The Bloodstained Blade

Reaching for Help

The heroes, exhausted from the Yakuza, were unable to put up much of a fight against all of the villains housed within Tartarus. Now, as they fought back, more prisons around the world were broken, releasing many more individuals... the start of an army who hated the status quo. Most people had evacuated, but some couldn't afford to leave anything behind. It was open warfare. Quirks were used with abandon, and entire blocks were nothing but rubble.

AFO had taken the old Hero Commission building to be his ivory tower, where he could watch the chaos unfold. He knew he'd have to reign them in eventually, but only when those who remained pleaded with them to stop.

"Is everything going according to your plan?"
AFO turned to look at her. "Why, yes, Tenka. It is... and soon, I will begin the next phase..."
"What... what is the next phase?"

"I will give you everything... my legacy, my quirk... and my soul..." He grinned evilly as Tenka paled, realizing just how she had been used.

"You... why me?"
"Your inner hatred, which I cultivated within you... which your friend jeapordized. It will be more than enough to steal my biggest weakness from the newest carrier, and I will be unstoppable. Ah... to be young again. Toga, take her to her room."
"Yessir!" She skipped over to Tenka, and dragged her away. She was too shocked to resist.

"Good... soon, I will have my revenge, brother, and when I do, not even the whole world can stop me..."

Tenka was frantic. Her mind raced on what to do. Her room was electronically shielded, as it was an old interrogation cell... the kind that the Commission used for "secret" interrogations.

Her burner was useless... except...

"Toga...?"
"Yes?"
"I need to use the restroom..."
"Okie!" She opened the door, and escorted her, skipping along. She whistled a demented tune, off key and offputting.

"Thank you..."
"Look, I know you don't like what's happening right now, but it'll be better soon!"

"If only I could be so optimistic..."

She entered the restroom and pulled out the burner.

Izuku wandered the ruined capitol when his Tenka burner rang. Quickly answering, he was relieved to hear her voice, but she was panicking. "Izu, just listen. I know what his plan is! He wants to... to..."
"Take your time."
"We don't have that! He wants to use me to get All for One!"

"How...?"
"By transferring essence... I don't think I have much time left. Please, hurry!"

A new voice sounded over the phone. "Hey, who are you talking to...? Are you betraying us?!"
"No, Toga, you don't..." It went dead.

"Tenka?! TENKA?! DAMN IT!"

With silence confirming his worst fear, he headed back to his temporary base, not paying attention and bumping into a girl on the way back.

"My apologies..."

"Izuku...?"

"Izumi..." He looked around him, checking for threats.

"Why are you anxious...?"
"I don't have time for this."
"I want to help..."
"You can't, I need to act fast!"

"I'm coming with you..."
"Fine. I'll explain when back at base."

"So, what happened?"
"My plan needed to be accelerated twice! TWICE! GAH!" He kicked his crafting table, making it fly into the corner. Quickly going to his chest, he searched it and found the materials he was looking for.

"I've spent the past couple days doing reconnaissance. AFO and the main League members are in the old Hero Commission building. Control of a territory was only the first part of the plan. Tenka just called at great risk... although she's already on borrowed time if what she said was any indication..."
"Tenka?"
"Ah, right... Tenka Shigaraki is my girlfriend, ok? I've been working to kill off AFO to free her so we can have a nice peaceful life."

"What..."
"She's a nice person, just with the wrong crowd. Point notwithstanding... he is going to kill her, steal her essence, and use it to steal One for All... his weakness."
"God... that means I have to help you!"

"Why...? Wait, are you... the next inheritor of OFA?"
"Yes."
"... sure."
"I have an open proposition from Nezu."

"Rejected."

"Look, the heroes are looking for any allies. Anyone who helps fight the villains will get instantly pardoned."

"Still not interested."
"I can convince him to let you and Tenka go. And offer help."
He sighed. "Fine, I'll negotiate with him. But only over the course of 24 hours. After that, I am going to save her, with or without your help."
"That's ok. I'll help you, whatever the cost."
"You really are a good sister now..." He smiled.
"The only problem is getting there... it'll take too long with how much destruction... and it's too risky where we are to risk open movement..."
"Too right... which is why we won't be going by normal means." He started to walk to a staircase that went downstairs. "C'mon, I've got a faster method of transportation."
"What is it?"
"Portals."

The portal he referenced was at least twice as tall as him, and made of obsidian. "Wow... what is this?"
"This is a portal to a dimension my quirk calls the "nether". Do not leave the stone path. Wear this while we travel." He held out a golden helmet.

"Why?"
"There is a sentient species called Piglins... I said to the police that my pig skull mask was made from a villain... it was actually from one of them. They are aggressive unless you display gold." He adjusted his gold crown. "Now, everything can kill you in here, so be careful and follow my lead."

"Right."

Izuku stepped through the portal, and Izumi followed shortly after.