Henry Jekyll was a strange man. That was the conclusion that Thumbelina Peach had come to during their tenure together as faculty and staff of Beacon Academy. When outside of conflict, and especially during academic discourse, he was a godsend. Whenever a student does something wrong in the laboratory, he was the first to act. With movements and knowledge akin to a medical doctor, some of the students have gone to him as though he were a physician. Not many huntsmen and huntresses take an interest in the academe. Often, they would be concerned with Grimm related activity. Their movements, new species and variants, best methods of dealing with them. If it wasn't Grimm, it was weapons and techniques. It was necessary in their profession, of course. Peach knew that. They are the front-line defenders that keep humanity safe and going. Still, there are those with differing interests and it is rather difficult to find them in this line of work. While Dr. Oobleck had been an amazing colleague in that regard, the eccentric man had an obvious specialization; one that Peach can't always keep up given her own.
Outside of the classroom, however, Henry Jekyll was best left alone or kept at a distance, much to her frustration. There were a few times that he had been sent into the Emerald Forest to further investigate the Grimm there, along with her. She had learned early on to keep her distance as whenever they would engage against them, Jekyll would have these strange moments of pause where he would gain a sudden burst of strength that would easily overwhelm most foes which is then followed by him collapsing on the ground, gripping himself tightly and thus exposing himself to the Grimm. He kept saying that he was alright but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that he wasn't. He still hadn't opened up to her about that. When she had learned of the academic side of him, it was both a joy of a new companion in these discourses and an opportunity to get close to him and an opportunity get him to open up about it.
Despite what Mulberry and Greene thought, it wasn't some interest in the new staff. If Jekyll was going to be her assistant and partner for most of these missions, it is in her best interests that she is aware of what that man could do. It certainly didn't help that whenever he had those moments of pause, her own instincts went haywire, screaming at her to fly away and never look back. If it wasn't that, she found herself aiming Steadfast at him, sometimes never realizing it until he had his lull. She was always close to pulling the trigger but always held back. She couldn't, not after seeing the obvious pain that her assistant was going through. It pains her even more knowing that he kept reassuring her that he would be alright. The fact that most he admitted was that he had to only made it worse. She'd seen it before; holding everything inside simply because you didn't want others to worry.
Away from the buildings of Beacon Academy, under the veil of cold night, Peach lit a lone match. She knew that feeling. The feeling of pressing on despite the pain and struggle that they were going through. With the cold breeze and the single matchstick as her source of warmth, it was a sensation that she hadn't felt in a long time. Of course, that time she would have lost feeling in her hands. She could still remember the writhing pain she went through when she had resisted. In the end however, she gave in and did what her family had wanted of her despite her wishes otherwise: she became a huntress.
It was a strange thing to say for most. After all, huntsmen and huntresses were these legendary warriors and heroes. Always there to save the day and protect the people from the terrible Grimm. Who wouldn't want to be that hero? For Peach, she wanted away from that life. It was a dangerous job, one filled with danger and always at the risk of one's life. Peach learned early on to cherish life ever since her grandmother had passed away. It was also the worst day of her life. Her grandmother was the only one who had defended her choices of not pursuing that life of being a huntress. When she had died, Peach had thought that she would have been too old to be trained but that wasn't the case. She was made to be an apprentice under a huntsman that her family knew and she was made to work harder than the rest, all to make up lost time, they said. When asked about what she felt, it went ignored so she had learned to put on her façade of being alright when she really wasn't. Much like her weapon's namesake, she had to be steadfast.
What she really wanted to be was a scientist. Her grandmother had a garden where she could always be found and that has never changed even now. When the opportunity came, she took it and that was what led her to become part of Beacon Academy. Away from the conflict and with more freedom to follow her real dreams, Peach made sure that she had the best lessons that all huntsmen and huntresses could use. They didn't want to learn about plants? Well, they'll thank her when they are on extended missions and had to survive of the land. They need a place to rest for the night outside of the cities? They'll need to know how to make a fire without the use of Dust, then.
