Terezi is waiting for an attack. She knows it's coming, the way that he shakes and glares. She feels ready for it--ready to defend herself. But the swiftness that the sudden blow comes is far too fast. Her arm only gets halfway up before his hand crashes into the side of her head.

Her ears are ringing. Her skull is aching. The scents swim under her nose, and for a moment she can't make sense of them. Her palms are resting against cool wet ground, and she realizes that she's on her hands and knees. The high-pitched keening doesn't fade completely, but somehow she catches the tail end of the words spoken to her and their meaning: Don't follow him.

After Karkat, she realizes with a small delay. It's pure panic that drives her to her feet, forcing her to push past the ringing and the dizziness. Her balance is off, and it takes a moment for her to steady herself, but then she's off after him. It doesn't matter if she has no chance of winning this.

She doesn't have to beat him. She just has to slow him down.