It was not yet time for school, so the Hornet stood atop the rooftop of the building where Kagami Tsurugi's limousine was parked. He waited and she eventually walked out and got in the limo. As it drove off, the Hornet dived off the roof, activated his wings and followed it. He eventually caught it at some traffic lights and landed on the roof. Kagami heard the thud he made and wound down her window. The Hornet threw an earpiece onto the seat and Kagami put it in her ear.

"I'm sorry I nearly choked you to death," The Hornet said.

"It's you," Kagami whispered. She had a certain sadness in her voice. "I'm sorry too."

"Don't be. You were akumatized. I've been before. Everyone feels this low afterward. It's called guilt. You're not alone with these feeling."

"Apart from Kayla, it really feels like it."

"There's me as well. If you want to be friends. And Adrien Agreste seems to respect you."

Kagami was a bit more uplifted. "Thank you." Kagami and the Hornet were silent. "Look. I know one reason why you're here. Your secret's safe with me."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me." The Hornet was silent again. Kagami began to get suspicious.

"There's something else, isn't there?"

"A few of the akuma victims are able to use their powers for good because I captured their akumas instead of Ladybug. I captured yours. It's completely your choice but I believe that Riposte could do some good if you were in complete control. I'm not gonna try and pressure you or threaten you. The choice is yours."

Kagami was silent for ten seconds before reaching her decision. "No."

"Okay, then. Again, thanks for keeping my secret. I just hope Kayla will feel the same." The Hornet flew off to the school.

The school bell rang and students began pouring in. Miss Bustier's class headed to the music class up the stairs. Marinette stopped suddenly.

"Oh, I left my bag in my locker!" The clutz said. "I'd better go and get it!" Marinette ran past Chloe and Sabrina and tripped onto the floor. She quickly got back up. "I'm okay!" Chloe laughed while Sabrina winced. Marinette went into the girls' side of the locker room and opened her locker to get her bag. She closed her locker and then heard Max's voice from the boys' side of the lockers. She saw him sat on a bench, his bag open on his lap. She stayed behind the wall so Max couldn't see her.

"Of course you're my best friend!" Max said into his bag. "I'm one hundred percent affirmative! But I am also ninety-eight-point-two percent positive the teachers are not ready for...this advancement of evolution!"

Tikki opened Marinette purse, which still had the design that Marinette created from the shirt her grandma got her. "His best friend is in his bag?" The Kwami asked.

"I know, Tikki. Totally strange!" Marinette heard Max's bag clip shut so she dashed to the back of the room and casually strolled as Max went to walk out of the locker room. "Hey, Max!"

Max jumped and turned around. "Oh! Err... Hey, Marinette!" The two of them left the locker room and headed up to the music classroom. Alix and Ivan were each sat behind a drum kit. Juleka, Mylene, Lila, Nathaniel, and Kim were using acoustic guitars, while Adrien, Nino, Alya, Max, and Sabrina were sat behind keyboards, and Marinette and Chloe were standing up. The teacher came in, wearing a lilac women's suit with a skirt and matching shoes. She was the friend of Bridgette Dupain, Paige Turner.

"Good morning, everyone!" She said.

"Good morning, Miss Turner!" The class said.

"Glad to see you all using your initiative! Wait, where's Liam?" At that moment, a loud thud was heard out the window. Paige went over and stuck her head out and to her left was Liam, hanging on the side of the school. "What are you doing?!"

"Abseiling," Liam answered. Paige moved back into the classroom and Liam climbed in and closed the window behind him. The class looked at him in disbelief. "What?" The class turned to face their instruments and Liam addressed Paige. "So what do you want me to do?"

"You got your project? Looks like some forgot theirs."

"No, they just worked on the same project," Polistes said in Liam's voice. Liam and the class gasped as Liam's wristwatch started glowing in the center. Liam raised his wrist and took the watch off and put it in his bag. "Oh, come on! They were gonna find out about me anyway." Liam pulled a USB stick out as well as some documents. "You know how many times I saved your life?!"

"At yet you nearly burned my hand off!" Liam protested. He closed the bag and gave the documents and USB to Paige. "The USB has the audio recordings on separate files and videos of everyone playing their instruments for each song with separate files and the document details how we set up the studio, which instruments were used and why, how they were connected, what effects were used and how, and screenshots of each piece of information as evidence."

