𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 | ˢʷᵉᵉᵗ ᵖᵉᵃ

T W E N T Y • E I G H T

« Fête du Travail »

"Did I kill her?" Reggie cried inside the Chock'lit Shoppe.

"Jughead said her and Fangs were still in surgery." Archie answered his friend.

"Guys?" Kevin looked out the window, where the sound of tires screeching harshly could be heard. "Outside."

"Serpents!" Reggie's grief turned to fear. "They're coming for me."

Archie pulled out his phone, redialing Jughead's number. "Jughead, where the hell are you guys?"

Reggie turned to Moose, his cheeks now stained with tears. "I love her man, you know that. I don't want her to die."

"We know, Reg." Kevin gave him a look of encouragement.

"Well, if the Serpents are with you, then who the hell is out here at Pop's?" Archie questioned Jughead.

Horns honked and yells came from the strangers outside. "Oh, crap." Archie spoke into the phone upon realization. "Jug? Looks like the Ghoulies are back in town."

The three Bulldogs, and Kevin, got to work on putting up a block in front of the door. Archie attempted to call for help, but kept receiving the dial tone.

"Damnit! Nobody's answering at the Sheriff's station."

"They're still looking for Clemmie's shooter." Moose responded. "Have you tried her dad?"

"No answer." Archie shook his head sadly. "Not even Julian. Jug said he was going to look for him." Archie sighed, not done speaking. "Looks like we're on our own."

"Do you think they're here because of Clemintine?" Moose asked.

Reggie's eyes became wide as he thought up a plan. "Maybe... I-I can try and explain." He stuttered out.

"No, we should be fine as long as everybody-" Kevin got cut off by a loud banging on the blocked door.

"Everybody, get away from the windows!" Archie called out, then everyone to hit the deck.

A window shattered soon after, as an object went through it. An alarm began to ring. The only source of light now on inside the diner was from the pink and purple neon signs.

"Stay down!" Archie called out once again. He ran behind the counter to talk to Pop. Glass from the windows continued to break, causing an awful noise.

"Anyone want to come out and play?" Malachi called out. He kicked a mirror off a red car. "I got some new toys to show you!" He swung around his bat, which was filled with nails. He looked just as menacing as he always had. It looked as if prison hadn't changed him.

"Hey!" Archie yelled, now on the roof after his conversation with Pop. He set fire to a rag, stuffed in a liquor bottle. Archie threw it, causing a large explosion of fire, inches away from Malachi. "What do you want?"

"The Ghoulie king is dead!" Malachi answered. "We're looking for revenge for a lot of things."

Archie lit another bottle. "You won't find that here!"

"Hit me!" Malachi challenged, taunting the redhead.

"Who's your king?" Archie asked, curious.

"Bartholdy!"

"Bartholdy!" The Ghoulies copied Malachi's scream.

Archie pulled back his arm, ready to throw the bottle, but was halted by a police siren wailing, getting closer by the second.

Malachi stepped back from the ex-Sheriff. "All right, now it's a party!" Malachi laughed. He, like the other Ghoulies, had always wanted revenge on Keller.

Sheriff Keller fired a warning shot, from his shot gun, into the air. The Ghoulies attitude instantly changed.

"Come on, let's go." A Ghoulie tugged Malachi's arm.

"Let's go!" Malachi called to his followers.

🐍

Back at the Whyte Wyrm, Jughead was struggling to keep his own followers in line.

"I can't just sit here!" Sweet Pea yelled.

Jughead grabbed the boys collar, slamming him against the nearest wall. "You don't have a choice, Sweet Pea, you're staying put."

Sweet Pea pushed Jughead away. "You said it yourself, the Ghoulies are back!"

"We will deal with them. As soon as my dad gets back-"

"Oh," Sweet Pea continued his rant, now taking his anger out on Jughead. "so you're not our leader all of a sudden?" He looked down for a moment, then back up, his look now darker. "Oh, no, that's right, you're just the guy that got Sunny and Fangs shot!"

"Watch it." Jughead's voice was low. He already felt responsible.

"And now," Sweet Pea continued on with his rant. "they might die! And the Ghoulies are out for our blood because of a drag race you started." He pushed Jughead lightly, but enough to knock the boy back.

"An hour." Jughead responded. He was no longer in a mood to fight. "That's all I'm asking for, Sweet Pea."

Sweet Pea turned away. He smacked the wall angrily, then left the building.

Jughead's phone went off. "You guys, okay?" He asked Archie.

"Yeah, we're fine." Archie responded quickly. "Malachi said something though... Mr. Bartholdy died." Jughead's mouth opened in surprise. "And he was their king."

"Thanks, Arch." Jughead sighed, hanging up.

🐍

"I just got a call from the Sheriff's office." FP began to tell his Serpents, and Cheryl, who happened to be in the room. