Chapter 70: Test of Thunder

Mist sat in the hollow like an old promise, long broken and yet still nearly tangible. The hills around the nameless village were knives of grey under the rising sun of the October morning. Its presence did little to banish the lingering cold of the night that passed over the area, tasting of iron and wet stone. Hedgerows lay unruly with bramble, the neat lines of ploughed farmland nothing but a memory, leaving overgrown fields covered in out-of-control produce and weeds.

A narrow river thread through the abandoned village, its surface a sheet of crystal-clear water, glowing with the rising morning sunlight, and at times, small fish broke the surface. Many of the once quaint and modest buildings have fallen into some disrepair, some little more than rubble and burnt-out ruins. Abandoned rusting hulks dotted the small streets, all that remained of the cars the residents once owned and used daily, some still carrying evidence of how they've been carrying produce, animals, or other farm supplies and products.

Above it all, at the centre of town, loomed a great four-story building, the tallest around, built in a more modern style. Time had taken it, much like everything else. Its once sleek walls had turned rough, and white paint peeled away, leaving only bare, cracked, grey concrete coloured only by dirt and moss. The clean glass was long gone, shattered by wind and beast alike, allowing nature to pierce into the building.

Dusty was unimpressed with the situation, as she and the other 100 or so villains had been instructed to come here and get there before 8 a.m. However, she could admit it was a good spot for a battle royale. The village had been abandoned long since, many of the buildings had already collapsed on themselves, and being far from the closest populated settlement, they didn't need to worry about anyone calling the pros on them.

And yet, despite the deadline approaching, there was no sign of the Thunder.

“Damn, couldn’t they pick a different spot for this? Or maybe let us show up later in the day?” Gust asked, rubbing his arms to generate more heat, only to be stripped by a chilled breeze.

“You think this was some secret first test? Seeing how could or would show up on time?” Dusty asked, as they could overhear some mention of how their buddies hadn't arrived yet.

Volcano hardly felt the cold; his body was burning far too hot for something as minor as the cold morning to get to him. "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. They'd better show. It won't look good for them to make all these people wait."

“You think they’ll try something?” Gust asked, to which Volcano scoffed. His eyes went over many within the group, people who he could tell were getting annoyed with things and seemed ready to start a fight.

“I think pissed people can do stupid things.” His reply was short. Moments later, as the lock struck 8 a.m. on the dot, a green fireball shot out into the sky, exploding like a firework, drawing attention and causing some to near fly off the edge.

“What the?”

“Who sent that attack out? You want to start something?”

“You moron, that came from the building!”

“Yeah, and that was green flames, only one person I know can do that!”

Dusty only rolled her eyes in annoyance at the talks she heard from the rest.

"Well, it looks like they're punctual, " she joked as she and the rest looked towards the roof of the city hall, where a figure walked up to the edge, followed by another. The first was easily recognisable thanks to the maroon bandages covering their entire body. But it was the second, and she and her boss looked to it.

The small statue and giant snake wrapped around him, like a vine around a tree. There was no mistaking that boy, that face that had been plastered across the net, and that he wanted boards across the net along with the rest of his group.

Dusty and Gust felt the air around Volcano grow warm, his gaze focused on the younger villain. “He finally showed his face.”

Pyre gazed onto the massed crowd of villains from his elevated position. His face remained calm, though on the inside, he was nervous and inquisitive. This would be the first time he did something like this, as combat and missions were one thing, public speaking, particularly to a crowd that wasn't all that happy, was another.

But he was chosen for this as the second proctor and speaker because the rest believed in his skills. He could recall how Nine told him that he could connect to these people in ways the rest just couldn't, a notion he didn't understand at the time, but as he looked out over them, it hit him like one of Kon's right hooks.

There was anger, annoyance, and bitterness in them, but he could also see fear, outrage, and a sense of resignation about their lots in life; in their faces, there was hope. Hope that was sparked by him, by the Thunder and their success, particularly among the heteromorphs, who seemed to make up almost half of the villains present. With such an observation, Izuku- not Pyre, but the boy he still was under his villainous persona- felt like, at last, he was making steps toward his goal of being like All Might.

