"You want me to substitute you for today?" Jekyll asked as he finished checking on the different equipment and tools; they were all in good condition as usual but protocol demands that he always check them. When both he and Peach had found more samples during the initiation the other day, apparently, Peach needed some time to further study these things and thus couldn't focus on the upcoming classes that they were to take which led to this moment. It had only come up recently and Jekyll was caught off guard.
"I already have checklist prepared," answered Peach as she gave Jekyll the list in question. "And some more notes for the common questions that they would be asking. Those things we found? I need this time to at least confirm something. I need to know. Should be fine, most students are pretty much just accepting of what we tell them but it is best that we explain them anyway. We are training huntsmen after all. It wouldn't do if they just take what we tell them without question."
Jekyll nodded in understanding as he held the list. The list itself was of moderate length. It mostly meant the pairings of the different students during Plant Science Class, their sitting arrangements which were already provided for and an orientation of the conduct expected during laboratory periods. Simple enough but Jekyll didn't think that his being a substitute teacher would ever come up this soon. Is there even a difference between regular classes and huntsman classes? Other than having more focus on combat and athleticism that is.
"You already know enough about the laboratory conduct," Peach continued while Jekyll looked through the checklist more thoroughly. It was strangely detailed; it must have been built on experience. "The rest should be easy to follow."
With those final words, Peach left Jekyll in the stockroom right next to her classroom. Most of the classes at the moment were meant to help the students orient themselves. Much of the rooms were empty and the few that were occupied were spacious. Jekyll had been informed that it is because of the transfer students that will be coming later in the year during the Vytal Festival, along with other teachers who would also be added to the work force in Beacon. No wonder this place feels spacious, he thought.
The first class on the list still had a few more hours to go. As it turns out, Plant Science isn't exactly a priority on classes as opposed to things like Combat Class. In fact, most of the more academic classes like History and Legends of Remnant are taking the backseat as classes much closer to what one would think about a school for huntsmen and huntresses. On the surface, it made sense. Few huntsmen and huntresses have little—if any—need for things like the process of photosynthesis when their primary goal is to hunt down large monsters. This felt more like one of those classes that they have to take because some governing body had mandated that these individuals learn these things.
However, when Jekyll had managed to get a glimpse of Peach's plan for the school year, it was clear that she cared enough about her students that the field of study had been adapted specifically for huntsmen and huntresses. While the more academic but mostly useless things for huntsmen were there, there were also more practical things like how to tell if a berry is poisonous or not, what kinds of plants could they use to transport and contain water, and how to start a fire. Sure, a proper huntsman and huntress would prepare ahead of time but knowledge of these things would also prove to be useful in a worst-case scenario. Nobody can truly predict with absolute certainty what happens when they are out in the field, after all. Jekyll found himself learning a few things as well.
"Moss doesn't actually point north," Jekyll read out loud. "The reason for that is because moss prefers dark and humid surfaces which is usually the case in the northern hemisphere, however if the grove is covered in shade and is damp enough, moss can grow anywhere." He never really dabbled much in such a field other than those that are directly related to his own. He also wasn't much of an adventurer nor a hiker so he wouldn't know about these things.
With the class starting, Henry Jekyll proceeded to write things on the board. He was mostly being guided by the note that Peach had given him. The rules and basic ethics were already there mounted on the wall. On the board, Jekyll mostly just wrote down the agenda for the day so that the students would be made aware of what it is that they could expect in this session. The first students of this class were comprised mostly of the upper years. He knew that as some were the students that had stayed behind in Beacon during the break period. He deduced that the others, based on proximity and familiarity with one another, were their peers. The orientation for them was the smoothest as it was more of reminder and refresher of what they could expect during the class. The wearing of lab coats, the tying of long hairs and the importance of keeping any equipment that they would be using safe and clean. Almost all the students were aware of this and most questions they had raised were ones that Peach knew were coming and so prepared ahead of time.
"She thought of everything," he commented. If he didn't have any of these notes, he doubts that he would have been able to answer many of their questions. Jekyll didn't have much field experience to compensate for it.
As the other classes rolled on and Jekyll had gotten accustomed to the routine, he had also learned and could surmise and even provide educated guesses to the uncommon questions asked. One thing he had noticed is that the older years started with the more academic focused classes while the younger years had more combative ones. The rationale behind that was that the older years were experienced enough on the more physically demanding side of being a huntsman that they are already knowledgeable on the bodily conditioning and exercises that they must go through whereas the younger years might still be lacking and would need some guidance as well. Another reason was the cohesion of the teams; older years have already accustomed themselves to one another and the dynamics of their team as opposed to the younger years. Since there was little left that would aid a huntsman directly, this is where those non-direct approaches come in.
