Remnant of a Worm

Post-GM Taylor in Remnant. Taylor Hebert; villain, hero, monster, savior, Khepri. She awakens in a hospital in Vale. Where was she? What would she do? Who would she be? Hero or villain? Monster or Savior?

This story contains massive spoilers for Worm, I would highly suggest reading it before starting this story. Regardless, the next chapter will be a quick overview of Worm and RWBY for those who want it.

Worm is owned by Wildbow

RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth

Prologue

Ruby Rose

I danced my way down the street, my headphones blaring music in my ears. I couldn't believe what had just happened.

I was going to Beacon.

I was going to Beacon!

…Oh my god, I was going to Beacon.

I slowed my pace and took a moment to register that. I wasn't going to be with anyone from Signal. I wouldn't know anyone there. Not only that, I was going to be two years younger than everyone there. I was going to stick out like a sore thumb!

I hopped back and forth on my feet and began to panic.

Okay, okay, calm down. It'll be fine. I'll get to see all their cool weapons! Oh! And then I'll get to show off Crescent Rose! Bam, perfect starting conversation. And then we can talk about… something? Oh, why is talking to people so hard!

Wait.

Yang.

I let out a heavy sigh, relief pouring over me, dissipating the tension in my body.

Yang would be there. I wouldn't have to worry about being alone. I… I'd just be on her team. That way, I wouldn't even have to make an idiot of myself trying to talk to anyone. Thank god, that would've been stressful.

The street was empty this time of night. After talking to Ozpin and the aftermath of the robbery it had gotten pretty late. The last Bullhead heading back to Patch would be leaving just after I got there. It had been a long day and I couldn't wait to get back home, have some milk and cookies, and go to bed. Hopefully, Dad hadn't told Yang about what happened tonight or else I'd be up all night recapping every single thing. I wanted to talk about it; I'd fought a bunch of robbers, met not one but two Huntsmen, and I got into Beacon. The only thing was that I was pretty sure Yang was going to smother me to death in a hug after I told her and I didn't think I'd survive that right now.

A glint of something caught my eye from an alleyway across the street. The light of a street lamp from the other side of the alley reflected dull red off of a large puddle on the ground.

Is… is that?

Just ten feet from me, lying facedown in a puddle of blood in the middle of the alley, was the body of a woman.

Oh god.

What do I…?

Is she?

How did?

Too many questions happened at once. I didn't notice I was getting closer until I was next to the woman. She wore a skin-tight black bodysuit with weird white armor plates that were littered with scrapes and burns. Her face was completely covered by a mask with broken white lenses. Her wavy black hair lay damp and matted with blood beside her head. She had some sort of weird backpack that looked cracked and broken, along with a utility belt holding various items including a knife. Her willowy limbs were contrasted with a right arm that was missing from the elbow down, the flesh marred by scar tissue and the costume looked like it had been burned clean off.

Oh g-god. Is-is she some kind of Huntress? D-did someone k-kill a Huntress?

I shot up when I noticed a small labored movement from her chest, a small rise and fall.

SHE'S ALIVE.

My fingers fumbled with my scroll as I slapped my headphones until they stopped playing music. I tried and failed to call an ambulance. My fingers were shaking too much.

Stop. I have to help this person!

Finally, after the third try, I got the call through.

"Vale emergency hotline, please state your emergency," an obliging female voice stated.

"H-help! T-there's a-a w-woman. She's b-bleeding. I…" I stole a quick breath, "I-I think she's a H-huntress!"

"Calm down miss. I'm sending an emergency team to your scroll's location now. Is there anyone else in the area? Are you safe?"

"I-I'm fine, I-I'm trying to be a Huntress so I should b-be fine. I was j-just walking down the street and saw her just lying t-there."

"You're an upcoming Huntress? Signal or Beacon? Actually, never mind. What's your name miss?"

"R-Ruby. Ruby Rose."

"Alright, Ruby. Can you check her Aura levels to see how depleted they are? It'll help the first responders get an estimate on how to start treatment."

Without replying I started looking for an opening in the woman's armor, someplace where the skin was open. None of the burn marks or scrapes opened up to the skin. I grew more frantic as my eyes shot over the woman's body. Ultimately, I found myself staring at the woman's missing limb.

Here we go.

I tried to steel myself, but all I did was realize how hectic my breathing was and how the nervous sweat had long since formed on my body.

I began to peel up the sleeve above the woman's arm, revealing a scarred stub leading to angry red skin. I placed my hand and pushed my Aura out, expecting to feel the weak pressure of an almost exhausted base of Aura. Instead, I couldn't find even a single hint of Aura protecting her body.

Is her Aura so drained that I can't even sense it?