Peach had gotten so accustomed to huntsmen and huntresses not being knowledgeable of the laboratory that when Jekyll had come along, she wasn't certain how to proceed. Even doctor Oobleck had some difficulties in that regard and he was the most academic professor in Beacon Academic; she still hadn't got her own doctorate yet so the title belonged to him. Maybe after this school year, she'll pursue her studies.
She could still remember the exchange between Jekyll and Oobleck had one time while all of them were in the staff-room. "Mr. Jekyll," Oobleck said. "I am indeed a doctor and even I must admit that you are as knowledgeable as one." It was the curiosity among the faculty ever since Jekyll had started to get more comfortable. "Where did you get your degree?"
"I dabble in a few fields of interests," Jekyll replied. "I don't think the degrees I had would actually be recognized here, considering what happened to the town I live in."
"Oh? And what would those be?" His interest, along with everyone in the staff room, grew.
"Chemical pathology, neurosurgery, immunology." His eyes went upwards as if trying to recall more. "Also a lawyer."
Everyone in the faculty and staff lounge had the most dumbfounded expression that day. Oobleck seemed to have taken it in good stride but there was a definite sign of his being silenced. Oobleck didn't have that many degrees either. The only question that could be posed was where the degrees were had for Jekyll had proven himself on merit in those fields. The only thing that Oobleck had over Jekyll was the fact that the former's degrees were recognized. It clearly irked Jekyll since it was one of the few times she saw him frustrated and not feel the need to run away. Peach personally found it amusing, seeing her assistant pour though various books from the library; she never saw him with the same book the next day. He is most definitely a medical student with that reading speed.
Lighting another match, her thoughts dwell on their discussions. Jekyll had a firm grasp of many things and a variety of subjects. He was a quick learner that spoke of experience in the academe, expected given the fields he is in. The notes that he had taken during the free time he spends studying were excellently written and saved. His own thoughts and comments of the different plants in her own study surprised even herself. While he had been initially unfamiliar with the law, Jekyll had proven himself of the law whenever they ended up discussing the latest happenings that they read in the news.
If she was honest, she was unsure how to act around the man. She was accustomed to having little in common among her peers that someone actually sharing in those interests was a new experience for her. It felt unnatural for her. She was uncertain if she liked it, to be honest. She would let him have his moment for now. Someday soon though, she would have to confront him. There was a sinking feeling she had that if she did not, either she or one of her students might have gotten seriously hurt.
Her train of thought stopped when she realized that she had used all the matches. It helped her gather herself and she proceeded to fly back to her dorm in the buildings of Beacon Academy. The evening was nice that she wondered why she never thought about doing this sort of thing before. Cooling winds without the little flame reminded her of the reason. She had landed at the balcony that leads inward to the halls of the dorms. Separated by a sliding door, Peach entered the hallways and sneaked her way quietly back into her room. Jekyll's own was dark and had no light. It was also quiet with no signs of whatever nightmare that he had before.
The next morning proved to be much of the same thing. With Jekyll now making it a habit of reading the daily news, his insights on current events have intrigued the other professors if they happened to be within earshot or are engaging in such small talk; in particular, he puts a lot more focus on the criminal activities that plague Vale which have been increasing now that the kingdom is hosting the Vytal Festival. Even Oobleck had found himself consulting the man from time to time when it came to history and that was his specialty, despite the rivalry that they seem to have. During the times that she was there to see, it often went down to debate. Oobleck said that he was grateful to have someone challenge him and keep his mind sharp.
"Are you certain you are in the right profession, lad?" joked Port. Jekyll took it in stride. In truth, Peach herself wondered if Jekyll even wanted to be a huntsman at all. She never would have thought that someone out there would put her belief of being the worst combatant among the faculty. Jekyll wasn't the most skilled huntsman, average at best. If it wasn't for whatever it was that he was hiding, he would easily be one of the better fighters. As he is now, Jekyll is much closer to being her equal in combat.
