Connor sucks in air and whirls, but he can't match Nick's speed and it registers in his mind that if they were actually enemies, he'd be dead now. Nick can hear the little jump and sudden increase in his heart rate. That's the warning that he's just thrown Connor into a controlled panic. The katana slices one way toward Nick's arm while Connor's leg sweeps in from the other direction to take out his feet yet again. It's really not a good idea to startle him.