Mask

System.

Silver had a simple system in this sort of situation. Everyone would check in occasionally with their lights with a sudden flash. They had done this a hundred times when the power went out in the Caverns or something went wrong in a new tunnel they set up. Though the constant blizzard above had helped them along with communicating silently through missions, so they couldn't alert the Mutts or the Bat, and in this moment, it served them well.

Silver stopped for a moment, peering back at the group. They had been walking for two hours now, and he could tell some of the group were lagging behind. He pressed his back against a corner, slowly peering around it, before looking back at Steel, who knelt behind him, aiming the other direction, though Steel silently handed him a chemlight.

Spike knelt down next to Storm, slowly aiming around, Storm taking the moment to adjust and roll her shoulder to stop the ache that developed a bit ago. Silver cracked the chemlight, shaking it a bit to let it glow, before tossing it around the corner. Hearing nothing, he slowly peeked around, seeing the chemlight glow down the stone hallway. Nothing jumped at it, nothing screamed at him, nothing but a rat, skittering across the rocky floor before disappearing into a hole in the wall.

"Clear." Silver spoke, before adjusting a bit, looking back at the group. "Okay, we're taking five here, then we continue on. Adjust your gear, Stone and Star, I can tell you two are uncomfortable."

The two sat down and started adjusting their gear, Spike taking a moment to take a small swig if his water. He offered it to Steel, who took it and gave a small nod, waterfalling for a moment, before handing it back. Storm took this moment to quietly peek around the corner and hummed softly, before adjusting her weapon a bit and turning around to look at Silver.

"Sir, the end of the hallway opens up. I don't like it, something could be waiting there. Maybe you should throw a light spell when we move up, just in case?"

Silver looked down the hallway, but said nothing, just adjusting his weapon a bit. She was right, he got a bad feeling about the end of the hallway. Spike stood up and looked down the hallway, his pupils turning into slits as he looked down the stone area. "What do you think, kid?" Silver asked Spike, kneeling down with him as he tried to peer past the chemlight.

"She's right. I can't see anything, but it smells weird." Spike mumbled out, peering into the darkness. He then turned to Silver and mumbled out, "I have a feeling in my gut."

"I do too, kid."

Steel turned to Star, adjusting his weapon a bit, then asked, "Got any gum?"

Star blinked, before adjusting his weapon and giving the man an incredulous look, asking, "Gum? Right now? That's what you're thinking about?"

Stone chuckled at Steel, before turning back around and aiming down the tunnel they came from. Steel then spoke, "Helps keep your mind off of things. Get too into it, your brain starts playing tricks on you."

Bright Light adjusted one of her bags, Bright Flare silently aiming down the direction they came from with Stone. Light handed Star some gum, before saying, "Helps me calm down. Never leave home without some in my pocket." Star smiled and took it, popping the strip into his mouth and chewing, letting the minty flavor flow over his mouth.

"Bright Flare." Silver whispered out, the woman perking up and bit and slowly half walking half kneeling towards Silver, giving him a questioning look. "You see that chemlight up there?"

"Yeah?"

"Okay, you and I are gonna throw a light spell into the room beyond it. Then, you, Spike, Steel and I are going to rush into the room and take out any possible threats. I want Storm, Light, Star, and Stone to wait until we give the all clear, copy?"

"Copy. I'll let the others know." Bright Flare scooted back, whispering to the others, making them nod. She walked back, then nodded to Silver, who adjusted his weapon.

"Everyone ready?" Silver asked, making everyone nod. He closed his eyes, his hand glowing a bright silver, whilst Flares started glowing a bright red, both of them chucking their spells down the hallway. Waiting a second, they suddenly rushed around the corner, Spike pulling his snapper out whilst Silver, in the front, had his boomstick out. Flare and Steel had their sweepers out and were behind the two, eyes adjusting to the bright lights they had thrown.

They burst into the room, aiming around, eyes searching everywhere, floors, corners, even the ceiling, weapons scanning in an arc in front of them. Silvers hardened eyes scanned the room, before he whistled, the others entering the room and aiming around. Silver looked around, before looking at the wall, patting Spikes shoulder and pointing, the young lad looking over, then walking to a wall. He pressed against the metal panel for a moment, before opening it, attaching his charger to it and pressing the trigger a few times.

The lights flickered on, humming a bit, Spike shielding his eyes a bit from the light as the others quietly looked around. No holes in the walls or ceiling, some bones but nothing to suggest a creatures den or nest, and definitely no signs of recent habitation.

"Clear."

"Clear."

"Clear, sir."

Several large, metal doors surrounded them, Spike having finally adjusted to the light, looked around and wiped away the dust with his glove, wiping away a sign, reading it for a moment. Silver himself pressed his hand against the door, before knocking on it, kneeling down and inspecting the door. He nodded to himself, before standing back up, finally speaking, "Bright Light, cast a light on that panel and see if you can get these doors open."

The woman hurried over, flicking her fingers to cast a light. She flicked the switches a few times, then pressed a few buttons. The lights flickered to life, gently humming in the room, Bright Light nodding to the others before adjusting her weapon a bit and shouldering it. "You guys seeing this?"

