Johnny was given a drink from a nearby waiter as he took the class and cleared his throat of the cake he had finished. After he tasted its contents, the company commander made a comment on his drink. "When did my drink taste like fruit?" He wondered to himself.

Across from him, Whitley Schnee placed his empty plate with his silverware on the top the table as he straightened his back and placed his hands in his laps. "Excuse me, Captain Edwards, I wish to ask why you and many other men like yourself have fought in a war when it could have ended with a diplomatic solution?" The young man asked.

Looking to his right, Captain Vastano smiled to Bill with a slight laugh at the question. "Is this kid serious?"

Captain Edwards replied with a shrug of his shoulder as he shook his head.

"Pardon me." Interrupted Whitley. "But what do you find funny?"

"Whitley, that's your name, right?" Asked Johnny.

The young Schnee nodded with a calm smile.

"You want to know what's funny, we tried. The krauts-" However, he was interrupted by his companion.

"Germans." Edwards corrected. "These kids don't know what the hell a kraut is."

"As I was saying, the Allies tried to talk with the Germans long before we got into the war."

Whitley raised his head held high. "Why did this war begin in the first place?" He asked. "It makes no sense as to why you would go to war over petty little reasons."

Johnny leaned forward to stare at the young man's eyes as Bill did the same. Then he spoke up. "Whitley, it was not for petty reasons. I know because I remember reading the newspaper headlines about the situation in Europe."

"Would you please enlightenment me as to why this war was necessary?"

"No one wanted this war, except the Germans." Bill replied. "The Germans wanted to expand and decided to invade a neighboring country named Poland. However, it was allied with two other countries called France and Britain. The problem was that France got knocked out of the war while the British returned back to their island."

"Why didn't they speak with the Germans? Tell them that invading another country was not worth a war."

However, his sister sitting beside him had spoken up. "Whitley, please let him talk without your intrusion."

Bill smiled towards the young lady before he continued. "As I was saying, the British and the French did try to tell the Germans to not invade the other countries called the Munich Agreement. Basically, the Third Reich would be given some land in this place called Czechoslovakia, but they would keep their end of the deal by not invading other countries."

"So they ignored the agreement?" Wondered Weiss. "Why would they do that? That makes no sense."

"Miss, the Germans were led by a delusional leader who called the Soviets, who were one of our allies, sub-humans and tried to kill them."

Then Johnny spoke up. "Ironic how things turned out for Hitler and his merry men of Nazis." The paratrooper commented.

Then the heiress asked another question. "What happened to the Germans?"

"The Soviets stormed their capital and began to fight the last remnants of the Third Reich." Bill answered. "As for Hitler, he committed suicide."

Whitley began to grab the attention back to himself. "Excuse me, but I didn't hear anything about you participating in the conflict. Is there a reason for you to be in the military?"

"Their allies, the Japs, bombed one of our bases." Stated the paratrooper. "Then a coupled days later, the Germans declared war on us. As for the rest of the war, the Germans pissed off the Soviets from the east while everyone else they pissed off was coming at them from west."

Bill began to continue much longer. "Just like a vise, we liberated the countries occupied by the Germans and crushed the Germans in their own backyard, only to meet up with our Soviet allies."

"I see." Commented Whitley. "There was not much choice for you to not fight in the war."

Johnny was quick to reply. "Kid, our country tried to stay out of the war."

"Why are you calling me a child? I see no reason for you would refer to me as such."

"It's his way of saying you have plenty to learn in life." Answered Captain Edwards.

As Whitley and Bill switched to a different topic other than the war itself, Johnny noticed his sister was sitting uncomfortably across from him. Then he looked to where her eyes were looking at, only to see a man and a lady talking and laughing. However, the topic was rather grim to begin with.

The man spoke up with a degree of arrogance the paratrooper would expect from someone of a higher class. "My goodness, the Kingdom of Vale should have prepared for something like this." He began. "Without any standing military, the Beacon's fall should have been expected."

The nameless lady beside him smiled. "Look at it this way, now that they have fallen. People from all over Remnant are now trying to ask Atlas for military protection or even go to the lengths to obtain the same level of military defenses as us." She replied in arrogance.

When Johnny was about to return his gaze back on Weiss, he saw her walking up to the couple with authority. "You people disgust me." The heiress began. "You talk about the fall of Beacon as if it is an opportunity for money. You even dismiss the fact that Atlas Academy was recently under attack."

Suddenly, Johnny recognized her father walk over to her side as he grabbed her arm. "Weiss, what are you doing?!" Mr. Schnee demanded from her.

"Let go of me!" She cried out.

"You're embarrassing the family name."

Beyond the father and his daughter, Johnny saw a fully equipped paratrooper storm into the room as he shocked many of the elite in their very tracks. "Where is Captain Vastano?!" He shouted.

Johnny rose from his seat as yelled out back to him. "I'm right here." He answered. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The paratrooper walked into the lounge as his snow-covered uniform began to slowly melt away and drip the floor. "Where is Captain Durante?" He asked.

"He's somewhere in the building. What about him?"

"Sir, Captain Derby has just told that we got a transmission of the Panzer Elite. He wants the rest of the company commanders to be in their uniforms right now."

