Vigil (Worm/RWBY self-insert)

[Vector_Seven]

Maybe the horrible, twisted, blood-soaked fever dreams will go away if I ignore them.

In the present, I scowl at the projected screen of my omni-tool, trying to force it to give me different results through sheer willpower. As so often happens in these situations, it remains stubbornly unchanged.

I let out a weary sigh. Might as well break it to the team, then.

"Well, folks, the good news is that the next three names on our list are all in one place, so we won't have to run around the whole damn multiverse looking for them. The bad news is that the place in question is basically a fortress, complete with walls, guns, guards, and any number of other nasty surprises."

Yang, far from looking resigned or depressed at this news, looks positively thrilled.

"So, we bust them all out of jail, punch some faces, and then break for margaritas! When do we start?"

Honestly, the blonde brawler isn't far off the mark. That's probably going to end up being the plan, unless we're spectacularly lucky. Peaceful negotiation worked for Taylor and then again for the RWBY girls, but it almost certainly won't work this time.

Weiss, ever the type to focus on actual details, speaks next.

"So we're breaking into a prison, then? Sounds… chaotic. Can you tell us anything about the defenses other than some generalities?"

As it so happens, I honestly can't, and I tell her so. Weiss frowns.

"Very well, then. Can you at least tell us who we're rescuing?"

I need to tread carefully here, because I know way, way too much about two out of three of them. Best to keep most of that information private, at least for now. Fortunate, then, that my self-designed augmentations include keeping tight control over my microexpressions. Barring someone who can use literal magic to detect untruths, I'm confident in my ability to fool others.

"Sure. The files are partial-" I say, lying shamelessly, "-but I've got a little info. Subject One is a human female, with exceptional stealth and combat skills. There's also a note about some kind of mind-linked familiar, which probably means a combat animal of some type. The only other notes mention knives and short swords as Subject One's choice weapons."

Ruby is suddenly all up in my personal space. Damn, those are adorable puppy-dog eyes. Any normal human would melt instantly. I, however, am unmoved. She sounds eager; then again, Ruby always sounds eager.

"Do you have her name? Age? Favorite flavor of cookie?"

I tell her that I do not, which is largely bullshit. I might not know her favorite cookie flavor, but I do have a pretty full dossier on this one. Best not to reveal that, though. Ruby looks disappointed, but accepts my lie.

I clear my throat pointedly, and Ruby suddenly jumps/teleports backwards, then motions for me a continue. Seeing the scythe-wielding girl's reaction, Taylor lets her mouth quirk into the slightest hint of a smile. I keep talking.

"Right, then. Subject Two, also human, also female. Wide array of weapon skills, with a note mentioning bows and crossbows specifically. No magic or other extras for her."

Blake's left ear twitches towards me. It would be adorable, if it didn't remind me of a cat about to claw my eyes out. Can she detect lies with some Faunus bullshit? No, no way. My tinkering with my reactions should definitely fool even her. So why does Blake still make me uneasy?

"And Subject Three, not human at all. Both the gender and the species files were too damaged to recover, so it's anyone's guess on both counts. Special powers include 'limited bursts of invulnerability' along with enhanced strength, speed and senses. Seems like it has permanent immunity to mind control effects, too. For this one, we do have a name, even though it's only a project code. It's 'Shadow,' for all the good that does us."

Team RWBY waits expectantly, but that's all I'm giving them for now. After a second, the four huntresses go back to packing up their stuff for the portal jump.

Taylor, a little ways off to the side, catches me eye. She glances at Blake, then at me, then raises one eyebrow very slightly, and I catch her unspoken query. To reassure Taylor, I give a tiny shake of my head. The overly inquisitive cat Faunus is not an immediate problem, in my personal opinion. Taylor seems to agree, and the subject is dropped for now.

Five minutes later, the Threshold Engine has torn a rift across space and time, and the six of us stroll on through.

***

Because nothing ever goes according to plan, the compound we're looking at is already partially on fire. At least four different, incredibly sound alarms are going off simultaneously, and every so often a few figures in white lab coats run out of gaping holes in the walls, screaming.

Among the feeling scientists (or whatever they are) are quite a few soldiers, who also look like they are scared shitless. Whatever's happening inside the building, their guns (which appear to be some kind of World War One era rifle) are evidently useless.

Taylor, RWBY, and I all take in the sight of the burning fortress. As if to punctuate this whole nightmarish situation, a small explosion goes off, followed by a much large one that takes a chunk out of the surviving wall. At one point, the barrier was probably twenty-plus feet off solid concrete or stone, but right now it's mostly rubble. Several melted guard towers appear to have been hit with a high-energy laser weapon or some kind, no doubt resulting in a messy death for anyone caught inside. The hellishly loud alarms, explosions, occasional gunshot, and other unrecognizable noises add a horrible kind of ambiance to the whole picture.

In other words, an average Wednesday in my line of work.

Yang, looking like a kid who is determined to get some candy before it's all gone, launches herself forward with a blast from Ember Celica, followed closely by the rest of her team. Taylor and I, being a little less prone to close-range violence, hang back as usual.

I've been working on a way to fix Taylor's ability, with decidedly mixed results. After a tiny bit of brain surgery, the former Queen of Escalation is back to remote control, albeit in a much more limited way. She can control the tiny biomechanical insect drones produced by my matter fabricator, but only about two dozen at once. I'm not sure if the limitation is from my tech or her brain damage, but I'm determined to figure it out somehow.

Presently, team RWBY returns to us, though they only have two figures in tow. Whoever or whatever the 'Shadow' creature is, it hasn't shown itself yet. That probably explains why people are still fleeing the building as if the hounds of hell were pursuing them.