"Hey, Later?" Scootaloo asked as she trotted alongside the green mare, making her way down the steps.

"Yeah?" Later turned to look at the filly. "What?"

"Can we talk yet?"

Later rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't be replying to you if we couldn't. I'm pretty sure that the panels are thick enough to block our voices out, as long as we're quiet. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," Scootaloo replied with a shrug. She looked back at Kaylee, Mochi, and Flight who were trotting behind them, glancing off in different directions at the walls and stairs of the room. "Did you make it up here okay?" A moment later, the filly looked briefly concerned. "Where's Cotton?"

"She had to go and distract... erm..." Later paused. "When we were coming in here, we ran into a stallion named Dessic. He helped us get in and get down here, but... I'm not sure if he's working for the Bureau undercover and trying to catch us, or just totally clueless. Though I guess with the Bureau ponies, he could be both."

"Heh, you said it," Scootaloo replied. "That guard up there... anypony worth anything would have caught us on the dome, but that dude just fell asleep. These Bureau ponies just don't know what they're doing, at all."

"Yeah, which is weird," Later replied, nodding, "because I remember hearing horror stories of ponies being way outnumbered and outmatched by them."

"Maybe something's changed?" Scootaloo offered.

"I... guess? I don't know what would have, though," Later said. She stepped down onto the final landing, and Scootaloo shifted to the side to allow Later to access the door. The green mare reached out and wiggled the handle down, pulling the door open with a squeak. She made like she was going to step out into the brighter area outside, but then...

"Hello, Later!" a male voice said. Scootaloo peered her head past the door to see a white-coated stallion, grinning fiercely. Behind him stood Cotton Fluff, shuffling her hooves together as she looked from side to side. "I see you've found the maintenance tunnel," the stallion said, "and some other ponies, too." He beckoned up past their heads to where Mochi, Kaylee, and Flight stood at the foot of the stairs, dumbfounded.

"Erm... yeah," Later replied, biting her lip. "Yeah..."

"Silly, silly ponies," Dessic said, still smiling. "Always think you can get away with this sort of thing, and yet... you never see the obvious coming. What a shame." He paused. "For you, I mean. For me, this is great. I'll be needing you all to come with me, okay? There's no point in trying to resist; we've got guards stationed all around the building's exits."

Later frowned, but said nothing. After a moment of consideration, she stepped out into the hall where Dessic had made way for her. Another moment passed, and then Later beckoned for the rest to follow.