Cass and Weeble skidded to a stop in front of a posh condo complex right on the river in downtown Milwaukee. They saw people in scattered groups, fighting creatures coming from the river, the sewer, and loping around buildings.

"We don't have time for that," Weeble said. "We need to get up there." He pointed to the top of the tall building.

"I can't touch the door." Cass's hand pressed against an invisible barrier when he reached for the handle.

"It's shielded. We're going to have to do it the hard way." He pointed up again.

Cass smiled in understanding. The two jogged halfway down the block before stopping and turning back.

"You sure you can do this kid?"

"No, not really. Never done it before."

"Heh. Should be fun then! Let's go!"

Cass took Weeble's hand and disappeared in a streak. He reached the building and shifted his perception of what was considered 'down' before placing his foot on the wall. All of his senses balked for a moment but he forced them to accept their new reality. When he was at full speed the ground was what he said it was, and right now he said that the side of the building was down. They were a few steps up when his foot slipped and he realized he hadn't pushed his speed to its limit. Lightning erupted around the pair as he pulled out the full force of his power, and the two shot up the side of the building like it was the most level street in the world.

They reached the lip and Cass realized he'd made a mistake - he hadn't thought to slow down. The two of them shot into the air, rising stories above the top. When they reached the peak of their arc his speed faltered as he panicked.

"Oh shiiiiiit!" Weeble cried as they began to fall towards the penthouse patio that was all stone and wood structures, none of it meant to cushion two people falling onto it from dozens of feet in the air.

Seconds before they landed Cass activated his speed again, the pair watching themselves fall in slow motion onto, then through, the thick beams of a solid wood pergola and onto the marble tiles below. They groaned reflexively as they returned to real time.

"Oh wait," Weeble said. "Actually, this doesn't hurt. Why doesn't it hurt?"

"It's part of my skill," Cass dusted himself off. "Dampens the kinetic impact to me and anyone I'm touching. I thought it would to the objects too, but evidently not." The pair eyed the broken wood that was once a beautiful rooftop patio.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

"Oh hi Mark!" Weeble waved cheerfully.

"Who the fuck is Mark, and what did you do to my patio?" Ben "Announcer" Harmon stood before the ruins of his pergola in a pair of boxers and an open robe.

"Ben, Ben, my good friend. Forget the patio - it was gauche anyway. Far too cheesy for a man of your wealth." He clucked his tongue reprovingly.

"I didn't build the damned thing, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it! And stop trying to distract me, Weeble, what the fuck is going on here?"

"Well, my friend, we're here to give you an offer you can't refuse."

The three of them moved inside to sit around an expensive black oak table, drinking pre-System coffee. Ben and Cass stared in wonder as Weeble lifted the mug to his mask, sipping loudly before placing it back down. Cass double checked to see if the level dropped, which it did.

"How do you do that?" Ben asked. "I mean, I always wondered if you guys ate and drank, but how?"

Weeble tapped the side of his head. "Trade secrets, my man, trade secrets!"

"That makes no fucking sense. So anyway, you're here, you've drunk my expensive coffee."

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"It's not that expensive."

"IT'S PRE-SYSTEM COLECTIVO YOU ASS!"

"Okay, so pretty expensive then."

Ben closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Can. You. Please. Just. Tell. Me. What. You. Want."

Weeble sat back, his smug grin somehow evident. "Well why didn't you ask? We have need of your skills."

It didn't take long to explain the situation at Safehold or what they wanted from him. Ben stood up and grabbed their unfinished mugs of coffee, pouring them into a carafe and placing it in the fridge before turning back to them. "No more coffee for you assholes. Get out."

"Why, whatever did we do?" Weeble clutched his hand to his chest.

"I've done a pretty damned good job of setting myself up here. I worked my ass off to afford this place - it has the best shielders, the best offensive and defensive magic users, and it has a whirlpool bath that some god-blessed post-System plumber class has managed to keep working for me. I have food. I have coffee. I have women. I have - HAD a nice view." They all turned to look at the shattered remains on his patio. He shook his head in irritation. "I have everything I need here, so why in the hell would I give all of that up to go play pay-per-view TV for a bunch of people who are at risk of being overrun and dying any day now? What possible argument could you make for that?"