In the laboratory stockroom, he was proving himself a godsend when it comes to assistants. Peach didn't need to tell him what the different tools and equipment for the students to use were like, he already knew what they were and prepared them ahead of time. He also cleaned them up before and after each session and organized them neatly before putting them away. During times when a student would mess up and they had to go inside the safety showers and Peach had to intervene, Jekyll showed himself excellent as a substitute and even better when his apparent medical expertise came into play.
Peach was particularly curious about the medical side of the man. While he would hesitate to diagnose anyone, his ability to treat common afflictions was a definite welcome. He never prescribed medicine officially but he did make some suggestions which often proved to have been helpful in their ailments.
However, there was a time that Jekyll had suddenly froze. When Peach took a look, she found him staring at the Dust containers that she had set aside. In particular, he was focused on the white-colored ones that looked like salt. The purity of such dust was the finest in all of Vale. He returned to his work soon after but he always looked at the Dust in that fashion. What was so significant about that kind of Dust that makes him that way? There doesn't appear to be anything special about as far as she is aware. Dust isn't exactly wholly understood and not all Dusts of the same color share the same properties.
He also has his visits in the Vaults beneath Beacon Academy. Peach wasn't exactly part of the inner circle of the headmaster but she is knowledgeable enough to know that there is something of importance down there and that enemies might be trying to get it. The fact that Jekyll is seemingly more trusted with this information tells her that there is something more with her assistant.
In training, he used his simple knife. Hardly much of a weapon but he was certainly proficient in it enough. Though, at times he can be found trying to practice a sword. Mumbling incoherently to himself, Jekyll moved unnaturally with the practice sword but was as fluid as water when it came to the knife. There was a precision in his movements that made him better suited to dealing with humans and faunus than they do Grimm. He usually only ever trains just enough to keep himself fit by huntsman standards but he was certainly no powerhouse.
"A drink for your thoughts, Professor Peach?" asked doctor Oobleck. She was currently in the faculty lounge having her break while Jekyll remained in the stockroom to clean the different materials after their last class. "Your thoughts dwell on your assistant, I reckon?"
"That obvious?" Peach replied.
"I believe I speak for the rest of the faculty when I say that we have noticed the way you look at him sometimes," Oobleck said while sipping his thermos. "Even the students have seen it and have made some gossip surrounding, I doubt that it actually is because of some attraction you may have for Mr. Jekyll." Oobleck made an ugly face as he said his name. "If you ask me, there is something wrong with calling a man like him a mere mister. It would certainly sound better if he was a doctor Jekyll."
Peach nodded along. Strangely, that does sound a lot better. Doctor Henry Jekyll. Peach wasn't certain on the specific doctorate given his apparent grasps on various topics and fields but he is certainly fit to be a doctor. Though, hearing it coming from Oobleck sounds even stranger for some reason.
"He just," she said. There was a pause before she continued for she had to gather her own thoughts first. "He just reminds me of a few things."
"Yourself, you mean?" Oobleck was perceptive.
Peach sighed. "You said it yourself, doctor. Jekyll doesn't seem the type of man who should have been a huntsman."
"Perhaps like yourself, Henry Jekyll has his reasons for becoming a huntsman."
That much was clear to her. Whatever reason he had for becoming a huntsman was not hers to know unless he wanted her to know.
Doctor Oobleck was reading the documents that Peach had prepared. He had already made a multitude of different notes for his research later. There was little progress when it came to Merlot Industries and thus far, they have ruled out all other possibilities. These new variations of Grimm were unnatural even by their own standards which led them to consider the possibility of modified versions that could only have been made through experimentation.
With the Vytal Festival soon coming, much of Beacon's staff have a tightening schedule. From security to classes, there is little time for them to really investigate the current Grimm activity. Even Greene was tightly busy with security while also further investigating those enemies that headmaster Ozpin wanted them to look out for. If there was ever a time for them to slip past security, it would be when everyone is busy and the incoming traffic would be at its highest.
