Fanfic / Operation Forging Steel

Logo of C&C Generals' USA faction

An American General goes to a new world with the simple task of setting up a military base, but this task doesn't seem to be so simple, when creatures of the dark, otherworldly human life, terrorism, and possible war come into play. - FFN description.

— FFN Summary

Operation: Forging Steel is a RWBY and Command & Conquer crossover written by licklicklick123.

The story follows a what-if scenario of the United States of the Command and Conquer Generals universe interfering with the people of Remnant. Sometime after the U.S campaign (diverges from Zero Hour as the GLA are so beaten so the Zero Hero campaign doesn't happen), American forces discovered a tunnel network under the ruins of a GLA base. In the tunnel network, they discover and activate a portal that leads to Remnant. Soon, they set up a base, fight the Grimm. and then accidentally interferes with the eternal war going on.

The story is 14 chapters long and is still ongoing. It can be found here and here.

Spoiler warnings ahead.

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Operation Forging Steel contains examples of:

• Action Prologue: the Story starts off with American forces engaging the last major base of the GLA and eliminating one of their last commanding figures.
• Adaptational Early Appearance: Raven Branwen and her tribe make an early appearance in Chapter 14 after they raid a village. They overhear that the Americans are planning to expand their operations into Mistral and Raven is.... concerned.
• Adaptational Jerkass: Played With to justify having the Terrans as the main characters.
  • Team RWBY has traces of this, most notably Blake. She receives news that hundreds of her former comrades have been killed by a new military power with zero mercy and she is significantly more antagonistic to the Americans.
  • Ozpin is also this as well. He is shown to be antagonistic to General Kirkman and refuses to help out against the conflict with the White Fang. Justified, as the Terrans are shown committing acts that are against the Rules of Engagement (such as the use of the aforementioned torture).
• Adaptational Wimp:
  • Ozpin and his inner circle are portrayed as this as in this story, as someone unwilling to kill needlessly, even against blood-thirsty terrorists that attacked the Americans and innocents for no reason other than them being Humans/supportive of Humans.
  • Cinder and her minions are powerless as the Americans (unknowingly) tear apart her original plan for the Fall of Beacon, being unable to strike back.
• Alternate Universe: Besides the whole premise of the Americans invading/scouting out Remnant, C&C Earth is also an alternate universe where the events of Zero Hour never happened. Most notably, the GLA never seizes control of a Particle Beam Cannon to sink an American Supercarrier during the the GLA's final campaign mission (whereas in Canon, the GLA destroy said Aircraft Carrier and driving the Americans into isolation, giving China the opportunity to step in and take center stage).
• America Saves the Day: On Remnant, They have A) eliminated a massive concentration of White Fang by Chapter 5, B) provided several villages with free defences (at least in terms of financial costs), C) eliminated another major White Fang cell in Vale, and D) prevented the Breach from happening.
• Anti-Air: it is stated that US forces uses Stinger MANPADS against White Fang Bullheads, Avenger Laser Defence Humvees against airborne Grimm, and Patriot Missile Defences for base defence.
• Arbitrary Skepticism: Ironwood dismisses the idea of U.S. Special Forces sneaking into Vale prior to the Indigo Office Raid thinking that it would require proper documentation to enter the city. This is despite the fact that A) the White Fang was clearly able to bring and station thousands of operatives around and in Vale and B) Weird-yet-convenient Semblances exist.
• Armor Is Useless:
  • Averted in the case of Kevlar body armour. In the first engagement between U.S marines and a White Fang patrol, White Fang weapons weren't able to penetrate Kevlar due to their older weaponry. As such, what casualties U.S marines due suffering are due to bullets hitting unprotected areas.
  • Played straight with the Paladin-290. Its armour, meant to defend against Grimm attacks, offers no resistance to American Anti-Tank rounds.
• Armour-Piercing Question: Colonel Burton gives this to White Fang agent Fubuki.
  Colonel Burton: "Are all of the people you have killed directly responsible for your suffering? I know that's simply not true, those children did nothing, those shop owners did nothing, those American soldiers did nothing to you. Yet you treat them all the same."
