I do not own any of the characters, but the Hosts.

Based off my gameplay from BF1, along with a few adjustments. I will not be changing the rating to [M] Mature yet, due to how the content for this chapter was written. RWBY casts Reacts to WW1. More WW1 and WW2 will be revisited/reacted in later chapters.

Here's how I will be doing to reaction stuff. If I am unable to get a decent transcript or understanding of the characters and plot of the other universes, I will replace them with the RWBY casts.

If I can't get the names of the characters I will be replacing the entire original casts with the RWBY ones. I will also do so if it helps ease my burden when it comes to writing the chapter, or I feel that it is out of touch.

EDIT: Forgot to add the politics (mutual defense treaty, etc.) in the cause for WW1.


Battlefield 1 - Storm of Steel


The Hosts briefly explained to them briefly about the world wars. Their reactions were to be expected.

"It's a shame that even without Grimm, humanity would still wage a large-scale war twice." There had already been one devastating war in Remnant, the Great War. Their Great War. To this day, the kingdoms have yet to fully recover from it. Ozpin wondered if it's within human nature to participate in conflicts continuously.

Most of the adults nodded in agreement with the headmaster.

"It would appear that some things never change. No matter where we are." Glynda said in a low voice.

"Conflict is eternal. Without the Creatures of Grimm for humanity to unite against, humanity expanded greatly. Conflict was and is inevitable."

The audience stayed silent, letting that sink in.

Ironwood crossed his arms, "They do not utilize Dust in their technology, correct?"

"Correct. Dust does not exist in this world. There are many alternative sources of energy that these humans use to fuel their war machines."

"And these alternative energy sources, do they exist in our world?" Ironwood pressed on.

"Perhaps. Seek for it, then you shall have your answer. But know that it is no easy feat."

The general made a mental note of that. He will be taking it up to the scientist back at Atlas for their thoughts.

"So… These weapons that they used." Ruby asked the Hosts, "You said that it's primitive, yet advanced and destructive? How does that work entirely?"

Oobleck spoke up, "A bit of a contradiction in that statement, but I believe it's the alternative source of propellant that they use for their weaponry that makes it destructive. Of course, that is just an assumption."

"You are correct on your assumption. Hold your questions for now and brace yourself. It starts."

The screen darkens as the presentation began.

An African American man is seen sleeping on his bed as the song "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" plays throughout. The man shifts in sleep, seemingly in anxiety, while a woman tries to calm him down.

"It's going to a flashback, isn't it?" Neptune had seen similar tropes from movies and TV shows back at Remnant.

Qrow took a long drink out of his flask, "At least the music is calming."

The man suddenly opens his eyes, and the scene cuts to a World War I warzone. The man is revealed to be a Harlem Hellfighter, wakes up lying in the mud and is pulled up by another soldier. As he slowly recovers his senses, he sees many American, French and Imperial German soldiers stabbing or beating each other to death, while the song continues to play.

"My word." Port scrunched up his eyebrow.

"Indeed." Ozpin no longer felt like he could drink from his mug and placed it in a cupholder.

Oobleck shared the same sentiment, but retained his observant trait, analyzing everything that is happening on screen. Glynda had covered her mouth with a frown. Seeing that this was a good time to get on her good side, Ironwood placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring pat.

One German soldier charges at him with his bayonet, but the Hellfighter dodges the attack and stabs him with his combat knife. He then spun around looking lost, watching an ally soldier pushing down another German soldier and started pummeling him. Throughout the battlefield, barren of life; the soldiers continue to maim one another. Slaughtering each other with anything they can get their hands on as fire and explosions echoed in the distances. Screams of pain, hatred, fear, and so much more filled the air.

Raven put on her neutral face, "So, this is war…"

"They're tearing each other like rabid beasts."

"This is horrible, look at the amount of destruction they are causing." Winter said with horror, "This battlefield must have been a forest before this all started." She felt her stomach slightly churn as she watched soldiers brutally maul each other.

