My mom always says when I'm sick, "Do what helps you relax, do not strain yourself". Does writing counting as a method of relaxation? I hope so, since this the only thing I can think of to do! Another chapter of 'Under the Mask'! I know I just updated, but since I already have a quite decent amount of work written for this one, might as well put them up right? So here's a new chapter, hope everyone enjoys! Wow, I can't believe this off to a good start but I know that I would be nothing without my dear readers and supporters! You all keep me going, so thank you everyone again and please enjoy! :) Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush! I just love them and writing stories about them, particularly AUs! I also don't own Spider-Man or any of other Spider-Man related characters! All I own is the plot of the story!
"Knight, why the hell are you late?!"
Said blond suppressed a flinch as John Johan Jameson yelled at the top of his lungs, all the other employees at the Daily Bugle eyeing the poor boy sympathetically.
It always sucked to be at the end of bushy-mustached man's screams and hollars.
Kendall cleared his throat and tried not to breathe; the stench of cigar smoke was heavy around Jameson, something that annoyed Kendall to no end. The man knew he suffered from asthma yet still had the gall to keep up his nasty habit around the other workers. If it wasn't for the fact that he needed this free-lance photographer job to help James pay the bills, Kendall would have walked out two years ago.
But he needed the money, any amount he could get from the Bugle.
'Which means I just have to keep the smartass comments in, no matter HOW much I want to say them.' He thought with a sigh, trying his best to muster up a smile.
"Sorry sir, I got detention and-" He began, only for the man to cut him off.
"Whatever, you have those pictures I asked for?" Kendall fought back the urge to roll his eyes as he rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a manila envelope and handing it to his uptight (annoying prick) and loud boss.
"Here sir, just as you asked for." Jameson snatched the envelope from the boy's hand and sat back down, scattering them around on his desk. Kendall didn't know if he should take the chair in front, so he settled to remain standing.
"Hmm, these pictures are crappy...yet they're not as crappy as they use to be. Two hundred for all of them."
'You selfish asshole! Seriously, two hundred for TEN pictures?! I had to web the camera up on the Empire State Building just to get a majority of them at a good angle!' Kendall thought with a mental scowl.
He always got lame assignments from Jameson, the man didn't treat him right as Kendall Knight or Spider-Man. He used the pictures he took to paint his other identity as a criminal, a public menace! One time during an attack from the Green Goblin, Jameson had printed in his paper that Spider-Man and him were working together! He had claimed that Spider-Man was just playing the hero only to give his "buddy" some time to strike and endanger over a thousand innocent civilians!
The guy obviously didn't have much of a social life; he probably spent his time away from his wife just cooking up other ridiculous Spider-Man related conspiracy theories.
Sometimes Kendall wished he could show Jameson that Spider-Man was everything but a bad guy, but that would mean exposing his secret...
"Thanks sir, I appreciate it." Kendall said, giving the ridiculous man his most sweetest smile. Jameson eyed the blond with a thick brow, one hand running through his salt-and-pepper hair.
"Hmm..."
"Something wrong, sir?"
"Still trying to figure out how you get these pictures, Knight. This Web-Head doesn't pose for pictures for anyone else but you." Jameson retorted, deep blue eyes narrowing. Kendall merely shrugged though, not at all worried. Jameson has asked this question before; the man has tried to get the blond to fess up his connection to Spider-Man, but Kendall Knight wasn't one to give himself away so easily.
"I guess I just have lucky timing catching him on film, or maybe he likes me in general."
"Please, that vigilante is nothing but a freak in a mask. Him trying to pose as some hero, humph it's only a matter of time before I expose him as the criminal that he is." Jameson hissed, propping his feet up and taking another swig from his cigar. Kendall fought the urge to wrinkle up his nose.
'Yeah, like that's ever going to happen.'
"Well, you keep these pictures up! Look at these, ha doing the police's work! It's their job to clean up the trash of this city, they work LEGALLY!But one day, one day he's going to mess up. And when he does, Knight you better be there to catch him in the act! I know he's responsible for that creep Venom that attacked a while back, those two have something I know it!" Kendall felt his chest tighten at this.
He hated being reminded of Venom. Every time he thought about the Symbiote, an image of a deranged, evil version of himself slapping James across the face would enter his mind. He could remember how he looked under the parasite's control: eyes dark, almost hallow-looking with a uncharacteristically cold grin on his lips and a look of pure hunger on 24/7.
He had lashed out as Spider-Man, wanting to...kill Sandman. He had discovered a side of himself he didn't know even existed, and because of that power came a darkness that he never wanted to associate with again.
James on the floor, usually happy hazel-green eyes wide in horror and filling with tears, a hand to the bright red, burning mark now his soft skin.
"K-Kendy...? W-what's happening to you?"
