Finding the villain wasn't hard- given the giant ice cream footprints.
Cat landed on one of the abandoned cars, taking a glance around at the struck Parisians turned to soft serve, before turning his attention back to the giant dessert.
"Hey, Snow Dude, you lookin' for me?" Glaciator rounded on Cat, pointing an arm his way.
"Bad kitty! Where have you hidden Marinette?"
Glaciator fired ice-cream at Cat, but he dodged. He ran, trying to lead the villain away from retreating civilians but Glaciator kicked a police car and hit Cat, sending him flying and screaming. A net appeared below him, catching Cat.
"Hello, kitty. Did the bad guys leave you cold?" Ladybug smiled, holding her yo-yo tight to keep her partner suspended while Raven landed beside her.
"It's nice to see you, LB. Did you get Marinette home safe?" Cat directed the second half to Raven, who nodded.
"She's safe, no worries kitty."
"I've never tasted superhero flavor before. I can't wait to serve myself a triple scoop!"
Glaciator called, continuing to freeze people while Ladybug, Raven and Cat try to protect them and lead them away from the danger.
"I'm a man of my word, Hawk Moth. Come out now, or I'll bury Paris in an entire layer of ice-cream!"
"I really hate that guy." Raven muttered from her spot behind Cat, as the trio hid to formulate a plan.
"The ice-cream seems to fire out of his hand, and before André was akumatized, he served his ice-cream using a-a whatcha-ma-call-it!"
"The whatcha-ma-call-it's called an ice-cream scooper. That must be where he's hiding the akuma."
"I like whatcha-ma-call-it better."
Thuds alerted the heroes to the villain coming around the corner, making them scatter.
"It's been a bomb, but now it's time to turn you into popsicles! Once and for all!" Glaciator fired ice cream around, trying to freeze the three teens, but luckily kept missing. They swing/jump/pole-vault up to the roof out of the way, but watch in horror as the villain is distracted and about to freeze a couple, but he hesitated and let them run.
"That's weird. It looks like he's leaving the couples alone." Ladybug pondered, her finger tapping her chin.
"That works for us!" Cat smirked, giving Raven his wiggly eyebrows.
"You two can distract him as a couple, while I sneak behind and try to grab the akuma."
"Sounds like a sweet plan, bugaboo~" Raven grinned, and couldn't help but play a role of confusion when Ladybug didn't screech at her, but rather blushed pink and smiled at the nickname; Raven inwardly giggled at Ladybug's shift to understand she wanted to be friends.
Cat and Raven sprung from the roof, diving behind an overturned car as a ball of sweetness flew past them.
"Show yourselves, cowards! I know you're here!"
Taking deep breaths, Raven and Cat showed themselves to Glaciator. The villain raised his arms to fire at them, but Cat reached over and pulled Raven flush against him by her waist. The girl giggled and rested her head on Cat's shoulder. Glaciator stops himself as Raven and Cat approached. The purple butterfly outline appeared on the giant face, Glaciator aiming once again. Cat glanced at his angel, nuzzling his nose against her hair. Raven giggled and kissed his cheek.
"I can't, Hawk Moth! They look so... in love."
"Now!" Ladybug shouted from behind the villain, throwing her yoyo inside Glaciator.
"I've hit something inside. André hasn't turned into the monster, he's inside the monster!" She shouted over to her partners, who start running over to her. Raven looked up and saw Glaciator about to attack Ladybug.
"Ladybug- look out!" She darted forward, unclipping her hook and flinging it at the villains arms while Cat used his staff to slice off Glaciator's feet. The villain toppled onto his butt, allowing the heroes to get away for a reprieve.
"What should we do now?" Cat asked.
"We've got to take care of Glaciator before all these people totally melt away! Lucky Charm!" From the pink flurry, a helmet dropped.
"Looks like someone's going for a ride." Raven chuckled and rolled her eyes at Cat's comment, fluffing the teens hair. The hero melted under her touch, letting out a little purr.
"Did you just purr? Oh that's adorable!" Raven cooed, increasing her fluffing as Cat blushed scarlet.
Ignoring her partners for now, Ladybug used her Lucky Vision and saw a bench, a bus, a motorcycle, a lamppost, signposts, Cat Noir's belt and his staff.
"Cat Noir, I need you to grab three signposts and tie them to your stick. We're gonna make a propeller!"
"A propeller?"
"Exactly! Raven- cover me!"
Ladybug and Raven ran off to get the things they needed. Raven stood at the ready with her hook spinning while Ladybug prepared the motorcycle while Cat Noir made a propeller.
"A popsicle freeze is coming your way! If you don't pass my test!" Glaciator sang as he came around the corner, searching for the heroes.
"Alright, now give me your belt!" Ladybug thrust her hand out for the accessory. Cat tried to remove it with one hand but the leather kept getting stuck in the notches. Raven stilled her grappler and quickly reached forward, slipping the belt from the teen's slim waist; Cat blushed maroon, his skin tingling where she touched.
