Note: I know that it is an obvious place to start, but it fits. So this chapter involves 'The Dark Knight Rises'. As well as some other little hints (can you guess the references?)
Before Now (I Never Even Wondered)
When Arthur first opened his eyes again in the real world, he was more than a little disorientated. They had only been under for a few hours, but it had felt like weeks. Of course he was used to the time difference by now, he had been working in the business for a long time. But he had never spent so long as somebody else.
'My name is Arthur Hansen, Hansen not Blake.'
He thought as he fingered the dice in his pocket.
'My parents are Richard and Janet. I'm not an orphan.'
"My mum died when I was small. It was a car accident. I don't really remember it. But my dad got shot a couple years later… and I remember that one just fine."
Closing his eyes Arthur thought about his parents. They were both still alive. His father was living in Ohio with his second wife Mary. And his Mother was in New York with her husband Guy, and daughter. As his half sister Rachel's face appeared in his mind he calmed. She could always do that, bring him back to reality. One of the few solid points in his life, one of the few constants, his sister's face with the worried frown too old for her young face..
The most troubling thing, he supposed and the thing sticking in his mind, was the way that you selected a character in the games. Or rather the way you didn't, because the system did it for you. The software automatically selected your character based on your personality and previous experiences. Essentially you ended up with whatever character the game decided was most like you. This thought gave Arthur pause as he tried to shake off the remnants of Officer Blake from his mind, trying not to think about the possible reasons why the game had assigned him the alter ego that it had.
After a moment he looked over at the forger beside him. Was Eames having as much trouble as he was coming back to reality? He doubted it. Eames was used to becoming someone else in a dream, to him it was like changing clothes turning himself into another person. But he didn't seem as composed as Arthur had expected him to be. Something was wrong. The forger had disconnected himself from the machine and without another word was heading towards the door.
"Eames?"
But the Englishman didn't even turn his head.
"Not right now Arthur. I'll see you in the morning."
Eames couldn't face anyone at that moment. How could he after what he had just been living.
Eames strode out onto the football field and grinned beneath his mask. Already he could feel the tension in the stadium. Soon there would be panic and fear. He would have the whole of Gotham under his control, a false hope to dangle in front of this pathetic city while he destroyed it once and for all.
Eames knew that he wasn't exactly a good person. He had done some terrible things but it was still a blow to see how the game had seen him. Was that how everyone saw him? Was that how Arthur saw him? Without acknowledging either Yusuf or Ariadne as he passed them, Eames left the building and made his way back to his apartment as quickly as he could without running. He had done that enough in his life.
Knowing that there was no way that he would be able to catch the Forger, Arthur continued to pack up the equipment. It was too late to do another run today anyway. Besides it would probably be best to completely recover from the first game before moving on to a second. Maybe he could call his sister, or better yet his Father. Solidify reality in his mind before checking up on his distracted colleagues.
Meanwhile Eames let himself into the small apartment he had bought not two months before. It was nice to have somewhere of his own, somewhere that was legitimately his. He hadn't had a home, an actual home in years. Not since he had sold his cousin's bar in Brooklyn, and even then he hadn't exactly come into the property honestly. Even then he had been pretending to be someone else, and why not. He barely knew his cousin Marv, and after everything that had happened he had needed to get out of London.
As he hung up his jacket and kicked off his shoes Rocco came bounding down the hall and Eames grinned squatting down to return his dog's enthusiastic greeting. That was another perk of having his own place and going legitimate. The pit bull could live with him full time Rather than with his friend Nadia. Maybe he should give her a call. Let her know how Rocco was settling in after the move. That and maybe he could remind himself that he wasn't really a bad person, not anymore.