Other huntsmen and huntresses were called for this. They were responsible for much of the security and planning in the wider city while Beacon focused more inwardly. The headmaster was in and out of various meetings just to ensure that these things run smoothly that his deputy was swamped with much of the work in running Beacon. It was only going to get worse once the transfer students would arrive and with them, the tourists who would get here just to support their favorite academy during the Vytal Tournament.
Looking at the time, Peach then bid Oobleck farewell as she proceeded to return for her next class. She had found Henry Jekyll there on the table reading a law book. He had been borrowing and returning them from the library. He reads them with such speeds that it Peach almost never sees him with the same book every time that she enters the room. The only times that she does is when he had finished the ones that he borrowed and he would go through the ones that she owned and kept there as a reference. There was a limit to borrowing the books from Beacon's library, a maximum of three at a time and the ones that he gets are often the thickest ones among them. He was careful with them too, delicate with the older ones that would so much as poof away if one held them to tightly.
"Time already?" he asked, surprised. He then checked the clock mounted on the wall. "Time really does fly." He put down the book and set it aside. The tools and equipment for this class were already prepared and Peach didn't even need to double check them at all. Most of the students weren't present yet with the few that were currently there donned their lab coats and masks.
As she entered the class, she looked back at her assistant. His eyes drifted to where the Dust that she had located. It was covered and he wouldn't be able to see what kind of Dust was there. But he knew where the specific one was located. His hands twitched and tightened into a fist. His eyes spoke of a morbid curiosity. He shook his head and mumbled incoherently to himself and he picked up the book again to read. At times, however, his eyes would steal a peak at the Dust containers. His fingers made circles as if mixing a non-existent formula. His hands then grabbed a pen and he began to write down notes on his notebook which he had bought recently with his salary. With how little he needs to spend on maintaining his weapon of choice, much of his earnings was just dedicated to daily expenses. If Jekyll decided to purchase books, he would sooner move out of Beacon's dorms and find a house in the city with how many he reads through the day.
Peach shook her head. She had a class to teach and the students were increasing in number. She began writing on the board the things that they were to accomplish today and list down the equipment that they needed to borrow. It was an important thing as one of their own academic requirements would be their own experimentation. Of course, that would wait until the transfer students start appearing. There was also the exam that she would need to administer.
The students waited in line as Jekyll prepared for them the materials and tools they needed. Jekyll moved with the same calm and unassuming presence that much of Beacon had gotten used to. When the students had begun with their activity, Jekyll can be seen observing them. His expression practically screamed nostalgia, like he was looking at these students and remembered a time when he too was a student doing these sorts of things.
"Remind you of something?" Peach ended up asking. She had joined him as she went to that corner of the classroom.
"I used to be a student once," he replied. "Was a bit of rascal in my younger days. Many would say that I have grown out of it when I started doing experiments myself."
"What happened? If it isn't too much to ask."
"Nothing too special. Just that an experiment went wrong. It has been riding on my conscience ever since."
"Does it have anything to do with the Dust? You were staring at them."
"Have I? I never noticed. But no, I don't think that it is the case. Similar, but not quite."
There was still more that he could have said but it was clear that he wasn't about to indulge it. Peach decided to drop it there. She could only hope that she would be there for him just as her own grandmother did for her.
/-/
The crate of stolen Dust was placed down in front of Cinder Fall. She had to make sure that everything was going well. They had to since their positions have been compromised. It was bad enough that they had to drop out of Mistral due to the warnings of their own mole. Her own face had been identified and sketches somewhat matching her description have started to make rounds in Vale. It wasn't an accurate representation but there were enough similarities that anyone looking for her could make some good guesses and there are people out there looking for her. Out of everyone to possibly recognize her, it had to be that same one identified her and her subordinates.
