My Hero Academia: Tropic Thunder

-Narrator POV-

Kaminari's new breakthrough left his classmates in awe, with some even wondering if that was really the same Kaminari who couldn't even charge a phone battery without blowing it with up to smithereens. Yet, there he was, holding off hundreds of hurled balls with his newly developed defensive technique.

As the crackling golden barrier expanded around Kaminari, arcs of electricity dancing like a living shield, the group barely had time to process what they were seeing.

Yaoyorozu's eyes widened slightly, her analytical mind already breaking it down.

"A defensive application of his quirk… He's stabilizing the electrical output to form a controlled barrier. That level of precision requires immense focus." She pressed a hand to her chin, impressed. He's come so far from when he could barely contain his own power, from not being able to keep himself counscious at the U.A festival to this... The thought left a strange warmth in her chest, one she quickly pushed aside.

Midoriya, standing beside him, was already muttering under his breath. "It's almost like a Faraday cage principle, but inverted—he's dispersing the energy outward to deflect attacks while still maintaining conductivity! But how's he managing to sustain it? The energy control alone—" His excited analysis cut off as Kaminari reinforced the shield with another surge, the arcs of lightning snapping with precision. Midoriya's expression shifted from curiosity to pure admiration. "This… this is incredible."

Mina, meanwhile, had no interest in breaking it down scientifically—she just gawked. "Holy crap, dude! That's your quirk?!" She practically bounced on her feet, eyes shining. "What happened to the 'zap and hope for the best' Kaminari? You look like a total Pro!" She nudged Jirou playfully. "You seeing this? When did he get so badass?"

Jirou was seeing it. And for a second, she forgot to breathe. Kaminari stood at the center of the storm, completely in control—his stance solid, his expression focused. It was nothing like the reckless dork she was used to seeing short-circuit himself during training.

"Y-Yeah..." She managed, crossing her arms in what she hoped was a casual gesture. "Didn't think he had it in him." She meant it as a tease, but her voice came out softer than she expected.

She felt Mina's knowing grin on her before she even glanced over. Damn it.

...

The shimmering electric barrier dissipated with a sharp crackle, leaving Raio standing in front of his classmates, his chest rising and falling in labored breaths.

"Kaminari, are you okay?!" Midoriya called out for his colleague amidst the confusion. Raio stood at the ready, but the new technique proved that he still needed to work on it just a little more.

"I'm fine... just—look out!"

Suddenly, two students from a rival school darted out of the chaos, capitalizing on the opening. Both wielded quirks that worked in tandem—one shot powerful jets of water, while the other created dense shards of hardened earth. The perfect counterbalance to Raio's electricity.

"Well, that's just great." Raio muttered under his breath, his tone laced with both sarcasm and determination.

The first blast of water surged toward him, followed by a volley of earth shards aimed to box him in. Raio had no choice but to take cover behind shattered rocks to avoid the incoming attacks, a single drop of water hitting his energized body would mean game over. He reviewed his options in a split second as the second wave of attacks were incoming.

They're targeting me on purpose, one wants me unable to move while the other comes in for the kill, short circuiting me into defeat. I've got no time for another barrier... but I still can outmaneuver them.

Electricity surged through his boots as he calibrated his output. 

Raio crouched low, electricity crackling around his body like a second skin. He felt the familiar pulse of power coursing through him as he activated his boots' specialized conduits.

"Time to test this for real..." He whispered, his voice a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Raio's mind raced as he narrated to himself:

"Calibrating for velocity... Lorentz Force for propulsion... Amperage, 2.5. Voltage, 18,000. Let's do this!"

Electro Drift!

With a thunderous CRACK, Raio launched himself at the attackers, a streak of lightning soaring on the battlefield. The air around him shimmered as ionized particles reduced resistance, allowing him to dart through the incoming attacks like a living projectile.

The rival students barely had time to react before Raio closed the distance.

"Missed!" Raio grinned, twisting his body mid-air to avoid a final jet of water.

He landed just behind the first opponent, his right hand already sparking with precision-calibrated electricity.