"I'm Glaciator, you can't run from me! Hand over your Miraculous!" The villain approached, stepping into Ladybug's desired plan of attack. From the top of the bus, Ladybug whipped and wrapped her yo-yo around two lampposts and Glaciator, trapping him. Glaciator strained, trying to escape and fired ice-cream at the spotted and feathered heroines. The pair leapt back, Raven taking a defensive stance before her leader while Ladybug got on the motorcycle and started it. Cat Noir's belt replaced the wheel on the bike rim, making a loop around the metal and the feline hero's staff, making it spin and creating a strong breeze from the sign propeller.
"Ready, kitty?"
"Cataclysm!" Pressing his hand to the bus, the vehicle disintegrated and let the wind past. The propeller blew a tornado-like current at the tied up villain, but not enough to reveal the ice-cream maker underneath.
"Faster!" Raven and Cat Noir shouted over the noise. Ladybug nodded and turned the throttle, making the motorcycle rev faster. After a few seconds, the ice cream was all gone- André left hanging in Ladybug's yo-yo string. Turning off the bike, the trio ran over. Ladybug pulled on the yo-yo to allow enough slack, while Cat Noir and Raven gently pulled André down to street level. Cat Noir grabbed the ice-cream scooper, smashing it against the concrete road. The black and purple akuma fluttered and began climbing towards the sky.
"No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize! Gotcha! Bye-bye, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug yelled, her Miraculous Cure transforming everyone back to normal and fixing damage done.
"Pound it!" The trio smiled and bumped fists.
"Sacré blue! How enchanting!" André jumped up, hugging the three teens.
"Saved from the cold by a trio of super lovebirds!" All three set of cheeks tinged pink, the heroes smiled at the man before leaping off into the night.
"Hey Raven?"
Said girl stopped and turned back, her grey gaze finding Ladybug landing behind her.
"What's up, bug? Need something?" Raven smiled at her leader, sliding her hook back into its spot.
"I was wondering, if one of these nights, you would wanna meet up and just... talk."
Raven cocked her head, holding back a smirk, while her silence encouraged Ladybug to continue.
"You and I haven't actually had a chance to just sit and talk- not like you and Cat Noir have. And I think... I think we should really get to know each other- be friends outside of being partners."
Raven smiled at Ladybug's words, glad the ones she had said earlier in front of Marinette had been taken to heart.
"I'd love to, bugaboo~ Let me know when and where and I'll be there quicker than you can say 'Lucky Charm'!"
"Actually- can it be now? Let me just go recharge my miraculous and I can meet you?" Ladybug fidgeted after her request left her mouth, but Raven's little giggle made her look back up.
"Of course, bugaboo~ there's a balcony by the Seine- just a ways down from the Tom & Sabine bakery- it's got a bunch of candles on it-"
"Candles?"
"Heh heh, yeah... Cat and I were actually on a... date... before this whole villain attack." Raven blushed, rubbing the back of her neck.
It was like a switch went off in her mind. Ladybug frowned at the word 'date', and realized she would have to put her foot down.
"You two shouldn't date."
Her words clearly caught Raven off guard, as the noirette frowned and her eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me?"
"You and Cat Noir shouldn't date. You two are becoming a liability with all the lovey-dovey acting- Hawk Moth is gonna catch on and use that against you. And you two don't even know each other's identities so what's the point of only knowing half a person-"
"Okay. I'm gonna stop you there, Ladybug." The blunette flinched a little at Raven's tone and the use of her superhero name.
"I don't recall you having any control over what Cat Noir and I do. If we wanna date, we can do that. We have talked about what would happen if Hawk Moth tried to use one of us against the other- and the safety of the city and its people always comes first. Secondly- WHO is the one who keeps saying our identities must remain a secret? Oh that's right- YOU. You have no room to talk when you keep forcing that rule on us. If anything, knowing each other's identities would make things easier! We would know where one another was and would know if they were safe or if they were busy and that's why they couldn't help out with an akuma attack. But no- we can't know."
Raven panted, her voice and fists shaking. Ladybug studied the girl across from her with wary eyes, unsure what to do with such a pissed off partner.
"If you don't like Cat Noir and I's relationship, tough luck. We are allowed to pursue romantic feelings- and you can't tell us no. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm actually pretty tired and don't have the energy to play nice anymore."
Spinning on her heel, Raven jumped off into the dark, vanishing almost instantly. Ladybug stared after the girl for a few seconds, before the wheels in her head finally clicked into place and she realized- she just ruined any chance at becoming friends with Raven.
Back in his civilian form, Adrien collapsed on his bed happily.
"The only way to get over a heartache is to eat a whole bunch of cheese! Shall we?"
"What heartache, Plagg? Raven and I had a wonderful date and got to know one another!
"So then... no cheese fest?"
"She didn't stand me up- she came and wanted to spend time with me! She enjoyed being around me... She's just so amazing~ I just hope the day comes soon when Ella and I don't have to hide our relationship, like Raven and Cat Noir don't."
"Blagh! All this sweet talk is grossing me out! I need Camembert!" The kwami shouted, flying off to his cheese stash.
