#THIS IS PEAK DEVIL'S MINION SHUSH

[hoomanbeaning]

IS THAT WHAT MAKES YOU ✨FASCINATING✨?

[bisexualsforprompto]

An Unrefusable Promise

A/N I got like a mega case of inspiration, I don’t even know how to explain it.

She was promised a better life and a loving home.

How could she refuse?

She still remembered the first time she met him.

It was storming in Paris, Marinette could hardly see a thing. Even with her powers as Ladybug, she couldn’t manage to get the upper hand in the fight with the rain being so violent. She was fighting Muyara, and winning, until her heard a deafening snap. She and Muyara had both stopped immediately.

Marinette ran over across the rooftop to where Chat Noir had been facing off against Hawkmoth, she recognized the snap, it was the snapping of bones...specifically the neck. The noise was so sickening that Marinette almost knew what had happened. Hands shaking she ran over to her partner, who was laying lifeless on the ground, in the form of Adrien Agreste.

Hawkmoth stood there, bewildered, tears about to start invading his eyes.

“Adrien...no...Ladybug, please believe me I didn’t mean to-“

Marinette didn’t hear the rest of his plea.

She saw red.

And she lunged.

She vaguely registered Muyara grabbing her arms and pulling her back from Hawkmoth. She had spun around and punched Muyara in the face, off of the building.

Another snap.

Marinette snapped out of her stupor.

“NATHALIE!” Hawkmoth cried.

No...she didn’t. Marinette choked violently as she looked at Muyara, a pool of blood surrounding her from the drop off the thirty story building. No. Ladybug didn’t kill.

Ladybug didn’t kill.

Ladybug didn’t kill.

Ladybug didn’t-

BANG

The unmistakable sound of a gunshot.

Marinette turned around in horror to see Hawkmoth fall over, a bullet wound graced his forehead.

Marinette’s hands were still shaking as she saw the man behind Hawkmoth, the one who had pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger.

He was dressed in black on one side and orange on the other. Marinette could see that he had other weapons besides his gun. She visibly tensed when she saw a sword peaking out of his utility belt.

His gun was still smoking.

Would she be his next victim?

He placed the gun down and walked over to Marinette, approaching her carefully.

She was trembling, but paralyzed, like a deer in headlights.

“I’m not gonna hurt you kid.” He said calmly, holding his hands up. “Are you okay?”

Marinette shrunk in on herself and shook her head.

“Come here kid, lemme help you.”

Marinette wavered and took a step back, hyper aware of how close to the edge of the building she was.

She felt herself start to panic.

“Hey hey.” Shushed the stranger, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to help you. I know you. I know you Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette’s eyes widened at the use of her real name. “H-how?”

“I know many things Ladybug,” he said gently, “I know how your classmates have turned their back on you. I know that your parents don’t believe you. I know the only one you could trust,” he motioned to Chat Noir’s corpse, “is dead. And I know, I’m the only one who can help.”

“W-who are you?” Marinette stuttered.

“My name is Slade Wilson, I’m a good guy. I can give you everything you want. A better life and a loving home, don’t you want that?” Marinette didn’t need to answer. “I just need your help, is that okay Marinette?”

She nodded, and in turn, unknowingly signed her soul to the devil.

~~•~~•~~•~~•~~

“Do you really need another one? You already have me.” Asked an irritated blonde girl in a short costume.

Marientte eyed her warily, her costume was brown and orange, with a tacky belt on her waist. She had a bridge of freckles across her nose, not unlike Marinette’s, and her hair was in a short, unflattering pixie cut. She wore a mask, however her eye holes were cut out like Marinette’s, her eyes were blue.

“Now Terra, play nice.” Slade said mockingly, “Marinette can help us against the Titans.”

“Fine, but don’t try anything funny with my man, bug. Or we’ll see how you get squashed.” Terra said, clenching her fists, before leaving the room.

Marinette was taken aback, the girl couldn’t have been much older than her, was she really with Slade?

