Here is the next chapter! This one was FUN.

Kaina made her way to their door. She turned back to Botan. "I'm heading out. Anything else I should remember?" she said, hoping Botan gave her information on Humarise rather than another lecture about sunscreen.

Botan said, "Just one thing. Be quick about finding the boy. The longer he's in Humarise, the more danger he's in."

Kaina raised her brow. "I thought Humarise loved their 'Chosen Ones'"?

"They do but…when I was there, Midoriya somehow used a quirk. It blasted a hole clear through one of the walls. Fortunately, I made sure to take the blame and warn him to keep it a secret so they don't …"

Kaina's eyes narrowed. "So they don't what?"

Botan shuddered. "Kill him. Burn him to death, then make us touch the ashes as purification. It's what they do for false Chosen Ones, whether they hid their quirks deliberately or accidentally. They're lenient on very small children, but as the kids grow older…We need to find him before they find him out."

Kaina put her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Don't worry. He's a smart kid. He'll keep it under wraps, like you told him too."

She nodded. "Also, can I ask you something else?"

"What?"

If you see her, please, please don't kill Beros! I know it'll be hard, I know she's dangerous. But she's my daughter! She's- I'm the one who brought her there, it's my fault she ended up this way. Please spare her!"

Kaina felt unsure how to respond. Finally, she said, "I'll see what I can do. With any luck, I won't see her." She walked out of their hotel room and closed the door behind her.

Midoriya has a quirk huh? It actually makes sense. All for One must have registered him as quirkless so he could give his son quirks without needing to remember which one's the official one. If Midoriya was caught using it, he could just say he was a late bloomer and they forgot to file the paperwork. It's not like All for One would just not give his own son a quirk after all. Besides, where else would he get one?

Toshinori sneezed as he and Aizawa approached the door. Inside, they expected to find an informant who would lead them to Humarise. Hopefully, this would finally let them rescue Young Midoriya. The two opened the door, only to find an empty room.

"What? He's gone!" Toshinori said.

"He must have gotten prior word we were coming," said Aizawa.

Dammit, it seems word of our actions is spreading! Thought Toshinori. "Perhaps there are some leads we can find around here." He heard paper beneath his boot and looked down. Papers were strewn all about the place, like someone had ransacked the place. "Someone was here first."

"Whoever was probably already scoured this place clean," Aizawa said, stooping to look at the papers. "Still, perhaps they missed something."

"Show me what you find, perhaps I can find a clue," Toshinori said.

Aizawa snorted. "You? Unless they involve a press conference-"

"Remind me which of us annihilated organized crime in Japan?"

For a moment, Aizawa shut up. Then he said, "I wasn't sure if that was you or just the HPSC crediting you for PR reasons."

"It was me," Toshinori said. "Charisma can only get you so far with a simple strength enhancing quirk."

"Duly noted." Aizawa said.

They poured over the papers, looking at every name and contact to see if any were useful.

"This one seems promising," Aizawa said, pointing at one.

Toshinori nodded. He coughed into his handkerchief, seeing blood. Damn. I'm running out of time. "You're right. Let's check that tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Is there a reason we can't go later tonight?" Aizawa said, eyes narrowing.

Oh no, was he catching on to Toshinori's bad habits of overusing his quirk? Toshinori didn't need more lectures. "Uhhh no! Let's go tonight. I'm going to rest. Sleep deprivation is bad for Hero work, so we both need more sleep!"

Fortunately, Aizawa nodded. "Good point. What do you suppose happened to our original contact?"

"I don't know, but he probably wouldn't have talked anyway."

"Ok, ok! I'll talk!"

Nagant removed her gun from between his legs. "Huh, that was easy. I didn't even blow anything off yet." Seriously, give these Humarise the mild discomfort of being upside down and threaten to shoo their limbs off and they fold like wet blankets. She lasted longer upside down during training, even they threatened to activate their agonizers! Heck, she'd lasted longer than that before she began training! When she was fourteen!

"Trust me! Your threats are convincing enough!" the man said.

"Good," said Kaina, deactivating her quirk. "Then tell me, where did they put the green kid?"

