Chapter 3: Freezing Howl

Seated on a gurney, Ladybug had a paramedic examining her ankle. He had assured her that she had not broken it, but that she should not put much strain on it, so it would not get worst. Hearing those words, she felt relieved.

The ambulance that Queen Bee had seen down on the street, when she was sent flying through the window, was gone, so she was forced to find another one, so she and Ladybug could be examined and cured. As luck would have it, a few streets away, there was another ambulance, which had just arrived. Flying low, Queen Bee landed right in front of it, as it parked, with Ladybug in her arms. The paramedics, a young man a and woman, noticing the bloody cut on the blonde's head, quickly rushed to their aid. Ladybug was taken into the gurney, while Queen Bee insisted on being treated, while standing. But following the standard procedure, both paramedics forced her to sat down on the ground, so she could be examined. The first thing they did was to supply oxygen to both of them, as they were coughing a little bit, before getting to the part of fixing them.

Even though they were trying to get away from the fires, upon spotting the two heroines near the ambulance, there were people who stopped to see what was going on, armed with their cell phones, to get a picture of them or even record them on camera. Seeing this happening, Ladybug was about to tell the people to keep moving, when the paramedics did just that. A few seconds later, two police officers showed up, forcing the people to cease what they were doing and to keep moving. There were a couple of protest words, but the people did as they were told. As she saw this, Ladybug wondered how could people act like that, when there was danger looming around them.

"Alright, I've done what I could, given that I couldn't cut through the fabric in your outfit. Still, I think that that should suffice." -the paramedic told Ladybug, who now had her ankle wrapped in a ligature.

"Yes, I know. It's one of the drawbacks of our outfits. Very few things can cut through them or damage them." -Ladybug said. –"That's one of the first things we all found out, when we first put on our miraculouses." -she thought to herself. –"Still, I know you did a great job. I feel my ankle is as snug is a bug in a rug, thanks to that ligature."

"I said, I'm fine!" -Queen Bee protested. After getting the cut on the head cleaned, which according to the paramedic, would not need any stitching, she was forced to remain seated, as she was thoroughly examined for any other injuries.

"Not by the way you were howling, when I touched your back for any injuries you might have. You may have dislodged something, and if it's the case, I need to put it back in his place. Please, remain still. This won't take but a moment." -the paramedic told her, as she examined Queen Bee's lower back.

"Let her do her job, and do as she tells you, Bee. The last thing we need is an injured superhero getting further injured." -Ladybug ordered her, as the paramedic who was taking care of her, placed a cool heat pack on top of her ankle. –"Thank you." -she said, thanking the paramedic.

"This will ease the pain and make the swelling disappear a little faster." -the paramedic told Ladybug. –"I know that my word might not mean much to a superhero, but I advise you to stay put for at least another 10 minutes or so." -he told her.

"Nonsense, of course your word means a lot." -Ladybug smiled at the man. –"And if you're telling me I should remain still, then, that's what I'll do." -she said.

"But we've got… aargh! Watch it!" -Queen Bee protested, in pain.

"Sorry, but I think you dislodged one of the discs on your lower back." -the paramedic told Queen Bee. –"But don't worry. If you can still walk, then it's probably something so little, it'll just need a small push to go back into place." -she said, as she used her fingers to find where the disc had come out, so to push it back in.

"Just put it back in." -Queen Bee told her, after which she screamed in pain, her voice piercing everyone's ears. –"Aargh! Next time, a little warning, will you?!" -she told the woman. –"No offense to anyone, but right now I wish Carapace was here to heal us. At least, he could heal us without hurting us."

"There, I think it's back in its place." -the paramedic told her.

"Good. Now give me a shot of morphine or any other painkiller you might have to ease the pain a bit, and I'll be fine, until Carapace can heal me properly." -Queen Bee told her. –"We need to get back up there, on the double." -she demanded. The pain she still had was lighter, compared to before, but it still hurt. Even so, she tried to ignore it.

"Oh, no you won't. You need to rest and preferably, with your stomach down, at least, for a little bit." -the paramedic told Queen Bee. –"Plus, I'm not injecting you with any painkillers. You might be allergic to them. Do you happen to know if you're allergic to any kind of painkillers?" -she asked her.

Queen Bee was about to tell her that she did not have any allergies, but then, it occurred to her that she did not know. It was the first time someone asked her that, and the blonde had never bothered to ask neither her parents or even butler about it.

"I… I don't really know." -Queen Bee sighed.

"Then, in that case, no painkillers for you. Instead, I'm giving you a muscle relaxant, that will allow you to relax for a bit." -the paramedic told her, as she was about to stick the needle in her arm, only for this one to not puncture her outfit. After a few attempts, she had to inject her in the only place of her body that was not covered, and that was not her face. –"Sorry about this, but I'll have to inject you in the neck." -she said, as the needle

"Lucky for me, I'm not afraid of needles." -Queen Bee said, when she began to feel slightly dizzy.

