𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐒

𝐗𝐈𝐈|𝐉𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒: 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐇

It's time to get ready for war. Sitting back in the old boutique shop doesn't feel as casual as the last time he was here. Last time he was here he was calling for peace, this time he's calling for arms. It's time the Serpents and Crows went on the offensive. It's also time they gave the Ghoulies that ultimatum. Peace or War. There can no longer be a neutral. Jughead's hands grip the side of the wooden chair he's in. He's trying everything to keep his left hand from trembling the way it does when things get tense. He thought it was fear or nerves, but he was maybe wrong. He's starting to realize that small tremor is his hands itching to do violence. That knowledge scares him. He's beginning to lose the battle of trying to keep his soul clean. There was always a little dirt on it, but getting blood on it feels a little different. He didn't want to run to his dad with this, but he was left no choice. When this gets bloody he's going to need the older Serpents. So he's sitting at a table in a large basement of an old Southside boutique shop with his father, Greyhound, Sweet Tooth and Heavy Metal. Across from them sit Chief Akachete, his son Adam, an intimidating man Jughead doesn't know yet but is clearly the Chief's right hand man, and a middle aged Native American woman who seems more intimidating than any of the men in the room. They're surrounded by a mix of other high rank Serpents and Crows.

There's a heavy stone in Jughead's chest, a reminder that there is a terrifying weight he's destined to wear soon. That crown. It's haunted him his whole life. Ever since he was old enough to finally understand what it all meant. The jackets, the bikes, the guns. Leading these cold hard men too. Men who most definitely earned the right to the crown more than he ever has, men who know it too. His grandfather wore the first crown. Old Forsythe bailed and the crown was thrown at the next Forsythe. Jughead knows his father was his age when he was given that responsibility. Now they want to throw it at the next Forsythe in line. It's always felt like too much. Too much pressure, too much responsibility. But sitting in this room it is wholly overwhelming. It's nothing he's prepared for, he is out of his realm with this fight. He's sixteen, he's not capable of running a whole gang yet. He doesn't care if FP did it, or Old Forsythe did it, he doesn't know if he's strong enough for this responsibility alone. He has enough trouble keeping the young Serpents in check. What happens when he gets locked up for all the evil shit he's done to protect his family? What about the things he still needs to do to protect Veronica? What happens when his sins catch up? They always catch up. Slaying the dragon is always bound to come with flames. Jughead is going to burn along with everything else he plans to set on fire.

"Mobsters huh?" The Chief asks in his thunderous voice. He sounds so much calmer about this than Jughead expected. All the adults have taken this in stride. A stride he's struggling to keep up with.

"This might end up getting violent if the stories are to be believed about how Mobsters conduct business, and honestly I'm not putting that past Hiram." Jughead answers the Chief.

"We can handle violence." Greyhound says low and calm. Jughead feels how hard he means that in the silence that follows the room. He feels the whole room shift. He feels both gang's leaders collectively brace for war. It's intimidating and terrifying. Even more terrifying is the small deep part of him that's excited to have an army at his back when he faces Hiram. Hiram is going to die. In cold blood.

"And your game plan young prince?" Akachete asks with strong eyes on him. Eyes that know violence too, maybe even more than his own.

"Same as it always was. We cement our ties to the Southside. We put a fork in any and all business owned by Hiram." Jughead says looking towards his father. He doesn't want to throw the Serpents under the bus for helping Hiram when he first came to town. Jughead still doesn't understand the reasoning behind his father's actions. He thinks it might have to do with Hermione being the one to ask. Jughead wants to ask his father more about his relationship with Mrs. Hiram Lodge, but he figures he's going to have to answer questions about Veronica Lodge in return. He's not ready for that conversation with anybody yet. At least he won't be able to have that conversation until he knows what this big secret is between them all, and he knows he's no longer cheating on the sweetest girl in Riverdale with the most amazing girl in Riverdale. He won't throw Veronica under the bus, but he's going to end things with Betty today. No more waiting. The right chance never comes, it's lie to feel better about lying. He'll never feel better about lying.