Non-lethal output required. Calculating resistance: 1,000 ohms. Limiting current to 0.05 amps for a muscle lock effect.…

"Close-quarters suppression technique: Voltai Strike!"

With a flick of his wrist, Raio discharged a concentrated burst of low-amperage electricity directly into the student's shoulder. The jolt was enough to incapacitate without causing severe harm, sending the opponent crumpling to the ground.

The second student, startled but determined, swung a jagged shard of earth at Raio. With his adrenaline still surging, Raio sidestepped and planted his feet firmly.

"Nice try. But here's the thing—lightning beats rocks."

Channeling the last of his momentum, Raio executed a flawless side spin and delivered another Voltai Strike to the second student's leg, sending them to the ground.

Both opponents neutralized, Raio exhaled sharply. He straightened up, brushing off a stray spark from his sleeve.

But before he could fully assess the situation, the ground beneath him trembled violently. Cracks spider-webbed across the pavement as a low, guttural rumble filled the air.

"Uh-oh..." Raio looked up to see Shindo Yo from Ketsubutsu Academy standing in the distance, a confident smirk plastered on his face.

"Hope you weren't too attached to this zone." Shindo called out. "Because it's about to crumble."

The entire area quaked as Shindo activated his Vibrate quirk. hills broke apart, debris rained from above, and the ground under Raio's feet began to collapse, he wasted no time, up was the only way available to escape this chaos.

High voltage for lift. Steady amperage for control. Balance the magnetic field to counteract gravity. Don't overcompensate.

Stormstride!!!

With a flash of light and a deafening crack, Raio shot upward, narrowly avoiding the incoming debris. His body spun midair, arms outstretched to stabilize himself as he surveyed the battlefield from above.

"I can't see a damn thing from here, my electroreception tells me my classmates are all scattered on this zone, but they're mixed with random students too. This Shindo punk has one hell of a strong quirk for crowd control."

...

Raio hovered high above the chaos, his electric aura crackling faintly in the dim light. Far from the frenzy of flying balls below, he scanned the terrain. His breaths were steady, but he could feel the strain creeping in—his energy reserves were running low. The crackle around him began to sputter, and with a grimace, he descended to the highway zone, boots skidding on the cracked asphalt as he landed.

"Sheesh, I exaggerated." Raio looks at his reserves, his new suit allowing him to now have a rough estimate on how much energy he can use up until he reaches the limit.

Aegis arc, Electro drift, two consecutive Voltai Strikes and Stormstride. Here goes over 70% of my reserves... I need a recharge, I'm sure there must be a power source here somewhere.

As he looked for a suitable source, his mind flickered back to training, to Ectoplasm's voice steady and firm.

"Kaminari, your quirk is powerful, but you musn't treat it like an endless battery. It isn't."

Raio had been kneeling in the training room, his body still crackling from overuse, breathing heavy as he wiped sweat from his brow.

"You're like a circuit—energy flows through you, but every circuit has limits. Push too much current through, and you'll short out. Drain too much, and you'll be left powerless."

Raio had gritted his teeth. "Then what do I do? Just not use my quirk when I need it?"

Ectoplasm had narrowed his eyes. "You need to learn to manage what you have. And if you run dry…" He gestured toward the generators lining the training facility. "You find a way to recharge."

Raio clenched his fists as he refocused on the present.

Balance, huh?

He exhaled, slowing his racing heartbeat, and his gaze landed on a nearby power pole. Bingo. The transformers above hummed with stored electricity, and Raio could almost feel the current waiting to be tapped into.

He rolled his shoulders, stretching his arms as arcs of static began jumping from his fingertips again.

"Alright, let's test this new move."

He reached up, fingers twitching.

Raio stepped forward, shaking out his arms as he locked onto the power pole. Steady. Controlled.

He reached up, fingers tingling as he focused on the current surging through the transformer above. Electricity wants to move. I just need to give it a path.

Taking a deep breath, he planted his feet and extended his hand. The static in his body flared, latching onto the charged air around him. A sharp crack echoed through the streets as his quirk connected to the power source, like a lightning rod locking onto a strike.

