As the heroes stared face-to-face with Fire Ant, crowds cheered on, no one noticing that the Hornet was hovering above them.

"Ladybug." Fire Ant said. "Cat Noir. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. Not in this lifetime anyway."

Ladybug was curios about that statement, but ignored it. "Let Callum go, Fire Ant."

"First, I've got a message for the Hornet." Fire Ant did not anticipate what would happen next. The Hornet dropped down from the sky, landing on Fire Ant's back, damaging the backpack even more and making everyone scream in shock. Jack Terrence grabbed hold of Krystal, held her like a mother holding her child over her shoulder, and ran back towards the police.

"I'm all ears." The Hornet said.

Fire Ant groaned on the floor. "The Hàojié demand your powers."

"Tell the Hàojié to take a number. BUZZKILL!" The Hornet's left hand generated a yellow sphere and he pressed it down on Fire Ant's jet wings. The reaction was Fire Ant screaming in a high frequency that everyone covered their ears. When the screaming stopped, Fire Ant was unaffected.

"BIG MISTAKE!" Fire Ant shot up, grabbed the Hornet's throat and flew him into the air. Ladybug and Cat Noir were powerless as their Miraculous started beeping.

"We're about to change back!" Cat Noir shouted.

"We can't help him." Ladybug added.

"I can do my best!" Birdy responded, using his bow to shoot an arrow onto a building rooftop, then grappling up. He was followed by The Bubbler heading straight for Fire Ant.

"Nino?" Ladybug and Cat Noir asked.

"He was one of the Hornet's akuma heroes." Ladybug said. At that moment, Lady WiFi and Princess Fragrance also flew past, heading to combat Fire Ant. "Did he release all of them?"

"We can't solve that right now, m'lady." Cat Noir answered. "We've gotta find somewhere to change." Félix ran over to them.

"About to change back?" He questioned. The heroes nodded. "Camembert in the fridge, jar of cookies in the kitchen. Stay in separate rooms."

"She knows who I am."

Félix was taken aback. "When did-? You know what, nevermind. My s-superhero brother is probably getting his ass handed to hi-" Félix was interrupted by Fire Ant landing on his back next to the heroes. "Hornet, you coulda killed him!"

"My fault!" Birdy shouted. Lady WiFi threw a pause icon at Fire Ant and froze him in place.

"He's not going anywhere." The former villain shouted. Ladybug and Cat Noir ran into the Rejeter house to get their cheese and cookies. The duo made it to the kitchen and found the foods Félix told them about. Cat Noir changed back into Adrien, sending Plagg into the fridge and onto the camembert. Ladybug grabbed the jar of cookies and was about to walk out the door, but stopped and simply closed it.

"What are you doing?" Adrien asked his bugaboo.

"We can talk about it later." Ladybug said. "But since I know who you are, it seems fair that you should know who I am." Adrien gasped as Ladybug uttered, "Spots off.", revealing herself to be Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Adrien was shocked and couldn't close his mouth. The girl he spent time fighting akumas with was the girl who sat behind him in class. Marinette blushed and bit her lip. "L-let's get our kwamis back to strength, then we can take down Hawk Moth."

Back outside, The Hornet, Lady WiFi, Bubbler and Princess Fragrance lowered themselves over Fire Ant.

"We need his backpack." The Hornet stated. "Bubbler, Fragrance. Get ready to subdue him." Princess Fragrance prepared her fragrance bottle and Bubbler readied his bubble wand. "Release him, Lady WiFi." Lady WiFi crossed out the pause symbol on her phone, freeing Fire Ant. The Hornet pulled him up onto his backside and then detached the backpack, disintegrating the costume and freeing Callum Terrence. He was wearing a black track jacket, blue jeans and black shoes with white soles and laces. He slowly came around and opened his eyes, showing them as brown. Looking around, Callum saw everyone he had held hostage, then turned to see his stepfather and sister. Callum groaned in guilt. The Hornet knelt down.

"You're not to blame for this." The Hornet reassured the boy.

"Aren't I?" Callum answered. "I let him get into my head. I let him use me to try and achieve his own goals. Teaming up with Hawk Moth and causing that explosion near my old school."

"You're not the only one who was brainwashed." Princess Fragrance answered. Callum recognised the voice instantly.

"Rose Lavillant?"

"You remember me."

Callum stood up, groaning due to his injuries. "You were in the class when I beat up Chloe. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No. You didn't hurt anyone."

Callum turned and saw Alix and Nathaniel being resuscitated.

"Like The Hornet said." The Bubbler reaffirmed. "Not your fault."

"If anyone dies... That's on me. Don't say it's not. It'll be on me." Callum sighed. "Please tell me Krystal's okay."

"She's safe." Lady WiFi answered.

"There's someone who can undo this damage." The Hornet said. "Wait here." The Hornet ran into the house, seeing Chloe about to open the kitchen door. "Open it and you're dead!" Chloe screamed. "Go! Get outta here!" Chloe screamed again and ran out of the house. The Hornet opened the door and saw Marinette and Adrien. Closing and locking the door, he transformed back into Liam Rejeter. "So the cat's outta the bag?"

