Ladybug, Cat Noir and The Hornet reached the apartment block that Callum Terence lived in. The trio entered through an open window on the 8th floor. They tried to keep as quiet as possible.
"Don't go in guns blazing." Ladybug commanded.
"You think?" Hornet whispered sarcastically. "We can still walk normal. Apartment 13."
The three heroes walked around the floor to apartment number 13. When they reached the door, they waited and discussed how they were going to approach the situation.
"Cat Noir." Ladybug said. "We'll go in, and Hornet, you stay and lookout. Or should we follow your lead?"
"You're still the boss, Ladybug. I got some new gear to try out." Ladybug smirked and nodded. She knocked on the door three times and Cat Noir and Hornet backed against the door's walls, ready to attack. After 30 seconds, the door staggeringly opened, revealing a pre-teen girl. She sported an undercut hairstyle with her hair combed to the left of her head. The hair was dyed blonde, shown by the fact that her shaved hair around the undercut was brown. She wore an open blue denim jacket over a pink dress and skirt that stopped at her shins. Her nails were glossed and she had two defining objects: the red lens glasses and the white cane she held. The Hornet took one look and recognised her immediately.
'It's the girl from the park!' The Hornet thought to himself.
"Hello, there." Ladybug said softly. "My name is Ladybug. What's yours?"
"K-Krystal." The girl responded. "Krystal Terrence. Did you say you're THE Ladybug?"
"And THE Cat Noir!" Cat Noir interrupted.
"Well, how do I know?"
"Well, is there anyone here with you?" Ladybug inquired.
"One minute." Krystal turned around and walked into the apartment living room. "Dad! There's two people at the door. They say they're Ladybug and Cat Noir." At that moment, a door could be heard opening and out walked a slightly overweight, bald man with black stubble, brown eyes and large, pointy nose. He wore a horizontally striped polo shirt with green, blue and turquoise stripes, black track pants, black trainers with white soles and laces and a brown wristwatch with a silver clock.
"It IS Ladybug and Cat Noir, Krystal." The man confirmed. "Please come on in. There's clearly something wrong." Ladybug and Cat Noir walked in, leaving the Hornet to stand guard, using his new gear to observe the floor. His gear was controllable bee cameras. Each corner of the floor was covered by one camera, the elevator was covered by two infrared cameras, as was the staircase.
"I'm afraid we're here about Callum Terrence." Ladybug stated "Am I right to assume he's your son, sir?"
"Name's Jack. I'm Callum and Krystal's stepfather."
"I see. Well we believe your..." Ladybug looked at Krystal. "I don't think we should discuss this in front of your stepdaughter."
"I understand. Please give us a second." Jack walked over to Krystal and held her left hand. "Come on, Krystal. Let's get you into your room." Jack walked Krystal into her bedroom and laid her on her pink quilted bed. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Yes, dad. I'll be fine. Is Callum okay?"
"That's what I'm going to find out." Jack walked out of the bedroom and closed the door. "Is Callum in trouble?"
"We think he is." Ladybug answered.
"The superheroes Knightowl and Birdy took down Fire Ant at the Agreste mansion." Cat Noir stated. "He escaped, but they got a photo of him unmasked which was identified as Callum Terrence."
"Callum? There must be a mistake."
"Mr. Terrence, we have someone who can show you the photo if you don't believe us." Ladybug turned to the main door. "Can you come in, please?"
The Hornet walked into the apartment. Jack looked down at him.
"Hornet." Jack said. "Never pictured you so... small."
"Size doesn't matter." Hornet retaliated. The hero reached under his glove, pulled out his phone and brought up the image of Fire Ant unmasked, presenting it to Jack, who gave a disappointed, but scared look.
"That's him! That's my son!"
"Mr. Terrence, please calm down. Gabriel Agreste claimed that Fire Ant attacked him on Hawk Moth's orders."
"So my son has been akumatized?"
"Unlikely." Ladybug responded. "Fire Ant didn't appear until a month after Hawk Moth lost his powers."
"But still," the Hornet interrupted. "I don't believe Callum is doing this of his own free will. Sir, with all due respect and no distress intended, we know about Callum and Chloe Bourgeois."
"Oooooh, yeaaaaaah." Jack said awkwardly. "I confess, I agree that Chloe should have been punished, but Callum went about it the wrong way. He still hates her you know."
"Well then, if Callum still hates Chloe and has the power to really hurt her, then why hasn't he gone after Chloe?"
"My guess is he knows Krystal will be scared of him." Cat Noir speculated.
"I think it's more that Callum just doesn't want to hurt her anymore." Ladybug threw her theory in. "I think Fire Ant is using his body. Knightowl and Birdy said his eyes glowed red. Fire Ant could be like Hawk Moth, except he's IN the object that gives Callum powers."
"Ladybug." Jack begged. "Cat Noir, Hornet. Please, save my son."
"We will." Ladybug and Cat Noir assured Jack together.
The elevator could be heard. The Hornet dashed out to the side, closed the door and changed back into Liam before the doors opened, revealing Nathaniel and Alix. Nathaniel was wearing his usual clothing, whilst Alix wore her winter outfit. When they started walking out, they were taken by surprise when Liam shoved them back in and sent the elevator back to the 7th floor.
"Liam!" Alix shouted. "What are you doing?"
"I think you've bruised me." Nathaniel stated.