The Hosts were right. This sort of war, they had never experienced anything this savage before.

Jaune hesitated to say anything but mustered up the courage to ask the Hosts a question that has been forming in his head. "Why aren't they using their guns?"

"I also have the same question," Ironwood grunted, slightly horrified by what was occurring on the screen. "Don't tell me they ran out of ammo."

"This is what true war is." The Hosts replied cryptically, "For this era, that is."

The song fades out, and the Hellfighter is seen holding his rifle before the scene cuts to black. A brief description of World War I is shown.

The first sentence was blurred out for some reason, but it was the next one that really caught everyone's attention.

More than 60 million soldiers fought in "The War to End All Wars".

Everyone was shocked by the number of soldiers participating in this war.

"But it didn't." Blake said to no one in particular, "It just led to another one."

"60… Millions?" Pyrrha said sadly.

"That's larger than the population for all kingdoms." Penny let out a steady breath, even though she is an android. "The population of this world must be quite large for there to be this many soldiers."

Roman lit a cigar and puffed out several clouds of smoke, "And many more unaccounted…"

Everyone went silent as the next sentence dropped the bitter truth.

It ended nothing.

Yet it changed the world forever.

What follows is frontline combat.

You are not expected to survive.

"Very blunt," Mercury said sarcastically.

The scene changes to another person's perspective in first-person. He looks down at his weapon, an M1909 Benét–Mercié light machine gun. A Harlem Hellfighter officer ran up to the soldier and started barking orders while shaking him slightly.

"We're surrounded! We have to hold this line!" The officer said frantically, backing away, he took up position along with the rest.

The soldier gets ready to defend the position with his machine gun, watching a tank drive past him to confront the Imperial German Army advance. He ran past a couple of soldiers, dragging the dead and wounded with them away from the frontlines.

"It looks like we're seeing this from another perspective," Yatsuhashi concluded. His teammates were taking the scene very well as they had been in similar situations, but not to the devastating extent of what was shown on the screen.

Ozpin nodded, "So, it seems."

As the soldier took cover behind a nearly collapsed building, artillery fire intensified. The Imperial German Army has begun to soften their resistance.

"They're coming!" The Harlem Hellfighter officer shouted, "Hold men!" Imperial German Army soldiers commence the attack. Whistles can be heard blowing as they advance on the position followed by their war cries. "Fire at will!"

"Cover your eyes, Ruby."

"I can handle it, Yang. I'm a huntress-in-training." Ruby said with a determined expression.

"But…" Yang glanced her father and uncle for help, but even they seemed to be caught in on the battle.

"Let her be." Weiss supported Ruby's decision, "We're here for each other anyway."

"Aww, Weiss!" Ruby squeezed her partner's hand.

Through the thick smokes, the soldier could barely make out the figures of the charging German infantry and started to fire blindly at anything that moves.

"Hold your ground!" His officer's voice was barely audible over the explosions and gunfire. "Stand fast!"

The soldier repositioned himself to a window and mounted his machinegun on its frame, firing wildly at the hordes of charging German soldiers. For each German soldier killed, another takes its place, soon the machine gunner was forced to pull back from the window as grenades and bullets fell upon his position.

Reloading his weapon, the soldier lifted his machinegun once more and fired through the window, mowing down a small wave of German soldiers that walked straight into his line of sight. Nearby German soldiers took cover behind anything they could find, firing back.

"They fight their wars without aura." Ironwood said quietly, "Without Dust and without Grimm, yet they achieved this much destruction with near archaic weapons."

Oobleck gave his own thoughts to the general. "People tend to underestimate how devastating weapons from past eras are. If this is what they're capable of here, then I shudder to imagine what they are capable of in the future."

"If they even have one after this." Glynda said bitterly, "There's even a second war like this… How do they even rebuild all this…? This… Destruction?"

"Be it what it may, but our Hosts did say that this world, for all its flaws has shown to be promising," Ozpin answered.

