Chapter Text
Penny was dead.
Pyrrha had killed her.
A stunned silence hung in the air—until Cinder's voice echoed through the Amity Arena. She hijacked the global broadcast, revealing the shocking truth to the world: Penny was a robot, and Pyrrha Nikos had torn her apart.
The crowd gasped in horror. Confusion turned to fear. Fear gave way to panic. And that panic fed the Grimm.
Drawn by the storm of negative emotion pouring out of the audience, a wave of creatures surged toward Vale, eyes glowing with hunger. Beacon Academy prepared for the worst—but nothing could prepare them for what followed.
The White Fang joined the assault, sowing chaos in the streets. Atlesian Knights, once defenders of the peace, turned against the people—hacked, corrupted, and now firing indiscriminately into the crowd.
All hell broke loose.
The city of Vale was burning. Citizens screamed and scattered, many still in the middle of evacuation. Huntsmen and huntresses from across the kingdoms rallied together, doing everything they could to stem the tide of Grimm.
Then Mt. Glenn erupted.
But it wasn’t lava.
It was something worse.
A massive creature burst from the ruins—a Grimm Dragon, ancient and terrifying, rising into the sky. It turned toward Beacon Academy, wings beating storms into the clouds.
Ruby Rose, a huntress-in-training, did everything she could to help. But the situation was more dire than she had ever imagined. Amid the chaos, she stumbled across Jaune—trapped inside a rocket-propelled locker.
He looked up at her with desperation.
“Go,” he said. “Go to the tower. Save Pyrrha.”
Without hesitation, Ruby ran. She activated her Semblance, becoming a blur of rose petals as she raced toward the tower.
But she was too late.
When she arrived, she found Pyrrha already on the ground—an arrow lodged in her chest. Standing above her was Cinder, holding a bow, her eyes cold and victorious. With a cruel smile, Cinder raised her hand, and a strange power surged from her fingers.
Pyrrha’s body disintegrated into glowing ash.
Ruby screamed.
The world went white.
On the burning world of Char, deep within the twisted spires of the Zerg hive, the Overmind stirred.
It pondered its next move in the eternal war against the Protoss. Reports from across the Swarm trickled in—essences consumed, worlds conquered, and new organisms identified for infestation. One such report, from Cerebrate Daggoth, spoke of a Terran female named Sarah Kerrigan—a candidate of extraordinary potential.
The Overmind considered crafting a new cerebrate, one with a specialized role to oversee her transformation.
Then—without warning—a foreign mind intruded upon the hivemind.
Alarms flared across the mental network. The Overmind recoiled, isolating the anomaly from the rest of the Swarm. Its thoughts narrowed, coiling like a serpent around the intrusion.
“How?”
“Is this the trickery of the Protoss?”
It reached out to subsume the foreign mind—only to be repelled. A barrier surrounded it, impenetrable even to the Overmind's will.
This was no ordinary being.
It focused, searching for a glimpse, a fragment of memory.
And then—it saw her.
A name, whispered in a voice full of sorrow and fire:
“Ruby… Rose.”
The Overmind paused.
It had never encountered such a presence.
The Overmind delved deeper into the foreign mind, peeling back layers of memory with surgical precision.
Ruby Rose.
Passionate for weapons. Daughter of Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long. Sister to Yang Xiao Long.
Leader of Team RWBY.
Student of Beacon Academy.
With every memory uncovered, the Overmind grew more intrigued.
It saw her world—Remnant.
A war-torn planet teeming with primitive yet potent technologies. It observed the strange crystalline resource known as Dust—not unlike minerals, yet imbued with volatile energies unlike anything in the Koprulu sector.
Then came Aura—a field of soul-born energy. A natural shield, not unlike that of the Protoss, but born of something deeper.
The soul itself.
And Semblances—unique abilities tied to the very identity of each being.
“Fascinating,” the Overmind murmured through the hivemind. “This Aura of yours... perhaps it is what shields you from assimilation. A fragment of the soul resisting the collective. An anomaly... an individual among the swarm.”
It watched fragments of Ruby’s life: her battles, her growth, her pain. A child clinging to hope in a crumbling world.
“You possess potential, young Ruby—potential even you have not seen.”
And then, the Overmind conceived something new.
“Very well.”
Its voice reverberated through the network like the crackle of thunder across a dying world.