"The Chosen One? I wouldn't know-"

Nagant popped her gun back out.

"B-but I know the person who does! A Support Dealer on the South Side! He's a believer in Humarise and would know about all their movements!"

"Even with the quirkless kids?"

"Especially with the quirkless kids! Not a single person goes missing without his say so! In fact, he was responsible for them kidnapping some scientists a few years back!"

Nagant retracted her gun. "Alright, tell me everything you know about him."

And the man did.

"That's all I know! I swear!"

"Duly noted," Kaina said. She began to walk away.

"Wait! Aren't you going to cut me down?!"

Nagant turned back, tapping her chin in thought. "How about….no."

"What?! You can't leave me here!"

"I'm pretty sure I already am!"

"You can't do this! This is torture!"

"Ha! Torture is when I blow your balls off!" Nagant said. "This was me being nice!"

"You can't do this to me! Untie me! Let me go!"

Nagant closed the door to the sound-proofed warehouse behind her. She'd programmed his phone to send a call for help in a few hours. He should be fine by then. Probably. In the meantime, she had searching to do.

This kidnapped kid was somewhere in Otheon, and she was almost on top of him. She just hoped no more wrinkles appeared in her plans.

There he is.

Their quarry. Rody Soul, age 16. Son of Eddie and Maria Soul. The former serving a higher calling, the other deceased. Their quarry was walking through the plaza with a heavy case. Beros tried to stay inconspicuous as she watched. Alas, she wasn't used to doing this publically while Sidero couldn't do it at all.

The boy's curse, a small pink bird, suddenly flew into the air. The boy then gave Sidero and Beros a two-fingered salute and ran the other way. They'd been spotted. Beros sprinted after him, transforming her thumb and forefinger into her bow while her other hand grabbed an arrow.

The boy began scaling a building.

"Sidero!"

"On it!"

He activated his quirk and threw several massive iron balls at the climbing boy. They slammed into the side of the building, embedding themselves in the wall. One of the balls landed dangerously close to Rody Soul's head.

"Watch it! We need him alive!" Beros said.

"Don't worry! If I kill him we can get his siblings!"

"No! We're bringing in this one!"

"Fine! I'll watch my fire!"

He also tossed her several of his balls, which she fired. The balls enlarged themselves mid air, landing all around the boy to stop his climbing. Nevertheless, the boy climbed onto the roof and dropped to his stomach. Sidero prepared a massive iron ball the size of a car to knock their target off the roof. Beros knocked it in her bow. The target looked over the side. His eyes went comically wide as Beros shot it.

The ball smashed into the building, knocking out a large portion of its corner. The entire roof tipped. The boy ran for it, jumping to the next roof, and then the one after that. Beros tried to aim at his legs, but she couldn't get a clean shot. Sidero threw several balls to try and injure him (his quirk would hit the boy with a concussive blow, better for knocking someone out than her arrows) but the boy avoided them.

He was agile, she gave him that. However, the boy gave Beros enough of an opening to fire a tracking device onto his shoulder. Now wherever he ran, they would find him. As he cut across the roofs, Beros and Sidero followed. It was difficult, his knowledge of the terrain making him hard to track. Rody Soul slid off one of the roofs, disappearing over the side. When, they reached the edge, he was gone.

Beros looked around, pulling out her phone.

There! In a garbage truck! She and Sidero took off after it. Beros went into a full sprint. She followed it block after block until it finally stopped several kilometers from where it began. Beros leaped onto the truck and looked inside. Their abandoned tracker beeped atop a pile of garbage.

Filthy runt. He'd discovered their tracker and ditched it, letting them chase it all across town while he slipped away!

"He slipped our tracker?" Sidero said. "Damn!"

Beros kicked the garbage truck.

Trash rained down on the two of them.

"Alright," All Might said. "You're going to tell us everything you know about the quirkless kids you ship to Humarise."

"You're quirkless yourself, aren't you?" Shota said, circling the man they'd tied to the chair. "So why traffic other kids like you?"