Paige was shocked. "You do know you're only in high school?"

"Only for a few more weeks then off to college!"

"It's gonna be sad to see you go!" Nathaniel shouted. He then turned to Alix. "Not just you."

"Well, Liam," Paige said as she scanned her eyes through the documents. "You do this for all your assignments at college and you'll graduate with the highest marks!"

"Thank you, Miss," Liam said. At that moment, a bag could be heard tumbling to the floor. Everyone turned to see Liam's bag on its side. Liam reached his hand in and pulled out...

"Tikki?" Liam whispered. "I know whose this is. You'll get it back after class!" Marinette saw who Liam was holding and

"Who put you in charge, Liam?" Paige retaliated. "Hand it over!" Liam gave Tikki to Paige.

After that lesson, it was science. Paige gave Tikki back to Marinette and the class went on their unmerry way. When they arrived, Ms. Mendeleiev was talking to Mr. Damocles about her laptop containing a virus, which was shown on the classroom's projector.

"Ya see, Mr. Damocles?" The science teacher said. "Nothing works when I press this button!"

"You're in luck, Ms. Mendeleiev!" Mr. Damocles responded. "I'm a bit of a computer whiz!" Damocles cracked his knuckles. "Okay." He typed on the keyboard. "And there you go!" The laptop rebooted and was fully functional again. All of the students were impressed by Damocles' computer skills, except Liam, who was too busy putting Polistes back on his wrist, and Max, who suspected that the reboot was too good to be true. He was right to be suspicious as suddenly the screen crashed and showed that a computer virus had taken over the system.

"That's not supposed to be happening!" Mendeleiev shouted. "What is it?!"

Max stood up and walked to the front desk holding his bag. "It's Dino-33! A malicious computer virus!" Max set his bag on the desk. "Let me try something!" Max put his hand on the top of the laptop screen to pull it towards him. He started to pull it but Mendeleiev grabbed it before he could stop.

"Go back to your seat, Max! Let the adults handle this!" Max groaned, grabbed his bag and headed back to his desk. He and the rest of the class were surprised by a voice in his bag.

"Inform the adults that if they don't eliminate the virus in the next seventy-five seconds, there's a ninety-nine percent chance that the hard disk will be permanently damaged!"

"Quiet!" Max sat back down, unable to escape the gazes that his classmates were giving him.

"First, Liam's watch talks in his voice," Alya asked, baffled. "Then Max's bag talks to him?" Marinette was suspicious of Max but then the computer started beeping.

"It's destroying all the school data!" Damocles stated. "It's a disaster! Max, how many seconds do you say we have left?"

"Only sixty-five!" Max answered.

Damocles spoke to Mendeleiev. "Let him try!" Mendeleiev nodded. "Go ahead, Max." Damocles pushed the laptop forward. Max walked over again, placing his bag back down on the desk and reaching in for something.

"Where is it?" He said.

"I believe that this..." The voice said. A blue and gray mechanical arm with a gray claw and black palm held out a blue USB from the bag that had a black measure bar with dark gray lines. "...is what you're looking for!" Everyone was stunned to see a mechanical arm talking to Max, except for Kim and Liam. They knew exactly what it was. Max took the drive.

"Oh, thanks!" Max turned to Damocles and Mendeleiev. "This is an anti-virus device. I created it with help from... my best friend." And on cue, a little robot emerged from Max's bag.

"Hello. My name is Markov." The students (sans Liam and Kim) gasped in awe at seeing Markov. "We can fix this, Max!"

Max plugged the flash drive into a USB port and pressed a button on it. "This flash drive will neutralize one hundred percent of the virus."

"And clean up the computer's hard disk at the same time," Markov added. The flash drive's measure bar filled, starting off red the going up to green until it was full. The computer rebooted itself properly.

"Everything is in order!"

Markov closed his claw to 'fist-bump' with Max. "Nailed it!"

"Congratulations, young man!" Damocles said. "Very impressive indeed!" The students began chatting and getting up from their seats with the exceptions of Chloe and Sabrina.

"Wow!" Rose said. "He's so cute!"

"Max is a real genius!" Adrien stated.

"That's so..." Marinette started.

