Amusing, is it. Rush makes a quiet, disgruntled sound in the back of his throat as Asadi passes, but soon twists around to double back alongside her regardless. She seems to have established her baseline unruffled air despite their recent double-pronged assault upon ROMAC. The possibility that she might be further sought out by the fragmenting organization had occurred to him, but she appears to be wholly undamaged.

That had been an outcome he had formerly considered too optimal to be perceived as realistic. Seldom is Rush pleased to be proven wrong.

"Arista," the cat answers, loping easily between the two of them. "And, seeing as Nick won't say it - " She halts to return Asadi's look, even and sincere. "We're glad you're okay."

"There was significant doubt that ROMAC would be so shortsighted as to target you again," Rush clarifies. "I was quite certain you would remain unharmed."

"Liar," breathes Arista, the word's inflection curiously if unmistakeably affectionate. Her whiskers tickle the bare skin of his ankle as she brushes past him and resumes walking.