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criticism.
"Please, Mr. Jameson, give me another chance."
"Look, Eddie," Mr. Jameson pointed his cigar at the tall dark haired man standing before him. "I've given you plenty of chances. No other newspaper would have been that generous. Until you can keep up with breaking news, you're finished here. I don't think you've gotten one decent picture of Spider-man yet!"
"It's the kid then, isn't it? That Parker kid, you're giving him my job, aren't you? Don't my years of experience count for anything? No, you'll through out your veterans as soon as some lucky kid walks in here with a couple of photos. You know what Jameson, F*** you, you heartless piece of crap!"
Mr. Jameson had been insulted countless times before. It went with the trade. Normally he would have let it slide and let the piece of scum that was Eddie Brock walk out his office door. He would have probably screamed a few of his own obscenities and told him he'd never work in this town again. But Brock had said something, the one thing that had penetrated his thick skin. He had called him "heartless". Few people knew that this was his Achilles heal. Years in the newspaper business had made him ruthless, and Jameson sometimes feared that maybe he was just a heartless old man who cared for no one. He truly feared that, and he normally feared nothing. So he decided to prove Eddie wrong.
"No one talks to J. Jonah Jameson that way! You should learn some respect. But since I am the bigger man, I'm going to be magnanimous. Get your act together and come back here with some decent, newsworthy photos. But until then I don't want to see your ugly, worthless face around here! Now get out of my sight before I change my mind!" Jameson screamed and slammed his fists on the desk.
Eddie scowled and reluctantly turned toward the door, mumbling a few more curses under his breath. As he exited he passed a slender, blue-eyed young man with a camera around his neck. This had to be the Parker twerp.
Peter felt a faint tingling from his spider-sense. He moved aside from the path of an angry looking man, who he assumed to be responsible for setting off his sixth sense. The man turned to him and grabbed Peter by the collar of his shirt. Peter didn't flinch. He knew he could send this man to his knees if he wanted to. But until the situation got out of hand, he'd just have to remain calm and not give his secret away.
"Stay out of my way kid. I don't want to have to teach you a lesson." Eddie threatened.
By this time, the rest of the newsroom noticed the commotion Eddie had started. Robbie and a few others ran over and pulled Eddie from Peter. "Leave him alone, Eddie." Robbie said.
"I'm watching you, Parker." Eddie replied as a few reporters held him back.
"O.k." It sounded lame, but it was all Peter could think to say in response.
Robbie put a hand on Peter's shoulder, "I'm sorry about that. Eddie's been in a bit of a rut lately, and well, he tends to take out his frustrations on everyone around him." Robbie laughed uneasily. "I wouldn't worry too much about what he said, he didn't mean it. I hope you understand?"
"Yeah, its no problem. No blood, no foul, isn't that what they say in basketball? Anyways, I was wondering if I could talk to Mr. Jameson."
"You can try." Robbie motioned Peter towards the door. "Though I'm not making any guarantees, he's in one of his moods."
"I don't think I've ever talked to Mr. Jameson when he wasn't in one of his moods." Peter and Robbie both laughed. As Peter entered Jameson's office, Robbie went to look for Brock.
"Mr. Jameson," Peter said uneasily, as he stuck his entered.
Jameson looked up from his desk. "What is it, Parker?"
"I wanted to talk to you about my position here. I want a job. I have con…"
Mr. Jameson interrupted. "We've been over this before. Freelance is the way to go! Nothing better for someone like you and eventually you can work your way up. When I was your age I had…"
This time Peter interrupted. Jameson was surprised by his courage. The kid had a quiet unassuming nature about him but this wasn't the first time he dared to question him. He had a habit of standing up for Spider-man too. No one interrupted J. Jonah Jameson, and while he hated Parker for his spunk, he also respected his audacity.
"Look, I've had five of my pictures on the front page in a row. No other photographer in the city has done that. And I consistently bring you good work. I really need this. I'm trying to work my way through school and take care of my Aunt. I wouldn't ask for it if I didn't need it, but I would like the security that comes with a steady job." And, Peter thought to himself, he'd like to move into his own apartment. Not only would it make being Spider-man easier, he wouldn't feel so guilty about living with Harry. Harry wanted Peter dead, though he didn't know it was actually Peter he was after. But Harry would occasionally bring up how much he wanted tear Spider-man from limb to limb. It wasn't exactly what Peter liked to hear over dinner.