"But what does 'promising' mean in this context?"

"We'll have to see."

Several bullets nearly struck the soldier, with one lucky bullet bouncing off his helmet, sending the soldier tumbling.

"Hold in place!" His officer roared, causing the soldier to quickly get up. He picked up his machinegun only to find it damaged beyond usage.

"That sucks." Coco tried to lighten the mood, but it didn't do much.

With a grunt, he threw it to the ground and unholstered his pistol, picking off his enemies that left their cover. However, there was no end to the advancing Imperial German Army.

"Stand fast! Hold men!"

German soldiers were already flanking their sides, running up the hills, charging and firing wildly. A friendly soldier unintentionally exposed himself as he took aim at the advancing Germans, taking two bullets to the chest; killing him.

The soldier glanced over towards his fallen comrade and saw the dropped rifle. He reloaded his pistol and holstered it, picking up the rifle and the ammo pouch.

"This guy deserves credit for keeping his cool." Qrow gave a small toast to the soldier on screen. "Everyone there deserves it. No matter how fucked up that world is right now."

Ironwood nodded, "Agreed."

"Cheers to that." Raven and Vernal joined in.

"Swear!" Ruby cried out in horror.

Taking aim, the soldier sniped several soldiers and a machine gunner in the rising smoke. But his position was quickly overwhelmed as soldiers climbed their way up the hill forcing him to fall back.

"Maintain your position!" His commanding officer shouted one last time.

Yang growled angrily, "He's commanding his soldiers to die on the spot! What is he doing?! Why can't they move back?!"

"They're buying time," Ironwood answered, wearing a complicated expression. He had soldiers… Friends, go down in a similar fashion against the Grimm just to buy time for the civilians and wounded to escape.

A German Flame trooper was seen flanking their right position, lighting up the entire entrenched area with liquid fire. The roaring flame drowned out their agonizing screams and everything seems to slow. The soldier leveled his rifle and fired at the Flame trooper. The bullet zipped through the Flame trooper's backpack, causing it to burst into flames as the chemicals reacted.

The Flame trooper flailed around in a panic before the backpack exploded, engulfing the area in a bright, fiery explosion.

Nora clutched Ren's hand tightly, giving it a squeeze as they watched the soldiers die a horrible death. This amount of destruction makes everything they had known, and witness looks like child's play.

Neptune felt his throat dried up. He shakily summons a cup of water and downed it within a second. Wiping his mouth, he half-whimpered, "I think that just cured my aquaphobia…"

In the 'villains' section, nearly all of the individuals shivered at the fiery death, knowing that they too might experience it should they upset Cinder.

For her, the fiery death was music to her ears. The life of those taken is worth little to her. Still, it was a teeny bit unsettling to know that this is merely one of many wars waged in that world. The art of destruction that rivaled even Salem's should she have her way with the world.

The soldier staggered back from the explosion, ears ringing as he tries to reestablish his position. He stumbled over the fallen walls only to see two German soldiers pointing their rifles at him. Before he could even react, they fired, killing him as the screen went black.

The screen changes to third-person, letting the audience watched the soldier whose eyes they've been viewing from fall to the ground. Around him, many soldiers, both friendly and enemy, die as the position is being held.

An eerie song played in the background as the name of the fallen soldier was revealed.

Clarence Point Coupee, 1900 – 1918

"Rest well, Clarence." Ironwood gently said, saluting all the soldiers on-screen.

"Hats off to you." The thief said, "For being able to fight through that chaotic mess."

Neo raised her sign, "A global mess."

Mercury restlessly bounced his legs, sounding somber. "One moment you're fighting, next thing you know… You're dead."

The students huddled around their own team, trying to find comfort in their company while the adults were silently listening to what comes next. It was far from over.

"We came from all over the world, so many of us think this war would be our rite of passage, our great adventure. Let me tell you, it was no adventure."

