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AURORA WATCHED JUGHEAD CAREFULLY from beside Cheryl in the woods. In both her hands she held Chinese ring daggers that she bought one night out with the rest of the Serpent Core Five, Cheryl handling her bow and arrow set. Everyone had their own thing. Jughead had his beanie, Toni had her pink hair, Fangs had his switchblade, Cheryl had her bow and arrow, Sweet Pea had his brass knuckles, and now Aurora had her daggers. "Hi, Jones." Penny greeted. Jughead looked to Toni. "Toni, are you okay?"
"Jughead, she's not alone."
Aurora's lips parted in shock as she watched Nolan come out from the shadows beside Malachi and a couple more Ghoulies. "Surprise!"
"You said it was just going to be the two of us." Jughead narrowed his eyes. "I never go anywhere without back-up any more, not after what you did to me. Besides, we need to talk, all of us —" Jughead cut Penny off, "There's nothing to talk about. I'm taking Toni and we're leaving." "Not so fast! I've been waiting to see you again for a long time," Malachi said, turning on a taser on his hands.
"Cherry, now." Aurora muttered under her breath, the two coming out from the woods. "Get back, you hobgoblin." Cheryl hissed, pointing her arrow towards Malachi. Nolan looked at Aurora with sadness. Aurora shook her head at the makeup that surrounded his eyes. Instead of showing weakness, she spun the ring daggers on her fingers before catching them and holding them on either side of her head. "I brought back-up, too. Like I said, I'm taking Toni, and we're leaving." Jughead said bravely.
Cheryl then pointed her arrow to Penny. "Untie her, you Serpent hag." Penny sighed. "Take her, then. But remember, when all your friends are dead, I tried giving you a chance." Nolan untied Toni and she squeezed Jughead's arm for a split second in thanks before rushing to Cheryl's side, Aurora setting her daggers down to her sides. "Why do you keep coming back? What do you want?" Jughead asked Penny.
"The Southside. There's money to be made here in 'The Town With Pep,' if you're not afraid of getting your hands dirty."
"So you're partnering with the Ghoulies to sell drugs on the Southside?" Jughead asked.
"Bingo. So here's the offer I want you to take back to your dad and your tribe. The Serpents ship out tonight, or it's a showdown with the Ghoulies at Pickens Park at dawn. I'm fine either way."
—
SWEET PEA WAS ANGRY yet again. "It's time we end the Ghoulie scourge and that traitor, Penny Peabody permanently." He prompted angrily, causing Aurora to roll her eyes. "Sweet Pea, two hours ago your fight was with Reggie Mantle. Now you want us to go to war over territory that we don't even control anymore? This is Hiram Lodge's problem, not ours." Jughead told the Serpents, Cheryl and Aurora. "So you're just gonna hand over Sunnyside Trailer Park, our home to Penny and the Ghoulies?" Toni asked in disbelief. "Toni, I don't want us to die. A rumble with the Ghoulies right now? It's a suicide-run." Jughead said, walking towards Toni and Sweet Pea.
"It's better than a coward's death. Don't we have to defend ourselves?" Sweet Pea yelled in Jughead's face. Aurora groaned and rolled her eyes, sitting up when she heard FP's voice.
"Calm yourself — That's enough!" They separated from one another to look at FP. "I just got a call from the Sheriff's office. Fangs, uh — He didn't make it. He's gone." Aurora's eyes watered up as she made her way to Sweet Pea's side. He wrapped his arm around her waist comfortingly, rubbing her side up and down with his thumb.
"Fangs is dead?" Jughead asked quietly. He bit his lip and patted Sweet Pea's shoulder before heading over to bend over the pool table. "And we will mourn him, hell yeah, we will. But first, we will honor him. From what I just heard, it sounds like we need to put it to a vote. All those against going to war with the Ghoulies? And all those for giving them hell on the battlefield tomorrow?" FP lifted two fingers to figure a snake's head. The rest of the Serpents followed, Cheryl raising her hand. FP turned to Aurora who nodded firmly and swung her dagger around her finger before holding the blade dangerously. Everyone then turned to Jughead. He didn't raise his hand.
—
MY FATHER WAS THE Black Hood. A shaky call from my mother and sister was all it took for me to believe them. Jughead was no where to be found and someone else pretending to be my father tried shooting Fred Andrews. It was almost like everything was spiraling all at once and it was making me dizzy, nauseous.
Riverdale was once full of nothing but pure joy and innocence, and as soon as the news of Jason Blossom's death had hit, my world was flipped upside down and became full of murder mysteries, serial killer fathers, gangs and rival gangs, unknown strangers, and so much more I cannot name them all.
Betty called FP when the Serpents and I were at the Whyte Wyrm, preparing for the war that would start as soon as that damn sun shone in the sky. Was I terrified? Anyone would be. But as I sharpened the daggers I had bought not too long away and slid on the three finger leather gloves, I wondered if the fear was coming from the idea that I may die, or the idea that my best of friends would die. The idea of death is a terrifying one in general, but when it comes to you or your loved ones then it hits harder. Betty told FP that Jughead had called her and explained how much he loved her and how he would never stop loving her, as far as I know, Jughead rarely randomly told her just how much he loved her.
Sweet Pea, Toni, Cheryl and several other Serpents now stood where Penny and her satan Ghoulies last stood, awaiting to see it FP had found any sight of Jughead. Seeing Betty made relief flood through my veins. I let go of Sweet Pea's hand and rushed to Betty, wrapping her in my arms and squeezing her tightly, Betty squeezing me just as tight. "Thank God that you are okay." I breathed out as I shook my head. Betty and I released one another and I gave a nod to Archie in thanks for bringing her safely to me.
"Where is he? Where's Jug?" Betty asked me, placing a hand on my arm. I shook my head, not knowing either. "Guys. . ." Archie trailed off. We all turned, seeing FP stomp out of the woods, crying, with a dying Jughead Jones in his arms.
