Chapter 14

Best Field Report Ever, Of All Time

(A/N: My deepest apologies for the long delay, friends. I've been rather busy the past couple of months, and one reason this chapter took so long was because I was writing another story called "The Prodigal Stray". It follows Blake shortly after the fall of Beacon where she's being haunted by her shadow that accuses her of being cowardly and self-serving. If the Beowolves don't get to her first, she'll die of hypothermia or pneumonia, but all she wants is see her best friend one last time. It's a story about forgiveness and sisterly love conquering all obstacles and defeating condemnation. A lot of love went into writing it, as did this chapter of "The Patchwork Prodigy". I hope you enjoy. God bless)

Weiss, Blake, and Yang sluggishly dragged themselves into the room closing the door behind them which had been left wide open. The blonde had already taken off her school jacket and vest, and unbuttoned her shirt a ways, but now in the privacy of their home the monochrome pair began getting more comfortable as well. A uniform already lay on the floor alongside Ruby who was busy retying her boots, now sporting a baggy shirt and pants along with her cloak. She was out of breath and her face shined with sweat, and Yang wanted to make a joke speculating what she and Nora had been up to while they were away, but was simply too tired to think of anything clever enough for her high standards of comedy.

Zwei ran around playing chicken with their legs in celebration of the pack making it home, but once he realized there wouldn't be any belly rubs or treats for him, he sat back down beside his fellow pup who hadn't been nearly so cruel.

Noticing a large white binder atop the desk, Yang yawned and helped her sister back to her feet. "I'll figure out a way to hang it on the fridge later, Rubes," she promised, throwing her schoolbag unceremoniously across the room, with her partner doing the same a moment later. "First, I need a nap..."

With that sentiment she hurled herself atop the top right bunk, causing the books supporting the structure to wobble precariously. Despite death hanging just above her head, Blake sat down seemingly content with her leader's engineering skills, or more likely, trusted that it'd be a quick, fairly painless death.

Weiss dropped her schoolbag and collapsed atop her own bed keeping her legs crossed due to wearing a skirt, albeit with leggings. She opened her eyes as a shadow fell over her, and saw Ruby standing on the tips of her toes grimacing as she reached for her bunk. Just as she was about to activate a propulsion glyph to help the girl up, her partner staggered backward with a sniper rifle cradled in her arms.

The heiress rolled her eyes unsurprised that the world's deadliest weapon had been resting above her head the previous night. She had come to expect it by now, and in truth came to enjoy waking every morning, sometimes early afternoon, with the knowledge that she hadn't been beheaded in her sleep. Yet...

Similarly to Blake, either she believed it'd be a quick, painless death, or she trusted the lunatic's prowess with ropes and chewing gum. Rather darkly however, they also believed it was still too early for the sisters to get them killed, and far too anti-climatic.

"Okay, guys, I'm off to the machine shop," Ruby announced, having more pep to her step than all three of them combined. "Nora's gonna meet me down there to work on Magnhild."

"In other words you're going to have a tea party with your weapons," Weiss mumbled.

Her teammates waved halfheartedly as they'd woken far too early after a late night. Whether they'd seen the sunrise before or after going to bed was anyone's guess, or perhaps simply a matter of perspective.

While Blake fell backwards onto her pillow, Weiss sat up just enough to see Ruby put on her ammo belt and clip Crescent Rose to it, which in her gym clothes and cape was quite the obtuse fashion statement. "Just don't make us carry you back up here. None of us have the strength, and I'd rather not be seen in public with you dressed like that."

"You want me to tinker with Myrtenaster?" Ruby asked on her way out the door.

"No," Weiss stated emphatically, though already coming to terms with finding her blade lying slightly askew in her locker tomorrow. It was maddening of course, but the cylinder would be spinning much smoother, and a chocolate chip cookie would be there as a much needed peace offering.

"Blake?" Ruby asked. "You want me to-"

"Go for it." The faunus lifted her right leg into the air and removed the pistol from her thigh holster. "At this point you know Gambol Shroud better than I do. The cleaver's in my locker if you need it, and you already know the combination."

She tossed it over and Ruby caught the weapon with ease before starting out the door, turning the light out and leaving behind a couple of rose petals to remember her by.

The door slammed shut, and Yang as if sensing something unsettling frowned. Weiss and Blake meanwhile gave each other knowing looks and the heiress sighed. "At least she has enough aura that she feel like she can waste it. But for God's sake, Blake. You're in a skirt. I expect such unladylike behavior from Ruby and Yang, but not from you."

