"Too many... Snow-cones..." Sweetiebelle groaned laying on the floor. "I'm going to be sick the next time I see one..."

"I don't think I want to eat anymore yellow snow..." Isaac said leaning against a wall. "Can I get a blueberry?"

"Here," Scootaloo lazily spurted some of the blue liquid onto a cone filled with snow from outside. "Take it, and don't put it anywhere near me. I might throw up ectoplasm..." Her eyes widened a bit as she gulped, putting a hoof to her mouth she fanned herself with the other.

He took it, but stared at it before just sucking the flavoring out. He threw the rest on the ground and let his helmet fold up.

Babs didn't eat but three snow-cones, she sat next to her cousin watching the whole group gripe about stomach pains. She looked over at Applebloom and saw her cousin muzzle first, snoring in her snow-cone.

As she lifted her cousin's muzzle out from the frozen treat, Santos began to speak making Babs drop her cousin's head momentarily back into the snow-cone.

"Now that most of us have been fed, Isaac and others, prepare to go into the Nexus immediately." She said standing. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must meet with Ellie. Would anyone else care to join me?"

"I'd follow you anywhere." The right guard said. "Uh... Ma'am! As a guard that is!"

"He totally likes you." The one on the left said. "He wouldn't shut up about how you like all the things he does."

"Shut up!" The other yelled punching his co-worker in the arm. "That was personal you jerk!"

"Really?" Santos said. "W-Well, come along then. I'm sure we might run into some of those horrid creatures along the way, and the gun Isaac gave me is only enough to repel Norton."

The two guards scrambled up alongside the others there. Babs set her cousin down by the counter.

Isaac got up and had Scootaloo go to one end of the walkways while he took the others. Babs, Sweetiebelle, and Nexus were left alongside Norton as he watched Santos and the guards leave. He caught their looks and took a step to the side.

On separate sides of the Nexus, Isaac and Scootaloo were pulling the ribs apart with the two harpoon guns.

"Ok, are you ready Scootaloo!?" Isaac yelled across to her. "Let go in three... Two... One!"

They both let go of the controls and the ribs stopped, the chest was fully exposed revealing a green steam rising out from it.

They quickly walked back to the others, glaring at Norton from their peripheral vision, Scootaloo got up onto the controls. Nodding to Isaac, she opened the doors and Isaac and Babs entered the cage while Norton entered the controls to it.

"Alright, Santos left me these notes explaining what I should be looking for and what to do. Isaac, you take the probe and find viable nerves, shoot them, and go to another as you go along. Now, were going to need a few for a good signal, so get a lot. Norton," she looked over at him. "Just lower and lift the cage."

Scootaloo slowly pushed the cages along, Isaac and Babs glanced down at each other nervously.

"So, nice weather were having, isn't it?" Isaac said as they stopped over the Nexus's chest.

"It's freezing." Babs said flatly peering down. "Do you have that feeling, like-"

"Shit is about to hit the fan?" He said. "Yeah, ever since I first destroyed a Marker."

Babs merely nodded as she felt the cage jerk to a halt. Looking back, she saw Sweetiebelle and Nexus trot away, going somewhere.

"All right, Norton, lower them down now." Scootaloo instructed.

Norton snorted once before lowering the switch slowly, as in accordance to it the cage Isaac and Babs were in lowered also.

"Scootaloo, this thing, the Nexus," Isaac said. "It's not going to get up and kill us? Is it?"

"No, only the innermost core has been thawed, the rest of the nerves have been to greatly damaged by the cold to function properly. It's practically dead, but alive too. You have nothing to worry about... Unless this one gains magic too. That's why I instructed Sweetiebelle, no offense to her, to leave and guard the outside with Nexus."

"Right. Because I'm sure nothing bad will happen." Isaac said sarcastically. "Alright, were almost at the bottom."

Green and yellow pulsating pus sacs lined the walls of the Nexus, green and decayed flesh and tissue made a series of webs and walls around them all the while producing the same horrid smelling stench.

The cage stopped with a small squelch as it hit the bottom of the Nexus's insides.

The cage door opened and Isaac was the first to step out. When his boot connected with the fleshy ground, he stopped to lift his foot, staring at the string of slime on it he put it back down before fully stepping out.

