Here you go! It's earlier so I can get caught up with my AO3 release schedule. Enjoy!

Toshinori and Aizawa both faced the discraced ex-Hero. Lady Nagant glanced between them both, clearly trying to distinguish the more threatening target. Her face was marked with several bruises, while the rest of her bore numerous cuts and scrapes. Several of her head injuries were bleeding a lot, but seemed to just be flesh wounds. Unpleasant but not life threatening.

"I'll say it again," she said opting to point her gun at Toshinori. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

"We heard gunshots-" Toshinori said.

"Not here here! In Otheon here!"

"We could ask you the same question," Aizawa said.

"What? I can't celebrate just being released from prison?"

"You weren't released," Toshinori said. "Not legally anyway. I'd say you were hiding, but that wouldn't explain your sudden beef with Humarise."

She raised an eyebrow. "What can I say? I hate cults. That doesn't explain why you're hunting them."

"How'd you know?" Aizawa said.

"Because you just said so."

Aizawa cursed.

"Why don't you start?" Toshinori said. "Why are you hunting them?"

She seemed to mull over her options. Then, "Someone very important's kid got snatched. I was sprung from jail to rescue said kid."

Toshinori frowned. He'd have assumed she was rescued by someone on par with All for One, but obviously he wouldn't have a family. Who could she be hunting for? Unless All for One wanted her to-

"What about you? Answer me. Now."

"Same as you," Aizawa said. "A child was kidnapped, and we want to rescue him."

Lady Nagant looked thoughtful. "When was he kidnapped?"

"Does it matter?" Toshinori said.

"Actually it does."

Aizawa gave the exact date. Her expression remained frozen. Meaning that date was significant to her.

"You wouldn't have come for just any kid," she said. "Not only does Humarise kidnap several a year, but there's no way you could have gotten permission after my last raid and made it to Otehon. Meaning this is all, how should we say, extra-judicial."

"Your point?" Toshinori said, his smile growing as thin as his patience.

"You just gave the HPSC a ton of dirt on you. Dirt they could use to control you later. I might be able to fix that."

"Oh really?" Toshinori said. "How?"

"I have some useful information," she said. She lowered her gun "We all have similar goals, why don't we team up? We rescue the kids, I give you the information, and you forget you saw me. After all, it's not like we have a reason to kill each other," she said before muttering. " Unlike some people…"

Toshinori glanced at Aizawa. He nodded. Toshinori turned to her. "Deal."

"Oh and by the way." Aizawa's eyes flashed red. Lady Nagant's gun retracted, leaving a regular elbow.

"Huh, neat trick," she said.

Aizawa turned around, beckoning that she follow. "Follow me. I have a place we can go to discuss the logistics of this little team up.

Beros slammed open the safe house door.

Rody Soul's head popped up, eyes widening in fear. He struggled against his bindings, but to no avail. It was good Sidero tied him up before leaving. Though Beros noted his hands were getting pale. Sidero may have accidentally tightened them too much.

Beros went into the other room and got out the First Aid kit. "What happened?" she said to Sidero.

"W-what happened?!" Sidero said, "We nearly fought the Abomination and-"

"No, I mean where were you during that fight?"

"Oh. I was nearly hit by one of her shots and realized I couldn't face her without the element of surprise. I decided to try and circle around while you distracted her, get her from behind. But she went into the air and targeted me."

Beros remembered a few times where the pressure on her lessened. Yes, the annoying sniper must have been targeting him.

"Anyway, I headed in to help you, staying behind cover just in case you were still in a sniper duel again instead of-" He gestured to her face which probably had several bruises. "But then, I saw two figures approaching. I decided to get close and see who it was. It was the Abomination and his partner!"

Beros nodded. "And then what?"

"I threw a large ball to slow them down, then hurried to join you."

Beros placed a bandage on herself. "Very well. Good work distracting them Sidero. I'm going to patch myself up."

"Alright, I'll go keep watch," Sidero said with a nod. "That brat will get hungry soon."

Beros perked up. She hadn't thought of that.

"If he does, don't get him anything." Sidero smelled himself. "Uck, I still smell the trash from that truck the brat sent us after."

Beros sniffed. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. She sighed and continued giving herself first aid.

Sidero left the room and took watch. He hoped those two wouldn't come, especially the Abomination. Sidero had heard stories about him. They said that the Abomination was once a Chosen One, but his heart was so vile, so wicked, that he'd sprouted a quirk all on his own. A qurik strong enough to change the weather, and shatter the very foundations of the earth. Or anyone in his way.

