I'm Darkness || Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones [2]

Karma

"You'll perhaps save his life?" Eleanor looked up from her trembling hands, "What does he mean perhaps? What does all this even mean?"

"It means he kidnapped Mr. Svenson, Ellie." Betty told her, "And now he's mutilating him!"

A buzz filled the environment.

Betty rushed to her phone, and Archie and Eleanor looked at her anxiously. By the look on the blonde's face it had to be the Black Hood.

They were next to Betty already when she answered the phone. But it wasn't the robotic voice than welcomed them, it wasn't the usual Black Hood, it wasn't him at all.

"Mr. Svenson? Is that you?"

"It is, Betty." Now it was him, the devil wondering Riverdale, "But his name is Joseph Conway. He has lost a lot of blood. Tho it's nothing compared to the blood on the hands of this town. Find where the sin was commited and you'll find the sinner Conway, maybe alive. And as always... don't –"

Archie snapped the phone from Betty's hands, "What? You maniac... Don't tell Sheriff Keller?"

"You shouldn't have done that." Ellie pointed, "You have no idea what is capable of."

"Don't' I, El? He made you break up with me! He nearly destroyed us all! He shot my Dad! I'm sorry if I'm not gonna sit here and watch him do it over and over again!"

"Hey," His girlfriend held his hand, sorry, "I know. It's just that... I don't want you getting hurt."

Archie was looking down at Eleanor with understanding. Words could fix problems, explanations could save relationships. And they were the living proof of that.

"But guys... what sin was he talking about?" Betty wondered, "What could Mr. Svenson possibly be guilty of?"

"We're all guilty of something, B." Her sister shrugged.

"Well Veronica and I talked to him." Archie recalled, "He's entire family was murdered by some crazy priester."

"Maybe the people who adopted him knows something we don't."

"Wait, Mr. Svenson lived as Joseph Conway before being adopted in the Sisters' Of Quiet Mercy." The redhead told them, a smile showing on his face, like he had just spoken the greatest piece of the puzzle.

"Are you kidding me?" Ellie sighed, throwing her head back, "That place gives me the chills."

"It seems like the only option right now, E."

"The question is..." The two looked at Eleanor, "will they talk to us? They weren't very cooperative last time, if I remember correctly."

"They better." Betty replied.

They wanted to stop the Black Hood, they wanted to save Mr. Svenson, they wanted to be heroes. But the thing about heroes is that they are beaten up very badly before winning the final battle and that's in unrealistic movies. Who knows what could happen in the small and tragic town that was Riverdale? But truth is, determination is a good start and they had a lot of that.

Jughead was filled with determination too, Eleanor noticed, when she reached the Serpents' reunion. She couldn't quite remember how she ended up being convinced by Toni to show up but there she was, to everyone's surprise. Including hers.

"You came." Sweet Pea looked at her, a smile dancing on his lips, "Dance or not... You're on of us, Ellie. With Jughead or not, you're still one of us."

"Thanks."

Jughead managed to continue his speech after his best friends' arrival. He wasn't expecting her to show up, that's why he hadn't even told her about that meeting – he didn't even think she would pick up the phone. He didn't blame her tho.