"Don't worry, it's just the muscle relaxant doing its job. You better lie down." -the paramedic told Queen Bee, as the bee heroine lie down on the asphalt.

"We should… be helping the others." -Queen Bee told Ladybug, as she turned her head to face her.

"I know, but we also need to be careful so we don't get seriously injured. We'll just have to hope the others can handle this mess, without the two of us." -Ladybug told her, as she saw another fire truck passing by them, its siren echoing on the buildings' fronts, as they went up the street.

Unknown to both Ladybug and Queen Bee, four massive fire tornados were making their way through the park, and heading towards the several neighbourhoods surrounding it, with Ifrit controlling them. The danger was real. If those tornados managed to get out of the park, then what they had seen until then, would seem like nothing, compared to the magnitude of destruction that those swirling towers of fire could do to the city. Trying to fight them and even attempt to destroy those tornados, was too risky and they believed they no longer had the energy to do it. Their only option was to stop Ifrit with one last attack, and that attack involved an ability that Louve Grise had managed to unlock and had since tried her best to control it. It was a long shot, but the time was ticking and they had to do something. "Operation Who Let the Dogs Out" involved her using the ability she had unlocked and converted into an attack. She had called it Freezing Howl, and could be described as the ability to create wolves made out of ice, which responded to her commands, via thoughts. It was an attack that she had not had the chance to use in a real battle, but that she knew was quite powerful, because the wolves would tear anything in their way. Her hope was that by throwing those ice wolves at the Akuma, they would weaken him enough, for the rest of the team to take him down.

"Are you sure that's the best course of action?" -Carapace asked her, as he, Corbeau and Doe got up.

"I don't know, but we're getting tired, and this guy just keeps getting more powerful. If we don't stop him now, we might not be able to do it, before one of us gets seriously injured." -Louve Grise said.

Her words echoed inside Carapace's head. He knew Louve was right. His girlfriend had already been hurt that night, and luckily her injuries were easily healed, even if after healing her, he felt it was best for her not to exceed herself. But she could have ended up seriously hurt, and that made him think that if that could have happened to her, it could also happen to whoever was caught by the flames.

"I agree. But instead of using "Operation Who Let the Dogs Out?", can I suggest we try something slightly different, but that produces the same effect?" -Carapace asked her.

"I'm all ears." -Louve Grise said, without taking her eyes from the tornados, which were slowly getting farther way.

"I suggest we go for "Operation: Steam Room". I think it will be better suited for this guy." -Carapace said.

"Operation Who Let the Dogs Out" made use of Louve's Freezing Howl attack. But "Operation Steam Room" made use of it, along with a little help from Carapace's energy bubbles, and had been devised by the two of them, to be used against Akumas with fire powers. Basically, what happened was Louve Grise would attack first, trapping the Akuma in an ice cocoon created by the ice wolves, as they bit their target and using their bodies to encase him in ice. After that, Carapace would create an energy bubble around the Akuma, who would be trapped inside it. Once that was done, the Akuma would try to get out, only to melt the ice and turn it into steam, consuming all the oxygen in the air and making the Akuma faint from the lack of oxygen and lose his consciousness in the process. In sum, it was one of those combined attacks that if done correctly, with some luck, it would mean an instant win for the heroes. But there was a catch to it. To pull it out both Louve Grise and Carapace would need to use a lot of energy to do it. In fact, Louve would be forced to use almost all of her energy to make the first part of the plan work, and if it failed, she would not have enough energy in her, to try a second time. To make his energy bubble completely airtight, Carapace would also need to use a good amount of his energy, but not as much as Louve's. If the first one failed, he could create another one. But without the wolf heroine to do the first part, it would be pointless.

"I think Nino's idea is better." -Forest Doe said.

"Me too." -Corbeau Noire agreed with the doe heroine.

"I think so too." -Louve Grise smiled at Carapace. –"But there's no room for mistakes. We've got to do this right at first time." -she pointed out.

"I know." -Carapace said.

"Then, what are we waiting for?" -Corbeau Noire asked them. –"How long do you need to get ready?" -she asked.

"One minute." -Louve Grise said. –"I'll just one need one minute." -she declared.

"Okay. Mylene and I will come up with a distraction, so you can catch him by surprise." -Corbeau Noire said.

"Yeah. We'll distract him." -Forest Doe said.

"I'll go get Adrien, so he can lend you girls a hand, before getting myself into position." -Carapace declared.

"What about Alya?" -Louve asked him.

"I think she can handle herself for sixty seconds, while out catboy comes out to play for a little." -Carapace joked, as he began to run in the opposite direction. –"Be sure you're ready!"

"I will, and you better be as well, or this will turn out quite badly." -Louve Grise told him, as she saw him disappear behind the trees.

