He can't knock her back, or even slow her down. Several times, he draws his arms back and appears to "throw" a greater force of fire at her, but nothing's working. Every pulse of energy rolls right over her and she shows not a flicker of fear.

It's infuriating. By the time she's got a grip on him, one he knows could be deadly, he doesn't even care about his own safety anymore. He's blinded by the months (the lifetime, really) of rage that's built up around people belittling and underestimating and pigeonholing him.

"You don't decide who I am. No one does. If you don't like it, fucking kill me already."