Karkat happens to be in the training sublevel of the tribute tower, shadow-fighting an invisible opponent with a pair of sharp sickles. He sees Cuthbert and the Initiate and almost drops the sickles, but manages to keep it together long enough to execute a Counterwise Hurricane for his observers. (The move's shit in actual combat and he's sure as fuck not going to use it in the arena, but to show off? Fuck yes.)

If he's hyperventilating when he stops his deadly dance it has everything to do with his workout and nothing to do with the Initiate staring down at him. "What the fuck do you want?" he says gruffly--or at least, what he hopes is gruffly. There's a little too much squeak.