The shove drives Matthias back against the wall and he lets it, uses the wall to bounce himself back and go for Benedict with a right hook aimed for the jaw, all his momentum in it. He grabs onto the chance to fight, letting his anger keep him afloat and above the spirits and the creaking of the rope and the terror he feels deep, deep down, sick and rotten in the pit of his stomach.

It's much easier to punch Benedict instead of face all of that.