He ripped the duct tape off the man's mouth. Since the man had a beard, it made him yell in pain. "L-look, Humarise won't hurt them! They keep'em safe! Besides, they pay well! Even after All for-" He stopped.

"After All for One took your quirk," All Might said in realization.

The man stiffened.

"Yes, I know all about him. Now, let's talk about where you took the children."

"I didn't take them! Another of our guys did! I just arranged their transport to the safehouse!"

"Where?" All Might said.

"You think I'd tell you? You have any idea what Humarise will do to me for squealing?!"

"You have any idea what I'll do?" Shota said.

"Meet my acquaintance," All Might said, gesturing to Shota. "The strangler. He's a hitman whose son was recently take. I knew the boy at the time, and made it my goal to find him. If you don't talk, then he'll make you."

The man laughed. "You really think that'll fool me?! You're All Might! You have rules! Morals! You don't torture guys and cover it up."

All Might's smile faded. The man began to shake.

"Do you know why All for One vanished from the underworld five years ago?"

"What? No, wh-"

"Because I killed him."

The man gasped, Shota looked to All Might, curious. It was the second time they'd mentioned that name, All for One. Who was it?

"I killed the Dark Emperor. I caved in his skull with my bare hands, and then covered it up." All Might bared his teeth. "So, tell me again what I will and won't do?"

The man was almost hyperventilating. All Might walked past Shota. "He's all yours. Remember, he needs to be alive to talk. But limbs aren't vital organs."

"Alright," Shota said, cracking his knuckles.

"Wait! Wait! I'll talk!"

All Might stopped halfway out the door. He closed it behind him, then lifted the informant with one hand. "Then start talking."

Shota shivered at the look in his eyes. He realized right then and there that he never wanted to be on the wrong side of All Might. Not even with his quirk cancelled.

After finishing their "discussion," Toshinori and Aizawa left. Once they were alone, the two changed clothes to draw less attention, with Toshinori resuming his skinny form. As they walked down the street, he thought fortunate it was that Aizawa was unknown and had a rough face. It made it much easier to pretend that he was some ruthless villain who'd teamed up with the Number 1 Hero to save his son. His threats might not have worked otherwise.

"Who is All for One?" Aizawa said. "I've heard the name a few times, but I could never figure out who it was. My best guess was that he was some sort of boogeyman."

"In a way he was. Except this boogeyman was all too real," said Toshinori. "A monster with-" He paused. "-an exceptionally powerful and versatile quirk." Saying All for One's real power tread dangerously close to the secret of One for All, especially if Aizawa learned Midoriya had a quirk now. "He ruled the Underworld for many years. When I busted the Yakuza, it was only partly to deal with them. I was mainly doing it to bring down All for One, once and for all."

"Was he the one who-" Aizawa pointed to Toshinori's side.

Toshinori nodded.

Aizawa said nothing. After a moment, he stiffened. "Was your story true? About killing him?"

"Yes," Toshinori said. "Right down to caving his skull in."

Aizawa paled a bit. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak they heard a series of loud bangs. Both turned in the direction the sounds came from. Based on the loudness, it was from the edge of town. They exchanged one look, then ran after it.

Beros followed the boy's trail to an information dealer working out of a bar, Stanley K. She entered the bar, examining it with a scowl. A pair of drunks speaking of the women they'd been with, another talking about showing off his quirk to friends, and yet another switching between ranting about his neighbor and talking about taking drugs.

So much hedonism and corruption here.

It took effort for Beros not to pull her cape around herself to keep the sin from dripping onto her. Or grabbing some arrows and violently throwing everyone out. She glared straight forward and walked over to the bartender. He looked nervous. Good.

"Humarise?" he said looking at their uniforms. "I don't see your type often here. What can I do for you?"

Beros held out the picture of the boy. "We're looking for this boy. Where is he? We have a bounty on him."

"What sort of bounty?"

Beros told him their number.

"Holy shit." Beros could practically see the greed in his eyes. "What are you planning on doing with him?"

"Does it matter?"

"Depends on your answer."

"We're bringing him into our organization. He will not be harmed."

