"Everyone, settle yourselves", ordered Tengan, prompting everyone listening to sit down. He and others were sitting across a dark wooden table at an unknown room inside the Future Foundation, a group of Hope's Peak individuals with the mission to restore peace to the world. Recently known to the killing game participants, the world was left in ruins from an unimaginable disaster, and the Future Foundation is set to eliminate the mastermind responsible for doing so.

The problem is that they can't get in the school building, meaning that defeating the mastermind is a task left to the students.

"What was the reason behind this meeting, Mr. Tengan?", resounded a great voice coming from a tall individual, a dark bull placed on his head as a mask.

"Mr. Gozu, that is an excellent question", responded the old man, taking his time to sit down. Everyone looking at him, the old man continued, "We're having a new member joining us today."

"Who is the student?", deadpanned Izayoi, the Ultimate Blacksmith. "And what talent do they have?"

"Calm down, Sonosuke", Tengan raised his left arm. "This person is not an alumni from Hope's Peak". This bought everyone to a small shock, only for Koichi Kizakura to ask indifferently, "Then who's the stranger?"

"This person is someone who claims to have spied on Hope's Peak the last two years", Tengan declared, everyone else listening closely. "Besides being able to identify Hope's Peak students, this guy also claims to know the existence of 'stands'."

"Stands?", meekly asked Daisaku Bandai, the Ultimate Farmer. Despite being another looming giant, this one had a high-pitched voice, amusingly. "What are those?"

"Our new member describes it as a materialistic incarnation of the soul, each blessed with an ability", explained the old man. "Only those with stands can see them."

"That just sounds like bullshit", chimed in Ruruka Ando, the Ultimate Confectioner, earning an "ahem" from Kyosuke.

"It's unbelievable, but it explains the bizarre occurrences happening throughout the killing game", replied Tengan. He then shifted the position of his chair, pointing at the entrance to his left, "Everyone, greet our newest Future Foundation member, Diavolo!"

Out of the shadows stepped out a tall pink-haired man, his hair as tattered as ever. Giving the room a brief scan, he then asked Tengan, "These are all the members?", a small nod being received as response.

"What, this isn't enough for you?", responded Sakakura curtly.

"I never said that", answered the Italian flatly.

"Nice lipstick", commented Ando.

"Now, now, everyone settle yourselves", chimed in Tengan. He then turned to Diavolo, pointing the seat to his right, "That seat is yours."

The tall Italian then sat down, the old man continuing to talk soon after, "As I said, we could use his experience with Hope's Peak and stands to our advantage, and possibly even save the trapped students inside."

"How can we even trust the guy?", stood up Juzo, earning everyone's attention. "For all we know, he could be another Remnant of Despair!"

"Sakakura", deadpanned Kyosuke.

"You know it's a possibility!", pointed Juzo. Despite not showing it, the swordsman also had his doubts about the new member, just barging into the building and talking about stands of some sort like a lunatic.

"Diavolo, do you have anything to say in response?", asked Tengan, turning to the tall pink-haired man.

Despite being silent at first, the Italian then stood up from his seat, everyone staring at him.

"Listen well", Diavolo resounded. "The only thing that this world will remember are the results. So don't watch my words. Watch my actions, instead", earning a silent stare from the group.

"I like this new person", smiled Koichi, his hat covering his face.

"As if that meant anything", disregarded the confectioner.

"Well then, this concludes our sudden meeting", stated Tengan. "Everyone, return to your positions". One by one, everyone left the room silently, leaving both the old man and Diavolo in the room.

"Now, if you follow me to the right", began moving Tengan, the tall Italian following close by. "The sleeping rooms should be at the end of this hallway to the right."

Meanwhile outside the room, both Kyosuke and Chisa, the Ultimate Housekeeper, began talking to each other, Sakakura walking behind them silently.

"So, what do you think of the new member?", asked Chisa curiously. Receiving silence for the first few seconds, she then heard a stern response, "I still doubt his motives."

"To think his views and yours are similar...", trailed off Chisa, earning a stare from the swordsman. "Sorry."

"In any case, we cannot let him interfere with our goals of restoring hope to the world", Kyosuke remarked, Juzo staring at him. "Until the new member proves his worth, he will be deemed suspicious."

Meanwhile, back at the killing game...

"God, this will be tricky", muttered Mondo, dodging yet another lightning strike from the dragon. Celeste and Mukuro were on the other side, waiting for a chance to jump in.

"GRAHHHHH!", roared the lightning dragon once more, flying towards Celeste. The gambler dodging its attack once more, Celeste saw an opening, striking down the dragon.

"MIMIMIMIMIMI!"

Only for the fists to collide with pure electricity, severely burning the gambler's hands.

"([More gothic screaming sounds] yeah I still don't know how to write Celeste screaming sorry ._.)"

"Shit! I can't heal burnt wounds!", resounded Mondo, dodging yet another strike.

It was then that Mukuro saw an opportunity.

Now's the time to prove my theory!, the model thought.

Running towards the burnt gambler, Mukuro drew out her combat knife, stabbing it into Celeste's left arm.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?", screamed the gambler in pain, looking at her bleeding arm in shock.

