By now, the time had reached 9:00 p.m.
The Atlanteans had suddenly halted their advance, yet the fires within the city continued to rage uncontrollably.
The blazing flames illuminated Gotham's night sky, as if the city were hosting some ancient and savage bonfire ritual.
Rather than pressing forward, the Atlantean forces chose to dig in where they stood.
Perhaps they were waiting for something.
Perhaps they were preparing something.
Or perhaps they were deliberately torturing humanity's nerves, hoping fear alone would force surrender.
In any case, this pause granted the human side a rare moment to breathe.
Within the military camps, morale had collapsed completely. From field-grade officers down to ordinary soldiers, the will to fight was nearly gone.
Senior officials from the Department of Defense came only briefly, offering token words of encouragement before hurriedly departing.
After all, unrest was spreading across America. With the stock market in freefall, riots were breaking out in multiple regions.
President Ellis was overwhelmed. The domestic situation was spiraling like a chain reaction, leaving him drowning in crises.
"Mr. President," Treasury Secretary John Snow reported helplessly,
"if we can't release some positive news soon, then at this rate, the entire Treasury Department might as well resign within a week."
"John, do you think I don't know that?" Ellis replied bitterly.
"But tell me—how exactly am I supposed to manufacture good news?"
In just one hour, he had received five calls from people who truly controlled massive resources behind the scenes in America.
At the same time, he had been given a clear message:
If no solution was found within two days, nuclear weapons would be used.
Could Ellis refuse?
If he did, he would soon be removed from office and replaced by someone more obedient.
"I can only try to stabilize the situation and reduce government losses," John Snow said with a shrug.
"You can't seriously expect me to beat those deep-sea people by throwing money at them, can you?"
"Wait," Ellis suddenly interrupted.
"Say that again."
"I said I can only—"
"No. The last sentence."
"You can't expect me to use cash to defeat those Atlanteans," John repeated, puzzled.
"That's it. Cash!" Ellis exclaimed, eyes lighting up.
"Immediately notify all weapons manufacturers—no, every single one of them!"
"As long as they have weapons capable of harming the Atlanteans, every procurement order from the Department of Defense this year goes to them!"
"And if I'm re-elected, all military procurement for my next term will be theirs as well!"
Standing nearby, Ross opened his mouth to speak—but wisely chose to remain silent.
The Treasury Secretary hesitated briefly, then stood up at once.
"I'll begin reallocating funds immediately and ensure the Defense Department has uninterrupted payment capability."
"Go," Ellis waved him off.
After John left, Ross finally spoke.
"Mr. President, are you sure about this?"
Ellis looked at him calmly.
"Those arms dealers definitely have something hidden away—experimental weapons, unfinished prototypes. Once I put this offer on the table, how could they resist?"
As Secretary of Defense, Ross knew this was true.
Many companies possessed technology stuck in testing phases, limited only by funding.
Ellis slammed both hands onto the table.
"If I'm going to be dragged down anyway, why shouldn't I use what authority I still have to try and save the situation?"
Before long, weapons manufacturers across America received the message.
Soon after, the Department of Defense was flooded with invitations to weapons testing demonstrations.
---
The Next Day
Even veteran Defense officials were left stunned as they toured the laboratories of various arms corporations.
Weapons that had never been marketed—or even acknowledged—were suddenly unveiled, appearing all at once like spring flowers in bloom.
This wasn't surprising.
Whoever succeeded would secure all Defense Department contracts for the year.
And if Ellis won re-election, they would monopolize military procurement for his entire term.
The profits involved were astronomical—measured in billions.
Some companies, eager to stand out, even displayed experimental technology that had not yet fully materialized.
All of this stemmed from one source:
Lucas Reed—and the Kryptonian spacecraft he had provided.
Though progress outside LexCorp and government laboratories had been slow, shared data and joint research had led to rapid breakthroughs.
Physics.
Materials science.
Energy systems.
Each field saw significant advancement in a short span of time.
When Ellis received the reports, even he was shocked.
These bastards had been hiding everything.
Even FBI infiltrators had uncovered little—yet one procurement promise flushed them all out.
"Tell them this," Ellis ordered.
"The battlefield of Gotham is the best proving ground. Whoever's weapons perform best—I buy theirs."
Talk was cheap.
Let results speak.
---
Meanwhile…
After disembarking from his plane, Tony Stark flew directly to the outskirts of Gotham.
Even after an entire night, the city ruins were still burning.
Seeing the devastation firsthand made Tony's expression darken.
Watching it on television was one thing.
Being there was something else entirely.
If the government hadn't evacuated civilians in advance, the scene would have been one of utter slaughter.
"These bastards…" Tony muttered—uncertain whether he was cursing the enemy or his own side.
"Sir, you're being filmed by the media," JARVIS reminded him.
Tony turned his head. A display appeared on his visor.
Nearby, a news helicopter hovered over Gotham's perimeter, its camera locked onto him.
"Let them film," Tony said lightly.
"At least someone will broadcast our heroic entrance."
"Come on, JARVIS," he added.
"Let's see just how terrifying these sea people really are."
With that, jets flared from his palms and feet as Iron Man streaked toward the Atlantean encampment.
---
"Who approaches?"
Seated upon his throne, Orm opened his eyes and looked up at the red-and-gold armor hovering in the sky.
Tony declared solemnly:
"I am Iron Man. Your actions have severely endangered civilian lives and property. I demand that you withdraw immediately!"
Orm burst into laughter.
"Are you joking?" he sneered.
"Withdraw?"
He gestured toward the massive army behind him.
"Even if I agreed, do you really think they would?"
___
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