The faunus blinked unamused, and undid the bow in her hair so as to free the ears atop her head which had gotten used to being left uncovered the past couple weeks. "I'm wearing shorts, Weiss. And even if I wasn't, we're girls. I'm pretty sure after all this time together, Ruby's desensitized to the three of us by now. Also, look at who her sister is and what she's had to deal with her entire life."

"That's right," Yang agreed groggily. "Though for the record, at least I wear a top and shorts to bed. You wear yukatas that half the time don't cover what's covering your rear, and some of the princess' nightgowns aren't as conservative as she likes to pretend they are. Say what you will, but Rubes has seen your underwear a lot more than mine in recent months."

"That's because she can't see something that isn't there."

"Touche pussycat. But do I need to tell you not to knock it til you've tried it?"

"Probably not," she said evenly, not giving anything away.

"Glad to hear, but do you ever think it's also possible that I'm just committed to the bit at this point? Or that bikinis are just that more comfortable, and practical for someone who likes to go swim or sunbathe after class?"

Blake was quiet for a moment, her ears perking up a bit. "Alright, I'll bite. We're going shopping on your birthday anyway, and I'm gonna need some swimsuits if I'm gonna stay with you and Ruby after the school year. I guess I'll be needing a swim cap too..."

While they spoke, Weiss sat up smoothing out her skirt and picking at her white leggings. Besides Blake, they all had bruised legs and even Yang had decided to cover them today. But try as she might to occupy her mind by fussing over her appearance and telling herself how wrong the blonde was about her elegant nightgowns even if she was right, her eyes lingered on where the rose petals had appeared but just as quickly disappeared.

"Am I the only one who's worried about her?"

Both girls stopped talking. "She can't walk very far or for very long," Blake said sadly, "but she'll be alright just going downstairs. Besides, Nora will be with her."

"That's not what I meant, and that isn't exactly comforting." Weiss swallowed, knowing they were thinking the same thing. "Her aura's fluctuating again. She didn't do that on purpose."

"Ruby's aura isn't as developed as ours," Yang replied tiredly. "She probably just got excited and lost control for a second."

"Do you honestly believe that?"

Instead of answering, she yawned which infectiously affected Blake who simultaneously with her partner, let gravity win the battle over their eyelids.

Weiss herself was just as exhausted, but the binder across the room had peaked her interest since seeing her partner's grade. Getting up, she stepped over Zwei who had curled up beside his food and water bowls, and carried the massive report in her arms, the corgi following her back to the bed.

He curled up beside her as she laid the massive binder on her lap so she could read in the light from the window, and frowned at the very first page.

"You really ought to lock your binders up," Yang laughed.

"I do," she grumbled, "but you'd be surprised how quickly someone with super speed can figure out the combination to a locker."

As she chucked to herself, Weiss glanced back down. "How is it possible that your sister's handwriting has actually gotten worse over time? And why does she insist on writing in red crayon? Is it just to annoy me? It's that isn't it?"

Because Yang's snoring hadn't begun the moment her head hit the pillow, and Blake hadn't curled herself into a ball, Weiss knew sleep wouldn't be coming at least for a little awhile, and with heavy sighs they both rolled over facing her.

"Probably because she wrote her report this morning before class," Yang explained, not exactly pleased about being kept awake, "and all she could find were red crayons. That, and it annoys you."

Weiss wasn't the least bit surprised to hear this as she hadn't even seen her partner start the report, and Ruby doing her homework at the last minute might as well have been tradition at this point. But then again so were high if not perfect grades.

"Does she write in any other colors?" Blake asked curiously, to which neither girl had an answer.

Weiss being a quick reader and having become fluent in 'Rubbish', which was what she had named her partner's handwriting as it was a language unto its own, easily read the first couple dozen pages in a matter of minutes.

Seeing a scowl on her face despite it hiding in the shadows, Blake raised a brow. "What's wrong? Migraine?"

The heiress gave her a blank look. "In Ruby's introduction, she gave a brief description of the three of us, but our weapons each received entire pages dedicated to them, with Crescent Rose might as well getting an entire chapter. And yes, I officially have a migraine now."

Yang laughed. "I don't know why you're surprised at this point. If it makes you feel better, Weiss, I didn't even mention you in my report."

"It does actually." She continued reading.