Sidero really hoped he didn't come. If so, no way was he fighting. No sir. That monster could learn everything Sidero knew for all he cared. He'd just have to make sure Beros wasn't somewhere she could shoot him for squealing.

Sidero had dodged a bullet (or arrow) by lying to her. He wondered if she'd have believed him if she weren't so injured and angry. Then again, maybe she was just a fool.

Either way, he was just thankful she was so gullible, or he might have gotten an arrow in the gut for abandoning her. Sidero wished that bitch had killed her. Then he wouldn't have to go on all these missions, and constantly look over his shoulder ever time he refused to take a risk.

Kaina entered the Heroes' hotel room. Her phone buzzed. Kaina looked and saw a half dozen texts from Botan.

Where are you?

Is something wrong?

Please answer me!

Kaina Tsutsumi, tell me where you are THIS INSTANT!

Kaina rolled her eyes. Geez. What was she, her mother? Kaina typed where she was, then sat down with the other two.

"So," All Might said, "I have one question for you first."

"Alright," Kaina said, quickly going over all the anti-interrogation techniques she'd learned from the Commission.

"Do you want a First Aid kit? That looks pretty bad."

That's it?! "Uh, fine. Hand it over." Kaina sent a quick message to All for One, requesting access to the nearest healers, then began binding her wounds. She enjoyed having an unlimited budget

"So, how did you get involved?" Kaina said to Eraserhead.

"A child was kidnapped in my place. I'm looking to rescue him."

"My s…My secretary's secret love child was taken," All Might said. "I'm trying to find him too."

Kaina raised an eyebrow. "Three quirkless kids taken in such a close proximity? Wow, they must be stepping up their game. So, what now?"

Eraserhead and All Might exchanged looks. "Why are you looking for this child? Who are you working for?"

"No offense, but I'd rather keep my employer confidential."

"Alright," All Might said. "Can you describe the child All for One sent you to find?"

Kaina opened her mouth, then snapped it back shut. Her eyes narrowed.

All Might's smile slipped. He sighed, before his features hardened. The room seemed to lose several degrees. "Fine. We can stop pretending. I know you're working for him."

"What makes you say that?" Kaina said.

"For one, several witnesses of your previous…attack said they saw you using a levitation quirk. Two, I saw a figure briefly fly into the air during your little…disagreement earlier. Last I looked, only he can give quirks. Three, the way you tensed up when I accused you suggested you do indeed work for him."

Kaina glared, then loosened, then actually laughed. "Good catch All Might. And some at the HPSC think you're dumb."

Eraserhead looked embarrassed at that.

"So, who are you really looking for?" All Might said, his voice laced with suspicion.

Something was off. He clearly had an answer he suspected, but Kaina had no idea what it was. Kaina decided to stick mostly to the truth but, due to All Might's blatant hatred of All for One, fudge a few details. Just in case he had a grudge against All for One's family.

"I'm looking for-" Subtract a decade, swap genders, add some of All for One's own features. "A little girl around five years old with white hair, and very round red eyes." That should throw him off. "She's All for One's daughter."

"I highly doubt that man's worth anything as a father-" said All Might.

Don't preach to the choir.

"-But I'll believe you. For now."

"Fine," she said. "So, you two are looking for these kids Humarise took right? Let's exchange information."

They looked to each other. They nodded.

The three shared all they'd found. Every lead, every clue, every person of interest. Most of it was stuff Kaina already knew. But there were a few other traces that became clues. Turns out, All Might was an incredible detective. Soon they had a lead. A weapons dealer on the other side of the city. The three agreed to meet up the next day and "talk" to him.

"Just one more thing," All Might said. "You took one of the cultists with you. Botan Yamada. Where is she?"

"She's safe," Kaina said. "She's working with me willingly as an informant."

"I see," All Might said. "I'd like to see her tomorrow. Just to be sure."

"Fine. But then she returns to the room. We can't let her out for too long with Humarise lurking around." Especially her demented daughter.

"Agreed."

Kaina bid her new teammates farewell, then began the lonely march back to her room. All for One had set her up with some healers the following morning. She hoped they were as good as he said.

Beros and Sidero brought the boy to a new safehouse, where he could be held the world's impurities had left his body. Then they could bring him to the true compound. Beros began her own purification, after ensuring Sidero wouldn't cheap out on his.

Beros soon donned her robes over her combat suit, removing her hood and stashing it in a safe place. Unfortunately, in their hurry to leave the previous safe house (to avoid being tracked), Beros had left one of her quivers behind. She'd retrieve it later.

Sidero messed with the boy's curse. "Don't touch it," Beros said. "We're supposed to keep that foul thing out of sight."

