One of the pleasantries of working at Beacon's school laboratory was that the different apparatuses were mostly the same. Test-tubes, graduated cylinders, beakers and many others gave Henry Jekyll a wave of nostalgia of his days as a student. Never before had he felt like he was at home. It was an improved home too as the microscopes there were an improvement from the ones that he had used. The different slides for any samples that will be used for the microscopes were finely made. Best of all was the sterilizing units that were used for the different apparatuses. Considering that this one was for—Jekyll sighed at the name of the class still—Plant Science, such devices would be most helpful with any bacteria that may have remained on one's person. They are high-tech apparently, usually found in the fields of medicine and microbiology. Beacon spared no expenses for the quality of apparatuses for the students' education it seems. Either that or Peach really cared about these things. Jekyll isn't complaining; he felt like a child on an early Christmas morning.
"You're pretty good," Peach complimented him as he was able to name the different apparatuses and their uses; he also showed proper handling and didn't need much guidance as to the different things to prepare for the prospective students. "You sure you're in the right profession?"
Jekyll scratched the back of his head. His cheeks were a little red. "I may have a few interests," he reasoned, bashfully. Truth was that he couldn't control himself and for once, it wasn't because of Hyde.
"Well," Peach replied. "That saves me the trouble of having to train you. Most huntsmen and huntresses are more familiar with at least a hundred ways to decapitate a Beowolf. The reason is obvious but it does pose a problem for those who become professors or staff in the four academies." She raised her fist in the air. "Governmental mandates on education, ever is it the bane of education."
Peach sat in her chair, almost unsure of what to do next. She must have planned for an entire lecture to get him acquainted with the different apparatuses in the laboratory. With Jekyll being familiar with it already, there was little that the professor could teach him. She then got an idea. Peach left Jekyll in the stockroom for a few minutes and came back with a folder that had documents on them.
"Is this about the Grimm?" Jekyll guessed. He recognized that folder as the one that Peach kept perusing.
Peach nodded. "There has been some odd activity going on with the Grimm lately that the headmaster expressed worry about how it might affect the initiation. Port and Oobleck are already there culling their numbers down as we speak."
Jekyll was then given the folder. When he opened it, the information presented was well-organized and kept to simplistic language. Even the layman would understand the information here with how little technical terminology was being employed. Grimm activity have been increasing with some being more aggressive than usual. There was no evidence in the plant possibly being infected nor was there any sign of some migration pattern. It was mild at the moment but it was still cause for concern as Peach hasn't found any sort of lead.
"I am at my wit's end," said she, dejectedly. "I could fly out much further but by that point, I might as well just scan the whole area. It might take days before I could find anything unless I'm lucky. Days we don't have before the initiation. The security network hasn't picked up anything either. The ones closer to Beacon anyway. Grimm activity is too high that we can't even check if there is anything wrong with them as well. Too little hands to send out."
Jekyll continued to peruse the data. With the school year of Beacon coming soon, there was little that they could do unless they would neglect their duties here in Beacon. Jekyll, personally, couldn't go that far as he was both unfamiliar with the place and he would be too far from Amber. Speaking of, there hasn't been much update on Amber's condition, much to his frustration. What could I even do? It's her aura that is being affected. Despite its wide usage among huntsmen and huntresses, there was little information on aura that he had half a mind to thwack someone and for once that is as himself. All he had the basics and what it could do; most others are simply theories and hypothesis formed by reasoning alone.
"No dice, huh?" Peach asked. "I suppose we could hope for the best and prepare for the worst in the meantime, then."
Jekyll then returned the folder and stood from his chair. "I suppose we are done for today?" he asked.
"Ah, wait," replied Peach. She then took a piece of paper and wrote down a list of things. Dust types by the looks of it. She also then prepared a small case filled with empty containers. "I'd like to ask you to buy some Dust in the city." She then produced some lien and gave it to him. "Should be enough for them."
As Jekyll then proceeded to exit the laboratories, Peach stayed behind as she continued to read over the documents.
Outside of Beacon Academy grounds, Jekyll had to walk quite the distance before he could make it to the city. The afternoon sun had already set by the time he made it with the first few stars appearing in the darkening sky. Reading the note, Jekyll was supposed to find the shop called "From Dust Till Dawn." The roads were empty and bereft of any vehicles as Jekyll walked down the side-walk. His eyes were pointed upwards as he stared at each individual label for the shop in question. I should have asked for directions before I came here, he thought. He was clearly not from Vale with how he appeared to be going everywhere yet nowhere. He asked a nearby civilian who then pointed him further down the road.