"The harsh reality," Tai said softly.

"People, especially the younger ones, do tend to think of everything as a game." Port sighed. As bombastic and jolly he may be, he has seen and lived through the harsh world.

The perspective changes as the camera zoomed out of the battlefield, sliding back to that of a heavy machine gunner on a Maxim MG.

"From another soldier's perspective." Sun chewed his lips, unsure if he wants to see how this will go down.

Ironwood tapped his arms, "The frontline is shifting."

"Flame trooper!" Someone shouted, "Let her sing! Pump 'em full of lead!"

The machine gunner immediately fired at anything that moves below the trenches, crouching a bit to get a clear view from the machinegun's iron sight. Enemy soldiers started to trickle their way through the trenches, only to be quickly mowed down.

More and more German soldiers spilled out from seemingly nowhere, running blindly or firing at the defenders. Bullets flew and struck against the sandbags that protected the machine gunner who continuously fired at the advancing army.

"How… Do they even differentiate from one another? It's so chaotic."

"I don't think they do." Winter answered her sister, "At least, not anymore."

An Airship L30 appears over the sky, ready to bombard the Allied positions.

"Airship incoming! More coming in on the right!"

The machine gunner stopped firing and swiveled his gun to the right side, finding it mostly deserted. He then glanced up at the large airship, seemingly stunned by its enormous appearance.

"Open fire! Keep shooting!"

The machinegunner snapped out of his daze and fired into the trenches, killing several German soldiers that had just emerged from the corners.

"That thing has got to be an easy target." Coco pointed at the Zeppelin L30 airship. "It's like a giant balloon in the air, how is it not shot down?"

"We assure you; it is much harder to bring down then it would seem." The Hosts answered her.

"Fascinating." Oobleck said as he quickly sketched the airship, "It seems that this is an early version of what an airship would look like."

"Shiiiiit! Shiiiiit!" His ally screamed as the airship started its bombardment.

The Airship fires its Becker Type M2 autocannon at the machine gunner, knocking him off his feet and destroying the machine gun nest.

"They're getting through, rally at the church, we have to hold there!"

The machine gunner wordlessly picks up his other weapon, an M97 Trench Gun and proceeds to defend the church. German soldiers climbed through the windows, firing at anything that moves.

A handful of them failed to check behind them and was killed with a single shot from behind.

"Children, please. Always watch your back." Glynda nearly begged on her sentence.

"Comin' in through the window! Watch behind you!" A friendly fired over the machine gunner's head, killing an enemy soldier that was emerging from the window.

The machine gunner wordlessly thanked his brother-in-arms and took up position behind the pillars. German soldiers blindly rushed past the pillars, quickly getting gunned down by the soldier lying in wait.

Winter shook her head, "So reckless…"

"Adrenaline must have numbed them to the danger." One of the hazards Ironwood had always watched out for is recklessness. It comes in various forms, arrogance, pride, fear… It's all the same regardless.

In the midst of the fighting, a grenade flew over the window behind him. Quickly taking notice of the grenade, the soldier dived through several pillars and rolled back up as the grenade exploded.

Alive but no longer behind cover, the machine gunner strafed to the right, firing off his shotgun and killing three German soldiers.

"These guys are just running to their deaths." Mercury emptily scoffed, "Not that I blame them. The place they're fighting over is a deathtrap."

It was a chaotic mess, the war that was happening on screen. Even Winter wasn't able to quickly make out which one is supposedly friend or foe. "It's a miracle there hasn't been any friendly fire we seen on screen so far."

"I'll say." Qrow emptied his flask, "Was our Great War ever this bad?"

Oobleck pushed up his glasses with a grim expression, "I can't say for certain."

A German Flame trooper rushed out into the church along with two soldiers and quickly flushed their cover with spewing fire. The machine gunner gasped and cough as fire clung to the ground and floor, black toxic smoke choking the life out of the soldier.

"They're everywhere! Watch the windows!" He could hear friendlies from the distance, but they would not be here to save the day on time.

