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 9

Eijiro punched the metal, but his body didn't harden, at all. His eyes widened in disbelief and he went to punch with his other hand, pain exploding from his knuckles once more. He couldn't harden? What was happening?!

Mizuki tackled him out of the air, the pipe hitting her on the side of her head. She cursed as they fell and turned the male around to fall on her backside in order to protect him. She didn't dare to use an explosion to lighten the impact because the male was unable to use his Quirk.

She coughed, Eijiro groaning as he rubbed his head and then his eyes widened when he saw the female underneath him. "MizukI! Are you alright?!" He asked and Mizuki nodded, looking up at him with a smirk.

She wanted to reply and then saw the compromising position they were in. The male was completely oblivious to this fact and worriedly looked her over, the side of her head slightly bleeding from a cut.

"I'm fine!" Mizuki told the male and gently shoved him off her, her face red. "I-It's just a scratch! D-Don't worry! You should be concerned about yourself. What happened back there?" She asked and Eijiro blinked as he looked down at his hands.

"I don't know. I was sure I could still use my Quirk but the more I tried to bring it out, the more I couldn't harden. It's like my body won't listen to me. Do you think that it's the principal's Quirk?" Eijiro stated and Mizuki's brows knitted together.

Could it be? She thought that his Quirk was related to an intelligence type. Could she have been wrong? And if it were the Principal's Quirk, did it mean he was able to activate it from across long distances or did it mean that he was closer than they thought he was?

"Whatever it is, we need to get to the exit fast. We're running out of time," Eijiro said and Mizuki nodded. Figuring out whatever Quirk the principal possessed would have to be along the way on to the exit.

"Okay, let's-" Mizuki felt an incredibly powerful pulse from within her body and let out a gasp. Everything around her blurred in that instant, her consciousness briefly fading as the vertigo took over her body.

W-What's happening? I-Is it a-another d-dizzy spell? I-I thought the higher d-dose would work? Mizuki thought, her one hand holding her head. She heard a choking sound from Eijiro, crimson eyes daring to look up.

"W-What i-is this?" Eijiro asked as he was on his knees, his body pulsing painfully. He could feel his Quirk wanting to activate but the pain of each sensation was almost too much to bear. His entire body was refusing to listen to him.

"Red, w-what's going on?"

"C-Can't m-move!" Eijiro said through gritted teeth and Mizuki swallowed thickly. She went to try to help him up but as soon as she touched him, the male let out a painful cry. Mizuki snapped her hand back, panic rushing through her.

"D-Don't…"

"Red, what's going on? Hey! Talk to me!" Mizuki tried to ask and refrained from touching him any further. He couldn't speak, the pain in his body unbearable after Mizuki touched him. His entire body was on fire, every muscle fibre felt like ice shards puncturing him.

Mizuki felt her heart drop in her stomach when the building collapsed near them. She was quick to snap around and held out her arms. Eijiro struggled to get out a breath, beads of sweat trailing down the side of his face as he watched Mizuki use her explosions.

"M-Mizuki… G-Gate… G-get to the gate!"

"Huh?! Are you shitting me?! I'm not leaving you behind!" Mizuki shouted at the male, her body gripped in panic when she saw his pained expression. "I can handle this until you've recovered and then we'll head there together! We still have time!"

Mizuki let lose a large-scale explosion, only for it to come out much smaller than expected. Her eyes widened in terror and she tried again. It failed once more and she gritted her teeth in anger as she forced herself.

"We don't…have time… Go!"

"Shut up! You listen to me! It's over only when I say it's over and I still have a lot to go!" Mizuki shouted angrily at him. Eijiro felt his body pulse again, Mizuki gritting her teeth in anger as her explosions started to become smaller.

She breathed heavy as she managed to avert the last attack, falling onto one knee afterwards. She had to use more explosion power than usual because of the small-scale explosions. She could feel the pain from her strained muscle fibres but held herself proud.

There was a cracking sound from around them and their eyes widened in terror. All the rubble of the buildings and the pipelines were finally collapsing on the unstableness of where it fell. The problem was that it was heading straight towards them.

Mizuki held out her hand palm and only sparks emerged, nothing else. Her eyes widened in horror and she tried again, nothing happening. "No, no, no, no! Damn it! Explode! Explode!" Mizuki cried out but nothing happened.