ZZZZTTT!

The moment the connection was made, Raio's muscles tensed. Electricity surged down his arm in chaotic tendrils, hungry and wild, but he didn't flinch. He guided it, absorbing the flow instead of letting it take over.

Balance.

The ache in his limbs dulled, the sluggishness in his movements faded, and the golden arcs around him burned bright again.

His body felt lighter, charged, alive.

Raio exhaled slowly and clenched his fist, a spark snapping between his knuckles. Alright… I'm back.

He glanced up at the sky, rolling his shoulders as the renewed energy settled into his veins. With a swift movement, he jumped several meters high, landing on the rooftop of the building in front of him.

He took a moment to gather himself, scanning the area for any signs of movement. That's when he saw it: a lone figure standing in the distance, surrounded by grotesque, misshapen orbs rolling lazily at his feet. The figure exuded an eerie calmness, hands tucked behind his back, a composed stance amidst the chaos. 

A strange, prickling sensation crept up Raio's spine.

He wasn't sure what triggered it—maybe the barely perceptible shift in the air, maybe his instincts screaming at him—but his body moved before his mind could catch up.

Something's coming.

WHIP!

From behind, a grotesque, fleshy tendril lashed out at him. Without thinking, Raio's hand snapped up, crackling arcs of electricity racing down his arm.

ZZZTT—CRACK!

The tendril didn't just stop—it exploded, shredded apart by the sheer voltage coursing through it. The severed piece twitched on the ground before shriveling up, burnt and useless.

Raio's eyes narrowed. "What the hell—!!"

Before he could finish the thought, another surge came.

Dozens of fleshy limbs erupted from the shadows, writhing and twisting unnaturally, all converging toward him in an overwhelming, smothering wave.

"Nope."

Raio's body blurred.

With a single step, he launched himself into the air, twisting mid-motion as arcs of lightning flickered in his wake. The tendrils scraped past him, narrowly missing his legs as he kicked off the side of a streetlamp, flipping effortlessly.

He landed lightly atop a power pole, boots resting against the metal as sparks crackled under his feet. A cold gust of wind swept through the empty street as Raio straightened, peering down.

His sharp gaze locked onto the figure below.

The student stood among the grotesque mass of quirk-forged muscle, his expression twisting in displeasure. He had been certain his prey wouldn't escape.

Raio, however, wasn't looking at the tendrils anymore. His mind was sifting through memories, trying to place where he had seen that sneering face before.

Then, it hit him.

His lips curled into a knowing smirk, a spark snapping at his fingertips.

"Now I remember you." As Kaminari approached cautiously, recognition clicked. Seiji Shishikura, the Shiketsu classmate of Yoarashi Inasa.

Seiji turned slightly, his sharp eyes locking onto Kaminari with faint amusement. "Well, well. I am impressed, you're the first who actually managed to react to this technique. You are Kaminari Raio, the celebrated champion of the U.A. Sports Festival." He began, his voice clipped and patronizing. "How fortuitous for us to cross paths here."

Kaminari raised a brow, folding his arms. "Fortuitous, huh? Can't say I feel the same." His tone was casual, but his eyes darted to the orbs scattered around. One of them shifted slightly, drawing his attention to the unmistakable red streaks of hair... Kirishima's hair... Embedded in the twisted mass.

Seiji caught his glance and smirked. "Ah, you've noticed. An unfortunate fate for those who represent the unworthy." 

Kaminari's eyes widened, and a slow, simmering rage began to replace his usual levity. "What's your deal, huh?"

"My deal..." Seiji replied, "...Is justice. Heroes should embody perfection, not these brutish, unrefined miscreants like your loudmouthed friend—Bakugou, was it? He's right here, too." He raised his left hand, revealing another deformed ball, twitching faintly with explosive sparks. "A sad example of everything wrong with today's heroes."

