"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people."

-Carl Jung

Chapter 4: When the Darkness Overtakes the Light

Peter B. Parker hadn't swung that hard and fast since his early days as Spider-Man, when he first discovered the joy of feeling like he was flying over the city streets, not since the Goblin had taken his Gwen… the current feeling, though, was closer to the latter than the former.

He managed to make it to the apartment and opened the window to find Rio Morales in the kitchen.

"Peter? What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Rio asked in concern as he pulled off his mask.

"Is Miles here? Is he ok?" Peter asked breathlessly.

"No, he and Gwen went out last night. I just assumed they got busy with some Spider business either late or early this morning," Rio replied. "I try not to worry. It helps when I know they're out together."

"This might be one of the times to worry…" Peter breathed as he pulled up his wrist band. "Hey, Gwen!"

"Peter? What's up?" Came Gwen's sleepy reply through the com.

"Hey, um, don't reply too loudly, but is Miles with you? Is he acting… normal?" Peter asked, feeling his heart clinch as he waited for the reply.

"I haven't seen him since after the mission yesterday. He was kind of a jerk, so I was giving him time to cool off," Gwen replied. "What's wrong? Is he ok?"

"Uh, meet me at the Society, I'll explain. If… if I'm not back by six, call MJ. Ask about the Black Suit. Ok?" Peter instructed.

"Peter what's going on? What's wrong with Miles?" Gwen asked, panic starting to fill her voice.

"Just… trust me ok. It'll all be alright. If I'm not back, talk to MJ," Peter replied and cut the com.

"I don't understand…" Rio shook her head in confusion.

"What was the last thing Miles said to you, word for word?" Peter asked, looking her dead in the eye.

Rio felt a cold chill run up her spine at the amount of fear radiating through Peter's eyes. "He… I assumed he was with Gwen… but who could it … he said… he said they were going swinging…" she gulped loudly. "He said 'we are going swinging'…"

"Oh, God… Oh God oh God…" Peter stepped back and ran his hand through his hear, "It's moving faster than it did before… Oh, oh, God…"

"What's wrong with my boy?" Rio asked, tears springing to her eyes at his reaction.

"I promise, I'm going to bring him back." Peter placed his hands on her shoulders, "But if he comes back without me, do not be alone with him. Do not trust him. It's too hard to explain, but just… just be very careful. If you see him or hear from him, call the Society," he said, pulling an extra band from his belt he brought for just this. "If you press this button, it'll automatically send a SOS to the society. Do not let him see you do this. Do not let him suspect anything. Try to act normal, but do not under any circumstances take your eyes off him or turn your back."

"Peter, you're scaring me…" Rio whimpered.

"That makes two of us…" Peter nodded, "But… something's got him. He may not be in full control of himself. He may not have any control at all at this point. But I promise I will do everything I can for him. I've gone through this before. I'll bring him back, and everything will be fine. I promise."

Peter nodded to her and leapt back out the window. If the suit was in control, it would want to be places where the host was comfortable, so it would be easier to sink its tendrils into his mind. He tried to think back to where that could be. First, he thought of the time he and Miguel watched Gwen disobey orders and visit him. He went to the clock tower and searched every nook and cranny, but no sign of him. "Miles Morales, where the hell are… oh, Peter Parker, you are an idiot…" he said, back flipping off the tower, and swung toward the redlight district of the Bronx.

Peter slowly peeked into the window and there he was. Black pants, black tank top with a white Spider on the front, black sneakers, and a pair of black boxing gloves as he went to town on his late uncle's punching bag. Maybe… maybe he could still get through, he had to try. He saw two options. One: talk Miles down and get him to fight the suit off, and the other… MJ would be so mad, but he would do it. He owed it to Miles and Gwen. And he knew they'd help take care of Mayday. He slowly slid into the apartment, and Miles glanced to him but didn't stop punching. "Hey, Miles, what's going on, man?"

"Same old, same old, Pete," Miles replied, punching just a little harder, "Just got a lot on my mind."

"I bet you do…" Peter breathed, sliding his mask off. "You kind of went off the radar, man; anything I can do for you?"

"You've done enough, Pete," Miles said, throwing an especially hard punch. "We've got this…"

"Define 'we'…" Peter asked, "'Cause if you mean you and Gwen, I gotta say I'm getting on Pav's bandwagon with you two. There's nothing you two can't do together. You wouldn't need anything else, Miles."

"Don't need her, don't need you, definitely don't need the Spider-Society." Miles stopped punching, "But, they could come in handy in the future."

"Miles, you're stronger than this, don't give into it…" Peter took a step toward him, "It's lying to you. It only wants to use you."

"Treats me better than you guys ever did," Miles smirked darkly. "Wasn't supposed to be Spider-Man, right? Maybe you, Gwen and Miguel and the others were all right. Maybe I'm not meant to be Spider-Man, maybe we're meant to be something else. Something greater."

