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bisexualsforprompto · 4 years

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The Black Mercy

This is for my secret Santa @18-fandoms-unite-08 I tried something different from my normal style so I really hope you like it! Also thank you @caffeinetheory for beta reading!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette woke up realizing two things. One: she was on an amazingly comfortable mattress that felt like a dream and two: she was being held by something. She opened her eyes groggily to be met with the sight of two tan, toned, strong arms around her. Snuggling up closer she got a glimpse of the sleeping man next to her.

He had black hair that complemented his gorgeously bronze skin. His eyes were closed shut and his chest was rising and falling calmly.

“Dami,” Marinette whispered into his ear. Damian stirred but only to pull Marinette in closer. She giggled as she watched his arms subconsciously pull her into his chest. “Damian.” She singsonged into his ear.

“TT. Five minutes.” Marinette chuckled to herself, normally it would be her who was grumbling about more sleep. She slipped out of his grasp and stepped out of the fluffy white covers.

She inadvertently reached towards her bare ears feeling an odd sensation when she brushed against only flesh. She couldn’t remember exactly what she was supposed to find on her ears but she ignored it and continued walking out of her room. She heard a slight shuffling from her bedroom as she walked over to the kitchen to make breakfast. She hummed a tune that felt vaguely familiar, yet worlds away at the same time. Marinette opened the wooden cabinet above her sink and pulled out two china plates.

Sleepy footsteps approached her as she set some pancakes she’d made the day prior in the microwave. She turned around from the kitchen to be greeted with Damian sitting at the table. Grinning, Marinette took a seat next to him.

“Sleep well?” She asked noting the bags underneath his eyes that had decreased.

“Always when I’m with you Angel.” He responded causing Marinette to blush, “Although I would’ve preferred to sleep a little longer.” Marinette rolled her eyes, “Jon and Adrien are coming soon, we have to get ready.” Damian stretched his arms, flexing his muscles inadvertently,

“TT.” He yawned as the timer on the microwave went off, “Beloved, why must we invite the Kents over?” Marinette chuckled as she pecked Damian on the cheek, walking over to the kitchen once more.

“Come on Dove, they just got married, we should celebrate with them.” Marinette smiled as she took the pancakes and set them down on plates.

Damian started to grumble under his breath, “I still don’t see why we had to-

~~~~~~~~

“WAKE UP! Angel please wake up!!!” Damian yelled as he shook Marinette who was lying down peacefully with a look of bliss on her face. She was covered by a blue hospital sheet that Jon had given them. If Damian didn’t know what was under that sheet he would’ve let her be, she looked fine, for all he would’ve known she was calmly sleeping.

But he did know. The monster that lurked underneath the sheet that decided to attach itself onto Marinette was giving his beloved beautiful pleasant dreams. Letting her live peacefully.

That was why Damian had to stop it.

~~~~~~~

“To family!” Jon toasted as he tapped his champagne with Adrien. “Cheers!” The blonde sunshine boy grinned. Marinette raised her glass and smiled to the scowling Damian on the couch next to her.

“Something wrong Dames?” Marinette teased, in truth she knew that she could barely wipe that scowl off his face, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

“Cheers.” Damian grumbled as he took a long sip of his champagne causing Jon to burst out in laughter.

“I love you guys.” Marinette said placing her arm around Damian’s shoulder. He became less tense at her touch.

“Well we love you too Maribug, but is that just the alcohol talking?” Adrien smirked. Marinette rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at him with her free hand. Adrien set down his glass and raised his hand in surrender.

“I’m serious! You guys are my family. I can’t think of anything more perfect than being with all of you.” Marinette smiled genuinely. She gestured to Damian, “the love of my life and my two best friends.” Adrien beamed and Jon shared the same look.

“This is a dream come true for me.”

~~~~~~~

“Clark, you’ve dealt with this before. How should we get her out?” Bruce asked as Jon and Clark Kent walked over to the unconscious Marinette wearing a smile on her face. Clark sighed, “Ultimately, it’s her who must choose to leave. Kara was able to get some help though, I’ll contact her to see what needs to be done.” He said as he left the room dialing a number on his phone. Bruce narrowed his eyes and Jon looked down at his friend who was holding his hand on top of Marinette’s.

“Damian-“

“Save it.” Damian snarled, “I just want her out.” Jon took a step back, never hearing so much bite in his friend’s voice. Bruce tensed, feeling helpless once more. Damian whipped his head back, breaking his gaze from Marinette’s pale face and gesturing to what was under the blanket covering her, “And are any of you going to tell me what the hell this is?!”

