[And that's as far as he gets before Haine lashes out at him. Instinctively he raises his arms for protection, catching most of the scratches that were aimed for his face but a few slip through and he can't quite keep up.
Correction - he really can't keep up and it's all too easy to push him back, stumbling, staggering under the assault. He's been in enough bar brawls to hold his own, but this is different and with his mind caught in ice-cold confusion he can't even retaliate, let alone see that he's about to get cornered against a wall. ]
Haine! [No longer edging, this is full-blown desperation.]