"I think Martin, Michael, Evan and Nat just need someone to keep them busy. That fine?"

Nodnod.

"Well then, run along and play. I'll handle Maurice and the twins."

He smiles and vanishes.

(And Sadde decides he's not needed right now and floats away.)

"Alright, Maurice, girls, huddle close."

...they do.

"Doormaker."

There's a portal.

She ushers the children through.

They're in a meeting room.

Hero's there. "Glad that you could join us."

"I wish I could say the same." She gestures towards the children. "Carol, Claire, this is Hero."

They look up at him.

"Not a very creative name," Claire says, which makes him laugh.

"She is a clone of Nix. Hannah created her without the original's consent."

"Yes, we're aware. Nix herself doesn't know it happened, but..." He looks at Hannah and removes his helmet so the gravity of his stare can be fully felt.

Maurice steps in front of her. "I made her do it."

He blinks and looks at Maurice. "Did you? And how exactly?"

"Asked her. Very hard."

He nods, but then looks at Zaneta. "Regardless, they're children. Even if they're incredibly powerful children, they're still children, and we cannot hold them to the same standards of responsibility as we can adults."

She nods. "Nevertheless, incidents like this can't be allowed to keep happening."

"...Is old Claire alright?"

"Doesn't suspect a thing." And to Zaneta: "My main point here is that these children are your responsibility."

"That they are. Will you be expecting reparations?"

"No, nothing like that," he says, waving a hand dismissively. "What I want is a plan. Contact with your world has been one of the best things that's happened to us but not an unmitigated good, and I very much wish it was. I understand Hannah meant well," he says, and he's looking directly at her as he says that. "But it still is not extremely reassuring to us to have someone as powerful as she is running around doing things that mean well. Sets a bad precedent."

"...What kinda plan?"