Jekyll and Goodwitch had accompanied Peach as the professor of Plant Science had guided the students towards Forever Fall for their next assignment. It was Goodwitch that led the students while Peach and Jekyll were discussing the current objective for the students. It was all a front though as they were only discussing such matters when the students are around. In truth, they had already discussed the real purpose of these matters ahead of time and Goodwitch had been made aware of it. She was only really there to watch over the students under the guise of helping the two in their class while also allowing the students a larger area for them to collect the tree sap.
The real goal was to investigate the Grimm activity here. Thus far, Peach's research has led her to believe that Merlot Industries or something similar have become involved somehow. If they had found any evidence of it here, they will have to consider such matters as a confirmed positive and that Merlot Industries or something similar to it are in operation.
They all arrived at the open area that also doubled as the place they would gather together after they were done. They were further up north in Vale. It was easy to tell if one was in Forever Fall. The leaves and grass were all red that it appeared to have been colored permanently by blood itself. There was a strange calmness to it that Jekyll felt himself rather uncomfortable towards. The redness of it all didn't set well considering that what he had thought that it looked like. He had read about the kind of sap from these trees; they supposedly attract Grimm which lead to some thinking of these creatures as animals. There was no negativity in them unless the concept of negativity isn't one that humans could understand. It was still a mystery for anyone and neither reason nor evidence was enough for a definitive explanation.
It was Goodwitch that instructed the students of their task. Somewhere behind her and away from curious eyes, Peach and Jekyll continued their true discussion.
"I'll have a look around further out while you stick close by," Peach whispered.
Jekyll nodded at this. He already knew what his task was for he had already been briefed ahead of time. Under the guise of furthering her research on these tree saps, Peach would fly further out where it is likely that they would find any further evidence of Merlot Industries. It wouldn't do for such kinds of Grimm to be discovered early so they had guessed that they must be further out. There were ancient ruins further out, he'd been told. It would have been nice if Oobleck had been here. Their chats, while sparse, had been just a pleasant experience for him as he had with Peach. The historical perspective of things played well into his legal knowledge and the two could easily delve into the fullest details in implications of any law that had been passed or have been considered to be passed.
The students started nearby, clearly wanting to get the most out of the nearby trees before having to move further out. With any luck, some of them may not even have to leave their sight and finished filling all of their jars and then some. Those not so lucky started to drift further away after some time when it had become clear that all the trees were either taken or would not give any sap. Their primary focus had been on trees whose sap had oozed out.
It was around this time that both Goodwitch and Jekyll started to make a few rounds, checking to see if the students are actually doing their duties or staying close. There had been a few who thought themselves clever by trying to move further out to do other things while others sought to find hidden spots where they could lounge about before being caught by Goodwitch and subsequently brought back to the beginning. It only happened once, granted, but that one time was enough to convince the others not to follow suit. Jekyll's presence alone had become a deterrent for anyone still thinking about it.
He yawned as he returned back to square one. This did not go unnoticed by the deputy headmistress. "Not much sleep last night, Jekyll?" she asked.
"Been adjusting," he replied. "There have been a few nights that haven't gone well."
Since that night, Jekyll would have those nights where he was fully conscious of his being in a dream state. His mind must have been so severely broken that he could at times interact with the dream state around him. Each one had been similar to the last. Always taking place in a strange combination of London, Atlas and now Vale. Each nightmare always began with the death of Sir Danvers Carrew, the murder that would eventually lead to his own downfall. Sometimes he would have been caught by Scotland Yard while other times he would be caught by his fellow huntsmen and huntresses. Often they lead to his death which resulted in his waking most of the time. Every single one them was because he bore the face of Edward Hyde.
"Considering your circumstances," Goodwitch said. "It is to be expected that there would be new experiences." She checked to see if any student was listening. "You are a familiar after all. Most of our understanding of familiars are usually those of limited intelligence."
Jekyll nodded along. As far as the people in the know are aware, he is a familiar. Summoning familiars are a noted trait to exists among huntsmen and huntresses. While the specific methods have varied from user to user, the commonality among them—other than the summoning act itself—was that the familiar doesn't possess a free will and is often subservient to the summoner. Since there is no secretive body or a Holy Grail War that exists, Remnant is frankly ignorant about the extent that familiars could go. With him being the first truly human familiar, it must have been untrodden ground that sadly, Remnant will never explore.
"As for Amber," Goodwitch continued. "How is she?"
"She's doing as well as she could." Jekyll had been monitoring her vitals and noted them down. Initially unnoticeable, her vitals were slowly decreasing. She was still within normal ranger though she was starting to border down on the lower end. It has become low enough that Jekyll could already notice the changes to her body. Her heart rate had slowed to conserve as much energy and it didn't take a genius to figure out what must be happening to her muscles. Her brain activity must be slowing by down like it was entering a deep-sleep state. Jekyll had done what he can to keep them within normal as he could but with her aura—her very soul—itself having been affected, it has been an increasingly desperate and losing fight.