Finally finding the Dust shop, Jekyll stepped into the establishment. There was an old man managing the counter. When he had asked for Jekyll's purpose, he simply showed him the list. The old man then pointed him towards the back where there were elongated tubes that dispense the Dust like it was water coming out of the faucet. Conveniently, most of these Dust were colored which often reflected the type it was. That made things simpler for him; even better was that they were labeled. Some of these Dust had similar coloring but had different properties which would have confused him otherwise.
Putting down his case, Jekyll began to fill each individual container with the different Dust that Peach had listed. He noted that he was not the only customer in the shop. Nearby there was a red-hooded girl reading a magazine. Jekyll could hear the faintest sound of music coming from the headset she must have had underneath that hood. The magazine she was reading was about weapons.
A huntress-in-training? He guessed. She appeared to be too young to have been a professional. With her hood hiding her features, Jekyll could not guess further if this was to be a potential student of Beacon Academy. He shrugged and began filling the next set of containers. If that girl was to be a student of Beacon Academy, then she will be a student of Beacon Academy.
He heard the door open from behind. By the sounds of the footsteps, it would seem that at least three people have stepped into the Dust shop with more coming, judging from the increasing number of footsteps. Whether it was the huntsman training he received or whatever qualities remained of his status as a Servant, Jekyll felt a sudden urge to do harm. A small evil had entered the Dust shop and he was being drawn to it like it was a small party that he should just attend. It wouldn't do well to be left out, now would it?
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" one of them said. Jekyll then heard a weapon being pointed, mostly likely at the old man.
"P-please!" the old man begged. "Just take my lien and leave!"
It would seem that the criminals have yet to notice Jekyll's presence. Carefully and slowly, he stopped filling his containers and placed them back in the case. Staying as still as a statue, Jekyll began to finger the knife he had hidden in his jacket. The girl in red hasn't noticed them yet, both sight and hearing were affected by her covered hood and headset respectively. Huntress or not, Jekyll would have to step in and intervene. His heartbeat increased as Jekyll patted his chest. It was adrenaline this time that was bringing him to the front. Jekyll couldn't let him out, not in such a public place.
"Shhh, calm down," said the criminal, presumably the leader. "We're not here for your money." His voice then changed to be more stern. He commanded his henchmen, "Grab the dust."
The henchmen then began to gather from the sides. Jekyll's presence was still concealed since not one of them even noticed him yet. It's working out in his favor. Jekyll slowly began to count the number of criminals; three from what he could see.
"Crystals," said one of the henchmen. "Burn. Uncut."
A few second passed and the henchmen had an angry voice as he drew his sword and cried out, "hey kid! Hands up where I can see 'em." When the child made no response, Jekyll could hear the man get closer. "Hey, I said hands in the air!"
Jekyll then proceeded to move closer, careful so that he won't be spotted. The element of surprise also meant an opening for him to exploit. She was still reading her magazine and her headset was clearly blocking out the noise. The henchman wouldn't notice the headset being behind her. With his focus being on the girl, he wouldn't even notice that there was another individual in the shop; one who he wouldn't see coming until it was too late. Jekyll's heart beat faster. Soon.
The henchman reached out his hand and said, "you got a death wish or somethi—" his hand only grazed the girl's shoulders. She turned around with a wondering look painting her face. The henchman had a similar questioning expression as to the sudden hand that grabbed his wrist a mere second later. The henchman followed the arm and met with the fierce eyes of the huntsman with the name Henry Jekyll.
"What's going on?" asked the girl, clearly unaware of what is currently transpiring.
Jekyll did not respond to her. Instead, he looked hard at the henchman. He had a fanciful outfit, like one of those gang members in suits that one would see in the movies and shows. "Now then," he said. His voice was forcibly calm as he tried to keep himself under control. Adrenaline was starting to build, especially now since there were others about. Jekyll could feel him coming out, practically clawing his way out now that there is an audience. His free hand held the knife still hidden. "I would advise making hasty actions now. Why don't you gentlemen return those Dust back to where they belong or buy them like any good citizen should, hmm?"
"Like hell I would take orders from some civ!" replied the henchman. With his free hand holding the machete, the henchman swung at Jekyll.
Jekyll responded by deflecting it with the flat of his knife. The machete was deflected to the side. Thankfully, the red-hooded girl managed to react quickly and dodged it. She was huntress-trained, that much had become certainty. Jekyll hit the henchman with the butt of the knife, knocking him backwards and onto the floor. The grunt that came from the henchman alerted the others as they turned to the source of the sound. There was no hiding his presence now. A smirk appeared on his face and vanished instantly afterwards. No, not yet.
