The flying machine that was called a Bullhead was a rather fast-moving vehicle for Jekyll. Perhaps it was the a specialized one as it had a large red cross that marked it on the side; a symbol for the emergency vehicles designed to transport patients to the medical facility it was designated at. It was similar enough to the ones he was familiar with to make that association. It was one of the oddities that he noticed of this world: some things were similar enough while others were drastically different. There were also other items and equipment, designed to monitor Amber's vitals and keep her stable throughout this trip. None of them were from his time but he managed to grasp their concepts easily.
The space inside was big enough to allow Amber to rest, now on much more comfortable stretcher. It was certainly better than being sprawled out in the ground. There was an oxygen mask on her face which served to provide her air in these high altitudes. Jekyll was close to her, always monitoring her vitals. The vital sign monitor had a strange new addition that seems to measure "aura" which indicated that hers was low. From what Jekyll understands, aura is an energy field that encompasses the entire human body. Some even say that it can be a reflection of someone's health. Seeing it being measured in the same way one does heart rate is a curious thing for Jekyll. Granted, the real description is that aura is the extension of one's soul but this was how he understood it.
Is that what this glow that I have is? During the silent trip to whatever it was that Qrow had planned, Jekyll spent his time understanding the world around him. There was still much that he still did not know. While his degrees may not mean much in this world, he was still a man of the academe. Formally, he had been known as Henry Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., etc. He had a curiosity that could never have been satisfied. I have paid the price for that curiosity as well. Shaking his head, he returned to his concentration of his own aura. In a fashion similar to meditation, Jekyll crossed his legs and breathed deeply. There was a glow around him that seemed to flicker on and off. Like it was half of a whole. Feelings of dread came over him as he guessed as to who that other half was.
There was a turbulence warning and Jekyll's concentration was broken as he quickly grabbed hold of Amber. It cost him for he did not wear a seat belt and stumbled and nearly fell. It was a light turbulence and things quickly got back to normal. Qrow Branwen went out of the cockpit shortly after. He looked at him and then at Amber.
"Hey, sorry 'bout that," he said. "We should be arriving soon. We'll have to move quickly and in secret though. Can't let much of this get out in case those guys came back. Not sure about Jimmy's men, but they should know about the top government secrets and so know how to keep shut about these things. Can't tell them the truth either, only that Amber is someone important among us huntsmen. Understand?"
That was another thing. Jekyll didn't know anyone else but Qrow seemed to at least be an ally for now. He entrusted the huntsman with the manner of this world and even shared with him the information he was able to gather about the three attackers. Qrow was certainly overjoyed when he heard the description and took notes of that, any doubt had soon disappeared from him afterwards. Jekyll nodded in agreement to his instructions.
"Not much can be done about the two girls," Qrow had said. "Too many colorful people in this world to narrow that down but prosthetic legs? Yeah, that's definitely something that can be worked with. There might still be a lot but we're obviously dealing with someone who is at least huntsman-in-training which narrows them down. All we need to do is track down anyone purchasing parts and equipment, can't do that sort of thing by making your own tools. You'll need some better equipment for that."
In exchange, Qrow gave Jekyll a rundown of everything about the world he is in. It was called Remnant. Those creatures that attacked them were apparently called Grimm. They come in different forms similar to that of animals and creatures of myth—at least by the rules of Jekyll's world. They are drawn to negativity and have no need for sleep or nourishment. The Grimm live only to destroy much of life itself. They exist solely to be an evil that threatens to destroy this world's humanity. Henry Jekyll was intimately familiar when it comes to evils, especially the evils of man. It was perhaps for that reason that the Grimm were drawn to him. He sighed. Even by being uninvolved, he is still causing him problems.
Soon enough, there was an announcement that signaled that they were arriving at their destination. Qrow had told him that they were going to a place called Atlas, a floating kingdom where its capital city shared the same name. From what Jekyll could decipher based on the reactions of the other townspeople back in that other place, it was a technologically advanced nation that utilized this energy source called Dust, another thing that he had learned while manifested in this world. Jekyll did not move from his position though, his concern was Amber's stability. Everything was normal so far. As a doctor, nothing frustrates him more knowing that something is wrong yet nothing shows in any sort of assessment.
It didn't take long for him to see parts of buildings out of his window. That was odd. Surely, they were still quite the ways up in the air. It was a cloudy day with little clarity in the skies so he could not tell where the ground was. Even then, it should have taken quite a long time before they would have landed. Are the buildings of this Atlas kingdom that tall? Or was there something literal when Qrow said that it was a "floating" kingdom. Either way, the Bullhead was about to make its landing and Jekyll could see out the window that there were a group of individuals already waiting for them there. It must be the people that Qrow says he knows.
