Family Don't End in Blood

4. I Don't Have a Choice, Do I?

I Don't Have a Choice, Do I?

A/N: Kinda had to make some stuff up with this one. I don't know a whole lot about the Ghoulies, and Malachai doesn't have much of a back story according to the fandom Wiki.

Also, boyfriend is addicted. Point for Daisy.

The House of the Dead was dark and doomy, as the members of the Ghoulies preferred it to be. The air was stale with smoke and the aftermath of drugs, but they hardly noticed anymore with how rarely they stepped outside.

Malachai sat in his chair, palms together, fingers drumming against each other as he listened to one of his boys drone on about the newcomer on the Southside. His feet were propped up on an old, broken desk, and a sinister grin split his crooked lips as he realized just who his Ghoulie was speaking of.

"So Tobias's daughter has returned," he sneered. "Is Tobias with her?"

His lackey shook his head. "No, sir. Word around the Wyrm is that Tobias is dead, and the girl came seeking refuge with the Serpents."

Malachai exhaled a menacing chuckle. "Perfect. I'll take the bitch down as payment for what Tobias did to my father."

"She's cute," another lackey piped up. "Perhaps you can have some fun with her before you take her out."

The leader of the Ghoulies nodded ominously. "That I will."

"What do you mean, I have to dance?" you asked incredulously as you sat beside Toni at the bar inside the Whyte Wyrm.

Toni shook her head and exhaled a sigh. "It's an old, sexist ritual. Boys have to run the gauntlet; girls have to dance."

"I can't run the gauntlet instead?" you groaned.

"Nope," the brunette chuckled. "Serpents don't believe in hitting women, nor do they believe in breaking tradition."

"Don't do it," Jughead whined. "I already had to watch Betty go through it."

During your time in Riverdale, you'd been caught up on everyone's lives. Jughead had told you plenty of stories about his newspaper-editing girlfriend, though you'd yet to meet her. He'd also told you tales of his Northside friends, with whom he didn't spend much time after pledging to the Serpents, but he remained fond of them anyway.

"Your girl is a Serpent?" you questioned, glancing at Toni and wondering why no one had mentioned that piece of information before.

Toni shrugged. "She did the dance. She completed her initiation. But she doesn't wear a jacket or attend any Serpent meetings."

"Is that allowed?" you wondered.

"My dad doesn't mind," Jughead countered.

A sigh tumbled from your lips as you leaned forward to rest your head atop the bar. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"You do," the raven-haired boy retorted. "Don't become a Serpent."

"If she wants to join, I say we let her," you heard Fangs behind you.

"Agreed," FP chimed in. "She's stood up for us, and her father was my right-hand man. I say she should join."

Toni raised a brow at you. "You've done something right if FP is voting on your initiation. He's always cautious about women joining the Serpents."