diff --git a/src/codeobject.h b/src/codeobject.h
index e1886916..a2472569 100644
--- a/src/codeobject.h
+++ b/src/codeobject.h
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ struct CodeObject {
         auto _start = co_code.begin() + start;
         auto _end = co_code.begin() + end;
         co_code.insert(co_code.end(), _start, _end);
-        for(int i=start; i<end; i++) co_code[i].op = OP_NO_OP;
+        for(int i=start; i<end; i++) co_code[i].op = OP_DELETED_OP;
     }
 
     _Str toString(){
@@ -227,15 +227,15 @@ public:
         }
     }
 
-    PyVarList popNValuesReversed(VM* vm, int n){
-        PyVarList v(n);
-        for(int i=n-1; i>=0; i--) v[i] = std::move(popValue(vm));
+    pkpy::ArgList popNValuesReversed(VM* vm, int n){
+        pkpy::ArgList v(n);
+        for(int i=n-1; i>=0; i--) v._index(i) = std::move(popValue(vm));
         return v;
     }
 
-    PyVarList __popNReversed(int n){
-        PyVarList v(n);
-        for(int i=n-1; i>=0; i--) v[i] = std::move(__pop());
+    pkpy::ArgList __popNReversed(int n){
+        pkpy::ArgList v(n);
+        for(int i=n-1; i>=0; i--) v._index(i) = std::move(__pop());
         return v;
     }
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/opcodes.h b/src/opcodes.h
index c36b6b27..5e3215a0 100644
--- a/src/opcodes.h
+++ b/src/opcodes.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifdef OPCODE
 
 OPCODE(NO_OP)
+OPCODE(DELETED_OP)
 OPCODE(LOAD_CONST)
 OPCODE(IMPORT_NAME)
 OPCODE(PRINT_EXPR)
diff --git a/src/safestl.h b/src/safestl.h
index 5e11f819..92961470 100644
--- a/src/safestl.h
+++ b/src/safestl.h
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ namespace pkpy {
             return _args[i];
         }
 
+        inline PyVar& _index(uint8_t i){
+            return _args[i];
+        }
+
         // overload = for &&
         ArgList& operator=(ArgList&& other){
             if(this != &other){
@@ -162,6 +166,14 @@ namespace pkpy {
             return ret;
         }
 