• Assumed Win: The White Fang strike team in Chapter 7 assumes this since they have surprise and numbers over the American patrol. The White Fang may have forgotten to account for A) American technological superiority, B) The Americans are experienced to dealing with ambushes from infantry, C) American spy satellites, and D) the tank.
• A Simple Plan: Team RWBY, Sun, and Neptune's plan to find out more about the Americans is for the later two to infiltrate the American training program, talk to some people, and get out while team RWBY stays as backup while talking to the locals of Cooperwick. Things go south when they learn that the training program is taking place in Cooperwick, making team RWBY's part of the plan (extracting Sun and Neptune) harder.
• Attack Drone: US forces make use of their combat drones. Most specifically battle drones that their vehicles carry. It is an effective weapon against infantry.
• Awakening the Sleeping Giant: The White Fang did this to Kirkman and the American forces on Remnant. In response to the death of 3 US marines, Kirkman obliterates an entire White Fang base (not before securing prisoners though) and kills several hundred White Fang members.
• Awesome, but Impractical: General Kirkman considers much of the Atlas military this. They disregard Atlas robots as weak (which most of them are), the Atlas air fleet/Air force made up of clunky slow airships, and Atlassian tactics are considered Napoleonic in nature.
  • Benjamin, one of the scientists, makes a remark about the Knight-200 and how poorly designed (at least by Earth standards).
    Benjamin: "Made of a titanium alloy, torso's more exposed than my Aunt Jen's ass on Thanksgiving."
  • The Paladin to the Americans. It is good at killing Grimm, not so much against Terran tanks.

    The Guns on the Roach [Atlas Paladin Mech] fired. Two pure bursts of blue energy hitting the Paladin's frontal armor directly. Doing Immensely.... nothing.

  • Atlas and Remnant's weapons that are not huntsmen/huntress level weapons. American forces regard the Paladin mech as too lightly armoured, armed with outdated weapons, and having rather inefficient sensors.
  • Remnant's combat clothing. American forces poke fun at this when they are rescuing Team RWBY.
    Corporal Baker: "Jesus, they're wearing dresses and high heels on a fuckin battlefield."
• Awesome Personnel Carrier: American forces use LAV-25s (think Canadian Strykers) during Operation White Death to clear out buildings in Mount Glenn.
• Bad Liar: Sun and Neptune lie their way into the American PMC program. US intelligence agents figure out who they are quickly.
• Badass Army:
  • The United States Armed Forces. In all their battles with the White Fang and Grimm, they are able to inflict more casualties than they suffer. US forces also proved themselves to have superior equipment to either the White Fang or Atlas, demonstrated during Operation White Death.
  • The British sends a team of SAS operators for Operation White Death. They kick ass during Operation White Death. It is likely that they, along with other NATO nations, will be contributing more forces later on.
  • Averted with the Atlas military. General Kirkman considers them to be a joke. Considering Atlas lost at least half a dozen brand new Paladin Mechs, the White Fang has 2+ terrorist cells in the City of Vale (while the Atlas military is visiting) itself, and the outdated combat doctrines/tactics of the Atlas military (compared to Earth), this way of thinking from the Terrans is justified.
• Berserk Button:
  • You can insult Kirkman all you want, don't compare him and the United States to terrorists.
  • Blake has one of these when a village bartender comments that many people in the frontier are actually having a positive response to American forces defending their villages.
• Bigger Stick:
  • Chapter 7 has the Americans just shooting a White Fang ambush force with a canister round from a Crusader MBT.
  • Rather than just follow Team RWBY, Zwei, and Professor Oobleck's method of trying to sneak into Vale, the Americans and allied forces simply drop 5,000 troops and bomb the abandoned city to deal with the White Fang.
• Blatant Lies: Kirkman tells the rest of Remnant that the United States of America is a collection of Remnant villages and towns that banded together during the Great War and stayed hidden from the rest of the world. it is partially correct as the United States did start out as a collection of towns, cities, and villages. Just the rest is false.