“You shall be remade.”
“A Cerebrate—reborn not in flesh, but in essence. You will command your brood as you once led your team. Through you, I shall witness the merging of soul and swarm.”
Darkness.
That was all Ruby could see. No shape. No sound. Only the void.
“Ruby…?” she whispered—at least, she thought she did. Her voice didn’t echo through the air. It echoed only in her mind.
“Is that my… name?”
Then came the voice. Deep, layered, like a chorus of whispers beneath thunder.
“Ah. You are awake already.”
“Welcome, young one. I am the Overmind—The eternal will of the Zerg Swarm.”
The voice wrapped around her like a storm.
“As you may soon realize… you are now part of the Swarm as well—though only partially.”
“Partially…?” Ruby echoed, her thoughts still slow and heavy. “So I’m in the Swarm… but not of the Swarm?”
“Correct. You are an individual within the hivemind. An anomaly. A paradox.”
“Many of my cerebrates wish to destroy you for that alone.”
“But I alone command the Swarm. And I have chosen to let you live.”
“Just like that?” Ruby asked, unsure whether to be grateful or afraid. “And… what’s a cerebrate?”
“My agents. Extensions of my will. They shape and guide the Swarm as I see fit.”
“You were meant to become one of them—but during your incubation, something altered the process.”
“I suspect... your soul played a role.”
“My… soul?” Ruby winced, trying to make sense of it all. Her head pulsed with pressure, as though a hundred voices were whispering too close.
“Where am I? What’s happening to me?”
“Tell me,” the Overmind rumbled. “What do you remember?”
“I remember… my name. Ruby.” She clung to it like a lifeline. “My home… I think it’s Patch. In Vale. And my sister. Yang… Yeah. Yang.” She squinted into the black.
“It seems your memory is fragmented—likely a consequence of your transition to this new form,” the Overmind observed.
“Perhaps… with time… it will return.”
“So… where am I?” Ruby asked, voice echoing into the dark. “I can’t see anything. It’s too dark.”
“Have you tried opening your eyes?” the Overmind replied, as matter-of-fact as ever.
“Oh. Right. My eyes.” Ruby giggled softly. “Silly me.”
She focused. Her eyes, heavy and reluctant, blinked open—only to be met with a murky, green glow surrounding her. Thick, viscous fluid clung to her skin. Her mouth opened in surprise—and immediately filled with the goo.
Panic struck.
She thrashed, gagging, trying to spit it out. Her hands shot forward, clawing at the jelly-like enclosure. Her fingers pierced a thin membrane—it gave way with a wet pop, and Ruby tumbled out of the cocoon, collapsing onto the organic ground in a splatter of slime.
She coughed violently, purging the goo from her lungs and throat.
"Blegh. That… tasted worse than Zwei’s bath water."
Wheezing, she tried to stand, slipping slightly on the wet floor.
“I think… I remember my sister pulling a prank like this once,” she muttered between gasps. “Except that one involved a pudding trap and a trampoline…”
Ruby slowly examined her body.
Two arms. Two legs. Two normal knees—not bee’s knees, as Yang would say. She let out a breath of relief.
Then her hands—ten fingers, five on each. Human fingers. No claws. No chitin. Just… her.
She looked down—her familiar black-and-red dress was still there, frilly Lolita design intact. Her knee-high combat boots, scuffed from battles long gone. And draped over her shoulders—
“My cape!” she gasped, grabbing at the red fabric, still bearing her rose emblem. “Still here…”
She ran a hand through her hair—then froze.
It didn’t feel right.
Not soft. Not light. Instead, thick and coarse—more like hardened threads than hair.
“What the—?” She grabbed a strand and held it to the light. It was still black with crimson tips… but it gleamed strangely. Like polished horn.
“Ahh! What did you do to my hair?!” Ruby cried, furiously pawing at her head.
“You entered our hivemind as a bodyless mind,” the Overmind said, its voice like thunder in Ruby’s thoughts. “You lacked a vessel—so I placed you within the embryonic form of a cerebrate. But your soul did something that give it a drastic change, instead of normal cerebrate form it changes to human form of female adolescent. That must be your original body.”
Ruby blinked. “So… I’m human again?”
“Yes and no,” the Overmind replied. “You are physically Zerg—reborn in the shape of a human. There is nothing left of your original biology. On a genetic level, you are wholly of the Swarm. But your instinct and mind don't align with the zerg, but to a concept you call humanity.”