Not even dreaming of what the heroes were cooking up, Ifrit continued to do what he had been doing, since the first moment he was akumatized. Fire was now sweeping through the grass, the bushes and the trees in that park, consuming them. Besides the sound of fire burning everything, it touched, the only other thing that could be heard was the sound of his incessant and insane laughter, as he jumped around and danced, like a maniac, who could not get enough of what was happening in front of his eyes.

"Go my dears! Burn everything! Turn everything into dust and cinder!" -Ifrit exclaimed, as he contemplated the tornados he had created. –"Feed my darlings! Feed of everything you find in your way! Feed and show this city the beautiful spectacle that only fire can give to people!" -he laughed, when he was struck in the back, which made him howl in pain. Reaching for it, he grabbed it and pulled it, to see it was an arrow.

"I think we've heard enough of you and that stupid maniacal laughter of yours, thank you very much!" -Forest Doe exclaimed, as she pointed her bow and arrow at him.

"Oh, the little doe and the little birdy are back…" -Ifrit smiled malevolently, as he saw Corbeau Noire landing next to her teammate.

"Yeah, we're back, and we're about to teach you the meaning of the word pain!" -Corbeau Noire said, as she made two tentacle-shaped shadows move with her mirror. Ordering them, they pulled two nearby lampposts from their bases and then used them as bats to defend herself. –"So, come on, we're ready! Give us your best shot, you insane living flamethrower!" -she challenged him.

"Oh, you will burn… you will burn like everything else!" -Ifrit laughed like a maniac, before spitting fire at them.

Attacking them with a speed even faster than before, Ifrit was determined to burn the two heroines, until there was nothing left of them. Knowing that they needed to give Louve Grise and Carapace time to get ready to attack the Akuma, Corbeau Noire and Forest Doe, tried their best to keep him busy, by dragging out the fight, while continuing to keep an eye on the four tornados that with each second stirred farther away. Firing numerous ice arrows at him, Doe was able to strike him in the left leg and on the abdomen, slowing him down enough for Corbeau to hit him with one of the lampposts.

"Bullseye!" -Corbeau Noire exclaimed, only for her enthusiasm to disappear the moment after, when she saw Ifrit had taken less than a second to get back on his feet. –"Oh, crud…" -she sighed, as two large fire balls were shot in her direction.

Not wishing to become a roasted raven, Corbeau took the air, as Ifrit fired another fire ball at her, while also dodging Doe's arrows. She evaded it, and then dove. Using her mirror, she conjured another shadow to grab one of the lampposts, to hit the Akuma with.

"Burn, little birdy, burn!" -Ifrit yelled at Corbeau Noire, as he fired several fire balls, one of them hitting the lamppost and propelling the raven heroine in the air.

Spinning in the air, Corbeau tried to regain balance, when she was caught by Chat Noir, who once again arrived, when he was needed the most.

"Need a little hand?!" -Chat Noir grinned at the raven heroine, as the two landed on the ground.

"I won't say no to it." -Corbeau Noire told him.

"This guy is giving you trouble? Well, we can't have that happening." -Chat Noir joked. –"Do you've got a plan?" -he asked her.

"Yeah. Attack him with everything we've got. I go up, you go down." -Corbeau declared.

"Understood!" -Chat Noir winked at her, as they both attacked Ifrit. –"Get ready for another one of my tricks, you overgrown matchstick! Cataclysm Bomb!" -he said, as he fired the attack, using both hands.

And while the three heroes continued to distract Ifrit, Louve Grise was getting ready to attack. Focusing, she tried not to think about the fact that if she failed, they would probably not be able to defeat Ifrit and save the day. Even so, she had always been taught by her mother and father, that a little bit of pressure is just what a person needs to do something she has to do. And right then, she had to create a large pack of ice wolves to help her restrain the Akuma. Closing her eyes, she took long deep breaths, slowing down both her heart rate and her train of thought. Once she felt calm and relaxed enough, she opened her and with a swift move, she dug her fans into the burnt ground. Letting her ice powers flow through her fans and into the ground.

"That's it. You're doing great. Focus, Sabrina. You can do this." -Louve Grise thought to herself.

Little by little, the ground began to freeze, as a thick layer of ice covered it, spreading from Louve's fans. From the layer of ice, several little spikes began to sprout, growing larger and wider, until they began to take on more animalistic forms. Little by little, those spikes turned into wolves made out of ice. They all looked like the real animals, only their bodies were entirely made out of ice, and their eyes were glowing-white. Looking at Louve, they all greeted their creator with a friendly howl.

Once she had finished, she felt dizzy. Creating that pack of ice wolves had taken a lot more of her energy, than she thought it would. Even so, seeing them there, looking at her, awaiting to obey her orders, made her crack a smile, feeling like she had done a great job. But now came the hardest part. She needed to take control of them, and send them attacking Ifrit. Caressing the head one of them, she smiled at them, before closing her eyes once more. When she opened them again, these were glowing white, just like the ice wolves, meaning she had created a telepathic link with them. This link allowed her to see through their eyes, and to command them with nothing but her thought.