"I am sorry that we could not do more." Sensing his distress, Goodwitch placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Our enemies have been laying low since then. Any sightings of Roman Torchwick have been noted to be without them."
"That criminal has yet to be caught?" Jekyll asked.
"Torchwick had always been an elusive criminal. Amber had been attacked, he had already plagued Vale's streets. How he does that flamboyantly while avoiding capture is something neither us nor law enforcement had figured out yet. All we know is that he is often alone, never really seen with any accomplices."
It didn't help that they would have to keep up this façade. Humanity's morale had always been rather fickle. It was easy to tell them all that the Grimm were just mindless beasts and that humanity's intuition and knowledge is what was slowly turning the tide in this war of attrition. But if they had known that the Grimm had a unified mind, such a thing would cause chaos among the populace. They would argue amongst themselves about their strategies and tactics, of whether peace was possible with the Grimm and so forth.
"I'll search a little further out," said Jekyll. "Perhaps the walk could wake me up and keep my mind away from things."
"If it helps you, Mr. Jekyll," replied Goodwitch. Her usual strict and cold demeanor had been replaced by a warm and comforting expression. Jekyll didn't want to think about his nightmares. The vivid images of what Hyde had done to people like her caused a guilt to his heart. For every Jekyll there was a Hyde, indeed.
He moved around the trees and looked upwards at the falling leaves. Forever Fall was apt, indeed. At first, He had thought that perhaps it was akin to the season which would have made Autumn better in his head. But the leaves were constantly falling. They were scarcely few in number per tree but no matter how anyone would divide this land, there was always a leaf falling somewhere. He even came across a few where the students had already gotten the sap for he could see the hole and damage done to the bark. Some have been gentle while others were rough and needed refinement.
No Grimm in sight yet which was a good sign, he supposed. If the tree sap really did attract the Grimm, there must be so few nearby that would be attracted to them in the first place. Even if they did, the students were capable enough since they often travel in pairs at least, ensuring that they wouldn't face the Grimm alone.
Jekyll found a tree that he liked and sat against it. The reminders of blood still felt uneasy on him but he had slowly gotten accustomed to it and even appreciated the calm silence that the forest gave. The whistling of the trees and the distant leaves getting scrunched by footsteps. He had silenced himself and he would swear that he could hear running water somewhere in the distance. Sap would be a sticky substance and wouldn't wash away that easily especially if one were to get them stuck on their clothes. His own heart slowed as he took in the tranquil surroundings. His mind was nowhere and was empty. He liked the peace that he was being given and he is choosing to enjoy it before the inevitable end. Whether that was sooner or later, he didn't think about it. He'd rather not think about it.
A different disturbance came and predictable ruined his peace. It was the shouts of students running away. It was distant and Jekyll had to orient himself first before he would hastily run off in a direction. After certifying that the shouts came from somewhere, he turned to face it and ran, meeting members of team CRDL along the way.
"What has happened?" he asked them as soon as they were close enough to hear.
"Big Ursa!" the boy, Russel Thrush if he recalled, said. "Big Ursa, sir! It's got Cardin!"
"Where?" Jekyll asked. When Russel hadn't even given him an answer, he held the boys shoulders tight and shook some sense back into him. Russel pointed further back and Jekyll nodded. "Go back and inform Professor Goodwitch."
Jekyll let go of Russel as he rushed in the direction that the boy had pointed him towards. In the distance, he could make out the figure of team RWBY's Weiss Schnee contrasting the usual red of Forever Fall. When he had gotten closer, Jekyll could see that Ruby Rose and JNPR's Pyrrha Nikos were there as well. The three of them were standing rather idly, their weapons were drawn but they were not in a fighting stance. If anything, the three of them appeared to be in conversation.
"Miss Nikos, Rose, Schnee," he called them. "I heard there was an Ursa. Is Mr. Winchester alright?"
"Professor Jekyll!" cried Ruby excitedly like she had just reunited with a family member before she composed herself. He wasn't formally professor but some students have called him that anyway. She, along with the other two, turned around. "Uh, y-yeah. But it's okay now."
Jekyll moved past them and saw Jaune Arc having a few words with Cardin Winchester. The latter had sap all over his breastplate which must have drawn the Ursa. The former appeared bruised and in need of attention, especially those veins slightly creeping out of the hoodie.
Young Jaune Arc turned and was surprised to see them. Jekyll took it as his cue to dash in to check on him. Other than the wounds and bruises that he had suffered, the blonde boy would be alright. Jekyll sighed relief and instructed the young Arc to go to Professor Goodwitch.
