Josh was going through the closing motions of the second song of the set when a voice began shrieking over the monitor is his ear, cutting off Chris' and Joey's harmonies.
"...Call to arms...all off-duty military personnel to report to the nearest outpost for deployment..."
The static suggested a radio signal. Josh caught Jade's gaze, and a moment of understanding passed between them.
Lance was waving them over frantically, and the five of them huddled to talk over the roar of the crowd.
"Our monitors are messing up," Lance yelled. "We don't know what to do. The crew can't get rid of the static."
"The Star-Spangled Banner," Josh answered decisively. "We'll sing that."
Joey's eyebrows went up, but Jade and Chris were nodding their agreement. They broke the huddle, and while Lance gave his speech, Josh and Jade conferred quickly.
"Are you gonna go?" Jade asked.
Josh nodded. "Yeah. I'll wait for you, just outside the stage door.
Jade grinned. "You got it, Corporal."
Before the screams of the girls had halfway reached their peak, a sailor and a flyboy were navigating the dark streets of the city, military issue duffel bags packed with uniforms, flashlights leading the way.

Through the darkness in cities across America, youth were heading for bases, a path lit by candles and flashlights.

Josh ran a hand over his newly-shorn head, feeling gloriously comfortable in his sailor whites. He replaced the dixie-cup hat and cast a glance at the young, nervous seamen assembled before him. These young men and women were fresh out of ROTC, he was sure of that. The helicopter was waiting to take them out to their home for the next few months, the USS Kittyhawk. This would be a small, quiet war that few would know about. The rest of the band thought he was in Baltimore with family. Riiiiiight.

Gabriel's date looked startled when he suddenly announced that he had to take her home, but he dropped her off at the foot of her driveway and zoomed away before she was even halfway out of his car.
Fifteen minutes later Gabriel Wolfe was in full marine uniform, striding out the front door with a flyboy DJ beside him. Keith was sprinting down the sidewalk, one hand up to keep his white sailor hat from flying off.
"So let's go," Tobias urged. "We have to be there yesterday."
This covert military call to arms was a test of who was really a patriot. Asia had a feeling that lots of court-martials were going to go down once this battle was done. She surveyed the SEAL teams around her getting ready to move out. Christian was a Ranger - the Quislai had yet to arrive.

All across the world, people were gathered around radios, televisions and computers, listening to a tiny, white-haired old man give a speech.
"...American citizens going to war. Those of you Dagaz agents and Ground Zero staff that are enlisted in US military service, respond to the call. Obey call commands from superior officers, regardless of Dagaz rank or civilian status. I am Tops, CINC of the Dagaz, from Central..."
In the night, below ground, thousands upon thousands of Dagaz members were navigating the maze of tunnels beneath Central. Agents lined the walls of the tunnels, holding flashlight to light the path. This was war, and they were answering the call.

Jade checked the gears and buttons carefully, yelling out the window to his mechanic, a pretty brunette of a lance-corporal.
"It's all good, captain," she called out, flashing him a thumbs-up.
Jade waved. "Thanks."
As he settled his helmet on his head, a second lieutenant crawled into the seat behind him. He was the gunman this flight. The cover of the cockpit slid shut, and Jade was given the go-ahead.
He eased the Robin Goodfellow along the lit runway, and was the first to take to the sky...