~~~~~~

“What the hell is this?!” Laughed Adrien as he poked at the dangling robin on the ceiling fan.

“TT. I told her to get rid of it.” Damian pouted, side-eying the glass robin. Marinette rolled her eyes and flicked Damian in the ear,

“And I said no.” She smirked, “Look at his expression, it looks just like you Dami!” Marinette started to chuckle looking at the robin’s stone cold expression. For some reason Marinette felt the name robin was familiar, like it had some other meaning. A voice startled her out of the puzzle pieces she tried to sow together,

“Hey, she’s right!” Jon exclaimed as he mimicked the robin’s stoic frown. Adrien began to laugh even harder causing Damian to brood even more. Marinette fixed that with a simple peck on the cheek, causing him to brighten almost immediately.

“Just teasing love.” Marinette smiled warmly brushing Damian’s hair out of his face. Jon and Adrien could’ve sworn Damian smiled for a split second. He gave her a quick kiss in return.

“Get a room!” Jon yelled, making Damian shoot a glare at him. He focused his eyes back on his beloved,

“I love you.”

~~~~~~~

“I love you.” Damian whispered quietly, “I’m sorry I never had the courage to tell you.” He drew circles on the palm of her hand trying to ignore the fact that Jon, Clark and Bruce were speaking outside about Marinette’s fate.

“You came into my life and wrecked it. Nothing was the same.” Damian stated trying not to cry. “Please come back and change my life again Angel.”

~~~~~~~

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Marinette asked as she traced circles on Damian’s bicep as they laid down in their bed.

“Agreste and Kent are tolerable.” He said as he turned over to face Marinette, “So yes. I would say I did.” Marinette gave him a soft smile. Damian returned it, but something was...off.

Damian smiled at her, sure, but only small smiles that were quick but enough to make her heart melt. He’d never mirrored her smile and kept it on for so long.

Something...something wasn’t right. Marinette felt a pounding in her skull before she heard a ringing in her ears as she fell back into bliss.

“You alright beloved?” Damian asked worriedly.

“Of course darling.” Marinette said, almost robotically as she drifted off to sleep, cuddling him.

~~~~~~~

“She’s been in there for a day.” Damian said plainly to his father who had walked behind him, “Are you finally going to trust me?” He spat not breaking his eyes from Marinette’s gorgeous face whose smile had diminished slightly. “Are you finally going to tell me what’s going on?”

Bruce cleared his throat. The information could break his son. He knew it would make him a hell of a lot more stubborn.

“It’s called Black Mercy.”

~~~~~~~

The birds chirped outside of Marinette’s window. She groaned as she felt the sunlight wash over her eyes. She turned to Damian’s side of the bed to find an empty space.

“Dames?” She whispered softly. She heard a creak at the door as it slowly opened. She got slightly nervous until she saw it was only Damian in the doorframe.

“Beloved, I brought you breakfast in bed.” He smiled as he placed the tray over Marinette.

“Aww, Dove!” Marinette smiled throwing her arms around him, almost spilling the food. “You’re so sweet, you didn’t have to!” Damian embraced her, “I wanted to do something special for you. Besides, I love cooking.”

Marinette felt the pounding come back again, only stronger than the night before. ‘Damian doesn’t love-‘

“Thank you darling.” She responded as if she was using a script. She took a bite of her food.

~~~~~~~

“Kara was able to be saved by her sister. She told me the machine they built to let another person enter into the mind of the victim of the Black Mercy. If I give you the model of what she sent me do you think you can recreate it Bruce?” Clark asked as he rubbed his temples feeling a migraine at the whole situation. Marinette never deserved this. He still remembered what it was like, pure tranquility and bliss. That wasn’t the part Marinette didn’t deserve.

She didn’t deserve the pain from waking up.

~~~~~~~

“Dove,” Marinette spoke as she sat on the couch next to her husband. Damian looked up at her with bright smiling eyes. Another headache.

“D-dove, do you ever feel like something is w-wrong?” She squeezing her eyes shut at the massive migraine.

“Whatever do you mean Beloved?” Asked Damian placing an arm around her, “Everything is fine. This is our dream life remember?”

She nodded.

