Dante shakes his head. Thinking about the past was really starting to irritate him. "Be quiet, Chaos, before I find another mud sinkhole." Dante grabs his wristband off the dresser and quickly exits his apartment, arriving just in time for the monorail to enter the platform station.
Dante waived his wristband, opening the monorail's automatic sliding doors. Dante stepped onto the platform and started running down the corridor. He figured that Valerie had already been there for about 30 minutes and didn't want to hear her complain. As he approached the entrance, he heard Alexander's voice. He asked the two behind him if they had ever been inside the training dome while at the institute.
Dante was keeping a distance of about 20 feet from the group. However, he had a strange feeling that someone or something was watching him. That is when Alexander, still talking to the kids behind him, winks, and for a moment, Dante could've sworn he was looking right at him. Which would generally only be possible if you had Dante's glasses of truth. It could have been better lit down this corridor. That nobody should be able to see him, especially at this distance.
At least, that would be the case if it was anybody normal. Dante is good at erasing his presence, even reducing his aura output to vanish completely. However, Dante has never been able to sneak up on Alexander, not even once. It's almost as if he has eyes on the back of his head. In reality, Dante knows that there would be no way to fool his old friend. It was a good thing Alexander wasn't the one he needed to sneak past.
He watches them exit the corridor and walk toward Valerie and another kid. Dante puts on his glasses and focuses on the tree line in the middle of the dome. The glasses started to focus and zoom in like a pair of binoculars. Only these binoculars could also make out the depth and width of the area around the trees, giving perfect depth perception. After finding the most suitable landing spot, Dante could also see the infrared signals that the birds and squirrels were emitting inside the forest. Dante blinks at the tallest tree branch directly above where the group is standing.
He caught his bearings and sat down. Before introducing himself, he wanted to read the situation and grasp the kid's personality. Dante noticed that the girl was easily riled up, and the boy beside her was the opposite with his timid demeanor. The boy with blonde hair and glasses is obviously the strongest among them, but he seems way too uptight for his own good. Dante was going to sit and observe for a bit longer when his ears started burning. This could only mean one thing: Alexander is bad-mouthing him again. Dante pops up and, in one motion, pushes his thumb up, releasing his katana from its sheath off his hip. Dante takes a deep breath, summoning his dark purple aura. Dante applies pressure to his back foot, and with his front foot, he kicks the katana by its hilt, sending it sailing down to the ground.
Dante leaps from the tree line down, landing directly in the middle of his new team. "Damn. I was definitely aiming for your lower abdomen," Dante says, grabbing his katana from the ground. Theo stumbles back as Thalia and Tyler lift their guards, wary of his presence. Valerie shook her head. "Hey, captain, you almost gave me a heart attack. Are you trying to send me to an early grave?"
Alexander says with the same crooked smile he had when the sword first hit the ground. "I told you I missed, didn't I?" Dante places his katana back in the sheath on his waist. "Wait a minute, Dante, as in Dante, who served as the Legends youngest member for over four years. The same Dante who played a key role in defeating Ragnarson." Theo couldn't help but get caught in word vomit with a literal living Legend in front of him. "How is it everybody only mentions your involvement that day? If it weren't for me, you and Alexander would have died that day." Valerie sighed and reached out to help Theo get off the ground.
Tyler's eyes lit up when it dawned on him that the three people in front of him were a part of the core members of the legendary unit only known to the public as the legends. Tyler slaps his forehead. Why didn't he put it together sooner? Valerie's immense strength, but her claims to be a doctor, she must be the famous Fate practitioner. Considering how familiar she is with Alexander, it should've been a dead giveaway.
His outfit should have tipped me off. He is the man they code-named the Mad Hatter. He is the only scientist from District 11 to volunteer for the Retrieval Corps. It all makes sense now. The only person capable of leading a duo this infamous would have to be none other than Dante.
The most famous man in the entire institute who has the highest rate of recovered relics. The man was known to the world as the Blood Hound of the Apex Institute. His unit, the Predators, is the only team in the entire Retrieval Corps that operates with complete autonomy. "So we are a part of the Predators now? This is unbelievable," Tyler, who was usually so composed and unwavering in not showing emotion. He was obviously excited at the revelation and news.
"Ha! Did you hear that, Alex? The boy said that he was a part of the Predators. Let me clear one thing up, boy. My unit has only consisted of three members for over 2 years. Although, unfortunately, I am being forced to deal with a few new nuisances claiming to want to be recovery agents." Dante's energy began to leak out, leaving a foul taste in the air as his purple aura began to appear visible.
"The only way you three make it on this team is through me. And I don't mean figuratively; I mean literally. It's time to see what they're teaching you cubs at the institute." Dante pulls a hair tie out of his coat pocket, placing his hair up.
"I will graciously give you an hour to strategize and talk amongst yourselves." Theo is a bit nervous but still curious enough to speak up. "What are we preparing for, Captain?" Dante takes a deep breath. "First off, don't call me captain because you are not in my unit. Secondly, you are to prepare to kill me. And relinquish my relic from me. It would be impossible for you all to pose a threat to me right now. However, I require that you at least survive ten minutes in an all-out battle with me. I am testing your stamina, fighting spirit, and overall combat ability to determine if your aptitude fits the standards of this team."
"That damn woman made me agree to take on new members. Although I will not take in anyone, I don't believe will be an asset to this unit. Although I am not a cruel man. I will give you all a hint." Dante looks directly at the girl, who has yet to break eye contact with him since he landed earlier to retrieve his blade. He must have judged her wrong. Dante thought she was hot-headed and rash. She is contrary to that by evaluating everything that has transpired in the last 5 minutes. Her level of seriousness and focus impressed him.
Dante also couldn't help but be astounded by her beauty. She could easily give a lot of the women Dante has been with a run for their money in the looks department alone. However, there was something familiar about her that left him feeling a bit uneasy and on guard. "My one and only hint is to remember the Retrieval Corps mission. Also, if you value your lives, come at me with the intent to kill me. As for this test, I will be fighting with all of you seriously, so try your best to survive.