Dinner then Conclave

As the delegates ate, The Ghost and Prince spoke.

"So tell me, why the big feast?" asked the Ghost who had yet to eat anything. "We are celebrating everyone's arrival, including yours." "Seems like a waste of time."

The Price was taken back by the Ghost's statement as he and Vice Commander Light stand and begin to walk toward the door.

"And where are you two going?" asked a delegate.

"To have dinner with our soldiers, like true leaders should." They closed the doors behind them and walked outside where they grabbed a ration pack and ate with their soldiers. The other delegates scoffed and continued to eat, while the prince snuck out and joined them.

"What do you want?"

"I wish to join you."

"Major, you will address our guest and host as his Majesty. After all, we are in his territory."

"Sir, with all due respect, all of this was our territory. Are we expected to share what's ours with them? They don't even have guns, and they lack basic hygiene."

"Major, hold your tongue. They have simply have adapted with what they have. We were lucky."

"Of course sir, I apologize for my outburst your majesty, forgive my rudeness."

"He seems lively."

"Your majesty, this is Maddock, Major of the 451st Heavies or 451st Hellhounds."

"It's an honor to meet you Major."

"Likewise your majesty."

"Tell me Commander Ghost, what do you think of things here. Be honest."

"You're surrounded by foolish leaders, each squabbling over a parcel of land while it all rightfully belongs to us. We're not upset about that, but this summit seems like a waste of my time."

"How do you mean when you say they are fools?"

"If it came to a nation v nation war, we would mop the floor with anyone of them, hell all of them. We wouldn't even have to use Liberty Bell. They expect their soldiers to blindly follow them, not question a thing. Well, we've seen where that will get people."

The Major and Vice Commander nod as they eat. "What is it you are eating?"

"Rations, premade food. It's not something a royal would like."

The Prince takes a bite of the food and winces. "It's very dry."

"Yes, but packed with nutrients we need for long marches. All of our people eat this, at least till our farm yields a full crop."

The Prince looks at the soldiers, they had all eat the same thing he'd just eaten. They were happy to see just have food in their stomachs, and happy to serve the Ghost.

"Mark my words Ghost, there will changes coming tomorrow, if things get dicey, can I count on you?"

"I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to protect the interests of my nation."

"Good."

The next morning the Delegates were awakened by the guards early in the morning. In the room they'd met in earlier, the Prince shoved open the doors, the Ghost and Daniel were the only two standing up.

"As of last night, I have come to a decision. Every summit we eat, drink, and get nothing done, this summit that ends. Effective immediately, every leader in this room has been put on notice. You will be fighting in the conclave, held this afternoon, your seconds will stand in your place while you fight. Should you survive, you will take a seat, die and your clan faces being outcast. Anyone who opposes this is a coward and my forfeit any claim to their land and this alliance."

The room went red, the delegates were all up in arms arguing and ready to kill the prince, all the while the Ghost smiled. "Everyone shut up!" he yelled. "I for one accept this challenge, it's time for action, not bullshitting, pretending that this world belongs to you based upon a throne. If that's the case, then you can all forfeit your lands is this land belongs to the Americans, and since none of you have beaten me in combat, you have no claim to it."

One by one, leaders stepped up and took the challenge. The Ghost took the floor to speak. "To quote the great Oppenheimer, "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." I'll be sure to survive, no, live for the battle. Your majesty, I am ready to prove my strength in the arena."

The other delegates scoffed at him, but his quote wasn't just a quote, it was a warning and a threat.

The hour of the conclave came, and the Ghost was the first leader to fight. Before the gong was hit to begin the fight, he looked at the warriors and smiled. "Sometimes there's just someone called...A fearless warrior." grinned the Ghost as pulled out his sledgehammer. With the sounding of the gong, the Ghost leapt at his attacks, splattering skulls, and breaking bones as he made his threat quote clear. He didn't intend to follow the orders of weaker clans, as he was the strongest." Only a few moments had passed when the gong was hit again signifying the end of the battle. The Americans cheered as their leader emerged from the arena covered in blood. The next few hours came and went and of the 26 clans that made up the coalition, 10 of them were still holding seats at the table. At top of the list was the Prince and his clan, the Lin-Fawn Clan, then came the Ghost and the American Clan, followed by Zedon and the Heirreign Clan.

"Those of you holding seats have proven your strength and have earned you placement in the coalition accordingly. Those of you not holding seats, have two weeks before I even accept petitions to join back to this coalition. Take your armies and leave."

"And if we refuse?"

"Then the American known as Liberty Bell shall remove you, the American way." replied the Prince.

The man nodded and they others left, leaving the capital city all together. "To those of you left here, call home, bring your members of house and your spouses. Let us truly feast and celebrate our new alliance."

"However, we will be hosting." said the Ghost. "His majesty asked that we host, so we will show you our best."

The Delegates send messengers home as they meet at the gates of the capital. "We'll be going ahead of everyone else, go home, come prepared to eat."

The Ghost and Daniel get into the Marine One that was waiting for them outside followed by the Prince and his security detail. "Pilot, take us home."

The Prince and his guards hold on as the helicopter takes off and heads of the Tomb of Washington. It takes them about half an hour to reach the city. In the days they'd been gone, the Americans had been making leaps and bounds making their new home livable.

As Marine One lands, the Prince steps out seeing the excavated city and the countless people clearing away the ash and ground to make room for the Heirreign Clan, in the valley, the Prince sees the city they'd repaired and repowered with the bunkers power source. Inside the bunker, the Prince is taken back at the number of people and the number of odd things he was seeing.

"So, this is where you've been?"

"Yes, we have all lived in here, working, and surviving to see the surface again."

Most of the citizens had moved out of the Bunker allowing the engineers to get everything prepared to receive delegates. Standing in the cafeteria, the Prince smelled the food the former white house chefs were cooking.

"Guards, once the delegates begin arriving, have them surrender their weapons at the gates. Nobody gets in with a weapon. Only our people will have guns." The guards nod as they return to their posts.

That night the Prince found himself lying awake, he got up and walked around the bunker, or the areas he could access. Vice Commander Light was up making the rounds.

"Your majesty, you should be in your room."

"Yes, I couldn't sleep is all, it's very quiet here."

"We made this place a fortress, a place that wouldn't fall."

"Then why call it a tomb?"

Daniel paused and nodded. "I'll talk with the Ghost in the morning."

"You should. Your people are strong."

"They have survived our world ending way too fucking much. We are all that remain of dead world. Now, I must return to my duties, goodnight your majesty."

"Goodnight Vice Commander."