"Except for when that teeny-tiny Nevermore nearly made you go winky-tinky-woo-woo."

At this remark Zwei tilted his head, and Weiss growled up at the top bunk, keeping the insults and death threats to herself. "It was enormous," she stated simply, glancing back at the report while Yang replayed the happy memory in her mind.

With the mission being retold from her partner's perspective, Weiss noted how little emotion there seemed to be in Ruby's words, reminding her of when she was on the battlefield. The recounting of clearing out Beowolves at the school was more dutiful and official sounding than she had ever heard from the excitable girl, and almost startlingly straight to the point. Many of those beasts had been fully grown Beowolves, probably only a couple decades away from becoming Alphas, and they had likely murdered the children there...

They had all needed to die according to Ruby, who only in passing mentioned her theory on where the White Fang might've have been hiding...

It wasn't until the next 'chapter' that Weiss found the first hint of emotion outside of Ruby describing and admiring her teammates and their weapons.

"What's wrong this time?" Yang smirked. "Ruby mention the swing set? Or call yourselves 'swingers'? That made it into my report too."

At that even Blake chuckled, but Weiss shook her head. "She left that part out..."

"Then what is it?" the blonde asked again, a little worried by how sullen she had gotten.

Weiss scooted into the light and glanced up looking shaken. "Ruby just escaped from the Mimic. Or more accurately, it let her escape..."

Both girls swallowed, and a chill crept up their spines. Even Zwei scooted closer to the heiress and pawed at her skirt nervously.

"That thing tried to eat my sister..." Yang sat up, her legs dangling to the ground as her eyes flickered at the empty bed across from her.

"She wrote that she's never been more scared in her life, except for when she finally saw its face..."

"And trust me," the blonde's voice shook. "Coming from her that's saying a lot."

"Ruby says the cut under her eye came from the Mimic, and that it licked the blood off her face. She thought it was going to gouge her eye out for fun..."

She trailed off as bile rose in all three girls, turning their heads unable to stomach the horrid thought. Weiss continued reading to herself in silence, occasionally sharing something their leader had left out telling them, which besides the Mimic which she refused to discuss was very little.

Finally, she came to the chapter they'd encountered Torchwick, and scowled as she held up the large binder for the faunus to see.

"'Payback is a Weiss'," Blake read aloud, grinning ear to ear. "Sounds accurate enough."

Above her, the top bunk was bouncing up and down as the blonde howled in delight, swearing to use that herself someday. "Now THAT'S going on the fridge!"

With the mood picking up a bit, Weiss continued again having little to comment on as her team had been there for the rest or told about by the caped-girl. She was still upset about having nearly killed a man when she accidentally knocked him off the train and into the hungry jaws of Grimm, but Weiss felt no sympathy for him, especially knowing how much it had upset her partner. The innocent lives lost seemed to have affected her partner just as much as the terrorists lost in the crash, and Weiss found herself having to re-read passages as she was too distracted from thinking about her.

She couldn't help shaking her head being reminded of the hell they went through together to save the City of Vale. It all sounded like it happened to other people, and if it hadn't been for her left arm still aching, Weiss might've believed it had all been a nightmare. Not only had her partner thwarted a terrorist attempt, but also led them against hoards of Grimm and saved countless lives, all the while dulling her agony with painkillers, which thankfully she left out of the report.

"You know, sometimes I forget just how special she is," Weiss said softly, wiping something from her eye. "Sometimes I forget the girl who thinks 'painting the town red' means putting crayons in her gun, is the same one who ran over a mile on tattered feet and slaughtered an entire pack of Beowolves with torn muscles and a separated shoulder, just to save me..."

"In Ruby's defense, those really hurt," Blake said quietly, massaging her backside deep in thought.

Yang nodded, absently rubbing her shoulder while still looking over at the empty bunk across from her. They had all seen countless times the transformation take place where one moment Ruby Rose was childlike and acting the part, and another was pulling her hood down and impassively facing death, almost to the point of disinterest.

Weiss knew that cold feeling deep within herself far too well, but also knew it was different somehow for her partner. While the heiress hated evil with practiced bitterness, she honestly wasn't sure if Ruby was capable of real hatred even after all she'd been through. It almost as if she didn't understand evil, or couldn't more accurately. Unlike her, Ruby still saw the good in the world and its people. And after reading through the report, Weiss finally decided her partner didn't understand evil for the same reasons evil would never understand her.