Kendall winced, the tone of James' voice that night so...broken and confused. The blond's hands tightened into fists, he so lost in thought that it took Jameson shouting again to get out of the haunting memory.
"KNIGHT!"
"Huh, yes sir?"
"Quit day-dreaming and get me some more pictures! Get out or I'll fire you!"
"Yes sir." Kendall shoved the now empty envelope back into his backpack along with his camera before heading for the door, Jameson calling at his back at the last minute though.
"Knight!"
"Yes sir?" Kendall hoped this meeting was over now; the image of Venom was driving him up a wall inside.
"I'm close to finding out the identity of Spider-Man." At this Kendall froze, panic now flooding him.
"A-and who do you think it is, sir?"
"I'm not sure yet, but this Diamond boy I heard was involved with Venom. I think he knows something, so for another assignment try to find out who he is and catch him having contact with the Web-Head too. I think they're in cahoots."
'Like I'd let you exploit James for your own personal benefit...!' Kendall tried to keep his personal/hero life separate from his life at the Bugle. Everyone knew he was a good kid, not shady or an ex-juvenile delinquent but even with two years working under Jameson not much about Kendall's life outside work was in the clear. All he told people was that he was seventeen, his birthday was in November, he went to Midtown High School and lived with a friend. That friend's name, however, was confidential for obvious reasons.
Jameson was one of the people James' identity had to be kept a secret from. Thankfully all he knew was his last name, not his first name or how he looked like. And since Jameson rarely sent reporters out to dig up more info on possible hot-off-the-press news, the chances of anyone approaching James about Venom were low. It was a small reassurance, but it was better than nothing.
Still, it was creepy how spot-on Jameson was.
"Got it sir, see you tomorrow." Kendall nearly bolted out of the room, nearly running over...
"Hey Knight."
'Ugh, Jett.' Kendall kept his cool composure as he was now face-to-face with his rival Jett Stetson, a blond the same age who also went to Midtown High with him and James. He started working at the Bugle about four months ago, and since then has tried to out-best Kendall in everything Spider-Man related. He has made it his mission to uncover the hero's identity, humiliate the other blond in front of their co-workers and get on Jameson's good side once and for all.
It was bad enough Kendall had to deal with Jett at school, but at work was just pushing it.
"Hey Jett." Kendall said as politely as he could, trying to get around him. Jett blocked his way though, a smug smile on.
"Got Jameson more pictures of Spider-Man, right? Man you two must be good buddies or something, since when I tried taking pictures of him...he declined saying he liked you better."
At this Kendall shrugged, not wanting to give Jett the joy of hounding him. "Like I said before, maybe I just appeal to him more. Look I gotta go, James is probably off work now." He said, tone clearly wanting to end the conversation. Jett wasn't about to give in, though. He pulled off another smile; this one more mocking though, showing off his bright white teeth.
"Yeah, yeah James does work at Oscorp Tower doesn't he? Hey Knight, think you can set him up with me on a date? Maybe working for that nut job Conners got him to smarten up finally; if he really was involved in the whole Venom-freak mess, then I smell a front page bomb ready to go off." At this Kendall shot the other blond a harsh glare.
"You stop involving James in your 'attacks' against me, Jett. If you want to pick a fight, then be a man and do it yourself instead of trying to drag someone else into this. Besides, no one knows if that rumor is true or not; no pictures or reports named him to it, so drop it."
"Why should I, don't want your boyfriend in the limelight?"
"Any 'limelight' that has you tied to it isn't good, Jett. So like I said, drop it." Jett shrugged his shoulders, a devious gleam to his dark golden-brown eyes.
"Whatever you say Knight, but get this: I'm going to be the one who unmasks Spider-Man for Jameson. Watch me get an actual position here over you, ha then you'll really have something to groan about." With that Jett gave him a wink and turned on his heel, walking away from a secretly seething Kendall.
'I really hate that guy.'
-Page Break-
"Hey, how was work?" James asked as got his stuff together, taking off his lab coat and packing away his schoolbooks.
When he was off the clock for break, he usually did his homework so not to get behind in his classes. Dr. Conners didn't mind that, since he knew James was a student with other obligations, and sometimes the man would help him out with his science homework.
Interning for a scientist sure had its perks.
Kendall rolled his eyes, still rather annoyed from his confrontation with Jett. "Good, except Stetson gave me Hell as I was trying to leave."
"Oh God, what did he do now?" The brunet asked, sounding annoyed now too, taking the chance to wave goodbye to Dr. Conners before the two headed for the first floor lobby. James led the way into the elevator, pressing the button for the lobby as Kendall prepared himself to explain what happened.
"He's trying to connect you to Venom. He hasn't said anything to Jameson, so that's good, but I'm seriously worried now, Jamie. Jett knows you, how you look like, your full name, everything! The only thing stopping him from saying anything is that he doesn't have proof."