She looked back at Eijiro, fear flashing in her eyes and then changed to absolute determination. She stood in front of him and held out her gauntlet. She wasn't going to let anything hurt him, nor was she going to let anything stop her from protecting him.

Eijiro watched as Mizuki pulled out the pin of her gauntlet and a large explosion erupted. He watched in horror when he saw her pull out her other arm with the already used gauntlet, her index finger hooking inside the pin.

"D-Don't-!"

She pulled it out without another moment of hesitation and they were engulfed with a large amount of smoke. Eijiro had to cover his eyes from the explosion, everything darkening around him and sounds of concrete smashing against metal reached his ears.

He coughed as the smoke entered his lungs and waved it away. His eyes widened when he found that he was able to move again, the pain nowhere to be found in his body. He stared at his hands and activated his Quirk without any problems.

"It's working again…" He spoke and then coughed once more as the smoke irritated his lungs. He glanced around him, finding that some of the concrete walls fell on top of him but not enough to crush his body. He could still move freely.

"Mizuki… Mizuki!" He called, eyes darting around in search for the ash blonde girl. He moved slowly, his body driven by panic. He couldn't seem to find her through the rubble and she wasn't answering his calling either.

"Mizuki! Answer me! Hey!" He cried out towards her before touching a wet substance on the ground. He looked at his hand, the redness making his blood clot in his veins. This wasn't his blood. This was…

"Mizuki!" He found her unconscious in the rubble, her one leg beneath a concrete slab and her gauntlets destroyed. "Hey, wake up. Mizuki, wake up," he pleaded silently but she didn't respond to him.

He went to feel for a pulse, the beating against his fingertips filling him with relief. She was okay. He gently pulled her out, crushing some of the slab to reduce any possible scratching. He held her tight against him and looked around.

He needed to get them out of here as soon as possible and needed to get them to the exit gate. They still had time and with them briefly buried, he was sure that the principal would stop for a few moments with his onslaught.

"Don't worry, Mizuki. We can still pass this!"

Meanwhile…

"Hey, what's going on with Kirishima-kun? He doesn't look like he's able to use his Quirk effectively anymore," Ochaco pointed out as she looked at the screen observing the male's injured knuckles after trying to punch the metal pipe that fell onto them.

"It would seem that he reached his limit. He wasn't able to stop the injury on his leg either," Iida stated in a worried tone. The team showed that they had a clear advantage and that Mizuki's strategy was bringing them close to the exit gate at a fast rate.

However, it would seem that her plan was reaching its limits faster than anyone anticipated. They were running and using their Quirks to fend off the results of the chain reactions. It was only natural that it would eventually catch up to them.

Shoto stared at the screen with a deep frown. It didn't look good for the pair. They were progressing slowly again and were barely able to keep the obstacles that fell in their way, at bay. Every plan they made the principal was one step ahead of them.

"Mi-chan…" Izuku bit his bottom lip and his brows knitted together. Was this Mizuki's limit? Surely, she had another plan up her sleeve to get them to the escape gate. He believed that she had another option. That belief unfortunately fell away the moment Eijiro fell to his knees, immobilized and in pain.

"What's happening? Is he alright?!" Ochaco asked, panic starting toa rise in her tone of voice when she saw the pained expression on the redhead's face. Mizuki's face mimicked her own and as soon as she touched him, it worsened.

Recovery Girl was quick to sit upright in her seat, a deep frown forming onto her lips and concern flashing through her eyes. She observed the pair, noticing the change in Mizuki's composed figure as well.

"Recovery Girl, what's going on? Is this the Quirk of the principal?" Shoto asked, brows furrowing. The possibility of the principal having another Quirk after being experimented on wasn't farfetched but it wasn't the answer either.

She was afraid that this would happen. She clearly spoke her mind about Mizuki not being informed of the danger that she held. She understood that Aizawa wanted to protect her but this was the result of the secret.

"Recovery Girl?"

She was well aware that she couldn't tell them what was happening, the risk too great. Mizuki needed to be the first student to find out about her own secret before they could trust anyone else with it.

The problem now as that they needed to end this practical exam and assure that whatever was happening needed to stop. She would suggest waiting it out but the state Eijiro was in told her otherwise.

The only person who could stop the effects now was Aizawa and she was certain that he was already on his way. Nezu would notice the silence soon after and needed to be informed before this fight dragged out more. Regrettably, it would result in both of them failing.