A loud rumble filled the room, and the monochrome pair glanced up at the blonde who blushed slightly and patted her stomach. All the talk about her sister seemed to have given her a chocolate craving. Without warning she rolled off her bunk, nearly landing atop of Blake before stumbling toward the closet.

Opening the door, she took a step back should this be the day the death trap activated and mountain of clothes, ammo, books, and other belongings finally collapsed on top of one of them. Carefully, she dug through some of the supplies on she and her sister's slightly more disorderly side, and retrieved a brown cookie jar with white roses painted on the sides.

She held it proudly in the air but her teammates couldn't help noticing her flustered appearance. With a sly grin however, she removed the top and stuck her hand in.

*SNAP!*

Both girls jumped, nearly hitting their heads on the beds above, but Yang merely chuckled. Pulling her hand out, she wiggled her fingers in front of incredulous pair.

"Your sister booby trapped her cookie jar with a mousetrap? Blake deadpanned.

"Once again, why do you sound surprised?" she laughed, removing the trap and tossing it aside. "Rubes started putting them in all her stashes last week to catch whoever was stealing from her. I don't have the heart to tell her she was eating them in her sleep long before we started."

"Just how many stashes does she have?"

Yang shrugged having lost count. More than once the team had gotten sweet tooths late at night while she was asleep, and raided the caped-girl's supply, pinning it on her when she awoke by sprinkling crumbs in her bed.

Weiss pursed her lips. "So Ruby has seen you get punched in the face by a Paladin and knocked through half a dozen concrete pillars, was there when a building collapse on top of you, and saw you blow yourself up along with half a neighborhood, but she thinks a mouse trap will somehow deter you?"

"Ruby's is special like that," she explained, smiling with a mouthful of chocolate which caused the heiress to gag.

The blonde walked over and held the jar out for her partner, who after a moment of hesitation took two handfuls. She then held it out for Weiss who checked for explosives first before taking just a couple.

"What does her closing statement say?" Blake asked. "That's where Oobleck took the most points off mine."

"Mine too," Yang commented, seemingly trying to fit as many cookies in her mouth as possible. "I think it might've had something to do with ranting about how it wasn't fair that we didn't even get paid for the mission."

"You still on that?"

"Of course I am!" Thankfully both girls had also become fluent in understanding their teammates with their mouths full. "We're just free labor to them! If we were full-fledged huntresses, we would've gotten-" She held out her hands counting her fingers. "We would've gotten more lien than I can math! Which is at least two month's worth of dances and VIP room fun at 'Every Body, Needs Some Bawdy'. Four if I kept Rubes' money back telling her it was for 'school'..."

Blake couldn't help noticing her partner's nervous energy as she paced around room eating cookies, or her darkened eyes. There had been real bite to her words, and the faunus knew she was still thinking about the conversation that had made her hop off her bunk for a quick distraction.

Weiss had watched the entire exchange but quickly continued reading, careful not to get chocolate on herself, bed sheets, or the pages that had since stopped giving her a migraine. Yang being impatient and unsatisfied by the cookies, stalked over to the fridge. She seemed to contemplate opening one of her personal drinks Professor Goodwitch wasn't supposed to know about, but settled on the chocolate syrup hiding in the back which she opened with her teeth. Swallowing several mouthfuls, she grabbed the whipped cream and once again filled her mouth. Together with her sister's cookie jar, she carried her dinner back to her partner's bed, taking a seat and offering them to Blake who hesitantly reached for the syrup but waved her off.

A few minutes of the only sound being the pages of the binder turning and Yang attempting to drown herself, a sniffle seemed to echo in the room as a droplet fell from the heiress onto the paper she was reading.

"Are you alright, Weiss?" Blake asked, her partner quickly swallowing.

Weiss shook her head before clearing her throat which had tightened. She placed a unsteady finger on the page where she'd been reading. "'Ever since I was a little girl, being a huntress is all I've ever dreamed of. I want to protect people who couldn't protect themselves, and make sure no little girl ever loses her mom ever again.'"

She paused and looked across at Blake, who like her glanced up at the blonde who was staring down at her feet.

"'Even before arriving at Beacon, I saw how life as a huntress usually ends. I've seen the survivors and the battles they face every morning they wake up, and I also know first hand what it's like to lose someone you love and be constantly afraid you won't see your family again. But after my team's first mission, I now know what it's like on the other side, saving lives and seeing for myself the lives I wasn't fast enough to save. I'm now the person my friends and family will pray for while I'm wrapping them in an old red cloak and telling them to hide under the bed...'"

