Nick (Video Game)

"Everyone I grew up with... it all happened to them. Now, it's gonna happen to us. We're all so fucked. I mean, what's the point? We'll just march to some new place and somebody else will die. It's never gonna stop. And eventually, it'll be our turn."

- Nick to Clementine.

Nick is an original character who appears in Telltale Games' The Walking Dead: Season Two.

Location Unknown
Before the outbreak Nick had been born to a distant, alcoholic father and an unnamed mother. Nick's uncle, Pete, took on the responsibility of raising Nick. Pete felt that it was best for Nick to learn about the cruelties of the world as soon as possible. Because of this approach to raising him, Pete was often condescending and brutally honest with Nick about life and his place in the world, causing Nick to suffer low self-esteem and anger issues, and resulting in a serious strain in their relationship that continued throughout their lives.

Once, when he was about Clementine's age, Pete took Nick on a hunting trip where they spotted a roe buck. Pete was disappointed that Nick didn't want to shoot the buck, and when they argued over it, Nick's rifle went off and nearly hit Pete. Pete later went out and found the buck, killed it and took it back to his sister's house to show to Nick, after which Nick didn't speak to Pete for weeks.

Later on in his life, he forged a strong friendship with Luke, whom he went into a failed six-month business pursuit with on a forced suggestion on a drunk Luke's behalf.

"All That Remains"
Nick is first encountered as the group argues about how they should handle Clementine after her dog bite is confused with a walker bite. As Clementine wakes up, Nick presumes her to be reanimating, and accidentally pulls the trigger on his rifle. This startles both Clementine and the rest of the group, who then proceed to berate him. Nick is next seen escorting Clementine to the shed along with Luke, per the group's agreement.

After the group discovers that Clementine has surpassed the time limit for reanimation and has killed a walker that made it into the hole in the side of the shed, marking her survival skills as impressive, Nick apologizes to her about earlier as she is offered dinner. The player can choose to accept or reject his apology. Luke later reveals that he lost his mother when they were trying to help a bit victim. But that person turned and killed Nick's mom (this could be why he wanted to kill Clementine).

The next morning, Pete, Clementine, and himself venture to the river in order to check if any of their fish traps caught aquatic life. As they arrive, they are shocked to discover a massacre of people with bullet wounds in their heads and one severely injured man. As the three of them inspect the dead bodies and strange circumstances, walkers emerge from the woods and ambush them. The player can choose to either save the ammo-less and bitten Pete or choose to aid Nick, who has been surrounded and almost overrun by walkers.

In-Game Decision
Clementine has the choice to go help Nick when she, Nick, and Pete are attacked by walkers.

Help Nick (Alive)
If the player chooses Nick, Clementine will cross over the river to help him. Clementine and Nick then watch as Pete is helplessly devoured by walkers on the other side. This visibly horrifies Nick and he scolds Clementine for not rescuing Pete first.

Help Pete (Alive)
If the player chooses to help Pete instead, Clementine will run over to the former. The two of them then watch as Nick flees into the woods in order to escape the overpowering horde of walkers.

"A House Divided"
If Clementine went with Nick at the end of "All That Remains", she and Nick will be holed up in an old moonshine distillery. After blocking the door with a crate of apples to keep the walkers from breaking through, Nick becomes listless because of the death of his uncle, and refuses to help Clementine devise a plan to escape. After Clem finds some old jars of whiskey, Nick drinks them, and when asked about a plan, says, "Oh, fuck if I know. We wait, I guess." Clementine wakes up in the early morning to a drunk Nick smashing the whiskey jars against the wall, alerting nearby walkers. Nick then confesses to Clem that he had to kill his mother after she was bitten, and that he is simply "not built" to have the same ambition and drive as Luke. He then offers Clementine a drink, saying that it will be "[her] first and [her] last." Clementine can accept or refuse. She then can either convince Nick to try to escape with her, or leave him. If convinced to leave, Nick will smash one of the jars over a walker's head as they leave, alerting several other walkers because of the sound. He then draws their attention in order to provide Clementine a means of escape.

If Clementine went with Pete at the end of "All That Remains", she will have the opportunity to promise Pete that she will look out for Nick, though he isn't seen until after Carver's arrival. He was presumably found by Luke and Alvin. Nick is eager to find his Uncle, and when Clementine leads the cabin survivors to the cigarette truck they hid in, Nick is distraught to see Pete disemboweled and shot.