"…We don't know anything about this Quirk, except that it can inhibit a Quirk to an extend where the person is immobilized…"

Izuku recalled All Might's words and felt his wind completely knocked out. Realization dawned upon him like a ton of bricks and fear clutched his chest with much force as he hesitantly looked back at the screen.

Mizuki's unknown Quirk…was activated against Eijiro and she didn't know what she was doing. She was protecting him, making sure nothing came in their way to fall on top of them by using her explosions…until they too became smaller.

This was bad. This was very, very bad.

"This is looking bad, Sensei. Shouldn't we do something about it?" Momo asked Recovery Girl who still frowned at the screen, her grip tightening on her cane. Shoto noticed the tension, Izuku's expression telling him that there was something terribly wrong.

"We'll handle everything appropriately. The principal has already been alerted that the students are having trouble with their Quirks," Recovery Girl calmly replied. Her tone of voice eased the students somewhat, Izuku and Shoto was another case.

Shoto could feel a painful squeeze in his chest as he looked at the struggling ash blonde female. She was starting to show the same symptoms as Eijiro, a painful gleam passing through her crimson orbs. It was then followed by panic when the foundation of the rubble collapsed.

"Oh no… Look out!"

Recovery Girl and the students all exclaimed in shock and terror when they saw Mizuki stand on shaky legs against what was approaching. She bravely held out her hand, and pulled out the pin in her gauntlet, only to do the same with her other wrist as well.

"W-wait! Didn't she use that one already? If she uses them both then won't that be a bad thing?" Ochaco asked. The question was already answered as an enormous explosion came from the screen, the view covered in smoke and no one could see a thing.

Katsuki was on his own, sharpening his senses as he prepared himself for the battle that lay ahead. He was livid, irritated and wanted to destroy anything that he touched. He didn't dare to come close to any of the other extras in the class and only had his eyes on beating All Might.

He didn't care if Izuku was his pair, he would kill him if he stood in his way. His only goal was to beat All Might and show everyone that he was the number one. He would walk out of the practical exam with an indisputable victory and show he was better than Izuku.

He always has been. Izuku was merely a pebble on the side of the road and now he was daring to stand in the same ring as him? Ha! That was absurd. He was nothing. A nobody. He would stay the useless nerd he was his entire life.

One day Mizuki would realize that Izuku had been looking down on them both all along. Her eyes would open up and she'll she the truth. He would show her. He would show her that he was the strongest and that Izuku meant nothing.

NOTHING!

He slammed his fist against the wall, an explosion erupting from his hand palm. His anger was only increasing the more he thought about it. Mizuki was naïve and it added fuel to the fire that kept his rage alive.

That's when he felt it. It was an incredibly strong pulse that took a hold of his body and it was followed by a wave of pain in his chest. Something was wrong. Something was wrong with Mizuki, something very dangerous.

What is that idiot doing?! Shouldn't she be done with her match already?! Katsuki thought angrily and stomped inside the building. He kept himself outside and away from everyone to keep his mind clear but now he didn't have time to occupy himself with his own thoughts.

If she didn't drink her medicine again, she's going to get it. Why does she want to make things more difficult for herself? He wondered and shook his head. Whatever the reason behind the pulse, he didn't like it and he was going to find out what it was.

It was a mess.

There couldn't be a possible worse timing for everything to cave in such as now. He hoped that this would be avoided and that everything would work out the way it should. It was a fool's way of thinking.

Aizawa rushed out the moment he saw Eijiro collapse on his knees and Mizuki's Quirk slowly start to fade away. He needed to get to field gamma and quickly.

The progression of the Quirk was faster than they predicted and it caused their timing for the reveal to be cancelled. Even if they didn't have all the facts gathered, the time had arrived that they needed to tell her.

He only hoped it wasn't too late.

Everything was silent inside the monitor room as the students and the pro hero stared at the screen, half covered in smoke. There was no movement from the pair and principal Nezu was already on his way towards the crashing scene.

"Please tell me they're alright," Ochaco pleaded aloud as she held her hands tightly. The others were in the same state as the girl. They were shocked, worried and anxious and it was only starting to worsen the more the time ticked on.

Shoto was using every ounce of will power and self-control not to rush out of the room and towards the practical exam area. Mizuki was in danger and standing still, staring at the holographic screen was only making him feel worse because there was no movement.

