Two blackened Leaper's came from around the corners, Applebloom shot the first to bits with her Plasma cutter while Isaac blew the second in half with a Line gun.

She kept running, Isaac by her side. She heard Isaac yell an obscenity and stopped to see Scootaloo throw Sweetiebelle up to the catwalk.

She smirked when she saw her hit a Necromorph and knocked it down.

They all kept running, Applebloom getting a small bit of blood spatter from two Lurkers that were killed. She ignored them and focused on the way ahead.

Scootaloo opened the door and she looked around. The room was dark, had white lines on the floor outlining the coagulated blood pools, a small railed off area to the left and the door farther to the right ahead.

She took out her Line gun and aimed at one of the Slasher's that came up. Fire illuminating its eyeless face, blood dripping from its mouth, blades swinging wildly.

She felt a slight pang of fear and remorse for it. But that quickly faded as Isaac unloaded a Pulse rifle clip into it.

She and him fired away mercilessly, tearing it to shreds.

‘Ah can feel sorry for them later.’ She thought, firing off one more shot. 'But ah have a family to get back to.'

When they all went up the ramp and opened the door, a Leaper almost got Applebloom. She saw Scootaloo grab it, throw it at a Puker ahead and then fire off an explosive canister; blowing the two to chunks.

They ran to the next set of doors, Applebloom stayed back momentarily to keep the other Necromorph's at bay with her Plasma cutter. Satisfied, she went back in and saw Isaac shoot a grenade at a Puker climbing up.

Applebloom went in and watched slightly shocked as Scootaloo burned a Slasher from the inside out.

'Wow. Now that has to hurt.' She thought.

As her and Isaac went out, Scootaloo yelled to move. They both did and Applebloom saw a stasis canister fly overhead.

Her, Scootaloo and Isaac quickly ran to the other door, Isaac immediately got on his comm.

"Sweetiebelle! Come on! We need you in here!" Isaac yelled over his comm as Scootaloo opened the door.

"Open the door and go in, I'll slide under!" She commanded.

She and her friend’s went in, and shortly before the door closed. Sweetiebelle came rolling in and struck a pose.

"Now that's just showing off." Isaac said.

The room was dark but had a brownish light coming from the poorly cleaned windows. Rusted pipes lined the side and unsteady metal crisscrossed under foot.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "How are we all doing on ammo? I barely used any."

"I might need more petroleum for my Flamethrower." Scootaloo said. "And maybe some Force energy? I'm not sure."

"I'm almost out on Pulse rifle ammo." Isaac said. "I have two clips left and one grenade."

"Ah'm almost out of Plasma energy and Line racks." Applebloom pouted. "Ah guess ah'm still good." She said. 'For now.'

Applebloom watched Sweetiebelle move ahead.

"Well, we'd better get going." Sweetiebelle said going to the lift. "The Marker isn't going to destroy itself, now is it?"

"Come on you two, we've got some deconstruction to do." Isaac said going onto the lift followed shortly by the other two crusaders.

'What gave ya that idea?' Applebloom thought.

She was inspecting her Plasma cutter when Sweetiebelle spoke up. She looked over and saw her ears up.

"Guess who’s back." She said.

"Dammit..." Isaac sighed. "Do we even want to know where?"

'No.' Applebloom thought. 'For the sake of our sanity, or what’s left of it. No.'

"Somewhere inside there." Sweetiebelle pointed at the door ahead.

'What did ah just think!' Applebloom gritted her teeth slightly. 'Ah can’t be mad for her warning us. Must be the stress. No sleep and food, makin' us all a bit over edge, and these dang Necromorph's ain't helping either!'

"Then, let's see if we can't throw it off our trail." Isaac said getting out his Line gun.

"Well show this thing why ya don't mess with the Apple's." Applebloom said taking out her Pulse rifle.

"It may not have a soul, but I don't have a heart for anything like that." Scootaloo said taking out her Force gun.