I pushed deeper, trying to find something. Anything. Anything that could possibly help this person. Suddenly, I felt my prodding of Aura forced out by a fierce and cold wave. I felt an immediate chill as I caught the sensation of the mountain of Aura locked away within the woman.

Wait, is she not a Huntress then? Why is she wearing all this gear then?

"…ss…Mis… Miss Rose… Ruby! Are you still there?! Please respond!"

The noise shook me out of my shock, making me fumble the scroll and almost drop it.

"Um-Yes! Yes I'm still here."

"Okay, good. Please stay on the line miss. Now were you able to check her Aura levels?"

"Y-yes! I… I don't think she has had her Aura activated yet. I could…"

I froze again. A new dread forming from what I realized.

"I… I don't know the chant or even how to unlock someone else's Aura!"

That was it. This woman was going to die. Without Aura helping to stabilize her I knew she wasn't going to make it. I felt it. She was going to die in this alley all because I couldn't do anything.

Tears spilled down my cheeks and I felt my chest heaving with sobs.

"Miss Rose, please. I… I'm going to try to walk you through the process. It might not work but we are going to try, alright. You think you can do that for me, Ruby?" the responder's voice was both comforting and subtly commanding.

I sniffed, wiping my face with my sleeve.

If there was a chance, I had to try.

"O-okay. What do I do?"

"The chant is to help calm and initiate the unlocking of someone's Aura. It tells her soul what to do. What you have to do is show that person's Aura how to act. So, I need you to push your Aura out into the woman and shape it just like you would if you had your Aura active but within her. You'll feel tired afterward but that's completely normal. Understand?"

"Uh, yes. I think so."

"Repeat after me."

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

I repeated each sentence as the responder spoke them, letting my Aura flow through my hand and into the fallen woman's body. With each word, I felt more of my Aura fill the woman, and as it did I felt the woman's Aura push into mine.

Please work. Please be okay.

The feeling of the woman's Aura was scary. It felt harsh yet concise. Ruthless yet not malevolent. A sharp edge rather than a wave that flowed through the body. The pressure needed to unlock the woman's Aura was intense, the amount of Aura I needed to use was staggering. Finally, I felt the dam break as the woman's Aura cascaded throughout her body.

A ragged breath came out as I felt the fatigue from the loss of my Aura, surprising myself from the amount this woman must have needed for me to need to use so much.

The woman's chest seemed to rise more than before, her breathing taking a more consistent rhythm. A dull gray Aura radiated around the woman, cutting in the air around her.

"She… she seems to be doing better. I-I think it worked," my voice sounded raw.

"That's good Miss Rose. Glad to hear it. Authorities should be reaching you within a couple minutes. Just stay on the phone with me."

I sat sprawled in the alley, my back resting against the grey brickwork behind me. It wasn't comfy by any means, but I was too exhausted to care.

Relief flooded my body as I smiled at the sounds of sirens drawing closer to me. I sobbed a few times with the relief of tension.

After giving a small statement to the police I watched the injured woman as the ambulance doors closed behind her and they rushed off. The glow of her Aura still faintly surrounded her.

"You certainly seem to get into some interesting situations, Miss Rose," a familiar voice said almost amusingly.

I turned to see both Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch for the second time that night. Ozpin was in his black coat, vest, and pants, highlighted only by his gray hair and the green turtleneck he wore underneath it all. His hands rested comfortably on a cane, which was made up of a silver handle with a finger guard that led to a black shaft. Glynda Goodwitch stood with arms crossed at his side. The riding crop she held earlier was held with a firm grip. She wore a white blouse that was covered at the stomach by a black skirt that stopped just above her knees. Stockings led to shin-high black heeled boots. A black cape that was vibrant purple underneath ended in wispy tatters past the length of her skirt. Ozpin looked friendly yet put together while Glynda looked both professional and intimidating.

I tried to smile but couldn't quite make it.

"Ya, it's certainly been… a night. Heh," my voice died out near the end. I had never actually seen someone so close to death before in person and my mind couldn't stop going back to her lying there. "Um, what brings you here Professor?"

"I was alerted of a potential fatally injured Huntress, in the middle of the city no less. When I saw your name on the report I saw it as all the more reason to come by. Are you okay, Ruby?" The last sentence reflected his worry and made me feel somewhat better. Something nice after a terrible experience.

"I'm…okay? I haven't seen… that before. Not so up-close and personal. I know that being a Huntress means that I might have to deal with that but… I didn't expect it to be so…" Again, my volume died on me. The same scene of the woman dying and the panic of not knowing if I could help. Her blood pooling, her breath ragged and uneven. Not knowing what would happen. Not knowing if I could help.

