voice silky. "Doesn't know how I sent him and Cobb out on a job, and tried to entertain you myself."
Ariadne blinked. Arthur turned to her. "Ari?"
She remembered it clearly. She'd been in her and Arthur's apartment, trying to work out a new design. He and Cobb had flown out to Columbus. As she was sketching, she'd had an unexpected visitor.
"Robert!" she'd exclaimed, opening the door. "What are you-?"
His eyes were shining, a little too brightly. "Ariadne, I wondered if you..." his voice had faltered. "Wanted some company?"
She was shocked, at his audacity. He knew Arthur was away. "Robert, I don't think...its not very professional..."
Fischer shrugged. "Doesn't bother me." Before she could stop him, he'd pulled her closer, and was starting to feel for her mouth. "He'll never know!"
Ariadne felt her eyes widen, then her anger overtook her. "Robert! Stop it!" With a shove, she managed to break his grip, and pushed him.
He looked at her, blinking in shock, and outrage. His eyes were cold, and a needle of fear penetrated her anger. He shook his head.
"You'll wish you hadn't done that," he informed her. "I'll see myself out."
She swallowed. The memories, sharp and painful, were beginning to flood back. After she'd rebuffed him, she and Arthur had found themselves increasingly isolated in the team.
Suddenly, she blinked. Arthur was holding her arms.
"Ari." His voice was urgent. "Ariadne, its all right. We can-"
Suddenly, a burlap sack was thrust over Arthur's head. Before Ariadne could shout out in protest, she found her herself being hooded.
"Right." Fischer's tone was clipped. "The three of you. You're going for a ride."
Without protesting, the team allowed themselves to be dragged out of the room, and along a corridor. Arthur's mouth was dry.
I'm sorry Ariadne. I'm sorry.
"Right," Eames said, with forced cheerfulness. "Let's look at the wound."
Cassandra looked at him. Using the Forger's stealth, they'd broken into a car, which had been discreetly tucked away at the side of the building. The Point looked at the grey, uninteresting architecture. It was hard to reconcile the drab appearance with the criminality seething within.
She bit her lip. "Eames, its-"
"Stop it," he interrupted, giving her a hard look. "Do you want blood poisoning?" she fell silent, and he gently to pull the makeshift bandage. "We need to get you to a hospital."
"It grazed my leg." She spoked almost as protest.
"Its still a wound." His tone was uncompromising.
"I know, but-" he blinked. Voices were starting to drift over. They had parked within ear shot of the building's parking lot.
She looked at him. "What?"
He shook his head. "I think we might have movement."
"In the back." Arthur felt the prod of a gun in his lower back, and knew he had no choice but to acquiesce. Swallowing, he climbed in.
He heard the clatter of footsteps, and felt the warmth of bodies press against him. He relaxed. Ariadne was with him. And Dom.
"You'll never hear my voice again," he heard Fischer saying. "But, so long. Thanks for the work."
Suddenly, a metallic clang reverberated through the van. Arthur heard the grinding of gears, and the dull roar of the engine.
Cassandra and Eames sat motionless, as they heard the van's roar. Suddenly, the vehicle began to move, and peeled out, almost in front of them.
Cassandra swallowed. "Follow them."
Eames looked at her. "Your leg..."
"Its ok," she insisted, trying to ignore the pain that seemed to be tearing through her muscles. "Follow the van."
All readers appreciated, and I'd love some reviews, thank you!