"Alright, boys and girls, this is your Alpha speaking to you." -Louve Grise said, as her eyes continued to glow white. –"Let's get that insane Akuma and turn him into a popsicle." -she declared.

Howling, the ice wolves did as they were told. Dashing towards their target, they continued to howl. Each time their paws touched the ground, they left an icy pawprint, leaving an icy trail behind them. If a person were to see that, it could admire just how mystic and beautiful all of that was.

Seeing through the eyes of her ice creations, Louve Grise could not help feeling that she was running alongside them. If it was not for the danger, they were all in, she would most likely appreciate that kind of experience a lot more. Taking a mental note, she told herself that when she had the opportunity, she would try and use that ability of hers just for fun, to see how it felt to be an actual wolf.

The closer the ice wolves got to where the action was happening, the more Louve could feel the heat that Ifrit was generating with his own body. But that did not discourage her. If anything, it gave her another reason to put an end to that Akuma's reign of terror. Hearing the howls, Chat, Corbeau and Doe understood that it was time for them to step aside and let Louve play her part in that plan. Attacking Ifrit one last time, they then jumped out of the way, as the wolves surprised Ifrit, who was so absorbed by the fight against the heroes, he did not hear the creatures' howls. Not holding back, the wolf heroine ordered her ice wolves to attack Ifrit, going for his arms and legs, without mercy.

"Let go of me, you filthy beasts!" -Ifrit said, as one of the wolves sank its teeth into his right arm. –"Burn! Burn!" -he yelled at it, as he grabbed its muzzle with his fiery left hand, and began to melt him. –"Burn like everything else, you disgusting animal!"

Ifrit managed to melt the ice wolf's head, but it was no use, as another one bit him in the exact same place as the other. Using his powers, he tried to melt all the ice wolves, who kept attacking him. Sensing that her friend needed a little help, Doe fired one more of her elemental arrows at Ifrit, striking him on the face and freezing it. Screaming in agony, as his face was covered in ice, looking through the wolves' eyes, Louve knew that that was her opportunity to strike the final blow. Ordering the wolves, she told them to sink their ice teeth into Ifrit. Doing just that, it did not take long for him to be

"Alright, time to trap him in an ice cocoon." -Louve Grise thought to herself, as she began to feel incredibly exhausted. –"I hope you're ready, Nino, because I'm nearly out of juice." -she said, as she tried her best not to succumb to the exhaustion.

Once the ice wolves were all biting a part of Ifrit's body, who continued to struggle and trying to melt them, Louve focused and made the wolves' bodies starting to expand, until they had encased Ifrit's body into an ice cocoon. The whole thing took less than three seconds, and when it ended, that was the sign Carapace had been waiting for. Hiding behind of a burning tree, the turtle hero moved swiftly to exact the last part of their plan. Reaching where Ifrit was, and noticing the ice cocoon he was wrapped in was already starting to melt, he worked even faster. Using his tonfas, he created a bubble that instantly trapped Ifrit inside it. Focusing, he made sure that this one was airtight, so as to not provide any oxygen to it.

"Alright, man, let's see you getting out of this one." -Carapace thought to himself.

With the flames in his body burning higher than ever before, it did not take long for Ifrit to melt the ice cocoon he had been trapped in. Roaring in agony, he quickly tried to exit the bubble, by smashing it. As he did it, the flames in his body continued to grow, heating the air inside the bubble.

"You… You will all burn! You will all burn!" -Ifrit yelled, threatening the heroes, as the ice around his body continued to melt at incredible speed, filling the energy bubble he was in, with hot steam. –"You will all burn! Like everything else… you will burn!" -he laughed maniacally, as he began to cough violently.

Just like they had planned, the steam inside the bubble began to make it hard for Ifrit to breathe, and the hotter the air got, the more impossible it was for him to breathe properly. Panting, he tried to break the energy bubble, by smashing his hands against it. But the more he did it, the hotter the inside of the bubble became, consuming all the oxygen in it. Soon, the flames in his body began to diminish, until they were out, revealing that his body, just like his hands and feet, was made out of stone. Once the last of the oxygen was consumed, he passed out. As this happened the fiery tornados disappeared, and everything else that was burning ceased to do so. Seeing this happening, the heroes knew that the battle had been won. Retaining him inside the bubble for a few more seconds, they saw the Akuma Butterfly coming out of his body, as Ifrit returned to normal. To their surprise, the Akuma Butterfly was not a regular Akuma Butterfly, but a Scarlet one. Bursting the bubble, Carapace decided to be the one to destroy it.

"No more evil-doings for you, you blasted Akuma Butterfly!" -Carapace exclaimed, as his tonfas began to glow. –"I relinquish you from evil!" -he said, as his weapons destroyed the red butterfly.

