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...
That must be how he got to Remnant. Which begs the question, how did he find it?
???: ZEPPELIN!!!
We look up at the sky and see a giant balloon looming over the battlefield. Suddenly it starts shooting at us. It causes an explosion near John that knocks him to the ground.
???: They're in the church!
John grabs his gun and rushes into the ruins of an old... church, did they call it? When he's inside, he shoots one of the gray soldiers. Then another tries to rush him, but John stabs him with his knife.
Then a third arrives. This one has a giant tank on his back. He holds a gun that's attached to the tank. When he pulls the trigger, fire starts to come out of the gun. It's a flame thrower.
Three of John's allies burn to death. I wonder if they were his friends? I remember what he said the day before initiation. "Life isn't the same as a fairy tale". Is this what he he meant?
John stumbles onto his back and drops his rifle. The flamethrower doesn't notice him and turns around. John takes out his sidearm and shoots the tank. The flamethrower turns back around and looks at John. Then he notices the flames coming from the tank on his back. He starts to freak out, then he explodes. John runs out of the ruins and past an area where his allies are treating their wounded. He stops at a place where four giant vehicles are lined up.
Then someone pops out the hatch of the vehicle in the back.
???: Our left gunner is dead! Does anyone know how to fire this thing?!
John raises his hand.
John: I do, sir!
???: Who are you?!
John salutes the man.
John: Private Fish, sir!
???: You know how to fire tank gun?!
John: I have a vague idea, sir!
???: A vague-
He gets cut off by an explosion.
???: Oh, forget it, get in!
John opens a hatch and hops in the "tank", as it's called. My team and I faze through the hatch and take a rest as the tank rolls to its destination.
???: What company are in, son?!
John: 8th, sir!
???: I thought you moved up the line already?!
John: I got separated sir!
???: Well, you're in luck, lad! We're supposed to cross paths with them soon! You can join up with them when we get there.
We ride for about three minutes, when Yang breaks the silence.
Yang: How? How can he live like this?
Blake: I don't think he wanted to.
Yang: That's not what I meant! How could he walk in to this and come out the same?!
Ruby looks at John.
Ruby: I don't think he did...
An explosion erupts near us.
???: That field gun ripped them apart!
???: Private Fish, if you get a shot on that gun, you damn well take it!
John: Yes sir!
The tank drives through the ruins of a building, then John fires the cannon, meaning he had a shot on the gun.
We ride the tank for 3 more minutes, then the commander breaks the silence.
???: Here's your company, lad!
John: Thank you, sir!
???: God speed, son!
John: To you as well, sir!
We get out of the tank, and John regroups with his "company". His commanding officer looks at him.
???: Where were you?!
John: I got separated, sir!
???: Thought you were dead! We're gonna push toward their lines!
John takes out a large blade and attaches it to his rifle. Then small objects fall to the ground.
???: TAKE COVER!!!
The objects explode, sending multiple of John's allies flying. They rush up and meet their enemies head on. The fighting goes on for five minutes.
???: AIRSHIP'S COMING DOWN!!!
We look up and see the giant balloon go up in flames and crash down to the ground. It distracts John until he gets hit by a gray soldier. He scrambles backward until he's cornered at a small ledge. A metal groan comes from behind him. An old tank falls on top of him. He survives because he slipped through a hole in the tank's side. My team fazes through it.
???: ARTILLERY!!!
Explosions erupt around us, and Ruby is screaming in terror in Yang's arms.
Ruby: MAKE IT STOP!!! PLEASE, MOM, MAKE IT GO AWAY!!!
The explosions erupt around us for five minutes, non stop. When they finally do, the silence is deafening. John kicks open a hatch and crawls out. We follow him.
We all look at the aftermath. His allies and enemies. All dead around us.
Well, not all of them.
One of the gray soldiers survived.
They point their guns at each other. We look away. We've seen enough lives be taken today. We wait for the gunshots.
But they never sound. Instead, when we look back at them, they're slowly putting their guns away. Then they turn around and let each other go. John walks off to friendly lines, taking in the sights of war along the way.
This is why he lied. He didn't want us to know about this. He wanted to protect us from this truth. He thought that if we knew, we'd view him as a monster rather than a person. But he was also lying to himself. So that he can forget. He doesn't want to remember this chaos.
And I'm willing to bet that his team are doing the same.
Then we all wake up back in Remnant. Well, almost all of us. John is unconscious.