He staggered out from cover and killed two of the soldiers that escorted the Flame trooper. In retaliation, the Flame trooper set the machine gunner on fire, coating him with flammable oil.

A distorted choking scream could be heard as the man fell onto the ground, burning before the screen cuts black.

The name of the fallen soldier slowly appeared on screen in white:

James Johnson, 1892 – 1918

Roman gulped, "What a way to go…"

"No kidding." Neo's sign said.

Back to Team RWBY's section, Ruby herself felt sick and nearly vomited. She forced it down, feeling the burning sensation in her throat which caused her to wince at the cruel irony.

"Would you like a drink of water, Ruby?" Penny asked.

"That would be nice… And a cookie." She said weakly.

"New killing machines, like the tank, changed the shape of the war overnight. Luckily, they were mostly on our side, mostly."

"Technological breakthrough tends to happen during a time of conflict." Oobleck sighed, "It's a shame we can't do so under less conflicting circumstances."

Take Atlas for example. They needed to be technologically advanced in order to survive the harsh weather of Atlas. Another example is the Great War, their Great War; where technology leaped in even greater bounds.

Raven rolled her eyes, "It's proof that we grow stronger through conflict."

"But at what cost?" Ozpin asked the raven-haired woman who simply looked away.

The perspective changes to that of a British Mark V tank gunner, stationed several meters away from the church. Climbing inside the tank, the gunner peered out of the narrowed sight.

Soldiers carried the dead and wounded from the battlefield while others stand guard, remaining vigilant.

"So, that's a tank." Oobleck hummed thoughtfully.

Port raised an eyebrow, "It certainly doesn't look its part, but one mustn't judge a book by its cover."

"It does have a simple design and their technology is deceptively powerful than we anticipated," Ironwood noted, believing it would be wise to write a few notes down in case they can incorporate similar ideas to the Atlesian Military.

"Our boys in the church are overrun! We need to push through!" Their tank commander barked. The tank roar into life treading past the uneven ground to the frontlines following several other tanks. "PBI are counting on us!"

As they roared past, the gunner spotted an allied soldier, clutching his stomach, limping his way to the camp while his comrades fended off the Imperial German Army advance.

"Use that Emma Gee! Sweep the ground!" The tank driver ordered the gunner.

The tank gunner turned the mounted machine towards the church as they drove by, firing into the building and killing a Flame trooper that was setting the building on fire.

"And so, the second guy was avenged." Vernal quietly quipped.

"Keep going, driver!"

The driver obeyed and continued their advance. He then noticed the Royal Flying Corps fighter planes in the sky. "That's our flyboys up there!"

"Keep your eyes on the ground, son!" The commander scolded.

Blake narrowed her eyes, trying to get a good look at the airplanes flying overhead. "They have sharper visions than I do. I can't make out which airship is theirs or the enemies."

"It could be the noise that these 'planes' produced, or they've been fighting long enough to know which one is theirs just by faintly seeing it." Winter gave her insights, "Of course, since their technology is different than ours, they might have another form of identification… I can't be so sure here."

"They're moving in from the trenches! Use that machine gun! Mow them down!"

German infantry moved out of the trenches and into no man's land, where they are cut down by the British. A friendly tank fired its cannon, leveling an entire position, flushing the German infantry out.

Enemy soldiers left and right was mowed down, forcing the surviving infantries to retreat. Their friendly tank chased after them, firing its machineguns and cannon.

"We've got them on the run! Push on! Forward! For King and Country!" Several more shells were fired on the entrenched German positions. "We'll chase Fritz all the way back to Berlin!"

"That must be a nickname for the enemy, while this Berlin must be an important city."

"Correct. Berlin is the capital city of the German Empire." The Hosts explained.

"Hm-hmm." Oobleck wrote that down, "Is there any chance I get a chance to read their history books? To get a better understanding."

"We can arrange that."