Hiding behind one of the very few groves that had not been burned and reduced to ashes, she could not believe what she was seeing. Madame Romani could not believe Ifrit had been defeated by the Miraculous heroes. She who had been hiding, waiting for the right moment to strike the heroes, now saw that her champion had been defeated, just as it happened so many other times.

"Impossible!" -Madame Romani exclaimed. –"It's impossible! They defeated him." -she yelled out loud. Having kept a close eye on Ifrit, she was about to make her big entrance, when the heroes managed to defeat him.

The sensible and smart thing to do, would be to retreat and fight another day. But Madame Romani knew what would happen if she did that. She knew that Hawk Moth would punish her for running away. He would punish her for Ifrit's defeat and the loss of one of his precious Scarlet Akuma Butterflies. But if she managed get at least one of the miraculouses, and kill the hero who wielded it, her punishment would not be so severe.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to take care of this myself." -Madame Romani declared, as a malicious smile appeared on her face. –"Ifrit may not have killed those kids, but he tenderized for me. This will be a synch." -she laughed.

But before she could do anything, Romani was hit on the head, before getting her legs swept, leading her to land on her back and drop her crystal ball. The gypsy witch's left hand reached for the crystal ball, when someone stepped on it, while pointing its weapon at her. Looking up, she immediately recognized the face of her attacker; the holder of the fox miraculous.

"Y-You!" -Madame Romani said, her voice filled with scorn.

"Yeah, me, you old witch!" -Rena Rouge exclaimed.

"I wasn't expecting to see you on your feet, after what happened to you." -Madame Romani told her. She had seen her getting injured by the Akuma. –"Still, this saves me the time of going looking for you. Taking your miraculous will be a synch." -she said.

"I don't think so. I may still be recovering, but that doesn't mean I don't have the strength to teach you a lesson." -Rena Rouge told her. Right then, the fox heroine was in pain because she had not given time for her burns to fully heal, but she tried to ignore that, as she continued to point her flute-staff at Romani. –"A word of advice.. if you want to sneak up on a person, be sure to not talk like that. Doing that, you give away your position." -she said, trying to act like she was not in pain.

"Take that staff out of my face, little girl!" Madame Romani said, as she hit it with her left hand and quickly got up. –"Your miraculous is going to end up on my master's hands, tonight!" -she threatened her, as the crystal ball flew back to her hands.

"I don't think so, you witch!" -Rena told her. –"You're not getting your hands on my miraculous, or anyone else's tonight, you hear me?" -she warned her.

"That's what you think!" -Madame Romani exclaimed.

Using her crystal ball, she quickly conjured one of her most common illusions, a fog bank. This one quickly spread all over the place, making it impossible to see who was where. Madame Romani was going to use it, to trick Rena Rouge. But the fox heroine was no fool, and also took advantage of the fog. She was weakened, but she was not going to let one of Hawk Moth's minions get her and her miraculous.

"You're good, little fox, but you're hurt and I'm not!" -Madame Romani said as she moved through the fog, looking for Rena Rouge –"But you know that I control this fog. I will find you and I will kill you. Once you're dead, I'll take your miraculous from your cold dead body. And then, I'm going to do the same thing to your friends. Ifrit has left you all exhausted. You'll be easy picking for me to…" -she continued to talk, when she was hit by Rena's flute-staff in both her abdomen and the back of her neck.

Doing the same the gypsy witch was doing, Rena Rouge took advantage of the fog and used it to her advantage. Using her flute-staff, she only required two well-placed strikes to get Romani out of action. When she hit the ground, the fog disappeared.

"S-Shut up, will you?" -Rena Rouge told her, as she laid unconscious on the ground. –"O-Ouch… I think I'm going to need an extra dosage of turtle healing power." -she said, as she massaged her abdomen. –"A-And another thing, if you're going to attack someone, just do it. Don't start blabbering about it. You'll lose the element of surprise that way."

Rena Rouge was about to say something else, when Madame Romani disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Once again, Hawk Moth had used his powers to teleport her to wherever his hideout was.

"We've really got to ask Master Fu to find us a way to prevent this from happening." -Rena Rouge mused to herself. –"If they continue to disappear like this, every time we kick their butt, we'll never be able to beat the location to their hideout." -she sighed. –"Better go and meet the others… and fast, because my stomach is really hurting now."

When Ifrit was defeated, the flames that were consuming the buildings, trees and vehicles, instantly disappeared. When this happened, people understood that something had happened, something good. And seconds later, a wave of magic swept the burning and damaged areas, turning them all back to normal, signalling the end of the threat. Cheers of joy and praises went to all of the heroes that on that night had done the impossible. And that night's heroes were not just the ones holding a miraculous. Police officers, firemen, paramedics and others that helped to fight the flames and saving the lives of people that were caught in that flaming battle. The cheers and praises were also for them, because if it had not been for them, Ladybug and the rest of her teammates, would have never been able to fight Ifrit, knowing that others were lending them a hand.