"I'm just wondering if-" He jabbed a needle into its wing. In the other room, the boy cried out.

"I guess that answers that."

Beros shoved him back, then went into the other room as Rody Soul yelled, "Fuzzball! Where are you?"

"Your curse has been removed to a location where it will not taint the eyes of believers."

"My curse…do you mean Pino? My quirk? Please don't hurt her," Rody Soul whispered, pain clear in his voice. "Someone hit her, I felt it just now."

Beros shook her head in pity for the poor boy. "What a dreadful curse you have. It causes you so much pain. Then surely you must understand the message of Humarise that quirks are the cause of all suffering."

The boy was tragically unmoved. "You're the ones hurting me and Pino! Don't make it sound like someone else's responsibility!"

"But if you didn't have a curse, then we wouldn't need to purify you like this. The uncursed ones live a life of luxury under our protection."

"Um, in this hypothetical scenario, you're basically saying that I get kidnapped whether I have a quirk or not? What's wrong with you?" Rody Soul said, poor ignorant soul that he was. It was a shame one so young was only being brought in as punishment for someone else.

The boy calmed down slightly. He continued, "Who are you, and why did Humarise kidnap me?"

"My name is Beros. I brought you here under the orders of Supreme Leader Flect Turn, as a punishment to your father."

"I'd say nice to meet you, but it's not." Rody snorted. "I should have known my deadbeat dad would be causing me yet more trouble. What did he do this time?"

Beros' tone darkened. "Not only did Eddie Soul attempt to escape, he involved the Messiah in his foolishness. A serious sin."

The boy frowned. "Escape? Didn't my father run off to join your crazy cult? He left a letter praising Humarise. It seemed like an open and shut case, according to the police anyway."

"Dr. Soul's services were conscripted by Humarise. He worked for us under the condition that we would not harm his children. Since he defied us, we brought you here."

The boy seemed oddly cheerful. Perhaps she was finally getting through to him?

"It was all a lie? Oh, neat, my dad didn't abandon me! Except now we're both captives of an insane cult. That sucks."

Perhaps not. Indignation swelled in Beros. "We're not insane. We're going to save the world."

The boy had no rebuttal. "What are you going to do to me? You'd better tell me. If you don't, then I'll throw up on you. That's not a bluff! My stomach gets very easily upset when I'm terrified out of my mind."

"You are currently too tainted from the sin of the outside world to enter our holy compound where the Messiah lives. It will take several days to purge all foreign food and drink from your system."

Rody Soul blinked. "Uh, I understand that you don't want 'foreign' food and drink in my system, but will you be feeding me your own, less sinful food? Please? Surely you have something lying around? I'm a small boy. I don't eat that much."

Beros tilted her head. Sidero had said not to bother. Plus this boy had gotten them both covered in trash then slandered Humarise. Yet a tiny voice that sounded suspiciously like the Messiah spoke. Don't starve him. Help him. Show him the glories of Humarise!

Yes, the Messiah would absolutely say that.

Beros made her decision. "I will bring you food."

Besides, exposure to their superior offerings will surely help sway him to accept their ways. The Messiah would think so.

Izuku resisted the urge to bite Flect Turn as he hugged him without permission. Again!

"I wish I did not have my curse to prevent others less pure than you from touching me," he said, while making physical contact with Izuku, who very much had a(n incredibly "impure") quirk.

"I wish others could make contact with you too," Izuku said. Preferably via a punch to the face. And kick to the kidney. And knee between the legs. And punch to the throat. And maybe also-

As Beros turned to walk away, Rody Soul said, "What will you do to me after that? Since you brought me here to punish my dad."

Beros glanced back at him. "I am not important enough to be granted that information." He seemed much smaller now, with that fearful look in his eyes. "You are very young. I hope they will go easy on you."

She truly did. As she went to get food, Rody Soul said,

"Me, too."

Kaina hissed as she entered the room, her injuries flaring up.

"Kaina!" Botan ran up to her. "What happened?!"

"Beros."

Botan's eyes widened with horror. "Beros?! What happened? Is she-"

"She's fine." Kaina re-thought her answer. "She'll live."

Botan looked sad now. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to do that."

"Not your fault your daughter ended up becoming the hired gun of a bunch of manipulative bastards."

Botan whispered something under her breath.

"What was that?" Kaina said.

"Nothing. Nothing important. Anyway, can I help you with any of your injuries?"

"No," Kaina said, "I'll visit a black-market healer tomor-" She felt something warm and sticky in several spots. The wounds had reopened. "Hold on, I'm going to patch myself up." Again. She went into the other room and got the first aid kit.

