"Residence:Established"

Upon exiting the bedroom,a war table was laid out on the dining room table. A whole map of the city. "Look here,Marine. The next safehouse is up the road. haven't heard anything over the comms,but there might be a functional computer inside." The Elderly man said,pointing to a school complex a good couple blocks up the road,"It's a long walk,and the Trenches are bound to be infested with Routers. Your best time to leave would be closer to nightfall. That way,you can stay out of sight,but keep tabs on the Bots."

"What about the robodogs,or TechnoMarines for that manner?" Grayson asked.

"It looks like a large majority of the armies are marching the thuroughfairs and Highways,and patrols don't stray from the herd at night. Turns out these machines find us as dangerous as we see them."

"Anything else?" Grayson asked.

"There are a few robotics caches with weapons and parts,I'm not sure if any of it was fried,but much of what those preppers put in there could probably put a bot down. Your best shot would be the school,like with the computer." The man explains.

"If you don't mind me asking,who are you?" He Grayson asked. "Oh,just call me Doc. I'm sure we can get more acquainted once you get back."

Grayson nods,and heads to a boarded window with a peephole. He peers out onto a barren,daylight bathed suburban warzone. It must have been at least 12:00 PM.

"I was only knocked out for a few minutes...How did it even get this bad so fast?" Grayson asked.

"Technically we've always been fighting the 'Bots since they were introduced to the police force. Due to their restriction a lot of the people ended up digging their heels in and attempt to take back what was taken. For 3 years it was an underground war,mostly waged between criminals and the force. Civilians rarely got involved,and usually it's wrong place,wrong time. But when word was getting about with a new threat,i guess people kinda started pointing at the 'Bots. The REAL fight didn't officially start until this morning,at the crack ass of dawn." Doc explains.

"You're sure I'll be able to move around at nightfall?" Grayson asked.

"It is quite literally your only bet of survival. Despite how many eyes they have,they're actually blind to some degree. ALL of those machines use a basic reinforced camera,their sight is about as good as our's,possibly worse when nightfall hits." Doc answers.

"So basically these machines will cling to their flash lights for dear life." Grayson chuckles.

"That's what the Routers are for. they're basically connected to any,if not all visual feeds. If we turn up

on a camera,armed,all units in the area will converge on our location like a very angry swarm of bees. If we survive that we will only have a matter of minutes to run,hide and say our prayers,because they will ransack the radius looking for the aggressor."

"Emphasis on stay out of sight. Noted." Grayson said,as he got visual on a Router drone passing through the area. It was a large,conventional RC drone,probably the size of a car with a large gun mounted to it's belly.

"Are all Routers armed?"

"Always. A router without a gun would be too easy to take out if all it could do is run away. As an extra concept,those drone blades will cut a head off,but are extremely flimsy,to prevent breakage and maintain form through momentum."

"Joy,yet another thing to add to my list of ways to die." Grayson said sarcastically as he sat down to rest some. It was a meal of a concept....

The Robo-geddon already on a winning streak against its creator. It's barely been a day and the world already looks to be on its knees in fear of the worst.

"Hey kid,you good?" Doc asked.

Grayson remained unresponsive,his face monotone and unemotional as he sank deep into thought

The old male knew that look before. It was that look everyone gets when staring certain doom in the face and planning to fight back. It was an expression that seemed blank,but was filled to the brim with thoughts of fear,anger and what could only be assumed as a glint of revenge.

Doc snaps his fingers,getting Grayson's attention again,"Are you okay?" He asked with refined clarity.

"Yeah...Im good. Just thinking."

"And my name is John Wayne. You're not the only fellow to have gone to war. Bellyaching about what's to come will just bog you down." Doc said,pulling a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey from an adjacent crate,"You've got a while to wait. Have a drink." He said,pushing a shotglass toward the male and pouring some whiskey into it.

"I cant...I need to stay sober." Grayson said.

"Just drink. Trust me it's bad out there,and everyone will need a drink after their first run ins with the Robot Army."

Grayson hesitates...but takes the shot.

"Only one. I think while I wait for nightfall I'll rest. Process the day,maybe..."

"Go ahead. Ill keep watch."

Grayson gets up,heading back into the bedroom to simply lay on the bed,and let his eyes settle closed....

The world becomes muffled....

Whispers fill the silence distantly....

An image of the battlefield fades into thought...

All of a sudden,Grayson found himself wandering through...until he saw blood spatter.

Instinct told him to turn back...

He continued on...

he turns the corner to be beheld a bloody scene. 3 other Marines having suffered robot related injury..

One was a headless torso,cut in a slanted format that cleaved the right arm.

The next,was shot dead between the eyes,the eyes themselves a blackened abyss with a white iris that steemingly stared at him from all angles.

The last,in front of him,mutilated completely,but still tellingly a human corpse...

Sickness overwhelms him,as he stumbles back-

The stench was overwhelming...haunting even as he fell backwards onto a pile of dead marines. Grayson attempted to get up,when the pile roars to life and attempts to grasp at the male.

Grayson manages to get away,backing straight into the cold claws of a mysterious trilegged machine,that emits the most bone chilling of screeches,as a pair of blades suddenly worked their way though his chest and out the front-

Grayson gasps awake,patting himself down...

His heart still beats...

He was still safe....

But something held different with that dream...

Grayson decides to leave bed for now,to begin planning.

Doc was understandably asleep,as it was now about 10:00 PM,and deathly silent...