A dream.

~~~~~~~

“One of us needs to go in and save her.” Clark said as Bruce placed a small device on Marinette’s head. Jon stood up, “I can-“

“No.” Damian said looking at Marinette’s closed eyes. “I’ll do it.”

Bruce nodded. He shared a look with Clark, they knew that he would’ve volunteered. “Damian, you need to know that whatever happens to you in there happens out here. If you die in there…”

“I don’t care.” Damian growled, “She’s the only person I ever...Just fucking put me in there.” Clark’s eyes widened. Bruce sighed and Jon looked away.

“Ok.”

~~~~~~~

Marinette walked over from the couch as she heard a knock at the door.

“Wait!” Damian called. Marinette looked back to see him twitching slightly. “Don’t answer that.”

“Oh Dove I know you’re paranoid but what’s the worst that could happen?” Marinette chuckled, “Nothing bad or dangerous has ever happened to us. Like you said, it’s our dream life.” Marinette walked over and pressed her hand on the door handle. Suddenly, Damian was right beside her grabbing her wrist. Clawing his nails into her arm.

“Don’t. Open. That.”

“Dove, you’re-you’re hurting me!” Marinette cried.

Then she was thrust backwards into the ground as the door was kicked in. She landed with a soft thud. She groaned in pain.

~~~~~~~

“Her vitals are going crazy!” Clark exclaimed as Marinette jolted.

“Damian what are you doing in there?” Bruce murmured.

~~~~~~~

Standing in the doorway was Damian. Marinette did a double take. Damian was right next to her glaring at the door frame. Two Damians? Her head was spinning.

“W-what’s going on?” She asked wincing slightly at the pain in her arm from where the door had collided with her. The Damian that had been standing in the doorway who had a weird looking device on his forehead.

“Angel you have to listen to me, this isn’t re-“

“Who are you?!” Asked the other Damian as he pressed a hand on the Damian who had just spoken’s neck. He was slowly choking him.

“What are you doing Damian?! Stop!” Marinette pleaded as she ran to her husband’s side. She placed a hand on him to try to get him to stop only to have him push her to the ground with his free hand. Marinette squeaked when her face burned from the impact of the floor.

Then black.

~~~~~~

Damian saw red. This imposter, some man who the Black Mercy concocted for his Angel had just struck her. He had never broken free from a chokehold so quickly. He kneed the fake Damian in the groin and ran over to Marinette.

“Angel, Angel are you alright?!” He asked as he looked over at her. She was barely breathing and her eyes were only starting to flicker open. When they opened fully they were as wide as saucers seeming Damian there.

The fake Damian rushed over to Marinette’s other side.

“Beloved, come to me! I’ll protect you from him!” Said the imposter as he turned Marinette over towards him. Damian stood up from his crouched position. “Angel, don’t listen to him! This isn’t real it’s all made up by a monster called the Black Mercy.”

“Lies!” Fake Damian exclaimed as he shoved Damian to the ground. Damian groaned and tried to get back up only to have the other Damian place his foot one the real Damian’s windpipe. Damian gasped for air, looking at Marinette’s bewildered expression and pained eyes.

“Angel, remember-“ Damian wheezed as he felt his throat being pushed on even more, “Once I was on patrol as R-robin and I b-beat a man bloody.” He said as he tried to take the fake Damian’s foot off of his neck. “And you-you wouldn’t talk to me. I vowed- I told you I would never be that violent again.”

Recognition flashed in Marinette’s eyes until she drew back in pain, her face a blank mask once again. “I don’t know what Robin is.” She stated blankly. The fake Damian smirked as Damian writhed. The deceiver took his shoe off of Damian’s windpipe and walked over to Marinette. He kissed her on the cheek, “Come on beloved, he needs to leave.”

Marinette nodded dutifully as she walked over to Damian giving him her hand. He accepted it and pulled himself up. “Please Angel,” he whispered, “You have to wake up for me.”

The fake Damian was at her side in an instant. “Don’t listen to this crazy man Beloved. Come, let’s escort him out and then I’ll make you lunch.” Damian wrinkled his nose.

“I hate cooking.” Damian said, folding his arms at the same time as Marinette whispered, “Damian hates cooking.” Damian looked down at his Angel. He saw a spark in her bluebell eyes that hadn’t been there when he entered her fantasy from the Black Mercy.

“Remember Angel.”

~~~~~~~

Clark breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Black Mercy recoiling from Marinette.