They were all clad in white with some of them clearly being soldiers judging from the firearms they possessed. There were those in laboratory coats and they carried with them different tools and technologies far too advanced in Jekyll's time. As a medical man himself, his own eyes shined at seeing what those things could do. The academic curiosity inside of him sparked an old flame. It quickly died because of the more things that he needed to prioritize. That academic curiosity can be satisfied another time, if he was given the privilege for it.
The man standing in the front though was presumably the one Qrow is most familiar with and had mentioned. He appeared to be a military officer from the manner of his dress and posture. Hands behind his back, he was clean-shaven and wore an expression of a stoic determination. He gestured the others behind to move as the Bullhead's doors began to open. This must be the Jimmy that Qrow managed.
The professionals were already exchanging words rather rapidly as Amber was being brought elsewhere. Meanwhile, Qrow and the military officer were exchanging words as they met up. From what Jekyll could hear of their conversation, Qrow was making a report of everything that had happened. The military man looked at Jekyll for a moment before turning back to Qrow. It was to be expected that his sudden appearance would be of concern. With how everyone else was dressed however, Jekyll doesn't seem to out of place here. If anything, minus the dumbfounded and curious look he had, he might just be any other individual her in Atlas.
Having finished their conversation, the military man turned to Jekyll and extended his gloved hand. "General James Ironwood," he said. "You have our sincerest thanks for your service, Henry Jekyll."
Henry Jekyll didn't know how to best respond. In the end, he shook General Ironwood's hand and said, "only doing what I must…sir." When their hands met, Jekyll felt a sudden coldness coming from the general's. A cold and tight grip like the hand itself was made of metal; it was hard to tell for it was covered by a glove. He glanced down and noticed traces of a silver color in the small gap between the end of the general's sleeves and his gloves. A prosthetic.
The three of them accompanied Amber as she was brought to some another vehicle. Sadly, for Jekyll, he could not be with his master on this one. She was in proper care now and that was the only comfort he would get. To take his mind away from it, he looked outside of the vehicle's windows. He was in front passenger seat. He could see that the buildings weren't as tall as he would have expected in that they were pretty much as tall as any other building that could be found in a metropolitan city. The streets were clean with children playing in the parks. For a place supposedly further up north, this city of Atlas seemed to be in a nice summer day with clear blue skies and sunlight above. Was it the summer months? It probably was. That still doesn't explain how they landed so quickly.
One thing that did grab his attention were the walking man-like machines. Rather than police officers or military, it would seem that most of the law enforcement of this place was carried out by these machines. Jekyll even saw a civilian asking them something, presumably directions, before being pointed as to where they wanted to go. The voice of that machine was unnatural, like it was trying to sound more human with the nuances that often accompany a person's speech. There was a closeness to it but there were still enough differences that one could not help but feel some unease from hearing it. Maybe the people here had just gotten used to it.
Another strange thing he noticed was that some of the people had animal-like features on them. Cat ears, dog tails, and many others. They walked about publicly although some certainly seem to be nervous around others and vice versa. Were these the faunus that he had heard about? A lot of them appear to have mammalian features mostly. Would those with aquatic features be closer to the aquatic areas? Seems like some kind of adaptation if that were the case.
The final nail in the coffin though was the large number of young children and teenagers who carry around weapons on their person. With how Qrow's own weapon seemed to be collapsible, Jekyll could only conclude that the odd shapes of metal that hung around their backs or hips were of similar purpose. In certain areas, Jekyll could see some of them having a spar. At least, he hoped that it was a spar since there was no one to stop them and they appeared to be moving with such intent that they must have been desensitized to fighting, either that or aura was that much of a factor in these fights. Their weapons changed form from melee to range as they engaged one another. Their auras flickering as they take hits from one another. Their weapons clashed and colorful bullets flew short distances while miraculously avoiding innocent passersby.
There were different shops as well. Most of them seem to be selling those Dust things that Jekyll had heard about. Many of those shops bear a snowflake as a symbol. There were a few others that sell the same thing but it was practically a monopoly as they were so rare, Jekyll thought that he was seeing things for most of them. He wasn't certain if there even were any other Dust shops. Schnee Dust Company, he read. Fitting, I suppose. It means Snow in German. Is there even a Germany here?
Making a stop in front of a gate, the guard stationed there and narrowed his eyes when Jekyll was the one who sat in the front passenger seat. He tried to give a good smile. He really did but it probably came across as someone who had something to hide; it didn't help that he was sweating as well from anxiety. Not entirely inaccurate but that wasn't exactly the reason for the guard's narrowing eyes, he was sure.
"The general wanted to discuss some things with Branwen," the driver explained. Another soldier by his appearance. Jekyll sighed relief as the guard calmed down. "Don't worry about him," the driver explained. "The guy is just a stickler for protocols. We usually don't let people come in anyway."
