The AQ boss used to be the global node for added mods (setup by officers). When the boss is defeated, the mod would cease to exist. Now, I noticed my teammate killed the boss, I went on a path that was not yet cleared, and boy was I surprised when the mod was still active in every one of my fights.
After my fights, I checked another node at random, and indeed the mod persists.

P.S. I think the mod wasn't working properly on some robots on an earlier day.