• Break the Haughty: Before the arrival of the United States, Atlas was the supreme military force of the world. The appearance of the Americans and how much they've accomplished with a force only a quarter of the total size of the Atlas military showed them how woefully unprepared for a conflict with another nation they were.
• Boring, but Practical: NATO forces use real-life or in-game weapons. They may not be as flashy and shiny as Remnant's weapons, but decades of war have shown that tanks, rifles, and jets have proven their worth and are even superior to their Remnant counterparts.
  • When the Americans get their hands on Dust, what do they do with it? Build fancy mecha shift weapons? No, they simply incorporate them into bullets that work just as well as their standard weapons. This allows Metal 0-1 and Yankee team to attack the White Fang Indigo office hideout and leave no trace of American involvement.
• Bothering by the Book: Because Remnant is not Earth and the White Fang are terrorists, General Kirkman allows less than ethical questioning techniques on captured White Fang members
• Bullying the Dragon: General Ironwood attempts to do this to the Americans when General Kirkman visits Beacon Academy.
  • The general arrays a legion of Atlas Knights and 4 Paladin mechs in order to intimidate the United States, who recently came out of a war with a multi-national terrorist organization that killed tens of thousands. To put it bluntly, the Americans aren't intimidated that much. They bring their own forces to the visit of Beacon Academy. A flight of high-speed aircraft (Word of God indicates that these are a mixture of F-35s and F-22s), 4 Comanches, 2 Chinooks full of heavily armed soldiers, and an Osprey VTOL carrying General Kirkman himself. As such, Ironwood's plan doesn't go to plan.
  • The White Fang also does this as well. They attack an American patrol. Not only is most of the ambushing force killed, but this also pisses off the global superpower of another world who sends a special forces team against the White Fang base, kicking off the rest of the story.
  • Ironically Cinder thinks that the aircraft that flew in at a high rate of speed are nothing more than reconnaissance aircraft, oh how wrong she is... And that's not even their ultimate weapon either, otherwise she and the people of Remnant (Especially Oz) would think that the Brother Gods have returned after seeing a pillar of light appear from the sky and burn scorching hot paths onto the ground, not knowing that it was really the American's Particle Uplink Cannon technology.
• Chest of Medals: When visiting Beacon Academy, General Kirkman is stated to be wearing an elaborate uniform that was decorated with "many badges and metals" when approaching Ozpin. Ironword, wearing his canon uniform, felt slightly ashamed of his own choice of clothes.
• Chekhov's Gunman: In chapter 3, the portal to Remnant is described as large enough for tanks, aircraft, and ships to fit through it. In chapter 14, General Kirkman reveals that the U.S. Navy is sending a number of 'legacy' naval assets through the portal itself to reinforce American forces.
• Continuity Nod:
  • General Kirkman and Colonel Burton reference Operation Black Gold during the hunt for Doctor Thrax. Black Gold is the 4th mission for the U.S. during Zero Hero where American forces crippled GLA oil production and funding.
• Cool Plane: Due to this being C&C generals, the Americans have a bunch.
  • The Comanche is a stealth helicopter that was actually designed and prototyped in real life but never got to mass production. In-game and in this story, it kicks ass against the GLA, Grimm, and White Fang.
  • The Americans also make use of a variety of transports like the Black Hawk, the Chinook, and the Osprey.
  • American forces also make use of fighter aircraft like the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lighting. The A10 Warthog is known to be stationed at Base Juno and has been deployed in Operation White Death (thanks to the briefing given in Chapter 12), but none of the named characters have witnessed their glory.
  • The Americans actually used an SR-71 during their operations on Remnant.
• Cool vs. Awesome: The United States military/NATO vs the White Fang and Grimm.
  • Played with the Atlas Paladin Mech vs American Paladin Tank fight.
• Combat Pragmatist: Despite their overall technological superiority and vast combat experience over the rest of Remnant, General Kirkman knows that currently, American forces cannot immediately stand up to the rest of Remnant without taking heavy casualties. As such, he plays by what strengths he does have.