Ruby’s breath caught.
“Although you are still classified as a cerebrate,” the Overmind continued, “You also gain their benefits and perks but you are nothing like them. You move, you fight, you think differently. That alone makes you… unique. Special even.”
Ruby looked down at her body, then at her clothes. They were still hers. Or were they?
“Even your garments… somehow they grew along with you,” the Overmind said, its tone laced with curiosity. “An anomaly, even to me.”
“That hair of yours—hardened keratin, not organic filament—is the only visible proof of your true nature.”
“Well, erm... I’m still me!” Ruby declared, placing her hands on her hips.
She took a look around—her expression quickly shifting from confident to confused. She stood in a dim, fleshy cavern. The walls pulsed faintly, as if breathing. In the center, a pool of glowing green liquid bubbled softly.
Behind her lay the broken remains of the cocoon she'd emerged from, its slick shell cracked open and oozing more of the strange green goo. Ruby stepped back, making a face.
“Ew.”
As she moved, something caught her eye—three small insect-like creatures scuttled across the floor. She instinctively raised her boot, but hesitated.
Then she spotted it—a narrow corridor ahead, its walls twitching as if alive. A cold breeze whispered from beyond, the tunnel subtly inhaling and exhaling like a massive lung.
“Anyway... where am I?” Ruby asked.
“You are inside a Hatchery,” the Overmind replied. “Currently, you reside on a Garden World.”
“Garden World?” Ruby echoed.
“A classification for habitable planets—thriving with flora and fauna,” the Overmind said. “Ideal for both assimilation and expansion.”
Ruby blinked. “Wait, we’re on a different planet?! The Zerg are... spacefarers?!”
“Yes,” the Overmind said simply. “We have traversed the stars for millennia.”
“Wow! Can you tell me more?!” Ruby asked, eyes sparkling. One of her hair strands perked up and wagged like a happy dog’s tail.
There was a brief pause.
“Uurg.” The Overmind shuddered. “Perhaps... another time. For now, I have a task for you.”
“Aww.” Ruby visibly deflated.
“Stop doing that,” the Overmind muttered, clearly unused to handling a cerebrate like this.
“Your task,” it continued, “is to expand your hive cluster.”
The Overmind’s voice deepened as it shifted into briefing mode.
“Currently, your hive is minimal—one Hatchery, one Spawning Pool—”
“Like that one?” Ruby interrupted, pointing at the glowing green pool nearby.
“What—no. That’s a nutrient pool. Do not interrupt me.” The Overmind sounded genuinely flabbergasted.
“As I was saying: one Hatchery, one Spawning Pool, and one Creep Colony. That is the extent of your current infrastructure.”
The Overmind continued,
“As for your army, you currently possess only two Drones and six Zerglings. I’ll explain more shortly—but first, step outside the Hatchery to assess your surroundings.”
Ruby turned toward the fleshy corridor. This time, it peeled open like a sideways mouth, revealing a surprisingly bright, sunny day outside. She blinked at the sudden light and started to walk forward—but then froze.
Three squirming, worm-like creatures slithered through the opening.
“Are those... Larva?” Ruby asked, tilting her head.
“Yes,” the Overmind replied. “Though lacking intellect, they house all Zerg genetic templates. From meager Drones to mighty Leviathans, each Larva carries the potential for transformation.”
He paused.
“Larvae are produced by Hatcheries—and other structures in time. They are essential to the growth of your Swarm, especially for creating Drones. Without them, your hive cannot expand.”
“And what are the Drones?” Ruby asked.
“Drones are the workers of the hive,” the Overmind explained. “They gather resources and build structures. However, most Zerg buildings can only be created on Creep—except for Hatcheries.”
Ruby blinked. “Wait… they build buildings?”
“By becoming them,” the Overmind clarified. “Drones use themselves to mutate into structures. Once construction begins, the Drone is lost.”
Ruby frowned slightly. “Oh. That’s… kind of sad.”
“Efficient,” the Overmind corrected.
“Now, about the Creep,” it continued. “It is the purple growth you’ll soon see outside. It nourishes your buildings and connects your hive. Its range is limited, but it can be expanded by constructing more Hatcheries or Creep Colonies.”
