Hi, everyone! Welcome to Book II of the Mizuki series. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I did while writing it. Please feel free to review, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia or any of its characters. Mizuki, however, is my own creation.

Let's start with the story, shall we?*

Chapter 8

Mizuki inhaled deeply as she calmed herself, excitement and adrenaline pumping through her veins. She could already feel her body warming up, her support items and weapons storing up as much as sweat beforehand.

"Alright, let's go through this again, shall we?" Mizuki spoke as she put her hand palms onto the table in the room designated for their team. It was big enough for her and Eijiro to come up with a plan against the teacher.

"I'm all ears!" EIjiro said and Mizuki chuckled as he slammed his fists together, a confident grin plastered on his lips. Strange how they were going to work together on the hero field. The last time they worked together was the brief moment they had at the entrance exam.

"Field Gamma is basically a labyrinth and we experienced what it was like on our training session. If we travel on ground, then we'll narrow our field of vision. The best would be for us to assure that we travel on the rooftops of the factories," Mizuki said and then frowned.

"Unfortunately, that'll open us up for the enemy's attacks since we'll be wide open. That's where we need to use our Quirks to fend off any possible attacks. We don't know anything about the principal's Quirk but I have a feeling that he'll give us a hard time to reach the gate," Mizuki pointed out.

"You mentioned that you didn't think he would engage in combat since he didn't put on any weights. That's why you wanted a different approach?" Eijiro asked and Mizuki's brows furrowed, her eyes narrowing at the wooden surface of the table.

"We might be up against an intelligent based villain." Eijiro paled as she confirmed his lingering thoughts. "That means that he won't show himself if he can't engage in combat. However, he'll be expecting us to pick a fight with him because of our capabilities." Mizuki clicked her tongue in irritancy.

"That's why we decided to head to the gate. If he's intelligent type then that means that he'll plan everything out even if we don't fight him, right?" Eijiro asked and Mizuki nodded. She let out a breath and straightened herself up.

"You better prepare yourself for any possible traps, Red. He'll be coming at us with everything locked and loaded. He has an endless supply of possible areas for traps and the entire field is to his advantage," Mizuki stated and crossed her arms over her chest.

"We have to keep damage to the minimum as well, meaning that they're cornering us by keeping our firepower in control," Mizuki said and bit the inside of her cheek. They thought of everything when they made this decision.

"Going after the principal will take too much time and we also don't know where he's hiding. If running away and finding help is the only way then we're going to have to make sure we do it right!" Eijiro said and Mizuki smirked.

"If we find him, then we need to make sure that all the possible traps and scenarios are worked out. We're going to have to be sneaky to catch him then." Mizuki briefly took off a small grenade that hung from her belt.

"I have at least three stun grenades. The other one is a merely a dummy for my cooling system," she continued as she held up her wrist. "These gauntlets are only for last resort. They pack the same power as Katsuki's but they're more fashionable and less intimidating."

Eijiro chuckled and looked at the small gauntlets. It was difficult to imagine that they could copy the damage that Katsuki's own support items could do. He stared at the items for a few moments before raising an eyebrow.

"Can you remove them?"

Mizuki nodded. "I can and if I have to give them to you, you're going to have to activate your Quirk. The repercussion from the explosion puts an enormous amount of strain on your arm and shoulders. That's another reason why I'll refrain from using them," she said and Eijiro's eyes widened.

She used those support items despite the negative effects it had on her body? If he had to activate his Quirk then how was she able to handle the force? The thought of how much training she had to go through shocked him to the core.

"Team Koda and Jiro have passed!"

They heard the announcement ringing in the room, their faces becoming serious. The next team was them which meant that they needed to get to their designated practical area as soon as possible for it to begin.

She felt the uneasiness from her brother, the boiling rage inside her making a bitter taste enter her mouth. She knew Katsuki would be nowhere to be found as he tried to sharpen his senses and prepare for the match against All Might.

Yet, she felt uncertain about what was going on in his thoughts. He cut her off completely but maybe it was for the best. Aizawa was right. She needed to concentrate on her own match and nothing else.

"Are you ready, Red?" Mizuki asked as she adjusted her gauntlets on her wrists, stepping outside of the room. She felt him move by her side as they walked down the hallway and he grunted, making his fists by his side.

"As ready as I'll ever be! We're going to blow through anything that comes in our way!" Eijiro exclaimed and Mizuki chuckled. He was always going for the manly way of saying things and it made her feel the rush.