  • American/NATO forces exploit their advantage of the skies and space capabilities as much as they can. As stated constantly, American forces make heavy use of their airborne capabilities like their Commaches and Chinook. They also make use of heavy strategic bombers in dealing with major bases. Drones and Satellites are also used for reconnaissance operations.
  • The Americans use artillery to soften up the White Fang base at Mount Glenn. On one hand, this works in degrading White Fang resistance. On the other hand, team RWBY got injured in the process.
  • Kirkman also attempts to make alliances wherever he can. Though he is unsuccessful in getting an alliance with Headmaster Ozpin, he is successful in getting several villages and settlements on his side. This means the Americans can use these villages for hunting down White Fang cells and accessing the local trade networks.
  • Rather than face the White Fang with conventional forces, American special forces are sent in to deal with lone groups of White Fang. Metal 0-1 is shown interdicting White Fang Dust supplies and acquiring it for American use.
  • The Americans are not above using weapons or tactics that are frowned upon on Earth. American forces make use of tear gas during Operation White Death while Yankee team is brutally interrogating a White Fang agent in Vale.
• Crazy-Prepared: MOB Juno (the main U.S. base on Remnant) is noted to be very, very heavily defended. This includes Patriot Missile batteries, firebases with 155mm howitzers, snipers with anti-material rifles, Comanche Attack Helicopters, Crusader Tank patrols, barbed wire, and infantry patrols with missile launchers.
• Crossover: Not only is this a crossover with C&C Generals and RWBY, but characters from the Call Of Duty Modern Warfare and Black Ops series also participate in Operation Forging Steel. Word of God indicates that squadrons from Ace Combat may see an appearance.
• Curb-Stomp Battle:
  • Anytime it's the White Fang vs the US military. The latter always wins. Demonstrated with Operation White Death, where nearly 2000 White Fang operatives with Mechs and captured weapons (of a mixed bag, some were veterans, others new recruits and conscripts) vs 5000 American soldiers/marines with tank, artillery, and air support. Result: The Americans lose 6 soldiers and take 32 injured. Most if not all of the White Fang are killed, injured, or captured. Immense strategic victory for the U.S.
  • Usually also happens when it's the Grimm against the US military. The Grimm, while aggressive, lack cohesive planning and tactics beyond rushing head-on. The US Military, by contrast, are not only armed, but employ advanced and complex tactics (something that White Fang and Atlas don't practice).
  • Downplayed: when it comes to aura users or huntsmen-level targets, the Terrans will struggle. Torchwick and Neo are able to fight off American forces with ease. It's only with a mixture of tear gas, numbers, and high calibre sniper rifles do we see Neo taken down.
  • 9 soldiers of the U.S military mop the floor against 19 former milita members, Sun, and Neptune.
• Death from Above: The Americans, in-game, have the strongest and most diversified airforce of any faction. The Comanches alone are able to wreak havoc on the GLA, White Fang, and Grimm forces alone. This is shown when We see/read them in their glory on Metal 0-1's attack on the White Fang Base. U.S Forces lose no personnel while the White Fang loses hundreds.
• Demoted to Extra: Much of the RWBY cast. JNPR, SSSN, Penny, and most of the Beacon staff/students aren't involved at all. The only ones from Remnant that are given the spotlight are Team RWBY, Team CFVY (one chapter), Ozpin's inner circle, and Cinder's team. Then subverted in Chapter 15, where Sun and Neptune attempt to infiltrate the American training program.
• Didn't See That Coming: Literally no one expected the Americans to show up out of nowhere and violently curb stomp the White Fang.
• Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Despite losing several hundred operatives and a large amount of Dust supplies, Adam still sends out teams to try and find the American bases in an attempt to strike. Most either do not get close or get wiped out by American patrols.
• The Dreaded: The Americans/Terran militaries to the rest of Remnant. In less than a few months, the United States has virtually wiped out much the White Fang's Vale Branch, one of the few heavily armed factions in the RWBY universe. The White Fang Vale branch had over 3000 members in its ranks prior to American involvement and by chapter 14, most are either dead, badly wounded, captured, or have deserted out of fear.
