Rule - Sweet Pea (1)

He Did Not, In Fact, Watch It

A bell dinged overhead as Rule walked into the Whyte Wyrm, her eyes slightly puffy from crying and a lack of sleep. The bartender handed Rule the beer she was drinking from, the latter taking a gulp when she heard a familiar voice right behind her. "I can't just sit here-" A collective gasp was heard through the room when Rule spun on a dime, her hands grasping Sweet Pea's collar and slamming him into the wall. "You don't have a choice, Sweet Pea, you're staying put." Her voice was hard as steel, rough around the edges, and her heart stung when Sweet Pea raked his eyes over her face with a broken expression that soon turned hard. But what shocked Rule that most was when Sweet Pea shoved her away from him, her bullet wound catching on the bar with an outcry. His eyes widened at what he'd done, everyone staring at him in shock when he started to come closer, Rule flinching involuntarily. "Rule, I-"

"Save it Sweet Pea!" Not Sweets, not Pea, Sweet Pea, and that's what caught his attention. The next time he spoke it was softer, guilt eating him alive. "You said it yourself, the Ghoulies are back!" Rule sat down on a bar stool, Jughead handing her an ice pack absentmindedly, much to Sweet Pea's regret. "We will deal with them." Jughead, who was standing next to his cousin in a protective manner, added to Rule's sentence. "As soon as my Dad gets back-"

"Oh, so Rule's not our leader all of a sudden?" Rule was having a hard time telling if Sweet Pea meant that as a defensive statement or as an insult. The next sentence cleared that up. "Oh, no, that's right, you're just the two who got Fang's shot!" Anger was boiling inside Rule, something Jughead was eyeing warily. "Watch it-" The dumbass did not, in fact, 'watch it'. "And now, Fang's might die! And the Ghoulies are out for blood over a drag race you both started." Jughead started to bicker with Sweet Pea, Rule letting out a bleary sigh and interrupting.

"An hour," Everyone switched their attention to the girl who was watching her, well, she wasn't sure what Sweet Pea was at the moment besides an asshat. "That's all I'm asking for, Sweet Pea." He watched Rule intensely as she grabbed her bag off the counter, dragging herself from the bar without an answer. The last thing Rule heard before the bathroom door closed was a slam, something she knew had to do with the dark-haired boy she was fighting with.

-------------------------------------------

A loud ringing interrupted Rule's staring, her eyes diverting from Sweet Pea's taught arms shooting pool. "Hello?" It was amazing her voice didn't break when she spoke, but it was a miracle she didn't drop the bottle of beer in her hands when she got a reply. "Hello, my favorite niece. It's your Auntie Dearest." She stood so fast it made her slightly dizzy, Rule's hand gripping onto the counter, oblivious to the fact Sweet Pea was watching her every move. "Penny? You picked a really bad time,"

"Oh, I heard. Riverdale, burning to the ground? It's tragic. How about we meet up and talk about it, hmm? Your old hangout, by the docks?" Jughead and Sweet Pea, the former having grabbed the latter, were now standing directly behind Rule. "Why the hell would I do that?" Penny chuckled on the other line, Rule's heart nearly stopping when she heard her best friends voice in the background. "Because if you don't, I'll start carving up your besties face! Come now, and alone, it'll just be me and pinkie here. Hurry, I'm thinking I'll start with her tongue!" Jughead and Sweet Pea hadn't managed to get a word in before Rule ran out the door, her small and agile frame making her quicker.

Rule arrived in record time, her gun tucked into her waistband, knives hidden all over, her green cloak on, and her bow and quiver hidden under it. Her dagger was in her right hand as she approached her Aunt and best friend, eyes raking the grounds with her peripheral vision. "Hey, darling niece." Rule ignored her Aunt, her eyes focused on Toni. "Topaz, are you okay?" She had already predicted what the pink haired girl said next. "Rule, she's not alone."

The dagger slid down Rule's hand, making it known she had a weapon as her one true enemy appeared with a barbed wire wrapped baseball bat. "Surprise, my lovely Rad!" Penny felt guilt at the look on her niece's face, shoving it down for the show. "You said it would be the two of us, Penny."

"I never go anywhere without backup anymore, not after what you did to me." Rule's heart froze when Malachai tried walking closer, the lips she once kissed hissing at her. "Besides, we need to talk, all of us." A scoff came from Rule's lips, Malachai noticing how much she'd changed over the last few years. "There's nothing to talk about. I'm taking Toni, and we're leaving." Malachai stepped closer to Toni, the girl shivering in disgust as Rule's hand twitched towards her gun. "Not so fast, Rad! I've been waiting to see you again for a long time." When he charged up a taser, that's when Rule gave the signal.

"Get back, you hobgoblin!" Cheryl appeared from behind Rule, bow drawn, as Rule pulled out and notched hers in the blink of an eye. Rule smirked at her Aunt, telling herself the glint of pride in Penny's eyes was just a reflection of the fire. "Oh, Penny, don't you know me at all? I brought some back-up, too. As I said, I'm taking Toni, and we're leaving." Cheryl walked closer to Rule, their aim not wavering in the slightest. "Untie her, you serpent hag!" Penny scoffed at the redhead, shaking her head as she spoke. "Take her, then." Cheryl untied her girlfriend, Rule staying still. "But remember, when all your friends are dead, I tried giving you a chance."

"Why do you keep coming back, Penny? What do you want?" Rule was tired of people, and it showed in her annoyed tone of voice that was eerily similar to her Aunt's. "The Southside. There's money to be made in 'The town of pep,' if you're not afraid of getting your hands dirty." The young girl couldn't help the small twinge of disappointment she felt, Penny, catching it on her face. "So you're partnering with the Ghoulies to sell drugs then?"

"Bingo. So here's the offer I want you to take back to your Uncle and your tribe. The serpents ship out tonight, or it's a showdown with the Ghoulies at Pickens Park at dawn." Silence surrounded the group for a few seconds before Penny spoke up smugly. "I'm fine either way."

What nobody realized at that moment except one dark-haired girl, was that neither of those paths would be taken.

A/N - Oof, y'all are gonna hate me for my next chapter...