The guard seemed to have taken his word for it but still did some inspection. The inspection mirror checked around them and the vehicle's trunk was opened to check for anything that might be dangerous. Having gone through the routine, the guard then motioned them to proceed further into what appears to be a military compound or base.
They had to pass through many more inspections before ultimately being led inside one of the buildings. It was a rather small one, seemingly unfit for anything other than the storage of a few vehicles. When they had made it to the center, however, it was as though they were sinking when everything around them appeared to be rising from the ground. The actual truth was that the platform they were in was descending downward as Jekyll's sight was then filled with nothing more than the occasional light and dull metal. It returned when they reached their destination as they reached the bottom of this vehicular elevator.
There were lines of light that illuminated the hallways. Different personnel were moving about as they did their duties. There was a constant state of movement with few people lounging around. There were those working on some kind of flat-screen devices as they did their work. When they had stopped descending, Amber was immediately taken away, presumably to whatever care unit they might have. Before Jekyll could join them, he was stopped by Qrow Branwen.
"They'll look after her," he said. His grip was gentle but firm. Qrow doesn't intend to use force but will do so if pushed towards it. "But right now, you're coming with us. There is someone we would need you to meet."
Jekyll would have protested but Qrow has been a man of his word so far and the technological state of this facility was certainly more than even what he would have imagined. Joining Qrow and Ironwood, Jekyll walked down the hallways and the different rooms of the facility. The passing soldiers all saluted the General and the civilians gave the man the same level of respect.
At some of the intersecting hallways, Jekyll could see the familiar snowflake symbol on the floors. The walls also had lights on them that emit a cool blue light, patterned after the wooden torches of medieval castles. The glass windows on the side gave Jekyll a view of the place below. There he was proven beyond a doubt that it was indeed a floating city. It was here that he was given the reason as to why their landing was so quick.
Down below, he could that there was another city. Somehow, this city was able to stay afloat with the use of engines that constantly keep it in the air. If the glass wasn't so clear Jekyll would have leaned into the windows to get as close of a view as he could get of the city below. The people below appeared to be like ants scurrying about in the shadowed lands of the floating city. Occasionally, both bird and machine would fly beneath it as Jekyll looked left and right. The mountaintops were only blurred by the clouds that crowned it. He could see a large body of water on his side. He was wondering of the glass could even support him if he put his whole weight on it. He would rather not take any chances on that and stepped back after a while longer.
"Mr. Jekyll," Ironwood said, addressing him. Jekyll did as he was told although he did wish that he could get down there in that place just to know what it was like having a large floating city just above you. Such things were usually reserved for myths and fantasies. "If you don't mind, I do have some questions for you. Follow me. Qrow, you too."
Soon after, Jekyll and Qrow were led to an office. The desk in the center of the room was wide and had a device on it that Jekyll had saw some of the employees use when talking to someone. A communication device of sorts. Surrounding them was a shelf of books, mostly comprised of history and the sciences after a quick scan of the tiles that were clear enough even to the unobservant viewer. There were a few on aura as well. Jekyll wasn't sure if they would be counted in a similar vein. The door then closed behind them and a few seconds had passed.
Jekyll was startled when Ironwood suddenly slammed his desk saying, "I knew that Amber going alone was a mistake!" His eyebrows furrowed and his teeth grind. "It would have been better that she at least had some loyal companions if she wasn't willing to stay in one location where she could be safe. Now her powers have been stolen and we don't know where they could be!"
"Technically, only part of her powers were stolen," Qrow retorted. Picking up a flask that a scent of alcohol in them, the huntsman took a drink, seemingly calm despite the outburst of the general. "Besides, Amber herself was the one who insisted. Not letting her have her choices isn't going to win over her loyalty."
"I know that. But if she had at least one person to look after her, then none of this could have happened, Qrow." Ironwood was fuming. Gone was the stoic and neutral expression that he had worn earlier. Now that Jekyll got a good look at the desk, it splintered slightly.
"We have some info on who her attackers could be. Thanks to our awkward man of the hour here." Qrow gestured to Jekyll who turned red in embarrassment.
"Yes, that too." Ironwood fixed himself before addressing Jekyll. With a deep breath, Ironwood's anger had seemingly calmed for the moment. In its place was a more neutral tone as he said, "Qrow told me everything about you. You were there when Amber was attacked?"
Jekyll nodded in affirmation. To be more precise, he was summoned—albeit unexpectedly—because Amber was attacked.
"And you were able to at least give some description of them?" Ironwood waited for Jekyll's affirmation before continuing. "Good. This hasn't been a total disaster at least. It isn't much that we can work with but anything is better than nothing. That still leaves the question on what can be done about Amber."
"We still need to tell Oz about this," Qrow said. "He's going to have to know." Before Ironwood could respond, Qrow already reasoned, "he knows more than we do, Jimmy. Oz probably knows what to do here."
