Hello everyone. I know I said that I would update 'Proxy' and 'Love the Way You Lie' this weekend, but with the amount of work I have to do for the finals for my classes I won't be able to sadly. Also, for some reason the flash drive I use to write all my stories' chapters in had been wiped clean. I don't know if it was something I did or the flash drive itself failed but all my work for both stories were erased. That makes me sad, and even angry because when I tried to find the back-ups I made in case of situations like so, the only chapters I could find were the ones for this story. I love this story sure, but all my hard work for the others...gone. It makes me really sad. So today is the last day I update for all three stories (even though technically I only updated for one). I might update next week, since this upcoming weekend I go home and have no internet access, but until then I'll be elbows-deep in papers. I'm so sorry everyone, I feel like an idiot. I hope everyone understands and will forgive me. Here's a new chapter for 'Under the Mask', thank you everyone for supporting me so even when I don't deserve it...thank you again and please enjoy. Thank God this chapter is short, or else I'd feel worse. The next chapters for 'Proxy' and 'Love the Way You Lie' had been short, since I wanted to save bigger chapters for when I'm out of college for the semester...I remember what I wrote, I'll just have to find some time later next week to get them down...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.
James tip-toed as carefully as he could into the room, placing a tray of food on the bedside table. He rolled his eyes at seeing the untouched herbal tea Kendall had "forgotten" to drink last night, yet his smile was fond as he took in the shorter boy's sleeping form.
Kendall looked so at ease when asleep: facial features smooth, not plagued by stress lines that he if didn't let go soon would leave permanent marks. The small yet still developing muscles of his legs and arms relaxed as he snuggled a pillow to his chest, jaw slightly slack with a bit of drool hanging there. He was all curled up like a small puppy under the covers, short mane of dirty blond hair splayed everywhere from him possibly moving around during the night.
'Well at least he's really sleeping, even without the tea.' James thought with a silent chuckle, putting up the small china cup to dump out its contents in the bathroom sink.
He washed it out well with the hand-soap and dried with one of the hand towels he had by the bathtub, making sure the sound of running water wasn't too loud to disturb Kendall from his sleep. The blond's six senses were dramatically enhanced since the Oscorp incident; a pen dropping to a carpet floor would be enough to wake him up.
Yet something was still pestering James about last night...
'Why didn't his spidey sense kick in? It's the one thing that assures me every time he goes out on patrol; I know he can take care of himself, Kendy isn't a little boy that needs someone to hold his hand 24/7, but the fact that his spidey sense didn't go off worries me. What villain, big or small, has that power? Green Goblin is dead, so is Doc Oct and Sandman left the city I think, we haven't seen him around. Then who...wait, could it be V-Venom?'
At this thought James nearly dropped the cup to the tiled floor, the warm and dark skin of his face paling to a sickly bone white shade.
Venom, the alien Symbiote had escaped the vault it was condemned away in at Dr. Conners' lab. They had managed to subdue it with intense sound waves and had taken it to James' mentor in hopes that he knew how to destroy it. Dr. Conners, without probing too much, had taken on the task of doing intense research on the alien substance and promised to report back to them when he had an idea, only for the thing to escape. Now it was probably hiding and waiting, waiting for a new host to live off of and then come back.
There was no doubt in James' mind that the Symbiote would come back to them, to come back and try to kill James and get Kendall back.
The thing had developed an unhealthy attachment to the blond while he was donning the black suit, a very parasitic love-hate relationship. It didn't take Kendall's rejection too well, especially when it had tried to possess the brunet to turn him against his best friend.
It was the like the crazy girlfriend and/or boyfriend that just won't stay away.
'Venom, maybe it's him? No w-way though, I mean he didn't have that power before did he? He didn't have that power before and Kendall didn't seem to notice any strange changes to his spider powers while in the suit. The only things that were enhanced were his aggression, flexibility and strength. Was it just because Kendall had a bad day...or is the Symbiote more than meets the eye?' James ran a hand through his hair, shivering as memories began to flood back to him.
Him as Venom, being attached to by the Symbiote and its deep hatred towards Kendall for his rejection trying to influence him. Him behind those large, sinister-looking eyes, the ghastly sharp teeth and shapeless lips, the long serpent-like tongue and the whole loud shrieking habit. He engaging in a battle with Kendall, Spider-Man vs Venom, before the Symbiote decided the brunet was too weak and dumped him almost dead in an nearby alley.
James still had nightmares about the experience even to this day, and the thought of the Symbiote coming back...it made the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end.
"S-stop, don't freak yourself out too early in the morning. Just get through school and work in one piece, then you can do some work on figuring this mess out. Kendall can't know about this though, not yet at least; he needs to get some rest, the gang that attacked him...no, not a gang. It was Venom, I'm 85 percent sure it was him. I still don't know about the spidey sense not kicking in, but the fact that Kendall couldn't see them means that they were moving fast, very fast. Big black shadows...Venom, could he have learned to make duplicates of himself? The Symbiote needs a host to live off of, but that doesn't mean it doesn't know basic skills for survival. It it was able to make solid duplicates without a host means he's stronger than before. I...I have to talk to Dr. Conners about this after school." James bit his lower lip as he left the bathroom to grab a pair of shoes from his closet.
