Ah, damn it all. Normally he would find this situation funny, would have laughed as he watched a big cat attack a man that had more hidden power in his left pinky than the jaguar did in its whole body. He'd have practically peed his pants when the man's Trilby hat fell off his head in the brawl—and okay, he did almost smile at that one—but right now, right now as he lay there in terrible pain, bleeding to death, it was just annoying.
Sure, he'd attacked the man as a wolf earlier, but he'd made sure that weapon of his was no longer a problem. He used his brain in life-and-death struggles, however fun they might be. Cat Man appeared to go feral when it came to fighting. Did he lose control of his human self when transformed, or was he really that stupid?
Knowing he would regret it later, Kabe used both hands to get himself to his feet as angry cat noises and pained man noises continued on in the background. It was slow work, painstakingly slow, and almost too much for him. Everything—noises, vision, thoughts—focused on this one action that normally wouldn't have been so damned difficult. All that mattered was being able to stand. And it hurt like no other, too. He almost lost his resolve, wanting to simply pass out and let fate decide everything. The tree was his new, closest, most intimate friend, and he clutched at it like his life depended on it. He felt like a blasted tree-hugging vagrant, hand clutching at the bark with all his strength while his other hand tried to hold his side, which felt like at any moment his insides were going to spill out of.
Blackness welled up in his eyes, head feeling light, but he willed himself, forced himself with all the strength he could muster, to not pass out, nor throw up.
In front of him, Cat Man clawed and scratched and bit, all the while not taking notice of the black blade in the other's hand. The man, while screaming in terrible pain, had not gone down yet. Words of another language, thick with a strange accent, were coming out of his mouth through his grunts of pain, and Kabe saw, in the darkness, an indistinguishable shape forming up out of the ground, white, bloodless eyes gleaming.