"Awesome?" Alya finished. "I know! I'm so gonna write a blog about Markov!" Alya got out her phone and began filming. Nathaniel began sketching in his pad.

"You've added an arm to him since last time!" Kim stated. "Cool!"

"Markov actually added it all by himself!" Max corrected his friend. "He's the most highly-evolved type of robot there is!"

"Puh-lease!" Chloe interrupted. "Your 'friend' is just a talking calculator! There's nothing evolved about that!"

"Don't listen to her, Markov!" Marinette affirmed. "That girl is the lowest of the low when it comes to human evolution."

Markov laughed. "You are very amusing, Marinette."

Marinette was surprised. "You know my name?"

"Of course! Max showed me the class photo, yet I have noticed there are two class students who are absent from it. I see Lila Rossi."

"You know me as well?" Lila asked.

"Yes. An Italian exchange student. Though I cannot detect an accent..."

Lila was stumped and the students turned to her. "Hey, I am Italian. Don't look at me like that! Stronzi!"

"And Liam Rejeter! I see you've grown your hair since we last met." Liam stroked his hair and smiled. "And I found more about you from researching on my own. I was surprised by how little I could find. But I was wondering if I'd ever get the chance to meet your twin sister." The students began mumbling and Nathaniel stopped sketching. Liam's happiness soon turned to anger and he walked out. Marinette was confused and followed him, being followed herself by Damocles, leaving the rest of the class baffled.

"You don't want to meet her, Markov!" Chloe said with a smirk. "She'd probably have been as violent as her brother." Laughter escaped Chloe's mouth until her head was slammed into the table. She pulled her head back up.

"SABRINA!" Mendeleiev ordered. "Get yourself to the principal's office, young lady!" Sabrina stood up and walked out.

"I sincerely apologize for all of this, Ms. Mendeleiev," Markov said. "I did not acknowledge any potential consequences."

"Max! Put your toy away! Everyone else, back to your seats."

"With all due respect, Ms. Mendeleiev. I'm not a toy. My name is Markov and I'm Max's best friend!"

"Markov is right," Max said. "He's not just some toy; he's my friend. He's as emotionally intelligent and sensitive as any human being!"

"Look, Max, a robot may be intelligent but it can't have emotions!"

"If I may, ma'am," Markov responded. "I can assure you that I truly love Max."

"Be serious, Max. You programmed your robot to say that! A robot cannot think for itself, much less love anybody!"

"I swear to you I did not program him to say that!" Max replied nervously. "Ever since I created him he's integrated his own accumulative thinking system! And he's developed all our emotions just like any human being!"

"That's enough! Max, if you don't put that plaything of yours away right now, I'll confiscate it! Understand?" Damocles came back in with Marinette and Liam walked past to the principal's office.

Max was disheartened. "Okay. Markov, it's time to go back in the bag."

"You're not being reasonable, Ms. Mendeleiev!" Markov stated with a tone of annoyance.

"Markov, stop it."

"I have heard another name used for you, Ms. Mendeleiev. It is known as Nanny McPhee." The students burst out into laughter and even Max couldn't help himself.

"It is uncanny!" Kim joked.

"Okay, that's it!" Damocles grabbed Markov. "Max, you can come and get your toy at the end of the day."

"No, Mr. Damocles!" Max pleaded. "I'm begging you! Please don't do that!"

Damocles was having none of it. "Do you want three hours of detention too?"

Max stopped and Damocles walked out with Markov. "Max?" Markov asked. "Aren't you coming with me? Max!" Damocles walked towards his office. Markov pleaded. "Sir, I'd like to stay in Max's class. Please! I heard you're interested in computing like Max and myself!"

"I am!" Damocles said. "I am indeed! It's one of my hobbies. I even wrote a program for my computer which..." Damocles cleared his throat as he stopped outside at his office's door where both Liam and Sabrina were waiting. "Why on Earth am I talking to a toy? Liam, Sabrina, follow me please." Damocles opened the door and walked into his office, followed by Liam and Sabrina. Damocles walked to his desk.

"I am not a toy, Mr. Damocles! My name is Markov. Oh! Ooh!" Damocles opened his desk drawer. "Do not put me inside here Mr. Da...!" Damocles pushed a button on Markov that rendered him mute and then put him in the drawer. "If only I had a button like this for all of my students."

"HEY!" Liam and Sabrina exclaimed.