"They made it!" -Dragonfly said, as she landed next to Flamingo, or so she thought. –"They defeated Ifrit." -she smiled.

"It seems like it."

"Huh… you're the real one, or…" -Dragonfly asked her.

"I'm a copy, actually. The real Flamingo is right over there." -she said, pointing to the real Flamingo, who was hugging a little girl she had saved a minute earlier.

"Oh, sorry." -Dragonfly apologized to her.

"It's okay. Us copies, are already used to it."

"Anyways. I think we should find out where Chat and the others went." -Dragonfly said. –"You warn her about it, while I fly up there and check to see where the final battle against Ifrit took place, so we can find the rest and go there, okay?" -she asked Flamingo's copy, as she took to the sky.

"You go it."

A few minutes later, after finding every last one of her teammates that had been assigned to protect the people from the fire, Dragonfly told them that they had to make their way to the park, where the rest of the team was. When they arrived, they were told that the Akuma Butterfly that was inside Ifrit was a scarlet one. They were surprised to hear that, considering this was the first time Hawk Moth used one, since he brought back Thutmosis III back form the dead with one. But that was not the biggest surprise of that evening. That place belonged to who the victim of akuatization was. Lying on ground, still unconscious, was man on his 40's, with messy black hair, barefooted, and who was wearing a straitjacket. It did not take a genius to see that that man was sick.

"Is he a mental patient?" -Flamingo asked, as she looked at the man.

"There are only two kinds of people who wear one of those." -Dragonfly said, pointing to the straitjacket. –"Magicians, and of course, patients from a mental institutions. And he doesn't strike me as being a magician." -she pointed out.

"That would explain why he was acting the way he was." -Arachnid stated. –"I mean, he was acting like a crazy man, even by Akuma standards. If he's mentally unstable, that would reflect itself, when he was akumatized." -he said.

"Well, we're just a few blocks away from St. Anne's psychiatric hospital. He probably came from there." -Grizzly Bear said.

"If that's true, then that means that that witch sneaked inside the hospital and looked for people to get akumatized there." -Rena Rouge said, as Carapace his powers on her, once more.

"They're getting smarter, and bolder when looking for people to akumatize. That could be a problem." -Corbeau Noire said. –"I mean, akumatizing someone who had a bad day is already bad, but akumatizing someone who's not psychologically well, that's dangerous." -she pointed out.

"I agree. Dangerous and unpredictable… Alright, you're all done, foxy fox" -Carapace said told Rena Rouge, who smiled at him. –"Who else needs the help of Doctor Turtle?" -he asked the others.

Sitting on the floor, Ladybug was talking to Chat Noir. Just like everyone else, they were both feeling exhausted, but seeing each other alright, made that exhaustion feel less severe. That was the power of their love.

"You feeling alright, milady?" -Chat Noir asked Ladybug.

"I do now." -Ladybug smiled, as the feline hero placed his arms around her shoulders and hugged her. –"You're smile has the power of making me feel better, even when I'm feeling like hell." -she said. –"You're one in a million, you know that?"

"That's super corny. But lucky for you, I don't mind when you're being this corny. In fact, I love it." -Chat told her, before kissing her. –"And just in case your ankle is still hurting, I'm going to accompany you home tonight." -he declared.

"Why, thank you. That's very chivalrous of you, my silly kitty." -Ladybug smiled mischievously, before kissing him again.

"Guys, please, save that for when you're alone." -Antelope told them. –"I'm getting sick, just from hearing you." -he said, as he made a disgusted face, making the two of them laugh.

But there was one member of the team that was not talking much, and that was Queen Bee. The blonde was kneeling beside Louve Grise, who was lying on the ground, with her eyes closed. When she arrived, she imagined the worst. It was not until Carapace told her that she had passed out, due to exhaustion, that her heart calmed down a bit.

"Are you sure, she's alright?" -Queen Bee asked Carapace, as she looked at Louve Grise, who remained still. –"If I wasn't seeing her breathing, I would think that she was dead." -she thought.

"Positive. I told you, she just passed out, because she used up all of her energy." -Carapace answered her, as he used his powers to cure Dragonfly's back. –"Plus, I've used my powers on her, just in case she was hurt. All she needs now is a goodnight sleep." -he declared.

"If it wasn't for her, that guy over there would have turned everything around us into ashes, including us." -Forest Doe said, as she pointed at the man who was akumatized into Ifrit. –"You could say that she's the heroine of the day, or of the night in this case." -she smiled.

"Well, I'm glad she didn't get hurt." -Queen Bee said, as she smiled at her best-friend. –"Though I wish you would be more careful, Sabrina. I would hate to see you getting seriously hurt. Still, you're a tough and brave girl. I guess you take after your dad on that department." -she thought to herself, as a smile appeared on her face.

"You want me to take a look at that?" -Carapace asked her, as he pointed to the bandage she had around her head.

