Beacon Academy's Training Hall
Dante stood at the front of the spacious training hall, his hands resting casually in his pockets, his clock-like head ticking softly in the quiet room. The polished floors reflected the bright light streaming in from the high windows, and the faint scent of metal and dust lingered in the air.
Before him stood two teams in loose formations: Team RWBY, brimming with vibrant personalities and curiosity, and Team JNPR, their camaraderie evident even in their nervous energy. Behind Dante, Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch stood as silent overseers, their expressions unreadable but their presence commanding.
Ozpin's calm, measured voice broke the silence. "Students, allow me to introduce Dante. He is... unique among us, and he'll be serving as an advisor to your teams for the foreseeable future. I expect you to extend him the same respect you would any faculty member."
Weiss Schnee, her arms crossed tightly, raised an eyebrow. "Advisor?" she repeated, her tone sharp. "Forgive me for asking, but what exactly qualifies him for this position?"
Dante tilted his head slightly, the clock hands on his face twitching as if reflecting his thoughts.
Ruby Rose stepped forward, her silver eyes alight with curiosity. "Wait, so you're like a veteran Huntsman or something? Do you fight Grimm? What's your weapon? Oh! Is it a scythe?"
Dante raised his pad, the device glinting under the light.
Ruby blinked in confusion. "A tablet?"
Yang Xiao Long smirked, folding her arms across her chest. "A minimalist, huh? Not bad. But how does a guy with a clock for a head fight Grimm with a glorified notebook?"
'She reminds me of Heathcliff,' Dante thought, his clock ticking slightly faster.
"I doubt it explodes," Nora Valkyrie chimed in, her grin mischievous. "But hey, not every tool has to be awesome!"
Dante sighed, glancing at Ozpin as if questioning whether this introduction was worth his time. Ozpin gave him a faint nod, silently urging him to continue. Dante rolled his metaphorical eyes and straightened up.
Ruby bounded forward, her energy as boundless as ever. "I'm Ruby Rose! Leader of Team RWBY! I love cookies, Crescent Rose, and fighting bad guys!" She twirled her weapon—a massive scythe that seamlessly transformed into a rifle—with practiced ease.
Ruby beamed. "Aw, thanks!"
Weiss Schnee stepped forward, her posture composed and her voice crisp. "I'm Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. I specialize in Dust-based combat and strategy."
Yang Xiao Long leaned casually against a pillar, her golden hair catching the light as she grinned. "Yang Xiao Long. Ruby's big sister, thrill-seeker, and Team RWBY's muscle. If you need something punched, I'm your girl."
Dante gave her an appraising look.
Blake Belladonna approached last, her steps quiet and deliberate. Her amber eyes studied Dante with an intensity that made him feel like he was being judged. "Blake Belladonna. Member of Team RWBY."
Jaune Arc stepped forward hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck. "Jaune Arc! Leader of Team JNPR. Uh, still kind of getting the hang of things, but I'm trying my best!"
Jaune blinked in surprise. "Wow. That's… actually good advice."
Pyrrha Nikos followed with a warm smile. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos, champion of Mistral and Jaune's second-in-command. It's an honor to meet you."
Nora Valkyrie practically bounced forward, her energy contagious. "Nora Valkyrie! Lover of pancakes, smasher of legs, and the best person you'll ever meet!"
Dante raised an eyebrow.
"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me!" Nora declared, beaming.
Ren followed silently, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to Nora's. He gave a polite nod. "Lie Ren. A pleasure."
---
Weiss crossed her arms. "We've introduced ourselves. But we still don't know anything about you."
"What kind of abilities?" Ruby asked, tilting her head.
Dante said bluntly.
The room fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in.
"That's…" Pyrrha began, her voice soft with a hint of awe. "That's incredible."
Ruby's silver eyes widened in shock. "You'd go through that for us?"
"That's some heavy stuff," Yang said, her usual confidence dimmed slightly.
Dante nodded.
Dante focus his mind again, remembering the process.
'Follow Your Star'
Chains shot out from Dante's chest, latching onto each of them. The room filled with a faint metallic hum as the process concluded.
Yang rubbed her arms. "Well, that was… weird."
Ruby grinned nervously. "I thought I just died for a second there."
Weiss scowled. "Next time, warn us before you do something like that."
Dante raised a hand apologetically.
Blake spoke up, her voice calm but curious. "You mentioned something about mirror identities and… E.G.O. earlier. What are those?"
Ruby perked up at the question. "Yeah! What does that mean? You said something about it when Ozpin was explaining things."
Dante's clock head twitched slightly, as if processing their questions.
"Alternate versions of us?" Weiss asked, her tone skeptical. "Wouldn't that mean our personalities would change?"
"And E.G.O.?" Pyrrha asked, her tone curious but cautious.
"Sanity?" Jaune asked, frowning.
Blake's expression didn't change, but her voice carried a trace of curiosity. "And these identities of ours… where do they come from?"
Ruby tilted her head. "That's… kind of cool, but also kind of creepy."
Weiss sighed. "I suppose this is just another one of those things we'll have to get used to."
Dante's clock ticked softly.
Jaune blinked, his nervous smile faltering. "Huh? Me?!"
Ruby laughed. "C'mon, Jaune! You'll be great!"
Yang grinned. "Yeah, fearless leader. Show us what you've got."
Dante smirked slightly.
---
Author note: Now Jaune gonna experience the City. Now you can comment the id in the comment and I choose one of it