"I've told you before. No." Jameson was about to send Parker out of his office but an idea came to him. Jameson disliked Parker but he disliked Brock even more. The best way to get back at Brock might be to give Peter his job.
"Well, maybe I've been to hasty." Peter was shocked by Jameson's change in demeanor. He had expected to be turned down. "It just so happens we've had a position open up. Now this offer is only good as long as your pictures continue to be good. And you have to be available whenever I need you. But I guess you can have a job. Now get out of here and stop wasting my time."
Peter knew when not to press his luck and he practically ran out the door. He was beaming with delight. To think, he was now officially working for the Daily Bugle.
***
"Eddie, I'm really sorry." Robbie tried to comfort Brock. Robbie knew that he wasn't a bad guy and that he had just had some rotten luck. He wanted to help him out.
"Not as sorry as Jameson's gonna be."
"I've got an idea. I don't know how Peter gets those photos," Robbie began. Eddie scowled as he spoke Peter's name. "Well," Robbie continued, "I think that he's up to something. There's no way that he just happened to be in the right place at the right time for every photo. He must have a way of tailing Spider-man."
Brock grunted, "So? I don't really want to hear about how great Parker is so if you don't mind, I'm leaving."
"Wait. I was just thinking maybe you could follow him, see how he does it. If we had two photographers that could capture pictures of Spider- man, well then no other newspaper in the country could compete with us. And I'm sure Jameson would take you back." As Robbie saw the expression on Brock's face he wondered if he had done the right thing. He wanted Peter and Eddie to work together, but he couldn't help feeling that might not be possible.
"You know, I think your right. And look, here comes Parker right now." Eddie followed Peter to the elevator, but was too far behind to catch the elevator Peter was in. So he waited for the next one. "I'm onto you Parker," he mumbled as he waited.
"Please, Mr. Jameson, give me another chance."
"Look, Eddie," Mr. Jameson pointed his cigar at the tall dark haired man standing before him. "I've given you plenty of chances. No other newspaper would have been that generous. Until you can keep up with breaking news, you're finished here. I don't think you've gotten one decent picture of Spider-man yet!"
"It's the kid then, isn't it? That Parker kid, you're giving him my job, aren't you? Don't my years of experience count for anything? No, you'll through out your veterans as soon as some lucky kid walks in here with a couple of photos. You know what Jameson, F*** you, you heartless piece of crap!"
Mr. Jameson had been insulted countless times before. It went with the trade. Normally he would have let it slide and let the piece of scum that was Eddie Brock walk out his office door. He would have probably screamed a few of his own obscenities and told him he'd never work in this town again. But Brock had said something, the one thing that had penetrated his thick skin. He had called him "heartless". Few people knew that this was his Achilles heal. Years in the newspaper business had made him ruthless, and Jameson sometimes feared that maybe he was just a heartless old man who cared for no one. He truly feared that, and he normally feared nothing. So he decided to prove Eddie wrong.
"No one talks to J. Jonah Jameson that way! You should learn some respect. But since I am the bigger man, I'm going to be magnanimous. Get your act together and come back here with some decent, newsworthy photos. But until then I don't want to see your ugly, worthless face around here! Now get out of my sight before I change my mind!" Jameson screamed and slammed his fists on the desk.
Eddie scowled and reluctantly turned toward the door, mumbling a few more curses under his breath. As he exited he passed a slender, blue-eyed young man with a camera around his neck. This had to be the Parker twerp.
Peter felt a faint tingling from his spider-sense. He moved aside from the path of an angry looking man, who he assumed to be responsible for setting off his sixth sense. The man turned to him and grabbed Peter by the collar of his shirt. Peter didn't flinch. He knew he could send this man to his knees if he wanted to. But until the situation got out of hand, he'd just have to remain calm and not give his secret away.
"Stay out of my way kid. I don't want to have to teach you a lesson." Eddie threatened.