No. It is not the same person. This so-called Henry Jekyll was nothing more than a façade that he keeps. Cinder had witnessed how he really was and she knew his real face. That murderous and sadistic intent was unmistakable. He must have kept it hidden just so he could fit in with those people. Otherwise, Cinder was certain that he would be hunted down just like she was. She would have recruited such a man but it was clear that the psychopath would not listen. He reminded her of someone else, and she would rather keep those kinds of people to a minimum.
Roman Torchwick had a smug expression on his face. While he could always afford to show his, Cinder could not. As much as she would have reminded him of his place, she couldn't do so as she still needs him. Ever the elusive criminal, he could always escape and afford to have his face splattered across the news while she could not. There was also another reason.
"Excellent work, Mr. Torchwick," said Arthur Watts as he strode in the room, satisfaction marking his face. He was twirling his mustache comically as he looked at her with a smugness that made her blood boil. "We have quite the amount already and these gentlemen of the White Fang are proving themselves quite useful in transportation haven't they?"
"Why, yes indeed, my good doctor Watts," replied Torchwick with a flip of his hat. There was a mocking tone they had. After all, they were the ones who are being more successful than her. Never mind the fact that it was she who orchestrated much of these action.
A White Fang member approached her, carrying with him three masks. With her face being a liability, she had to hide it. As such, she was made to disguise herself as among the White Fang. The other two were for Mercury and Emerald.
Torchwick was supposed to listen to her orders. Instead, under the instruction of the mistress, Roman was now to work with Arthur Watts due to Cinder possibly being compromised. While the thief doesn't know who the mistress is, he is certainly more than happy to work with someone who isn't her. The fire burned in her hand then faded as it was closed tightly into a fist.
"Enough." Arthur Watts had enough joking around, finally. "With your and one of your… subordinate's identities under threat of exposure. It falls unto others to pick up the slack." His eyes drifted to Emerald, the only one who still had some level of anonymity. With her semblance, it would prove useful for her to escape should she nearly be caught.
"Yeah, Cindy." Cinder grinded her teeth. "Here I am taking up these extra jobs, a little appreciation could go a long way."
She sighed. "Thank you, Roman." It wasn't easy to say. "You have done well."
"Why, you're welcome!" he said with a bow.
"Watts." Cinder didn't have the time to deal with this. "Is there any progress yet on the virus?"
"Of course," he replied. "In fact, the timing couldn't be better. With an event like the Vytal Festival, everyone will be far too busy to take the time to notice. Not that it didn't help you but such things happen. The second mouse gets the cheese, after all."
"And what about our little… companion?"
"Oh him? Well, he isn't much really. With so little records, there is nothing more to him other than what I have already sent you. Frankly, he isn't much to look at. A pathetic attempt at masking himself some kind of academic, personally. You said that it was a façade, yes?"
Cinder rolled her eyes but nodded in affirmation. If there was one thing that defined Arthur Watts, it was that he wants to be the smartest individual period. To have his genius acknowledged over others. Between the two of them, she would rather deal with Amber's familiar. That one at least doesn't come across as an arrogant know-it-all. Still, their own doctor had useful qualities here and one that she is willing to tolerate for here.
"Well, not to worry," Watts continued. "I have my own contacts and he certainly seems interested now that this acquaintance of yours has been getting sneak peaks of his experiment before he is ready to show them to the world. Honestly, if he really is some kind of academic, he should know better than to interfere with someone else's experiments. That is simple etiquette."
She shook her head. It was doubtful that this Jekyll would even know that but she'd digress. Such matters were of no concern of hers. Taking her leave, Cinder then proceeded back to her quarters where she could rest. With how little she could move about, she made it a habit of living in places away from the cities and more among the shadier parts of Vale. For someone with her looks though, that does entail a fair amount of annoyances and so she took a place of the abandoned warehouse and made it as comfortable as it was hidden.
Things were moving along, albeit slowly. That feeling of longing she had was eating away at her. That which belonged to her was so close and yet so far. She would have had it were it not for the interference. She'll have it soon.
AN: Deciding to take further influence from HC Andersen for Peach here.