Bill broke the façade as he swore. "Shit, when did the Germans get here?" He demanded.

"I don't know sir, but we need to get moving. Now!"

Mr. Schnee walked over to the young man as he released his hold on his daughter. "Excuse me, but you could have told me or one of my servants about this news."

"No time, but you three need to get changed."

Both Bill and Johnny gave each other a glance. "We don't have our uniforms." They said in unison.

However, both officers were surprised when they recognized their uniforms and their additional equipment. "Good thing I brought them to you."

Captain Vastano raised his eyebrows. "Damn, you boys were prepared."

"Because it pays to be prepared." Answered the paratrooper. "I should mention that Dog Company is already heading out in force."

"Pardon me, but would someone please explain to me what is going on here?" Mr. Schnee demanded.

Johnny grabbed his uniform and his helmet as he walked over to him. "We got some Germans to kill." He answered. "Do you have a place where we can change?"

After those words were spoken, everyone in the room took notice of an officer storming into the room. However, the army officers were shocked to see Captain Durante holding Specialist Schnee in his arms.

Mr. Schnee turned to him with irritation. "What have you been doing with my daughter?"

Monte made a fake smile as he quickly replied. "It's a long story, but she's out of it. As a responsible adult, I decided to confer with you on how to take care of her since she is your daughter."

Colonel Strudwick leaned on his cane from the second floor as he looked down into the lounge to see the entire scene unfold. However, he was not the only person as Colonel Churkin stood beside him. "Those Americans are an interesting bunch." The Soviet began.

The British officer smiled. "Likewise, but they have their uses."

"Now that the Germans are here, what will you do with them?"

"Pardon, but why me?"

"You are the only one who is trying keeping those men from doing something stupid so the man with the responsibility should be in charge."

"I don't know, but I am certain that they will all uphold the prisoner of war rule." Answered Colonel Strudwick. "However, I should be cautious with Captain Durante when it comes to the Germans."

"So what is the problem with the American?"

"He absolutely despises anyone who is oriented with the SS. I can sympathize with him after what the Ardennes Offensive did to his company." His eyes focused down on the American carrying the specialist. "Hopefully, he can do his duty."

It was absolutely cold, but Kurt Derby was determined that his men and himself that he wouldn't have to worry about it. "Where the hell is our recon element?" The company commander demanded as he sat on the turret of a Stuart tank.

One of the GIs ran up to him. "Captain, Polanski and his men had just spoke up on the radio. They finally found them."

"Lead me to him." Replied the old man as he stepped off the Stuart and followed the corporal by following the tracks in the snow.

As he came closer, he could hear gunfire coming from over the hill as he continued to head east. It was difficult to not recognize those German guns as tracers flew into the skies before the black clouds of shrapnel darkened the already night sky.

The captain found himself beside his lieutenant and a dozen more men as he looked down the hill, only to see an entire camp filled with German soldiers. However, those said soldiers were fighting the Grimm as they ran to multiple fronts in order to stem the tide made up of beowolves and ursas. Over time, he noted how desperately they fought that was similar to another time in his life.

The lieutenant looked to him. "Sir, what do we do?" He asked.

The captain brought his Grease Gun to bear as he brought his weapon to the front. "I know you boys might not like what I am going to say, but we're going to help them."

"What?" Every single soldier said in unison beside the captain. "How does that even make any god-damn sense?"

"The Germans are fighting those monsters for their lives." He answered. "Let's show them the decency. Get those Stuarts to cover our advance and provide fire superiority to keep them off our backs."

"But-"

"No buts. Just shoot the damn things and get over it. At least the Germans will realize they owe us by the time we bring their sorry asses back to civilization." Then Captain Derby looked back to see three pack howitzers being brought to the top of the hill. "Get some HEs in those seventy-fives!" He ordered. "Dog Company, advance!"

Immediately, the old captain rose from his position and descended from the hill and towards the surrounded German soldiers as some of the GIs began to make their way to join him. He aimed down his sights, only to see the nearest beowolf on his right display its back to him… and then he pulled the trigger.

A burst of five shell casings flew out of his Grease Gun as the bullets landed on the back of the Grimm. Yet, it did little to harm the beast as it turned around and growled towards the old man. Then it leaped towards him and charged towards the company commander as it snarled in full rage.

Captain Derby tried to kill it by holding the trigger as shell casings ejected out of his gun. However, his weapon jammed as he looked down to unjam his weapon. Then he looked to the beowolf that was closing the distance as it jumped upwards and descended upon the captain. Here, he was helpless.

Suddenly, he heard three shots fired from his left, only to see a shell smash into its body and rip it apart with its shell.

Kurt looked where those shells originated from, only to see a German heavy armored car have its main gun smoke.

The top hatch opened as the German crewmember waved his hand. "I can't believe that I'm saying this, but thank Gott you Americans are here!"

Kurt Derby glanced over his shoulder to see his company trickle down to into the camp. "Alright Dog Company, reinforce their lines!" He ordered as he looked back to the German crewmember.

"Follow me." Then the German descended into his vehicle as he drove towards the small camp.

"Follow that Puma!"