Start simple, expand into the details as you go. Assume they know nothing.

“Some of you have seen the video, where a cape was cornered and had a second trigger event. Unfortunately, this event was what we’ve taken to calling a ‘broken trigger’, stealing away her humanity and setting off a cascading series of events. Now nearly a dozen monsters stand over our city. We’re calling them Titans. This is why you were evacuated.

“I’m reaching out to you with the permission and help of the Wardens, from one of the defensive camps at the edge of the disaster site. We’ve been fighting in shifts for half the day, and my group is about to rejoin the fight. We’re taking the fight to the heart of the Titans, while others fight to keep them pinned down. For this we’re requesting your help. Able and ready volunteers who can follow instructions, handle themselves in a crisis, especially those who have experience in combat. If you heard that and you thought you could be one of those volunteers, we need you.”

Pause for effect, but don’t let your vision waver.

“We have not been able to permanently stop any of them yet, but we have gathered information, and we now intend to use that information to take the fight to the place where they get their power. If we cut them off at the source of powers, a source that was revealed when they emerged, we might be able to leave them powerless or weak. They are few, and we, cape and human, are many.”

Deep breath. This next part needed gravity, it deserved respect.

“The plan is that capes fight the Titans to keep them pinned down while other capes escort the volunteer army into the cracks in reality. You would be using tools and explosives to damage their infrastructure. I won’t lie to you about this, capes are dying in every single encounter we have with them. Volunteers will die in this effort. But if we do nothing, if nobody volunteers, and if this works, then more people from Gimel are likely to die, including those too young and infirm to fight. We need numbers to do enough damage, and we need those numbers to be able, determined and focused for the task.”

Less of a pause now, but making sure I wasn’t rushing. Pacing mattered.

“Emergency kits at each evacuated settlement have flares in multiple colors. If you’re willing, hug the people you care about, leave now, gather with other nearby volunteers, use three green flares to signal us. We’ll bring you to us. Dress to be warm in this weather and to be mobile. Thank you to those who choose to fight alongside us. To the rest of you, be safe and wish us luck.”

The green light at the side of the camera went out. Kenzie lowered it.