A/N: This is OLLLLLLD. Like, pre-EC old. This is what I get for going through my story folder for lack of anything better to do.

The scent of blood both old and new clinged to the air, leaving the rooms and corridors smelling like a slaughter house. Years of dust covered the floor and appliances in all of the rooms from lack of use, the dust mixed with various other fluids as well as dried, flaking blood. Skull Fortress was disturbingly quiet -- the only noises that of the soft sound of footsteps and a variety of clicks and chirps in the distance broke the choking silence. Only one room was completely silent, the only sound that of the droning hum of computers.

An open stasis capsule sat nestled in a corner and an identical one sat in the opposite corner, both housing someone inside. The closed capsule was connected to a set of computers powering life support and filling the capsule with oxygen, a heart monitor silently beeping slowly. The open capsule revealed a pale-skinned figure sleeping soundly, fire red hair falling over a serene face. An ash grey jumpsuit covered him as he slept, his red armor discarded on the floor.

As a single computer flared to life with a loud beep, the sleeping android's orange eyes snapped open and he sat upright, back arched with a hissing cry. White-gloved hands gripped the sides of his capsule tightly as he straightened his back and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes again and grinned, pupils dilating.

Without another sound he slipped out of his capsule, cloth-covered feet padding slowly to the other capsule. He reached out to the closed capsule to wipe away a layer of dust from the glass panel and look inside.

An array of tubes and wires greeted him, but a human face could be seen beneath the materials, ghostly pale skin complimented by thinning grey hair and a grey moustache. Old blood stained the human's clothes, wounds bandaged and stitched closed. The android traced a finger over the glass, the gesture almost tender as his grin widened.

"Don't worry, Father...the world is almost ours...I'll catch the Rebels...and then I'll release you."

He bent to nuzzle the glass before backing away and stepping out of the room. The door slid closed behind him, and the room was silent once more.

---

Wind sailed through the landscape, the bare skeletons of leafless trees reaching high into the sky to catch the gusts and create a ghostly howling sound as clouds slowly parted to allow moonlight to shine down upon the land. Birds fluffed their feathers and huddled in their nests to keep warm, and other diurnal animals tried to sleep, constantly listening for anything abnormal in the sounds of night. A single, small campfire sliced through the darkness, small wisps of smoke trailing into the sky.

Huddled around the campfire were six forms, five asleep with one awake to keep watch over their surroundings and listening much like the animals were. The lookout huddled in his small, tattered blanket and rubbed his hands together, warming them by the fire. His breath clouded in the cool air, the wind playing with dark brown locks as he kept iridescent, blue-green eyes alert. He still had another hour or so before his shift was over, and was battling fatigue as well as he could.

He shivered and removed his blue gloves to warm his hands better, pulling the blanket tighter over blue-covered shoulders. The ghostly sounds of night were familiar, and he did not have to concentrate too hard on them to determine whether or not a sound was foreign, so he concentrated mostly on watching the foliage and keeping himself warm. He knew his helmet would keep his head warm at the least, but old blood needed to be washed off of it, and he refused to wear it while it was covered in blood and other fluids.

"Rock, why don't you get some sleep?" a soft voice spoke to his side, making him jump.

Rock sighed and turned to the speaker after calming his racing heart, replying, "It's my watch. I've still got an hour left."

"You've kept watch for five hours straight every night this week," came the admonishing response, ice blue eyes stern, "You should take a break. Both you and Elec push yourselves too hard."

Rock sighed again, shaking his head, "Freeze..."

"Come on," Freeze insisted, "You can have my blanket, and I'll take over. The cold doesn't bother me." Rock tried to protest, but decided it was no use and gave Freeze a small, thankful smile as he traded blankets with him. Rock crawled around the fire to huddle between Cut and Quick who groggily moved apart to make room for him. Elec and Crystal were sound asleep from their positions on the other sides of the fire. As Rock made himself comfortable, he glanced around the group with a small, solemn smile. He knew as soon as the sun began to rise, they would be on the road again to find a town or city that would allow them to buy supplies. They desperately needed food and mechanical supplies to repair themselves.

Rock sighed and rolled over to face the fire, wondering when the war would end. It seemed like only the day before when he wondered the same about when Dr. Wily's reign would finally end. It was hard to believe that it had only been two years since the insane scientist's supposed death. He remembered how the world had rejoiced, how celebrations had been held almost monthly to celebrate the end of Dr. Wily's reign. If only it had lasted...

The attacks had come out of nowhere. Completely out of nowhere. Everyone had been caught by surprise -- the army, the marines, the air force, even Rock and Dr. Light. Robot Masters thought to have disappeared suddenly appeared and attacked. They no longer acknowledged pain, only wanting to fulfill their new master's orders. Rock remembered fighting them...it was like fighting zombies. They no longer had a will of their own and could no longer think for themselves, as if their minds had rotted away during the months without Dr. Wily. Not only that, but their bodies also looked as if they had rotted, all of the fighting Robot Masters missing chunks of skin or tissue, metallic bone visible on some.

Rock shuddered at the memories, trying to push them aside. He had defeated this onslaught easily enough despite the fact that they had become stronger even though their numbers had dwindled to only a few dozen rather than the proud eighty-plus before Dr. Wily's defeat.

Rock had soon discovered that some of the remaining Robot Masters had escaped Skull Fortress, and not all had escaped alive. Rock had given them shelter at Dr. Light's laboratory while he tried to decide what he should do. That was when the bloodbath began.