"Who the fuck are you supposed to be, huh~?"

Blackmore, a quiet and reserved young man, was finding the high-volume of Katsuki Bakugo quite intolerable, particularly when it was directly next to his ear. He sighed and looked out the window, away from the boy's leering face and the strange, sugary scent that seemed to waft from his hands. In all honesty Blackmore was less annoyed and more concerned; had he done something to offend Katsuki? Was there some misdeed he had committed that had resulted in the boy being angered by his mere presence?

"Blackmore." he replied, voice soft. "Roland Blackmore."

"You an American or something?" Katsuki asked next, to which Blackmore nodded. "Great. So you're some sort of exchange student then… eh, fuck it. You look a little tougher than the last extra, at least."

Blackmore said nothing, staring out at the landscape as it rushed by. It boggled his mind that this much territory could be used for a school; when Blackmore had gone to school, it had been about the size of a small house, with some twelve students attending. That had been before things had changed, before the accident and his exile, before he found purpose at the side of President Valentine.

And long before his death.

The fact that he had died confused Blackmore somewhat. It was strange to know that he had, at one point, left the mortal coil. His soul had escaped his body, his mind had ceased function, his heart had stopped beating. And yet, in spite of that, here he stood, being harassed by a young Japanese boy some two hundred years in the future after his death, in a world where nothing worked the way it had when he had walked it last.

Yes… it was a curious dilemma. At least he had Master Izuku, he supposed, and the fact that his master was willing to listen to his concerns at all was quite something to him. President Valentine, for all his kindness in hiring and caring for a defective thing such as himself, was not an easy man to get close to. His was a higher purpose, and to him men like Blackmore, Disco and Soundman were simply means to an end. Blackmore had been happy being a means to an end. But Master Izuku being a much more open and kind leader was something that made Blackmore happier than he'd ever been before.

Also, he was learning to be a hero. That was something quite interesting in and of itself. Apparently 'hero' was now a profession, akin to a soldier or an officer of the law. Blackmore wasn't wholly certain how to feel about that; if a hero was simply a working man, was he truly heroic? Was not a hero one who fought for something greater, like President Valentine? What was to stop a hero from becoming just another sort of job, like a bank clerk or a farmer? What made a hero a hero in a world where a hero was a working man?

Blackmore wasn't sure. But he expected he would likely find out, given that he was apparently going to learn how to be one. He sat in his bench, next to a somewhat sullen girl apparently named Kyoka, though he was informed that he would have to call her Jiro. Apparently first names were special in this country, something reserved for friends and family. That wasn't actually all that strange to Blackmore; he had been referred to by his last name for years.

"Hey." the girl spoke up, catching his attention. "Yo. Blackmore, right?"

Blackmore looked at her, blinking. Katsuki… or, Bakugo, he supposed, had ducked back into his own bench next to a muscular boy with spiky red hair. Kyoka Jiro was a smaller girl, slender and pale with purple hair. Blackmore stared for a moment, noting that she froze under his gaze and seemed almost shocked for a second, before she shook her head and continued speaking.

"Are you… are you related to Richie Blackmore?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Famous American rockstar-type? You have the exact same last name, and I just thought since you were also from America…"

"I…" Blackmore pondered that question for a second. He didn't know what a rockstar was, unfortunately, nor did he know all that much about his family. Due to his… defect, he had been something of a shameful secret for his parents to hide, kept out of sight and mind of the rest of his family until the incident had occurred. However… he did remember a grandfather.

"I had a grandfather named… Richard Blackmore." he said, nodding once. "Yes, my grandfather's name was Richard. I-I do not believe he was a rock-star of any sort. He was a farmer, as far as I know."

"Maybe further back?" Jiro pressed, and Blackmore shook his head. He didn't know. He presumed not, considering most of the references these people made were from after his time alive. He had recognized Lincoln's name, and a few other presidents, but beyond that… nothing much rang a bell. Chances were this 'Richie Blackmore' fellow had lived long after Blackmore, likely a descendant of his. His brother had wed, as far as he knew. Chances were Blackmore was related to this Richie somehow.

"Wait…" Jiro held up a hand. "Didn't you say your… Quirk was named Catch the Rainbow? Like, the song by Rainbow? Richie Blackmore's band with Ronnie James Dio?"

Dio. Blackmore blinked when she said the name. Diego Brando, another enemy and also sometimes agent of President Valentine's. Had Diego Brando survived the events of the Steel Ball Run after Blackmore's death? There was a curious question, but not one he could answer. Looking through books in the library (he was able to read Japanese, somehow) had taught him that in this world, the Steel Ball Run either hadn't happened or had been a very minor event, likely the former. President Valentine had not existed either, curiously enough.

But did Diego Brando still exist? What of Disco and Mike O, and even perhaps Blackmore himself? Had President Valentine simply died in the desert, rather than finding that fated piece of the Holy Corpse? Where had the world shifted so radically from his own? What had been the great change that saw so much end up so differently?

Blackmore did not know. And that did not worry him, not as much as perhaps it should. But then again, Blackmore did not think it his place to think. He thought it his place to serve, and serve he would. No matter what.

"Master Valentine named my Stand." Blackmore declared. "It was named for… no. I shall not say, not unless ordered. That is my secret to keep, and I apologize for wasting your time."

Jiro cocked her head to the side, before chuckling. Blackmore blinked again, and she looked away.

"Alright, keep your secrets, mystery boy." she said, obviously amused. "I'm not gonna force you to talk."

Whilst Blackmore attempted to discern the whims of the opposite gender, a fearsome task for any boy no matter their age, Izuku was being grilled on the strange (and attractive, according to Mina Ashido) foreigner who had rather suddenly replaced Mineta Minoru as their twentieth student. The smaller boy had been shuffled away with a surprising swiftness, before Blackmore had been dropped in his desk and Izuku had realized that his life was simply going to stop being simple now, thank you for asking.