He sat down on the floor and pulled on a pair of Vans (really Kendall's, the two shared clothes and shoes a lot), remembering he left his jacket on the couch as he pocketed his house keys (there was spare one under the welcome mat outside his apartment door, and Kendall had one of his own in the desk in his room) and tucked his helmet under his free arm.
He was thinking about taking his bike to school today, instead of walking there like he and Kendall normally did.
'Just stay calm, James. Just meet up with Gwen and Peter for class, survive the hell and you'll see Dr. Conners in no time. Just think positive; if it really is Venom, if he really is back then we'll just have to be five steps ahead of him. I can't let him get near Kendall, who knows what the Symbiote might do this time around to stay attached to him."
James sighed and got to his feet, taking a quick glance at the sleeping blond in his bed. His soft lips curved into a smile again as he walked over and pushed a few stray locks of hair from Kendall's smooth face, trying to ignore this sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.
If Venom was back...the chance of losing Kendall was back. The Symbiote had nearly transformed James' best friend of thirteen years into a bloodthirsty, unstoppable beat-up machine. The fact that he wanted to KILL Sandman had alarmed James enough, but that he also attacked him too...it was like a different Kendall.
A violent, heartless, conceited Kendall.
'Something I don't want to see ever again, I won't let that happen to you again. Not again, Kendy...'
"Umm, Jamie?" Said brunet blushed as Kendall stirred away, his blunt nose perking up at the hearty smell of a cheese-and-turkey bacon omelet, some whole grain toast with cream cheese and a glass of hand-squeezed orange juice.
"S-sorry Kendy, did I wake you?" James asked, trying to remove his hand from under Kendall's chin.
Only for the blond to take his hand and gently stroke the hard, bony knuckles under the taller boy's dark, warm skin.
"Nah, I was woken up by the smell of your awesome cooking. I'm surprised that you're still here though, are you okay Jamie?" Kendall asked, struggling to sit up.
James helped him halfway and set the tray over the shorter boy's lap, handing him the fork to start eating. "Sorry, I just thinking too much and that got me stuck here a little longer. I was just on my way out when you woke up. How are you feeling?" He asked, sitting down at Kendall's side.
Kendall was a little reluctant to start eating, but a stern look from the brunet got the fork into his mouth, he taking his time to chew and swallow. "I feel better, just tired."
"Then as soon as you finish eating, go back to sleep. Leave the tray on the bedside table, I'll get it after work." At this Kendall rolled his eyes at James.
"James, I'm not an invalid. I'll wash the dishes and put them away in their rightful places, then go to bed. I'll be stuck here all day, might as well have some excuse to walk around the house." He retorted, getting a snicker from James.
'Same old stubborn Kendall, that's my guy.' The brunet thought with a mental smirk in place.
"Okay, I won't argue with you there. Well I better get going or I'll be late, I have some painkillers in the medicine cabinet; take those if you start feeling anything even remotely close to agony. And finish this meal or I'll kick your ass so hard you'll be in a body cast for two months, got it Spidey?" James said, on his feet once more with his backpack over one shoulder.
"What, no goodbye kiss?" Kendall asked, looking...genuinely hurt.
James felt his cheeks flare a light pink at this, though managed to play it cool with a raised eyebrow. "What, right now? I mean you'll see me later, after work. By the way, I already told Jameson you're sitting today out; just to keep him from losing his mind, I already sent the new pics of Spider-Man to Robbie. According to him, they will be the front-page exclusive." He said, checking his wrist-watch.
"Thanks for that, but really now no kiss?"
"Ugh fine, come here you big baby." James said with another feign eye-roll, leaning down to press his lips to Kendall's forehead.
Only for the blond to lift himself up on his elbows and have his own lips meet James'.
Said brunet's soft hazel-green eyes grew wide and he quickly pulled away, cheeks now a vibrant red while Kendall shot him a soft, loving smile.
"You know, that made me feel so much better." The blond whispered, his own cheeks a soft pink.
"I-I gotta go, see you later Ken." James stumbled with his words as he bolted out of the room, forcing his helmet on to hide his flustered face.
Kendall's heart broke a little at the reaction he got, but comforted himself with the knowledge that what James said wasn't a total rejection.
'I know that being a hero means I can put those I love in danger, but James...the worst thing would be to love him and not tell him ever.'
-Page Break-
'I can't believe that happened. Kendall, you know being a hero is a full-time commitment. Even if we could...you're NYC's Spider-Man, you're to devote yourself to the city. Not me...I-I'm not the one for you, I'm just your tech wiz, your teammate. That's all we can be, I'm sorry...' James blinked away tears as he hopped onto his bike and kicked the engine to life, sending a text to Gwen to let her and Peter know he was on his way.
As he raced around cars and disappeared down the streets, shapeless lips were brushed by a long, serpent-like tongue.
A tall and slightly muscular figure watched the brunet boy speed away, large sinister-looking white eyes narrowing into slits.
"Looks like the Spider's not in the game today. Ah well, I still have you to play with, hehehehe..."