"And how do you suppose we explain him?" Ironwood gestured to Jekyll. "Forgive me for talking as if you are not here, Mr. Jekyll but as I understand it, you are not from this world, correct?"
"Yes," Jekyll said. "I am a familiar meant to be Amber's Servant. I had heard her call which is how I managed to be here." He lied. It was never supposed to be him but it was he who ended up in Remnant anyway.
"A familiar that has his own aura and is practically his own being. That is definitely going to cause an uproar if the public knew about this. Bad enough we still have those who think that Faunus are less than human, now imagine what they would think that actual familiars being their own person."
"Easy enough to fake his identity here, James." Qrow put away his flask. "Just say that he is from some village that was overrun by Grimm. His records are all gone and his looking for a fresh start." He turned to Jekyll and said, "well if you want to make one here that is."
"He knows too much already, Qrow" replied Ironwood. "Like it or not we will have to keep him under watch."
"Which is why we need to call him as soon as possible, Jimmy. Maybe we can bring him in the circle."
They both turned to Jekyll, putting him on the spot. It would seem that they had already made plans ahead before even consulting him. So far, he had no objections. While it would have been nice if was let in on the information early, he was understanding enough if they wished to keep things secret. Jekyll had his own secrets that he would rather not share at all.
"I'll do it," Jekyll swore. While he wasn't supposed to be here, he'll do what he can to be the kind of familiar deserving of Amber. Jekyll swore that he will do so without the help of him as well. That knightly king he had known never would have given in to the dark side. He will have to do the same. "Whatever it is you have in mind, if it means I get to be of use to my Master, I'll do it."
"Very well," said Ironwood, his shoulders relaxed. "I will set up the call here in this office. In the meantime, you and Qrow go to the mess hall and eat. It was a long trip and both of you must be hungry." He then gave Jekyll a note. "On me."
"You go on and wait for me outside," said Qrow. "I'll catch up shortly."
/-/
When Henry Jekyll left Ironwood's office, Qrow asked the general, "you felt that too, didn't you?"
"Yes," Ironwood replied. As a military man he was trained to recognize danger. Combined that with the training of a huntsman, he was fine-tuned for detecting anything that was even remotely off about his surroundings. This applies doubly for people. "Are you certain we can trust him?"
"I am certain that we can trust him to protect Amber," Qrow replied. "Not so much anywhere else."
"He is a man familiar with the more scientific aspects of this facility," Ironwood said. "The way he looked at the medical equipment suggest that he is at least familiar with the practice as well."
"He was also really good at checking for her vitals among other things. The things I saw him do weren't the kind of stuff you'd see teaching in first aid. Still, something about him just feels…"
"Off," Ironwood completed. "Like it was simply part of a whole and we are not seeing the other half. Like he was hiding something that he is ashamed of. Or rather, something he that he is afraid of letting out."
"Yeah." Qrow shrugged. He never found the words for it at first but when James had said it, it clicked. "When I was rushing in when those Beowolves came in, Jekyll looked like he was trying to hold something back."
"An uncontrollable power?"
"No, more like a monster of some kind."
"A monster?" Ironwood laughed. "Considering the things that we fight, I am surprised you would even use that word to describe him."
Qrow shrugged his shoulders. "Well whatever it was. We can at least count on his morals to hold whatever it is that he is trying to hold back. However long he could hold out, anyway."
Ironwood nodded. He was already making plans should things go wrong. They were blunt methods sure and he was willing to give this Jekyll fellow a chance. But if things were to go wrong, he could not afford to let things slide. Both as a huntsman and as general. "Go and eat in the mess hall," he said. "I will prepare the call with Ozpin."
"You mean shout at him first before we get back?"
Ironwood didn't respond beyond a simple, knowing smile. For Qrow, that smile said more than any words that could ever come from the man. There were few things in Remnant that could get through Ironwood's heart of steel, knowing that the fate of the world was at stake was definitely one of them. The other was the chance that he could criticize Ozpin for anything that the two disagree with. There was a lot of those and this is one of the few where Ironwood was right.
In the meantime, Qrow made his way to mess hall. He sighed when he had heard some employee complain about spilling coffee on his shirt. His semblance can be really inconvenient sometimes. After a second and with a thought, he smiled cruelly. If that was the case, then he might just run into a particular someone when he'll get to the cafeteria.
AN: Before, when this had Arthur Proto in mind, I had thought of having him be a visiting professor from Atlas. However, with Amber obviously going to Beacon, it would be rather difficult to find a way to keep those two close in some way.
Also, if you're like me who has only heard of those titles recently, Jekyll (according to what I found) is officially known as Henry Jekyll, Medical Doctor, Doctor of Civil Law, Doctor of Laws, Fellow of Royal Society, etc.
Personally, I'm more concerned about "etc" implying he has more titles/degrees.