• Enlightened Self-Interest: Despite all the good the Americans are doing on Remnant, they are still looking after their own interests. Those interests being defending their own bases, acquiring Dust for use on Earth, and trying to track down Doctor Thrax (which justifies Blake's suspicion about their presence).
• Epic Fail: In chapter 7, a White Fang patrol attempts to attack an American patrol. It would have worked if the Americans didn't have heavy firepower or spaceborne capabilities. The former is the reason why this chapter is called Don't Piss Off a Tank.
• Flat "What":
  • Ironwood and Winter when they learn that one of the American tanks is called Paladin.
  • This is Blake's response when she learns that Sun and Neptune have signed up to an American program.
• For Want Of A Nail: The Americans cause many problems for Remnant and drastically change the future.
  • Team RWBY is wounded during the American's bombing of Mount Glenn and thus, don't have the impact as they would have in canon.
  • Another side effect of Operation White Death is that the White Fang lost much of their heavy equipment, personnel, and Dust when the Americans seized their base.
  • The reputation of the Hunters of Vale, the Atlas military, and the Vale Police force is being questioned in Chapter 14. This is due to the speed of Terran forces defeating both the White Fang and Grimm.
  • Why was the attack on Mount Glenn devastating? Here's an explanation:
  • Cinder's plan involved crashing a train full of Dust into Vale to cause panic. This would then prompt the Vale council in allowing Ironwood to bring more of his troops and more importantly, more robots and Paladin Mechs. Then when the attack on Beacon happens, Cinder would cause a situation that would increase fear (in canon, this would be Yang being tricked into breaking one of Mercury's prosthetics and Pyrrha destroying Penny thanks to Emerald's semblance), use the fear to bring in a ton of Grimm, send the White Fang to attack Beacon as a distraction, and turn Atlas's robots against Vale's defenders using the virus she implanted into the CCT tower. Use all that chaos to bring in the Grimm Wyvern and steal the Maiden's powers when everyone's distracted.
  • Now, why was the American's attack on Mount Gleen important? Not only is the White Fang completely devastated and in no position to attack Beacon (and Adam wanting to deal with the Americans first), but Neo is incapacitated (which means no Vytal festival incidents), Torchwick is captured (by the Americans, and in no position to get on board Ironwood's flagship), and Vale no longer has a reason to bring in a ton of Atlas's robots, her original plans have all gone to hell. Thus, she is now forced to rely on the special product Doctor Thrax is working on.
  • Due to Kirkman's words and the American visit to Beacon, Ozpin starts sending second and third year teams to augment Vale's police force. One of the teams is Team CFVY. This means that they do not go on their mission to Lower Cairn.
• Heroic Dog: Zwei during Operation White Death. Not only is he the only member of the Beacon team to not be injured/incapacitated, but he also leads a group of American soldiers/marines to the location where Team RWBY and Professor Oobleck were buried and helps dig the group out.
• Hypocrite:
  • Ozpin is one in this story. It's pointed out in one scene.
  General Kirkman: You're saying that me sending my forces here to collect a few rebels infringes on your sovereignty?
  Ozpin: Of course.
  Kirkman Then by that logic, wouldn't allowing General Ironwood to deploy his forces in both Beacon and Vale unhindered infringe on its sovereignty as well?
  • Lampshaded by viewers when it comes to Raven and her tribe. One viewer creates a fan conversation between Captain Price and Frank Woods against Qrow.
    Qrow: Heh, you Americans think you're hot stuff huh? As far as I'm concerned, you're just a buncha Atlas rip offs that like to push everyone around. You boy scouts are just shit-eating dogs following your master's orders.
    Price: Oh shove it up your arse bird brain. Why don't you keep those tribal drunk guts of yours in check.
    Qrow: Before what? You want me to stand down soldier boy?
    Price: Before I rip em out and hang you with them.
    Frank: You hunters think you're so pure huh? Then why don't you put an end to your traitorous bitch of a sister? Oh that's right, cause bandits have more rights than the hundreds of people that she and her little group of savages have raped, stole from, and murdered. You people don't have the balls to do what necessary to protect others, you're just a bunch of glorified and flashy mercs.