Come on, Mi-chan. Be alright. You're the toughest and most stubborn person I know! You can't lose! Izuku thought, his hands trembling by his sides even after he clenched them into fists. The thought of his best friend underneath a pile of rubble and in trouble had his entire being filled with ice.

"Mizuki-kun…" There was faint movement of the concrete slabs and their eyes widened. There was another faint movement and this time they were certain. "Something's happening!" Iida exclaimed and was soon followed by Eijiro that burst out from the rubble with a cry.

Relief flooded their systems that the redhead was alright but the tension was still high in the room. He seemed to be able to move and use his Quirk again, meaning that whatever happened had worn off.

Eijiro then looked down next to him. He bent down and gently took an unconscious ash blonde female in his arms, crimson orbs shining with dedication. He jumped off the rubble and started to run at a steady pace heading towards the escape gate.

The stress and the tension in the room dispersed, Ochaco sinking to the ground while Izuku was barely able to keep himself from standing. The pair was alright and only had mild injuries on each of them.

"Thank goodness they're both alright!" Momo spoke aloud everyone's thoughts, letting out her own breath as she held her hand close to her rapidly beating heart. She was incredibly worried that they were in grave danger.

Shoto wasn't completely satisfied with what he was seeing. Something happened in this practical exam that no one foresaw but Izuku and Recovery Girl was quick to catch on what it was. Yet, for some odd reason they weren't speaking out their concerns about it and it made him frown.

He was going to find out what it was.

"Looks like I have some work to do," Recovery Girl said as she stood up and went to walk towards the infirmary. "You don't have to worry about them. They'll be healed up in a jiffy." She entered the infirmary as they doors slid open and then closed.

"Recovery Girl will heal their injuries but… I'm still worried about Kirishima-chan and Mizuki-chan. They looked like they had a really tough time and barely managed to escape," Tsuyu said and Ochaco nodded next to her.

"Even so they managed to make it to the escape gate. That means that they managed to pass the test despite the predicament they found themselves in," Iida pointed out. They made it and that was all that mattered, right?

"Team Mizuki and Kirishima have passed!"

Katsuki stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the robotic voice speak over the intercoms and frowned deeply. It would seem that he was marching down the hallway towards the monitor room in vain.

His sister passed the practical exam even with the emergence of her symptoms. Of course, she did. He would never expect anything less of her. Mizuki never disappointed anyone in anything, no matter what she did.

He clicked his tongue, turned sharply on his heels and walked away. In the end, she had him worried for nothing. He was still going to scold her because of the danger he felt and she was going to spill everything to him.

He shook his head, agitated that he wasted his time over nothing. Yet, a part of him was not completely convinced that it was something insignificant. A part of him knew something was wrong with his sister but that part of him was quickly shut out.

Mizuki could take care of herself.

Eijiro was slightly out of breath as he carried Mizuki, his grip tight on her shoulders and hips. Mizuki's usual warm body felt cold against his touch and it worried him. The only thing that eased his nerves was her deep and normal breathing.

He didn't understand what happened at all. His Quirk didn't have any problems before hand and the next moment he was on the ground in pain that he couldn't find the words to describe. However, it worsened the moment Mizuki touched him.

"Kirishima!" Eijiro stopped in his tracks and glanced at a familiar scruffy haired male running towards him. He was shocked to find Aizawa the one on the scene and his facial expression showed nothing good.

"Aizawa Sensei, I have to get Mizuki to the infirmary for Recovery Girl to check out her injuries," Eijiro said, Aizawa stopping in front of him, eyes travelling over Mizuki's body. She was unconscious, her breathing deep and a few cuts and scraped on her body.

He observed the colour of her skin, finding that it was paler than usual but he could see the small trail of sweat that cascaded down the side of her face. The effects of the unknown Quirk seemed to have worn off.

"Kirishima, Recovery Girl is waiting for you in the infirmary. Go and get your injuries taken care off," Aizawa told the redhead and he nodded. He walked on, a nagging sensation at the back of his head making him stop once more.

"Aizawa Sensei, do you know what happened back there? What happened to Mizuki and me?" Eijiro asked the male, his expression showing his concern. Aizawa saw the male's tightened grip and let out a sigh.

"I'll explain everything to you after Mizuki woke up. For now, I want you to rest in the infirmary and keep an eye on her," Aizawa said and Eijiro nodded. He walked off with Mizuki, his thoughts raging inside his mind.

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