Dust, Jekyll observed, was also prominent here in the classroom. What a versatile substance, he thought. I wonder what are the compounds of this material? Energy, weaponry, medicine, he wouldn't be surprised if there was a kind of Dust that would be used in the culinary arts. Jekyll wondered if there even were alternatives to Dust in this world. It would make sense at this point. Last he heard, Dust prices were still going up and with it, crimes related to Dust as well.
Then, came the last class for the day. This one, Jekyll easily recognized as one of the first-years. The reason? Ruby Rose was among the class list. The students were gestured into the room, still uncertain of their surroundings with some in awe at the quality of the laboratory. Jekyll himself felt a little pride even if he didn't make it. I cleaned it though, I'll take it. See that shine on the table over there? That's me.
As expected, when Jekyll had begun to group the students based on seating arrangements, some had groaned in protest. Granted, most of the teams are already close-by anyway, this was more due to those who have made friends of members outside of their team.
Jaune Arc? Jekyll stared at the name. No relation to the Maid of Orleans? His partner is Pyrrha Nikos. Are my eyes deceiving me but she seems more like the Greek hero, Achilles, though? That was the general feel he had gotten from them. His memories were fuzzy but there was a sense of familiarity with those two that Jekyll guessed that it must have been from a previous summoning somewhere. Whether that was as friend or foe is beyond him; it could have been both for all he knew.
Jekyll recited the rules and regulations as well as the ethics expected of the students during the class period. He had already said so many times by now that he had it memorized. Even he felt that the delivery of this one was monotonous and dull. When he was done, he also answered the common questions that the students had, some of which he had already answered in previous classes.
The first years were the most to have questions. Understandable given that they have yet to develop the experience to understand the importance of Peach's class. The most basic of which is that there is only so much that rations could do when they are on extended missions. It wouldn't do well if the students ended eating something poisonous or rotten.
Peach also thought of other things, apparently. "No there won't always be a farmer that would help in the rebuilding of the town or village," Jekyll repeated when one of the students asked. "You can't always guarantee that a settlement will be fine as soon as the Grimm threat has been dealt with." He answered another. "Yes, lavender oil has properties that helps you sleep." Not everyone had immediate concerns but he still had to answer them. Peach must have encountered these questions so many times to even have that prepared ahead of time.
Other questions are more personal and there Jekyll struggled a little bit. He didn't really delve into the details of his backstory but he did mention how his town was wiped out by the Grimm and it was what made him become a huntsman. No, he did not go through the academies. Yes, he did start rather late when compared to most other huntsmen. No, he was not about to demonstrate in class. Most of them were disappointed when his weapon of choice was an ordinary knife. Nothing fancy and most certainly not cool as the children put it.
Out of all the classes, the first-years were definitely the most exhausting of them all. So many questions. He would commend them for their curiosity and desire to learn more but most of them were about why they would even bother to learn Plant Science. Peach had specifically instructed him in the notes never to use the fact that they were obligated to go through the class. It would be seen as an admission that the class was useless and only meant for them to check off another box in their checklist. The most difficult ones were those that were specifically about Remnant. He only had the bare minimum of knowledge which he had needed for the exam of his license. Anything else was just him learning it by the day.
I'll need a book, he thought. Or would current events be more fitting? That was something he could do during his off-times. Even if it were snippets and pieces, Jekyll could at least not rely on basic information that all other huntsmen and huntresses would already know.
Jekyll stayed behind to clean up a little bit more as not all the things in the laboratory classroom were that well-arranged. Vacuuming the little bit of dust—the regular ones—and dirt that they may have had under their shoes in between classes. Afterwards, he returned to the stockroom and took a quick look at today's events. Dust prices have been going up. Nothing too special he already knew that. Politicians doing politics, nothing too unusual. Criminal activity suspected to be members of the White Fang. That's new. A terrorist organization? Jekyll pretty much skimmed through them just to get better bearings of Remnant. He could do a more comprehensive reading later on.
He then spent his time looking at the different tools and equipment that was available for the Peach's classes. All the tools that he himself had used before were there along with a few others that must have come from after his time. The table that he was at was mostly empty with only a few documents and folders neatly secure in the corner. There was no table cloth and Jekyll could count the different scratch and pencil markings on this table. He could picture it happening there: the test tubes, beakers, liquids and solid compounds. The manner at which that formula was made; it was a clear and vivid image to him as if he had only done that yesterday.
