The Ashen Fortress III

[Claptrap]

Claptrap considered the question for a moment. How did Morene regenerate so quickly. "Weeeeell." Claptrap began. "I don't know anything for sure, but if I had to take a wild guess, I'd be willing to bet darkchips were involved." Miranda looked over her shoulder at the robot. "You don't think she'd do that, do you? We all saw what They can do." Claptrap did his best shrug. "I don't know. She was real desperate to get the girl out of there. Besides, even if she did it would only be one. What's the worst that can happen." Miranda nodded in acknowledgment, although she was obviously not reassured by the concept of 'the worst'.   

The pair continued home, and Miranda enjoyed a rare respite from Claptrap's constant rambling as Claptrap fiddled with a loose bolt on his arm. After a personal best of 35 seconds of silence, Claptrap spoke up again. "How do you think Kuzuru's doing? I hope his revival wasn't messy." Miranda shrugged. "He's probably at the fortress waiting for us, finding something to kill, or both." There was a brief pause. "What do you mean messy?" 

Claptrap chuckled. "Oh, you've never seen a New-U machine malfunction, have you? I remember I was just minding my own business once, and a disembodied arm just shot out of a nearby machine! No body, no other limbs, just an arm! It was horrifically traumatising." To emphasise his point, Claptrap waved his arm around like it was flying through the air. Miranda's eye widened in shock. "Uh, Claptrap, is your arm meant to come off like that?" 

Claptrap chuckled slightly. "Haha, no, no it's not. It just kinda came off." Miranda paused for a moment. "If you don't mind me asking, does it hurt?" "Oh, yes, it's excruciating. Say, will we be home soon?" Miranda turned to check how far they were from the fortress. They had crossed most of the distance between the garrison and their base, and only had a few hundred metres until they reached the stairs. "Yeah, we're almost there." "Nice, I won't have to pass out!"

Miranda scaled the stairs and gently placed Claptrap on the ground next to her. The robot slapped the door with his detached hand, and it slip open in response to his palm. "Boss, we'e hooooome." Claptrap called, hoping Kuzuru was there and not in several different pieces.