* Yet ANOTHER chapter to Paradox, and as always guys, READ AND REVIEW!
"Shit! We gotta make him stop bleeding!"
Arthur had only the slightest sense of consciousness, all he knew was that someone was talking, and he was being dragged... somewhere by his shoulders.
"Arthur? Arthur, can you hear me?"
Arthur wanted to respond so that the worry in Cobb's voice would fade but he found himself hopelessly incapable of speech at the time being. He was bleeding, his head was throbbing, and he had absolutely no idea what was happening. This was not at all to Arthur's liking, he liked knowing what was going on all the time, and he never revealed any injury to the rest of the team, he would tend to such things upon returning home to his empty apartment. Having them have to tend to it for him made him feel incredibly vulnerable.
Fortunately, (Actually it was rather unfortunate, but Arthur didn't know that.) he soon fell into a complete unconsciousness, blocking out all voices and feeling.
He opened his eyes and found himself in a dream. He stared around in confusion, he knew this was a dream, he was trained to know that, but his question was why was he in a dream? As he had thought earlier in the week when he'd dreamed, he couldn't dream naturally anymore, could he?
But here he was. In the dreamworld. He glanced around, taking in his surroundings. From what he could gather, he was in a parking garage, on the basement level. He walked towards the elevator as the doors opened and immediately wished he hadn't. Once the doors opened completely, they revealed two armed gentlemen. One said in a cold monotone,
"You're going to die, Arthur."
Arthur stood still only a moment thinking this sudden shock over before turning around and sprinting towards the exit.
He grasped the door knob and twisted, pushed... It didn't open. He shook the knob violently hoping some how that would help, but it didn't. He peered frantically over his shoulder and saw them gaining on him, he abandoned this door and ran for the only other one. He yanked at the handle. Nothing. Again he shook it violently. Nothing. Sighing, he realized the only other option was the stairs as they were closer to the elevator.
He was running up the stairs as fast as he possibly could and he soon realized that the two men were catching up. He was breathing heavily, and his chest was tightening but he had to press on, otherwise he'd be killed. And though deep in his mind he knew he wouldn't really die, he figured it better not too since in reality he might actually be dying...
"ARTHUR!" The other man roared, he was nineteen steps behind him, Arthur was beginning to panic.
He pressed on, maintaining his signature straight face. Run, Arthur, run!
He would keep on running if it was the last thing he did. Which most likely it was.
"Eames, we've got to stop the bleeding! Press down as hard as you can on his wounds, while I go find some goddammn first aid supplies!" Cobb instructed and Eames looked down with much distaste at the blood.
"You-? You can't be serious? You're...? Afraid of blood?"
Eames sucked in a deep breath wanting so bad to prove wrong Cobb though what he'd just said was indeed the truth. He plunged his hand down in the bloodiness of the hole and held his breath.
Hang in there, old boy, Cobb won't be too long. God he hoped he wasn't long.
Arthur knew that the men were catching up fast and he needed to think of a better plan than running because that wouldn't last forever. He dove his hand into his pocket and found it... empty. He checked the other. All of them. Nothing.
"Dammnit!" He cursed under his breath.
Twenty-nine more steps.
Arthur smiled, his sense had come back.
Fifteen more steps.
"GET BACK HERE, ARTHUR!" One man roared.
Nine more steps.
"GO TO HELL!" Arthur roared back in response.
The end is here.
The men sped up and Arthur stopped abruptly at the end of the staircase and they went falling, flailing madly trying to grab hold of something. There was nothing.
"Paradox."