2+1=3//Bughead

11: Penny Peabody

Disease, a word which describes any harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism.

In this case, Riverdale had a disease. Hiram Lodge. No matter how many times Riverdale tried to fight Hiram off, he would just keep coming back, stronger and stronger. Unfortunately, he owned half of Riverdale, the Southside.

Within the Southside, there was a smaller, but just as dangerous disease. Penny Peabody.

Penny Peabody was once a shrewd attorney, in league with the Southside Serpents, but her payment wasn't exactly...legal. Money, for Penny, wasn't enough. Instead, she demanded favours, which she expected in return should the time come. Here is the last time a favour was demanded and unfortunately exploited.

(One Year Ago)
Penny plagued the Southside, or Riverdale as a whole, when FP Jones was arrested, and Jughead went to Penny for legal advice, in which she happily exchanged for a favour.

This favour resulted in Jughead and Archie doing a 'one-off' drug run, but, being Penny, this was a lie, and she had turned it into a 'full-time' thing.

To add fuel to the already horrible fire, Penny explained to Jughead, that any unfinished debts or business initiated by FP, had now become Jughead's debts or business, their relationship becoming an ongoing ordeal.

In an attempt to take Penny down, Jughead threatened to expose her drug-trafficking to Mayor McCoy, but her initial blackmail was thrown back in her face, as any attack against him or his father, was an attack against all serpents.

Because of her threat towards Jughead and his father, this didn't bode well with the rest of the serpents, and as a result they basically kidnapped her, kicked her out of the gang and Jughead finalised the exile by forcefully removing her serpent tattoo with a knife.

(Present Day)
To everyone's shock and horror, Penny Peabody was back, and looking as devilish as ever. Jughead, who had been the last person she saw as she bled, tried to keep his cool, watching as she walked into Pop's, this time with a whole gang behind her, each member holding a weapon that could cause serious damage.

JUGHEAD
My eyes darted to the front door of Pop's as the doorbell rang, my fear engulfing me as I watched Penny-freaking-Peabody strut her way into the shop, a whole gang, probably the Ghoulies, behind her.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Jughead Jones, and his Scooby-Doo gang." Penny's snarky remarks were like nails on a chalk-board.

"What the hell do you want Peabody? I thought we severed ties a year ago?" I was nervous. If she looked just over to her left, she'd spot Betty, and her large baby bump.

"Calm yourself, Jughead. I'm not here for you. I'm looking for Lodge's daughter." She looked around before Veronica stood up, facing her.

"How can I help you Ms Peabody?" She smiled sweetly, trying to keep her cool as she stood in front of the woman that once threatened to hurt her best friend.

"I'm here to offer protection. Protection from your father, protection from any Ghoulie attacks." She made her point.

"Shall we go somewhere, more private?" I watched as Veronica and Penny left to go to Lo Bonne Nuit.

VERONICA
"Sorry, Penny. I don't need you, or your Ghoulies. I don't want a snake, a crook, a bitch, inside Pop's. Let alone Le Bonne Nuit." I glared at her.

"You've made a grave mistake little girl. You see, your father owns half of Riverdale, and funnily enough, I've made a very pleasurable deal with him. He helps me with my drug-empire, and in return, I provide him with my gang." She announced.

"I don't care. Pop's is the only establishment not plagued by my father's dirty business. I will not have his 'side-bitch' come here and give him inside access to my business." I wouldn't let her win.

"Fine. If you won't take my very beneficial offer, than you'll have to pay, one way or another." She sighed leaving Le Bonne Nuit, and Pop's in general.

Leaving Le Bonne Nuit myself, I locked the doors, watching as Jughead walked up to me.

"What did you two talk about? You were gone for a long time." He was worried, and rightfully so.

"She made me an offer, I refused. I told her why I refused, and she basically explained why I shouldn't have refused and she threatened me." I made the exchange simple.

"Good. The last thing we need is Penny Peabody being around all the time." Jughead smiled.

PENNY
Heading back to Hiram's office, I barged in, forcing his client to leave.

"Excuse me. I was in a meeting." Hiram sighed.

"You are now, with me." I wasn't in the mood for his mid-life crises.

"You know, Hiram. Your daughter is a piece of work. Sorry, scratch that, she's a bitch." I sat down opposite Hiram, watching as he put down his cigar.

"What she say this time?" He laughed.

"She called me your side-bitch, a snake, a crook, etc." I was angry.

"Classic Veronica. Not letting anything get in her way." Hiram laughed again.

"You told me she would accept my offer! You told me that she wasn't stupid enough to say no!" I stood up, pissed off.

"Uh, no. I told you that she'd consider your offer." He was being a jerk.

"News flash Mr Mobster, but she refused my offer the second after I had presented it to her!" I paced. He looked at me, knowing exactly what Veronica would say.

"You son of a bitch! You duped me! Veronica was never going to take my offer seriously!" I grabbed my knife and pointed it towards him.

"Now, now, Penny. We made a deal. I gave you money, so you can't harm me." Hiram smirked.

"I know that we made a deal, but Hiram, the thing about snakes is, once you double-cross them and betray them, their venom becomes so much more deadly." I got closer with the knife.

"We both know that I'm not the person you want to kill. Jughead Jones is the one you truly desire to kill. How about, you do us both a favour, and take care of him once and for all." He stood up, his smirk not disappearing.

"If I kill Jughead Jones, will I be compensated?" I smirked, just like he did.

"You'll have the whole of Riverdale wrapped around your little finger." He offered his hand for me to shake, and being the woman I am, I shook it, making another deal with Hiram Lodge.