The man looked thoughtful. He sighed. "Sorry, but as insufferable as that brat is he is an associate. I can't just sell out-"

Beros drew an arrow and pressed it against his throat with one hand while throwing down a stack of money with the other.

"Well when you put it like that, sure I can help! He'll be coming here soon! You can wait in the back!"

Beros retracted her arrow, but left the cash. "Good."

The man pocketed the cash with a large grin and led them into the backroom. She nodded to Sidero then followed. With any luck, this mission would go without trouble.

Thanks to the bartender's help, Sidero and Beros easily grabbed the brat. Sure, he squirmed a bit, but overall the runt was quite easy to manhandle. Not surprising given how scrawny he was. Plus Sidero got to hear him insult his own boss. Look on that asshole's face was so worth it. Not that it stopped Sidero from being rough with the brat for that trick with the trash.

After all, if Beros didn't catch him she couldn't do anything about it, right?

Sidero was hoping to get back and hug the Messiah a bit, apologize for using his quirk. It made him feel better, and that's what the Chosen Ones were for right? To give worthless people like him the chance to feel better and to protect and lead them. He was glad to have an actual purpose in this world.

He just wished he wasn't stuck with the most difficult operative in all of Humarise! Sure, Beros was the best, but she was insufferable. For starters, she would not shut up about Humarise's teachings or getting him to practice them even when the boss didn't order them to. Even worse, she was so dedicated to getting a mission done as perfectly as possible, she was fine with risking their lives for it.

Sorry, but Sidero wasn't here to die for Humarise's cause. He was here to be one of the survivors, leading the Chosen Ones through a dangerous world. Fortunately, they'd soon be safely back. Then he could wait and finally take his place-

"Sidero."

He paused. "What is it Beros?"

She was staring out into the crowd, her eyes burning with hate.

"Take him back to the safe house, then come to me."

She took off, leaving Sidero with the brat.

"So..." the brat said, groggily. "I don't suppose I could convince you to-"

Sidero shoved his face against the wall and knocked him out again, this time using the full recommended dose. "No. Now let's go." He dragged the urchin to their safehouse, tied him up, then threw him inside. Sidero then followed Beros' tracking device until he found her on a rooftop in a remote part of town. The crowds had thinned to a single woman in a hoodie walking down the road.

"It's her," Beros whispered. "The killer."

Terror clenched at Sidero. "B-but weren't we told to-"

"If she's here, she's probably here for us. We need to follow her now so she doesn't attack us later."

Sidero wasn't sure if that was logical or not. He was too busy remembering what that beast did to their other base. And Beros said the sniper was a match for her.

"W-well what are you waiting for? Kill her!"

"I can't. I need her to lead us back to her prisoner."

"Are you kidding me?!" Sidero said, "Just-"

"You know I can hear you right?"

He froze. Peeking out, he saw the woman watching them. "The other one wasn't bad, but the newbie is about as subtle as an elephant. I suggest going it alone or getting a new partner."

Beros growled. She slowly drew her bow.

"Beros…" Sidero said. "S-shouldn't we-"

The other woman swung back her elbow, a gun made of flesh and bone coming out of her arm. Beros drew her string.

"GIVE ME BACK MY MOTHER!"

The two fired.

Both were already moving as they fired, allowing both to avoid the other's shot. Nagant quickly curled three bullets from her hair. She began to load them, only for four arrows to shoot out from the roof simultaneously. Nagant weaved around one, kicked a second away, then shot the third while the fourth passed through her hair.

Nagant somersaulted away from another shot and finally loaded and fired at Beros. Beros ducked the shot, but in that time Nagant loaded two more, fining one after another. She then took to the air, using her rifle to propel herself to the nearest roof.

Nagant then threw off her hoodie, revealing her full Villain (vigilante?) (mercenary?) costume.

Beros was dangerous enough, but she'd have to look out for that other one too. She had to fight defensively.

As she retreated, an arrow came out and nearly impaled her.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY! RELEASE MY MOTHER!"

"Release? She volunteered to come with me!"

"LIES!"

"Awwww, is someone upset her mom ditched her stupid cult for not taking her out in the sun some more often?"

