"And I'm only hanging out with one of you rurals, what does that say?" It's a familiar sort of teasing, the way her and Tim would bicker about the city itself versus the suburbs, or her and Cass in the Bludhaven versus Gotham debate (though the latter was usually about which city was worse).

Her hand drops as soon as she realizes it's not welcome, and she doesn't say anything about the fact Ellie is limping slightly. She doesn't quite match Ellie's pace, walking a tiny bit slower in a subtle attempt to get Ellie to slow down. There's no need to push herself to prove a point.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still not a fan of the Initiative's methods, but if what the locals are saying is true, what the Initiative is saying is true... I can understand why they're desperate," And she'd want to help, even if she's not sure whether that's a good idea.