Once the second agenda was brought up, all attention shifted to the United States delegation.
This was simply due to the fact that they were the ones most at odds with Arias and Markovia, and they were also the ones who had suffered the most.
Their losses were astronomical.
If any type of peace summit were to be held, the other nations needed to know where the United States stood. But this went far beyond just being a global threat, as the game of politics remained in play, with not all countries wanting the United States to recover from this.
This was evident as Batman asked his first question, "How do each of the nations present feel about holding a peace summit? If not to stop the war, then to at least call for an indefinite ceasefire until we know more about the Apokoliptian threat?" Batman suggested in a stern tone.
The first reply came from the Chinese delegation. "Although we would like to see a peaceful resolution to this war, we are not willing to make any stance until the United States compensates us for the many losses our country's companies have faced because of the war."
Almost immediately, every League member present at the table showed a sour expression in some way, mostly frowns and furrowed brows, especially Superman, who could see right through this political maneuver.
With the United States in an incredibly fragile state—its military weakened and its economy nearly collapsed, backed only by its own military—China saw an opportunity to bully them without even needing to ask about the sort of compensation required.
Batman knew it wouldn't be money; instead, it was likely to be deals, be it for land, assets, resources, or contracts.
Before Batman or Superman could comment on this, the Russian delegation followed China's lead. "We agree with the Chinese delegation. Before we can fully back this call for peace, we need to reach some understandings between ourselves."
The United States delegation immediately understood what both China and Russia were hinting at, and it made their representative incredibly angry. "This is outrageous! You want us to pay you so that you'll support global peace? How dare you—!"
Before the representative could finish, Batman stepped in before things could spiral out of control. "That's enough. Clearly, the subject is far more complex and would require you all to reach personal agreements during your own time, as this is no place to debate it. But what I will advise you all is, if you let greed blind you to the obvious threats here, there won't be a world left for you to debate over." Batman's voice was firm and harsh, almost as if he were lecturing children.
The representatives, of course, didn't like his tone, but they didn't dare to speak up. Times were indeed hard, and if the threat was truly as dire as it seemed, they would need the League's help to survive.
In a way, right now, the Justice League was the only thing giving the United States some negotiating power.
After a brief pause, all sides backed down, with the Chinese representative saying, "Alright. We will take your advice to heart, Batman."
The United States representative just clicked his tongue and said nothing more.
Green Lantern shook his head and rolled his eyes before releasing a tired sigh, mentally communicating to everyone else, 'This is why I hate politics. Even when the world is in danger, all they worry about is profit.'
Superman replied mentally, "It can't be helped, we can't force them."
Batman avoided commenting and simply moved on. "Now then, about the presence of Arias Markovich in the United States. This is for the United States delegation."
The representative of the United States responded in a voice of barely contained rage. "Well, if you ask me personally, the man is a terrorist and a murderer, the real threat to world peace, along with the superhuman army he's building right in front of us. But the top brass don't seem to share my concerns, so for now, the United States will not make any arrests and will instead closely monitor him and the people he interacts with, with help from the League, of course. As for how we do this, well, that's classified. Now, can we move on?"
The United States representative clearly didn't like speaking about anything to do with Arias, with the subject being particularly infuriating.
Regardless, the meeting went on for the next thirty minutes, with the League and the representatives discussing more core issues that required immediate attention or highlighting.
Unfortunately, because it was a game of politics, no immediate promises or agreements were made. Aside from nations strongly allied to the United States, no others declared that they were willing to advocate for a peace summit.
By the time it was over and the video feed was cut, a few members of the League heaved sighs of resignation.
Superman looked especially disappointed, sighing deeply and rubbing his temples as he shook his head and asked out loud, "Why can't they just see the bigger picture and look past their pettiness?"
Aquaman scoffed at the question and crossed his arms. "This is why, in Atlantis, we say surface-dwellers are the most selfish creatures on the planet. Even in the face of a common threat, they're more worried about their pockets."
Green Lantern nodded in agreement, turning his attention to Batman. "He's right. If things keep on like this and the Apokoliptians really did have something to do with those attacks, the planet is doomed."
Green Lantern's blunt remark seemed extreme, but everyone present felt it was possible.
Black Canary, who had a thoughtful expression on her face, turned to look at Superman and asked, "Did you find out if Arias Markovich is willing to trade what he knows for anything? I don't like him either, but right now, we're running out of options."
After Black Canary said this, Martian Manhunter added in a low tone, "And time."