"Alright, I got her. Now, we go up and meet our guests..." Isaac said, tightening the strap around his shoulder holding the shock-still Babs Seed. 'And Captain douche. He thought.

The crusaders went up the ramp, letting Isaac go ahead of them. Just to make sure the others don't overreact and shoot at them.

"Come on, we need to get you three some environmental suits... Along with my own so I don't freeze whatever I have off." Isaac said getting into the insulated, rotating doorway.

"Wow, look at this tech." Scootaloo said. "I think we should instal a few of these in the base, don't you Applebloom?" She looked over at her friend. "Applebloom? You alright?"

Applebloom was staring at her cousin, worry clear in her eyes. She sighed and shook her head.

Scootaloo nodded and remained quite while Sweetiebelle brushed some snow off herself.

The door spun open and Isaac peeked around the corners before exiting.

"There should be a lift to the right." He said, going in heavy strides.

Once him and the crusaders had made it on and began the descent, only then did Babs Seed start to move.

"Hey Applebloom, guess who's awake?" Isaac said, letting the orange pony out of the bag.

Babs Seed shook off some snow before looking around. Staring in wonder and fear at the new machines and electronics.

"So, AB," Babs started. "We gonna catch up or are you going to sulk?" She gave a small smile.

"Ah guess we can catch up." Applebloom looked up. "Anything ya want to know bout' this place? Were gonna be stuck here for a while."

"S-Sure... I got a few questions. So, who's the iron giant?" She nodded towards Isaac.

"I told you my name." He said indignantly. "Isaac Clarke."

"Alright, so, where are we going? Much less, where are we?"

"Were going to meet up with the rest of Isaac's group." Applebloom said. "The more guns the better. For survival." She shrugged.

Babs Seed nodded, licking her lips before falling to her knee's when the lift stopped.

"Alright, they should be in the building in front of us." Isaac said. He gave a sigh and continued on, the crusaders trailing behind.

They entered the small opening in the facility and crossed quickly, not wanting to freeze or have snow get in their helmets cracks and grooves, freezing over and causing gaps.

They all we once gain shrouded in warmth when they entered the circular door; Isaac and the others basking in it for a moment.

Once the door opened, Isaac had a weary look on his face, but kept a small smile when he approached the door.

"Alright, you four stay here until I say so." Isaac said. "That's an order." He shook a fist at them.

"No, were just going to go in." Scootaloo said. "And there's nothing you can do to-"

He shot a bolt of stasis at them and watched as they all blinked in surprise slowly. He turned on his heel and went past the door.

"Bout' time." Norton said.

"Isaac." Ellie said. She ran up to him, hugging him tightly. "Isaac! You made it!"

"Thank god..." She said quietly. "I knew you'd catch up..."

Norton looked at Isaac like a gorilla looking at a five-year old making faces at it through the glass at the zoo before speaking up.

"Good to see you made it, Isaac. You know, maybe give you two some time alone, huh?" He said sarcastically.

"Norton," Isaac said. "I wouldn't use that tone around me. Some very close friends of mine and Ellie's would not appreciate that." He said smirking, just now hearing the stasis wear off.

"The hell if I care what-" he was saying.

"I bet you thought that was real cute, didn't you!?" Scootaloo said angrily as she trotted in. "How about the next time, I put you in stasis and then throw you outside without a RIG?"

Everyone in the room, minus Isaac, was speechless.

"Oh Isaac, ah've got a pair of metal horseshoes with your flank's name on em'!" Applebloom said. "Uh, ah'm ah interruptin' something?" She asked.

Next Babs Seed and Sweetiebelle came out, Sweetiebelle looking around in bored interest while Babs stared at everything in wonder.

"Applebloom? Sweetiebelle? Scootaloo?" Ellie said in surprise. "What-how-why... How and why are you here?" She asked as she wrapped them in a hug. "And who's this? A new necro slayer or ear-shattering engineer?"

"That's ma'h cousin, Babs Seed." Applebloom said. "She's never even heard of what we did. This is all new." She whispered.

"Ok, would you mind telling me why the hell there are... Fucking horses here!?" Norton shouted. "And how the hell do you know them?"

"It's a long story." Ellie said. "Now, what were we discussing before the others got here?"

"Something about a machine." Carver said, walking up tot the crusaders. He looked at Applebloom the longest. "Nice scar." He smirked.

Apple bloom nodded before looking back to the adults.

"We were discussing how we need Isaac to to stop the machine," Ellie said. "But we don't know where the machine is."

"I do." Santos said. "I... I mean, I think I know how to find it. What... I've been digging through what's left of the research notes, and-"

"I thought all that stuff was destroyed?" Carver said.

"Well, computer data, yes. But the written logs discuss a signal-tracking experiment that pinpointed the machine's exact location! Well, I think if we can repeat it, we can do the Same!"

They're hopes rose.

"But..." And now they went down the shitter. "It's at the other end of the complex."

"Yeah! Fine, let's have a look. I could use a change of scenery." Norton said, deliberately hitting Isaac in the shoulder as he passed.

"He's an asshole, you know that?" Isaac said as Carver went past.

He wen't over to the table, idly inspecting a tree on it.

"Isaac, is there something wrong?" Sweetiebelle asked. "You seemed... Sad."

"That's because I am." He said. "You want to know why?"

"If you want to tell us." Scootaloo said.

"Well, it happened a few days ago, two, to be exact. Back in my apartment, in New Horizons, a city. A Unitologist activist decided to kill Earth Gov, release a Marker in the middle of the city by blowing up the testing chambers, commit genocide, Ellie saying we broke up and being forced to come here..." He looked at them "To know she's gone and all I'm here for is to destroy another Marker. It's frustrating."

"S-She broke up with you?" Sweetiebelle asked.

"That's what I said." He said, sternly. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. So, just do me a favor, and drop it. Please?"

They all nodded, Babs not understanding what exactly was going on.

They began the trot and walk towards the others, flinching momentarily when Ellie spoke up on the comms.

"Hey, wait for Isaac. Isaac, were outside."

As they entered the elevator, Norton spoke up.

"And were freezing. Hurry your ass up."

The comm was cut off and they were left with the only sound of Isaac's knuckles popping as he held his weapon tighter.

When the door opened and they stepped out, they were greeted by harsh sunlight and multiple labs and other buildings down below.

When they got to the others, Isaac and Norton glaring at each other, they began the trek across the bridge.

"Oh shit! God damn..." Isaac muttered.

"Everybody move!" Carver yelled as he ran with the other human's, leaving Isaac and the crusaders to be blown off the ramp by a missile.

They landed int the snow, all the crusaders laid out on Isaac. With a few groans they got up, Sweetiebelle looking a little green as she looked up.

"How the hell did Danik's men find us!?" Isaac yelled up.

"Come on! Come on! Run!" Norton said, getting the others to start to move.

"Ellie! Go! We'll meet up at the warehouse!" Isaac yelled as a unitologist ship flew over head.

It circled around and ropes dropped from the side followed by soldiers.

Isaac raised his gun and jumped behind a crate.

"Girls," he yelled, smiling. "Here's you official welcome to Tau Volantis! Now," He rose up and shot a soldier in the head. "Get your weapons out and mow em' down!"

Babs watched as her cousin and her friends took out they're weapons. She ran behind a crate and closed her eyes, and covered her ears with her hooves, knowing what was coming next.