There was activity that were had among the faculty and staff of Beacon Academy. Not only were they preparing for the early batches of transfers coming in from other schools, they also had a lead on one of their investigations. Namely, the culprit behind the recent Grimm activity had been the result of what was once thought to have been defunct Merlot Industries. Initially a research institution on Grimm, Merlot Industries had been shut down due to questionable experiments and was believed to have been the cause of the disaster of Mountain Glenn which the institution conducted its research.
Mountain Glenn was to be an expansion of Vale, meant to solve the problem of rising population of the kingdom of Vale. With a train system that was meant to that travel easy, it was meant to be a milestone of civilization by showing the world that they were winning against the Grimm. However, humanity was reminded of that threat when the Grimm had all descended on the settlement and doomed everyone on it. It was believed that Merlot Industries had drawn them there with the founder, Dr. Merlot, having desired more live Grimm to test. That was the story that they knew of, at least.
Jekyll was busy away typing at the computer along with the notes and research that have been gathered in order to get the best possible response by emphasizing both the history—which Jekyll would simply abbreviate as Oobleck's version had far too many details for a "full" context—and the evidence that they have gathered to present them to the council. The council of Vale still had authority to provide clearance to the different tunnel systems that led to Mountain Glenn. Although it may have been closed off, there is always the chance that someone had opened them up again.
The reason for Jekyll's involvement? Someone needed to type that document of request. Normally, huntsmen and huntresses are allowed privileges that would normally let them bypass such proceedings but access to Mountain Glenn had been closed off. If anyone wanted any sort of access, one would need to go through the council of Vale. When Headmaster Ozpin had initially sent word of that, they had come back with various requirements that Beacon needed to prepare just to have permission. With Jekyll having a knack for the legal elements, it was only a matter of finding the right wording to get them out. It also helped that he had some ideas on the proper wording in order to get such a response as quickly as possible. Nothing much changes when it comes to bureaucracy, regardless of world, it seems. Those at top won't really move much unless there is immediate need for it or if someone was willing to push them to it. Jekyll's draft would serve as just that.
In the meantime, Peter Port, along with some students, were sent off to repair any damages that have done on Greene's security network and machinery. Greene had to stay behind for the security measures in place as the Vytal Festival would soon begin. Mulberry was busy playing tour guide for the new professors that have accompanied the early batches of students, while Peach was preparing the different laboratories for the different students. Free time was beginning to become scarce for the faculty and staff of Beacon Academy, leaving Jekyll the only one who could make this document.
Oobleck was overseeing the more cultural side of the Vytal Festival. Setting up the different stalls and areas for the different presentations that the representatives have prepared. Dancing, artwork, literature and many more had to go through him before any final changes and approval so as to avoid any conflict. It also doubled as further learning, so the doctor says, as there is something new to learn.
Jekyll backed away from the computer. Having spent hours going through the different documents and staring at the screen had already started to hurt his eyes. He had got up and had a drink of tea. As he did so he stretched and twisted with each step to relax his muscles from having been essentially still for that long. He can't even read a book as a break with how already tired his eyes were. He still had sometime before his work hours had finished and right now, he wished that the end of the day would come sooner. This wasn't exactly part of his preferences in the job. If it wasn't for the necessity, he would have argued that it wasn't part of his job description.
Outside the stockroom, the activity and chatter only increased as some of the transfers have used this time to explore Beacon, especially the first years. Those that aren't exploring Beacon are out in the city, exploring the landmarks and tourist spots. Classes were called off for now as more time are needed to be allocated for these transfers before they could resume. If there was already so much life in the hallways before, there was no doubt of that now. Even if every student wore their academies' respective uniforms, Beacon would still have a variety of colors.
He yawned. Busy entirely with this, Jekyll never thought that he would ever be making this sort of thing. Given the profession, he had honestly expected more combat than this. Then again, since he was working in an institution of education, it should probably have been expected that he would have to do this sort of thing. To be frank, it was a rather dull and boring experience when one has grown accustomed to the excitement of conflict. Dull was good though for that meant less likelihood of Hyde taking over. The yearning was still there though. That desire for adventure and adrenaline in just trying to survive would seem preferable to this as odd that would be. The former was safe while the latter was full danger. Yet, the heart wants what it wants. For Henry Jekyll, that heart is out there beating down on the Grimm.