The fact that Blackmore still called him 'Master Midoriya' and was exceedingly polite to anyone and everyone who gathered around him was not helping matters in the slightest. At that point, Izuku had given up on convincing Blackmore to just call him 'Midoriya' or something of the sort. Apparently his title was here to stay, and neither hell nor high water could convince Blackmore to drop the honorific and treat him normally.

"So, he's American, right?" Tsuyu asked, cocking her head to the side. "Or maybe British?"

"American." Izuku replied, nodding. "He's from… erm… Virginia."

"Blackmore was born in Pennsylvania, but I suppose it's close enough." Funny added in his mind, Izuku practically able to see the man nodding in his mind's eye. "Just remember that he is an exchange student. Your headmaster and teachers were all quite insistent on that."

"Man, I wonder what happened to get him swapped with Mineta so quickly." Kaminari added from behind. "He just showed up so fast, it was crazy."

"I bet it has something to do with All Might." Hanta Sero interjected. "He spent a lot of time in America, right? Maybe Blackmore has something to do with a hero he worked with, or something like that."

Izuku didn't say anything. The less he connected himself to Blackmore, the better things were. He had at least managed to convince the boy to act as normally as possible in front of his classmates, which mostly meant not constantly standing beside Izuku with his umbrella in his hands. He was wearing his black coat and hood again, deciding that those and his mask would be his hero costume; at least, for now. He was open to change, however, something Izuku was grateful for.

The bus rolled to a halt in front of an enormous glass and steel dome, one Izuku recognized immediately as he stepped down off the bus. Unforeseen Simulation Joint; the USJ for short. Also known as Universal Studios Japan to several of the online forums he inhabited when he was bored and needed something to do. His hands folded behind his back as he stood waiting, shoulders squared and chin up. Valentine had been drilling him in appropriate posture for a president. A true leader stood straight and true, making it clear he was in charge. Hands behind the back in peaceful situations to display trust, hands in front during more hostile engagements to make it clear violence was an option you were willing to consider.

Eyes open, no squinting. Face kept even, neutral expression at all times. Only exceptions were smiles when greeting someone or subtle frowns to display discontent with something being said. Invite respect, project authority. Hostility is the tool of the lesser man, the tyrant and the coward. A true leader, a true man, should be able to make it clear he is in charge with a single look. That was the mark of a great president, Funny said.

Izuku hadn't known any of this before, but he certainly did now. His classmates seemed to notice the change, several staring outright for several seconds before looking away. Izuku didn't look back; he had to stay focused, or his veneer would likely crack. It was a thin line he was walking, but he believed he had his balance.

That was Thirteen walking toward them. THE Thirteen, Ochaco Uraraka's favourite hero. Don't fanboy, he told himself. Don't fanboy, don't fanboy, don't fanboy… DON'T YOU DARE FANBOY.

Thirteen nodded at him. At him. Izuku Midoriya. Deku. The useless one, the one nobody liked until he showed them what he was. His eyes went wide for a split second, before he felt a gentle mental prod from Funny and forced his expression to even out again. Mission accomplished. He set his jaw and smiled, bowing at the waist and bringing his arms to his sides. This was something he had explained to Funny; bowing was akin to shaking hands. It was something Funny was unsure of but at least seemed to understand.

They were headed inside now. Good. Hands at the sides again, expression neutral. Don't trip on the stairs. Don't trip on the stairs. Made it inside. Holy crap, he noted, this place was huge. The dome was big from the outside, but on the inside the highest point was at least two hundred feet up at its highest point. He let his gaze wander, taking in the various zones the actual USJ was divided into. There was an enclosed area, a city-like sector billowing with smoke, a large body of water with a boat in the middle…

And on the central platform, a gathering of roguish individuals, whom Izuku realized after a moment were villains of some sort. But… surely they were hired actors of some kind? Fake villains, for the sake of their exercises? But when Eraserhead and Thirteen saw them, they both looked surprised, before Eraserhead dropped into a fighting stance, pulling down his goggles.

From amidst the crowd stepped a tall, lanky figure, pale and clad in loose black, with his face and arm covered in what looked like severed hands connected by wires, or some sort of narrow tubing. Izuku's eyes went wide, and he took an involuntary step back. The figure grinned a large, sickening grin before raising a hand in greeting.

"Good afternoon, prospective heroes!" he called, voice echoing through the whole dome, likely enhanced by some other villain's Quirk, or just his own natural speaking ability. "We are the League of Villains, and we are here today for one reason and one reason alone; to kill the fake known as All Might!"

Author's Note:

And here we are folks; the USJ arc. Don't worry, I've got some fun stuff planned for the fighting here. Izuku's going to abuse both his powers in tandem, some funky things are gonna happen, and Blackmore's going to have a whale of a time being the scariest thing on two legs in the rain. Or just the scariest thing in the rain in general, honestly.

Kyoka is best girl don't me or I'll throw hands I swear.

Funny's gonna be teaching Izuku a lot of stuff here. Obviously not everything; Funny made mistakes, and I figure a smart guy like him would know that. But Izuku still has a lot to learn, and Funny was probably the, I dunno, second most successful Jojo's villain? After Pucci, I figure, since Pucci mostly won. Maybe Kars, but, y'know… he got Tesla'd and his brain stopped working.

Same for my boy Magenta. Speaking of Magenta, he'll have something to do with this story, so be on the lookout for that. Same goes for a lot of Part Seven characters, at least the ones who worked for Funny.

Hope you guys liked this, and I'll see you in the next one!