This Time

Chapter 26

Uraraka and Tsu had been paired together for the challenge tonight, and I was relieved to see both of them together still. They weren't alone, however, and the unfamiliar teenage girl smiled cheekily at me from behind her gas mask. In her hand was a knife, and I was highly concerned when I saw it already had blood smeared along the edge. Uraraka stood clutching her arm, giving me a good guess as to who's it was.

"Oh wow, a new friend!" the crazed-looking blonde girl said dreamily.

"Mei, be careful!" Uraraka warned.

"What kind of person slashes people out of nowhere?" Tsu said aghast, staring at the blonde. "Just who do you think you are?"

I circled around, keeping my eyes firmly locked on the young villain as I made my way closer to the students. My fingers itched with energy, and I was ready to ignite my quirk at a second's notice.

"I'm Toga!" the girl introduced herself cheerfully, brandishing her knife. "You girls are cute. Let's be friends!"

"Sorry, I've got enough friends already," I said cooly as I stepped in between the Yūei students and the villain, Toga. "But if you hurt the friends I do have, we could be enemies instead."

She giggled. "Uraraka, Asui, and Hara," she named, pointing at each of us in turn with her knife.

My blood turned cold as she named the girls behind me. Don't tell me they're on the list too... how many do they plan on taking?!

"Does she know us from the sports festival? We know nothing about her, so we're at a disadvantage," Tsu muttered behind me.

"The League of Villains is here to kidnap the students. Be on your guard," I hissed lowly, every fiber of my body on alert as I waited for the inevitable attack.

"W-wait?" Uraraka stuttered out fearfully.

"Ooh, someone knows too much," Toga said in a sing-song voice. "I think you need to bleed a little." She unhooked an attachment from the machine pack she had slung on her back. "Normally I'd just suck the blood straight from the cut to make it flow, but their's no time. Don't you worry though, girls, this machine will start pumping it out of you as soon as I stick you. I'll get my fill and move on - I'm not a part of the capture team," she explained with a psychotic gleam in her eyes. "Who's first?" she challenged and dove forward.

Tsu's reaction time was impressive as she grabbed Uraraka with her tongue, tossing her up in the air and away fro the attack. Simultaneously I kept forward, hands awash in violet flames and I darted around the girl, trying to land my blow on her back. If I could break this machine she seemed to be relying on, that would be a good start. Toga turned just as quickly though, swiping her knife at my midsection and I grunted as it sliced through my shirt. The cut was shallow, but even so I felt the warm, wet feeling of blood began to seep into my clothing. That was too close. Any deeper and I'd be spilling my entrails on the forest floor.

Behind me Tsu was yelling at Uraraka to get back to camp, and I hoped the frog girl would have the sense to run as well. I could hold this one off, and hopefully subdue her pretty quickly. The teen villain was fast, but not faster than me.

"Tsu, look out!" Uraraka yelled.

Toga leapt after the green haired girl as she was preparing to jump after her friend. The villain managed to graze her tongue with her blade right before my hand smashed her to the ground. She rolled and bounced back to her feet easily. "Oh, you are a tricky one," she snickered while side eyeing me more cautiously than before. "But, Tsu? What a cute nickname!" she giggled, attention back on the other girl. "I think I'll call you that too!"