"Yes. It is an unfortunate reality, one that all Huntsmen experience at some point." He gave me a reassuring smile. "But you did as a Huntsmen would do, Ruby. You saved that woman's life. No question. I have been told that she would have absolutely passed if not for you. So, remember this night. Though your path may be difficult, it is worth it." Ozpin looked straight into my eyes. I saw a gleam that seemed like he was both proud and happy. And he was right, I had saved someone.

"Thank you, Professor. That helped a lot." This time I managed a smile, not having to force or fake it. I did save someone. I was happy and proud of myself. I think Mom would have been proud too. And Dad and Yang of course…

Dad and Yang.

"Ohh crap!" I brought out my scroll and checked the time. The last Bullhead for Patch had left a while ago. It seemed I was stuck in Vale for the night. "Ughhhhhhh. What am I going to do!?"

"I assumed you might be in need of a place to stay for the night. If you would like, we can prepare one of the dorm rooms at Beacon for you. A glimpse of where you will be sleeping if you pass the initiation in two weeks." Ozpin offered and gave a nod to Glynda who began typing and sending a message on her scroll.

"Thank you that would be great. I'll call my Dad and let him know. Thank you, Professor Ozpin."

"It is no trouble, Ruby. Now come, we mustn't keep the ship waiting. I believe all of us have had a rather long day." Ozpin turned and began walking back to a ship that had parked down the street.

"Miss Rose, I don't think I will need to remind you that even though the semester hasn't begun, that you will need to follow all of Beacon's rules for your stay?" Glynda stated, sounding more like a command than a question.

"Um, yes of course Professor." I gave her the best salute I could as I said it, but it only seemed to make her frown more.

"Come along then." She shook her head as we headed off to Beacon.

Ozpin

"What can you tell me about this young woman, Dr. Sard?" I asked. I felt that there was something more to this woman, and I hoped that Noah would confirm my suspicions.

Noah Sard was a doctor at Vale General Hospital whom I had known for longer than I cared to admit. He was a shorter man with short reddish-brown hair to match. He wore a standard white lab coat that covered a white button-up shirt and a tie that matched his hair and name. I had always liked Noah, as he was an honest man. Told things to you straight, if rather blunt. He seemed to know when I was looking into something that might help against the Grimm or looking into someone that would do good for the world.

Glynda and I had arrived at the hospital early the next morning, after sending Miss Rose on her way. She had wanted to come along as well, but I told her that she should tell her father about everything that had happened. I knew that she would be able to come another day to see the mystery woman, seeing as the woman's injuries would have, without question, meant an extended stay at the hospital.

"I was honestly hoping you would be able to tell me something about your Jane Doe, Ozpin." Noah's deep voice contrasted with his small stature as he stroked the stubble on his face. It was the kind of voice that filled the room you were in, making it feel bigger than it was. "Haven't seen something like this since the Revolution. And even then, cases like this were rare since the Grimm always went for the most injured if they made it that close."

I remembered those times when the worst of the injured had to be transported immediately into the deepest part of the camp as the Grimm were drawn to their negative emotions from the pain. Even more so on top of the rage and hate in the air from the war itself. But to compare this woman to those critically wounded in the war? There was absolutely something more to this woman.

"Can you explain that further Dr. Sard? I don't know if comparing this young woman to war veterans is exactly necessary," Glynda asked.

"Scar tissue on over ten percent of her body from small cuts all the way to a large laceration above her left hip. Contusions basically everywhere. Old and recent. I don't know if she was being beaten up every day or abused for a long time, but there's a plethora of old damage that shows she's had a history of either of those. Her right arm is missing from right above the elbow down. It had been cauterized to close it from how it looks. There's a bit of metal almost infused into the bone of her acromion, must have gotten stabbed in the shoulder by…something and the bone healed around it. There is a faint scar that seems to just peek out from her hairline. The location and how cleanly the cut was made suggests surgery, but we found no evidence of it. Unless someone was cutting her head open and just stopped. Damn, it's a lot when you say it all in a row. Well, almost all of it," Dr. Sard listed each injury mechanically from a set of paper he plucked from his desk. I did notice a slight bit of disbelief and worry bite into his tone towards the end.

I sat wide-eyed, and Glynda sported a deep expression of worry and grief instead of her usual frown. She was always strict and professional, especially with training the students of Beacon. I knew it was to produce the best Huntsmen she could and hopefully teach them some modicum of discipline. However, whatever hell this young woman had gone through, a woman around the age of our very own students, was something else. I was floored as well, more worried than before. I hoped this young woman had not let her terrible experiences define her. I had seen so many lose themselves to the darkness in their past. It was always painful to watch. And painful to experience.

"Wait. You said 'almost' all of it?" Glynda inquired, her voice's tone matched the look on her face.