  • Viewers of this story also lampshade this when compared to canon. Beautifully lampshaded by one guest:
  Team RWBY: "How could anyone kill all those terrorists? Those monsters!"
  Also Team RWBY: "Let’s knock a bunch of terrorists off a moving train as we’re being pursued by a horde of Grimm that will surely devour anyone who falls off. Oh! And let’s be sure to do it with smiles on our faces and act completely casual about it afterwards. We’re totally the good guys!"
• Good Is Not Soft: The Americans are the protagonists here but they don't hold back on the White Fang. From tear gas, to torture, to carpeting bombing White Fang bases, the Americans go all out on the terrorist organization and cause more damage to the White Fang than Team RWBY ever did.
• Gunship Rescue: American Comanche Helicopters. They provide heavy air support during the last major operation against the GLA, the attack on the first White Fang Base, the Grimm attack on Cooperwick, and Operation White Death.
• Incoming Ham: After demolishing a White Fang base, General Kirkman hijacks a new network to announce the United States to the rest of Remnant.
• In-Series Nickname: American forces call Atlas Paladin Mechs Roaches to distinguish between the tank and mech versions. Qrow finds this funny. Ironwood and Winter do not.
• Insistent Terminology: Remnantians annoyingly-yet-constantly refer to American Comanches and Chinooks as "bullheads", despite them not even being such.
• Inter-Service Rivalry: Downplayed. American Generals, at least from the U.S army and air force, are willing to put aside their differences in dealing with a threat despite not being on the most friendliest terms. Seen when other American Generals give Kirkman access to advance technologies he may not have during Chapter 7. Chapter 12 sees the U.S Air Force, Marines, and Army coordinating a major offensive against the White Fang.
• Inspector Javert: By Chapter 15, Blake is turning into one. She obviously suspects the Americans are up to something and quickly agrees to follow Sun and Neptune to birch. Her actions are worrying Yang and annoying members of Cooperwick.
• It's Personal: The Marine Platoon under Lieutenant Vasquez consider the conflict with the White Fang this as they were the first American force to suffer causalities caused by a White Fang ambush.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: During the U.S/U.K assault on the White Fang base at Mount Glenn, one White Fang member, (possibly more as at least 1 thousand members were captured or wounded), surrenders to U.S forces.
• Laser-Guided Karma: After killing a number of Marines in an unprovoked attack, the White Fang are violently stomped to the ground by American forces.
• Macross Missile Massacre: American Comanches and Fighter Jets make heavy use of their rocket pods and missiles respectively. They are devastating against Grimm, the GLA, and the White Fang.
• Mid-Season upgrade: In chapter seven, General Kirkman is able to get fellow American generals to lend him some of their technology, including EMP Patriot Systems from General Alexander, aircraft Point Defense Lasers from General Granger, and a dozen Laser Defense Turrets from General Townes.
• More Dakka: Usually how Terrans kill their opponents. Rather than develop some complicated mecha shifting weapon, the Americans (and later NATO) just pump bullets and missiles into their targets.
• Mutilation Interrogation: A high ranking White Fang managers gets this treatment by Metal 0-1 and Yankee Team. The White Fang member is subjected to beatings, being stabbed with a knife in the hands, being stabbed with glass shards, and some more unpleasant acts.
• Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: While the United States military is the best military force on Earth, there are still forces that can match them in combat like the GLA and China. On Remnant, they casually steamroll the White Fang despite the terrorists having access to guns, aircraft, and as well as some of Atlas's prototype weapons.
• No-Sell: During Operation White Death, a White Fang Paladin Mech is able to get the draw on an American Paladin tank. The Mech fires its main cannons at the tank before the tank crew can get a shot off, doing immensely... nothing. The Mech barely scratches the American tank before the crew returns the favour and one-shots the mech.
• Oh, Crap!: This usually happens when the people of Remnant come across Americans.
  • Team CFVY is Unlucky enough to come across the Indigo Office Massacre in Chapter 11. They are not in the best of mind when they return back to Beacon.