One of the henchman pointed his gun at Jekyll. "Hold it!" he cried out. Jekyll twirled the knife from its initial reverse-grip to a forward one. His eyes darted from left to right as he noted the number of henchmen that have slowly begun to close in on him. Jekyll spread his feet apart and bent a little. His knife was held in further in front of him while his free hand was closer to his face, ready to guard against any melee attack at his side.
Before they could engage though, the red-hooded girl acted first. In a twisting form that left behind rose petals, she charged at one of the henchmen, causing him to break through the glass window.
The girl's weapon was then revealed to be a scythe. Huh, Jekyll thought. Reminds me of Qrow. With her hood down, the girl was revealed to have black hair and silver eyes. She wore mostly black and red. She had a skirt and wore long boots. Her scythe was also a gun as Jekyll noted the barrel when she slammed the tip of her scythe into the ground.
One of the criminals, presumably the leader, wore a bowler hat and was wearing white. He had a cigar in his mouth and he had ginger-colored hair. He was fancily dressed, reminding Jekyll of Mulberry's dressing habit. A gentleman thief is what this one was. "Okay." He prolonged what he had said and then looked at both Jekyll and the girl. "Two, huh? With one playing hero. The rest of you deal with the girl while I deal with our gentleman in over his head."
The henchmen then exited the shop while the one who out there on the ground got back to his feet. They then began to engage with the red-hooded girl which proved to be a rather one-sided affair against them.
"Well, my good sir," said the criminal leader in a mocking tone. Jekyll did appear to be a well-dressed individual. "I think we can all say that this has been a wonderful evening." He took out the cigar and snuffed it out. He then pointed his cane at Jekyll, revealing the gun barrel, of course. Is every weapon on Remnant also a firearm? Should he consider getting one to fit in better? Where would be the fun in that if he wasn't up-close and personal? "I'm afraid that this is where we part ways." The criminal even tipped his hat.
As the criminal pulled the trigger, Jekyll acted quickly. By lunging forward, he deflected the cane upwards with his knife, causing the shot to hit the ceiling. It was an explosive shot as a small area of the ceiling had been destroyed. At the same time as that, Jekyll gave a left straight into the criminal's stomach, pushing both air and spit out of the criminal's mouth as he flew backwards and out of the Dust shop; it was one of the unarmed tricks that he was taught while he had trained in Atlas. Surprise painted the criminal's expression as he looked back at Jekyll. He had not expected that.
"Huntsman!" the criminal cried out. His expression was that of shock. He did not expect that Jekyll was a huntsman. That could work well in his favor. Such shocked expression was rather pleasant to look out. Jekyll shook his head. Damn it. Hyde had almost taken control there.
Sounds of pained grunts interrupted them before they could engage again. The girl in red had quickly dispatched the henchmen and was standing on the other side of this criminal. She on one end and Jekyll was on the other. Regardless of what choice this criminal would make, he would not meet his escape without some kind of resistance. The criminal then made his choice.
Pointing his cane at the little girl, Jekyll cried out a warning but it was too late. The explosion had caused the girl to leap back many paces as the criminal got back on his feet and made his escape, away from Jekyll who then chased after him up the ladder of the closest building. The criminal swiped his cane, preventing Jekyll from getting too close and grabbing his foot. The two were then on the rooftop with the girl following behind them both in a burst of speed, leaving behind rose petals as she did so.
Then, strong winds blew against them as the clouds of dust—the usual, non-energy kind—caused them to squint their eyes. A fireball then flew towards Jekyll, forcing him to use his aura to shield against it. The fireball never came as Glynda then appeared and blocked the fire. She quickly cleared the dust cloud, letting everyone see clearly.
What they saw was a Bullhead looming overhead. The criminal was nowhere in sight as the lady in the Bullhead continued to shoot balls of flame at them. The debris of the rooftop were levitated by Glynda and flew to meet the fireballs. Amidst the clash, Jekyll managed to get a look at the lady. He growled as he pointed his finger at her, her own eyes widened at the sight of him.
"That's her!" he cried out, getting Glynda's attention. The girl in red looked tilted her head at them. Obviously, she doesn't know what they were talking about. For a moment, Jekyll cursed at himself for letting it slip out. But with the woman working a known criminal, they could easily disguise it as someone that they have been looking for.