"Yup. All of Jane Doe's injuries were old, well 'older', besides the arm but that was cauterized. They've all had time to scab or scar at least. The blood on the scene-" Noah pulled a few pictures from the stack of papers, "was from her getting double tapped in the back of the head. The bullets went in clean and kept going straight through. Most of the damage they seemed to have done was to a weird tumor that we found growing on her brain. Sadly inoperable but it doesn't seem to be pressing against her brain to the point of causing damage. Honestly, it's the least harmful gunshots-to-the-head wounds I have ever seen or heard of. The holes are already closed and now all that's left to heal is inside. I don't know if someone tried to execute her, but they may have inadvertently performed brain surgery via bullet on the poor girl. Her Aura seems to have helped a lot though, the flaring up around the bullet holes and tumor seemed to calm down a lot even as she made it to the hospital. That girl who had to unlock her Aura should be proud, she saved Jane Doe's life. Anyways, there's no telling what kind of effects all this will have on Jane Doe though, both mentally and physically. Could be memory loss, motor function loss, or a whole host of other complications. Won't find out until she wakes up… If she wakes up." With that Noah dropped the list of the woman's injuries back on the pile before bringing his hand to rub his eyes. He seemed tired, sounded like it too. It certainly was a lot to process.

I wasn't quite sure what to do with that information. Glynda was looking at me now, her eyes asking the question for her. 'What do we do?' Frankly, I didn't know. It was an unfamiliar feeling. One that I had hoped years of experience and planning would prevent, though the unexpected always finds a way to happen, regardless of how long one has lived.

"Perhaps it is best to simply wait and see. You were not able to find any scroll or other identification for the woman?" I asked.

"No kind of I.D. However, there was a handgun, taser, pepper spray, a folding baton, and a fancy black knife. She was also wearing some kind of hi-tech backpack but it's too destroyed to figure out its function. No dust, no scroll, no Lien, nothing that would help. Her belt might have held something but all the pouches either have holes or are empty. Might have been scavenged from before or after she was shot. No matching missing person, no matching criminal picture, no emblem, nothing that we could find," Noah read off another list.

"That is an impressive amount of weaponry for someone without their Aura unlocked," Glynda pointed out.

"Yup, and not only that, she was wearing this weird flexible bodysuit that was extremely tough. We weren't able to cut it with any standard tools. Something weapons-grade might be needed for that. Took a hell of an effort getting it off her though, the thing was covered in ash and blood," Noah remarked.

"That is unusual indeed. Any idea what it is made of or who manufactured it?" I asked.

"No clue. Doesn't have any kind of tag or serial number though. So, I don't think it was mass produced. The thing has been through hell though; any identification might have been lost or destroyed."

"Hmmm. Well, thank you very much for everything Noah. Please keep me updated on the young woman's condition. I would be most interested in hearing her story." I stood from my chair and moved to shake Noah's hand across his desk, my other hand still resting on my cane.

"Any time Ozpin, I'm glad someone like you is taking interest in this. I hate having to leave people who have gone through something like this young woman has all on their own," Noah replied, taking my hand with a strong grip.

"Thank you again, Dr. Sard," Glynda said politely.

"Until next time, Miss Goodwitch."

We exited the hospital in silence, neither speaking until we got in our car to head back to the Bullheads leading to Beacon.

"That was a very harsh case if I may say so," I stated without looking at Glynda.

"I agree. I can't imagine what that girl has gone through. I'm especially worried about the gunshot wounds. Some kind of execution? What kind of gang or criminal organization would need to do that to someone without Aura?" Glynda added, her fingers curling tighter around the steering wheel.

"I am unsure if it was gang-related. I think that we would have noticed some kind of organization executing civilians in such a fashion. Also, the equipment she had on her… There are too many questions that feel like they would lead further from the truth in this instance." It was somewhat frustrating not knowing, not being able to help. "I think I'll send a message to James, perhaps Atlas has some idea on the armor the girl was wearing. Or rather, young woman, she did seem around the age of our first years," I mused out loud.

"Ozpin, are you implying that you are going to enroll this girl at-"

"No. Nothing of the sort. We don't know what kind of person she is, her capabilities, or what her history regarding this incident was. Though, the equipment she was wearing either implies that she is proficient with all of it or is overcompensating for a lack of skill. However, the sheer quality of the equipment would lead me to think the former rather than the latter. Regardless, I feel her story might be important to know in understanding if there's a threat that caused her current state. I hope to intervene or prevent anything similar if this isn't an isolated incident."

"This is all dependent on if she wakes up at all."

"Oh, I'm sure she will Glynda. I have a feeling she's not the type to give in so easily."

Khepri?

Lights.

Shapes?

Pain.

Senses?

Awake.

Awake.

Alive?

Alive.

Prologue End

Praise be to Juff for making this pretty.