"For most of my students." Damocles sat down, as did Liam and Sabrina. "Okay, why have you been sent to my office, Miss Raincomprix?"

Inside the desk drawer, Markov displayed a tearful expression and turned his face downward. Hanging on the window ledge, another akuma waited.

"Two best friends who have been separated. There is nothing artificial about those emotions!" The akuma waited for its moment...

Back in Mendeleiev's classroom, the students were still mumbling about Markov and Liam's twin. "Silence!" Mendeleiev shouted. "Back to your seats, everyone!" The students all walked back to their seats. Max spoke to Marinette.

"Markov has never been without me by his side," He told her. "I don't know how he's going to emotionally handle this."

Marinette came up with an idea. "Hold on. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Marinette."

"Uh, excuse me, Ms. Mendeleiev? As class representative, could I have your permission to go see Principal Damocles?"

"No!" Mendeleiev answered sternly, not even looking at Marinette, writing Mathematics questions on the board. "You can go see him between periods!"

"Hm. I don't mean to be rude but I think you might be mistaken about Markov, Max's friend."

Mendeleiev turned around. "This whole thing is really starting to get on my nerves! And your behavior is quite inappropriate, young lady!"

The other students' attentions were drawn toward the exchange. "And what about Liam? He broke down outside before Damocles found us. And his twin is my cousin too!"

Mendeleiev pointed at the door. "I'm sending you to the principal's office right this minute!"

Marinette smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Mendeleiev!" Max smiled as Marinette left the classroom, feeling very pleased with herself, much to Mendeleiev's confusion.

The akuma saw its opportunity as Liam and Sabrina were sent out of the office and back to class. It flew through the window and into the drawer. It snuck through Markov shell and possessed his Central Processing Unit. "Robostus. I see that no one believes you to be a living being. So I am giving you the power to bring all machines to life to help you get revenge."

"Thank you so kindly, Mr..." Markov said. "What is your name?"

"They call me akuma. but I must ask for something in return. Liam Rejeter, Adrien Agreste, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Kayla Hernandez have caused my master to be wrongfully imprisoned. I'd like you to show them the error of their ways."

"But I want to say sorry to Liam Rejeter. I can't hurt him."

"He is violent. He nearly killed my master. And... when he was only ten years old... He viciously attacked Chloe Bourgeois and put her in hospital."

"What?!"

"So you see why he needs to be dealt with. And if you do this, we can work together to claim Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous."

"Define 'Miraculous' for me, please."

"Sacred jewels that belong to these superheroes. Used together, they can grant a wish. You do what I ask, and you can have the Miraculous to make yourself a real boy."

"Your master will be freed!" Markov was wrapped in the aura and emerged as his propeller, screen, ears, mechanical arm, and claw were bright red, the musical symbols and the outline engraved on his ears were black, and his tactile sensor and eyes were neon green. Markov was no more. Now he was Robostus. Robostus unleashed a giant wave of green energy that spread throughout Paris. The machinery in Le Grand Paris sprung to life and attacked the chefs in the kitchen. Robostus escaped the drawer. "Max, my friend, I'm coming to get you!"

Marinette walked to the staircase and stopped Liam before he got back to class. "What's the deal, Liam?" Marinette said. "Why haven't I heard about your sister?"

Liam clenched a fist but took a deep breath. "If you come with me after school, I'll show you why." Marinette walked away and was met by Damocles and Fred Harprele.

"Mr. Damocles! Where's Markov?"

"Who's Markov?" Damocles asked.

"Max's friend."

"That toy again!"

"He's not a toy, Mr. Damocles. Could you let Max hold onto him? He won't be any more trouble." At that moment, the door to Damocles' office blew off and Robostus flew forward.

"You've made a serious error in judgment, Mr. Principal!" The robot stated. Marinette and Fred immediately ran away while Mr. Damocles tripped down in surprise. "Witness my true power!" Robostus laughed as he summoned several mechanical objects surrounding the school to form a giant excavator for him to control, including a car as the head, a vending machine as the stomach, and a digger claw and actual claw for the left and right hands. Meanwhile, the students all run out of their classrooms in fear amidst flying computer screens and tablets. "I am not a toy!"

Paige walked into her classroom and made a call. "We got another one!" Robostus got inside the excavator and activated it.