"Then, let's go!"

Monitor Room…

"Ah, I'm glad to see Jiro-san's team won!" Ochaco spoke as she entered the monitor room with a smile. She didn't make it in time to watch the match but was relieved that the pair after them passed.

"Y-Yeah, Koda-kun managed to gain the upper hand by immobilizing Present Mic Sensei," Izuku said as he pointed at the screen. The pro hero lay on the ground, foam coming from his mouth as he lay there unconsciously with Koda carrying Jiro out.

"T-That's a bit harsh…" Ochaco thought and swallowed thickly. What on earth did the boy do to get the teacher in such a state? She thought that the muted male wouldn't even hurt a fly. Instead, it came forth as if his animal control was a much more feared Quirk than expected to be.

"Uraraka-kun, congratulations on passing!" Iida spoke up as he smiled at the female, walking up towards her. Ochaco was snapped out of her thoughts and gave the male a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her head.

"Thanks! You too, Iida-kun!"

"Ochaco-chan, when you were fighting against Thirteen Sensei, what were you talking to Aoyama-chan about?" Tsuyu asked, resting her index finger on the side of her cheek. Ochaco blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Hm? We were talking about…" Ochaco recalled the question that was directed towards her from the blonde male and flushed deep crimson. She started to seat bullets, her arms waving rapidly in front of her face. "…n-nothing! That's not how it is! Th-That's not it! It's not!"

"What's the matter, Uraraka-kun? Your face is red. Are you sick?" Iida asked as the female continued to wave her arms, backing away. Izuku was also in confusion while Tsuyu knew the meaning behind the strange behaviour.

Something happened huh, Ochaco-chan? Tsuyu thought and watched as the brown-haired girl continued to back away until she reached the door. It opened up and she nearly fell over her own feet if it wasn't for the firm hands that caught her shoulders.

"Uraraka, are you alright?" Shoto asked the female, her flustered face briefly vanishing as she looked up at the innocent face of Shoto. His eyes showed his worry and she was quick to nod and straighten herself up.

"Yip! Nothing's wrong! Sorry about that, Todoroki-kun," Ochaco said with a sheepish laugh and he nodded in satisfaction. He was relieved to find that she was unharmed. He was surprised when she nearly fell out of the monitor room.

"Todoroki-kun?" Izuku's voice reached his ears and he looked back at the group of four that stood in front of the monitor screen. "Congratulations on passing your match!" He said with a kind smile and Shoto nodded.

"It was thanks to Yaoyorozu's plan that we were able to pass," Shoto said and Momo averted her eyes shyly. "Has the seventh match started yet?" Shoto came to stand by the group, Ochaco also joining in once again.

Izuku shook his head. "No, not yet. Are you here to watch Mi-chan and Kirishima-kun?" Izuku asked and the male grunted with a nod. The green haired boy smiled as Shoto stared at the screen, noticing the gleam in his eyes.

It was quite the feat to have Mizuki befriended the immovable male. The week of internship was enough to build a relationship of mutual respect. Mizuki was making an impact on people's lives more than she realized.

Shoto noticed a brief vacant spot in the group and a small frown came onto his lips. Katsuki wasn't here. That wasn't unexpected, it was only agitating. His sister was going up against a pro hero and he wasn't even bothering to come and watch her match.

"The next match is Mizuki-san and Kirishima-san against Principal Nezu," Momo mused aloud as she had her arms crossed over her chest. Shoto decided to push away the increasing anger and focus on the match that awaited them.

"The principal, huh? I wonder how he'll fight…" Izuku trailed off, not knowing much about the pro hero. He did a lot of hero analysis on a bunch of different and various heroes but Nezu was one that he hadn't done before.

"We must watch carefully," Iida spoke, eyes traveling towards the large screen. He caught sight of Mizuki and Eijiro walking inside Field Gamma, both showing confidence with each step as they continued.

Mizuki and Eijiro gave each other a glance as they looked around the field, taking in all the familiar factory buildings. Their first priority was to get as high as possible and then move onwards from there on out.

"Team Mizuki and Kirishima, practical exam. Ready, Go!"

"It's time! Let's go, Red!" Mizuki told him and ran off, the redhead not wasting any time as he joined her side. They looked around, crimson eyes flashing with caution as they advanced deeper into the field.