"If you don't mind. I don't want to end up with a scar on my forehead." -Queen Bee answered him, as she got up, only to feel slightly dizzy. –"W-Whoa… seems like that muscle relaxant they gave me, was a lot stronger than I thought." -she said, as she walked towards Carapace.

Another minute or so went by, before they were interrupted by the TVi Channel news helicopter, who cast its spotlight on them. Because of the fires caused by Ifrit, the pilot had been forced to fly higher. But now, it was back, and aboard it, Nadja Chamack was determined to get yet another exclusive interview with the heroes of Paris, who once more had stopped an Akuma, and saved the city.

"Uh-oh, we've got company!" -Antelope exclaimed, as he pointed up, to the news helicopter.

"Here comes Nadja Chamack, wanting another interview." -Forest Doe said, as she looked at the helicopter.

"Sorry to say this, but I'm not in the mood for interviews tonight." -Ladybug said.

"You and me." -Chat Noir told her. –"I vote we hand this guy to the police and head back home." -he suggested to the team.

"I agree. We've got classes in the morning." -Flamingo said.

"I don't like doing this to her. She's just doing her job, but I think we can leave this interview to another day." -Rena Rouge said.

"Then, let's get going." -Dragonfly said. –"Grab the guy and find a police officer you can leave him with." -she told Antelope.

"Why me?!" -Antelope protested

"Because you're the closest to him. And besides, aren't you the one who's always saying he's the fastest of us all?" -Dragonfly asked him with a sarcastic voice.

"I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work. You can't play mind games with me, and expect me to fall for them." -Antelope told her.

"Who said that I'm playing mind games with you?" -Dragonfly asked him. –"Because I'm not playing mind games on you."

"Yeah, right. You think I'm not seeing through your mind games, right now? Because I am, and let me tell you that they are super easy to see through." -Antelope told her.

"Just grab the man, and get going, will you?!" -Arachnid told him. –"And for the record, if she's playing mind games with you, and you're saying you're not going to fall for them, then, you truly are falling for them. It's called reverse-reverse psychology." -he said.

"I already said that I'm not falling for any mind games. Sometimes, you guys think that I'm really dumb, but I'm not." -Antelope declared.

"Oh, for crying out loud… just do it, please! Grab the man and sprint out of here! The longer you stay there arguing, the closer the helicopter will get." -Ladybug told him, already tired of hearing that argument.

"Fine, but you and everyone else here is owing me this one." -Antelope warned him, as he grabbed the man, placing him over his right shoulder, and stormed out of there.

Just like he promised her, Chat Noir accompanied Ladybug home. Even though Carapace had healed her ankle, the feline hero feared that she might get worse from it, if she tried to cross half the city, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. So, he decided to carry her in his arms. She protested, telling him he did not need to do that, but Chat insisted, and she ended up letting him carry her in his arms.

"It was quite the night." -Ladybug said.

"It sure was. Though, to be absolutely fair, I wish that instead of going out and deal with an Akuma, we could have stayed on the phone, talking to one another." -Chat Noir told her.

"You and me. I've been having so much work lately, that I haven't been able to rest properly." -Ladybug sighed.

"Still up to your neck with commissions?" -Chat Noir asked her.

"Yes. To make sure that I don't get behind on them, at night, when I know my parents are sleeping, I transform into Ladybug, so I can an extra boost of energy to work on the commissions. I hate to do it, because that goes against the idea that we shouldn't use our powers for anything other than fighting Akumas, but it's the only way I can find to not run out of energy, while working on the commissions." -Ladybug confessed. –"Which reminds me, when I get home, I'll have to get a Jumbo-sized plate of cookies for Tikki. After what we went through tonight, she has earned it."

"I'll also have to sneak to the kitchen, to get Plagg some Camembert as well. He has earned it." -Chat Noir admitted. –"I don't want to do say this to you, but you shouldn't have taken so many commissions." -he said, as he leaped between buildings, landing safely.

"I know that now. But I already decided that I'm not going to take any more commissions for a while. I'll finish the ones I have to finish, and then, I'll open them again, in a couple of months." -Ladybug sighed. –"Thank God they are mostly small things and I'll be able to finish them quickly." -she said. –"I knew I was going to get a lot of commissions, once Jagged Stone posted the image of the face paint I created for him in his website. But I never thought I would have hundreds of people asking me for a commission."

"Now you know how I feel, when I get fan mail." -Chat joked.

"I thought that it was Nathalie, or Nina, or anyone else working for your dad, who dealt with your fan mail." -Ladybug said.

"And it is someone else who deals with it. But from time to time, I go and check out a couple of letters… you wouldn't believe the kind of things my fans ask me." -Chat Noir declared, with a mischievous smile.

"Like asking for your cell number, or asking you if you'll marry them?" -Ladybug asked him in an amused voice.

"Pretty much, yeah. Some of them even send me photos… some of them are extra spicy." -Chat Noir said, between chuckles.