Returning back to the computer, Jekyll looked up any articles on crime. A terrorist group known as the White Fang seemed to be recruiting more faunus into their ranks. Various criminal activity had been pinned on this group and Jekyll managed to catch a glimpse of one of their members hidden behind the mask. The powers that she possessed was unmistakable. It would appear that the White Fang is working with the enemy. As far as the people are aware though, she was just another faunus joining a terrorist organization. Not a single huntsman under Ozpin could act on that directly yet; most of the investigation are being conducted by Vale's police force. The organization was elusive that finding their location was difficult. Jekyll dedicated his free time just for finding it but hadn't found any leads.
Once again, Jekyll looked over the documents that Oobleck and Peach had researched ahead of time. Majority of the additions here were primarily because of the former; the recent documents had been told to him were more than the usual in both quantity and quality that is normally expected of the doctor. Jekyll smirked at the possible reason for that. Still, it was a simple case of someone who either thought themselves as serving humanity's best interests or someone with an arrogance issue for thinking that he could rule over the Grimm. History always had an abundance of those and depending on who one asks, the subject in question may fall into one category or the other. Jekyll wasn't sure which he would fall under.
Oobleck had once mentioned historical experimentation that have been used to explain how things came to be other than fairytales. Some of those experimentations were frankly horrid for some. One example that Jekyll had managed to read about was a "humanzee" experiment meant to serve as the explanation for the existence of faunus. By essentially crossbreeding a human and an animal, one would get the faunus as Remnant understood them then. Whether that was some twisted pleasure-seeking action or genuine curiosity is left to the public to decide. It has been one of Oobleck's personal favorite research to use as an example that not all inhuman experimentation would be beneficial to humanity. The research in question didn't even yield any sort of result that would prove the theory behind it but rather disproved it. The worst part about it was that the researcher pushed for more, saying that he was simply missing something and that he needed more specimens to work with.
Jekyll shook his head. He should have been disgusted at the notion just like anyone else and yet, with Hyde still lurking at the back of his mind, he could only understand. He still detested it but he understood what that researcher might have been thinking. At one point, he would have protested at anything that would impeded scientific discovery but considering what had happened to him, he knew the follies of a purely scientific mind. There was argument to be had in ethics corrupting the purity of scientific research but a mind purely driven by its curiosity will spend more time asking if it could and never once would it ask if it should. Ethics was not there to get in the way of scientific progress but rather to temper it when the person starts to forget their humanity. Once more, he shook his head; he was getting distracted, letting his mind wander like that.
One last check at the letter that he had prepared, Jekyll was certain now that there weren't any errors. Every detail that they needed to convey was there as well as the necessity that they needed to emphasize that this was to be a priority. He also double-checked his own grammar and spelling before he printed the letter. Headmaster Ozpin—or rather professor Goodwitch would look over the document before having it signed by the former to be submitted for the council. From there, Jekyll will probably be on standby in case anything else was needed. He would volunteer personally just for that. There just might be a chance that he could find some clue to Amber's condition.
Going out into the hallways, the different students from other school are still out and roaming around the halls of Beacon. Some, he recognized as coming from Atlas with their uniforms and military-like march. They weren't in formation but there was a definite synergy behind their steps that it almost seemed natural to them. There were others as well like Mistral and Vacuo's respective schools. Strangely enough, most of Shade Academy—that is the school from Vacuo—aren't always wearing their uniforms. Mistral's Haven did though not all of them from the few whose conversations with their own students that he managed to overhear.
When he arrived at the elevator, idle chatter was still being had from behind him. He had recognized some of them as being from team RWBY. They seemed to be having some kind of argument as they were heading out into the city, three of them anyway. Jekyll noticed that there was one who was absent from them. Perhaps it was a team spat that was had, it is something that occurs for all teams eventually, albeit with varying scales depending on how great the differences are. The elevator doors closed and all noise was replaced by the elevator music that played as he went up.
In Ozpin's office, the man himself was unsurprisingly absent. Was it strange that Jekyll had gotten used to this? Instead, there was Glynda Goodwitch who was taking what advantage she could by sitting comfortably on the headmaster's chair, massaging a headache as she went presumably went through the stacks of documents that have been piling up on the headmaster's desk. Whenever the headmaster was absent, authority defaulted to her for most of the documents in Beacon. It would have been simple matters if she could sign the request letter but for publicity sake and to show the importance of it, the signature needed to be Ozpin's before they could have it sent to the council.
Glynda looked at him and the folder containing the letter. She had been expecting it for she said, "place it here. I'll look over it if there is anything that needs correcting." Jekyll did as he was told and as she read the letter, she nodded in satisfaction. "I'll make sure that Ozpin signs this as soon as he returns to the office. Merlot Industries is one that needs our immediate attention." Looking over the document again, she smiled. "Perhaps we'll need your services again for future documents. Have you considered becoming a secretary?" she joked.