After the group continues on their walk, Nick will speak to Clementine, either to thank Clementine for not giving up on him, or to demand to hear about Pete's last moments. Either way, Luke will be concerned about Nick's emotional and mental stability, and tell Clementine that he doesn't even trust him "to tie his own shoes." On the bridge to reach the ski lodge, Nick will run over as Luke and Clementine speak to the stranger, and, after assuming that the man was going to shoot them, Nick fires first, hitting the stranger in the neck and sending him over the side of the bridge. Luke will admonish Nick for the preemptive attack. Clementine can take either side.

Once across the bridge, Clementine has another opportunity to speak to Nick. If Clementine was with Pete at the beginning of the episode, Nick's monologue about his mother and going into business with Luke will be spoken. If Clementine was with Nick at the beginning of the episode, Nick will comment on Clementine's loyalty to him, either genuinely thanking her for "having [his] back" about shooting the stranger, or sarcastically thanking her for her lack of support. Either way, he begins to doubt himself, saying "maybe I am losing it." He will then ask what time it is, check his wrist, and remember that he left his watch in the cabin; it was a gift from Pete. If Clementine grabbed the watch during "All That Remains", she can give it to Nick, and he will thank her.

Nick continues to lament the shooting on the bridge after the cabin survivors reach the ski lodge. Once Luke and Clementine understand that the stranger on the bridge was Matthew, Walter's partner, Clementine has the opportunity to tell Nick the truth. If told, Nick is overcome with guilt and wants to tell Walter what happened. If Clementine insists that Nick shouldn't worry about it, Luke leads him off to find some beer. Either way, when Clementine confronts Walter, who has found Matthew's knife, Nick will join them and ask Clem what's going on. If she told Walter that Nick is a good guy (adding that "he saved [her] life," if she left the stream with him at the end of All That Remains), Walter will demand that Nick tell him what happened. If she told Walter that Nick was like everyone else, Walter will demand to know if Nick hurt Matthew, to which Nick will reply that he didn't do anything. Nick's fate depends on this dialogue.

Later, Nick will be caught by a walker, and plea for help. If Walter was told that Nick is a good man, he will save Nick. If not, Nick will have his throat ripped open by the attacking walker. Nick is taken with the others to Carver's camp if he survives.

Walter Saves Nick (Alive)
Depending on what you tell Walter on what happened at the bridge saying Nick's a "good guy" he will shoot the walker that is attacking Nick thus saving him.

Walter Leaves Nick (Dead)
Depending on what you told Walter on what happened at the bridge saying Nick's like everybody else, he will hesitate to shoot the walker and leave Nick to die for killing his partner.

"In Harm's Way"
Nick will appear in this episode if he was saved in "A House Divided".

Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Nick has killed:
 * Nick's Mother (Zombified)
 * Matthew
 * Numerous counts of zombies.

Killed By
When Walter finds Matthew's knife in Clementine's bag, he will ask you if it's Nick's fault or not, you can choose to tell the truth or lie to him, in both cases he will ask you if Nick is a good guy. If you tell him that Nick is like "everybody else" (or tell nothing at all), he will let Nick get devoured alive during the walkers attack.
 * Zombies
 * Walter (Caused)
 * Clementine (Indirectly Caused, Determinant)

Relationships
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Pete
"To Peter Joseph Randall. The nicest mean old bastard I ever knew."

- Nick toasting to Pete.

Although Nick acts with slight hostility towards Pete, Nick is in truth very close to him as Pete served as his parental figure. As Nick's own father was apparently very ill-mannered and had irrational outbursts similar to those Nick expresses, Pete took it as his responsibility to raise him correctly. Pete has attempted to force his own disillusioned perception of reality onto Nick when he was both a child and an adult, teaching him how to hunt when he was around Clementine's age despite his objections and continuing to tell him to "grow up" throughout adulthood. This has caused Nick to deeply resent Pete. Despite their strained relationship, they love each other dearly. Nick is shown to be depressed after Pete's death, wishing that Clementine had saved him instead. Nick is later seen copiously drinking, presumably trying to forget his uncle's death (Determinant). In A House Divided he is extremely depressed after losing his uncle Pete whether he finds him shot and disemboweled or watched him be devoured by walkers earlier, and Nick begins to continuously drink and get drunk afterwards in a depression, showing that he truly cared for Pete. He seems to also be upset that he left the watch at the cabin, which was a gift from Pete and was the last thing to remind Nick of him. If Clementine gives him the watch (Determinant), Nick becomes very grateful, further proving how close Nick and Pete were.