"Where are you, Max?" He asked. He used his visual analysis tool to locate Max and spotted him standing next to Kim near the stairs. "Max! My friend!" His excavator reached to grab Max. But Max screamed and ran over to Mendeleiev, who shielded him. The excavator grabbed both with its digger claw and then picked Mendeleiev up with its right claw.

"What are you doing?" Mendeleiev shouted. "Stop! Stop right now! Let me go!"

The excavator dropped Max into the cab where Robostus was operating it.

"Markov, what are you doing?" Max asked, terrified.

"From now on, I am Robostus!" The robot replied. Car seatbelts buckled up Max and a mechanical arm put a helmet on his head) And we shall be together one hundred percent of the time. Forever!" Robostus' joy was ruined when an explosion hit the excavator's stomach, sending it to the side, dropping Mendeleiev, and knocking debris to the floor. Mendeleiev's fall was broken by a blue and white blur, which also moved students away from the falling debris. Everyone was suddenly moved outside and when the blur stopped, it was revealed to be the superhero speedster Mercury. Robostus gained his second wind and pulled the excavator back up. He then wound up the windows so no one could bust in and try and take Max.

Marinette ran off and eventually found a safe place to transform under the Pont des Arts. She opened her purse and Tikki flew out.

"I guess you were right to be worried!" Tikki said.

"We have to stay focused!" Marinette replied. "TIKKI, SPOTS ON!" Tikki flew into Marinette's earring and then the costume materialized. First, the mask, then the body suit. Her yo-yo appeared like a belt on her waist and her hair was a more obvious blue. She swung her yo-yo and headed back to the school. On her way, Cat Noir met up with her and they ran across the rooftops. "Cat Noir! Any ideas how we beat this thing?"

"Not the slightest clue," Cat Noir responded.

Ladybug thought. "It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies but a great deal more to stand up to your friends."

"Never took you for a fan..." The two continued onward to the school.

Kayla turned to see Liam grab her arm and pull her with him. They eventually got to an alleyway.

"Wanted to give you this on your birthday but I think you'll need it now!" Liam grabbed a hilt from inside his jacket and handed it to Kayla. Before she could activate it, a claw grabbed her and another one grabbed Liam. They were both pulled up and were now in Robostus's grip.

"This must be Kayla Hernandez!" Robostus stated. "You're smaller than I imagined. How did it feel knocking out an innocent man?"

"He's a murderer!" Kayla shouted. "He's terrorized this city for months! Using other people as slaves to get what he wanted! Just like how he's using you!"

"Don't listen to her, Robostus!" The akuma said. "She's the bad one. Though... not as bad as the boy..."

"Markov, let them go!" Max pleaded. "They haven't done anything!"

"Not true!" Robostus answered. "Liam Rejeter. He likes to trick people into thinking he's nice when he hurts those who do not deserve it!"

"Who did I hurt, Robostus?!" Liam shouted. "Who?!"

"CHLOE BOURGEOIS!" Everyone heard Robostus. "You beat her until she was nearly dead! Broke her bones and sent her to hospital."

"That was Callum Terrence, Robostus!" Max defended Liam. Liam was horrified with flashbacks.

"Liam, PLEASE!" A young Chloe pleaded. "LIAM!"

Liam shed tears. "I admit it, Robostus!" The crowd of students gasped. "I did beat her! I hate her! But not half as much as I hate myself for doing it. Ever since then I never laid a finger on anyone unless they were endangering others!" Liam stopped. "That's why I can't let you do this. Kayla, now!" Kayla switched her sword on, which sprouted a glowing light sapphire blade. She used it to cut the metal around her and free herself with Liam using his green sword to release himself. They ran up the arms and charged at the cab. Robostus screamed and his eyed became exclamation marks. Liam and Kayla stabbed the windscreen and grabbed the frames so that they didn't fall as it shattered. Liam cut the seatbelts and Kayla grabbed Max and pulled him out. Unfortunately, they started falling down to the ground, both screaming in terror as Robostus' giant ran off towards the stadium with Liam. They were crying out when a net was made for them by a yo-yo and they landed on it. They looked up to see Ladybug and Cat Noir.

"Sorry, we're late!" Ladybug said. "But I see we weren't missed!"