  • Team RWBY and Professor Oobleck have this when American Forces begin bombing Mount Glenn relentlessly and they are caught in the crossfire. This happens again when they have to traverse back through the town to get into CCT range. And the artillery barrage is still ongoing.
  • Blake has this when General Kirkman walks into her medical room.
  • Ironwood, Ozpin, and Glynda Goodwitch have this when an American aircraft (assumed to be an F-22 or F-35) firebombs the Emerald Fall Forests and burns a large area of it. They are terrified because A) said American aircraft entered and left Beacon airspace stealthily and quickly without anyone knowing until it was too late, and B) the aircraft carried a ridiculous amount of firepower for an aircraft.
  • The Beacon students and staff have one when they A) learn that General Kirkman is planning to visit Beacon and B) arrive with his own forces to show that he isn't intimidated by Ironwood's drone army.
  • Raven has one of these moments when she hears that the Americans are planning to expand their operation to Anima. The same Americans who just utterly demolished the Vale White Fang branch and don't play by Remnant's rules.
  • Team RWBY, Neptune, and Sun have a moment of this when they realize that the military training is happening at Cooperwick. AKA, one of the main bases for the U.S military.
  • Yang has a brief moment of this when an American border guard notes that from her criminal record, she had beaten up Junior's bar and thinks that she might be denied entrance.
• Operation: [Blank]: Operation White Death, the operation that effectively guts the White Fang faction in Vale. Also, Operation Forging Steel.
• Opposing Combat Philosophies: The Atlas military relies on the older Napoleonic-era formations for their military, using square formations, slow airships, and crappy androids. Meanwhile, the Americans/Terrans rely on modern Shock and Awe tactics or ones more flexible, with their equipment being heavily armed and armoured tracked vehicles, high-speed aircraft, highly customizable guns, etc.
• Outside-Context Problem: The Americans and Terrans are this to Remnant. A highly technologically advanced and militarized force (at least by Remnant Standards), technology not reliant on Dust, space technology, a willingness to kill terrorists without hesitation, and the ability to act rather quickly have confused the people of Remnant.
• Overshadowed by Awesome: Any actions against the White Fang that may have been attributed to team RWBY or hunters certainly gets shoved under the rug when the Americans show up. Their (Terran/Americans and Brits) actions during Operation White Death get quite a lot of attention from the media.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: The United States military did not take the death of its marines by an attack done by the White Fang very nicely.
• Sci-Fi Flyby: Done twice on Remnant. The first is when Kirkman visits Beacon Academy. A flight of F-22s and F-35s do a quick flyby over the place. This is done again when Lisa Lavender and her crew visit Camp Glenn.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
  • After Operation White Death, the White Fang lost hundreds of members due to desertion because of a fear of the Americans. This is according to Cinder, who now has to find a different plan.
  • Averted with Roman and Neo. They try and run but are cornered and captured by the Americans.
• Semper Fi: US marines are the first Terran troops to run into the White Fang and get into a fight with the terrorists. They play prominent roles during Operation White Death and the subsequent aftermath.
• Spanner in the Works: Operation White Death. Because of a major offensive against the White Fang, Cinder's original plans are not doable. Cinder's faction has lost much of their heavy equipment, the Breach doesn't happen, the Atlas military no longer has an excuse to remain in Vale (the Breach is the reason why Ironwood is put in charge of security), and Torchwick is in American custody. To say things are going to be different is an understatement.
• Shout-Out: Currently we see teams from the Call of Duty Series. This is mainly because there are little to no named characters in C&C outside of Generals and Heroes. List includes:
  • Metal 0-1 from COD MW3, the second American force to engage the White Fang in battle.
  • Bravo 6 (Both the US Marine and SAS teams) from COD MW. The former was the first Earth force to battle the White Fang. The latter participates in Operation White Death.
  • Hunter 2 from COD MW2.
  • Yankee Team from COD Blacks Ops.
  • The author, according to responses to reviews, plans on potentially adding other Fandoms like Battlefield and Ace Combat.
• Tank Goodness: The American Paladin and Crusader tanks.
