Controlling the neutral merchant guilds made finding mercenaries relatively easy, though to spare the heroes' sensibilities, they needed to recruit ones who looked presentable. This gave Deathstroke, who handled off-world affairs, quite the headache.
Diana also outlined her recruited reinforcements. Everyone's gaze then turned to Aquaman.
"Atlantis will commit ten thousand troops..." Aquaman said somewhat sheepishly.
"You're joking!" Batman's voice was dark and ominous.
"How dare you speak to me like that! We have our own difficulties!" Arthur Curry's temper flared as usual.
More of their usual family drama, no doubt. As the nominal moderator, Thea had to step in. "Everyone shut up. Ten thousand from Atlantis is far too few. Currently, surface nations plan to deploy seven million troops, with an equal reserve force mobilizing. In two months, the new continent will house ten million elite soldiers. Your ten thousand is pitiful."
Aquaman turned his head away, clearly reluctant to discuss it.
The heroes were all at a loss. Thea rubbed her temples and thought for a moment. "I won't comment on your political system. But if I can get the Priesthood faction to cooperate, can your Royal House pressure the Council of Elders into compliance? What's the minimum deployment you could manage?"
"Probably around a million, fully equipped. Mera's people would contribute another three thousand." Aquaman considered carefully.
Thea sighed. "Fine. I'll handle this." She'd toss the dead Ocean Master to Poseidon, have him issue a divine decree, and pressure the Priesthood into supporting the deployment.
The Atlantis problem resolved smoothly. With the Priesthood's backing, Queen Atlanna removed three Elders in one fell swoop, replacing them with her loyalists. She readily agreed to personally lead two hundred thousand troops into battle.
...
Meanwhile, on the surface world, panic was reaching critical mass. Moira had broken tradition, abandoning her usual Friday-only addresses to speak to citizens every evening for three consecutive days.
This fireside chat was far more explosive than FDR's New Deal or the Gulf War discussions. Despite her understated delivery, people were terrified. According to one social media platform, the consensus was: We're not afraid of fighting other humans, but a massive alien invasion? Can I just hide in the countryside?
In movies, aliens were portrayed as idiots, easily outsmarted by a few protagonists—hilarious when watched in theaters. But in real life? Unimaginable.
Years of work by the Extraterrestrial Management Committee couldn't eliminate everyone's concerns.
One widespread view among civilians was particularly telling: most believed the aliens currently on Earth were weaklings, equivalent to a pre-industrial society in technological development. But the ones coming? They'd be arriving with superior firepower, weapons advanced beyond comprehension. How the hell are we supposed to fight that?
Queen Consolidated, Wayne Enterprises, and even the diminished LuthorCorp all directed their media holdings to publish morale-boosting articles.
The message was simple: Earth's people are incredible, invincible! Unfortunately, the effect was minimal.
Early Monday morning, on the White House lawn, after three days of conditioning, public tolerance had reached its peak. Moira would hold a press conference here, addressing media from around the world.
"Everyone, I use the word 'compatriots' deliberately, because the coming disaster doesn't target any single nation—it targets all of us on Earth."
"We must set aside disputes, abandon hatred, and take up whatever weapons we can find to protect our families. Our enemy is approaching—powerful and cunning. Anyone who thinks they can escape through appeasement will only find a future of suffering."
"Perhaps some still don't believe this, viewing it through the lens of conspiracy theories, thinking I'm making a power grab. To those who harbor such malice at humanity's most critical hour, I can only say: best of luck to you, because I can't spare the energy to convince you. I, my son, and my daughter will all join this fight. As an ordinary mother, I'm both proud and worried."
"If they die in battle, what would I—a poor old woman—need power for?"
Moira's talent for playing the sympathy card was on full display. Many reporters on site were moved by her tragic determination.
Kara Danvers, that honest soul, had tears welling in her eyes.
Seeing the positive response, Moira shifted tone. "But if you trust me, I will fight to the very end. Some may wonder—couldn't we use diplomacy? Couldn't we pay some price to avoid war? We're not warmongers, but the situation is grim."
"Several superheroes risked their lives to record the enemy's brutality. Let me show you now." Moira signaled her staff to start the presentation.
Obviously there was no giant screen on the lawn. Thea had gifted the White House an alien holographic projector. Showing Earth-2's suffering wouldn't work—it required explaining parallel dimensions, which would complicate things unnecessarily.
Instead, she'd edited footage of Darkseid's forces conquering other planets. New Genesis used these recordings as cautionary educational material for children. The cinematography was nearly perfect, fully capturing Darkseid's scorched-earth devastation.
The advanced projector drew gasps of amazement initially, but attention quickly shifted.
Blood-red skies. Ruined cities. Countless monsters pillaging and slaughtering. Rivers of blood. Scattered limbs. People raised in peacetime couldn't process it.
"This must be from a movie..." someone muttered unconvincingly.
"Ah!—" A White House staffer covered her mouth, seeing a particularly gruesome scene, trying not to scream aloud.
"Those vicious bastards!" A bearded reporter watched a Parademon tear apart what looked like an alien child and couldn't contain his fury.
Moira judged the timing right and signaled staff to stop the playback. She pointed at the angry bearded man. "This reporter is absolutely correct. How can we negotiate with such savage enemies? Should we satisfy their bloodlust with our citizens' flesh? If they demand we hand over masses of people as slaves, what then? The principles of freedom and democracy won't allow me to do that!"
"For my children! For my family! I will fight! I will fight to the bitter end!" Moira's voice grew hoarse with emotion.
Thunderous applause erupted. Nobody came out of nowhere—everyone had parents and children. Moira's appeal to family struck deep chords with ordinary people.
Having covered the big picture, Moira left the stage amid sustained applause. Secretary of Defense, General Lane, took over to outline military deployments.
Initially, the old general worried about intelligence leaks. Thea dismissed his concerns entirely. "Give me a break. Darkseid never cares who his enemies are—he only asks where they are! Without me holding the line as a god, a hundred billion troops would mean nothing. Feel free to speak openly—the enemy doesn't give a damn about our force deployments."