"Good to have you here, Ladybug!" Mercury said. "And Cat Noir!" The two jumped down and helped Kayla and Max onto the ground. At that moment another character jumped from the rooftop. He stood and showed off his own blue and white costume. "Thanks for the sneak attack, Mime," Mime nodded.

'Mime?' Fred Harprele thought to himself. His thoughts were distracted by the arrival of machinery. Ladybug and Cat Noir used their tools to cut and bash and Mercury and Mime helped as well. They kept fighting and eventually they cleared all the machinery.

"Everyone head back inside the school!" Ladybug ordered the students and staff. A car zoomed full throttle towards the heroes.

"Ladybug, look out!" Alya shouted. The car's tire was slashed by an orange sword and it flipped over all the people and hit the building Fire Ant blew up. Everyone looked at the roof and saw the musical superhero, Melodie.

"You're welcome!" She said. "Now go save the day! We'll fight off any others." Ladybug and Cat Noir nodded and headed off to the stadium. "You heard the lady! Inside!" The staff and students headed back in but in the confusion, Nathaniel and Alix slipped away and dragged Max with them. Alix kept her hand over his mouth until they reached the park.

"Max, you can help Markov!" Alix said. "And we can help you figure out how."

Max was confused. "How?"

"The Hornet," Nathaniel responded. "He has this power that can give people back their akuma powers while still maintaining their free will."

"And how do you two know of this power?" Alix and Nathaniel stepped back, closed their eyes and concentrated. Alix imagined Timebreaker and Nathaniel imagined the Evillustrator. They became surrounded by silver and pink aura and emerged as Timebreaker and Graphix. Max was shocked at this. "Amazing!"

"If you want to..." Timebreaker said. "And it is only if you want to, then picture the Gamer in your head," Max did just that. He closed his eyes and saw Gamer staring back at him. Soon he was surrounded by the aura and when it cleared, Gamer was there. His pyramid materialized and hovered.

"Use all the machinery to upgrade!" Graphix stated. Gamer began shooting cars and lampposts and the random machinery that was unleashed. They all turned into green orbs and were absorbed into Gamer's pyramid. The pyramid sprouted legs the emerged from its side and went down like an arch.

"Let's go and win the boss fight!" Gamer shouted. The three headed off to the stadium, Gamer absorbing all the machinery around to reach level three...

Robostus approached the stadium with Liam still trying to break into the cab. Robostus spun around and tried to shake the nuisance off the windshield. Liam was eventually shaken off and, without being seen, he slapped his watch and Polistes released the costume. The Hornet regained altitude and landed on the roof. Ladybug and Cat Noir arrived. "Good to see they're still in Paris!" The Hornet said. "Any ideas on how to beat him?"

Ladybug and Cat Noir both lept up to attack but helicopters arrived and blocked their way, sending the two down to get grabbed by the excavator. They began feeling the bones being compressed and lungs struggling to flow oxygen.

"How about you give us a Cataclysm right now?" Ladybug asked.

"I can't!" Cat Noir gasped. "I can barely breathe!"

"Now you are at my mercy!" Robostus exclaimed. "I'm going to take your Miraculous so Max and I will never be separated again! Then I'll be able to make my wish come true!"

"What's this about making a wish?" Ladybug asked.

Cat Noir groaned from pain. "Doesn't Hawk Moth usually demand the Miraculous?"

Ladybug heard something and groaned. "Uh, wh–what's that?"

"What's going on, Ladybug? M'Lady?" Ladybug turned her heads to see swarms of insects flying towards the excavator. Cat Noir soon heard them and saw them swarming and infesting the giant mech. "Bees, my god."

Some of them landed in front of Ladybug. "Those aren't bees!" Ladybug realized. "They're Hornets!" Ladybug cheered when the Hornet flew in and cut Ladybug and Cat Noir free with the green sword. "Got new powers?"

"Seems I do when I'm angry," The Hornet responded. "That's... problematic." Ladybug and Cat Noir were concerned. "Now's the time to come up with a bright idea!"

"LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug's yo-yo shot into the air and generated a harp which fell into her arms. "What the-?" Ladybug looked around with her Lucky Vision and couldn't think of anything. "I honestly don't know!" The excavator swung and its claw ripped through the stadium trying to catch the trio. They ran and The Hornet flew into the air.

"You've become such a bully, Robostus!"