+        PyVarList toList() const {
+            PyVarList ret(_size);
+            for(uint8_t i=0; i<_size; i++){
+                ret[i] = _args[i];
+            }
+            return ret;
+        }
+
         ~ArgList(){
             __tryRelease();
         }
diff --git a/src/vm.h b/src/vm.h
index 104c076a..0e93dc67 100644
--- a/src/vm.h
+++ b/src/vm.h
@@ -91,10 +91,10 @@ protected:
             } break;
             case OP_BUILD_SMART_TUPLE:
             {
-                PyVarList items = frame->__popNReversed(byte.arg);
+                pkpy::ArgList items = frame->__popNReversed(byte.arg);
                 bool done = false;
-                for(auto& item : items){
-                    if(!item->isType(_tp_pointer)) {
+                for(int i=0; i<items.size(); i++){
+                    if(!items[i]->isType(_tp_pointer)) {
                         done = true;
                         PyVarList values(items.size());
                         for(int i=0; i<items.size(); i++){
@@ -112,9 +112,9 @@ protected:
             } break;
             case OP_BUILD_STRING:
             {
-                PyVarList items = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, byte.arg);
+                pkpy::ArgList items = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, byte.arg);
                 _StrStream ss;
-                for(const auto& i : items) ss << PyStr_AS_C(asStr(i));
+                for(int i=0; i<items.size(); i++) ss << PyStr_AS_C(asStr(items[i]));
                 frame->push(PyStr(ss.str()));
             } break;
             case OP_LOAD_EVAL_FN: {
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ protected:
                 pkpy::ArgList args(2);
                 args[1] = frame->popValue(this);            // obj
                 args[0] = frame->__topValueN(this, -2);     // list
-                fastCall(args[0], "append"_c, std::move(args));
+                fastCall("append"_c, std::move(args));
             } break;
             case OP_STORE_FUNCTION:
                 {
@@ -159,26 +159,20 @@ protected:
             case OP_POP_TOP: frame->popValue(this); break;
             case OP_BINARY_OP:
                 {
-                    pkpy::ArgList args(2);
-                    args[1] = frame->popValue(this);
-                    args[0] = frame->popValue(this);
-                    frame->push(fastCall(args[0], BINARY_SPECIAL_METHODS[byte.arg], std::move(args)));
+                    pkpy::ArgList args = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, 2);
+                    frame->push(fastCall(BINARY_SPECIAL_METHODS[byte.arg], std::move(args)));
                 } break;
             case OP_BITWISE_OP:
                 {
-                    pkpy::ArgList args(2);
-                    args[1] = frame->popValue(this);
-                    args[0] = frame->popValue(this);
-                    frame->push(fastCall(args[0], BITWISE_SPECIAL_METHODS[byte.arg], std::move(args)));
+                    pkpy::ArgList args = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, 2);
+                    frame->push(fastCall(BITWISE_SPECIAL_METHODS[byte.arg], std::move(args)));
                 } break;
             case OP_COMPARE_OP:
                 {
-                    pkpy::ArgList args(2);
-                    args[1] = frame->popValue(this);
-                    args[0] = frame->popValue(this);
+                    pkpy::ArgList args = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, 2);
                     // for __ne__ we use the negation of __eq__
                     int op = byte.arg == 3 ? 2 : byte.arg;
-                    PyVar res = fastCall(args[0], CMP_SPECIAL_METHODS[op], std::move(args));
+                    PyVar res = fastCall(CMP_SPECIAL_METHODS[op], std::move(args));
                     if(op != byte.arg) res = PyBool(!PyBool_AS_C(res));
                     frame->push(std::move(res));
                 } break;
@@ -192,7 +186,7 @@ protected:
                 {
                     PyVar rhs = frame->popValue(this);
                     PyVar lhs = frame->popValue(this);
-                    bool ret_c = PyBool_AS_C(call(std::move(rhs), __contains__, {std::move(lhs)}));
+                    bool ret_c = PyBool_AS_C(call(rhs, __contains__, {std::move(lhs)}));
                     if(byte.arg == 1) ret_c = !ret_c;
                     frame->push(PyBool(ret_c));
                 } break;
@@ -241,12 +235,12 @@ protected:
                 } break;
             case OP_BUILD_LIST:
                 {
-                    PyVarList items = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, byte.arg);
-                    frame->push(PyList(items));
+                    pkpy::ArgList items = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, byte.arg);
+                    frame->push(PyList(items.toList()));
                 } break;
             case OP_BUILD_MAP:
                 {
-                    PyVarList items = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, byte.arg*2);
+                    pkpy::ArgList items = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, byte.arg*2);
                     PyVar obj = call(builtins->attribs["dict"], {});
                     for(int i=0; i<items.size(); i+=2){
                         call(obj, __setitem__, {items[i], items[i+1]});
@@ -256,7 +250,7 @@ protected:
             case OP_DUP_TOP: frame->push(frame->topValue(this)); break;
             case OP_CALL:
                 {
-                    PyVarList args = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, byte.arg);
+                    pkpy::ArgList args = frame->popNValuesReversed(this, byte.arg);
                     PyVar callable = frame->popValue(this);
                     PyVar ret = call(std::move(callable), std::move(args), true);
                     if(ret == __py2py_call_signal) return ret;
@@ -448,7 +442,8 @@ public:
         return True;
     }
 
-    PyVar fastCall(const PyVar& obj, const _Str& name, pkpy::ArgList&& args){
+    PyVar fastCall(const _Str& name, pkpy::ArgList&& args){
+        const PyVar& obj = args[0];
         PyObject* cls = obj->_type.get();
         while(cls != None.get()) {
             auto it = cls->attribs.find(name);