If he was being honest, Nasir actually didn’t like to go into Westchester or the city under normal circumstances, even if the alternative was to be stuck with food which transformed into maggots in his mouth or some other awful thing. It was humiliating. Unlike being at the school, it highlighted to him how different he was, how much had changed, and that never sat well with him. But with Kate, it was different. She’d never made him feel self-conscious, never once seemed embarrassed to be at a restaurant table or in a store with a guy in an eyepatch and shades who only communicated via the electronic monotone of his phone. That was what gave him strength, gave him the steel he needed to be in public without discomfort.
Maybe Kate was feeding on him sometimes, he couldn’t know, but if she was then he didn’t care, it didn’t matter because she was giving him something so much more valuable. Confidence.
Confidence enough to approach a stranger who’d dipped her hands in blood. In October. So maybe he’d developed some foolishness too, but he supposed trying to help someone in need was considered a virtue around these parts so he probably shouldn’t feel too stupid. He did though, obviously.
Nas was dimly aware of a crackle when he and Kate made contact but his brain was swimming too much to alight on the understanding that she was using her powers, so it came as a surprise to him when green energy erupted from her fingertips. Incongruously, he almost smirked when their attacker staggered back under the force of the blast. This kid obviously didn’t understand that it was a dumb move to cross Kate Silvex.
And apparently she still hadn’t learned her lesson. There was still the ghost of a smile on the knife-wielder’s lips, as unnerving as the spider-web scar streaked across one eye. Nasir could make her stop, he could make her run for the hills, but he couldn’t risk it, not with Kate beside him. He couldn’t shield her from his voice and wouldn’t run the risk of letting her catch a glimpse of his eye. He would rather have died than do that to Kate. Plus, he was already feeling light-headed from the blood seeping from his stomach. Nas really wished he had his cricket bat. The homicidal girl lunged at them with her blade but was still dizzy enough from Kate’s blast that she was easily avoided. Nasir figured that wouldn’t last. Unable to take the time to tap a message out on his device, Nas settled for pointing behind them to ‘voice’ his suggestion that they hightail it out of there.