"There are a bunch of pipelines and power facilities around but there aren't a lot of staircases that lead to buildings," Eijiro pointed out and Mizuki grunted. If they didn't find a suitable way of climbing to the top, then they would fly there. The only problem with that was that they would give away their position.

"Hey! I think I see something! We can climb over there!" Eijiro pointed at a building at the far front and Mizuki smirked. She could see the staircase behind a wired gate and it led right to one of the tallest buildings around them.

"Perfect. Now all we have to do is climb it and…" Mizuki felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and stopped dead in her tracks. Eijiro blinked in surprise, stopping soon after. He watched as her eyes darted around and felt unease push up in his chest.

There was a strange ticking sound, the echoing reaching their ears and making them both step into a stance. The sound was constant, not changing in rhythm and gave them each a bit of piece that it was not a possible bomb.

"What is that sound? Is the principal on the move?" Eijiro asked, looking around and hardening his arms as he frowned. Mizuki's body briefly lit up with sparks, eyes narrowing as the sound suddenly stopped right above them.

What followed had both of them paling.

"Watch out!" Eijiro called and Mizuki moved out of the way just in time as the pipeline above them broke and collapsed. They were quick to run along as more than the pipeline soon followed, nearly everything collapsing behind them.

"What's going on?! Is this the principal's doing?!" Eijiro asked as they ran from the collapsing factories. They made sure to travel as smoothly as possible but the principal knew their location without much effort.

"Probably. That little shit is attacking us from somewhere and putting us on the run. Not to mention…" Mizuki stopped running as everything stopped falling, crimson orbs narrowing when she saw the building also destroyed where they wanted to climb to the top.

She then grinned evilly, sparks appearing all over her body. "He's trying to block us from going to the gate," Mizuki said and then heard another rupture next to them. They were quick to dodge another onslaught of the collapsing factories and she cursed.

"How is he doing it? What type of Quirk does he have?" Eijiro asked in confusion. Mizuki didn't know but she was starting to figure it out piece by piece. They needed to get to the skies and fast or they were going to be in trouble if he kept leading them away.

"The principal's riding in the crane?!" Iida exclaimed when he saw the small pro hero with a cup of tea in his own paw, his other paw manipulating the gear of the crane. He wore his usual innocent smile showing that he didn't have a care in the world.

"But how is he attacking them?" Izuku asked, trying to understand what exactly the principal was doing. He had both Mizuki and Eijiro on the run and before they could do anything, more factories were collapsing.

"He's so far away from them."

"It's probably with his forecasts," Momo answered and had them look at her with confused expressions. "What's more, he probably reached those through sophisticated calculations," she said and had their eyes widen.

Principal Nezu was calculating which chain reaction would be caused depending on what he was breaking. It was incredibly difficult calculations but to him it was as easy as making another cup of tea.

Principal Nezu
Quirk: High Spec

The principal laughed evilly, spilling the tea that he brought to his mouth and making everyone turn blue. He was acting like a real villain and causing much trouble for the aspiring hero pair. It was quite intimidating to watch.

"Humans did a bunch of experiments on Nezu in the past, so in times like this, he can't help but let out his true self," Recovery Girl informed the group as they turned blue. It was frightening to think that this was the true principal of U.A.

Recovery Girl watched the screen and a faint smile formed onto her lips. "I wonder if this was a bad match up after all," she mused aloud and caught the divided coloured hair male's attention, duo eyes looking back at the screen.

Mizuki cursed as they nearly dodged another onslaught from everything that fell onto them. She breathed heavy, Eijiro by her side in the same state. The more they ran, the further they got from the gate and the more time passed.

He's not giving us time to think at all. I won't be able to figure out a possible way in time. Mizuki thought and clicked her tongue in irritancy. She looked at Eijiro, an idea forming in her head as she smirked devilishly.

"Nah, Red, what do you say we get a bit creative?" Mizuki asked and the male raised an eyebrow, paling at the facial expression she made. She was up to something and with the desperate situation they were in, they needed a plan.

"What do you have in mind?" Eijiro asked in confusion. He watched as she held out a hand for him and he blinked. He hesitantly took her hand before his eyes widened when she grabbed onto his shoulder straps and slightly hoisted him up.

"You better brace yourself for impact, Red!" Mizuki told him and he panicked. His cry landed on deaf ears as she heated up and threw him with a large explosion. "DIE!" He hardened in time before he was propelled over the large heap of destroyed concrete and metal.