Soon she was reapplying bandages. Most had held, but a few were still causing trouble. Even worse was Botan's constantly worrying, like Kaina would drop dead any moment.

"By the way, when you saw Beros," Botan said. "How was she?"

"Fine. Really pissed about you though."

"She's still worried?" Botan said. She actually smiled. "She definitely loves me. I tried to care for her over the years, but that usually got me sent to the Room of Enlightenment."

"The what?"

"Not important. You didn't permanently maim her, did you?"

"No. I tried, but she's good."

"I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed of that," Botan said. "Just…please promise me you'll try and defeat her alive?" Her eyes became pleading, desperate even. Kaina half wondered what it would be like to have a mother as devoted as her.

"Fine. I'll do my best. Can you grab those papers?" she said pointing. "I want to figure out our next lead. I'm meeting the others tomorrow and figured it could help speed us all up."

"Ok," she said.

Kaina struggled to reapply the bandage, but it was becoming a jumbled mess.

"Can I help you with that? I do know first aid." Botan said.

"No…I…got this."

"Please," Botan said. "It's been years since I've doted on…on my daughter."

Kaina hesitated.

She guessed it wouldn't hurt to try. She gave the bandage to Botan. She helped clean and cover the wound, all while asking Kaina stories of her Hero work. The good stories. Kaina wondered if she'd been like this with her actual daughter. It kind of reminded Kaina of when she was a girl and would watch the other kids' parents ask how their day at school was.

It was nice.

Toshinori looked over the information they'd found once more. He had to find Young Midoriya soon, before Humarise learned he had One for All. Worse than them, All for One had returned. If he learned Young Midoriya had One for All, then his life would be in even more danger. Toshinori had to be ready to defend his boy.

His actions against Humarise were brazenly illegal and violated several jurisdictions. The HPSC now had plenty of leverage to use against him. He'd hoped to simply retire, so they could no longer reach him. Sadly, Toshinori still had some things he needed to do.

He hoped Lady Nagant's information on the Commission would actually help hold them back. But then, what kind of information could she even have? Could he trust her? She had murdered a fellow Hero in cold blood. Or so they said. Toshinori wondered if there was some nuance to that tale.

However, suppose she was telling the truth, and Humarise had indeed kidnapped an innocent girl to use against her father. Even with a man like All for One, Toshinori couldn't let that slide.

Still, he'd have to keep a close eye on Lady Nagant. If she was telling the truth, then he'd be happy for her help. If she was targeting Young Midoriya?

United States of Smash.

Beros sat in her room, trying to hum herself to sleep with her mother's old lullabies. She remembered those wondrous days. Mom kissing Beros's wounds away when she was hurt. Beros frolicking round her, promising to never develop a quirk so she could stay with her forever…

When her quirk came in, Beros tried for a week to hide it, vile selfish child that she'd been. Fortunately, her mother was too virtuous for that. When she found out Beros had a quirk, she'd been quite upset at Beros for hiding it. She then immediately reported it to the authorities. However, despite the gravity of Beros' sin, her mother said that the quirk had only just come in, sparing her any (well-deserved) trouble.

So kind of her.

Beros's life had been so lonely since then. Her only consolation had been her teacher the only one who'd seemed to like Beros. Yes, she was a vile sinner with an evil curse, but so was he. He taught her to understand the ways of Humarise, and even refuted some of the false teachers who'd guiled their way to power.

Sadly, Othello died in a mission that went wrong shortly before Beros's first solo mission. Beros had been tasked with robbing a dangerous Villain group. It went wrong too, but by some miracle she survived. Leadership was so impressed that Beros vowed to keep doing incredible missions until they let her see her mother.

Yet now that her mother was gone, what should she do?

Botan rose up from her bed. Kaina was curled in her own, gently sleeping. Botan sat in front of her, taking in Kaina's face. She looked so peaceful, her features finally softening from her perpetual scowl.

Botan felt a pang of grief. She may be a grown woman, but next to Botan she was still a child.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "For the life you've lived. You deserve so much better." She leaned in and kissed one of Kaina's wounds, wishing so much she'd been born with a healing quirk. Kaina rolled over, but didn't wake.

Botan's thoughts drifted to Beros, and the life she'd been taken into. "You both deserved so much better."

Our trio are together and (mostly) working together!

All Might's secretary is a reference to Toshinori Yagi being officially his secretary in Vigilantes. Meaning that technically he just said Izuku was his secret love child. (Don't tell Shoto) As for Lady Nagant's lie, she'll be quite surprised when she learns Eri exists. She might even wonder if AFO really did have a secret daughter!