I Need You

"Nomad?" Nova-TP spoke softly into the darkness. The Claptrap droid was sitting in a pocket full of darkness. He didn't react to the question but Nova-TP knew it was him. Nova-TP stepped inside Nomad-N4V's cell and asked again. This time, Nomad-N4V did react. He looked up from the floor and looked at Nova-TP. He spoke in just a whisper.

"I don't have any wires left. Go away." Nova-TP realised that Nomad-N4V had mistaken him for somebody else. It was clear that Nomad-N4V couldn't tell one Claptrap robot from another. Or maybe it was because of the absence of light? Nomad-N4V's voice was ruined. It rasped with every word as if his voice grinded against itself just to speak. Nova-TP spoke again.

"No, you don't understand. I'm not someone you've met before. I've only just been transferred here from the other side. I'm here to help you." Nomad-N4V then stood up. Nova-TP backed off just in case he was going to attack him. Nomad-N4V noticed the fear and ignored it. He approached Nova-TP who had now fallen back to the catwalk. Nomad-N4V switched on a light and bathed the cell in artificial light. Nomad-N4V looked at Nova-TP's scratched body and gestured him back inside his cell. Nomad-N4V was coloured steel with a dark blue stripe running vertically down his body. There were bullet holes riddled all over his body, scratches and small chunks of metal missing on one of his sides. Nomad-N4V had taken a battering during his time in Lockdown Palace.

Nova-TP walked back inside the cell and Nomad-N4V turned the light off. They both sat down in the cell. Nomad-N4V sat on his bed while Nova-TP sat on a small box.

"I can't keep the light on for long, they'll see me."

"Who'll see you?" Nova-TP asked.

"The inmates, they won't leave me alone." There was a silence after this. They both could hear the clanging of metal objects above them and the echoed howls of the prisoners. Nova-TP quickly decided to cut to the chase.

"Let me tell you why I'm here." Nomad-N4V listened to Nova-TP's every word, "The Claptrap community in the Rust Commons East have gathered together to form a Robolution. They aim to cripple the planet's way of life led by humans. We have saved Claptrap modules, sabotaged human resources and killed key human figures on the planet. However, our leader wants to bring you back from prison and return by his side like you used to in Fyrestone before you were taken away."

Nomad-N4V didn't say anything; he was trying to wrap his head around this. He seemed almost offended that this stranger knew about his old life that was ripped away from him. "How am I useful? No, before you answer that, who is your leader?"

"The INAC." Nova-TP's words sparked nothing in Nomad-N4V's mind.

"The what? What the hell is that?" Nova-TP didn't know how to describe it. He had only seen the INAC briefly on a screen; he wasn't really paying attention to it.

"He's who you were with in Fyrestone. You both used to live together in that town. Your partner is the INAC."

Nomad-N4V drifted away for a moment. Nova-TP could tell that he remembered. Nomad-N4V looked at the wall behind Nova-TP and said to himself very softly, Avalon-TP…

"Is that his real name?" Nova-TP asked.

Nomad-N4V left his dream world and replied to Nova-TP.

"Yes, that's his designated name. But, I don't understand why he wants me."

"He didn't say, I was told by my superiors that I have to come here and break you out." Nomad-N4V laughed at this comment.

"I lonely Claptrap robot, to go to Lockdown Palace and breakout another Claptrap robot on the off-chance that he's still alive? Are you insane?"

"I had no choice. Complications rose after some of my actions during previous missions. No offense, I didn't want to come here."

"I bet you didn't. What complications?" Nomad-N4V sensed the delicate nature of his question. Nova-TP's body language gave his away his position on this. "You may as well tell me seeing as we're going to be spending a lot more time together in the future if you're serious about us escaping." Nova-TP took a deep breath and began to tell Nomad-N4V about the events in Jakobs Cove and the Underdome riot.

"…After that I was able to keep a memory of death in my head and one removed. I guess after that they thought I was untrustworthy. Another group inside the robolution called RMI were watching me under the suspicion that I was a spy planted by the humans. After that, I went to the Underdome with another robolutionary called C4TALY5T-SV and the plan didn't go right. After I resolved it, I had to leave him behind to save myself. I don't know what happened to him."

Nomad-N4V nodded his head showing that he understood what Nova-TP had said. Nomad-N4V added his own knowledge on the abandoned Claptrap. "I can help you answer that." Nova-TP looked at Nomad-N4V like someone who was verging on forgiveness for a terrible sin. "He's here."

Nova-TP couldn't fathom what he had just heard. So many questions had presented themselves.

"What, here as in this cellblock?"

"Yes. That's who I mistook you for. He's been terrorising me for my spare parts; he's one of the worst prisoners here."

"How did he get here? How did he escape the Underdome?"

"You're better off asking him that. I can't help you in that respect." Nova-TP's plan began to melt in front of him. There was no doubt in his mind that C4TALY5T-SV wanted to kill him for leaving him in the riot. Before he left, C4TALY5T-SV tried to kill him. If there was any hope of escaping, C4TALY5T-SV had to die. Fortunately for Nova-TP, C4TALY5T-SV had no idea that he was here. He had the element of surprise on his side and he already had an ally. Nomad-N4V said to Nova-TP that C4TALY5T-SV's cell was on the top floor of the cellblock. He should visit him tomorrow and kill him.

"No, we can't wait. We have to leave now!"

"What's the hurry? Why rush when we have time?" Nomad-N4V asked Nova-TP who was looking upwards from where he sat in the cell to the catwalk above.

"Because he's seen me."