  • The Paladin is a part of the force that attacks Mount Glenn. The Paladin mech attacks a Paladin tank with missiles and kinetic energy cannons. The missiles are shot out of the sky by the tank's point defense laser system while the cannon shots do almost nothing to the tank armor. The paladin mech is then destroyed with a 125mm cannon round at near point-blank range.
  • The Crusader gets a scene in, with one of the tanks absolutely devastating a White Fang patrol in Chapter 7. The chapter is called "Don't Piss of a Tank" for a reason.
• Technologically Advanced Foe: The Americans/Terrans to the rest of Remnant.
  • One example is Artillery. Howitzers and Self-Propelled Guns are a common staple within modern Earth militaries so it is no surprise that American forces use them in their attack on Mount Glenn. The people of Remnant? They're more shocked. Ironwood and Winter, during their meeting with the rest of Ozpin's inner circle, indicate that the Atlas military has no equivalent equal to American guns. Or at the very least, are unfamiliar with the ways modern militaries fight.
    Winter: Cannons? Eight miles away? That makes no sense, how would they even be able to see their target?
  • American forces also have access to anti-projectile/missile systems, seen on American Paladin tanks. Atlas, both in-story and in-canon, don't have any equivalent systems.
  • Armour vehicles are also in the U.S's favour. Qrow sums it up perfectly.
    Winter: Impossible, the Atlesiann Paladin 2-90 armour is powerful enough to withstand a full charge from a Megoliath.
    Qrow: "Yeah, and I watched it (US Paladin) destroy all the missiles the Paladian (Atlas) shot at it with lasers, after that it took a hit from its energy gun, and you know what happened to it? It shook! That's all the Paladin's energy cannon did to it, it made it shake a bit! Might've given the tank a few burn marks, but that was it. Then with a single shot, both the Paladin and whoever that poor pilot was, was dead."
  • Remnant also still hasn't developed space technology due to the issues with Dust, as indicated by a White Fang Operative.
    Colonel Burton: Now, you may be wondering what a 'Satellite is. Well, it's this tiny thing in lower orbit, or in space, in simpler terms, and it allows us to monitor the locations within that specific orbit.
    Fubuki: That's a lie! Dust Doesn't work outside of Remnant's atmosphere!
    Colonel Burton: What if I told you that we used something else other than dust?
• The Stations of the Canon: Since the Americans appeared during Canon Season two, We still have events that happen like the RWBY + Sun + Neptune vs Torchwick in a Paladin fight, the school dance (which happens off-screen), the White Fang still planning their attack on Beacon, etc. Most of the events before the Mount Glenn part of CRWBY season 2 still happen. it dramatically changes when the Americans decide to attack Mount Glenn themselves.
• Take That!: Terrans poke fun at the Atlassian military and their helplessness/incompetence against Terran forces. Kirkman and the scientists point out the 'flaws' in the Atlas equipment and style of warfare.
• There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Kirkman's response to a platoon of marines being attacked by the White Fang for little to no reason: send drones to find the White Fang base, bomb said base with 5th Generation stealth aircraft, send in a team of Delta force operators to secure prisoners, then carpet bomb said base so that only a few White Fang operatives survive. Justified as a) Kirkman was juggling between establishing his base and scientific requests (which explains the prisoners), b) had little to no idea what he was facing, and C) just came out of a fight with the GLA so he wasn't feeling merciful.
• Wrong Assumption: Ironwood currently thinks that the Americans have only 10,000 soldiers to Atlas's 40,000. Oh how horribly wrong he is when analyzing this Global superpower. While the number of soldiers is up for debate as we don't have any real numbers from C&C Generals canon, in real life the United States has 1.4 million troops. With the war on the GLA only ending recently, it is very likely that the Americans have additional forces they could deploy. That isn't counting the British and other NATO allies. In the story, the United Kingdom has an active role during the war against the White Fang, as Bravo-6 participated in Operation Kingfish which was against the GLA.
• Wham Line: Chapter 14 ends with General Kirkman suspecting that Doctor Thrax is alive and maybe working with the White Fang.
  Kirkman: "I.... don't know, but it is time we start considering that Doctor Thrax may be on Remnant."