"My thanks."

The tanks crashed through the barricades and barbwires, cutting down anything that got into the gunner's sight.

As the gunner tore through anything that moves, he spotted a German soldier walking incredibly slow while looking down on the ground as if he was dispirited. His rifle was held loosely in his hand and he walked with a slump, numbed to the dangers around him.

"Combat stress reaction…" Ironwood firmly closed his eyes for a brief moment.

Without pausing, the gunner turned his gun on the shellshock soldier, putting him out of his misery along with several other retreating infantries.

The students seemed to be completely stunned by that act of cruelty.

"Why…?" Nora sobbed as she hugged Ren tighter.

Ozpin sighed sadly, "It doesn't look like they were willing to take any chances."

"Every soldier that isn't theirs is a potential threat." Ironwood rubbed his robotic arm, "And in all this chaos, I don't think they can even afford the time and luxury to be merciful."

"It may even be a spur of the moment." Cinder put out, earning several nods from the adults.

"Incoming!" A field gun takes out a nearby friendly tank, shaking the gunner's vision as the friendly tank exploded.

"Field gun took her apart!" The driver shouted fearfully. "We're just a big fat target for that thing!"

However, they cannot afford to go back. Their country is depending on them! "Move, driver! Go around! If you get a clear shot on that blasted field gun, you take it!" The tank diverged from the main path, flanking to the right of the field gun. "Hold on! We're pushing through!"

They smashed through the fallen buildings killing several German soldiers along the way. There it was, the field gun was spotted on the left side manned by three soldiers.

"How scary is that? Having a giant armored machine burst out of the buildings and crushing you?" Jaune said with a haunted expression.

"They're on the left!"

"Take out that cannon!"

The gunner obliterated the field gun and its crew with its tank gun, freeing up a passageway for other friendlies to get through.

"Good job! Let's open a path for our lads! Move up with the rest of the armor!" Another tank came into view, aiding the British in forcing the German back. "Stay focused men!"

Around them, the battlefield intensified with German artillery shelling their position, killing some of their own allies in the process. However, their deaths were worth it as an artillery shell takes out a nearby friendly tank.

Roman puffed on his cigar, "Things are heating up."

"How much courage do you need to have to get through that? And without aura…" Yang suddenly had huge respect for those who risked their lives fighting for others despite not having their auras unlocked.

"You shouldn't underestimate those even without their auras unlocked," Tai said to his daughter, "Aura and semblances isn't everything."

"Push on, dammit! We're almost through! Fire at anything that moves!"

"We're gonna make it!"

Ahead of them, they could barely make out the German fortified position. However, their objective would never be reached as an artillery shell streaked towards them.

"Shit! Incoming! Artillery!"

An artillery shell lands directly on top of the Mark V Tank, killing all occupants including the gunner.

The audience couldn't make out the name of the fallen gunner in the fiery explosion, but no doubt they were missing some of the crew members that were on that tank.

Ironwood couldn't help but asked their Hosts, "Were they ever identified?"

"Some shall be, some will not, others are lost and forgotten." Their response sent chills down everyone's spine. It was an instinctual reaction to mortality.

"How awful." Winter silently mourns.

"And they were so closed to their objective…" Jaune said quietly.

"Instead of adventure we found fear, and in war the only true equalizer is death."

Perspective changes once again to a submachine gunner caught in a gas attack, not far from where their tanks passed through seconds ago. He puts on his mask, but he cannot aim down the sights of his weapon.

"What is that?" Sun stared warily at the yellowish gas that consumed the entire battlefield.

"Poison gas." The Hosts answered.

Cinder took an interest at the mention of the chemical weapon, it might help her and Salem in their goals. "What is made out of?" She lowered her voice quiet so that no one but her underlings could hear her. "What does it do?"

"If you truly knew of its effect, even you would shun its usage."

Their responses made Cinder rethink what she was asking; pondering it for a few seconds before taking the Hosts word for it.