"Alright Babs," he said. "I'm not being dissolved, so I assume its a safe as you can get while being inside a Necromorph the size of a large building."

Babs Stepped out, wincing from the sound her hoof made when she stepped into the Nexus. Looking around, she found only her visor offered any real light.

"Alright, Isaac," Scootaloo said over the comms. "Listen to the probe, the faster it beeps, the closer you are to a good nerve. Now hurry up and don't cause to much damage. And good luck Babs."

They were both left in darkness, and silence except for the faint beeping of the probe. Isaac looked around, pointing the probe in every direction. It began to beep faster when he pointed it to the left, nudging Babs, he began walking towards what looked like a tunnel or hallway.

They walked on, Isaac keeping the probe out as they went. As he neared the end, it began beeping furiously and soon enough he saw a large nerve hanging above him on a wall.

"Ok, so I just aim and shoot." He said aiming the probe up.

He fired and three blue probes shot out and impaled themselves into the nerve. The Nexus let out a series of shrieks, the entire form twitching and shaking as it did so.

"Scootaloo, I thought you said this thing was dead!?" Isaac yelled as Babs suddenly went to his side.

"It is," Scootaloo replied. "I'm sure of it. The vitals aren't reading anything."

"That's because Necromorph's aren't alive!"

Before she could utter a response, he cut the link at the sound of Feeder's making themselves know.

"Babs," he said taking out his automatic. "Stay behind me, and shoot any stragglers."

As red eyes peered out from the corners of the tunnel, Babs could make out wrinkly, black skinned figures moving towards them. They were partially obscured when Isaac began firing into them, running and smashing his way as he stood at the entrance to the tunnel. Babs caught a quick glimpse of red above her and quickly shot up killing the Feeder coming out from a small opening.

After five Feeders had been killed off, Isaac had calmed down and looked around at the carnage.

The Feeder's he had killed were all a bloody pile, limbs had been snapped, heads popped like grapes, a few bullet holes in the chests. He smiled, taking out the probe again he contacted Scootaloo.

"This thing's got a hell of a defense Mechanism. Well, did it work?"

"No. I'm just getting a trickle here. No fix. Sorry."

"I'll keep spearing the clusters then." He said cutting the link off.

He aimed it to the left this time, getting a faint signal he began walking to it. Babs followed closely, watching the shadows.

They exited the fleshy hallway, Isaac passing the cage and then going down another, longer hall. The light's from above were gone now, only darkness enclosed them until the entered a large space of the Nexus. Inside, it looked like a singular floor with a ramp going up to a higher one that circled back to where the cage was.

The beeping got louder as Isaac approached one from behind a holed wall of tissue, he raised the probe and fired again. The Nexus shrieked even higher and more, shaking them around it caused him to fall on his rear.

"Ah, shit, not again!" He cursed getting up while taking out his other gun. "Alright, come on. Come and get me!" He yelled out defiantly.

When nothing came running from the shadows, he relaxed and noticed his link was opening.

"Is everything all right?" Scootaloo asked. "I heard defiant yelling."

"Yeah. Look, I want to get out of here. How's the signal?"

"It's stronger, but..."

"But we need one more?"

"Yes. That should do it." Scootaloo said. "I'll notify Norton when you've gotten the last one."

The link cut off, leaving him and Babs in silence again. He took out the probe and tossed it in front of Babs. She jumped back before looking up at him.

"Take it, were just going to need it one more time, right?" He asked. "I figured you should be the one to help us. Go on, just sling your shotgun on your back."

She took the probe in one hoof and slung her weapon on her back. It wasn't heavy, but the probe was a bit long for her so she held it awkwardly.

She aimed it in a random direction and it began beeping almost furiously as opposed to the last two times. She began to go forward, listening to it quicken as she entered another hallway.

From just around a corner, she could see the cage they came down in, above her was an active nerve that had yet to be probed. She lifted the probe, aimed, and fired directly in the center of it.

The Nexus let out a final, nearly deafening shriek and almost seismic movements as it convulsed. As she dropped the gun, she gripped her head in pain as a sudden image came into her vision.

The background was a fuzzy, dirty yellow, in the center, flashing in and out was a large spiked monolith. She could have guessed it was almost like a chair from the faint outline of something in it.

It disappeared leaving them in a daze, and with a splitting head ache the faded quickly even over the sounds of Feeder's.

