"There are people up ahead! It sounds like Uraraka and Asui! Though there's a third person there I don't recognize the voice of!" Shoji exclaimed as the group ran through the forest.
"There's a strong scent of blood up ahead too." Akina said, "Hopefully the two of them are okay!"
The group burst though the trees onto the forest path and saw Uraraka on top of what looked to be girl around their age- maybe a year older than them. She had some sort of device in her hand and it looked like it was drawing blood from Uraraka's leg.
"Uraraka!" Midoriya shouted out.
Tsuyu looked over at the group, a look of relief crossing her face. "Quickly, guys! Help her!"
The villain pushed Uraraka off her and jumped away, creating a distance between the two of them.
"There's too many people here now, and I don't feel like being killed tonight. Toodles." The villain said before she turned and started to walk away. Though before she started to run, Akina saw her gaze land on Midoriya, and a small blush appear on her cheeks. But whatever was going through her head didn't keep her from running away, and soon she disappeared into the forest.
"We've got to get her!" Uraraka exclaimed, trying to stand up straight but unable to due to her leg.
"Wait, it's too dangerous! You're hurt, and we have no idea what kind of quirk she has." Tsuyu said, running over to the brunette and helping her up.
"Who was she?" Akina asked, running up to the group.
"One of the villains. She was crazy." Tsuyu explained.
"Uraraka, you're hurt!" Midoriya exclaimed.
"It's not bad, I can still walk okay."
"Okay isn't good enough." Akina said, stepping forwards, "Come here and sit down."
"What?"
"Just do it."
Uraraka hesitated before she nodded and limped over towards Akina and sat down on the ground. Crouching Akina saw the wound where the needle had penetrated her leg. Moving her hand over the wound, a soft green glow surrounded Akina's hands, as well as the wound and slowly it started to close up, not even leaving a scar behind.
"Woah, that's amazing." Uraraka said.
"We can't stand here any longer, let's move." Shoji said.
"Yeah, we need to get Bakugo back to camp!" Akina said.
"We could use your help." Midoriya added.
"If you're protecting Bakugo then, shouldn't he be standing here with you guys?" Tsuyu asked.
"Hm, he is- Oh my Mavis where the fuck did he go?" Akina said, seeing that Bakugo had completely vanished from the group. Suddenly, her nose twitched and she looked from the spot behind them to a tree branch, where a new scent had been placed.
"Nice trick, eh?" The newcomer asked. "I took the lad you're talking about with my magic."
"Magic?" Akina asked, her nose twitched but she didn't sense or smell any type of magic coming off of this guy. Though she did smell a faint trace of Bakugo coming from what looked to be some sort of tiny Lacrima.
"A talent like his would be squandered were he cast as a hero. We'll provide him with a grander stage where he can truly shine."
"Give him back!" Midoriya shouted out.
The villain tilted his head, "Give him back? What an odd thing to say. Bakugo doesn't belong to anyone-"
"Yeah yeah, he's a strong independent woman." Akina said, a small magic circle appearing in her palm. "That's not what we mean. Let him go." The tree the villain was standing in started to shift and move before the branches started to head straight towards him, though before they got close enough to wrap around him he jumped up into the air.
"Why the aggression?" He asked. "We merely wish to show him that there are options besides the fanatical world of heroism he's drowning in." He landed on the top of another tree. "It's important to choose a path that aligns with your core values, after all."
Akina's wrist twitched and the tree the villain was on started moving as well, the branches lifting up to try to grab him and keep him still. The branches wrapped around his legs and by the way he was struggling he was trapped to the tree.
"Wait it's not just Bakugo. Tokoyami's gone!" Shoji exclaimed.
Akina gritted her teeth, kicking herself over the fact that she didn't notice the disappearance of Tokoyami's scent.
"So you captured another one of our classmates while monologuing." Midoriya muttered.
"A bad habit of mine. I was once an entertainer, you know. Taking Tokoyami was a bit of improv on my part." He rolled an orb around in his fingers before revealing a second one in his hand. When I saw that avian cause that much destruction I decided he should join our troupe."
"You bastard! You can't take them!" Midoriya shouted.
"Midoriya, calm down." Shoji said.