His hands had buried his face. How much different would his life be had he not undertaken that experiment? Would he still have the friends he had in that life? Would Jekyll still be that respectable figure in society? Would he even be remembered? If he hadn't had that need to know, would someone else have taken the mantle of pushing mankind to greater heights and in that folly be the one to walk down towards the terrible end that he had?
Outside, Jekyll heard the footsteps of Peach. There was a casualness behind that rhythm. It would seem that her research had either proved successful or that there was some progress behind it at the least.
"Good afternoon," said Peach as she entered the room. She had a thin document in hand. She stretched as she placed the folder down on the table. There was an audible crack when she twisted herself for her back. Peach froze in place when she had heard it and sighed relief when it was okay. "Hope that was nothing. Anyway, how did the classes go?"
Jekyll gave her a play-by-play of what had happened today. So far she had nodded along and had no questions to ask.
"Alright, thanks," she replied. "At least I won't be behind on the classes. In other and better news, I managed to find some progress on our metallic pieces here."
Jekyll opened the document and what he had found was what appeared to be a logo of some company. It was a hexagon with three lines sticking out of three points that ended with a circle. In the middle, there was a stylized writing of the letter M. Beneath the logo, the label had marked it as Merlot Industries.
"Merlot Industries," Jekyll read out loud. "Is this our culprit?"
"More of a lead," Peach responded. "Merlot Industries has shut down years ago but word has it that before it did happen, they had conducted research on live Grimm. When we had seen the mutated Grimm and the metallic pieces, I started to look into this research facility."
"And?" Jekyll would admit a level of curiosity. The shaking of Peach's head had disappointed him.
"I have yet to find any proof if the facility is running in secret. For all we know the Grimm that we had encountered are the ones that had been caught long ago and may have escaped and found their way here. A bit of a stretch perhaps but it is the simpler answer. The alternative one has questions whose answers will make you sound more like a conspiracy theorist. If we wanted anymore we would have to go to Mountain Glenn and that isn't going to happen until the missions start later in the school year during before the Vytal tournament."
Jekyll nodded in understanding. It was disappointing that he hadn't learned much. Part of him was hoping that there might be some lead to Amber's attackers. If their enemies had used some kind of Grimm to take Amber's powers before he came along, then it would make the most sense that it would be the industry dedicated to researching it.
"I'm guessing the next step is to confirm any recent activity?" Jekyll guessed.
Peach nodded in affirmation. "The metals that we have found are rather old. Beacon doesn't exactly have the means to identify the age of things like those. Not even Dr. Oobleck has access to these kinds of things and he's the historian. Unless it is something of ancient rock and stone or had murals involved, we're not going to get much in the way of finding if those Grimm were recent."
There was still time left in the day. Peach had used that time to rest and ready whatever other documents she had for the coming classes. Jekyll had already cleaned most the utensils and much of the room so he had nothing left to do. What he did was pick up a book on plants since it was what was available in the area. It was mostly a list of the common plants found on Remnant across the different continents and the different conditions of climate and weather for them to thrive. One in particular reminded Jekyll of something he might have seen at some point. He wasn't certain where exactly but it was a tree that had the color red on it. Was it from news at some point? It wasn't important to him at the moment.
"You know," Peach said, suddenly. Her expression was that of amusement. "You should probably buy your own notebook if you're going to study like that. I have a need for those papers, Jekyll."
At first, Jekyll looked at her in confusion. When he looked down on the table, he hadn't realized that he had taken a few sheets of blank paper and begun writing notes in relation to the book he had read. It wasn't a story by any means but he nearly had blazed through a hundred pages and already wrote down many things about the things that he had learned. His notes didn't just contain summaries of certain plants but also his thoughts and their applications in certain aspects of everyday life.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't know."
"Oh you certainly did not," Peach replied, curiosity now painting her face. "You haven't been here that long and already you move around without needing to look. Combined with you already familiar with the laboratory means you've been in similar venues before, haven't you? Had a lab of your own once?"
Jekyll thought about what he should say for a moment. Then, he answered, "in a way. For what little its worth, I was a medical practitioner and an academic myself."
"Sounds about right." Peach swiped the papers that Jekyll had been writing on. "Rashes and their cures. The chemical make-up of different saps and their applications for potential sedatives. You experienced in the pharmaceutical fields or something?"
"You could say that," Jekyll said, bashfully. "I also dabble a bit on the law but that is mostly confined to where I am from."