"Isaac! Isaac!" Scootaloo said. "The Marker, it's awake! And we've got the signal of the machine!"

"Scootaloo! Not now!" He yelled seeing Feeder's appear from both tunnels. Cutting off the link he began to fire while backing up into the cage. "Babs, shoot the fuck out of the fuckers!"

She raised her shotgun and started to fire into the small group coming from the opposite tunnel. They all flew back as the shot cut through them, sending them to the ground without their heads.

"Norton, take us up!" Isaac yelled throwing Babs into the cage. "Norton goddammit!"

The cage doors slid shut and it began to lift up. Isaac and Babs shot the Feeder's as they ran to tear them to bits.

"Scootaloo, where is the machine? What about the signal?" Isaac asked shooting. "Scootaloo?"

"They're thousands of them, but they all converge somewhere further up the mountain. That's where I think the machine is. Atleast... What the data says."

"Up the mountain? Those are sheer cliffs!" He said uneasily.

"We can just get Sweetiebelle to carry us, or see if there's any climbing gear anywhere nearby. I'll ask Ellie if she can look for some with Carver."

"Alright," he sighed. "Well, were going for a little hike it seems. Fucking brilliant."

As the cage was above the Feeder's reach, the two reloaded their weapons before Babs slumped against the cage bars. Putting a hoof to her chest, she looked over at the controls and saw Her cousin's helmet folded up and a hoof up waving. It was slow, and sloppy, but it was waving.

As they were going to Scootaloo, Norton turned on the comms, speaking directly to Ellie he didn't bother glancing at Isaac.

"Ellie?" He said.

"Yeah?" She said in slight surprise. "Yes Norton, what is it?"

"I love you. You know that, right?" He asked.

"What? Yeah, of course. Isaac, meet us at the cliff! We found some climbing gear like Scootaloo mentioned."

Both comms turned off, Isaac was gripping his weapon tightly as the cages docked again with a jerk. Norton's cage opened up and he stepped out, immediately raising his gun to the cage's cable.

"Norton? Norton, are you going to let me out?" Isaac asked. "Norton, aim that thing somewhere else!"

"No." he said.

"What!?" Isaac said letting his anger start to bubble out.

"Look, you wanna die here? Now's your chance. I'm taking control of this mission again." He said. "And none of you, your mutant horses, or even those things are going to stop me!"

"Norton, put the gun down and let's talk this out." Scootaloo said lighting her horn.

"Try any of that magic shit and I shoot the cable. Then they both die." He threatened.

She let go of her magic and sat back glaring black at him, he looked back at Isaac while glancing at Scootaloo every so often. He began to walk away, gun trained on the cables and eyes on Scootaloo; a shot buzzed by his head. He looked down at Applebloom, her helmet was unfolded and she had a dazed expression on her face.

"Ya ain't goin' nowhere." She said raising the gun again.

He stood there, eyes wide as she leveled the gun with his chest. he snorted once before seeing her drop the gun again. Smirking, he began walking to the elevator again.

"Hey!? Where you going!?" Isaac yelled slamming the cage's bars.

"Saving Ellie." He said before opening the elevator. Giving a mock-salute, he closed the doors and disappeared.

"Norton. Norton! Norton!" Isaac yelled slamming the bars again. "Scootaloo! Get the damn bars open!"

She reached forward and pulled the bars out in seconds. Quickly getting out, he picked up Applebloom and ran to the elevator. He heard footsteps below and saw Norton already halfway to the doors. Seeing Isaac, he quickly sped up and reached them as the elevator door opened.

Isaac rushed in and quickly sent it down. Tapping his foot impatiently, the others were either glaring at the door, or simply shaking in anxiety. Once they opened, they all ran out. Isaac getting the lead thanks to his longer legs.

They met the doors ahead faster than Norton and quickly got it. They entered he furnace room, Isaac quickly looking around while Scootaloo did the same.

"Isaac, this way!" She yelled going down a previously unnoticed ramp.

They ran again, getting in the circular door, they waited impatiently for them to open, once they did though, Isaac was knocked to the ground and Scootaloo alongside Babs had guns trained on them.

"You wouldn't believe the trouble you saved me."

Isaac, coughing from the blow, looked up at the smiling face of Danik.