He might not have been a hero, but he found he didn't want to be. But he still wished to be a symbol, to bring hope to people, and it was to people like them. So, in the moments since he stepped up to the proverbial plate, his heart calmed, and his mind cleared as he opened his mouth to speak.

“Good morning, I am Pyre, and along with Mummy, we'll be handling this first test to see which of you may join our ranks." He didn’t have a microphone, but he didn’t need it. The crowd had fallen silent, letting him speak clearly.

“Wait!” Someone did break that unwritten rule, a woman who seemed concerned about something. "We'll still be waiting for the rest to arrive-"

“I don’t care,” Pyre frowned, unable to act, completely removed from what had to be her plight about this. Still, rules were rules, and if he started bending them now, they would never respect the notion that he could maintain them. "The instructions were clear, and they were given well in advance. They're out if they couldn't make it here on time."

Mummy stepped in for him, taking on the more violent role of the two as his wraps floated around him, like the many heads of a hydra watching its prey ignorantly grow close. “And to make things clear, if we see people who aren’t already here try and jump in…”

Pyre took things from there. “As for the exam, as explained, it'll be a means to cut you, 134 people, down to just 40. Not too bad when you think about it in pure numbers, as you all have a little less than 30% of making the cut.”

Dusty smirked at the statement, as it was cute that the kid was trying to assure them, but you'll need only think about it for more than 5 seconds to realise the flaw in that logic. "Yeah, pure numbers, but that doesn't consider how hard people will fight." She whispered, rolling her eyes as she saw that some seemed to have bought the idea.

Pyre continued, with Dusty and others whispering again and falling silent. "The goals remain the same as they were explained, you need to be one of those 40 left standing, need at least a single take-down to your name, and yes-we, we'll be paying close attention, so don't try and cheat us, and lastly, under no circumstance can you kill. If you do, I'll wish I would just kill you."

Volcano didn't miss how neither Pyre nor Mummy explained how they'd keep track of them, as no matter how capable they were, they were just two people, and for this melee, there were bound to be spots they missed. Of course, he believed that the kid meant what he said about how they would punish those who stepped out of line; that was right up his alley.

Not like there was a single person here who hadn’t seen what he did to that Ingenium kid.

Pyre then surprised them, as he addressed a common thought among their number: how unfair and seemingly illogical this was. "We figured that some of you might be a little pissed about that. As Nine said, you're all trash, but you got potential, so you're not useless or idiots. So, if that could be said about all of you, why can't you be chosen?"

For some, it might have sounded foolish, a gang of 5 can't just expand to 50 after all, but many in the underworld knew that the Thunder wasn't truly 5 people. It had absorbed several smaller gangs and yakuza groups under its banner, taking their turf and businesses for its own, if not in outright ownership but in control. Knowing that, would it not be best to create a more closely aligned group acting as supervisors and muscle, allowing the Thunder's influence and reach to spread and secure its holdings?

Mummy again seemed to handle this. Stepping up, he eyed the ground, his gaze piercing into many who struggled to keep it, even if they wondered if he ever saw them to begin with, or was merely gazing into the masses.

Mummy asked a question that seemed confusing: “Tell me, did any of you know crime's been on the rise lately? Oh yeah, we criminals have been having a blast since big bad All Might finally hung up the cape, but there is a problem with that. It's all short-term." Mummy started to explain.

He gestured to the abandoned village, silently commanding that they take in the sight of it, the smell of what had once been home and businesses, hopes and lives-all gone. He explained the village had been abandoned 30 years prior, during a mass villain attack, which All Might couldn't react to in time, having been out of the country.

It sounded impressive, like this was an example of what villains could do, but then he burst the bubble with the facts that few people were killed, that the group responsible for the attack was quickly found, defeated, and arrested by several of the then top 10, and that the people just didn't return as the farming potential wasn't there anymore. In the end, all that assault did was speed up a natural population decline; it was flash but no substance, no lasting impact.