"Silence you old hag!"

Kaina scowled. For some reason that felt way more insulting than it should. Nagant loaded a 50-caliber bullet and fired, blasting an entire chimney to pieces. Alas, it wasn't enough.

From his hiding spot, Sidero listened to the two's traded barbs, glad he wasn't out there dying. Better Beros than him. Still, Beros was usually so calm and collected. It was odd to hear Beros and the enemy bantering like bickering sisters.

Several gunshots rang out while multiple arrows cut through the air.

With a dash of attempted murder.

"I will defeat you and your sinful ways!" Beros said, firing an arrow that Nagant backflipped over. "Your costume is uncultured and-"

"Oh shut up you Robin Hood cosplaying cultist! Don't you know bows got replaced by guns for a reason?"

"Yes," Beros said, standing on a chimney with her back to the sun, with five arrows nocked. "Because they weren't being shot by me." She unleashed a storm of arrows.

Nagant tried to dodge, but they all moved in irregular patterns, making them unpredictable. She leaped into the sky and used her gun to propel herself higher and higher. When she was high enough, Nagant aimed down with her scope. Beros ducked behind a wall.

Nagant sent several armor piercing shots down, hoping to take Bero's legs off.

Beros emerged alive and unharmed. Nagant also saw Beros's companion ducking behind some chimneys far, far away. At first, she thought he was waiting for the time to strike, but on zooming in she realized…was he cowering?

Kaina felt a burst of second hand indignation. Sure, Beros was a bitch, but she deserved better than that loser. Nagant aimed her gun to take his arms off, only to hear a whistling approach. She turned and saw an arrow coming right for her head. Nagant moved her head, only for it to curve around and fly toward her torso.

Using a well-placed rifle shot, Nagant narrowly evaded it, only for another arrow to come at her, cutting her back. Then another came at her, then another, then another!

Dammit.

Beros' range was greater than suspected, and her aim was on par with Nagant's. Nagant pointed her gun upwards and propelled herself down, avoiding arrows as she went. As she descended, she saw Beros in her dumb green hood and cape. Nagant smirked and fired a stray shot before continuing her descent.

Beros halted her fire for a second.

What was that?

That shot was so off, it had to be deliberate. But wha-

Beros ducked moments before a bullet whizzed right over her, narrowly avoiding getting her head blown off.

The filthy impure one…she could curve her bullets? With that kind of precision?!

If only this one were a member of Humarise, she'd be a valuable asset. Or not. She was rather insufferable. Beros moved to another piece of cover. The Impure One landed. Beros leaned out to look for her. Beros heard a sound behind her, and saw the impure one coming from behind out of the corner of her eye.

Beros smirked, then aimed without looking.

Nagant dropped into a slide, the arrow passing right over her and grazing her chin. She'd fired without even looking!

Nagant drew her gun, but Beros ducked behind cover. Nagant pulled out an armor piercing shot. She remembered Botan pleading for her daughter's life.

She fired anyway.

There was a brief cry, then the sound of a body slumping to the ground. Nagant walked over, gun still raised. A pity to have killed her. After all, she was a pretty goo-

Beros lunged out just before Nagant could round the corner. A bluff! Beros nocked her bow. "You're as gullible as you are annoying you Hero toad!

On second thought, Nagant should've taken her head off!

Nagant lunged forward and bodyslammed Beros, knocking her into a wall. "Too slow brat!" Nagant said. "Maybe you should think before you-"

Beros drove an arrow at Nagant's back. Nagant grabbed the arm, stopping her. Beros then kneed her in the face.

"Your technique is as uninspired as your costume!"

Kaina wrestled Beros against a wall and headbutted her. "Who are you calling uninspired, you're a gray bodysuit with a Robin Hood cloak! That doesn't even go together!"

"This is the holy garments of a Humarise warrior!" Beros said, throwing Nagant off, then high-kicking her in the chin. "With Robin Hood, the greatest archer of all time!"

"Robin Hood's from folk tales! Can't you tell any fiction from reality?!"

"How much Hero news did you believe unironically?"