Weiss took a deep breath, blinking rapidly. "'My teammates are the huntresses I always dreamed being. Yang is the kindest, most loving person in the world, and she'll be the greatest huntress of our generation. She'll be the one to break what our uncle calls the family curse. She'll be the first huntress in our family to die of old age...'"

The blonde turned away, making a pitiful moaning sound as her partner wrapped an arm around her.

"'Blake never runs away, only towards her next goal. Despite everything she's been through she still smiles, and she reminds me every day there's still something to smile over. And Weiss-'" The heiress' voice cracked and she covered her mouth. "'She might be the only person who has a warmer heart than my sister, and I couldn't have asked for a better partner. She's-'"

Weiss abruptly closed the binder covering her face unable to read aloud anymore, or look anyone in the eye.

"Your sister's incredible," Blake finally managed, letting Yang lean on her.

"She always has been..."

Weiss carefully set the heavy binder beside her pillow as though it had suddenly become the most important book in the world.

"My final statement was all about my duty as a huntress. I am to selflessly protect the innocent and be a light in a world of darkness. But duty's the last thing that goes through Ruby's mind. She just wants to help people..."

All three couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. They shared a room with a real huntress, someone who didn't have ulterior motives for coming to Beacon Academy. Professor Oobleck had seen through all of them in the lost city, and reading Ruby's report, they knew that hadn't changed. They might be more like her now, but they'd never be the huntress she was.

Blake glanced at her partner out of the corner of her eye, buried underneath her mane. Since returning from the mission, they'd been cooped up in the hospital or their room together nearly every day, with Yang worrying about her sister every waking moment of that time. The blonde was getting more anxious, her jokes more common as if to distract herself, and it had already begun affecting her aura. The blonde was a self-admitted party girl, practically needing to steal the dance floor and have guys buy her a drink at least once or twice a week. She needed excitement in her life, and all this cabin fever wasn't doing her or the rest of the team any good.

Her birthday was going to be a much needed distraction for them, but a team of huntresses in-training needed more than just shopping to make them feel alive again, and turning toward the heiress, it was clear she was thinking the same.

"You know what we need to do right?"

Blake nodded, and took the chocolate syrup from her partner's hand while tossing the other girl the whipped cream she'd been eyeing. "We need to ask JNPR if we can borrow their training room later this week. We're rusty, and we've got a tournament to win. Do you think your sister can handle some light practice?"

Yang brushed her hair out of the way, and looked at the pair with a lopsided grin. "With Ruby there's no such thing as light practice. She's gonna push herself to keep up with us and our pitiful shape, and she's gonna overdo it like she always does." Her smile faded but there was a quick flicker of her eyes that the pair weren't sure what to make of. "But if that's what it takes to finally get her mind off the tournament and focus on getting well, then so be it..."

Blake and Weiss glanced at one another, suspicion in their unsaid conversation, before turning into guilt and sad acceptance. What had been suggested as a way to relieve the team's stress and have some fun, may have just become the caped-girl's undoing.

"I don't like it," Yang said quietly, "but we'll talk about it later. First though-"

She raised the cookie jar, and Weiss and Blake slowly did the same for the whipped cream and chocolate syrup, all glancing at the binder.

"We figure out how to hang that on the fridge," they said in unison with their mouths full.

(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Another "short" set up chapter, but one I've been looking forward to for quite some time. I always love seeing the team just be regular teenage girls, and I also love seeing how they each view each other. I especially enjoyed hearing about Ruby's report, and her teammates' reactions from it. Perhaps we'll read later on why Weiss wasn't able to finish the part about her, but next chapter as you may have guessed is gonna be team RWBY back in the training room. It sounds like if Ruby pushes herself too hard that it might put away all thoughts of participating in the tournament, and it doesn't sound like Yang necessarily sees that as a bad thing. I hope you enjoy the training scene, as it includes two exhibition matches I think you'll enjoy.

Along with writing "The Prodigal Stray", I've also gone back and begun editing "The Petals Scatter Now". I've edited/revised the first twenty chapters now, and am slowly working my way through the next twenty. I haven't made any major changes to the plot or characters, just fixed grammar and added little details here and there. I just wanted to give a heads up to everyone why things may look different or why the word count has gone up.

As always, thank you everyone once again for your incredible patience and support. All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with these stories and wonderful readers such as yourselves. God bless)