Fox shuddered as he watched the German infantry charged out of the mustard gas. "I suddenly feel prickly all over."

"You're not the only one." Coco agreed.

Explosions peppered the battlefield, deafening the submachine gunner. Yet, even he can still hear the high pitch whistle that signaled the counterattack from the Imperial German Army.

"Charge!" Someone roared, prompting everyone to surged forward.

Soldiers from both sides fired and lobbed grenades at each other before charging to meet them in melee. War cries, explosions, gunshots, death… These were all that could be heard in the raging chaos that spreads throughout no man's land.

Emerald clenched her hand as she watched them wildly charged towards each other. "That must have taken a lot of steel nerves to do."

"You mean a lot of steel balls." Mercury playfully elbowed her.

The submachine gunner advanced through the gas, mowing down any soldiers that got in his line of sight. Unfortunately, he strayed too far out into the open and was shot repeatedly by entrenched German soldiers, ending his life as the screen went dark.

Theodore Panola, 1889 – 1918

Tai couldn't help but wondered if this is what humans and faunus will devolve into should there be no more Grimm. Will they simply turn on each other?

Further down the rows, Raven seemed to know what her ex-husband was thinking. "It's in our nature, Tai. It may not represent us completely, but it's there." She said to him.

"Uh, thanks, Raven. So, have you been taking philosophy class?" He tried to make a joke, but Raven simply scoffed and ignored him.

The perspective again to another soldier standing several feet away from the now-deceased Theodore Panola.

"Move, move, move!" Another soldier shouted as they tried to hold the line against the onrush of German infantry.

The soldier laid prone on the ground and rested his rifle on the muddy floor, taking quick, but precise aim at his targets.

One bullet, one kill; his enemies fell one by one.

"Airship coming down!" Someone screamed. The Airship L30 received too much damage and crashes down onto the battlefield in a glorious, fiery explosion.

"It's as if their world is coming to an end," Ozpin said darkly. The only time he had seen this level of destruction was from his previous incarnation when he was the King of Vale, wielding the Relic of Destruction to end their own version of the Great War. "What is the reason that led to this war in the first place?"

The adults and students agreed with the headmaster's statement.

"There are many reasons why this conflict started. Greed, pride, hatred, revenge, politics… There are simply too many things to acknowledge, too many things that build and build that will lead up to this event. All it takes is one spark to send the entire world to war."

Cinder smiled to herself at the Hosts response to Ozpin. It sounded oh so similar to what she was planning for Beacon Academy.

The destruction of the airship inspired the men to push into the German's defensive line. With a war cry, they charged forth overrunning the initial defense, slaughtering anyone that dared try to stop them.

It seemed that they were winning this battle, but it was quickly disproven. A German Flame trooper appeared from over the hills incinerating the entire area, the Germans were mounting another attack with the Flame trooper spearheading the charge.

"It's a constant stalemate." Emerald whispered, "They pushed, the others pushed back."

"That is why this war has claimed many lives."

"And yet they have another war after this one?" Glynda still couldn't believe it. Does this amount of death and destruction even not faze them?

"The second world war shall bring their world closer to its absolute destruction, but we shall not be viewing that for the time being."

Weiss fiddled the sleeves of her dress, "All of a sudden our world sounds a lot nicer even with the Grimm threatening our very existence."

The soldier tried to pull the pin on his grenade but hails of bullets rained down upon the soldier, putting an end to his story as the screen turns black.

Gene Parks, 1886 – 1918

The perspective shifted to another soldier, restless fending off his position from the German's counteroffensive. The sound of war has slightly hindered his hearing, oblivious to his surroundings and the charging scream that came from his right.

The soldier was suddenly knocked to the ground and nearly killed by a German Stormtrooper wielding a shovel. But before the Stormtrooper could deliver the finishing blow, the ground shook violently as artillery started to carpet bomb the entire battlefield.

Both men paused and stared numbly at the barrage that was quickly heading straight forward them quickly.