Mizuki's feet dug into the ground, steam exploding from her braces. She could hear the rumble of the pipeline above her and felt the rush of adrenaline flush through her system. Her legs heated up, the pipes falling.

"Mizuki!" Eijiro called when he saw the metal fall and then gasped when he was in the same predicament. He was in the air with no way to brace against the building that was starling to fall onto him. He hardened his entire body, bringing his arms up.

"Flash Step!" Mizuki exploded from her spot at an incredible speed and smirked as she bounced off one of the metal chunks that fell onto the side of the building. She burst towards the building that was starting to fall onto Eijiro and brought her leg back.

"White Explosion!" She exclaimed as she let loose an explosion from her leg at the high speed and temperature. The building was destroyed from the force and heat, the pair landing solidly on the ground and over their first obstacle.

"Keep running, Red! We're switching over to your plan!" Mizuki called towards him as she ran off, her legs stinging slightly but already cooling down from the steam that escaped. It was the first time she used white explosion and flash step simultaneously. Luckily, her legs were still in top shape.

"My plan? Wait, you don't mean…?" Mizuki smirked and he let out a laugh. "Alright! Let's break through until we reach the gate!" Eijiro exclaimed and hardened his arms. If all else fails, they would make their own path towards victory.

"Eh?! Mizuki-san and Kirishima-kun went over the blockade?! T-That's so smart!" Ochaco exclaimed in surprise, a few of the group staring at the screens in shock. Iida merely stood there, as white as snow as his heart bled for Eijiro that was thrown across.

"It seems like Mizuki's making her own way to get to the entrance," Shoto said, his eyebrows twitching as he watched her advance. She had a smirk plastered on her face, the thrill enough to keep her going.

"Getting passed the obstacles was a good decision but will their stamina be able to hold out until the end? The principal will only continue to tire them out until the time is up," Momo pointed out and Izuku cupped his cheek.

Mizuki was most likely well aware of that fact and was trying to get them to the exit without fighting too much to defend themselves. Eijiro's hardening Quirk was limited and Mizuki's body was quick to overheat. They would need a stable strategy to avoid losing stamina.

"Huh? Is it only me or is Mizuki-chan and Kirishima-chan not running towards the gate? It's more like they're taking a detour?" Tsuyu stated and had everyone look at the screen in confusion before Izuku's eyes widened in realization.

They're sticking to the already damaged and destroyed factories to limit the principal's chain reactions. That was Mizuki's plan? Could it actually work? It was possible that he was limited but he could always find another way to make a chain reaction.

Wait, was Mizuki challenging the principal in a fight of intelligence?

Mizuki knew the risks of going through with brute force. Stamina. Stamina was their biggest problem. They had been constantly running and it wasn't going to get better from here on out. They needed to find the gate.

"Rwaah!" Eijiro yelled as he jumped and punched one of the pipelines, Mizuki spinning around as she held her hand. An explosion erupted from both her hand palms and the force shot some of the rubble backwards.

As expected, he's relentless and still trying to corner us. However, as long as I'm able to get us over the obstacles thrown in our way, I'll be able to get us across. Mizuki thought and jumped in a kick, letting lose a large explosion on the destroyed factory that was about to tumble down on them.

"As long as we keep destroying what he already destroyed, we won't be deducted any points! We can do this!" Eijiro called as he burst through the rubble and joined Mizuki's side. They were moving quicker than he expected them to advance.

"Don't get too comfortable yet. He's going to come at us with all he's got and we need to make sure that we're prepared. This was a warm up for him," Mizuki said as they briefly stopped to catch their breaths.

The chain reactions stopped in time for them to take a breather but she knew it would only be a matter of time before they would be on the run again. After all, if it didn't, then her victory wouldn't be satisfying at all.

"Are you still alright?" Mizuki asked the redhead as he caught his breath and he gave her a blank expression. "We need to keep a close eye on our physical states. This is a battle of stamina and we need to make sure we're in top shape to win."

Eijiro grinned and nodded. "I'm still good to go. What about you?" She grunted in reply, flexing her fingers as she looked around. "We still have enough time to get to the gate if we keep pursuing at this rate," he said and couldn't help but be filled with energy.