"You were going to check on Callum Terrence, weren't you, Nathan?"
"It wasn't his idea, Liam." Alix defended her friend. "It was mine."
Liam looked at Alix angrily. "What are you actually doing here, Alix? Are you two dating or something?"
"No." Nathaniel jumped in. "We're working through..." Nathaniel stopped and looked at Alix. "The trauma of Evillustrator and Timebreaker. We've never been the same since we were corrupted. I don't think you'll ever understand."
"That's good friendship. But, you shouldn't have gone to the 8th floor. Ladybug and Cat Noir have found out Callum is Fire Ant."
"He is? When did they find it out?"
"They're here to confirm it is him from his father. But, they found out after I told them my brother showed me this." Liam showed Alix and Nathaniel the image. "Rose remembers him from a scuffle with Chloe Bourgeois. You know, I knew she was bad cos of all the akumas she's caused and all the racism, but blinding a girl who did nothing to her?!"
Alix and Nathaniel were now terrified. The elevator door opened and Liam walked out. Alix spoke quietly. "We need to calm him down before he hurts himself!"
Nathaniel nodded. "Liam, please. Chloe did a lot of bad things, but no one could do anything to punish her."
Liam finally snapped, punching a wall with his bare right hand. "I'LL KILL HER!" Liam took heavy breaths as he turned to face his two friends, who both look terrified. Liam's face slowly turned from anger to horror as he turned his head to his fist in the wall and pulled it out. The dent left wasn't that big, but still noticeable. Liam looked at his hand, which was intact, but had a few cuts. Liam could still move it properly, but he didn't notice as his thoughts were on how he terrified his first friends from his new school. Liam started breathing heavily and placed his cut hand on his chest as he backed up against the wall and slid to the floor, eyes tightly shut. He was in that state for 5 seconds before his friends grabbed hid hand, causing the final two shocks that hurt him more than the previous. Liam winced and checked his hand. Liam looked at Alix and Nathaniel, who had sat down, Nathaniel on Liam's left, Alix on his right.
"Liam." Alix spoke softly. "You're not alone. We're right here." Alix smiled at her distraught friend, whose breathing slowed when he turned and saw her smile.
"We're not going anywhere, buddy." Nathaniel added. Liam turned to him and smiled.
"Thank you. Both of you. I'm sorry for scaring you, I don't know why I let myself get so wound up. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you, it was out of order."
"It's okay, Liam."
"Chloe doing all kinds of bad stuff and getting away with it?" Alix stated. "You have no idea how many times I've wanted to show her the error of her ways."
"Everyone wants her to be punished for her actions, but you can make sure she is properly."
Liam nodded. "You're right. I can stop her using her father to avoid comeuppance. Use the same power she has against her."
"Exactly!"
"Now, come on, let's get off the floor." Alix, Liam and Nathaniel stood up and together, they walked into Nathaniel's apartment, Nathaniel and Alix each holding Liam's arm. When they got into his family apartment, there was a a green couch facing a flat-screen TV on the wall above the electric fire place, with a wooden table infront of the couch. Nathaniel helped Liam onto the couch. Liam groaned as his head started burning and he couldn't keep it held up.
"Wait here." Nathaniel said. "I'll get you some water." Nathaniel power walked to the kitchen behind Liam as Alix stayed with him on the couch. Alix placed the back of her hand on Liam's forehead.
"God, you're hotter than a furnace." The tomboy exclaimed. Alix unzipped Liam's jacket and took it off him, exposing his shirt... and the Hornet watch. At first, Alix took no notice. Nathaniel came back with a glass of water in his left hand and two tablets in his right.
"Here." Nathaniel handed Liam the water and tablets. "Painkillers. Not much but it's something."
"Th-Thank You." Liam answered when he could breathe. He put the painkillers in his mouth and swallowed a mouthful of water. Liam then remembered the surprise at the hotel. "I need to get back to the Mayor's hotel. What's the time?"
"Time is 1:48pm." Liam's voice came from the watch, surprising the trio and giving Alix and Nathaniel interest in the watch.
"I didn't know you had a watch." Nathaniel stated, confused at the device.
"Looks more advanced than normal watches." Alix commented. "But it still doesn't compare to mine."
"No, it doesn't." Liam affirmed. Liam clicked the dial that would allow the wearer to change the displayed time, which made the watch's strap undo itself and the watch detach from Liam's wrist. "Even I didn't know it could do that. Then again my grandpa did say it would actually tell me the time. Even so, I gotta get back. Liam jumped up, making himself dizzy.
"You're in no state to go anywhere, Liam. At least not on your own. Let me phone Jalil, he can take us there."
"Okay. I need to call Félix anyway." Liam and Alix took their phones and rang Jalil and Félix. Liam's call was answered.
"Can't help you right now, Liam! Police station got broken into, Hawk Moth's Miraculous has been stolen!"
"You're kidding me! Do what you need to do." Liam hung up and placed his clenched fist onto his forehead in frustration. Liam turned to Alix and Nathaniel. "The thing that gave Hawk Moth his powers has been stolen from the police lockup."
Alix and Nathaniel gasped in horror. "Did they say who it was?" Nathaniel asked.
"No, but who could break, not sneak, into one of the most fortified buildings in Paris and steal something that would be given 'shoot-on sight' protection?"
Nathaniel and Alix knew the answer and gave it unison. "Fire Ant!"