Ruby nodded, still trying to process it all, and stepped through the fleshy corridor.
The light outside made her squint. It was surprisingly bright, with a clear blue sky overhead. She could hear birds chirping in the distance—natural, peaceful sounds.
She looked down.
A thick, wet, purple carpet spread across the land. It pulsed faintly, almost like it was breathing.
“This must be the Creep,” she murmured.
As she looked around, she spotted clusters of giant crystals, glowing slightly. Near them hovered two crab-like creatures with wide claws and six thin, web-like legs.
In the distance, vents spewed plumes of green smoke into the air.
“These are the Drones,” the Overmind said. “Order them to gather minerals.”
“Okay!” Ruby stepped closer to one of the hovering creatures and pointed at the glowing crystals nearby.
“Uh… Drone, go gather the… mineral thing.”
The Drone stared at her.
“…Why isn’t it moving?” Ruby asked.
“Not vocally. You must command them psionically,” the Overmind said, sounding faintly annoyed.
“Psionically?” Ruby blinked. “How?”
“Use your mental link to issue a command.”
“I have a mental link?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know how to use it!”
There was a long pause.
Somehow, Ruby could hear the Overmind breathing in and out—despite the fact it had no lungs.
“Okay… psy-thingy command,” Ruby whispered, placing her fingers on her temples as if trying to tune into a signal. “Connecting… to mental link.”
“That’s not how it works,” the Overmind muttered under its breath.
Ruby didn’t hear—or chose not to listen.
Then she felt it.
A presence. Massive. Towering behind her like a mountain of flesh and thought. As she focused, she could sense its structure—immense, immobile, rooted deep into the ground. She felt it breathing, felt its tendrils reaching through the Creep like veins.
“This must be the Hatchery,” Ruby whispered, smiling.
Her awareness expanded. In the space around her, she sensed faint pulses—small nodes of presence. Two of them. She reached out mentally... and suddenly, she saw through other eyes.
Not hers—theirs.
“Go… gather… minerals…” Ruby projected the thought, still whispering aloud as if it helped her focus.
The two Drones chirred in unison and floated toward the nearest mineral cluster. They extended their claws and began clipping away, crystals falling into their grasp.
“Good,” the Overmind rumbled. “You are learning fast. Faster than newly spawned cerebrates. Most take two weeks before they can even control a single Larva.”
“Aww, it’s no big deal,” Ruby said with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her neck.
“I just remembered my Aura training. You focus on a specific part of your body to build up Aura—either to hit harder or to take a hit better. I guess this mental link stuff kinda feels the same… except, y’know, way squishier.”
“It seems some of your memories are returning to you,” the Overmind said. “Now for your next task: command a Larva to morph into a Drone. You’ll need more workers to gather minerals.”
“Okay—the little guys,” Ruby replied, glancing back at the Hatchery where the Larvae squirmed lazily across the Creep.
She reached out with her mind, brushing against the Larvae’s mental presence. Each one pulsed with raw potential—strands of genetic data waiting to be selected. Ruby focused on one and felt it unfold in her mind like a blueprint.
Zergling: Quadrupedal combat form. Scout and chaser.
Small, lean, fast. Tail for balance. Six limbs—hind legs for running, upper limbs for striking, lower limbs for bracing.
Sharp teeth. Scythe-like claws. Spawns in pairs.
Feeble alone. Powerful in swarms.
Ruby’s eyes widened. The information hit her all at once, like someone uploaded a biology textbook directly into her brain.
“Ruby, what you’re seeing is the genetic map,” the Overmind said. “Every Larva holds the essence of all known Zerg bioforms. The same applies to Drones, should you wish to mutate them into structures.”
“For now, you have access to three: Drones, Zerglings, and Hydralisks. Do not despair—more strains will become available in time. You may even modify existing templates… or craft entirely new ones from scratch.”
“Wait—seriously?” Ruby’s eyes sparkled. “I can customize them?”
“Of course. You forged your beloved Crescent Rose, did you not? A hybrid weapon of immense complexity—scythe and sniper rifle combined. Perhaps you will do the same with your brood.”
The Overmind paused before continuing. “Remember, you are a cerebrate now. Human in shape, but Zerg in essence. Each cerebrate possesses a unique specialty. Daggoth masters siege warfare. Gorn commands fortifications. Auza dominates the skies. You, Ruby, must find your own path.”
