~In which Mat is into really bad Cosplay~

-A little later-

"How's the cookie, Stormling?  Worth the run?"  Kat asks, grinning.

Storm gasps for breath and takes a bite out of it.  "Exercise is waaay overrated, in my opinion."  She huffs, leaning back on an arm and gnawing away at her hard-earned prize.  "She pauses.  "But dayum, this is good!"

Kat raises an eyebrow.  "Dayum?"

"Yeah, it means-"

"-I am well aware of what it means, thank you.  I'm just wondering why it's necessary to use that word in the context of our casual conversation."

"Huh?"

Kat sighs.  "Never mind."

"No, I mean: HUH?!!"  Storm screams and points at a large someone leaping through the neighborhood's backyards.  "WHAT THE FUDGE IS THAT THING?!!"

Kat squints at it.  "More like whom."  Her eyes widen, and she groans.  "That had better not be whom I suspect it to be..."

The villain stomps over to them and stares at Storm's cookie with desire.  "You.  Female.  Give me your cookie."

Storm gapes at him, then sets her jaw determinedly.  "Uh, how about no, circus freak?"

He laughs, then glares at her.  "I am the Nibbler, and I demand that you feed me!!!"

"BROTHER, STAND DOWN!!!"  Kat roars.  "Don't even bother to deny that it's you!  I'd know that lazy attitude anywhere!!!"

Storm's jaw drops.  "Wait, that retro kid's toy-colored dude is your brother?!!"

"Kat, shut up!  I don't know you!!!"  The Nibbler screeches furiously.

Kat, Storm, and Parasitica all facepalm.  The Nibbler looks mortified.  "Oh."  Then his face hardens.  "If you won't give me that cookie, I suppose I'll have to-  What are you doing?"

Storm frantically shoves the last of the cookie into her mouth, rapidly chewing and swallowing.  Then she glares challengingly at the villain.  "What'cha gonna do now?"

"Might I suggest running away?"  Kat whispers to her friend.  "..You know, the wise course of action?"

Storm puffs out her chest with an air of bravado.  "Luckily for me, I'm not known for my wisdom!!!  Let's see what you've got, Foodie!"

"NIBBLER!!!"

Kat grabs her walking stick and holds it crosswise in front of her.  "Let's have at you, foul swine!  HUZZAH!!!"  She lunges at him, and he screams and leaps away.

"What are you doing?!!"  Parasitica shouts.  "Destroy them if you must, and then find me my Miraculous!"

"Are you kidding?!!  I can't beat her!  I never have!"

"You're a villain, you have powers, and you're bigger than her!"

"You obviously don't know my sister!!!  She's violent, bloodthirsty, skilled.  She'll kill me and bury me in that suspiciously Mat-sized vegetable planter outside that we all built!  I DON'T WANT TO FERTILIZE HER TOMATOES WITH MY ROTTING CORPSE!!!  I REFUSE!!!"  He begins to cry and runs away.

Kat smiles darkly to herself.  "Hehehe..!"

"What have you done to that poor child?"  Storm questions.

"Just..  Won some challenges that he's presented me in the past."

"Uh-huh.  That's believable."  Storm glances down at her wrist, though she sports no watch.  "Oh, wow.  Is that the time?  I've gotta head home."

Kat glances around them.  "You are home.  We're at your house."

"Uh, I meant your house.  ..Um, I gotta split!!!"  She dashes off.

"That child is sooo suspicious."  Kat grumbles.

Tokka flies out from her pocket.  "Of course she is."  She clenches one tiny wing into a fist.  "..But now is the time for you to fight!"  She proclaims dramatically.  "Eliminate that wretched villain!  Be amazing!  Be heroic!  Be awesome!  Be me-  You!  Preferably slice him into little bitty bite-sized pieces!  Yeah!"

"How do we know that he's really a villain?  My brother could just be into really bad Cosplay."

"KAAAT..!!!"

"I'm doing it, sheesh!  Tokka, LET THE FEATHERS FLY!!!"  Kat transforms in a flash of light.