They all proceeded slowly, weapons aimed at the door ahead. Waiting to see it come open and a pair of blades to shred them to bits.

Isaac opened the door and peered in, lowered his weapon and took the first step inside.

"Are you sure-" He was saying but was cut off when the vent was ripped apart.

The Ubermorph looked at Isaac, blinked and raised one of its arms.

Scootaloo sent it into the wall, holding it there while Applebloom got rid of the fuse.

She ran through the door, took a left and frowned.

"Yeah! Get it Isaac!" Cheered Applebloom and Sweetiebelle.

"Whoo hoo, go Isaac." Scootaloo twirled a hoof around in mild interest before her eyes lit up. "I've got it! We need to throw it into the vent!" She yelled excitedly.

"Alright," Isaac groaned, holding back a pair of blades. "How do we turn it around? And, help goddammit!" He yelled.

"Isaac step back and go behind it, I need you to punch it!" Sweetiebelle yelled. "I'll do the rest!"

He groaned once and threw the blades down before turning around. Her went behind it and raised a fist. He looked at her and saw her horn glowing, out of the corner of his eye, he saw his own fist light up too.

"Now! Punch it!" She yelled.

He swung forward, and when his fist touched the Ubermorph, his fist flashed before a small explosion came from it and sent the Ubermorph back towards the vent.

"Ow... ow... this really hurts." He said cradling his hand. "It might be sprained at best."

The Ubermorph got up and continued walking towards them.

'Oh no ya don't!' She mentally yelled.

Applebloom ran first and rammed into it, making it stagger back a few steps. She retreated and let Sweetiebelle go next. She did the same and retreated.

Scootaloo shot her Force gun using the alternate fire mode and sent it right at the grate. It was only hanging on by its blades. Slowly, Isaac made his way over, a smile on his face.

He raised one boot up and kicked it down, roaring furiously as it went down.

"This is Sparta!" He yelled. He turned back to see the crusaders give him questioning looks. "Hey, if I'm going to die in a few moments, I might as well have some fun."

They shrugged before going around the corner, himself quickly following. As they went out to the catwalk, they didn't hear or see a single blade dig into the side and raise its owner up.

The Marker.

"So, this is it." Sweetiebelle said.

"Eeyup." Applebloom said.

"The end game." Scootaloo said.

"Our end, that is. And its." Isaac said walking forward.

When they were almost at the light that was Nicole, a spike shot out and went through Isaac's shoulder. With a grunt of pain, he slowly pulled it out.

"The research we put in that Marker, is worth every life lost." A half Kentucky-fried half normal Tiedmann said limping forward with a Javelin gun.

The crusaders stared, angered but also scared and let the scene play out for themselves.

'Come on Isaac!' Applebloom thought. 'You can do it!'

She watched as he disarmed Tiedmann, broke his arm and was about to shoot him in the neck, but stopped.

'Isaac? What are ya... oh that's what.' She nodded. 'Sweetie does deserve some payback.'

She flinched as Sweetiebelle jabbed her horn into Tiedmann's head, but her mouth fell open when he turned into a pony.

She even watched from the side as she threw him over the edge.

'Well that was anticlimactic.' She thought glumly. "Isaac...? Where's Nicole?" Applebloom asked. "Isaac?"

"Hang on; I think I know what's happening." Scootaloo said putting a tentacle into his neck. "He's... he's inside his own mind."

"Should we help him?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"I don't- agh!" She cried. "Yes! We should definitely help him!"

"How though? It's not like we can just go in ourselves?" Applebloom said.

"Oh yes we can!" Scootaloo said. "Remember how I said I could make a mental link? But I shouldn't because I might kill you all? Well," Her tentacles connected to her friends. "Let's hope it doesn't happen."

Sweetiebelle saw nothing but small neurons and finally a grotesque world. It was the same as the Marker's light, patches of land were scattered everywhere, and in the middle of the one they were on, was Isaac.

"Fuck you!... And fuck your Marker!"