Serpent By Association

Grenade

When Sophia pulled up outside the Whyte Wyrm, she got off the bike and kicked open the door, walking inside. There were around 20 Ghoulies, Penny, and tied to a chair was Tom.

"Sophia! Exactly the gal I was looking for." Penny said.

"What happened to if I'm here before two he's safe?" Sophia asked, noticing the bruises that were already forming on Tom's face and the blood dripping from his nose.

"He tried to fight us back." Penny said. "You understand, of course."

"Of course." Sophia rolled her eyes.

FP, Jughead, Sweet Pea and Fangs all ran in, Toni, Betty and Cheryl close behind after being told where to go by Jughead when they were en route. Penny flicked out a knife and held it up to Tom's neck.

"Now, now, you better tell your Serpent friends to slither back, or else I'll make your adoptive brother a headless one." Penny said.

"Guys, stay there. Don't come closer. I've got this." Sophia said, calmly to her other serpents. "Jug, please make sure no-one comes closer." Jughead nodded at his friend.

"Who's come to see the show anyway?" Penny asked. "Of course, Jughead, the Serpent King. And FP, been a while since you've been in the field you old has-been." FP tensed but didn't move. "Who else? Sweet Pea and Fangs, the resident Serpent couple. Oh no, wait, you date Sweet Pea now, don't you, Soph?"

"Keeping tabs on my dating life, Penny? Must mean yours isn't doing well." Sophia shrugged.

"And three girls." Penny ignored her. "The little Serpent Toni, and her spoiled rich girl girlfriend. Cheryl, isn't it? Oh! And of course, Jughead's north side princess."

"Serpent Queen, now." Sophia corrected her.

Penny laughed. "I'm sure."

"What do you want, Penny?" Sophia asked.

"You, Sophia. Or should I say you, grenade." Penny replied.

Sophia clenched her jaw. "Done some research, have you?"

"Well, after you knocked me out I thought, who's this rowdy little teenager with all that spunk? So yes, I did some research."

"And what do you want from me?"

"I want to see your party trick I heard about, grenade."

Sophia let out a laugh. "On your own guys? They're either stupid or don't know what my 'party trick' is."

"What is it?" One of the Ghoulies asked Penny, who shushed them.

"They don't know, yikes." Sophia said. "How about this? You let Tom go and stand with others so I know he's safe, and I'll show you that trick."

"You're a bargainer, grenade. I like it." Penny said. "Untie him."

Two of the Ghoulies untied Tom and pushed him towards Sophia. She held him close as she led him to the others.

"Right, guys, no matter what goes down in a minute do not move. Okay?" Sophia asked.

"But what if- " Fangs started.

"If any of you move then that lovely gent up there," her words were somewhat sarcastic as she pointed to a man holding a gun up on the stairs. "Will no doubt put a bullet straight through Tommy's chest then open fire on the rest of you."

"How do we know he won't do that anyway?" Toni asked.

"Because right now Penny couldn't give a crap about any of you. It's me she has business with." Sophia said. "Do you trust me?" Everyone nodded. "Then please, stay put. Juggy, you're king. I need you to make sure this is done."

"No-one moves." Jughead nodded. "No-one even talks."

Sophia went back towards the middle of the room.

"Alright, Penny. Set the hell hounds out to play."

"Get her." Was all Penny said, and the Ghoulies all ran at her at once.

It wasn't the blood bath the Serpents thought they would see once they'd heard those words. Instead Sophia was kicking, punching and elbowing the Ghoulies, flipping them over her back, kneeing them in the face, creating a pile of knocked out men all over the floor. With the last one, she stood up out of breath, spitting some blood from her busted lip out of her mouth and onto the floor. She may've been good, but there were a lot more of them than her, so she had taken a few punches and elbows here and there. Penny clapped slowly.

"Happy?" Sophia asked.

"It really was the best thing to call you." Penny said. "This is amazing, grenade. I need someone like this. Come on, why don't you ditch the snakes and come and join the Ghoulies?"

"Thanks for the offer, but no." Sophia said. "I know where my loyalties lie."

"Oh, come on. I bet we have so much more fun." Penny said.

"What, an old has-been like you? I doubt it, love." Sophia said.

Penny clenched her fists. "Rover!" She called to the gunman, but Sophia had already turned around and thrown a knife at him like a dart, the blade going through his hand making him drop the gun and scream out in pain.

"Let's get one thing straight. You stay away from my adoptive family, you stay away from my Serpent family, you stay away from my friends, and you stay away from me. Do that and you might actually make it to fifty next year." Sophia said, venom dripping from every word. "I hope you have a lovely day, Ms Peabody." She ushered the others out. "Oh, and when- if your boys wake up, tell them not to feel too bad about being beaten up by a girl. They all probably deserved it."

Everyone rode back to the trailer park in silence. When they got there, Tom sat on the ground, processing what had happened. Sophia fell right down next to him and they held each other tightly. FP went back to his trailer to get the first aid kit, seeing Tiny and Dean still there.

"FP! What happened?!" They asked.

"Tom's back. A little battered but he'll be fine. Sophia... God, I don't even know what Sophia did. But she's got a few scrapes too. Everyone's fine. Everyone's back." FP told them, and they all went out to where the rest of them were. Tiny and Dean both hugged the two siblings who were still stuck in an embrace.

"Guys, let us clean you up." Betty said softly.

Sophia pulled away from Tom, allowing FP to start cleaning up his face. She hadn't let go of him though, her bruised and bloody hands wrapped tightly around one of his.

"Sophia, we should do you too." Toni said. Sophia nodded, letting Toni clean up her busted lip and eyebrow. "Give me your hands," she said. Those were the worst, swollen knuckles, covered in Ghoulie's blood and few cuts.

"Baby, you're shaking." Sweet Pea tried to take hold of one of her hands but she jumped up.

"I need to go," she said. "I just need some time, I'll be back. Tommy, I love you." She kissed his forehead before walking from the trailer park.

"I love you, Soph." Tom replied.

"Is she okay? Should we let her be alone?" Fangs asked.

"Leave her. She'll be back." Tom said.

"What even happened in there?" Jughead asked, and all anyone could answer with was a shake of the head and a look of disbelief, the last couple of hours a blur to them.