“We’re not out of the woods yet.” Bruce noted as the Black Mercy clung onto Marinette, seemingly fighting to keep her.

~~~~~~~

“No.” Said the fantasy Damian. Damian glowered at him. “This is Marinette’s choice and does not concern you.”

“You really think she’d give up her dream life with me for someone like you?!” Fake Damian sneered. “I am you.” Damian shot back.

“No, you’re the flawed, imperfect version of me. Marinette wants someone who will smile for her, someone who will cook for her, not someone like you. You’re not even good enough for Batman!”

“W-what? Who’s Batman?” Marinette asked as she felt another pounding in her skull.

“Angel you have to remember,” Damian said looking into her eyes, “I’m a hero, a vigilante. This perfect life will never be ours and I’m sorry. Once-once you told me that protecting others was all you wanted to do, but you can’t help others if you don’t wake up!”

~~~~~~~

“It’s loosening!” Jon cried. Clark breathed, “She’s almost there.” The Black Mercy was hanging onto her by a thread. Bruce took a practically unbreakable glass test tube and got ready for the defeat of the Black Mercy.

~~~~~~~

“Beloved, you can’t actually believe him!” The fake Damian scoffed. Marinette held her head, she wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. She fell down to the ground from shock with the word “remember” still echoing in her head.

“You fight for what is right Marinette,” Damian pleaded as he ran over to her. He picked up her slumped form and cradled it in his arms, “This isn’t right.” Marinette groaned and opened her eyes. Damian’s green one’s stared intently at her as the fake Damian started to disappear. “Remember who you are.” Damian whispered into her ear.

“I- I- I’m Ladybug.”

~~~~~~~

Marinette sat up with a gasp. Damian followed suit shortly after. “W-what happened?” She asked rubbing her head.

“A parasite named Black Mercy latched on to you.” Bruce said twisting the cap of the test tube in place which held the grotesque black creature. “What is the last thing you remember?”

“I- I think-“ Damian sat up from the table he was on. He swiftly removed the device on his head that allowed him to save Marinette. He silently walked out of the room, not even giving Marinette a look of recognition. “I’ll be right back.” Marinette said softly. She sat up wincing from the damage the Black Mercy had done. She limped over to the exit. Damian had left the manor without a trace, but she knew where he went.

“Dami?” Asked Marinette softly as she sat next to him. They were on a beautiful ledge overlooking Gotham’s skyline and the sunset that was cresting over the city. Damian kept his eyes straight forward not acknowledging her. Marinette folded her knees and rocked gently beside him.

“Do you remember what happened?” Damian asked dryly, “In the Black Mercy.” Marinette nodded slowly. Damian turned his head. Marinette’s lip trembled as she saw his eyes were slightly puffy.

“Dove I-“

“Am I the kind of person you want?” He asked folding his arms.

“What?! Damian of course you-“

“In the Black Mercy.” Damian started as he stared into her bluebell eyes. “The Damian you fantasized about, the one you were married to...he wasn’t me.” Marinette gave him a confused cock of her head. Damian sighed, “That Damian smiled, he cooked, he was perfect for you. Maybe we aren’t as good for each other as we thought.” Marinette winced. Did he really believe that?

“O-oh.”

“I don’t think I can ever be the guy you want...the guy you deserve.” Damian said plainly as he focused his gaze back on the sunset.

“You are the guy I want.” Marinette whispered, “Ever since we met each other. Yeah we’ve had our fights, it’s impossible not to. I don’t want a guy who’ll smile at me all the time or even cook for me.” Damian twitched his head, “That was your fantasy, your dream.”

“I don’t know,” Marinette sighed, “When that Black Mercy Damian attacked you...I would never want that.”

“The Black Mercy creates your desires.” Damian stated.

“Do you really think I’d want you hurt?” Marinette choked. Damian avoided the question and stared at the Gotham skyline in silence. “Wow.” Marinette scoffed with a sob. Tears trickled down her cheeks, “Then I guess you are right. If-If you knew me you’d know I’d never want anything bad to happen to you. I-I love you.”

She stood up ready to walk away. She brushed the tears from her eyes. Damian stood up and whispered,

“I love you too.”

~~~~~~~~

Whew sorry it’s so long! I went for something different this time! (Also this won’t be continued).

Taglist (everyone on my Maribat list):

Maribat taglist

@northernbluetongue

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

@luciferge

@legendaryneckjudgestudent

@interobanginyourmom

@beaversuenightly

@worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry

@mochinek0

@shamefullove

@emjrabbitwolf

@actual-disaster-human

@littleredrobinhoodlum

@elijahcoser

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