"Is that a promotion, I'm hearing?" Jekyll played along. He had stayed for another minute or so before he left however. There was something that he was expecting. It was one that Glynda caught on instantly.
"You will be on standby," Glynda assured him. "We are not entirely certain how involved Merlot Industries are with Amber—if they are at all—but should there be anything that might be used to help her condition, we will not reprimand you Jekyll should you choose to keep them on the chance that the council would rather have them destroyed."
"Thank you." Jekyll smiled relief. Amber's condition, was already dipping down to concerned levels. While there was still a chance that she could be well at the moment, it wasn't enough to ease his spirit. There was still nothing the he could do other than twiddle his fingers. The fact that a sort of Grimm parasite was the reason behind her powers being stolen from her was enough to tell him that Merlot Industries might be worth personally looking into. Those kinds of Grimm are rare and it was rather convenient for Amber's attackers to have possession of the one kind that could do the one act that they needed it for.
There was still one place that Jekyll had yet to check. With Glynda's permission, he made his down into the Vaults. But before that, the glass of the elevator gave a light reflection of his face. He shook his head. It wasn't his face that was staring back at him. He breathed deeply as he calmed himself. Although he couldn't feel himself getting weaker, Jekyll just knew that that is how Hyde eventually took over him. Jekyll could never feel Hyde take over. He would only realize it when it would be too late. Clever bastard. Hyde even had access to his mind while Jekyll couldn't do the same in reverse. Whenever he tried, all he had were these feelings of temptation. That desire to descend into sin.
"He is not me. He is not me." Jekyll repeated to himself. Hyde is not him. He does exist and he is separate from him. "Just a while longer. Just a while longer. Until Amber is alright, I'll…" his voice trailed off as he was unsure of what he should even say to himself.
The ding of the elevator brought him out of his train wreck of thoughts. Jekyll had to wipe himself off of sweat as the elevator's doors opened. Green eyes stared back at him in relief from that vanishing reflection. However, just to be sure, his hands traced his face as deliberately made faces just to see if his reflection was mimicking that exact motion. He only relaxed fully once he made certain of that.
Sure enough, when Jekyll had stepped out of the elevator, he had found the headmaster there at Amber's pod. Ozpin could hear him approach as his steps echoed in the mostly empty Vaults. The large and spacious halls of the place made stealth a near impossible task. One would need to hide behind in the darkness for that which was difficult since there is only one place that one could hide. If there was ever a chance for an ambush it could only really come from behind those pods. The alternative would be up above but one would need to be able to fly for that and do so silently.
When Ozpin turned, his hand held the cane tightly momentarily before loosening the grip. Instincts trained over years have instilled a natural reflex in the seasoned huntsman to expect the worst in moments of vulnerability. Jekyll only hoped that that was the reason behind it. He didn't want to think about Hyde playing prankster here. No. He was Henry Jekyll at the moment. He made sure of that earlier.
"Come to check on Amber again, Mr. Jekyll?" Ozpin asked.
It came to no surprise and neither was it a secret that Jekyll made it a habit to check on Amber's vitals and to remind himself as to why he needed to keep going. Amber's still comatose state kept reminding him that he should not just surrender and let Hyde win. Her attackers were still out there and he could still only do so little. Jekyll's hands closed into a tight fist. The King of Knights would not have struggled this much. If it were that king instead of him, Amber would have been fine long ago. But that king was not the one who was standing here. Instead, it was somebody who thought himself too highly for thinking he could separate the good and evil in man, let alone quantify such things.
"I've already written the letter," Jekyll replied. "It's in your office and needs your signature, headmaster."
Ozpin nodded in understanding. "I'll have it signed, first thing I step into my office. But what of you? You seem to be adjusting well enough into Remnant. Though I have to ask if anything happened between you and miss Rose. Nothing too serious, I assure you."
"Miss Rose mentioned me?"
"Well, she talks about you from what I overhear. Both she and miss Xiao Long are Qrow's nieces and most of what I hear are usually from what that bird had told them."
Jekyll's heartbeat increased. Had Ruby told his secret anyway? While he was willing to trust her to keep secrets, subtlety was not something one thinks about when it comes to Ruby. Sweat had begun to form on his face again. Hopefully, the darkness of the Vault was enough to conceal his perspiration. "What did she say?"