Such momentary relief only lasted a moment however as another roar was heard. Another Ursa had appeared; it must have been drawn to the sap earlier or it had heard the commotion early and sought to investigate. Jekyll's own eyes widened as the Ursa appeared to be larger than usual. Its hide appeared to have been tougher. What had caught his attention however were the green orbs that were in place of what otherwise should have been red. This Grimm was one of the modified ones that might have been connected to Merlot Industries.
"You students, go!" Jekyll commanded. As much as he believed the students would be more than capable of handling one of these, it was he who was the professional here and it was he who had a responsibility over the students. Whether that was as a Servant or as a staff of Beacon Academy, Henry Jekyll had a duty and a dream to uphold them and be a proper hero. With the students gone, it also helped him in keeping his secret. His eyes closed and he sighed. That was the real reason, wasn't it?
When the collective footsteps had begun to fade, Jekyll eyed the modified Ursa one more time. It was definitely larger than normal and its hide was clearly tougher. The roar it bellowed out had greater force behind it that most would buckle down in fear. He had no doubt that the students might be capable of fighting this thing if they did so as a team. However, it would not be done without at least one of them getting severely hurt. For someone like Jekyll, as much as he would consider himself average at best, such a thing wouldn't be a problem now that they are alone.
Jekyll charged forward. He put away his glasses and bent low enough just so he could get underneath the Ursa's swinging arm. His knife may have had the shorter reach but he cut at the Grimm's side, putting effort behind the strike using both hands and the momentum of the Grimm as well. It wasn't a deep cut but it had done well enough to cause the Grimm to roar in pain. Jekyll had to bury down that pleasure that was forcing his lips to curve upwards. He was slowly getting himself accustomed to having to fight two battles at once.
Gripping the little bony structure that made up what protection it had, Jekyll climbed on top of the Ursa and began to make his way towards the head. Such would have to be his constant strategy with having so small a knife. Practically speaking, Jekyll should consider getting himself a different weapon for these things. Yet, he couldn't find it in himself to find one that would better suit him other than a knife. There was something inherent about the knife that made it better suited for his preferences. He was reminded of the reason when the Grimm stared at him defiantly. The thought of seeing that be replaced with fear and getting to see that change up close will never be something he will grow tired of.
His shook his head. That wasn't him but rather him. That moment's weakness was not missed by the Ursa it moved its body in a way that Jekyll followed with the momentum, losing his footing. When he was hanging by the bone spike, the Grimm forcefully grabbed him and threw him away, causing him to bounce of the ground like a pebble skipping across the water. Aura or not, the momentum behind it had caused him to groan in pain.
Fingers digging into the ground, Jekyll gritted his teeth as he lifted his head to face the Grimm. Anger was undoubtedly filling his heart. Whether that was anger at letting him creep out or the anger at having missed his opportunity of seeing if these monsters of fear would feel fear was beyond him. It had made him uneasy that he was unsure of which it was, momentarily. With a growl, Jekyll rose up on all fours and charged again at the Grimm for a few feet before he got back up and ran properly like a human.
This time, he thrust the knife deep into the Ursa's soft underbelly. The black form engulfed the entire blade while trying to swallow the handle. Only Jekyll's hands prevented the knife from being fully embedded into the Grimm. The momentum was in his favor as the Grimm was pushed back and put off balance. Jekyll still had his feet well placed and he bent his knees for greater power as he jumped. Putting his body behind it, he managed to flip the Grimm so that it would land on its back. He wasn't about to let it fight back as he held the claw that was headed his way with one hand.
Placing his feet on the Grimm, Jekyll hopped forward where the Grimm's neck would be and thrust the knife deep into, causing the Ursa to roar out in beautifully pained agony. Shaking his head, Jekyll wasn't about to let another moment slip as he got up and stomped the knife so that it was entirely buried in the Grimm. If it would perish, his knife would return. If it did not yet fall, that only meant more time for him to enjoy himself.
Jekyll stopped. His vision had started to blur that he hadn't noticed it until now. The Grimm struggled free and he was soon off the Grimm. He landed on his back as the Ursa got back up. It was on its last legs as he had struck it at a vital spot. However, without his knife, Jekyll did not have any means to finish the job. Looking around him in a panic, he could not find even a rock or a stick that he could use to defend himself with.
The Ursa, sensing that its opponent was now defenseless, had renewed vigor and leapt at him. However, the Grimm never reached Henry Jekyll.
A deafening gunshot was heard. Puncturing directly through the head, the hole that the bullet left behind had unmistakably ended the Ursa then and there. Turning to face the direction the shot had come from, Jekyll saw that it was Ruby had fired the shot.