Kaminari clenched his fists, his smirk growing in size. "Funny, I hear your voice but those are Stain's words. Are you also another lunatic who thinks their heroes' vision is the only one worth having it." Seiji chuckled softly. "Aah, Stain... The man you also had a hand on defeating it. You may want to spew your horrendous attempts at being a joker [...]"

He lifted his boot and pressed it down onto the Kirishima-shaped mass, eliciting a muffled groan.

"[...] but yet you stand here, listening to these words. It's because you know I'm right. This system churns out individuals who tarnish what heroism should be. You—" he gestured toward Kaminari, "—might be their golden boy, but even you must see the rot beneath the surface, of what's wrong with this hero soc-"

"Take your foot off my boy." Raio said, his voice low, cold.

Raio's playful smirk disappears, replaced by a hard, focused stare. He shifts his weight, standing taller as electricity arcs between his fingers and up his arms. The air around him thickens with a charged current that sends a thrill down his spine.

Shishikura's brow lifts, curiosity flickering across his face. The smirk that follows is thin, dismissive.

Another hothead, what a disgrace. Once more, this flock of aspirants is nothing short of dissapointing... Well, If that's the case, I shall make quick work of him.

He tilted his head, bemused, as he pressed his boot down against Kirishima a little more. "Oh? And if I don't?" 

Kaminari's aura flared violently, electricity coursing around him with newfound intensity. "You will cease to have it."

Seiji's smirk faltered slightly, his eyes narrowing as he took a half-step back. "This sorry attempt at intimidation doesn't suit you, U.A. champion."

Kaminari didn't waste any more words. With a swift motion, he extended his hand, electricity crackling and coalescing into a spiraling bolt of power. The air around him hummed with intensity, and arcs of energy snapped like whips.

There it is. Roaring Thunder, the move that made him the winner of the sports festival. How predictable. He will close the distance on a second, and when he does, my tendrils will subdue him before he has the opportunity to connect. 

Seiji had it figured it out. Or at least he thought he did.

The electric bolt elongated, shaping into a deadly, spiraling spear of lightning. 

"Time's up." Raio muttered, his voice nearly drowned out by the roar of his quirk. Raio drew his arm back and hurled it with devastating force. The bolt ripped through the air, leaving a searing afterimage and a trail of ionized plasma lingered in its wake, casting an eerie glow across the battlefield.

"He threw it? He wasn't supposed to have long rang-"

Seiji barely had time to react, his eyes widening as the spear closed the distance in a fraction of a second. It struck his chest with pinpoint accuracy.

ZEUS... JAVELIN!!!

Then came the detonation.

The impact erupted into a blinding explosion of light and sound. A thunderclap roared through the air as the energy dispersed outward, engulfing Seiji in a vortex of crackling electricity. The sheer force knocked him off his feet, his body slamming into the ground with a dull thud.

The point of impact where the spear landed was charred black, a circular scorch mark etched into the earth. Sparks arced and danced across the debris, the aftermath of Raio's calculated precision.

When the smoke cleared, Seiji lay unconscious, his uniform scorched and his expression frozen in stunned disbelief even in defeat.

Raio stood there, panting, the residual electricity around him fizzling out as he steadied himself. The technique had worked, but the exertion was evident in his trembling legs and sweat-soaked face.

"I told you... To take your foot off him."

He turned to Bakugou and Kirishima, who were regaining their footing.

"Hmph. Took you long enough, idiot." Bakugou, rolling his shoulders and flexing his fists, grunts out. 

"You're welcome, Meatball."

Kirishima coughs, eyes wide with disbelief as he pushes himself upright.

"Whoa... Kaminari, that was so Mainly!"

Raio's lips curl into a grin, the tension in his posture easing just a touch. "We're not done yet. Get ready."

The trio's gaze shifts to the path ahead as tens of deformed balls are now taking their original forms of students once caught in Shishikura's grasp. Bakugou can't help but almost drool at the antecipation of finally unleash his bottled anger of being captured, talked down to and ultimately having to be saved.

Straightening up, Kaminari spared one last glance at Seiji before moving to face the remaining students, determination burning in his eyes.

"C'mon, let's pass this phase."

...