The stranger closed his eyes in despair. Sleep became him. He had been out cold until a tapping sound hit the bars of the cell at the window. Moonlight had now been blocked by the darkness of a small creature. It appeared to be buzzing up against the window like a moth against a light. In the center of the creature a red beam emitted stopping at the far wall, and against its chest the number 3 appeared. Then 2. Then 1.

"Fucking hell!" the stranger shouted rolling to his side.

KABOOOM

Rocks, shards, flew against the floor
flames ripped through the room like
tentacles unfolding and retracting.

Shouts howled from outside;
the buzz of wings were the
closest sounds to the stranger,
who rubbed ash, and swatted smoke,
from his face.

"Exploding birds, great! What an entertaining evening."

The small creature was still floating in front of him; exposed moonlight revealed a small metal android hovering near his nose. Its box shape and quiet hum reminded him of something he had once seen, yet he dismissed it since he could not even remember his identity.

"You found me, congratulations. I hope I'm worth your trouble, because we're about to have some company," the stranger said.

"I hope you are too," a voice returned.

The stranger blinked looking at the robot, then looked beyond it to the freshly created exit.

"These things can't talk, can they?" the stranger looked back at the robot.

"No, not these versions. You make do with what you can when you're in this area. The name's Eris," the woman responded as she kneeled to cut his ropes.

"Nice to meet you. I'd offer you my name, but all I know for certain is my arm hurts like hell," the stranger admitted as he gained his ground.

"Don't worry about that now. We will figure you out, but right now we have to get out of this shit hole."

"Don't tell the owner that," the stranger smirked.

Bullets pierced the door. The peddler's bodyguards broke through the splintered pieces only to see the number 2 floating in the air.