"Look at you!" Adrien said. "And your puns."

"Puns are funnier when you don't realise you've made one, so you don't emphasise it."

"You knew who we were the whole time." Marinette stated. "How were you able to keep this a secret from us this whole time?"

"I knew it wasn't my secret to tell. But when I heard Adrien liked Marinette, I just had to get you two together. Wait- what am i doing? Callum's free and we need the Miraculous Ladybug."

Marinette nodded and clenched her fist. "Tikki, are you charged?"

"Yes. I'm ready to go."

"Then, SPOTS ON!" Marinette transformed into the superheroine. "We can discuss the whole thing afterwards. Priority one is keeping Paris safe." Ladybug walked outside, and threw her yo-yo into the air. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" Millions of tiny ladybugs scattered around and repaired the damage caused. The hole leading into the huge shelter was fixed, the Rejeter house was restored to normal and Alix and Nathaniel gasped and started breathing again, their burns healed. The damage inflicted on Fire Ant's backpack was also repaired. Cat Noir appeared on the roof of the Rejeter house, while Birdy used his cape to glide onto the roof. Ladybug went up onto the roof as well. The Hornet stayed on the ground to deal with Callum, Fire Ant's backpack, the students and the akuma heroes. He escorted Callum to the police with Jack and Krystal, the flew to the students on the other side of the street.

"Is everyone okay?" The Hornet asked.

The crowd jumbled their "Yeah" and "Uh-huh" answers. Alix, Nathaniel, Bubbler, Lady WiFi and Princess Fragrance joined the Hornet, standing behind him.

"Bubbler, go onto the rooftop and ask Birdy for the Recall Shifter, he'll know what you're talking about." Bubbler flew up to the rooftop. Sabrina then spoke up.

"Wait. Where's Liam?!" The ginger girl panicked.

"Liam Rejeter? I'll see if I can find him, but I wouldn't fret. If all your injuries were by the Miraculous Ladybug, we should assume that his were as well." The Hornet then thought to himself with Polistes. 'I actually do feel loads better. Didn't think Ladybug's power would work. Actually, I'm lying, I thought it would repair some of the damage but not all of it.'

'Liam, there's something you need to know. Why I've kept quiet all this time.'

'What is it?'

'Solehnos and I, we have fought each other in past lives, but we've encountered the Miraculous heroes too.'

'What?' Liam and Polistes' internal conversation was interrupted by the Bubbler's return. Bubbler handed him a small cuboid with one square side red and the rest greyish blue. "Thanks. Is Bridgette Dupain here?" Bridgette walked out of one of the ambulances. "Your husband's over at the other barricade, he's really desperate to know you're okay."

Bridgette began walking, but stopped next to the Hornet, and lowered her head to talk to him. "These guys owe Liam Rejeter big time."

"They'll repay him. Get going." Bridgette walked over and the Hornet faced the students and adult once more. "Ladies and Gentlemen." The Hornet pointed the red side of the cuboid at the crowd. "Could you please look into the red square, please?" As soon as everyone was staring at the red square, the Hornet pressed on all sides and everyone's irises glowed red. "Don't move." The hornet whispered to the five students behind him. After 20 seconds, everyone's eyes were back to normal. The five students were confused.

"What did you just do?" Princess Fragrance whispered.

"Altered their memories. They now have no knowledge of who you are underneath your akuma guises. I do apologise for saying this, but fair warning to all of you, if you let slip my identity, or any of each other's, I'll use it on you and whoever you tell."

"Understandable." Alix responded in a whisper. "My lips are sealed."

"Bubbler, WiFi, Fragrance. Get out of sight and I'll change you back. Do not return on the same route you leave on." The three new heroes left by flying into the air. The Hornet turned to face Alix and Nathaniel. "I gotta go and do this to the the cops. They'll remember everything except who you are. That also includes when you were first akumatized by Hawk Moth."

"What about Félix and Bridgette?" Nathaniel asked.

"They'll still know. We can trust them. My big worry is if they'll trust us. I wouldn't worry about right now. Alix, you must be worried about Jalil. The two of you go and help your friends." The Hornet flew over to alter everyone's memories, except for Félix and Bridgette. Then, he flew onto the roof and joined Ladybug, Cat Noir and Birdy. "Where are the others?"

"Still hunting Hawk Moth." Birdy answered. At that moment, Birdy received a call from Knightowl in his hidden earpiece. "Knightowl. What's your status?"

"Mission failed." Hawk Moth's voice came out of the earpiece. Birdy growled. "The police down there can hear me too. Melodie and Agreste are still standing. But, I got leverage. Two girls came to the hotel looking for that rock star. I want Adrien Agreste, Liam Rejeter and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. In 15 minutes or the girls die. Anyone else tries to come to me and the hotel goes boom. Capiche?"

"I got it." Birdy was disconnected.

"Well then," Ladybug said. "Let's not keep him waiting."