-Meanwhile-

Storm loops around the block and heads back to her house.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"  Gayle complains.  "The villain is thataway!"

"I know, I know."  Storm mutters.  "Just grabbing some for the road..."  She sneaks into her kitchen.

The next moment, Gayle bravely flies into the girl's mouth, effectively muffling her horrified scream.

Storm spits the spider out.  "Ptooey!  HE TOOK EVERYTHING?!!  EVERY SINGLE ONE?!!"  She rushes to a cupboard and flings it open, then drops to her knees.  "Each and every cookie, cracker, conserve, and can, GONE!!!  HE'LL PAY FOR WHAT HE'S DONE!!!"  She wails.  "Gayle, FANGS OUT!!!"

-A couple of minutes later-

"RAVEEEN!!!"  Ariadne hollers.  "You'll never believe what this villain can do!"

Raven yanks her partner behind the nearest building.  "Allow me to make a guess: Once he gets in the vicinity of food, it all vanishes, most likely becoming absorbed into that massive jar in his right hand, which I'm willing to bet was filled with olives at one point.  Am I correct?"

Ariadne gapes at her in awe, then pouts.  "You ruined my big reveal!"

"No, that comes later."  Raven mutters.  "..But let's stomp this guy first."

"You mean stop him, right?"

"Hmm?  Oh.  Sure, sure.  Whatever you say."  Raven distractedly waves a hand at her partner.  "We need to get to that jar, but he keeps getting bigger the more he 'eats.'  Notice the inflation rate?"

Ariadne groans.

"Yes, yes.  Terrible, isn't it?  No wonder no one can afford anything around here anymore without going into debt.  ..So like I was saying, getting to that jar will prove to be slightly challenging-"

"-I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT FOOD!!!"

Raven deadpans.  "I'm pretty sure no one can live without food, actually."

"No, I mean he STOLE MY COOKIES!!!  I have a daily minimum that I need to eat in order to maintain my sanity!"

Raven stares at her.  "Double it.  At least."

"WE'LL ALL DIE WITHIN DAYS!!!"

"I can go literal days without food and still be completely fine, so haha, I guess."

"People will die!  Don't you care about rescuing them?!!"

Raven shrugs.  "Not really..."

"WHAT?!!  ARE YOU SERIOUS?!!"

"You never really know with me, Spidergirl."

"Do you wanna injure somebody today or not?!!"

Raven perks up.  "Ooh!  Yes, please!  Let's go, Peter Parker!"

"I AM NOT PETER PARKER!!!  I'M NOT EVEN A GUY!!!"

"You never really can know who's underneath the mask though, can you?"  Raven answers, ducking behind the next building.  Ariadne follows, looking shook.

"Dang, you're actually right!  That's a terrifying thought."  She stops and looks Raven dead in the eye.  "So, what are you?"

"Worn out, and definitely not human.  But yes, female."

"Oh, okay.  ..But I wouldn't mind if you were a super-hot guy, you know.  Just saying.  If you maybe know any..?"  She trails off upon catching Raven's stern look.  "Never mind, I have one in my sights already, anyways."

"Good for you!  ..Now shush, I'm formulating a plan."  Raven leans around the corner and narrows her eyes, studying the villain and their surroundings some more.  "Got it!"  She mutters triumphantly.

"What do I have to do?"

Raven tilts her head towards an oncoming truck.  "Shock that, if you please."

"Can do!"  Ariadne jumps out from  their cover, landing on top of the vehicle, and immediately thumps her foot onto its hood.  "SPIDER-SHOCK!!!"

Raven waves her hand in the air rather wildly.  "YOO-HOO!!!  NIBBLER!!!  OVER HERE!!!  Ariadne, open the back."  She mumbles.

Ariadne nods and swings herself over the side, then rips open the trailer doors.  She halts, eyes shining.

"What are you doing?!!  Ariadne, move!  Get away!!!"

Ariadne shrieks with delight.  "COOKIES!!!"  

