The Great War of Remnant (Book 1)

The Western Front

Blake POV

When my vision returns to me, I sorely wished it hadn't. All around me I see a desolate land scape. It was a maze of barbed wire, craters... and dead bodies. There were so many, it seemed impossible to go anywhere without stepping on one.

We weren't on Remnant anymore.

I don't know whether it's comforting or not, but my team was also there. I look over and see them. They don't say anything, but the looks on their faces suggests that they have the same questions I do.

Another question of mine is why there's gunfire everywhere. Explosions in the distance. We hear footsteps behind us. We turn around and see an entire army charging at us.

Or, rather, at the opposing army behind us. I take one more look at the landscape. There are unfamiliar vehicles burning around us, buildings that are reduced to rubble, trees completely destroyed.

The two armies clash I around us. One of the armies is dressed just like John. Speaking of, we actually see him. He stumbles into a crater and uses it for cover as he reloads his rifle.

We hop down to talk to him.

Yang: John, what the hell is going on!?!?

He doesn't respond. A bullet slips from his fingers and lands on the ground. He fumbles around for it, then picks it up and loads his rifle.

Yang: John!!!

She tries to grab him, only her hand faze through his chest. She yelps and looks at her hands. What if she's not the only one? I look at a dead body. It's worth a test.

I try to grab the body. But, as I suspected, my hand fazes through it.  I look at my team.

Me: I don't think this is real.

They all look at me.

Me: I think we're inside John's head.
Yang: So, you're saying we're stuck in his sick, demented fantasy!?!
Me: I don't think this is his imagination. Why would he be terrified of his own fantasy?

They all look at John and see the terror in his eyes and his rapid breathing.

Me: I think this is a memory.

They don't object. Probably because they don't have any better ideas. John gets out of the crater and looks at the ensuing chaos. Heads are bashed in with rocks. People are getting shot to death. One man gets stabbed in the hand with a knife attached to the end of a rifle.

Ruby: But, if this is a memory, why are these people killing each other?!
Me: That's something he'll tell us when we get out of his head.
Yang: I thought he was from Vaccuo!
Me: He lied! He didn't want us to know about this. He probably didn't want remember any of this! Who would?!

This is why he killed those Faunus. He thought he was back here, in this... place.

One of John's allies comes up to him.

???: We're surrounded! We need to hold this line!

John runs to window in wall that still stands. He fires his rifle into the crowd of gray soldiers. He holds his ground for 5 minutes until his commanding officer calls to retreat.

He turns and runs for three miles, then reaches a trench dug into a hill. When he reaches the top, he mans a mounted gun. When the gray soldiers are in range, he starts firing. As he does, I notice a small red object hanging from his neck.

Weiss: Is that a Dust crystal?!
Yang: Yeah, he had it around his neck when me and Ruby found him! He said he didn't know what it was! I thought he was just being weird...