"GRAHHHHHH!"

Retreating the knife from Celeste's arm (which caused more wailing), the soldier then stabbed herself on the gut, bleeding crimson red on the cafeteria floor.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR!?", the gambler screamed, covering the bleeding wound on her arm.

"Fallen Soldiers", murmured Mukuro, her stand floating above her. "Rewind back 5 seconds."

Suddenly, every event that happened, the stabbing, the dragon's roar, Celeste's burnt wounds, everything rewinded like a video recording. When the rewinding stopped, both Celeste's burns and stab wounds were gone, and the soldier was left unscathed.

"...What the fuck just happened?", asked Celeste, starring daggers into the soldier.

"I rewinded time by 5 seconds", responded Mukuro flatly. She then pointed at Celeste, continuing, "Normally, I can only rewind events that happen to me directly, but if I 'involve' myself with someone else's 'event', I can rewind back 5 seconds from them, too."

"...what?"

"Since you got burnt, I decided to stab both of us and rewind time to where we didn't have the wounds", the model explained. "It can apply to anyone else, as long as it happens within 5 seconds."

"Oh, okay...", the gambler said softly, almost relieved. She then spoke up, "Well, if you wanted to help me then YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT BEFORE STABBING ME!"

"I couldn't", the model brushed off, "I didn't even know if that was going to happen. I was testing it out."

"SO YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF IT WOULD FUCKING WORK!?"

"Hey girls it's nice talking and all but I would really appreciate some help here!", screamed Mondo, drawing the lightning dragon's attention towards him.

Focusing back on the fight, the model said, "A 'thank you' is more than enough."

"Tch. If we survive", responded the gambler, still pissed off at the model's actions.

Meanwhile at the entrance, Byakuya was silently observing the fight unfold. Since Cloakie ACT 2 allowed him to see stands, he could fully enjoy the fight as if it were some sort of movie.

"If they fail to control that apparition, then it could potentially lead to someone's death", the progeny smirked, satisfied at the scene of struggling students. Feeling he'd seen enough, he began walking back to his room, only to stop and see a running Chihiro.

Just what is he doing?, thought the progeny to himself, turning to walk towards the cafeteria again.

Stopping once more at the entrance, the progeny listened closely at the conversation.

"Stands deactivate when the user is defeated, right?", Chihiro asked, panting for air.

"Yeah, but...", Mondo asked when he paused, realizing what Chihiro wanted to say. "Dude, it better not be what I'm thinking!"

"I'm gonna do whatever it takes to not risk anyone's life!", the programmer declared proudly, albeit with a little fear. "Even if it includes risking mine!"

"What if you lose consciousness instead?", Celeste offered, dodging the lightning strikes. "That could also be more than enough!"

Turning back to Mondo, the programmer pleaded, "Please Mondo, knock me unconscious!"

"Do you even realize what you just said!?"

"There's no other choice, Mondo!", the gambler screamed. "Do it!"

"...Dammit", Mondo said. He then turned to his small friend. "You better brace yourself, dude!"

"I will! Do you worse!"

Sorry for this, man, the bike rider apologized.

"DORARARARARARARARARARARA!"

Meanwhile, at an unknown building...

"..."

It has been a few hours ever since Diavolo's arrival, and the rest of the Foundation got used to him, albeit slowly. And now, there sat the pink-haired Italian at a balcony, staring at the wide, crimson sky and destroyed buildings.

"A nice view, huh?"

A new voice bought back Diavolo to reality, turning to look at where the voice came from. In the doorway stood Koichi Kizakura, accompanied by the Great Gozu, the Ultimate Wrestler.

"Apologies for the sudden interruption", the Great Gozu bowed. "We wanted to make you feel welcomed here."

"..."

"Not a man of words, huh?", the talent scout asked. "Then again, you did tell us to watch your actions. Now you have the rest of the Foundation's eyes on you."

"Koichi", the Gozu boomed.

"My bad", the talent scout apologized. "In all seriousness, make yourself at home."

"...Thank you"

"Oh? Is that a 'thank you' that I heard?", Koichi asked.

"We'll be going", the Gozu said, carrying the talent scout like a wood log. "Take care, partner."

Both members leaving the room, the Italian was left to himself once more.

"To think I've been sparred from insanity only to encounter endless destruction...", the Italian mused to himself. He then looked up to the scorching sky. "I wonder how that Izuru guy is faring..."

Author's Note: Chapter 28 done! With this, the entire Foundation now has been introduced to our newest member! Also, in continuation to the previous chapter, you don't need to read all my fanfictions to understand the plot. I'll be sure to explain what's happening so that no one gets confused!

In response to SparkyBoi's comment, while Hey Ya! would be a parallel to Makoto, I feel like Makoto is already a human version of Hey Ya!, so I'm not entirely convinced that Hey Ya! would be the best stand to give the luckster.

Plus, I already have a path for the luckster to follow, so watch out for that too...

Thanks for the suggestion, though!

Again, thanks to everyone for reading this far! Everyone's feedback and theories are appreciated! Until the next entry, I'll see everyone later!