"Artillery! Get down!"

The screen cuts to black as the explosion engulfed his position, rendering the soldier. unconscious.

"Did they just… Bomb their own army?" Pyrrha shakily asked. She gasped as Jaune suddenly held her hand to comfort her. The champion forced herself to calm down while her thoughts strayed. She wished it was under better circumstances, but this will do for now.

"That is not outside the realm of possibilities. Certainly not here."

"How despicable!" The Atlesian general and specialist were aghast by the fact that any military would sacrifice their own men just to gain a slight advantage over their enemies.

"Is it over, yet?" Ruby asked tiredly, feeling very fatigued from the viewing. Even the weapons on the screen were not making her feel any better.

"Soon."

The soldier slowly regains consciousness, his vision slowly returning. But what greeted him was devastation. Bodies littered the battlefield, as far as the eyes can see. Charred trees and ruined buildings still stood, a ghost of its former self.

Roman shook his head, "I can't tell if he's one lucky bastard or an unlucky one."

"It's a blessing, and a curse." Neptune sagely remarked.

"Words spoken any truer." Said Port.

He slowly turned to his left and saw a German soldier getting up. They staggered back and point their rifles at each other, looking haunted and reluctant.

"They push—we push."

"Don't do it," Pyrrha whispered. Her teammates and friends also echoed a similar view.

Ruby placed her hood over her head, ready to pull it down should things get ugly.

The two men stood and faced each other, their hands slightly trembling as they stared deep in their eyes. "Every once in a while, we push hard enough that the light breaks through the clouds..." An understanding was reached between them. "So, the world beyond the war glimmers... just out of reach." Slowly lowering their arms, they realized that it was pointless to continue fighting. The two surviving soldiers glanced around their surroundings, taking in the destruction that they were a part of.

The screen faded to black.

"I see. So, this is what you meant by promising." Ozpin sighed, relieved that the two soldiers on the screen didn't shoot. "Regardless… The number of lives lost must be staggering."

"Damn right." Qrow said soberly, "And they still try to kill each other in the next war." His sentence slurred, "Makes you wonder… How do they do it? Or are they crae, crae like Rae, Rae?"

"Sober up, little brother." Raven hissed at her brother's antics.

"The war is the world and the world is the war. But behind every gunsight is a human being."

The screen shifts through a series of battlefields, people, places…

"We are those people.

We are the jaded and we are the naive.

We are the honorable and we are the criminal.

We are the bound-for-legend and we are the lost-to-history.

We are the knights of the sky, the ghosts in the desert, and the rats in the mud.

These are our stories."

The screen went blank, signaling that the presentation was over.

Ruby breathed out a sigh of relief, "It's finally over." Her teammates and family quickly piled on her, causing Ruby to 'pout' and return their hugs. "So glad I have you guys, but you're embarrassing me."

"Well. That was… Insightful." Emerald numbly said to which half of the audience nodded in agreement.

"And enlightening." Cinder muttered under her breath.

Glynda shook her head, "And awful." She had conjured some warm, soothing tea to calm her nerve from all the horror she had witnessed. Joining her was Ironwood and Winter, who also needed something calming that isn't alcohol.

"It may be an ugly part of their history, but we learn it to prevent it from happening again." Oobleck spoke up, "On our end, at least."

Ozpin closed his eyes and took a long sip from his mug. "Indeed. I think Remnant's Great War is enough in its lifetime."

A world without Grimm may sound like a blessing, but it became apparent that without a common enemy, humanity would only turn against each other.

"We understand that this can be a difficult thing to witness. Therefore, we shall let you gather your thoughts before the next viewing. The next one should ease your mind for a bit."

"Is it full of death and destruction?" Blake asked weakly.

"No, but there will be fighting. However, understand that there are worlds far worse than what you have witnessed."


NEXT: Kingsman - Bar Fight Scene


Pardon my grammar, spelling, and sequences description.