Inside Safehold, Lady Tutu's trail of carnage was the highlight of the show, but the residents weren't there just to see victory. More and more their eyes drifted to the other screens. They may not have said it, but they were all feeling what Weeble had warned Tess about. They wanted to know if their protectors would show up for them, and wondered if they were strong enough to be protectors at all. There were gasps and Announcer felt the attention being focused on Cass's screen. He shrunk Lady Tutu's and enlarged Cass's to fill their view.

Cass's body lit up with blue lightning, arcs of it crackling around him. He moved into a runner's stance and held it for a few seconds, allowing his speed to charge. He couldn't know it, but the camera had done a quick pan around him and was now facing directly in front of him. The courtyard fell silent as people saw their first superhero. His face was determined, his pose strong. The energy dancing around him moved to his eyes, turning the hazel irises into swirling maelstroms of power. The crowd tensed, knowing that Cass couldn't see them but feeling seen by him all the same. A small smile quirked his lips and he was gone in a trail of light. The crowd erupted in cheers as Announcer yelled "Holy shit he's fast! Where'd he go?"

The camera zoomed upward to show the entire eastern side of the wall. A blur of light flashed back and forth across the screen and everywhere it passed broken bodies flew into the air. Before they landed the glow was back on them, sending the forms flying into the night. The watchers realized that, within seconds, the entire pack of Jackrabbits had been broken and hurled away. Now Cass was running in a circle, the blue light of his path forming an eye to match his own. Two packs of hounds changed directions to run towards him and the crowd gasped as they reached him from two sides, spreading out to surround him. Everyone could see that they were too big to be so easily hurled away. They closed on him as one and there were cries and shouts from the viewers.

Suddenly the circle of light exploded as Cass activated the Whirlwind Burst effect he'd been building in his batons. All of the energy he'd stored from his attacks and speed were released in a single burst of power, sending the two dozen hounds flying, limbs broken and organs ruptured.

The residents of Safehold jumped to their feet as one, cheering and punching the sky. Their triumph was cut short when a girl cried "Watch out!"

Cass felt the sting of something lash across the backs of his calves, slicing through the muscles. He had his Mag-Charge Arm Brace extended in an instant, just in time to feel something impact it with a hollow thump. Looking through the shield's window he saw one of the weird plant creatures, its vine arms whipping at him again. It snapped at him like a whip, strong enough to send him stumbling back. His legs refused to hold him and he fell backwards, struggling to keep the shield in front of him. Why didn't I bring any healing pills? He'd been overconfident in his sped-up healing and hadn't wanted to waste any of the pills. Who am I kidding, he thought. I was showing off for the twins.

He had no more time to consider as more vines lashed at him. He could see three more of the creatures joining the first, their slow amble and resemblance to plant-life had made him dismiss them at first. He'd been too cocky and was paying for it now. The toxins in their thorns were seeping into the wounds in his legs and he felt fire as they traced through his veins. He cried out in pain and clutched at them. His healing was being slowed down by the toxins and the sheer volume of pain was distracting him. A vine slipped past his guard, slashing down his forehead and cheek, narrowly missing taking out his eye. He cried out again as the toxin seeped into his skin there, feeling it go red and swelling instantly.

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He couldn't run, but he could move into speed-time. He sped himself up, the effects of the poison increasing as the pain moved through him with agonizing slowness. He was having trouble thinking. What can I do? What would dad say? He'd say 'Run through your options. What tools do you have in your toolbox that you haven't used yet?'. Within his rapid-fire speed state he went through his skills, discarding each of them in turn. His growth had been so focused on speed that he didn't have anything that would help him if that was ever cut off. He could use Sanctuary Recall to get back inside Safehold, but he knew he'd never live that down. They were out there to show how strong they were and he refused to be the only one to flee inside.

He began to go through his equipment, identifying each in turn. His shield didn't have any charges to push the creatures back, and they weren't made of metal anyway. One of the features of his batons caught his eye:

Sonic Boom: By clashing the batons together at high speed, the wielder releases a focused sonic blast of kinetic energy in a forward arc. This creates a ranged attack that can destabilize or damage enemies from a distance. The power and range of the blast depend on the stored kinetic energy.

Yes! He scrambled backwards, giving himself space. He may not have been able to run, but he could still crab-walk at super speed. He hoped it didn't look too stupid on Apocalypse TV. When he'd gotten a few dozen feet away he climbed roughly to his feet, doing everything in his power to not fall over. He heard cheering from inside Safehold and hoped it was for him. He dismissed his shield and held his batons out in front of him.

Inside the courtyard every eye was focused on him. The camera swept across the vicious wounds on his legs, the skin torn and frayed, bleeding heavily. Some people held hands, but most only stared in concern. Announcer's voice narrated the scene.

"He's bleeding bad and obviously having trouble standing, but our Boy Wonder refuses to fall! Look at that determination! Look at that fierceness!" The camera swept around to show his face, his expression dark and determined. "I wouldn't want to be a plant monster facing this kid! Let's see what he can do!" The camera swept back behind Cass, showing a view just over his shoulder. Everyone held their breath as the four Briar Men pulled themselves forward, coming within reach.

Now! Cass thought. He'd calculated the range of their vines, wanting to wait until the very last minute. He didn't know how far the range of his skill was and he didn't want to waste it. This was his only chance. His batons were crossed in front of him and he began banging them together, the staccato rhythm building up in speed. Unbeknownst to him, Announcer had to mute the projection to keep it from rupturing the eardrums of everyone watching.

Waves of force erupted from the batons, pushing forward in a cone that spread out to encompass the Briar Men. They pushed forward even as the force began to tear bits from their bodies. Stray vines and tendrils began billowing out behind them in a cloud of debris as the banging increased. As one they lashed their vines forward, only to find them slowed, then stopped by the force. They began to disintegrate from the tips, then further down all the way to their bodies. In moments the vines were stripped away and all that was left were twisted bodies of flesh, wood, thorns, and bulbous black eyes rippling with the force of the attack. Cass took a stumbling step towards them, then another, then one more. He was within reach of them now and he poured on the last of his speed. The bodies of the four Briar Men exploded in a mist of blood and flesh to fly backwards in a cloud.

This time he knew the cheering he heard was for him.

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