"A better question would be what she didn't say. Personally, I deduce that the conversation is about your capabilities as huntsman and miss Rose was rather quiet about it." Ozpin chuckled. "She says and I quote awesome and super cool, and then proceeded to describe how you handled Grimm with a series of huwah and hi-yah. Her mood did change to that of embarrassment when she was discovered."
Sighs of relief escaped Jekyll's lungs. Ruby had kept his secret after all.
"It wasn't too much. I… may have been rather harsh on miss Rose when she didn't listen to me back in Forever Fall. I had told her to go and get Professor Goodwitch since it might have been dangerous considering the type of Grimm that was."
"Ah." Ozpin nodded sagely. He knew what that Grimm was from the report. "She takes after her mother, that much is certain."
"I heard about that. Something about her mother being part of a team?"
"Yes, Summer Rose was the leader of team STRQ. She went missing one day. I was told that I had sent her on the mission that led to her going missing."
"I'm guessing you did not."
Ozpin shook his head. "No. I do not ever recall ever asking her of such. But, much like her daughter—though I suppose it should be the inverse—Summer always had that desire to help people. Charging into battle if it meant saving someone's life, even if it endangered her own. The petal doesn't fall from the flower it would seem."
"From what you have told me," Jekyll replied. "Ruby most certainly doesn't. I personally hope it doesn't stay that way."
"I would advise against any form of favoritism, Mr. Jekyll." Ozpin's smile was filled with warmth. There was an understanding in the old man's eyes. "But you might as well be one of her uncles thanks to Qrow. It is good that you are in their good graces. I have to suggest that you might want to extend some courtesy to the other students as well. Most don't seem to approach you at all."
Jekyll would have argued there but he did not. He never really did interact with much of the students. Most of the times that he did were because the student had some inquiry about Peach's lessons. There was that one student, Cardin Winchester, who had asked him for help with the tree sap that had stained the boy's armor. Beyond that though, Jekyll's interactions with the students have been rather barren.
"I will," he replied. "Apologies but that document does need your signature."
"Of course, of course. If you'll accompany me, I'll have you deliver it to Oobleck. He knows the proper channels of having that letter delivered. I expect that there will be a swift response if that man is involved."
The two then made their way out of the Vaults. Though Jekyll had to go his own way, he made sure that he going to be ready at any moment's notice. He needed to be as he is one of the few huntsmen that is still available within Beacon Academy.
Returning to the stockroom, Jekyll went back to the computer that he had left on. Time was around nearing the evening and it wouldn't be long now before his work hours had come to an end. As such, he had used the remaining time to clean up around the place and make sure that he didn't leave anything unattended. Before closing the computer, however, he decided to check on the news for any updates. He found breaking news though it wasn't exactly what he had expected.
Ruby and Blake, along with some other students presumably from other schools, seemed to have been involved in some altercation with the criminal Roman Torchwick. The images that were displayed were grainy images that must have been obtained from distant security cameras and random passersby that brought out their scrolls to take some recordings of it and forwarded them to the news media. Explosions filled most of them as there was so much damage that was done at the docks which is where the events seemed to have taken place. Destroyed Bullheads, shipping containers, roads all racked up to what could only be estimated to be in at least seven digits. Jekyll could only hope that Beacon wouldn't be the one to pay for it. By the looks of the news however, it is currently ongoing if it hasn't stopped yet.
There was no progress for him to be had there since Amber's attackers appeared to have been absent. Jekyll sighed. If it were him, he might have gone easier on the students if he had obtained what he wanted. Sadly, he did not and so he won't be going easy on them. Ozpin said that Jekyll is showing some signs of favoritism? Well, now is certainly the time to show that he could be unbiased in that regard.
Jekyll then received a message from Glynda Goodwitch that said the following:
Council of Vale is asking if Beacon is going for a response given its involvement with the current altercation with Roman Torchwick. Will need to issue formal apologies for reckless behavior and cover expenses on the damages done. I'll handle the finances.
-Glynda
His eyes twitched and sent his reply. The only solace here was that the computer was still left on. Jekyll looked at the time before facing the computer screen again. There was no way he will be able to get a draft done in time. That meant that he would be staying there for a longer period of time beyond his work hours. Was it strange now that he didn't want to stay during work hours any longer than he needed to?
Henry Jekyll only hoped that Glynda was the one handling their punishment when they return to Beacon.
AN: A thought came to me, a humanzee experiment (hypothetical human-chimpanzee hybrid) might actually have been conducted in-universe as an attempt to explain the faunus, depending on how far they want to go for.