Akina cracked her knuckles, "You bastard. You absolute bastard. You not only took one, but two of my classmates. And I'm not too fond of having my friends kidnapped." A dark aura surrounded her, and if any of her guild mates were around they would say the feeling radiating off of her was similar to Mira's. She lifted her hand and a magic circle appeared. "Nature Dragon: Bursting Blossom"
Small flower pellets shot out of her hand and arced in the air, speeding straight towards the villain. Akina watched as he tried to get away, but the branches around his legs prevented him from moving, before he could get free, the pellets hit him, each one exploding upon impact.
Nothing happened for a second, but it wasn't long before the villain jumped up from the smoke, "Apologies, that was a good move but slight-of-hand and escapology are my specialties, not combat. I'm not foolish enough to fight the so called 'Dragon of UA'. There was an instance where the boss thought capturing you would be a benefit to us but you're much too rash and impulsive for us." He reached up and placed his hand up to his ear, "Vanguard Action Squad. I've acquired our target. Our little show has officially come to a close. Meet me at the retrieval point in the next five minutes for the final bow."
Akina gritted her teeth as she watched him jump away. "I'm going after him."
"What, alone?" Uraraka asked.
"That depends on you guys." A magic circle appeared at her back and large branch and leaf dragon wings grew on her back. Turning away from the group, she ran along the ground before she jumped up into the air, flying after the villain.
He wasn't getting away from her.
"These ingenues aren't as big a deal as I expected." The villain said.
"Not a big deal, huh? Tough talk for someone within attack distance!" Akina shouted, speeding through the air. "You're not getting away from me!"
Once she was close enough, she grabbed onto his leg before he threw him straight down towards the forest below. His scream of terror was cut short as he collided with the ground, creating a large crater upon impact.
"Woah, woah, what's this?" Someone shouted.
Akina dove down towards the ground, landing on her feet and looking up at the villains. She saw the girl from earlier, and two new villains. One of them was in a black and sliver bodysuit, and his scent was naturally stronger than the other two, as if there were multiples of him. The other one was covered in scars, and his scent was almost identical to the fire that was burning down the forest. The last ones there were Gajeel and Panther Lily, though the two of them were keeping their distance from the other villains.
The dragon wings retreated back into Akina's back and she looked at the villain she had just beat down. "I'm not going to ask again, give me my friends back."
"Out of the way, Compress." The scarred villain said, and he raised his hand towards Akina, blue flames erupting from his hand.
"Got it." Compress said, his voice strained from the probable broken ribs he now had. He glowed blue before he retreated into the same orb as he had with Bakugo and Tokoyami.
Before Akina had time to move away, the blue flames rushed over towards her much faster than she expected. Off to the side she heard a rustle in the bushes, and before the flames got to her she could hear Midoriya yelling her name. But she didn't move, she just stared at the flames as they hit her head on, smoke billowing out from the impact.
"And here I thought it's be harder to take you down." The villain said.
"That's all it took? There's no way that took her down!" The bodysuit villain exclaimed.
"No... Hayashi..." Midoriya choked out.
Everyone was quiet as they watched the smoke clear, and the moment it did a look of pure shock appeared on everyone's faces. Standing right where Akina was some kind of grandfather clock, except it had arms and legs and looked to be sentient.
"My my, looks like I got here just in the nick of time. Are you alright there, Lady Akina?" The clock said, and everyone's gaze went from what looked like to be a face to the glass compartment of a body, where Akina was currently sitting in.
Akina nodded, then her mouth moved, as if she were talking. But nobody outside could hear the words she was saying. As she was talking, the blonde lunged towards him and made an attempt at attacking him with her knives, only for the mysterious clock to show no signs of injury.
"How am I here? Well I felt that you were in trouble and I simply come to aid." The Clock responded. Once again Akina started talking. "Ah, that's what you meant. The Celestial realm is connected to any other realm, or world that exists, so all Celestial Spirits are free to move around as they wish." He was quiet for a minute as Akina talked, then he nodded, "Of course. I will give Lady Lucy the message. If that's all I will be leaving." And with that, he was gone in a poof of smoke, leaving Akina standing where he was.
Akina grinned and looked towards the villains, who had been too shocked from the sudden appearance of the clock man to make a move. "Thanks Horologium. Now I think it's time I get my friends back."