Cycling things back, he made his point that this rise in crime, this apparent 'happy hour' for villains, was false, more the media hyping up mole-hills into mountains for ratings. “Sure, things look good for us now, people are spooked, pros ain’t gaining as many wins, but that can't last. Do any of you know why?"

He didn't wait long for them to respond and instead gave them the answer. “It’s because so many fakes have stolen the word ‘villain’.”

Mummy raised his hand, letting his wraps fall off the limb but swirling and twisting around it. His back was straight, and his words were strong and confident: "Villains are cunning, deceptive, smart, capable, ruthless, and strong.”

His eyes creased, the only sign he was frowning. “And yet, how often do pros capture villains? It's so common that it's hardly newsworthy because those captures weren't villains but glorified thugs and petty criminals. They've made the word villain into a joke." He hissed that last word, as if it was a disgusting flavour in his favourite food, altogether. At the same time, the crowd of villains found themselves captivated by him, hanging onto his every word.

He swung his arm out, his bandages shooting like blades, slicing through the cold morning air. "Stain might think that pros aren't real heroes anymore, but we think many criminals don't deserve the title of villain either. Who the hell cares if more of us come out of our hiding holes and wreck some shit? The pros will get better, and they'll clamp down on those idiots as they've always done. It doesn't matter if the sheep still feel safe if that feeling is based on nothing.”

Dusty couldn't turn away, not that she wanted to, as this…this was something else. She had been a criminal for years, since she was a pre-teen and sure, she started out small, but she worked her way up, met Gust and the boss, and become greater. But how often had she been embarrassed when other so-called villains were easily caught? How often did she have to hear people talk about them like they were jokes? Pests have you dealt with the most?

When was the last time she heard people scared, truly terrified, of a villainous force? She could recall: it was Kamino, when the world witnessed the Lord of Evil himself, and even then, All Might, with what little strength he had, managed to best him. The last of the titans had fallen, and with it, it seemed things could improve; that villains were in for it.

But…that wasn't true, was it? The League still existed, the echo of the Thunder still roared through the skies. Both had started small, just like so many of them, and yet they had gone and done the impossible; they could best pros, break into secure locations, and inspire true fear in the masses who never knew who or where they would strike. They made people fear the word 'villain' again. And at this moment, she could tell it wasn't just their strength of body but the strength of will, the weight of their conviction to become true kingmakers in the dark.

'Oh, this is getting too good to mess up,' She smiled, others lighting up in anticipation as Mummy stepped back, allowing Pyre to continue.

“So this test will root out those who can bring respect to the title of villain once again. You can do as you like as long as no lives are lost. This entire place can be smashed, burnt, and levelled for all we care. All that matters is that you unknown 40…stand victorious over the ashes of this village, and the bodies of your enemies." Pyre reminded them, seeing into the ground a group of motivated people, ready to show off what they could, to prove that they could bring respect and fear to the world villain.

Pyre pointed to the clock tower behind him, which had the giant clock in miraculous working order. "You get 30 seconds before things start; that clock starts now."

With that, the villains gathered only needed a moment to see it, spotting the second hand ticking before they all made a mad dash into the town's ruins, trying to find spots to ambush from or hide in.

‘Not a lot of time, then again, when pros come knocking, not like they give you time to grab your shit.’ Volcano thought as he led his gang down one of the smaller roads.

'Sure, some might turn on their teammates, easy points, but we have no idea what the next test will be. Besides, stabbing someone who knows you in the back is a sure-fire way to cause problems down the line.’ Gust smirked, as if that wouldn't be funny, but hopefully no one was that desperate.

Most arrived in groups, so they'll operate in those groups and try to target smaller and weaker factions. No point staying around longer than you need to, get your knock-out, and then hide.’ Dusty smiled, feeling a level of anticipation she hadn’t felt in a long time. Not since her first big job as a 17-year-old look-out and skirmisher. ‘Almost like a well-planned robbery.’

In the crowd was another woman. She didn't run like the rest, her light red eyes framed by red glasses, only gazing out at the dispersing group. Her face was slim and pointed, with a small nose and sharp chin. Just from that, she struck an impressive figure, but her four arms certainly added to her appearance. The tall woman crossed one pair of arms, while the other rested their hands on two of her blades.