"Ruby!" he growled loudly "I thought I told you to go get Professor Goodwitch!"
"I did," she said. Damn girl really needed to listen. "But I can't just leave you behind, sir! I could help."
"You could have gotten yourself—" Jekyll stopped. His vision was blurry still. He recognized the feelings he had now and if he was correct, he would sooner regret his actions if he did. He had poked his ugly head out. Jekyll breathed to calm himself. To Ruby it must have looked like he was in pain for she had tried to get closer only for Jekyll to raise his hand to stop her. When all things had calmed, he said, "you could have gotten yourself hurt, Miss Rose. I appreciate it, but there wouldn't always be times when it was just one Grimm."
Ruby pouted but nodded in understanding. Jekyll honestly believes that she would do it again. The reason he gave was rather basic and expectant if it came out of any other professor. Sometimes the monster will be me, he thought. He shook his head. He is not him. He didn't want to be him.
Jekyll turned and waited for the Grimm to dissipate enough so that he could get his knife out. It was coated in black that he would need a lot of water to wash it out. He might need to have it checked to see if Grimm remains have any properties that would rust metals. The cloth he had on his person would have to do for now.
"How did you do that, sir?" Ruby asked. "The eyes thing?" She still kept her distance.
"You could say it's a semblance," Jekyll replied. Trying to find an excuse, he added, " could you do me a favor, Ruby? Just forget my outburst earlier, okay? My semblance isn't exactly the best. Makes me lose control a little bit."
"Oh, you must have a similar semblance like Yang!" she replied. She appeared peppier now than she was earlier. Jekyll could feel guilt growing inside of him. She must have been scared. "Gets stronger when she gets hit. Of course she needs to get hit but you know."
"You're not scared?" Jekyll was surprised.
"Who? Me? Nah." The fact that she was visibly different from earlier in his eyes said otherwise. The pep she was unnatural and forced. "I'm sure it's alright sir, you won't hurt anyone important to you right?" She sounded unsure.
"Of course, Ruby," Jekyll said. I hope so, he did not.
Both he and Ruby made their way back to the gathering area where everyone was waiting for them. Without Peach, Goodwitch had to stay behind to make sure that the other students weren't harmed before she could move. She had to put faith in him as a professional huntsman to protect the students and deal with the Grimm. Relief washed over her entirely at the sight of both of them being alright. Although she did appear worried about the state that he was in, the fact that Ruby wasn't at all affected meant that she was in no danger. Jekyll could feel proud at that even if it most definitely could have gone better.
Peach arrived some time later. In that time, Jekyll spent more time taking care of his wounds. Someone had a flask on their person and offered it to him for both drink and weapon cleaning. He caught his breath as he rested what he could and concentrated on his aura to recover the wounds. It would have been much better if he were a proper Servant but that is still impossible for him at this point, if it would even be possible at all.
The crates were full of the jars of sap that they have gathered. Apparently, the sap was edible as some of it will be given to the students as a kind of jam. One of the students, Nora Valkyrie, was certainly happy at the thought. Jekyll smirked for he had seen traces of the sap still on her face.
He had to carry the crates to the school laboratory as there wasn't much else to place them. There was also going to be some experiments pertaining to that, Peach had told him. Though, judging from the lesson plan, said experimentation was much more akin to a cooking class than the usual experimentation.
Placing down the last crate, Jekyll stretched and audibly heard a sound that came from his as he did so. He heard more as he stretched and twisted the other parts of his body. I hope I didn't break anything, he thought to himself. Being much more akin to a human now also meant the effects of age that comes along with it. Some of those sounds were loud enough to make the hearer concerned.
As he went back to the stockroom, his eyes drifted again to the Dust containers. The fineness of such compounds were a perfect replication. He didn't want to dare it but he would say that it had similar properties as the special salt that he once had. He sighed. It didn't matter. He didn't need to create another one of those drugs as he could do so if he ever lost his mind and actually wished it. Instead, he sat there and waited for Peach; he had no spare key for the room and thus had to wait.
"Finally have confirmation," she said as she entered the room. There was an elation in her town that she herself was elated from the ground. Her wings were flapping rather cutely as she did that; it was like a fairy—the happy, innocent kind, of course. Actual fairies could be terrifying.
"Confirmation?" he asked.
"All these recent Grimm activities and unnatural variants?" she replied. "We have definitive proof of our suspect." She placed down a slab of metal. It had broken off from the rest of the containers but the symbol on it was still mostly whole that anyone could fill in the rest of the detail with little effort.
The symbol was that of the defunct research organization, Merlot Industries.
AN: More just comparing to canon timeline. Though Merlot Industries from the games were moved earlier for this.