"Miles, c'mon, you know Miguel was wrong; you know we were wrong," Peter said, trying to hold the desperation from his voice.

"You know, I've been seeing your wife for months, talking, talking, talking," Miles said, grabbing the swinging punching bag as his clothing began to transform, spreading across his body. "But the weight… it's too heavy, man… even before I got bit by the spider, before I met any of you. The anxiety, the fear, everything being pushed down on my shoulders. Then I was stupid enough to add Spider-Man to the mess. It's just been… it's been so heavy, man. So very heavy…"

He turned toward Peter as the flesh-like Spider suit covered his entire body but his face. "I thought MJ could help me… I thought you and the others could… I thought Gwen could… but nothing helped, Pete… nothing… I couldn't even do it with my girl, man… I was so weak… and it was all so heavy. But now… I have … peace," he said as the mask closed in on his face, and two white jagged eyes opened.

"OK, Plan B…" Peter said, holding out his hand, "Come back to me…" the white eyes blinked in confusion for a moment. "We had it good, V, up until MJ recruited the villains to get you off me. We could have that again. You and me. Get the band back together! What do you say? Let the boy go…"

"I'm stronger and younger than you, Pete; he's happier with me." Miles shook his head. "We're a better team than you'll ever be."

"No, let him go. He's got too much going for him. I've got experience and power, and you know I know how to avoid losing you again," Peter held out both hands. "Come back to me…" he pleaded and wasn't sure which of the two he was pleading to.

Miles glanced around for a moment, "Did you really come by yourself, Parker?" a sick amusement made Miles' voice sound like a complete stranger to Peter, "Does anyone know where you are?"

"Oh shit…" He said as Miles rushed him, and his fist collided with Peter's jaw without even a tingle of his spider sense.

"What's the matter, Parker?" Miles hissed, "Didn't see that one coming?" He said, as he brought his knee up into his chest with a rising kick.

Peter bounced against the brick wall of the room and his vision began to blur. "Miles, don't do this…" He managed to glance up just as he was flying toward him.

"Gwen, give it a rest," Jessica sighed as she reclined in her seat in the Council room. "Or not, that's fine. The room needs a groove in the floor."

It was thirty minutes after six and still no sign of Peter. And no one was able to reach him or Miles. Didn't even get a read on their bands.

"I'm sure they're a logical explanation for this," Margo said as she stood by Peni.

"Yeah, Mary Jane will be here soon, she'll know what he was talking about." Peni replied.

"About what who's talking about?" Mary Jane Parker walked into the room.

"Mary Jane!" Gwen turned to her quickly, "Miles is in trouble, and I think Peter is, too."

"Peter is almost always in trouble, and I'm kinda seeing that in Miles as well," Mary Jane smile comfortingly, "What's going on."

"Peter mentioned something about a black suit." Gwen stated, and she just barely had a spider sense hit before Mary Jane's eyes rolled in her head and she collapsed forward into her arms in a dead faint.

"What the hell is going on?" Gwen asked, glancing to the others as she held the unconscious redhead. "Miles… please be ok…"

Rio Morales sat on her couch, flipping between all the news stations for any news on Spider-Man or her son. She had called Jeff and told him something was going on and he had stayed out patrolling. The fact he already sounded worried about Miles didn't help her nerves any at all.

Her eyes widened when she heard her refrigerator door open. She slowly turned to see Miles leaning into the fridge. "Mijo… are… are you ok?"

"Never better, Mom," he said, taking out the chocolate syrup. She watched as he threw his head back and squirted it into his mouth.

"Are you sure, honey?" Rio said, her eyes going to the band on the island between her and her son.

"Things are finally looking up," Miles said and she as carefully as she could moved toward the island.

"What are you doing with my chocolate, Mijo?" she asked, finally reaching the band and carefully sliding it behind her back.

"Just a crazy craving, ya know?" Miles smiled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "Chocolate…"

"Ok… if that's what you want," she said, noticing that he was carrying himself differently. "Can I fix you anything else to eat?"

"Nah, that's all I wanted. I think I'll get some rest," Miles gave her an odd smile. "It's been a busy day."

"Miles, did Peter find you? He was looking for you," Rio asked carefully.

"Pete? Nah, we must have missed each other," Miles smiled, walking up and giving her a hug, and to Rio's credit, she didn't stiffen up. "I'll call him in the morning. Good night, mom."

"Mijo…" she said, looking over his all-black attire, particularly his shoes. "Did… did you tie your shoes?"

"Hm, first time for everything, huh?" He smiled before he walked into his room and closed the door behind him.

"That… is not my son." Rio said, taking the band and hit the SOS button.

To Be Continued…