Strolling down one of the larger paths, her mechanical-looking legs hit the old pavement with scraps and clangs. ‘And just like when you’re running from pros, they can pop out from anywhere.’

Down another way, crossing through a narrow alley, another heteromorph jogged, her hooved feet creating clomps with each step. The small, half sheep, half woman had a soft, elongated oval face that tapers into a delicate, short muzzle like the animal she resembled. Her hair is a voluminous mass of white, curly fleece that frames her face like a cloud, punctuated by glossy, black, curled horns. Her eyes are a vivid, slightly glowing red with long lashes, giving her a blank, almost confused look.

‘It’ll be smart to go after those with higher notoriety, villains that make the news tend to have more info about their quirks out there…’ The sheep woman stopped before letting out a sigh that came out part bleat. ‘That includes me, doesn’t it?’

Line Break

With time running out, Mummy found that the group of would-be new members had scattered pretty well. Some dashed into buildings, some jumped into the river, while some seemed to vanish from view, but they could still see them all, thanks to the dozens of high-end, disguised cameras they had bought off Giran.

It was true that the building had long since lost its connection to the grid. However, the clock tower was solar-powered, and despite its age, its system was still good—good enough to run the several TV screens they had set up, which the candidates couldn't see from down there. "Got to say, they're moving like I expected them to," Mummy mused.

"It means that most aren't as short-sighted as you thought they would be." Pyre retorted, as he hadn’t been happy with how the rest had sounded about this, but now Mummy only shrugged at the reminder. “But your speech, about what it means to be a villain.”

Mummy did speak to that. "If Heroes are meant to be the guardians of the present, then we villains must be the force that threatens it just by existing."

"I'm not against that, in fact, I'm in agreement," Pyre noted, having taken a seat to watch the screens, though he also kept an eye on the clock, seeing that time was nearly up. "I suppose we can thank Toga for infiltrating the last hero license exam; it gave us plenty of ideas for this."

That had been a surprise to hear from the League, though they didn't explain why they sent Toga in; they had admitted that she had been sent, a fact which no doubt put them on Shiketsu’s radar, as she had kidnapped and impersonated one of their students to do it. Frankly, it was impressive what she and Kurogiri could do, as no one even realised the poor girl was missing before Toga took her life for a joy ride.

Mummy focused more on what Toga had mentioned about the exam itself and the commission's reasoning for reforming a process that typically had a pass rate of 50%, reducing that number to less than 10% at best.

“No doubt the pros would hate knowing we’re using their playbook to produce a superior breed of villain. Makes you wonder if we’ll ever reach the heights that were the pre-All Might days.” He chucked.

“No,” Pyre looked towards Koharu, who was already preparing a blast of fire. “We’re aiming higher.” Sending it out, the fireball, much like the first, exploded, starting the first test.

And threw the once-abandoned town into a frenzy of violence and destruction.

Line Break

As soon as the fireball went up, the Volcano Thieves found themselves surrounded by a dozen other villains, coming at them from all sides with wide smiles and violent intent.

“They’re not holding back, are they?” Gust asked as they saw the mob running. In the distance, they could see quirks and all kinds of powers being used in every way possible. Already, they could make out buildings being made into collateral.

Volcano's right gauntlet only let out a blast of hot air and smoke, his flames lit and ready as he clenched his fist. His shoulder pads let out hisses of hot air as his temperature sharply rose. "Let them come; I'll burn them all!"

“Get them! The Volcano Thieves!” One of the other villains yelled as they fell on them.

“Target the big guy, he’s the heavy hitter.” Another called out, only to get hit in the face with a strong gust of wind, courtesy of Gust.

Spinning his hands, the villain smiled as he blasted some of their attackers' wounds, giving them front-row seats to what it would be like to stand in front of a car-sized fan on full blast. "Come on, you want the boss. You'll need to handle all of us."

"You think a little wind will—" One of the villain's taunts was cut short. His fish-like features started to choke as he breathed in ash, a lot of ash.