“Is she...Are you two together?” Marinette squeaked uncomfortably.

“No.” Slade chuckled, “She wants us to be, but it’s not going to happen.”

Marinette relaxed a little. Slade was kind to her, he didn’t seem like the kind of man to take advantage of a girl like that, she rationalized.

“Come on, lemme show you your mission.” Slade said ushering her into a new room.

There was a boy, encased in rock. He had spiky midnight hair, a domino mask with green surrounding it on his face, and he was a beautiful shade of tan. He was wearing a dark green, red, black and dark yellow bordering on gold costume. There was a small R on the corner of his costume.

“Slade, brought another minion in to torture me?” Grunted the young boy. He had to be her age.

“Ladybug, this is Robin. He’s not a good person, he’s working for someone who hurts a lot of good people. I need you to watch him, for the greater good.” Slade said, placing a hand on her shoulder before leaving her and Robin alone.

Marinette’s hands shook as she sat on a nearby stone. Robin narrowed his eyes at her.

She cleared her throat and began to speak in broken English, “I-is it true? H-have you- do you hurt people?”

The boy’s face softened, not by a lot, but by a little.

“Listen to me, whatever he’s promised you, it’s a lie. Do you hear me? You have to free me before it’s too late.”

“W-what?” Marinette said, feeling panic rise in her.

“What did he say to you?” Robin asked, furrowing his eye brows.

“H-he- I-...Everyone hates me back in Paris. M-my parents don’t trust me, and my classmates t-they tried...even the only one I could trust...he’s gone now. Mr. Wilson, he offered...he told me he could help. And he said the only way for me to be free was to come with him...here.” Marinette said, everything spilling out.

“Listen to me- Ladybug right?” Marinette nodded, “He can’t help you. But we can. I’m from a group called the Teen Titans.”

The Teen Titans, Marinette had heard of them, they were heroes.

“We can take you in. We can help you. Slade can’t, no matter what he says. Slade’s a murderer and a villain, you don’t want to align yourself with him.”

Marinette shook.

Murderer.

That’s what she was.

She was a villain too.

She saw flashes of Muyara again, flashes of Chat again, flashes of Hawkmoth again.

What if she stopped it?

But she couldn’t...she didn’t…

‘All that’s necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.’

Marinette gulped.

She could’ve done something, anything. Stopped their deaths.

“I-I can’t. I’m as bad as him.” She said dodging his gaze.

“Ladybug listen, I’m...I’m a murderer...I’ve killed people before. When I got older though, I was given a chance to redeem myself and I took it. I see the look in your eyes and I know it too...You chose the path of vengeance not justice. But you can get help for yourself. You don’t have to live with these demons in fear forever. Get me out of this stone.” Robin said, struggling against the rock.

Ladybug picked up her yo-yo hesitantly.

“Can I be forgiven?” She choked.

“You can.”

“Can I forgive myself?”

“I...don’t know.”

His answer wasn’t reassuring, in fact it was the opposite.

So Marinette knew her decision.

She broke the rock.

~~•~~•~~•~~•~~

In the end Slade sort of did keep his promise.

Marinette stared fondly at the picture of her with the rest of the Titans.

He promised her a better life and a loving home.

Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, Nightwing, Robin, Blue Beetle, and her in the middle, all standing in front of Titans Tower with smiles, even Damian!

And she got just that.

~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~•~~~

A happy ending? In my fic? It’s more likely than you think... Oh don’t worry...angst apocalypse April is coming up 😈

Taglist:

@northernbluetongue

@queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm

@luciferge

@legendaryneckjudgestudent

@interobanginyourmom

@beaversuenightly

@worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry

@mochinek0

@shamefullove

@emjrabbitwolf

@actual-disaster-human

@littleredrobinhoodlum

@elijahcoser

@daminett4life

@18-fandoms-unite-08

@kawaiigiantjudgefish

@corabeth11