The Nibbler lumbers over as she climbs into the trailer.  "Yes!  Score!!!"

"No, get out of there!!!"  Raven yells.

..But it's too late.  The Nibbler roars, and Ariadne is flung out of the back, scattering packages as she goes.  "AAAAAHHH!!!"

"Okay, change of tactics: RUN!!!"  Raven hollers.

The Nibbler picks up the trailer and shakes the entire contents into his mouth.  The jar glows and vibrates ominously.

"Let's not stick around for what happens next!"  Ariadne screams.

"For once, I'm in complete agreement with you."  Raven sighs.  "I call a tactical retreat."  She dashes off without another word.

"WAIT FOR ME!!!"  Ariadne zooms after her, careening around their opponent.

Raven glares silently at her partner as they escape.  Ariadne gulps.  Raven intensifies the look.

"M'sorry."  Ariadne grumbles.

"Apology accepted.  Now I have to say it again."

"Say what?"

Raven inhales deeply.  "I have a plan!"

"Yay!"  A car alarm blares, and Ariadne looks over her shoulder and gasps in horror.  "He's gotten a lot bigger now..!"

Raven spins around, following her partner's gaze.  "Well, things just got a lot more complicated."  She grins.  "This is great!  Finally, we may have a challenge!"

"You aren't supposed to be happy about it!!!"

Raven ignores her.  "Since you ruined Plan A, guess what?  You get to be the bait for Plan B.  Sounds wonderful, right?"

Ariadne claps.  "Awesome!  I'm in!  ..Wait, what?"

Raven shoves Ariadne out into the path of their pursuing quarry.  "Just buy me some time."  She cheerily waves goodbye to her.  "Have fun now!"

Ariadne immediately begins flapping her arms about.  "HELP MEEE!!!  AAAAAAHHH!!!"  She loops around the Nibbler's legs, narrowly avoiding his swatting hands.  "THIS CAN'T POSSIBLY BE LEGAAAL-  OHMAMAAAA!!!"

"YOU'LL BE FINE!!!"  Raven barks.  "JUST KEEP HIM BUSY!!!"  She runs into the nearest apartment building and hurries to the elevator, pressing the 'up' button.  She impatiently taps her foot, waiting for it to come to ground floor.  Finally, it opens with a ding.  

She quickly pushes several people out.  "Sorry, sorry.  Important hero business, you'll thank me later if you have any brains."  She mutters.

One elderly lady eyes her swords nervously as she squeezes past her.  "Are those real?"

Raven touches one's hilt aggressively.  "Wanna find out?"

"N-not really."

"Good answer.  Now if you'll excuse me, I've got lives to save."  The lift's doors close.  "Alright!  Top floor!"  Raven punches the according button.

https://youtu.be/H3XoM83VvC0

Random elevator music begins to play out of the overhead speakers, and Raven yawns and slowly begins tilting forwards.  She leans her forehead against the control panel and closes her eyes, gradually sliding down towards the floor and falling asleep with a small mewl.

Her eyes snap open as the elevator jolts to a stop, and she leaps out, running to the roof.

A few moments later, she looks down at the dizzying drop.  "I really hate man-made heights."  She growls, closing her eyes in annoyance.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"  Ariadne's loud wail brings her back to the present.

"Ariadne, lure him towards me!  I'm on top of the apartment building to your right-  Left-  Behind you-  WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP RUNNING AROUND IN CIRCLES?!!"  She shouts into her blade.

Ariadne flashes her a tiny thumbs-up and jogs towards the base of the building.

"Alright, thanks.  You can go de-transform now."

"'Kay-kay!  Good luck with the beast!"  Ariadne warbles, speaking into her boomerang.  "I'll be back in a sec, just gotta go feed Gayle somehow."

"Of course, but don't take too long.  We may yet need a fallback fallback plan."

"Plan C?  I gotchu!  ..Signing off!"  Ariadne rolls behind a trash bin headfirst, and not a moment too soon.  Her circlet beeps one final time, and her suit dissolves in a flash of light.  She pats her pockets desperately.

