Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. Apologies for the hiatus with this fic!
"Dom?"
The Extractor turned, and looked at the Point Man. "Yes, Arthur?"
"The reason I'm like this..." his voice faltered, and he seemed unsure of what to say. Blinking, he turned and looked at the Extractor, who nodded, sympathetically.
"Family?" Cobb's tone was kind, not holding any reproach. Arthur blushed. "Possibly."
Suddenly, they heard an explosion. Arthur turned to Cobb, his expression worried. "What's going on out there?"
Ariadne looked at Eames. "Arthur's here, somewhere, I know it."
The Forger nodded. "I know." He bit his lip, trying to disguise his growing worry. "He's down-"
Suddenly, he blinked. The Architect had disappeared.
Ariadne opened her eyes. She was staring into Greenwood's piercing green ones. He smiled at her, gently. Turning her head, she noticed with a sense of shock that Arthur, Cobb and Eames were all still hooked up to the PASIV.
"What-" she stammered out, not sure what to think. Greenwood nodded. "OK, time for your therapy." He gestured to the nurses, who came forward, and grabbed at her arms. Without speaking a word, she was hauled to her feet, and dragged out of the room.
"Arthur, be careful," Cobb said, warningly. "Remember, they've got you under sedation, and it contains a-"
The Point Man was already hurrying along the corridor, determined to find out the source of the noise. Suddenly, the Extractor heard his voice, echoing down the corridor. "Cobb, come quick!"
Fearing the worst, he followed him. "What is it?"
"A riot," Arthur said, dully. Outside the pristine walls of the hospital, a large, angry looking mob was beginning to gather. "Its-"
"A projection of your subconscious," Cobb cut in. "These are your dreams, Arthur. They've injected you with a hallucinogenic. This is causing it to seem worse."
Arthur turned to the Extractor. "How can it get any worse?" he asked, his tone filled with anguish. "We're trapped in here, Ariadne-"
"Come on, we'll find her." Cobb realised that the words sounded simple, facile, too easily said with no substance to support them. "We can-"
Arthur was looking directly at him, his teeth gritted. "We have to. Now."
Ariadne blinked, and looked at the therapist. "OK," he said, his tone abrasive. "I think you know where this is going. Your boyfriend has made a lot of people very angry. Very powerful people."
She nodded. "I know," she said, coolly.
"You do realise that you're wasting your time with him?" Greenwood's voice was insistent. "He'll never recover. And whilst the little stunts you've been pulling seem to try and help him, you're no match for what's in his mind."
Ariadne looked at the psychiatrist. "I'm not," she said, her tone equally cold. "I'm not giving up on him. Ever."
The man nodded. "Touching. But you don't have a choice."
She shook her head. "I'm not giving up on him."
"You possess all the emotional sentiment of a greetings card," Greenwood said, shaking his head. "But, since you're entrenched in this view, I'll tell you the deal."
Eames turned his head. "What the-" he muttered. "How can-"
Turning, he opened the door, only to come face to face with Arthur.
"Not again," the Forger said, meeting the projection's eyes.
"Got that straight," the projection snarled. Holding up a gun, he fired directly into the Forger's face.
"Arthur!" Cobb grabbed at his arm. "Please, allow me to do something. Allow me to go into your mind. Now."
The Point Man looked at him, slightly stunned. "Do you-" He swallowed. "Do you really think thats appropriate?"
"I need to," The Extractor said, simply. "I need to pull out the inception on you. Completely. I need to do it, in order to help you get well."
Arthur met the other man's eyes. "I know, but we have to find Ariadne first. If we don't-"
"If you don't what?" Turning, Arthur found himself looking at Eames. "Forget it, Arthur. Really."
Arthur blinked. "Eames? You?"
"Hallucination!" Cobb grabbed onto the Point Man's arm. "Arthur, its a projection! Don't listen to-"
He blinked. Arthur collapsed, lying on the floor.
Suddenly, the Point Man blinked. To his shock, he was staring at the wall of the hospital. As he turned his head, he realised Eames was also blinking, looking at him.
"What-?" The Point muttered. He looked at the Forger. "Where-?"
"They've pulled us out," Eames muttered, sitting up. "They've pulled us out of the dream."
Arthur bit his lip. "Why?"
"Not sure." Eames stood up. "Stay here," he told Arthur, warningly. The Point nodded, and Eames got up, and walked to the door of the room. He looked down at the still sleeping body of Dom Cobb. Eames bent down. "Dom?"
He swallowed. "He must be down-" suddenly, the Extractor's eyes began to flutter, and both Arthur and Eames went to his side. "Its ok," Arthur said, gently. "Its ok."
Cobb looked at the younger man, and smiled. "Thanks, Art." He blushed. He reached down and took the younger man's wrist. "You're coming back to us," he said softly. "You're coming back with us."
Arthur swallowed. "Dom, I don't think they'll let me go, they'll use Ariadne as-"
"They're not going to hurt her, or you," the Extractor said, gently. "Trust me. We need to get out of here, and then find a way for me to repair the damage. Please, trust me."
Arthur bit his lip. "OK, I want to, but-"
He stopped. The door was opening.
Ariadne looked at Greenwood. "I won't." She shook her head. "You tried once, and I said no-"
"Let me persuade you one last time." Greenwood got up, and gestured to the door. "Please."
Greenwood opened the door, and showed her in. Eames, who was nearest, blinked, and stepped back.
"OK, here's the deal," Greenwood said, smiling coldly. "Arthur - if you want to see Ariadne alive again, you're going back into the dream state, and you're going to let Cobb extract any trace of knowing her from your mind. And Eames, you are going to help him. And then, I'm going to deliver him to Fischer, and you're all free to go. But if you don't, I will kill her-"
Arthur stepped forward, his eyes murderous. "No," he growled. "Let her go. Now!"
Greenwood smirked. "Arthur, you really are-"
Suddenly, the psychiatist's eyes widened, and he began to slump to the floor. The team looked up, and Trent walked in, carrying a gun. He looked at the others, his eyes narrowing.
"I'm leaving," he said, with characteristic understatement. "Whose joining me?"
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