USS Theodore Roosevelt, UN Atlantic Fleet 12:00pm
The day after Caius' historic speech to the entire world, the entire United Nations assembly was now aboard the titanic US Navy super carrier the USS Theodore Roosevelt, at the heart of a huge fleet made up of over fifty navies anchored twenty miles out from New Volterra, protected by literally hundreds of other ships, a no fly zone the size of France and a literal swarm of jet fighters and helicopters.
No chances were being taken here as every ship's defences were combat ready, anti-air missiles and anti-ship rockets ready to shoot down any attempt by the vampires to attack this most sensitive of locations, where the governments of every nation on earth were now met in the first conference of its kind.
Newly promoted General Staunton, still left reeling from the horrific retribution Caius had dealt him but who had insisted on returning to frontline duties, was sat in the spacious cabin of a Royal Navy Merlin helicopter buzzing over the anchored fleet and frothing seas below. Around him sat all of his squad, all nervously checking their weapons, despite the fact the last vampire attack, a group of about twenty swimming below the surface from the direction of New Volterra, had been blown out of the water milliseconds after they were confirmed a target, then a Russian Hind gunship had hovered over the wreckage and dropped depth charges and raked the water with machine gun fire to kill off the survivors.
Still though that fear persisted. All of them had watched the footage from the battle at the UN Headquarters, seen Caius skewer a Viper helicopter gunship with the Volturi flag without breaking a sweat whilst his followers tore through the entire American Division and UN guard as if they were paper. Added to that was the attack on RAF Hereford, where Caius himself had managed to slip past the most heavily guarded installation in Britain to execute their commander's family. There had actually been a vampire attack upon the base the day of Caius' speech, over fifty vampires rushing the perimeter defences like rabid dogs before RAF Apache helicopters tore them apart with heavy machine guns and rockets.
Staunton glanced around at his squad as they neared the main deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a squadron of advanced USAF F-35s screaming past in a blur of silver, most likely off to enforce the no fly zone over New Volterra. Most of them were pale faced under their red berets, lost in their own thoughts. He couldn't blame them. It had all seemed to be going so well days ago but, after Romania, it had just been one disaster after another. From the horrific reports from Cairo all the way to the fall of New York, Ultra Vector was being pushed back. He had heard messages from the other divisions, all of them reporting defeat after defeat. From the loss of dozens of small villages and towns in North Africa overnight to rogue vampire cults to the 'New Horde' of the Mongolian steppes sweeping aside an entire Chinese Army battalion in a matter of hours, the situation across the world was crumbling.
As the helicopter landed on the deck of the supercarrier, ground crew scuttling around as the rotors powered down,the squad were up and ready, Rog hauling open the cabin door and stepping out into the cool sea air.
Jumping down and following his squad Staunton took in a deep breath and strode purposefully across the metal deck, the roar of jets overhead and flurry of air as the helicopter behind took off deafeningly loud. However he was soon inside the cool gloom of the ship itself, his squad peeling off as he came to the doors to the hangar, guarded by two squads from the Asian Division, hefting heavy QBB-95 machine guns.
"General Staunton?" the leader of them, a towering North Korean commando, said to him and he nodded. The soldier smiled as he passed a quick retina scanner over the general.
"Go right on in sir." He said as the scanner gave a positive ping and Staunton stepped through the small metal doorway and into the vast space of the main hangar, hastily converted to a crude approximation of the original United Nations Assembly room, complete with a massive collection of flags along with representatives of all members.
"Ah General Staunton!" he heard a familiar voice say as he walked to his designated seat alongside the other shell shocked looking Ultra Vector commanders, glancing briefly at the literal army of black uniformed soldiers lining the walls.
As he sat down he looked up at the speaker, the Deputy Secretary General, a cheery elderly Scandinavian dressed in a completely inappropriate bright blue shirt and tan shorts. The man had been on holiday at a UN base in the Caribbean and had refused to dress up for the occasion, citing his current temporary status as head of the organisation as a reason.
"Now if we can return to the business at hand." He said cheerily.
As he said this the French Vice President stood up and spoke.
"I would like to raise one issue and one issue only." He declared grandly. "Do we surrender or do we fight?"
Instantly the American Vice President was up.
"Look, we have half the cruise missiles in North America pointed at 'New Volterra' or whatever the fuck that the vampire leader is calling it. He's not going anywhere…"
"You really think that's going to stop him?" The French Vice President said with a sarcastic grin. "You said that having half the American Division protecting the UN would stop the vampires! And look where that got us! Cowering out here whilst Caius demands our immediate surrender…"
At this point the room once again dissolved into a free for all shouting match, at the centre of it the American and French Vice Presidents practically coming to blows.
Staunton sighed as he watched the arguments flaring up before his eyes. This war just wasn't going to be winnable if every disagreed each other. As the chaos entered another minute without stopping he glanced at the other Ultra Vector commanders, who had already guessed what he was about to and were giving nods of approval as he stood up, hand going to the revolver at his hip.
'This is going to probably make me deaf…' he thought to himself as he drew the heavy Magnum 500 and aimed it at the roof above, hoping the bullet wouldn't drop down and hoping it went into the thick steel above.
Then, taking one last look at the disorder before him, he fired.
The effect was instantaneous.
As one there was an almost comical intake of breath by the entire room and Staunton took the floor, smoking gun in hand as he stepped into the circular space within the rows of seating.
"My friends!" he began with what he hoped was a trustworthy smile. "Now is not the time for argument! As others have said before me, there is only one issue. And of course only one answer. We fight…"
Soon as those words left his lips one of the dignitaries from Australia stood up and retorted.
"Have you not seen what that madman said in his broadcast? If any country were to stand up to him they would be swept aside!"
Staunton grinned.
"Exactly! One country would fail, as the loss of the noble US Marines guarding New York proved. And yet, what is this organisation, what do we here represent? We are the United Nations, and united we stand against this menace which seeks to subjugate us!"
He could see a few nods from the delegates arrayed around, and pressed on.
"So I say that we don't play his little game! We have another six days before he makes good on his promise to declare war upon humanity. Six days to create and prepare an army. Not of one nation but of all nations. An army of humanity to face the forces of the vampires! Who is with me?"
The general could see the approval on many people's faces around the room, but then one voice spoke up, one that Staunton recognised as that of the British Deputy Prime Minister, technically his superior.
"Brave words there general." The stout grey haired politician said with a wry smile. "But this isn't some stupid action film we're part of. For every one of those days that you are creating this 'army of humanity' Caius will be executing our world leaders live from his fortress. Is it really worth it? To build up this force that will, to tell the truth, most likely crash and burn against the vampires, whilst innocent men and women are slaughtered?"
"We either lie down and submit sir, or we fight back and show these vampires that humanity will not go out with a fight. That the fate of our species is not to go out with a whimper, but a bang. A battle that will forever cause vampires all across the planet to quake in fear at us once more!"
This time the room erupted into applause and the SAS commander felt a wide grin come to his face. By this time in six days this war would come to an end, one way or another.