Dusty smiled, pulling up her gas mask, she took a nice long breath of air as she continued to unleash her quirk, letting Gust Boy send it all into faces. "What's the issue? Can't breathe?" She taunted, only to turn around, whipping out her club to smack someone across the face, sending the skinny would-be ambusher tumbling back, his nose broken.

With his 2 teammates handling the flanks, Volcano struck at their rear, turning around and extending his gauntlet out, its palm raised as he fired off a blast of hot volcanic lava at the attacks, one barely managing to dodge the attack, which hit a building and started to melt through the old brick and wood.

Line Break

“There she is! Shearwolf!” The sheep woman blinked. Looking around the alley, which seemed clear a moment ago, she found herself surrounded from both sides. Oh, that wasn't good…

One of the villains held back another, more eager, his gaze locked on the similarly harmless woman, whose gothic attire and soft features could make one lower their guard. But he, too, was from up north, and he knew what she had done. “Don’t get cocky.”

None of them shared his caution as a man with rocky arms snorted. “That spot is ours, it ain’t got room for a cute lil thing like her.” His gaze looked over the woman, most picking up where his head was going.

“Cute?” The woman asked, as if she didn't understand her situation. “You think I’m cute?” She wiggled about, letting out an embarrassing giggle. The cautious one didn't take chances, touching the wall, he peeled off pieces of rock and set them flying towards, aiming for a quick knock out, or to draw her attention.

With her back still turned, her fleece hair exploded, creating a thick barrier that absorbed the rocks. The near-bullet-speed pebbles sink deep into the wool, leaving Shearwolf unharmed.

Her seemingly ditzy and shy deposition only made her next statement unnerving. “You should have brought more people, but maybe I’ll have time to make you something to wear over your broken bodies.” Her curved ram’s horns only seemed to grow, her body bulking up till her once loose clothing strained against her enlarged, muscular form.

Ripping a plume of wool off her head, it shaped itself into a soft-looking mallet as she jumped the first person she could.

Line Break

“There you are,” another group that had been lying in ambush jumped. Turning around, they saw that they had been found by a tall, cyborg-like woman, one armed with four blades, though none in hand. “I was wondering if I would need to search long.”

“When did she-!” Looking around, they saw that the floor remained untouched, except for their footprints in the dust and dirt. Wait…how could she move silently when she had legs like that? It was like a cross between a machine, a dog's hind legs, and a skinny insect.

"Stay focused. She's just one person. We're the Mountain Tigers. We'll take her out and join up with the Thunder!" Their boss puffed up his chest, his tiger tail whizzing about behind him. The man activated his quirk, creating tiger paws around his fists.

“You have 60 seconds,” the woman coughed into her fist, maintaining a disciplined, near militant stance. "60 seconds to run or attack me. I won't counter or fight back."

One of the Mountain Tigers, a younger woman with features that seemed to be a mix of a lizard and a porcupine, asked for the sake of the group, “Why the hell would you say that?”

Tapping one of her blades, weapons she had taken off defeated foes, the tall woman smirked. “Because it won’t be much fun if I handled you too quick, and I enjoy my opponents realizing they’re outclassed.”

"Why you-! Make her regret ever mocking us!" the mountain tiger's leader yelled as they charged her, the woman's smirk only infuriating him and his gang more.

LIne Break

With this, we reached another milestone, as I don't think I've ever gotten to chapter 70 of anything. Not only that, but I'm not running out of ideas, which has become something of an issue with More Than You Think, as I've been hitting a roadblock with that one for weeks now.

Now, as some of you might have guessed, the villain group from the previous, at least, one of the groups who heard and responded to the Thunder's call was, in fact, the Volcano Thieves, who only appear in an arcade game, though Dusty was a character in the AU to this, Path of Flames. As we don't know much about them besides quirks and appearance, I'm designing their personalities and histories from scratch. I also want to expand more on Japan's criminal element, considering we've seen now 2 instances where they're locations or events where villains and criminals gather in mass.

All of which will serve a purpose, but we have a Hunger Games to host for now.