"That I believe." -Ladybug giggled. –"Well, I feel sorry for them, because I've got you, all to myself." -she giggled.

"Yeah, I feel sorry for them as well, because none of them is as pretty as you are, milady." -Chat Noir told her, making the scarlet heroine blush a little.

As they approached Ladybug's home, she told him to stop, explaining that it was best for her to go the last block by herself. She had heard a couple of rumours that the two of them had been sighted a few times near the bakery, and she feared that people might accidentally put two and two together, and figure that she was Ladybug. For that reason, she was going to make the rest of the way alone, being careful to not be spotted by anyone.

"Are you sure of this?" -Chat Noir asked, as he placed his girlfriend on the rooftop.

"I'm afraid so. It's best if we split up here." -Ladybug told him. –"The neighbours have been gossiping that they had seen Ladybug and Chat Noir stopping near my building one too many times lately." -she said. –"We don't want them to think that Ladybug lives in my building, now do we?"

"I guess not." -Chat agreed. –"But we'll have to try and start be a little more discreet, if I'm going to continue to come and accompany you home." -he smiled, as he caressed her chin. –"Plus, I don't want to stop visiting you at night. So, we'll need to come up with alternate ways, for no one to see me approaching your building."

"We'll have to try and do it, silly kitty." -Ladybug smiled, as she caressed his chin, before kissing him. –"Goodnight, Adrien." -she said, as they broke the kiss.

"Goodnight, Marinette." -Chat Noir smiled at her, as he jumped on top of a chimney. –"I'll dream about you tonight." -he said.

"And I'll dream about you." -Ladybug said, blowing him a kiss, as he left.

And as Ladybug made her way home, Queen Bee was arriving at Louve's home, carrying her in her arms. Because they were unable to wake the redhead, the bee heroine volunteered to take her home. It was not easy for her to get there, especially because she had to keep herself to the shadows, so as to not be seen by anyone. Entering through the bedroom window, which had been left open, Queen Bee sighed out, relieved that they had managed to get to their destination. Waiting a couple of seconds for her eyes to adapt to the darkness inside the bedroom. Little by little, her eyes got accustomed to it. When she believed she could see well enough to not bump into anything in her way, she walked to the redhead's bed. She wanted to put her in bed, but before she could do it, there was one last thing that had to be done.

"Come on, Sabrina, I know you're super tired, but I need you to turn back to normal. I can't place you in bed, while you're still in your super outfit." -Queen Bee whispered to her. –"Just say those words to turn back to normal, and then you can go back to sleep. I promise you that I won't ask anything else from you." -she begged her.

Hearing Queen Bee saying that, the wolf heroine opened her eyes just enough to see the blonde smiling at her. She hardly had the strength to keep her eyes open, much less talk. But she knew that if she did not turn back to normal, she would risk her mom seeing her in her super outfit, and her secret would be compromised. Using what little strength, she still had, she whispered the words and returned to her civilian form. Queen Bee noticed that she was wearing pyjamas. Her kwami, Mika, with his eyes closed gently hovered over to the side of the pillow on the bed, where he rolled himself up and fell asleep, he too exhausted.

Placing her on the bed, Queen Bee made sure to tuck her in. Removing her glasses, she placed them on the bedside table, next to her cell phone. Looking at her best-friend, she could not help but to smile, seeing her tucked in, sleeping ever so peacefully.

"You did great tonight, Sabrina." -Queen Bee whispered to her ear.

The bee heroine knew it was late and she should be in bed already. But she could not help but to lose a few more minutes to admire the redhead sleeping in her bed. Ever since that sleepover, where they kissed, that the blonde had begun to have certain thoughts about her best-friend that she never had before. Those thoughts were not bad, or at least she did not believe they were bad. But she felt it was strange for her to have them. Looking at her, seeing Sabrina sleeping peacefully in her bed, it gave her a feeling of comfort and happiness, which warmed her heart. Caressing her sleepy face, Queen Bee cold not help but to kiss her forehead, before leaving.

"Sleep tight, Sabrina. I'll see you in school tomorrow." -Queen Bee whispered, as she left through the window, closing it behind her.

So sorry I didn't post this chapter on Friaday, but I've been incredibly tired lately. Even so, here it is. The chapter's title is a reference to Sabrina's new attack, "Freezing Howl" (I always wanted her to have ice wolves as animal companions, you know?).

As for the Akuma, I did say that there was a reason why he was acting like a lunatic... well, he was already a lunatic. xD And yeah, Hawk Moth is upping his game with the use of Scarlet Akuma Butterflies... that can only mean more trouble for our heroes. Next, our heroes will deal with a different kind of enemy... one they cannot beat. As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this, and other future fics.

P.S. I have recently been asked a lot if I take requests, so I'm going to answer this once and for all. I don't take requests (it's not that I don't want to, it's just that I don't have the time to do them. I hope you all understand).