Gayle gives her a baleful look.  "No food, huh?"

Storm smiles triumphantly.  "BEHOLD, my emergency backup cookie!"  She proudly exclaims, holding up a triple foil and plastic wrapped, slightly squished disk attached to a piece of heavy elastic.  

"The last cookie in this whole city!  Even a supervillain couldn't take it from me!"

Gayle observes it dubiously.  "It certainly speaks of your..  Strange methods, that's for sure."

Storm frowns.  "Ya want it or not?  It's literally the only food around here for miles, so take it or leave it."

Gayle groans and holds out a leg.  "Gimme.  Let's get this over with."

Storm passes it over.  "You're so ungrateful, you know that?"

"Mm-mm.  It's so good."  Gayle continues sarcastically.  "Look, it's already warm, too.  BLECH!"

"Are you done?"

Gayle takes a deep breath.  "..Yes."

"Then let's go!  Gayle: FANGS OUT!!!"

-Meanwhile-

"Mystical Kat powers, don't fail me now!"  Raven mutters to herself, jumping off of the roof.  "Arch back, elongate legs, stretch out claws or talons for optimum traction when landing onto the target's face."  She reminds herself.  A second later, she smacks onto the Nibbler's forehead.  He screams.

"BIG BUG!!!"

"Darn you, I'M NOT A BUG!!!"  She shouts, grabbing onto a lock of his hair and swinging around to the back of his neck.  "I COULD KILL YOU WHERE I STAND!!!"

Ariadne bounds up to them.  "What do you want me to do now?"

"WHAAAT?!!" 

The spider heroine cups her hands around her mouth and tries again.  "I SAID: WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO NOW?!!"

"SHOCK HIM THIS TIME, AND DON'T MISS!!!  WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LEFT TO RECHARGE WITH, SO FAILURE IS DEFINITELY NOT AN OPTION!!!"

"GOT IT!!!"  Ariadne stomps her foot down, hard.  "One last time!  SPIDER-SHOCK!!!"

The Nibbler's entire lower torso freezes into submission.

But his top keeps going.

"Whoawhoawhoa-  Waaah!  WOOHOO, THIS IS AMAZING!!!"  Raven digs her blades into the Nibbler's sleeves and steadily climbs down his arm as he desperately flails it around, attempting to dislodge her.

"HEY!!!"  Ariadne's boomerang hits his chest with a tiny ping and falls to the ground.  They both look down at it in silence.  Ariadne flashes him an uneasy grin.  "Hehe!  Whoops!  Where'd that come from?"

The Nibbler roars and swings his arm at her.  She closes her eyes in preparation for the inevitable.

"Oh no, you don't!  REPLICATION!  ENERGY SURGE!!!"  Raven slams her blade into the Nibbler's jar, and he screams as bolts of electricity arc through him.  The outline of a blue triangle attached to a chain pulses in the air, then disappears as the glass shatters.  A small worm wriggles out and falls away.

Raven gulps and looks heavenward.  "Oh dear..."  She yelps as the Nibbler's humungous form flickers and vanishes, shrinking immediately beneath her.  Mat and she end up in a tangled pile.  They both groan.

"Ow."

"Oh my gosh!  Are you guys okay?"  Ariadne asks, concerned.  They are about to answer when the spider heroine gasps, patting her supersuit's pockets.  "MY COOKIES HAVE RETURNED!!!"  She begins to cry tears of utter relief.  "Thank you, God."  She whispers, clutching one to her chest, then taking a big bite out of it in blissful pleasure.  She walks away, humming to herself.

Raven and Mat look at each other.

Raven finally breaks the awkward quiet.  "You okay?"

Mat grunts.

Raven nods.  "Okay, good.  Don't let it happen again."

Mat grunts once more.

"Alright, I'll hold you to that promise.  I'll be going now.  See you around town!"  She pats him on the head and runs away.

Mat glances around himself balefully, snatching a stray cookie from off of the truck, looking around, then quickly eating it and grunting with delight as he heads home.

Word count: 2334