He'll feel bad about freaking the guy out later -- especially when he's tried as much as he had to keep Arthur from freaking out. He's picked up enough. Uncle Jack. Propaganda. collaborator. You don't need to be a history buff to get there's plenty of reasons to manipulate people with words. Sanctus did it, too. Through word and religion and a bunch of bullshit.

He isn't the same Nero he was under Sanctus. He's not a kid anymore, powered only by how much he's sick of the Order, of himself, of demons.

He has control.

The fire spreads up his arms, beginning to consume his body. Lighting him up, though his skin nor clothes don't appear to burn.

He turns to Arthur. "Just stand back."

Honestly, he's taking it pretty well. But either/or, Nero's not letting the fuckin' birds do this to anyone else. He puts some distance between himself and Arthur, mostly so when his wings appear -- and they do, glowing bright blue in the dark -- he doesn't accidentally hit him in the face.

Nero's wings flap once and then he's in the air, tearing through the birds while burning the others he gets his hands on, each one exploding into nothing but smoke. By the time he's back on the ground, wings dissipating and the fire dying to nothing, the air is silent. But there's not a drop of blood or a feather left to show the things ever existed.