What a completely shocking development, there is no way Veloci could have seen this coming. Of course. Obviously.

He all but scrambles out of the way of the attack, his mouth twisting into a snarl.

"Evidently, capable of speech or not, you're not all that intelligent," he mutters. Who even knows whether he expects Grimlock to hear that, he's just being a condescending jerk because he can.

Then he actually speaks up - "Would you mind listening to me for a moment? In case you haven't noticed, I didn't exactly strike first here!"