Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. Apologies for the hiatus!
Arthur pulled Ariadne close, and kissed the top of her head. She folded into him, tightening her grip. "We will get through this," she whispered. "I promise-"
Suddenly, he blinked in shock. His arms were empty. He was standing in the middle of the road, alone.
Ariadne's eyes flickered. She heard voices, and with a sickening jolt, realised she was out of the dream. The nurses - their voices were low, but distinct.
"What do we do?" One almost hissed. "Restrain her?"
"Not necessary," another voice snapped, which she immediately identified as Greenwood. "Give her a shot, and take her back to her room. Then, we wait. We wait until Fischer comes back out, and what we want to do with him."
Him. Ariadne bit back her anger. She kept her eyes closed, trying to maintain a pretence of still hovering on the verge of the dream. She tried to think calmly, and rationally. She felt the heat of the nurse's breath on her face, and tied to keep her facial muscles perfectly composed. After another few seconds, she began to flutter her eyelids, trying to maintain the pretence of just leaving the dream.
"I - uh..." she murmured, and began to gently raise her eyelids. She could see Greenwood watching her, his face suspicious. With a sickening flash, she realised that he knew. She'd woken up the minute the IV had been wrenched from her arm. Swallowing, she decided to play along.
"Well, looks like you've returned." The psychiatrists' tone was edged with coldness. "I'm afraid we have to keep Arthur under a little longer. But its all right, he won't be alone."
Ariadne fully opened her eyes, and turned her head. Arthur was still under. With a sinking heart, she saw Fischer, stretched out next to him, asleep. She turned and looked at Greenwood, anger clouding her face.
Greenwood smiled, and nodded. "Take her back to her room."
The heavier nurse walked forward. "Come on, sweetheart." Grabbing her arm, he hauled her to her feet. She threw a last look at Arthur as she was pulled away.
Eames glanced at Trent as they travelled to the airport. His face was perfectly composed. Eames realised that their original Point never betrayed a flicker of emotion.
"You really sure about this?" Cobb broke the silence. He was in the back seat, behind the Point. "That we should just forget about him, and her?"
Eames swallowed, and waited for the other man's answer. The previous two days had passed in a blur. The lack of communication from Arthur had been interpreted as a signal that he had severed his ties. Eames hit his hand with the steering wheel. "There has to be another way."
"There is." Trent spoke. "You have to accept that invading his mind was not a good tactic. And I'm willing to bet that his subconscious will be armed, and ready to fight whatever comes into it now."
"So what do you suggest?" Cobb's voice was stretched to breaking point. "Have you any idea what its like to watch him be like this? Watch him being so ill? Not to mention there's always the fact it could have been our fault, the team's?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Trent said, softly. "I caught him one night. He told me never to tell you."
Cobb's eyes widened in shock. "You knew?" his voice was as taught as wire, and Eames heard the sharp edge. "So you've been hiding this as well?"
"Not intentionally," Trent said. "But I don't violate confidences."
Cobb shook his head. Trent's clear-cut worldview jarred with his own visions of grey. Trent turned to Eames. "Turn around."
"What?" The Forger looked astonished.
"Just do it. I think we all know what we need to do."
Arthur began to cautiously make his way across the room. "Ari?" He struggled to keep the desperation out of his voice. "Ari?"
"Do I suffice?" an icy voice inquired. Turning, Arthur saw Fischer. He raised an eyebrow. "Hi."
"Arthur," Fischer smiled, and took a step forward. "Let's be amicable. I'm sure we can come to an agreement. You don't have to-"
He never finished the sentence. His eyes wide with amazement, he hit the floor as the bullet pierced into his chest. Arthur lowered the gun, then leaned down.
"I think I missed your heart."
Fischer's eyes flicked open. He turned, and stared at the sleeping Arthur. Greenwood's eyes had widened with shock. "What happened?"
Fischer's voice was barely a whisper. "He shot me." He looked at the psychiatrist. "Whats happened? I thought you said he'd be malleable, easy to manipulate!"
Greenwood shook his head. "Its her. Thats it. She's influenced him, Robert. Too much."
Fischer looked at the sleeping Arthur. "Keep him under. Go in, and see what you can do."
Greenwood began to smile. "It'll be a pleasure."
"Take these two" - Fischer waved an arm in the direction of Tom and Mike, who were standing uncertainly in the centre - "with you. I'm sure you'll have fun."
Greenwood nodded, and checked his watch. "We will. We have just over six minutes. Which is, I believe, just over an hour in the dream." He looked at the two nurses. "Come on."
Cobb swallowed. "Are you sure about this?"
Trent nodded. "Absolutely. Why did Saito want Arthur in the first place? He took him, remember? Time to go straight to the source."
Cobb looked up at the imposing building. Trent shrugged, the sign of a man deeply unimpressed with other's wealth. "Come on."