Clementine
"Hey, Clem... I just wanted to say thanks... for not giving up on me."

- Nick to Clementine.

Nick is initially very hostile towards Clementine when knowledgable of her bite, still scarred by memories of his mother's death. His itchy trigger finger leads him to nearly shoot Clementine, which the group scolds him over. Later on, when Clementine recovers, he talks to her, apologizing for his actions. He reveals his mother was killed when the group took in a bitten survivor, who turned and attacked her, and Clementine brought back such memories and caused him to act hostile, not wanting such horrific events to repeat. Clementine can either forgive him, remain indifferent, or chastise him over his attitude to her. If Clementine saves Nick, he will be angry as she could've saved his uncle Pete over himself. Later, if Clementine gives him Pete's watch, he is incredibly grateful for it. If Clementine watches out for Nick, he becomes extremely loyal, and along with Luke, protective of her.

Luke
"Luke always used to push me. I never wanted to go into business with him. I remember when he sold me on it. His big plan. Some fuckin' plan. A case of beer in he just said, "Nick, we're burnin' daylight." And that was that. After six months, we were flat broke. But I didn't care. We were havin' fun. I wish I was like him. I wish I could just keep movin’ all the time. But I’m just not… built like that."

- Nick to Clementine about Luke.

Luke and Nick are shown to be close friends that have a history extending further than the apocalypse, although it appears Nick has some doubt about his relationship with Luke, confiding in Clementine his suspicions about Luke thinking he's a threat to the group after he killed Matthew through a misdemeanor. Despite this, they have also been shown to have moments in which they can relate to each other and comfort each other, such as when Luke hugs Nick after the group finds Pete dead and disemboweled, and are close enough to have gone into business for six months before the start of the apocalypse. Overall, Luke is shown to have a strong relationship with Nick that goes both ways. Their relationship resembles that of two brothers.

Carlos
"Nick, help me carry the guns."

- Carlos to Nick.

Nick and Carlos are good friends and have survived with each other for some time during the apocalypse. Carlos, who seems to act as the group's leader, clearly does not mind Nick staying and takes importance from what he says during their house meeting regarding Clementine. Carlos worries for Nick's mental health after losing Pete, to the point of having a discussion with Luke about it. Later on, Nick, who seems to act as Carlos' right-hand man, helps him defend the ski lodge from walkers.

Sarah
"You still have Luke. And everyone else. They're family."

- Clementine to Nick.

Nick and Sarah are good friends and have survived with each other for some time during the apocalypse. Nick cares for Sarah's well-being, and doesn't have any arguments about Carlos wanting to shield her from the horrors of a post-apocalyptic world. While trapped in the cellar, Clementine tells Nick that losing Pete doesn't mean that Nick has lost everything, and tells him that he still has Sarah and the others, to which Nick agrees to return to his people. Nick and Sarah constantly look after each other on their journey to the mountains.

Rebecca
"You idiot! Every lurker for five miles probably heard that!"

- Rebecca to Nick about the gunshot

Nick and Rebecca are good friends and have survived with each other for some time during the apocalypse. Both of them distrust Clementine, and agree they should kill her. However, when Nick missed the shot, Rebecca scolds him, saying the lurkers could hear the shot, and Nick clashes back saying she was the one who told Nick to shoot her. The two seem to have buried the hatchet, as they constantly look after each other on their journey to the mountains. While Nick is concerned about Rebecca's pregnancy, Rebecca worries for Nick's mental health after losing Pete.

Alvin
"It's a shame. Nick was a good guy. He's still a good guy. He's just losin' it."

- Alvin to Clementine about Nick.

Nick and Alvin are good friends and have survived with each other for some time during the apocalypse. However, after Nick shoots Matthew, Alvin is extremely critical of his choice, even moreso once Alvin and Clementine find that Matthew was telling the truth about having food. Alvin says that regardless of Nick's intentions, he murdered Matthew. They constantly look after each other on their journey to the mountains and Alvin worries for Nick's mental health after losing Pete.

Kenny
"Listen, Vanilla Ice, I don't know what your deal is, but you're more than welcome to take off in the morning."

- Kenny arguing with Nick.

Kenny and Nick are shown to have a very tense relationship in which both display much cynicism about the intentions of one another. Luke is shown to dislike Kenny's erratic and constantly shifting behaviour as well as his unpredictable and volatile mannerisms, such as acting amiable and being adamant on the matter of inviting them into his group one moment while arguing over who Clementine likes better the next. Despite this, Nick respects Kenny to some extent, and feels sorry for him when he learns that Kenny lost his family.

