Sorry it took me a couple weeks to update. Work was getting hectic and finals at my university were killing me. But now I've got some spare time and I plan on using it to update regularly. Thanks to TessieBird and Moviefanatic2.0
Chapter2- Shape Without Form
Arthur was bound to a chair. Sweating. Head hung down. He was losing track of time. Had he been in this chair for hours? Days? The blood from his nose trickled down his chin and splattered on his favorite suit. His left eye was swollen shut and his ears were buzzing.
"Had enough torture yet? It baffles me, the things you do for that homely creature. She's nothing special. How upset you get when we touch her is so amusing."
Arthur glared at Browning. "It's amazing what you'll do if you love someone." He spat the pooling blood from his mouth, "I doubt you or Robert have ever felt that."
Browning's face became one of mock hurt and he rested his hand on his chest, "That gets me right in the core." He dropped the act, "You won't love each other after we're done with you." Arthur pulled at his restraints and Browning continued, "If you really loved her, don't you think you would've gotten her out of here by now? If you really loved her, you wouldn't have left her alone that day…"
Arthur kicked the bottom of the table with so much force it overturned on its side, "Don't ever say I don't love Ariadne, you're signing your death warrant." His eyes were as fierce as a tiger, baring its teeth at its threat.
"Ok, touchy subject." Browning drawled and walked closer to the overturned table, disregarding it, "…Let's just hope she's holding up as well as you. She does have a petite frame…and that testy mouth of hers does nothing to help her cause…"
Arthur ground his jaw, "Why is Robert doing this to all of us?"
Browning leant over the table edge towards Arthur, "Why did you incept him?"
"I was doing my job." He may have been incarcerated but he would still act superior. The Point Man's chin lifted and he spoke it as a fact.
"Well, consider this a job. It's those guys' job to beat your girlfriend to a pulp. They're just doing their job." The older man enunciated each word of his last sentence with a punch to his palm. His eyes picked at Arthur while he mocked him with the gesture Ariadne had surely received.
Arthur let out a low guttural growl and kicked the table. Browning warned facetiously, "Temper, temper. What happened to our calm and collected Point Man?"
The younger of the two slumped in his chair and reprimanded himself for losing his cool. They needed to think they weren't getting to him. He needed to remember his years of training for moments like this. But hours of silence, hours of separation, hours of not knowing exactly where she was weighed down on him. He was supposed to protect her, he promised her he'd protect her. Yet, he didn't know where the hell in this building she would be. What kind of lies were they feeding her? How many times had they struck her? Was she, as described earlier, beaten to a pulp? His strength was vanishing, "I just need to hear her voice." He muttered to himself.
"Gladly."
Arthur's head whipped up. He hadn't expected the old man to be so in tune to Arthur mumbling to himself. Browning switched on the intercom speakers and spoke to the men in another room, "The Point Man wants to hear the Architect's voice."
"Yes sir," The man spoke away from the intercom, "Maybe you'll talk sweet for Arthur, hmm?"
Boom.
Thud.
Ariadne's voice was alive with agonizing yells and groans.
"It's ok, Ariadne. You can call out to him…he may not be able to do anything about it but it's the thought that counts!" He heard one man breathlessly shout at her. Arthur could hear her trying to hold in the pain, trying to hold in the whimpers so he wouldn't hear. It infuriated him. She was still trying to be brave for him.
The Point Man suspected that the other side could hear them in return so he called out to her, "It's going to be ok, Ari!"
He heard someone grunt to him in return, "Yeah? What are you gonna do about it, skinny?", He heard another sickening slap of skin, "Come on bitch!" and then what sounded like a sack of potatoes being thrown against the wall.
Finally Ariadne gave in. Her voice sobbed and scratched, "Arthur…"
Arthur's rage couldn't take any more. He scooted the chair back and made a loud scuffing sound. He writhed and ripped the duct tape holding his fists behind his back apart. The Point Man lunged for Browning, "You let her go! You let Ariadne go now!" Arthur could see the fear in the old smart ass' eyes as he grabbed his collar and shoved him against the wall over and over. The old man's hands fumbled behind him to shut off the sound of the girl's voice in an attempt to calm his pursuer but Arthur's hands found Browning's neck and squeezed, "You tell them to leave her alone…" The Point warned, clouding the room with malice.