"Oh shut up!"

Nagant tackled Beros. The two fell into an alley, Beros flipping Nagant so she'd take the brunt of the fall. Nagant used Air Walk to stop them both, then threw Beros off her.

Beros tried to get up, but Nagant put her into a headlock. "You talk tough brat, but too bad that talk's not much compared to superior experien-"

Beros swung her head back and headbutted Nagant. She then ran up the wall and somersaulted over Nagant before kneeing her in the back.

"What was your experience in? Failure? Or maybe you're just getting slow with age?"

Kaina drove her elbow in the cultist's stomach. "If so, then you're past your prime early!" She swung around and threw kick at Beros. Beros dodged, then kicked Kaina in the shoulder.

Kaina grit her teeth. "Your kicks are as good as your critical thinking. Or did you outsource that to Humarise too?"

"Shut your impure mouth! Flect Turn is the greatest, wisest-"

Kaina lunged for the throat to cut off this monologue, Beros wrenched her hands off, but Nagant successfully grabbed her hair and slammed her into the wall.

"I don't have to listen to someone who thinks gray and green make a cohesive costume!"

"And I don't have to listen to the hypocrisy of someone who's hair looks like cotton candy!"

"What'd you say Minty?!"

"Minty?!"

Beros kicked the side of Nagant's knee. Nagant staggered. Beros got behind her, swept her leg, then put her in a hold. Big mistake.

Nagant opened her elbow, sending the rifle's barrel into Beros's stomach. Beros grabbed the barrel and pushed it to the side, letting Nagant flipped over Beros using Air Walk. She grabbed the back of Beros's head and put her forearm around her throat. The woman frantically thrashed, desperately gasping for air.

Nagant gave her no opening. She'd hold Beros until she stopped-

Something slapped the side of Nagant's head. She looked sideways saw Beros's bow unfurled. Beros freed herself and got onto Nagant's back. She placed the bow around Nagant's throat and began to strangle her, all while keeping away from Naagant's gun arm.

Nagant struggled to breathe. She leaned forward, throwing Beros off balance, then leaned back and slammed Beros into a wall. She barely threw Beros off of her and twisted some hair off, loading her rifle even as Beros knocked her bow.

Nagant ducked out of the alley, then fired through the building's wall. An arrow came whizzing out from the corner. Kaina narrowly ducked, letting it knock down a nearby planter.

Beros snarled as she fired three more arrows while running to the other end of the alley. Where was Sidero?! It would be easier to take this filthy monster down if he-

Beros! We gotta get out of here! Heroes are coming!"

"Help me take this target down, then we can-"

"One of them's the Abomination! I tried to slow them down, but they won't be distracted for long! We have to run!"

Beros nearly swore. All Might. She couldn't kill the Abomination, and if he got here before she could kill the mother-thief…

Put your mission over your personal feelings, Othello's voice whispered into her ear.

Her mission…her mission was the boy. All else was secondary. Beros fired a last bunching as a distraction, then turned and fled. "I'm on my way Sidero. Good job slowing them down."

"Who was that?" Shota said, pointing up at the roofs where a figure in gray had suddenly run away just as they showed up.

"No idea," All Might said, now in his buff form, "But the shooting was this way."

The two rounded a corner, only to find themselves facing the business end of the rifled belonging to a bruised, bloody, and very pissed Lady Nagant.

"Alright, what the hell are you doing here?"

Wasn't it neat seeing the two fight? It was great seeing them bounce off each other. I also tried to give them similar but distinct fighting styles (Nagant grapples more, while Beros tends to kick).

Frankly, if the two were sisters they'd still have one of the healthier sibling relationships thanks to the Todorokis and Shigarakis.

Also Rody's here, and kidnapped again. He's a fun character to bully.

I wrote Sidero this way because in the movie he sold out Humarise when caught, but in FNE, he seemed to actually believe in Humarise's ideology. My solution? He's a coward. A weasel whose out for himself, which makes him a nice contrast to Beros's sincere devotion.

And the three investigators are finally united!

Hope you enjoyed! Reviews bring joy!