Walter
"From a distance it looked like anyone. I... I thought he was going to shoot my friends. And I... I shot Matthew. But it happened real fast. I didn't... I didn't know if I hit him. But I did, and... I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Walter."

- Nick apologizing to Walter.

Walter and Nick initially had a good friendship and looked after each other during their stay at the ski lodge. However, when Walter finds out that Nick has killed Matthew, he was in great distress but not outright anger. When Walter confronted Nick and Clementine about it, Nick shows great remorse and desperately asks Walter for his forgiveness. With tears in his eyes, Walter asks if Nick has any idea about what he has done to him. Their confrontation is interrupted when walkers begin to attack, and Nick is caught in a struggle with one. Walter, depending on what Clementine told him about Nick, will either save Nick or leave him to die. Their relationship is further explored if Walter saves Nick, showing that he has forgiven him for his actions. Grateful towards him, Nick assists Walter in defending the lodge and is later shocked and enraged when Walter is executed by Carver.

Sarita
"You know, now that your friends are here, this place is starting to feel like a real home."

- Sarita to Clementine about Nick and the others.

Nick and Sarita had a good friendship and looked after each other during their stay at the ski lodge. Sarita was warm and friendly towards Nick, and offered him food and hospitality. In return, Nick offers to help her and the rest of the group to carry in their supplies. Later on, Nick and Sarita assist each other during the walker attack. Sarita has yet to know that Nick was responsible for the death of her friend Matthew.

Matthew
"Yeah. I'm just... I wish I hadn't pulled that trigger."

- Nick to Luke about Matthew.

Nick and Matthew were hostile towards one another and drew guns on the other when they met. Nick, believing that Matthew was with Carver, shot him without hesitation. Nick expresses great remorse for killing Matthew and later tells Walter that he never meant to hurt Matthew and that he did so just to protect his friends.

Carver
"...Think about it. You're Carver, what do you do?"

- Nick about Carver.

Nick and the cabin survivors were initially members of Carver's community, but escaped him possibly due to Carver's tyranny. Since then, the two became enemies and were hostile towards each other. Upon finding the bodies at the riverbank, Nick deduces that they were killed by Carver, showing that he knows of Carver's greed for power. Depending on Clementine's choices, Nick can encounter Carver once more, and shows nothing but anger and rage at him for terrorizing his people and killing Walter.}}

Trivia

 * Like Carley and Doug, Nick and Pete are the first pair of characters that pit players in making decision situation of Season 2.
 * Nick bears multiple similarities with Kenny.
 * Both sport a mullet.
 * Both have facial hair.
 * Both wear caps.
 * Both have a short fuse and bad temper.
 * Both tend to get angry with the protagonist when provoked.
 * Both have a taste for alcohol. (Shown in "A House Divided", if rescued)
 * Both became drunk at one point and believed that there was no more hope for themselves to survive after a family member died.
 * Both become depressed after losing a family member. Kenny lost Katjaa and Duck, while Nick lost his mother and his uncle, Pete.
 * Both are very protective of their family members.
 * Both apologize to the playable characters for their past actions.
 * Both disappear to a herd of walkers. (Determinant)
 * Both are later discovered to be alive.
 * Nick is the first character of Season 2 to have a determinant status.
 * Nick also, interestingly enough, bears some striking resemblances to Lilly.
 * They both have headstrong personalities that cause rifts within the group.
 * They both put up tough facades in order to cover up their vulnerabilities and insecurities.
 * Over time, if the player patiently works to win their trust, they let up on their stern demeanors and allow their more softer sides to surface
 * Both of them sink into a depression after their close family members die during the apocalypse.
 * Both of their mental healths begin to deteriorate after experiencing trauma - causing fellow survivors to either be wary or worried about their well beings.
 * Both of them shoot a named survivor while acting upon the belief/claim that they were doing what was necessary to protect and benefit the group.
 * The symbol on his hat bears a resemblance to a symbol for the game, Halo: Combat Evolved.
 * It is shown that Nick is a poor shooter as he is seen shooting at walkers but misses their heads numerous times.
 * This is shown when Clementine wakes up from passing out and chooses to run. Nick shoots at her but completely misses. Pete also says that he can't "shoot for shit".
 * Also when you save Nick instead of Pete it takes him four shots to kill the two walkers attacking Pete.
 * However, he has shown some skill since he shot Matthew in the throat from a distance with a rifle.
 * Ironically, he does in fact meet Kenny who was very similar to him.