Cass spoke for the first time since they'd arrived. "Have you gained any levels since The Challenge started?"

Ben blinked at him. "Nooo…" he said hesitantly.

"It's because you're not doing anything. You're sitting up here, nice and protected, and that's it. You're not going to have any opportunities for more levels - you're going to stagnate. You'll stay weak while everyone else around you grows."

Ben laughed. "Did you really think that argument would work on me, kid? I'm no Climber, I don't give a shit about getting stronger. When all this is done I'll go back to announcing The Climb - or whatever comes after that. There will always be something that needs to be shown, some sort of show to present. That's where I'll get my levels. I don't need to be out there fighting anything, I'll get my levels after."

"And what happens when the really big monsters come? What happens when The System throws cryptids at you that are way too big for you to handle? Do you really think staying weak is a sound strategy?"

Ben snorted. "Kid, any one of those things out there right now could kill me today. I'm not a fighter - never have been. I'm basically a magically-enhanced promoter. My life has never been one of trying to fight off monsters. I make money so that I can hire other people to do that for me. Everyone down there," he waved at the floors below him, "is getting plenty strong enough. When all this is over I'll hire them. If it never ends, I'll still hire them. The world here isn't the same as it is in your scattered territories and neighborhoods, kid. This city is chock-full of people without fighting classes. What do you think the merchants are doing? The cooks? The plumbers? Oh god, I need to make sure he's in this building. Hang on, I need to send a message." He turned to walk away.

A table flew across the room, missing his head by inches to splinter against the far wall. Ben turned slowly, mouth hanging open, to see Cass sitting in the chair, a look of shock on his face as well. Weeble was standing, breathing heavily. Cass had never seen this side of him, and evidently Ben hadn't either.

"That table was 8000 credits you fucking asshole!" He lunged forward but was drawn up short when Weeble's hand clamped around his throat. Ben began spluttering and choking but Weeble only pulled his face close enough for Ben's nose to touch his mask.

"You fucking glorified upstart. You made your fortune off of the blood of others - off of MY blood. You watched while we fought. You laughed while we bled. You amped up the crowd to cheer when us Climbers fucking died, all while raking in the experience points of every person who tuned in to your damned display." He threw the man backwards, Ben skidding across the floor with a squeak of flesh on marble. Weeble stepped forward and loomed over him.

"I'm not going to pretend to be all righteous or philanthropic - I'm about as self-serving as they come too. I get it - I never faulted you for the powers you were given, or the way you used them. It's the way of the world and we're all just looking out for ourselves. Hell, even I'm helping these people because, in the end, it helps me."

"But guess what, asshole? It turns out that other people are real too, and they need help. It hurts me to my core to admit this, but it turns out that standing side-by-side with people who need help actually doesn't totally suck. These are good people just trying to survive, and they need people like us."

Ben pushed himself away from Weeble, his head pressed against the kitchen island. "But why me? I don't know these people, it's not my responsibility to help them."

Weeble's jovial tone returned as he replied with mocking sincerity. "To whom much has been given, man, to whom much has been given. You've benefited a lot from The System and off the backs of others. It's time to pay your dues."

Ben climbed awkwardly to his feet, facing the duo with as much bravado as a man in boxers could. "Do what you want to me, Weeble. I'm sorry, but this isn't my fight. You're right that I haven't been doing my civil duties and helping people, but I can do that here. There are a lot more people here that need help. Beat me up, kick me around - do what you gotta do, but I'm staying."

Even without Weeble turning to face him Cass could feel the mischievous smile that played across his lips. How does he do that??

"Well, like I said, mon frére, this was an offer you couldn't refuse."

Cass, Weeble, and a spluttering Ben appeared in the middle of Safehold's compound. Weeble and Cass jumped away as vomit splattered the ground at their feet.

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