Chapter Eleven

Arthur could do little to stop Ariadne as she made her way back to the warehouse where Cobb and the others were working. She was so determined and driven by the mad fear that she was loosing her mind. It would have been cruel to stop her even if it meant so much trouble.

Ariadne kept shooting Arthur strange looks over her shoulder as the two of them walked quickly along the streets of Paris. Try as she might, she hadn't been able to shake him and had given up trying. She had to get to Cobb, perhaps she would be able to loose him then and find out what really was going on. She was so overcome with her own suspicions and fears that she couldn't think straight anymore.

Although, she had to admit, that despite all that was going on, today felt surprisingly normal, almost suspiciously so. The sights, sounds and feelings matched up perfectly with her own experiences and memories. There was an odd sense of calm as she passed the people out on the street, who were involved in their own daily business. They were separated from her completely, they weren't just simply projections of her subconscious. She felt a little better.

There wasn't anything in this world that shouldn't have been there. No projections of former colleague's lost wives or rotating buildings. No, it almost felt normal. Ariadne could feel the relief slowly flowing through her as she relaxed slowly.

She caught Arthur giving her a strange look that she couldn't identify. "What?" she had to ask, slightly annoyed at his secrecy.

"You look more relaxed than I've seen in awhile," Arthur said extending his hand to her. "I'm glad."

Ariadne took hold of his hand smiling back. She did feel slightly better, especially holding onto his hand and having him walk beside her but she wasn't going to let her distract that from her task ahead. Though, she perhaps let it slow her pace a little and she began to walk at a more normal pace back towards the warehouse.

It didn't take long to get there of course. Ariadne let go of Arthur's hand to push back the heavy doors that creaked open almost as if they were reluctant to do so. The pair of them were met with resounding silence, the warehouse looked as if t was completely hollow. A new panic rose in Ariande, Cobb and the others couldn't have just left without telling them? Could they?

Forgetting her earlier calmness she pushed on ahead searching for any sign that Cobb and the others had been there recently but all of the equipment seemed to be gone. She turned to Arthur desperately. Surely at the very least Arthur had to know something. They wouldn't leave him on his own with a strange virus running rampant in his mind, would they?

"Ariadne," Arthur said clasping her arm. "It's all right, they'll be here."

How could he be so calm?

He was right of course and Ariadne looked up at the sound of rushing footsteps coming from another room.

A moment later Cobb had appeared, a horrified look on his face. Ariadne hadn't seen him look so terrified or angry, not even when they first discovered that Fisher's had undergone defensive training to guard his subconscious. Suddenly she was afraid of him of what he could do. All the earlier feelings of relief and even happiness disappeared completely as she caught her breath.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked and Ariadne jumped at the sharpness in his tone. He marched over, fury blazing in his eyes, his features as thin and worn as ever. He looks old, Ariadne thought, much older than he is.

She cringed as he approached but then she realized that he wasn't directing the question at her but at Arthur who stood tall and erect as always. His emotions hidden behind a mask of calmness. Ariadne had a sudden desire to hide behind him, as if she could use him as shelter from Cobb's anger. This was not how she had expected to find the extractor. He was so furious but also so weak as if he was at his wits' end.

"Cobb, please calm down." Arthur said slowly, he wasn't the type who was effected by emotional outbursts in an argument, somehow he maintained his ability to remain calm and think critically. "We're simply coming back to base, to check in, Ariadne's feeling much better-"

Cobb's next action was unexpected. He grabbed Arthur by his collar and shook him. Even Arthur was surprised and instinctively grabbed back in his defense.

Ariadne ducked away scared. "Stop!" she pleaded. "What are you doing?"

But she was completely ignored by Cobb whose mad eyes were locked onto Arthur's. His hands still around his neck, not loosening a bit.

"You are going to destroy her by doing this, you do know that?" Cobb said and Ariadne stared.

"Cobb," Arthur said, his composure beginning to slip a little. "You need to stop this, you're being ridiculous."

His calm words had no effect in fact they seemed to anger Cobb more. He pushed Arthur away with such force that the taller man almost fell.

"You're the one to speak! Bringing her here like this! What's your plan exactly? What are we going to do now Arthur?"

Ariadne wasn't sure if she was more scared or angry, whatever the case, she wasn't happy that they continued to talk about her as if she wasn't there. Cobb hadn't even acknowledged her presence for God's sake.

"Wait! What are you guys talking about? What plan?" Ariadne asked latching onto Cobb's arm but he still refused to look at her. Instead he shook her off as she were an insect without a single word of reason.

"She wanted to come here!" Arthur's composure slipping by the second. "I couldn't stop her!"

"That was your job!"

"Don't ignore me like this!" Ariadne said lunging for Cobb grabbing onto him and finally his eyes turned towards her gleaming with his anger but he still did not say anything.

As Ariadne opened her mouth to argue with him, she heard a far of rumble as if some far off place had been struck by a powerful earthquake. Cobb and Arthur heard it too and they looked up distracted from their current argument. The anger in their eyes was soon replaced by fear.

"What is it?" Ariadne asked more softly.

But before they could answer a much stronger quake shook the earth threatening the stability of their warehouse. The foundations were shaking pieces of tile and concrete began to tumble down splattering on the warehouse floor. The thunderous sound bursting Ariadne's eardrums.

"We need to get out of here!" Cobb yelled over the noise gathering up a struggling Ariadne in his arms and running from the building, Arthur close behind them.

A/N Thanks for reading!