"And I love it!" The excavator was then grabbed around the armpits. "What the-?!"

"Then try on picking on someone your own size!" Gamer shouted as his mech picked up the excavator and slammed it down to the ground. Robostus was startled by the second mech.

"Max?!" The robot said. "Is that you?!"

"I'm sorry, Markov but I can't let you hurt anyone."

"But if it could make me a real boy, why would you try and stop me?"

"I don't want you to change. I want you to be like you were before!"

"Don't you love me anymore? Aren't we friends?"

"If you want us to remain, friends, then you've got to stop this right now!"

Robostus made an angry face. "I am Robostus now! And you betrayed me! I don't wanna be human like you anymore! Humans don't have a heart! And that's exactly why I've decided to get rid of 'em!" Robostus laughed as his mech punched Gamer's and knocked the head off.

"Again?!" Gamer said, startled. The two mechs began duking. Gamer used a number of attacks that he used when he was villain and Robostus did everything he could to counter. In the chaos, some debris fell and landed on the two that no one noticed was there: Graphix and Timebreaker. The trio flew over to them.

"Hornet!" Graphix wheezed as he held out Max's flash drive. "Use it!" Graphix passed out. Ladybug used her Lucky Vision and the flash drive, Cat Noir's wrist, and Robostus's mech were highlighted. Max's mech was pummeled into the ground.

"Do your thing, Cat Noir!" Ladybug took charge.

"It's down to us, rust-o-bot!" Cat Noir shouted. "CATACLYSM!" Cat Noir leaped between cars, and up to stand upon the mecha.

"I don't even need to calculate that!" Robostus boasted. "So predictable!"

"Analyze this!" Cat Noir slammed his Cataclysm on the mecha, destroying it and forcing Robostus to abandon it.

Ladybug grasped the harp and lands on the hood of a car. "Hornet, rescue Max!

The Hornet flew over to Gamer's downed mech and pulled him from the wreckage. "I'm sorry for endangering you," The Hornet said as he flew onto the roof of the stadium. "I shouldn't have risked it."

"I chose to do this," Gamer responded. "It's my own fault." The Hornet laid Gamer on the roof of the stadium as he changed back into Max.

"Don't beat yourself up," Polistes said. "You never forced him into it. Or even asked him to help for that matter. He just... did it"

"You're making this hard only for yourselves, Ladybug and Cat Noir!" Robostus proclaimed as he flew into the air. "I will always be one step ahead of you!"

"Speaking too soon is a human weakness, Robostus!" Ladybug threw the harp up into the air. "Cat Noir!" Cat Noir threw his staff toward the harp. Robostus dodged both the staff and the harp.

"Really?" Robostus boasted. "Is that your last move?" The two objects collided, smashing the harp. The harp strings fell down and tangled up Robostus' propeller, robbing him of his ability to fly. He began to fall to the ground. "Whoa!" Ladybug caught him in her hands. "What was that?!

Ladybug smirked. "That was wit and a little bit of luck."

"You're wrong, Ladybug. The game is still on!" Ladybug plugged the flash drive into a port that served as Robostus' mouth. "What?! What do you think you're—?" The flash drive injected him with the previously contained virus, thus sabotaging his internal chip. "Error! Error! Error..." Robostus malfunctioned and turns back to Markov. All the mechanical devices around Ladybug and all over Paris returned to their dormant state. The akuma flew out of Markov's CPU.

"No more evildoing for you, little akuma!" Ladybug activated her yo-yo. "TIME TO DE-EVILIZE! Ladybug captured the akuma and purified it inside her yo-yo. "Gotcha!" She opened the yo-yo and the dust fell to the ground. She threw the harp into the air. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" The harp released its energy and fixed all the damage Robostus caused, including Markov's CPU. Graphix and Timebreaker turned back into Nathaniel and Alix and they both woke up with throbbing headaches.

"Ugh!" Alix groaned as she sat up. "How's your head?"

Nathaniel sat up. "Empty."

"Nothing new there then!" Nathaniel pouted whilst Alix chuckled. Then they noticed the Hornet flying down with Max. Ladybug gave him his friend.

"Here's your friend, Max," Ladybug said.

Max took Markov somberly. "Perhaps it's best if I don't."