Eames and the Extractor followed the taciturn Point. As they entered the building, they could feel pairs of eyes sizing them up. They approached the main reception desk. The young woman seated behind the structure looked at them. "May I help you?"
"We would like to see Ichiro Saito, please." Cobb spoke, his voice firm. She raised an eyebrow, clearly astonished at such a bold request. "Mr Saito doesn't see anyone without an appointment."
"Tell him its Dominic Cobb." The Extractor didn't break his gaze. "He will see me."
She smiled, dismissively. "Of course." Picking up the phone, she spoke briefly in Japanese. After a few moments, during which her eyes widened in astonishment, she looked at the three men. "He will see you. Right now."
Cobb looked at Trent and Eames. "Come on."
Fischer looked at the Architect. She was keeping her features perfectly still, not betraying the churning emotion she felt. He smiled, and sat down opposite her. She shivered slightly.
"You've upset me," he said, simply. "I thought I could trust you to do the right thing, Ariadne, which is to be co-operative. You do know that you needed to let Arthur destroy those memories of you, don't you?"
She nodded. "I know."
"You do know that in not letting him do that, you've made things very dangerous?"
She looked at him. "I think I do."
He leaned forward his voice taking on a soothing, almost paternalistic quality. "Let me explain this to you. You're in a battle for Arthur's mind and soul, and you're never going to win it. His eating disorder has made sure of that. You've lost. Give him up. Let me deal with him." He leaned back, his eyes glinting. "I'd almost succeeded in convincing him he didn't need you - any of you- but I didn't realise how deeply he felt for you." He grimaced slightly. "My mistake. But there is a way to rectify it." He smiled. "Would you like to hear it?"
Saito stood up, and looked at the three men with hostility. Cobb swallowed; the lack of warmth was not easing the tension he felt. "Saito."
"Cobb." The magnate nodded. "What can I do for you?"
Cobb settled himself in a seat. He looked at the older man. "I need you to tell me something. Why are you so determined to get hold of Arthur? You tried once, and then you seemed to sell him out to Fischer."
Saito smiled. "You haven't worked it out?"
Cobb leaned back. "Enlighten me." He stole a look at Trent and Eames. "All of us."
Saito nodded. "Very well."
Arthur began to walk down the stairs. He needed to get out. Fischer's body had vanished, a clear sign he'd woken up. Shoving the gun in the waistband of his suit, he began to move more quickly.
"Hey, whale boy!" he heard a shout. Moving closer, he saw Tom and Mike standing near the door.
"Oh, look who it is," Arthur said, unable to resist smiling. "Its the playground bullies."
Tom looked at him in astonishment; Mike following suite. "What did you just say?"
"Playground bullies," Arthur repeated. "Tell me, did you get paid more to shove my face in that bowl of mousse that last time, or was that just improvised?"
The two nurses were stunned. "Hey, Ogilvie," Tom said, uncertainly, moving backwards. "We just thought you were hungry, thats all-"
Arthur nodded. "I am." Pulling the gun out, he fired two quick rounds, embedding the bullets in their bodies. Tom groaned as he hit the floor, Mike following. Stepping over them casually, he moved towards the front door. He couldn't be under much longer-
"Arthur!"
He turned. Greenwood was standing, leaning against the doorway. "This isn't like you." His face was open, questioning. "Usually you're so compliant!"
Arthur looked at him. "No." He spoke coldly, decisively. "I'm done with following orders."
"So you plan to let Arthur become a stranger to us, extract from Browning, and then blackmail Fischer to get him to hand those secrets over." Cobb shook his head. "You never did lose your paranoia over Fischer, did you, Saito?"
The older man shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
"So what about Arthur?" Eames broke in.
"Well, its simple." Saito leaned back. "I wait. I wait until he's served his purpose. Then I find him."
Cobb shook his head. "No, Saito. If you want me to ever perform another extraction for you, then you help me find him now."
Arthur's eyes opened. Fischer stood over him, as did Greenwood. Unable to resist a smirk, Arthur allowed his lips to curve as he saw their faces.
"Very impressive," Greenwood nodded. "I would say you're starting to fight back."
"Its because I have something to fight back for," he retorted. The feel of Ariadne's lips, and her skin, still played in his mind. Pulling the IV out of his arm, he got up. "Let me see her."
"Not possible." Fisher smiled, coldly. "She's not here." He looked at him.
Arthur took a step forward. "Tell me where she is," he said, his voice as glacial as Fischer's. "Or I promise I will kill you."
Fisher smirked. "Now, Arthur. We're not in a drea-"
His words were choked off as Arthur closed his hands around his throat. "Doesn't matter. Trust me."
The three men began to leave the building. Eames looked at Trent, and Cobb. "We can find him - and her. We will."
Cobb looked at Eames. "Maybe." He sighed. "I'm just so tired of this night-" he broke off, his cellphone beginning to ring. Sighing, he pulled it out. "Hello?"
"Dom?" Arthur's voice sounded nervous, and hesitant. "Dom. Please. I need your help."
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