Glynda returned her attention to the Bullhead immediately. The criminals were getting away and making their escape. With a flick of her crop, purple bursts of energy flew at them like projectiles, damaging the bullhead. From the ship, there came a series of fireballs in retaliation, forcing both Glynda and Jekyll to activate their auras to shield themselves. The girl in red dashed to the side, dodging it. Jekyll was blown away from the sheer force of those fireballs as the bullhead managed to get away.
The huntsman and the huntress went down the building. Once on the ground, Glynda turned to point at him and said, "you should have taken action sooner." Her expression was stern as she criticized him. "As the licensed huntsman, it is you who should have acted the most while that girl listens to your orders. There is no guarantee of her safety and thus it falls on you to make those decisions, Mr. Jekyll."
Jekyll's shoulders slumped. Part of him wanted to talk back but he stopped. He just knew which part wanted to talk back. "I understand," he said. "I'll do better." He still had much more to do, it seemed. As he is now, he wasn't much of huntsman much less than someone who could protect Amber. His fists tightened then loosed. It was what he had to do if he didn't want him out.
"Since no one was hurt," Glynda replied. Her expression never changed but the tone did. "I'll let it slide for tonight. Now come with me and wait outside. We'll need to make a report to the authorities and they will require your input." She then addressed the young girl, "you as well."
Jekyll followed Glynda who still carried herself in that strict tone that reminded him of the stricter teachers he once had. She gave him an awkward wave as the two walked side-by-side with the deputy headmistress leading the way.
After a minute or so, it appeared that the red-hooded girl had gained enough courage to speak up. In the awkward silence that preceded it, she was clearly uncomfortable with how she was shifting with each step. She said, "Ruby. Ruby Rose."
"Jekyll," he replied. "Henry Jekyll." He mustered up an awkward smile of his own. "You did well, miss Rose."
Ruby didn't seem to respond at first. At the mention of his name, she stared at him with her bewildered, silver eyes. "You know my uncle?" she suddenly said. "Uncle Qrow?" His own eyes then widened. "He talked about you when he dropped by at home. Oh my gosh! You're Henry Jekyll!"
Ruby Rose then proceeded to talk many miles a minute. Jekyll found it rather endearing that this girl talked about her apparent Uncle in positive light. It warmed his heart knowing that Qrow had mentioned him at all. Although, with some of the things Ruby was saying, Jekyll felt confident in saying that there were quite the number of embellishments. No. He absolutely did not steal Qrow's woman away from him while they were at Atlas. He made a mental note to smack Qrow in the head the next time they would meet; he'd probably be doing Winter a favor. One thing was sure though was that Ruby clearly admired the man and with her weapon of choice and fighting style that he had seen earlier, it really showed.
With a slap of her crop, Glynda Goodwitch had gotten both of their attention. She was stern towards Ruby in particular. She noticed the awkward smile on Jekyll's face and realized that he was simply trying not to antagonize the little girl. The three of them made their stop at a police station where Glynda had requested the use of the interrogation room. Huntsmen and huntresses have privileges, it seemed as they were accommodated.
"Wait here," said Glynda, referring to Jekyll. Ruby was led to the room afterwards, leaving him to wait outside.
After the passage of an hour or so, headmaster Ozpin arrived. In Ozpin's hands, there was a plate of chocolate-chip cookies and a glass of milk. Another adult was with him and the two were having conversation. Ozpin's companion was muscular and the firmness and tone of his arms were clear for all to see. Men and women looked in admiration or envy, depending on their preferences, for only a moment before returning to whatever it was they were doing. He had blonde hair and was slightly tan
"…like team STRQ," said Ozpin. Jekyll didn't hear the conversation before that and only caught the little bit before the headmaster noticed his presence. "Ah, Jekyll! This is Taiyang Xiao-Long, father of Ruby Rose and former student of mine. Taiyang, this is Henry Jekyll. He is a new staff of Beacon Academy."
Taiyang looked at him and asked, "you the one that Qrow talked about?" The blonde man had a grin. "Yeah, I can definitely see that you're the upgrade."
"You two know each other?" Jekyll replied, ignoring that later part. It must have showed on his face judging from the blonde man's expression.
Taiyang nodded with a chuckle. "Don't worry about it. That just means Qrow considers himself and you close enough friends to mess with you," He turned to talk to Ozpin again. "So about my daughter."
"I am sure that miss Rose will be fine," Ozpin assured the father. "Jekyll here is a professional huntsman himself so there is nothing much to fear."
Taiyang stared and analyzed Jekyll. He then reached out a hand and said, "thank you for looking after my daughter."