"The common law?" Peach replied. When Jekyll nodded, she continued, "and here I thought you couldn't get any stranger. What made you choose to be a huntsman, anyway?"
He was about to answer, but held himself back. How much does Peach know? Does she even know that he isn't even someone from Remnant? Was she deeply part of the Secret Circle in the same way that he was? He wasn't sure. "A personal reason," he replied instead. "I'd rather not talk about it. It has something to do with the town that I came from."
"What happened?"
"Someone..." How would he even being. "Let's just say that someone went a little insane. He thought himself invincible as he took from everyone around him. If he could, he would have plundered heaven blind and steal from the gods." He looked uneasy as his eyes darted left and right.
"That much?" Peach was laughing in disbelief. "Sorry but I don't think that's possible."
"That's his secret," Jekyll said. It felt wrong to talk about it like that but he needed to get his story straight and he wasn't quite ready for that whole truth yet. "He knew how to hide himself from others." Next came the embellishments. "In time, the negativity drew in all the Grimm. Can't say if I am the only survivor but I certainly was alone there. I personally think he is still out there."
Peach moved closer. She placed a wing over his shoulder like one would do with their own arm. "It's alright. This time you don't have to be alone. If this murderer is out there, I'll be there to help you out."
Jekyll's heart sank. Just tell her. Be honest with her. "Thank you, Peach." He still could not say it.
"It may not be the same, but I understand."
"You do?" Jekyll had doubts about that.
"You have your secrets, beansprout. I can respect that. I have mine and it would be nice if you do the same."
Jekyll nodded with a little bit of laughter. "Of course. Fair's fair." Exhaustion came over him.
As day turned to night, both Jekyll and Peach resumed their conversations of the academe. Their topics ranged from a variety of fields with the former dominating when it comes to chemistry while the latter on botany. One thing that they did share an interest with was on the human nature. Jekyll freely shared the thoughts he had once pondered but he carefully kept out the fact that he had actually experimented on the idea of separating one's good and evil. Any mention of that was attributed to the other person from his so-called town.
"The problem with that," Peach had said. "Is that what one considers good may be evil to another. Morality is a difficult thing to handle. It couldn't be handled in the same way one would do with liquids and solids."
"And yet, across all cultures," Jekyll argued. "Everyone has a concept of what is unacceptable, an evil, and what is acceptable, a good. Would it not make sense if there is some unifying and objective moral that applies to all of us?"
"If you go down to the most basic form, maybe," she agreed. "But once you get to the specifics and add further details, you'll start to see disagreements on what is considered good and evil. Even then, you also have to consider if it is good enough or evil enough. Now that I think about it, it is difficult to even agree on what is a common good and a common evil."
"I suppose that nobody is perfect," he said, conceding in this discussion. He would have made more arguments there but he knew, from experience, that the nature of good and evil is dependent on the individual. Vices and shame, not everyone would have the same dark sides. His own was that of someone who had been constrained by the shackles of his status and reputation that any misbehavior would not only have been scandalous but also career shattering. He would not have been able to recover if he had been exposed as such. Jekyll may not be Hyde, as he tells himself, but Hyde was still his responsibility. His creation.
Peach looked remarkably brighter since their conversation had ended. She must have been lonely here in the profession of huntsmen and huntresses. While everyone among her peers are more concerned with making weapons and honing their skills to fight monsters, here she was more concerned with other fields. If Jekyll was being honest, after the whole conversation, he had come to the conclusion that Peach would have been better off if she wasn't a huntress at all. She would have done better had she become a professor of a non-huntsman school instead. He could picture her making public presentations about her latest advancement in her own research. Unlike him, hers wouldn't put other individuals in too much danger. She looked bubblier too.
As for Jekyll himself, it felt nice to have someone with whom he could freely talk these sorts of things about. It kept his mind on other matters and it is here that he could find some kind of solace from all the things that weighed down on his shoulders and his mind. One does not earn multiple doctorate degrees without some level of passion towards it. It kept him grounded in himself and that was something he wanted to hold on to.
On his bed, Jekyll had laid his head. His smile was that of contentment. For a little while, he had forgotten about his duties and his oath as Amber's Servant. For a little while, he wasn't burdened by the evil that lurks deep within the recesses of his own moment. For a little while, he could have a break and focus on other things that, while not directly useful to him nor his goals, relieve him of the worries that plague him. For a little while he was simply Henry Jekyll, an ordinary man with his own interests and pursuits.
AN: This one was rather difficult, tried to think of what the possible classes could be taught in "Plant Science." Decided to mix it with the more usual classes that I could still remember from biology class.