"And he won't ever, Kendall. I promise he won't; nobody even got a clear look at my face that night, I was too bound up in Venom web to be identified. Plus, Jameson doesn't know I exist. He just has my last name; if he looked it up, all he would get is my mom's cosmetics company and she doesn't post personal information on there. Jett isn't the type to do something unless he has everything in a row, and I wouldn't tell him anything."
"Diamond isn't a very common last name, James." Kendall rebutted.
"I know, but still..." James insisted, the two now in the lobby and heading out the large, glass doors into the clear, cloudless evening.
"I'll just have to keep an eye on him."
"You really think he'd try that? Jameson maybe crazy, but he isn't stupid. He'd want hard proof; the last thing he'd want is to be seen as a fool for trying to expose Spider-Man and end up at a dead end."
"I know, I know. I guess I'm just really edgy lately; Venom's been out of our lives for like what, five or six months? He's still out there, James, and he knows us. That thing is smart; it was able to turn me against you, and...Spider-Man almost became a criminal. I wanted to KILL Sandman, I didn't..."
"Kendall..." James stopped walking and made the shorter boy face him, expression extremely worried now.
"Kendall, you sound as if you've been having nightmares about it again..."
"I haven't but it's been a while since some big bad guy's uprising. It unnerves me; I don't mind small crime waves, but I get this feeling that Venom isn't gone for good. Doc Oct yeah, Green Goblin too and Sandman...he gave it up, but Venom I don't think so. And I feel like I failed, because a big time baddie got away. He got away, and I have no idea where to go look next."
"I told you, leave that to me. You focus on keeping the city safe, Kendy. Stressing yourself like this isn't good, I've already told you that we'll find it and end it once and for all."
"And I've already told YOU that the only reason I want to find it and get rid of it was because of what it did to you, what it made me do to you. James, I've never hurt you before; I hardly ever yell at you, much less put a hand on you! I let that thing get to me, let it control me and hurt one of the most important people of my life..."
James couldn't fight the urge anymore and pulled Kendall into a big, warm hug. The blond was a little stunned at the sudden action but soon buried his face into the taller boy's right shoulder, taking in a shaky breath.
"You think I'm scared for myself? No, no Kendall...I'm scared for YOU."
"What do you mean?" Kendall asked, not pulling away but voice laced with confusion.
"I'm scared that you'll continue to beat yourself up over that, even when we do find Venom. Like I told you earlier, we're in this together. The past is in the past, I know you. I know how you are, and you're not what Venom tried to turn you into. You're my best friend, I've known you since like preschool, and not once have you done anything to me. I-I was stupid to push you to take that suit off when you were so unstable. It made you do things you would never do and I'm sorry I took such a long time to finally notice it but please, please stop. This isn't the first time my life has been in danger. Remember Green Goblin, wrecking havoc during the parade? Doc Oct, completely transformed into a monster and Sandman, all of them have nearly ended our lives. Venom tried to get to me, but it didn't. It couldn't get to me and sure it drained me a lot, it drained me so much of adrenaline and left me very weak but I survived. Now that thing needs a host to survive; it will make an appearance eventually, but when it does we'll take it down. We'll take it down once and for all, and you can finally let go of what happened. I don't hold anything against you, because it wasn't my Kendall hurting me. It was that thing, not you."
Kendall pulled away slightly and smiled at James. "I'm your Kendall?"
A slight blush crossed James' cheeks yet he smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, you are. You're my best friend, plus who else can keep Spider-Man sane?"
"Ha, no one that's for sure."
"So relax, everything will be okay." The two looked away from each other at the sound of sirens going off, before a hoard of police cars came speeding by chasing a couple robbers with guns at the ready. People started screaming and running, Kendall's expression hardening at the sight.
"Looks like there's my ride home." He said sarcastically, though he had his hands clutching the top buttons of his plaid shirt already.
"Be careful." James whispered before he pulled away, Kendall shooting him a smile before ducking into the nearest alley. Everyone around them were too flipped out of their minds to notice the blond and brunet not running away terrified, Spider-Man in no time at all soon swinging through the air.
"Look, it's Spider-Man!" A woman shouted over the commotion, everyone's faces breaking out in relieved smiles.
Their hero was on his way!
James took a deep breath, knowing he had to head home and keep his ears peeled for any news on Kendall (the blond refused to have his best friend near the line of fire) and began trekking in the opposite direction, only to be knocked down to his butt by a running police officer stationed to cut off any escapes.
The brunet tumbled to the ground with a groan, struggling to stay awake as he hurriedly picked up his stuff and ran for home, glasses hanging precariously off the bridge of his nose.
He was completely unaware of the muscular, dark shadow watching him as he left.
'Found you.'