"It was no problem," replied Jekyll. "Really, your daughter did more than I did."
"Probably her semblance," Taiyang chuckled. "She does have a bad habit of relying on it a lot, next to her weapon that is. She blitzed through the other criminals, didn't she?" When Jekyll nodded, Taiyang burst into laughter. "That is my little Ruby, alright."
Eventually, Glynda exited the interrogation room, switching places with headmaster Ozpin. At the sight of Taiyang, she said, "Oh, Mr. Xiao Long, you're here."
"That's right, Glynda," he replied. There was a casualness behind his tone which told Jekyll that they are equals, at least by this point. He was not one to point out age but Jekyll was certain that Taiyang might have been one of Glynda's underclassmen at least. "Had to check on Ruby when I heard."
"Of course," she said with a bow. "You'll be pleased to know that your daughter is well. Mr. Jekyll here has stepped in to stop Roman Torchwick from causing any further damage."
That was contrasted to what she had said earlier. It meant little considering that Taiyang knows the truth of the situation. It was probably the unspoken rule between the employee and the employer in this case. Glynda would say good things about him publicly but will reprimand him in private. It didn't stop her from doing it front of Ruby earlier but the one she is talking to is the father. Jekyll would be concerned too if it were his child.
When Ozpin had finished his own interrogation, father and daughter were reunited. Ruby certainly seemed happier compared to when she first entered the room.
"I'm going to Beacon!" she cried out. "I'll be going with Yang!"
Jekyll's eyes widened. Ruby was to be one of the students in Beacon? That certainly explains the excitement. He noticed that Glynda's own eyes narrowed at Ozpin's nonchalant expression. She sighed in defeat as she walked away, clearly wanting this night to be over. She was stopped however when the old man from the Dust shop earlier had come to the police station.
The old man had brought with him the suitcase that Peach had entrusted Jekyll. "On the house," he said. "As thanks." Opening the case, all the refined Dust and raw crystals that Peach had listed were in the case. Jekyll had forgotten about these in that time, more focused with the action that had occurred after.
Jekyll gave his thanks to the old man and excused himself from Ozpin's presence. He soon made his own exit only to find that Glynda was outside waiting. "You go on ahead, Mr. Jekyll," she said. "I shall wait here with the headmaster."
The two nodded and bade farewell. Jekyll walked a few miles before he managed to find commute that led him to Beacon. Since the Dust he had was now given for free, the lien that Peach entrusted him with was used to pay for that commute. He had much to tell once he returned to Beacon Academy.
/-/
When the debacle of the Dust shop had ended and Taiyang and his daughter made their return home, headmaster Ozpin exited the police station and found that his deputy was there waiting for him.
"Are sure about this, Ozpin?" she asked. "Isn't it too soon to be making another STRQ?"
"We are in difficult times, Glynda," he reasoned. "With what happened to Amber, we need to take action soon. We'll need all the capable people we can get who can combat the threat that the Queen poses to all of Remnant."
"Alright," she replied. Glynda clearly did not agree to this but she deferred to him here, like she usually does. "Now if only there was something we could do about our new staff. He managed to identify Roman's allies, it is one of the people that attacked Amber. There still isn't much to go on other than it is a young woman and that she is operating in Vale."
"I have found something rather intriguing about Mr. Jekyll." Ozpin's interest was elsewhere, much to Glynda's frustration. "Roman's henchmen all said that they thought he was a civilian. It was only when he engaged with them that they realized he was a huntsman."
"Like he had the capacity to hide his true intentions until the last minute," Glynda commented, impressed. "Greene would certainly like that, having some kind of presence concealment meant that one could conceal their presence. I noticed that during Roman's escape. Mr. Jekyll's aura was stable at the time, like it had been made whole again."
"Two halves," Ozpin mused. He then looked up above and towards the broken moon that floats above Remnant. He is aware of Henry Jekyll's circumstance thanks to Qrow. Ironwood never shared that archived file; it would have been a breech in privacy if he did which Ozpin respected enough for now. "I wonder, what that other half could be?"
"Just to be clear, Ozpin," Glynda asked. "Jekyll's eyes are of green color, correct?"
"Why yes." He nodded, confused at her question. "Why do you ask?"
"For a moment, I could have sworn that his eyes were red as crimson."
"Is it?" A smile shaped Ozpin's lips. "Very interesting."
AN: I tried to make a Fate line and by that I mean like "The Archer class is really made of archers." I make no promises about not trying again.
Edit, made a slight error. Sorry about that.