Chapter 15: The Darkness Within

Sleep didn't come easy.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the glow of my phone casting long shadows across my room. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it. The symbiote. Writhing. Whispering. Beckoning.

"You need us…"

I shot up with a gasp, my shirt sticking to my sweat-soaked skin.

"Get out of my head," I muttered to myself, rubbing my face. I could still feel it, like a phantom itch under my skin.

A knock on my door startled me.

"Peter?" Aunt May's voice was soft, concerned. "Are you okay?"

I swallowed hard. "Y-yeah, May. Just… weird dreams."

She lingered. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

I forced a smile she couldn't see. "Yeah. Thanks, May."

When she walked away, I collapsed back onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. I had to do something before this got worse.

The next day, Midtown High.

I was off my game.

MJ noticed first. "Earth to Peter?" She waved a hand in front of my face as I sat at our lunch table, poking at my fries.

I blinked. "Huh? Sorry, I was… uh, thinking."

"About what?" she asked, tilting her head. "You've been spaced out all day."

I hesitated. "Just… science stuff."

She gave me that MJ knows you're lying look. "You're a terrible liar, Tiger."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's complicated, MJ. But… thanks for worrying."

She smiled softly. "I always do."

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed. A message from Tony.

[STARK:] "Meet me at the tower. Now. We've got a problem."

Great. Just what I needed.

Stark Tower, later that evening…

The lab was in chaos. Tony paced back and forth, holograms of Oscorp facilities flickering around him.

"Okay, so, bad news first," he said, barely looking at me. "The symbiote sample? Gone."

My stomach dropped. "Gone?! What do you mean gone?"

Tony spun toward me. "I mean someone stole it, Parker. Someone inside Oscorp. And surprise, surprise—guess who's topping my suspect list?"

I didn't need to guess. "Osborn."

"Gold star," Tony muttered, rubbing his temples. "We have to track it down before it finds a new host. Or worse, before it finds you."

I swallowed hard. "Yeah, about that… It's been… calling to me."

Tony's eyes darkened. "You didn't touch it, did you?"

"No! No, I swear," I said quickly. "But it's like… it knows me. It wants me."

Tony studied me for a long moment before sighing. "Alright. We'll figure it out. But first, we're hitting another Oscorp facility. Tonight."

I nodded. "I'm in."

Oscorp Bio-Tech Division – 11:47 PM.

Daredevil and I crouched on a rooftop overlooking the facility. He was calm, collected—while I was bouncing my knee, nerves eating me alive.

"You're restless," he noted. "Something's wrong."

I sighed. "Yeah… it's this whole symbiote thing. I feel like it's… watching me."

Daredevil turned his head slightly, listening. "We all fight our demons, Parker. The trick is not letting them in."

I nodded, trying to focus. "Right… no pressure."

We moved in, slipping through the ventilation system. Oscorp's labs were a maze of sterile corridors and security drones, but we made it to the main server room without much trouble.

"Alright, Karen," I whispered. "Do your thing."

"Accessing Oscorp database… scanning for anomalies… hold on."

Daredevil stood by the door, his fists clenched. "Something's coming," he muttered.

Before I could react, alarms blared. Doors slammed shut.

And then, from the shadows, emerged Scorpion.

"Spider-Man," he hissed, his cybernetic tail whipping menacingly. "Boss says you've been a pain in his side for too long."

I groaned. "Man, can't you guys take a night off?"

He lunged. I dodged, flipping over his tail as it crashed into a console, sending sparks flying. Daredevil moved in with a baton strike, but Scorpion was fast—too fast.

The fight raged on, but the whispers inside my head were getting louder.

"Use us… make them pay…"

I clutched my head. "Not now!"

Scorpion took advantage of my hesitation, his tail slamming into my side, sending me crashing through a lab table.

Daredevil rushed to my side. "Parker! Stay with me!"

I coughed, my ribs screaming in protest. The darkness inside me pulsed, and for a moment… I wanted it.

I could feel the power just beneath the surface.

But I pushed it down.

Gritting my teeth, I shot a web at Scorpion's face, yanking him off balance while Daredevil landed a solid blow to his head. We worked together, trading blows, and eventually, we took him down.

I stood over his unconscious form, breathing heavily. The temptation… it was still there.

Daredevil noticed. "You alright?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah… I think so."

Karen chimed in. "Download complete. We have what we need."

"Good," I muttered, staring at Scorpion. "Let's get out of here."

Back at the safehouse…

Tony studied the data we stole, his brow furrowed. "This confirms it. Osborn's planning to release the symbiote… on a city-wide scale."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "We have to stop him."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, and we will. But first…" He pointed at me. "You need to get your head straight, kid. The symbiote's calling you because it knows you're vulnerable. You can't let it in."

I exhaled. "Yeah. Easier said than done."

Daredevil placed a hand on my shoulder. "You're stronger than you think, Parker."

I nodded, trying to believe it.

As I left the tower that night, swinging through the city, the whispers still lingered in my mind.

"We could be so much more…"

I tightened my grip on the webline.

No. Not today.

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