The door flew open, "Enough."
Fischer's men peeled Arthur (his face emanating satisfaction) off of Browning, the old man slumping and heaving for breath. "You want to see the architect?" He didn't wait for Arthur's steely eyes to answer him, "Let's hope you find her, then." His minions released Arthur with a force and waited for him to sprint out. He warily glared at Robert and went to find Ariadne in this labyrinth. When he was at the door, the bane of his existence called out, "Before something terrible happens…"
xxxxxx
He'd searched every nook and cranny. His heartbeat was rapid, his breathing terse. What would they do her? How could they do all of this to her? Especially, in her condition? If he didn't find Ariadne he might burst. Then down a corridor, two men were leaving and locking a door. He hadn't tried down that way…Arthur headed for that door first. Something was going on inside of that room…He raced down and kicked the door open. He heard a hissing sound, one all too familiar. Ariadne was lying unconscious on a lawn chair in a deep, peaceful rest.
Hooked up to a PASIV.
"Nononononononono" it was a never ending stream running out of his mouth. He couldn't just pull the lead out of her arm, she might get stuck in the dream. How could she pull through this if she were stuck in limbo? He needed to go under and wake her but there was no other lead. This PASIV replica was made for one person. It was a simple dream aid not a shared dreaming aid. He could try tipping her for a kick. Maybe her inner ear sense would still be functional. No matter what he did, he needed to act hastily. Who knows how long she'd already been under and who knows how much Somnacin had entered her system.
xxxxxx
She felt him move to slide out of bed. Ariadne rolled over and grabbed his arm, "Don't go." Sleepily she wrapped his arm back around her and nuzzled into his shoulder, kissing it lightly. Letting the fuzzy feeling of sleep and the muscles of his forearm lull her back into rest.
"I've stayed in bed as long as I can, Ari…I'm pushing time as it is." His fingers grazed her waist and pulled away.
She reluctantly let him go, wiped the crusties from the corner of her eye and watched him prepare for the day. Recently showered, he stepped out of their bathroom in a freshly pressed suit to find her sitting up on one arm, leaning her head on her shoulder and looking contentedly at him. "Don't give me that look."
Ariadne raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Am I giving you a look?"
"Yes." He crossed the room back to kneel in front of her side of the bed, "The 'I'm too beautiful for you to leave me here' look."
She teased and shrugged, "It comes naturally." She laid back down with her head rested on her arm.
"It's the first meeting with this client, Ari, I have to go." He said apologetically.
"I know. This past isolation period was so nice, though. I got used to you being home with me every day."
Arthur kissed her cheek and lingered there. He loved it when she wore his button ups to sleep in. She made them smell like her. Like strawberries and baby powder and pencil lead. Before bed he would rid himself of his pressed, proper clothing and she would shrug it on over her sports bra. She sighed dejectedly and he pulled away and saw her downcast eyes. "I know you miss it."
"It's not fair you get to go off and dream every day." Ariadne nearly pouted. Her youth and vigor seeping through and showing her age.
"I'm just doing research this time; I'm not going under for the job." He explained.
Ariadne almost whined, "But you could if you wanted to."
"You know I would bring you with me in a heartbeat," He brushed her temple with his calloused thumb, "But you can't go under right now. There's too much of a risk."
The architect nodded understandingly albeit a bit disappointed.
"We don't know how the Somnacin will affect the baby." His hand rested on her barely protruding stomach and kissed the top of her head.
xxxxxx
Thanks for reading. I know it was short…but Now we're into the actual story instead of a bunch of short flashbacks! Woo! And Ariadne is pregnant…whaaaaat? At least it's Arthur's. Please review and I'll update as soon as I can
-PrettyPlease.