“But for now, continue your task. Morph a Larva into a Drone,” the Overmind instructed.
“Oh—right!” Ruby said, snapping her fingers before closing her eyes and diving back into the local hivemind.
Inside, she focused on one of the Larvae. The swirling mass of genetic sequences greeted her, glowing with potential. Only three threads were active—two pulsing with life, one faint and dormant. She recognized one glowing strand from earlier: the Zergling. That meant the other had to be the Drone.
She tugged the thread gently. It pulsed in response, coiling inwards like a spiral before crystallizing into a compact node. As it shrank, a green cocoon enveloped the Larva in the physical world.
Ruby stepped back out of the hivemind and looked.
A pulsating cocoon had taken the Larva’s place.
Her eyes lit up.
“I did it!” she grinned.
“Good. Now you understand how to command your brood,” the Overmind said. “Next, we turn to your structures. Unlike Terran or Protoss constructs, Zerg buildings are not just shelters—they are living repositories, each one storing and cultivating specific genome strains.”
Ruby nodded slowly. “So… they’re like bio-libraries?”
“In a sense,” the Overmind replied. “Each structure unlocks the evolution potential of different zerg units. And as I said, they must be built on Creep.”
Ruby’s eyes lit up. “Wait—that means the faded thread I saw earlier… it was locked because I don’t have the right building!”
“Correct. Next is the Evolution Chamber, they may not contain genome templates but this structure is vital—here is where the great changes happen, where forms are shaped by your will. You may use this structure to make new zerg sequences as well. As the name implies, evolution.”
“Evolution, huh?” Ruby said, already reaching into the hivemind again. “Okay, let’s evolve something awesome.”
A shadow passed over Ruby. She glanced up—and her eyes widened at the massive, bloated creature drifting overhead, its tendrils swaying gently in the air.
“What are they?” she asked, shielding her eyes from the sun.
“Ah, the Overlords,” the Overmind said. “Commanding the Swarm is a strain even for cerebrates. Overlords are extensions of your will—living conduits that relieve that burden. Think of them as captains of your forces.”
Ruby watched the Overlord slowly pivot in the sky, turning as if responding to an unseen signal.
“You may control each zerg directly, but through an Overlord, you can command entire groups at once,” the Overmind continued. “Assign them objectives, designate units under their care… and they will execute your will without constant oversight.”
“So they’re like generals.” Ruby murmured, eyes tracking the creature. “Weird, floaty generals.”
“Now, I shall leave you to your own devices,” the Overmind said. “Lead your brood as you see fit. But beware—you are not alone on this planet. Terrans are present. Merely refugees, they pose little threat... unless you allow them time. Do what you will with this knowledge.”
With that, the presence of the Overmind faded from Ruby’s mind, leaving a quiet stillness.
Ruby looked up at the Overlord hovering above her. She reached out mentally.
“Order the remaining larvae to morph into drones.”
The Overlord clicked in acknowledgment, its eyes glowing faintly as it turned toward the hatchery. Almost immediately, the larvae began to curl into green cocoons.
“Neat,” Ruby whispered, smiling.
Her smile faded as she looked toward the treeline.
“Terrans…” she muttered. “The Overmind thinks I should destroy them. But… what if they’re friendly?”
She reached out again to the Overlord, her voice soft but firm.
“Send a pair of Zerglings to scout the Terran camp. Stay hidden. Don’t scare them. If you're spotted—run.”
The Overlord gave a low gurgle of acknowledgment, and two Zerglings darted into the forest.
Ruby wandered through the hive cluster, her boots squelching against the Creep as she stared blankly ahead, lost in thought.
“Yang… Weiss… Blake… everyone…” she whispered. “What happened to Beacon? To Vale? Are you guys okay?”
Her voice cracked.
“Ar-are you still alive?”
She dropped to her knees, the weight of everything finally crashing down. Covering her face with her hands, Ruby sobbed.
“I’ll find a way back,” she choked. “I will. I’ll come home.”
As her tears fell to the ground, her eyes began to glow—a brilliant, silvery light pulsing softly beneath her fingers. Unseen, the creatures around her stirred. The drones paused. The Zerglings tensed. Even the cocooned larvae quivered slightly, responding to a strange, unfamiliar warmth.
Her grief had echoed through the swarm.