Ella collapsed on her own bed, screaming into the pillow. Kiismet floated above her, a walnut caramel cluster (her new favorite snack) in her little paws.
"You can't exactly blame her for saying those things, Elly."
"I know but UGH! It's just infuriating! I'm so sick of people trying to control me! First it was my father, now it's Mr. Agreste and Ladybug!? Cat Noir makes me really happy! Why can't I be with him?!"
"But you're only with him as Raven. But as Ella? You're with Adrien, aren't you?"
Her kwami's words made the teen freeze for a few seconds before she burst out in angry tears.
"When did this all become so complicated, Kiisy?!" The girl cried out, thrusting her face back into the pillow. Kiismet sighed, waiting for her holder to pull herself together before providing advice.
"You know you're two different people- Ella and Raven. You have two separate lives, with different friends and lovers in each one. But eventually, those lives are gonna collide and you'll have to choose. Can you really choose between Cat Noir and Adrien? If you really had to? If you came out to the world as Adrien's girlfriend, could you end the relationship with Cat Noir as to not cheat on the blond teen upstairs who absolutely adores you and loves you more than life itself?"
Ella stared at the little bird for almost a minute, the cogs in her brain turning over all the kwami said, before the girl sighed and curled up, her knees against her chest and arms around them.
"No... I didn't think I would ever have to... but I couldn't hurt Cat like that... I can't hurt mon chaton..." Ella whispered, realizing that without even trying- she was cheating on Adrien when she was Raven, being with Cat Noir... and vise versa...
"God Kiisy... what do I do..." The tears now pouring down her cheeks out of sadness soaked her tights and her sweater sleeves, as Ella buried her face in her arms.
"You have to decide that for yourself, Ella. You live two different lives right now- you could continue to do what makes you happy. You love both Adrien and Cat Noir equally?" Kiismet asked, receiving an earnest nod.
"Well then, do what makes you happy. Be with who makes you happy. Understand Ladybug's side and take note of her concerns. But in the end? Do what makes Ella and Raven happy- cause for the first time, you have control over that."
Ella's tears changed forms from sad to happy, as her hands cupped underneath her kwami and pulled her to her cheek, nuzzling the little feathered creature.
"I love you, Kissy..."
"I love you too, beany."
"Maybe one day soon then..." Ella sighed, falling back against her mattress and staring at the ceiling.
"One day soon what?" Kiismet asked, fluttering down to sit on Ella's forehead.
"I'll tell Cat Noir who I am as a civilian... and I'll tell Adrien I'm Raven... Then I won't have to lie anymore... I just hope neither reject me for being...me..."
The kwami stayed silent, deciding to let her human pick what she did from now on. If she tells, and the Guardian of the Miraculous tries to take Kiismet away from Ella, there will be hell in Paris.
The next day, at Canal Saint-Martin, André opened his stand for his costumers. Marinette approached from one side, hoping a little sweet treat might brighten her mood after last night.
"Hello, André."
"Hey, pretty Marinette! Can I offer you some ice-cream? To eat this time."
"Of course! How else would I know if your ice-cream is really the best in Paris?"
André smiled wide and scooped up an ice-cream for Marinette.
"Peach pink like his lips and mint like his eyes!" He exclaimed, giving Marinette her ice-cream.
"It's delicious!" Marinette grinned after sticking the little spoon in her mouth.
"Do you still think it doesn't lock two loves together?"
"Never say never. Have a good day, André!" Marinette waved and walked away to one end of the bridge.
"See you again soon, my dear!"
On the opposite side from Marinette, Adrien and Ella approached from the car; the noirette had managed to convince Adrien's father to let them stop for ice cream after school.
"Another couple! Welcome! Would you like some of André's Sweetheart's Ice-cream?"
"Is your ice-cream really magical?" Adrien asked, his eyes wide with glee.
"What do you think?"
"I think you have to believe. Don't you think so, Elle?"
The girl nodded, smiling as she wrapped her arm around Adrien's. No one else was around and she doubted the ice cream man would involve himself in gossip about the blond model.
"You're spot on, son!" The man started scooping up ice-creams for the pair but André had to pause for a moment, realizing the same flavors played to this girl as Marinette... both girls were in love with the same boy- the same one standing here. The man minutely shook his head and continued, making a 'couples flavor'.
"Mint with black chocolate chips, black cherry and Earl Grey! On the house!" Adrien enthusiastically smiled at the ice-cream, handing one of the spoons to Ella who dug in pretty quick.
"There's love in both your eyes! André can see it clear as day! This love is true!"
"Thanks André!"
"Have a good day!" Adrien led the way back to his bodyguard's car as the pair enjoyed their ice-cream. Ella chewed on the spoon, debating on saying something to Adrien about his father's rule- about her not being able to leave the house when he wasn't allowed to... but as she glanced over at the blond, and saw that bright, giddy grin... Ella bit her tongue and decided to bring it up later. She couldn't bother her étoile with her problem when he's so happy to be outside.