"Looks like a train station." Star mumbled out, wiping away the dust that had gathered on a nearby plaque. "Sir, we got a map here."

Silver walked over to look, Steel walking over to Spike and bumping the lads shoulder. "So, while we wait for the Cap, mind filling me in with the ol' love life?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Come on, man. I know you had a crush on that one Element of Harmony, tell me how it went!" Steel mumbled out, smacking the young mans shoulder, giving a sly smile, though frowned when he saw Spikes pained face.

"She and I...she's a good friend."

"Ouch...that bad, huh?" Steel took a sharp inhale through his teeth, then hummed softly. "What about that one girl you always hang around with? The Apple family girl?"

"Applejack?"

"No, the one with the bow."

"Applebloom?"

"Yeah, she seems your type."

"Nah." Spike mumbled out, scratching his cheek and staring at the massive metal doors in front of the group. "She's more like a sister to me. Besides, pretty sure Big Mac would kill me if I touched Applebloom."

"Fair enough, kid."

"Spike, c'mere." Silver called out, drawing the attention of the dragonblood. Spike stood up, Steel adjusting his gear as he watched the young lad go. Storm walked over and gave Steel a look, which he returned. Spike stood next to Silver, who motioned to the map, and said, "Look at this."

Spike squinted a bit as he looked over the map. Sewer lines, mapped cave systems, railways and stations dotted across the map. However, that wasn't what Silver was looking at. Spike followed his line of sight until he saw some strange symbols on the map, making him wipe the dust away and hum in thought.

"Looks like markers for something, but I can't make out what for..." Spike mumbled out, before looking back at Silver. "Seems like some sort of warning, but it is the direction we are heading, and it doesn't look like there is a better way around."

Silver nodded a bit, before turning to the others and waving a hand. "Everyone get ready, we may be heading into a whole heap of trouble, and I'd rather not be unprepared!" Silver barked out, making the others nod and adjust their gear, before Silver looked back at the map, humming in thought, brushing the map again and trying to make out the symbols.

One symbol was of a skull of some kind, one he didn't recognize. He was a guard, not a doctor or animal expert, however, he felt like it was familiar. He adjusted his weapon and wiped away the dust, seeing some more of those markings across the map, before standing up and adjusting his weapon again.

"Open the door."

They walked down the tracks, twirling this way and that, their lights painting the walls and floors as they walked. Spikes eyes went this way and that, occasionally glancing upwards to make sure nothing could jump them from above. He hated the Bugs. Spikes slowly twirled around and aimed back the way they came, his eyes staring into the darkness.

Movement?

He glared for a moment, readying his sweeper in his hands, though no other movement came. He slowly lowered his weapon and kept walking, though a feeling of being watched washed over him, making him flash his light towards Stone. Stone nodded and adjusted, twirling around for a moment, before turning back and nodding to him.

Something was following them. She saw movement too.

Spike walked up, before giving Steel a shoulder bump, making the man look at Spike. Spike gave a soft jerk of his head, making Steel nod, tapping Silver three times. Silver didn't even turn, he just kept going, though his left hand raised a bit and he gave a strange motion with his left hand that they knew by heart. He knew they were being followed, he was looking for a defensive position at the moment.

They kept walking, the feeling of being watched stopped right as they found a slight cave in on the right. They took cover behind the rubble, twirling their weapons around and shining their lights around behind them.

Nothing.

Spike scooted a bit, before turning around and whistling, Silver and Stone twirling around, both firing a shot from their sweeper into the darkness. A screech was heard, before they fired again into the beast, making it fall silent, the group waiting a moment for anymore movement. When nothing came, Bright Light shot a ball of blue light from her hands down the hall, Silver and Star slowly moving forwards, the men both aiming at the silent beast.

Silver poked it with his weapon, though when no movement was made, he waved the others over. Spike walked over, aiming down the hallway, before looking down at the beast, crinkling his nose in disgust as he got a whiff of the creature. Stone and Stare turned the creature over, giving disgusted looks at the sight of it.

This beast had once been a mole, from Spikes best guess, as its claws were perfect for digging and its nose seemed to share similarities with the star nosed mole. Its jaws were filled with sharp teeth, paws were turned into malformed hands and claws, and it has no eyes to speak of, just black fur on its face. It was covered in scars, which made Silver grip his weapon tighter, before standing up, staring into the darkness, his eyes hardening.

"Damn, this thing stinks."

"At least it isn't trying to rip our face off."

"Celestia above, look at how ugly it is. Almost as ugly as your mom, Bright Light."

"Shut the fuck up, Bright Flare."

"Storm, what do you think this thing is?"

"Silver, what should we-"

A screech shut the group up, making them twirl around, seeing the claws of another of the Moles reach into the light, the creature sniffing and giving a loud wheezing sound, before turning to them. It screeched into the air, three more Moles clambering over the rocks in the tunnel, one of them hissing and gripping onto a rock, easily slicing into it with its claws. Silver stood up, then wordlessly lifted his weapon up, the others mimicking him.

"Fire."