By this time, the rest of the newsroom noticed the commotion Eddie had started. Robbie and a few others ran over and pulled Eddie from Peter. "Leave him alone, Eddie." Robbie said.
"I'm watching you, Parker." Eddie replied as a few reporters held him back.
"O.k." It sounded lame, but it was all Peter could think to say in response.
Robbie put a hand on Peter's shoulder, "I'm sorry about that. Eddie's been in a bit of a rut lately, and well, he tends to take out his frustrations on everyone around him." Robbie laughed uneasily. "I wouldn't worry too much about what he said, he didn't mean it. I hope you understand?"
"Yeah, its no problem. No blood, no foul, isn't that what they say in basketball? Anyways, I was wondering if I could talk to Mr. Jameson."
"You can try." Robbie motioned Peter towards the door. "Though I'm not making any guarantees, he's in one of his moods."
"I don't think I've ever talked to Mr. Jameson when he wasn't in one of his moods." Peter and Robbie both laughed. As Peter entered Jameson's office, Robbie went to look for Brock.
"Mr. Jameson," Peter said uneasily, as he stuck his entered.
Jameson looked up from his desk. "What is it, Parker?"
"I wanted to talk to you about my position here. I want a job. I have con…"
Mr. Jameson interrupted. "We've been over this before. Freelance is the way to go! Nothing better for someone like you and eventually you can work your way up. When I was your age I had…"
This time Peter interrupted. Jameson was surprised by his courage. The kid had a quiet unassuming nature about him but this wasn't the first time he dared to question him. He had a habit of standing up for Spider-man too. No one interrupted J. Jonah Jameson, and while he hated Parker for his spunk, he also respected his audacity.
"Look, I've had five of my pictures on the front page in a row. No other photographer in the city has done that. And I consistently bring you good work. I really need this. I'm trying to work my way through school and take care of my Aunt. I wouldn't ask for it if I didn't need it, but I would like the security that comes with a steady job." And, Peter thought to himself, he'd like to move into his own apartment. Not only would it make being Spider-man easier, he wouldn't feel so guilty about living with Harry. Harry wanted Peter dead, though he didn't know it was actually Peter he was after. But Harry would occasionally bring up how much he wanted tear Spider-man from limb to limb. It wasn't exactly what Peter liked to hear over dinner.
"I've told you before. No." Jameson was about to send Parker out of his office but an idea came to him. Jameson disliked Parker but he disliked Brock even more. The best way to get back at Brock might be to give Peter his job.
"Well, maybe I've been to hasty." Peter was shocked by Jameson's change in demeanor. He had expected to be turned down. "It just so happens we've had a position open up. Now this offer is only good as long as your pictures continue to be good. And you have to be available whenever I need you. But I guess you can have a job. Now get out of here and stop wasting my time."
Peter knew when not to press his luck and he practically ran out the door. He was beaming with delight. To think, he was now officially working for the Daily Bugle.
***
"Eddie, I'm really sorry." Robbie tried to comfort Brock. Robbie knew that he wasn't a bad guy and that he had just had some rotten luck. He wanted to help him out.
"Not as sorry as Jameson's gonna be."
"I've got an idea. I don't know how Peter gets those photos," Robbie began. Eddie scowled as he spoke Peter's name. "Well," Robbie continued, "I think that he's up to something. There's no way that he just happened to be in the right place at the right time for every photo. He must have a way of tailing Spider-man."
Brock grunted, "So? I don't really want to hear about how great Parker is so if you don't mind, I'm leaving."
"Wait. I was just thinking maybe you could follow him, see how he does it. If we had two photographers that could capture pictures of Spider- man, well then no other newspaper in the country could compete with us. And I'm sure Jameson would take you back." As Robbie saw the expression on Brock's face he wondered if he had done the right thing. He wanted Peter and Eddie to work together, but he couldn't help feeling that might not be possible.
"You know, I think your right. And look, here comes Parker right now." Eddie followed Peter to the elevator, but was too far behind to catch the elevator Peter was in. So he waited for the next one. "I'm onto you Parker," he mumbled as he waited.