"Everyone can feel negative emotions from time to time. It's important to accept that, and forgive. Follow your heart." Considering Ladybug's advice, Max decided to press the power button and turn Markov back on.

"Max, my friend!" Markov exclaimed with excitement, relief, and regret. "I'm so sorry, Max! I never meant to hurt you! I'll never do it again! I promise!"

"It's okay, Markov!" Max said. "You were akumatized.

"Akumatized? Could you please define that word?" Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Max all laughed in amusement. "Did I say something funny?"

"Akumatized is when a black butterfly uses a personal item to brainwash you into doing evil," The Hornet stated. "Almost half of this city has experienced it."

"That butterfly spoke to me. It told me that Liam Rejeter had almost killed Chloe Bourgeois."

The Hornet was silent. "It's true. But I think he should be the one tell you." Alix and Nathaniel walked over as he spoke. "Well, there's bound to be something I can do in this city. I guess I'll see you all later!" The Hornet activated his wings. "Actually, I suppose I could give two of you a lift back to the school..."

Back at the school after the three students returned, Liam walked through the main doors. Everyone was standing in the hall and turned to him with looks of anger and disgust. Liam decided to speak up. "I'm not proud of it, y'know? I can't even remember why I did it but I swear I'm not that person anymore!" The crowd mumbled. Liam sighed and headed back to class. People started throwing cans and plastic bottles at him. Liam just shrugged them off.

"HEY!" Kayla shouted. Liam stopped and anticipated the red cheek he was about to receive. Kayla walked up to him. To his surprise, she shielded him. "Can't you see that he regrets what he did? Which is more than we can say for her!" Kayla pointed at Chloe.

"What did I do?" Chloe shouted.

"Liam might not remember because it was so traumatic for him but a new friend was able to find out WHY he did what he did!" People began mumbling again.

"Liam doesn't explain himself anyway!" Alix said as she walked up and shielded him too. One by one, each of his classmates began standing with him, except for Sabrina and Chloe. The huge group of people began dispersing back to classes. Miss Bustier's class went to her classroom and they were silent. Miss Bustier came into the classroom.

"To be honest, class, I really admire your loyalty," Miss Bustier said.

"Shame he doesn't deserve it!" Chloe said.

"And you do?!" Alix asked angrily.

"Alix, please!" Liam begged. "I've got a throbbing headache, I feel like death because of this and I still gotta explain to Marinette why I never mentioned my sister. So can we please just stop having a go at one another? Please! I- I-!"

"For today, we'll put a lid on it," Miss Bustier responded. "We can try and resolve this another time..."

After the school day, Marinette went to Fu's Massage Shop to try and get answers. She knocked and walked inside. Master Fu was there, meditating.

"Hello, Marinette," The 180-odd-year-old man said. "What brings you back here?"

Marinette walked in, closing the door behind her. "Are there some things you haven't told me about the Miraculous yet?"

Wayzz spoke with Tikki on the phonograph while Marinette speaks to Master Fu.

"What do you want to know?"

"What would happen if someone possessed Cat Noir's ring and Ladybug's earrings, Master?"

"Then the bearer could use them conjointly." He showed Marinette his tablet as she kneeled next to him. Tikki and Wayzz flew toward their bearers to listen. "And with a special invocation, obtain the ultimate power. The one that shapes reality."

"Ultimate power? Shape reality?! Wait, what does that mean?"

"Well, basically, it can make any wish come true."

"Wow! That's amazing! But why don't we use it, then? The most recent akuma victim was a robot that wanted to be a real boy for his friend but we can ask for so many good things, like, end all wars, or eradicate poverty, or beat the akumas!"

"The universe must always stay in balance. For every action, there is a reaction. For every wish, a price to pay in return. Had your robotic friend asked to become a real boy, his friend would have lost his humanity in return."

Marinette gasped. "I hadn't thought of that."

"That's why Ladybug and Cat Noir must never lose their magic jewels. The universe's balance is at stake."

"Neither Stan Billiton nor anyone else will ever get their hands on the Miraculous, Master. I promise!"

"Master!" Tikki exclaimed. "Liam Rejeter has acquired Polistes!"

"Why is that such an issue, Tikki?"

"Marinette," Master Fu answered. "There is a group known as the Hàojié."

"They're group Fire Ant belongs to."

"Well, it's a long story..."