Mizuki was silent next to him as she tried to sense any possible danger. It was quiet. Too quiet. She didn't trust the lingering calmness and could feel the tension rippling in the air. Something was coming.

A large explosion erupted from behind them and their eyes widened. They dared to look and saw the explosion only continuing in a chain reaction as it neared them. The principal destroyed the power factories.

"Get down!" Mizuki was tackled by Eijiro was the final explosion erupted, the biggest one of them all. The rubble that followed made Mizuki act on instinct. She pushed the male behind her and her finger was instantly on the pin of her gauntlet.

She let out a cry as she released the large explosion, not having any other choice but to use it or they would be buried alive. The repercussion on her shoulder had her hiss in pain, crimson orbs strong as they glared forward.

The large explosion was enough to cancel out most of the other explosion and pushed it away. She held her shoulder while breathing heavy. She didn't brace enough against the force but that was alright. They were fine. They were-

"Agh, my leg." Mizuki felt her entire body run cold when she saw that his leg had been hit by a piece of concrete. On top of the open wound was what seemed to be light scorches of the explosion she let loose.

"Red… Are you alright? What happened? Didn't you harden in time?" Mizuki asked as she rushed over towards him and took in the state of his leg. She swallowed thickly and felt guilt grip her chest tightly.

"I did or at least, I think I did. Don't worry about it, Mizuki. I'm tougher than this! It's only a scratch!" Eijiro said and stood up as fast as possible. Mizuki watched as he briefly winced but he still kept his dazzling grin.

"See? I can stand!" His facial expression then became serious. "I don't know how far I'll be able to run though so we'll have to cut this match short," he said and Mizuki bit the inside of her cheek open, tasting the blood in frustration.

Not only did she hurt him but it would seem that his Quirk wasn't working as effective as before. She was going to have to limit her Quirk and find a faster route. She looked down at her legs, tapping her boots on the ground before grunting.

"Do you think you'll still be able to fend off some of the rubble?" Mizuki asked and the male nodded, hardening his upper body. "Good. You're going to have to hold onto me until I say let go, okay?" Eijiro gave her a nod.

"Always."

Mizuki briefly felt her cheeks heat up and gave him a playful slap. Now was not the time for the male to give her smartass replies. She felt her heart give a tight squeeze at his leg and averted her eyes as she gestured for him to climb onto her back.

He flushed. "W-what?! No! I can't expect you to carry me! That would be unmanly and I'm really heavy! I would burden you! I'd rather run!" He said and Mizuki gave him a dangerous look, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

"It's only temporary, idiot! Now, climb on!"
"No."

"Red, I swear if you-" The rumble of another explosion reached their ears and Mizuki cursed. He was being too stubborn about this. They needed to go and as soon as possible before they were in another predicament.

"I'll run. I can still do it! I'm not going to burden you with dragging me around," Eijiro said and Mizuki wanted to give him a sucker punch. Yet, his serious and earnest expression had her refrain from violence. She growled and let sparks appear over her entire body.

"Fine! If you fall behind, then I'm going to carry our ass even if it's against your will! You hear me?!" Mizuki shouted angrily at him and he nodded. She grunted and then ran off, the male joining her side, his pace initially slow.

They could hear the collapsing sounds echo behind them. Mizuki looked at the unused gauntlet and bit her bottom lip. The other one would take a while before it was charged at full capacity.

"Mizuki, over there!" Eijiro called and she followed his index finger to see a power plant not too far away from them. She smirked, catching his drift and ran in the opposite direction of him. She threw an explosion towards the power plant and then exploded herself away.

"Good thinking, Red!" Mizuki complimented as the large explosion erupted from behind them, the collapsing obstacle blown away from them. Eijiro punched a few of the debris away that fell towards them, Mizuki using her explosions to crumble the bigger pieces.

They were almost there. They could make it to the escape gate without any further complications and that was a relief. Even if the principal kept throwing things at them, they would break through them and get there in time.

A shadow suddenly fell from above and Mizuki's eyes widened along with Eijiro's. How was that possible? They didn't hear anything or even sense anything! Where did this-? They realized the explosion from earlier must've destroyed some of the pipelines.

"I've got this!" Eijiro said as he jumped towards the pipeline, letting out a cry. Mizuki chuckled, the male's eagerness to protect honestly a sight for sore eyes at times. He didn't notice what he was doing but his bravery was going to make him an amazing hero one day.

What happened next had Mizuki's heart stop.

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