JP - Leaving the Hellscape

“So…I have permission to make him explode? Awesome!” Nero smiled real big, those sharp teeth showing off. “So…how long are we gonna be here?”

"Long enough to heal luckily time moves faster here" Riley replied looking over to Esther"we could really use your help back home."

“What are you in need of me for?” Esther asked, watching Riley. There was obvious hesitation, a fear of returning to the world where her heart had been destroyed.

"I know you're still scared and I won't force you to come back with us" Riley replied "just think it over ok?" Looking over at Anastasia he felt a wave of sadness "I wish River was here right now."

“Mama always does know what to do…” Esther said. “I’ll take you all back. There’s no point in you wasting your power just to risk going through time and falling into a different timeline again.” She pulled him into a hug.

"It only happened a couple times while I was trying to find you" Riley admitted returning the hug.

Snorting, Esther tugged on his ear as punishment. “You need to be more careful, papa!”

"I found a way back just like I always do" Riley chuckled.

“Still!” She tugged at his ear again. “Lets go to the others and see if they want to return as well.” Her gaze went to Nero and Anastasia. “Can you carry her without hurting you, young man?”

Nero nodded and went to the still slumbering Anastasia.

"I got her Nero" Riley said moving to pick her up. It's not that he didn't trust Nero just his guilt making him feel over protective.

Nero blinked and shrugged as they made their way to the room where Min, Elizabeth, and Cook were.

Min tense when she heard the approaching footsteps. One set sounded rather loud and like that guy who made the doctor explode.

Riley followed them while holding Anastasia Close in his arms. "It's all good everyone Nero's with us now" he spoke calmly.

Min nervously looked at Nero.

Anastasia nuzzled into Riley’s chest, taking comfort in the warmth of him.

Esther looked at the group and smiled. “It’s okay…Nero won’t harm any of you.”

Said individual had his arms crossed over his scarred chest, only wearing a pair of jeans and boots - all he’d had on when he was in the lab with them, sadly. “Why you lookin’ at me like that?” He asked Min more harshly than he meant to.

Elizabeth put herself between Nero and Min, protective of the woman.

Min flinched in fear and made herself look away. He had made a doctor explode. It was hard to not be afraid of him.

"Nero try to be nice Min is injured she,cook and Elizabeth are our friends" Riley chided in a fatherly tone with a smile.

“I wasn’t being mean,” Nero snorted, confused by Riley’s words. “I was just asking her a question.

“You need to lighten your tone then…” Esther explained and went to Nero, brushing his hair out of his face. “You’re still a mess…”

Elizabeth calmed down a bit, but stayed between Min and the man sized teenager. When had thirteen to fourteen year old boys become…that tall? She had only ever really heard of Nero, but meeting him back in that room and here felt like a creepy dream. At least he wasn’t attacking them.

Cook pulled off his hat and shook his head, letting his wild hair get even more wild. “Are we going to head back?”

Riley nodded "Esther will be helping us with that, are you all feeling alright to travel dimensions?"

Min was feeling better than the last time she had traveled dimensions, so she nodded.

Esther got them all gathered together and used her power to form a vortex that wrapped around them all. It warped and shifted, colors spiraling all around until they were all standing in the Meta Underground. Well, more like floating.