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Marinette barrel rolled to the side, avoiding an incoming attack.
Using the smoke as a screen, Marinette escaped to the vents, using the system to get back to any of the Titan’s rooms, but more specifically, Robin’s.
It felt like any other day, the team each doing what they wanted to do until they were called for duty.
Marinette, aka Red Beetle, was busy working on a few designs when she heard crashing and cries coming from the common room.
Running to the scene, her heart dropped.
The intruder disarmed Victor within seconds, sedated Garfield with a single injection, trapped Raven into a cursed relic and knocked out Kor’i all by himself.
They were attacked, invaded and not a single alarm went off.
Her team was down and she was the only one left.
She tried to transform into Red Beetle, but the assailant didn’t dare let her, ambushing her with attack after attack.
She barely managed to dodge each one, only then remembering something Robin had told her a few months after she joined the team.
Marinette quickly dropped into Robin’s room, making sure to drop down a foot from the spot under the vent.
She made a beeline for Robin’s closet, making sure to use the fingerprints already there to get into the utility sector of the closet.
She rummaged through the utility belts until she found one that was off a shade of yellow.
Just before she could celebrate, the room opened up, causing Marinette to stiffen.
Diving for the bed, she began to look for the thing she needed.
She held her breath as she continued to empty our pocket after pocket, hearing her heartbeat in her ear as she heard the footsteps grow closer.
“I know you’re in here...Beetle.” The synthesized voice said, causing Marinette’s voice to freeze.
She had to find this, she just had to!
“Listen Beetle. If anything happens to us and is out of our control, I need you to find this in my closet and set it off.” Robin told her, Marinette simply smiling at him. “Beetle?”
“I’m paying attention!” Beetle squeaked, Robin chuckling from his partner’s antics.
“I know you’re happy about finally being together, but remember, no one can know we know each other outside of the mask. And yes, that includes them knowing we’re dating outside the mask.”
“So, about this device?”
Robin showed her device and explained how it’s a direct distress signal that immediately tells Bats that something has gone wrong.
“Please, remember this, okay?”
To think it was going to be her to be the one to do this.
But she had to...even if it was a trap.
He let her go on purpose…
After all...she was the easiest to tear apart, still lacking experience.
You’re too soft .
But that’s also what made her strong.
Just when she thought he had given up on looking for her, Marinette let out a high pitched shrill when she was dragged out of her hiding spot, clawing at the floor.
“Well, well, well. You only made it this far despite my generosity?” The person before her said, Marinette hating the way his voice sounded.
Where was the boy she loved?
“Robin, I-I know...I know you’re in there.” Marinette hated how her voice cracked, how it showed the fear inside of her. “Come back to us, please.”
“Come back?” The synthesized voice said, Robin taking off the half black, half burnt sienna mask from his face.
His cold, blue eyes pierced through her, picking out all her flaws. He crouched to her level snatching the utility belt from her hands before tasing her.
She let out a pathetic scream, Robin watching her writhe in pain. “I joined Slade of my own free will.”
“He threatened you! He had to have!” Marinette yelled, once she managed to push down the pain. “There is no way-“
“Marinette.” Robin said with a sigh, turning the belt to a certain pocket, taking out a small device the size of a USB.
The same device he once told her to use in case something went terribly wrong within the Tower. “Sometimes we must resort to these types of things if it means keeping those we love safe.”
Marinette watched as Robin dropped the device to the floor and stomped on it, breaking the SOS signal to pieces.
“Richard, please, don’t do this .” Marinette pleaded, tears welling into her eyes.
Marinette watched as Robin crouched once more, cupping her face. He gave her a smile, just like the ones he would give her after a mission well done.
But this one was different.
This time, it no longer held warmth, but malice.
“ Thank you. For everything .”
As he drew back, Marinette’s eyes grew wide as she saw her earrings held between his gloved fingers.
“Richard! Give them back! You know the dangers of a miraculous going into the wrong hands! Richard! Give them back!”
Darn the body still being under the effects of being tased.
Marinette watched as Dick simply smiled at her, placing his mask back on and placing the earrings into his now silver belt.
“Dick!” She yelled. “Dick!” She screamed.
Marinette watched as he never turned back no matter how many times she yelled out his name.
When the door to his old room closed, it finally sunk in.
He wasn’t coming back. He renounced his title as a Titan, as leader...as her beloved.
Marinette let out a scream that rang throughout the Tower, echoing through the empty halls she no longer had any right to walk through after today.
She had failed to save them, she had failed Dick.
She was no hero…
She was a failure.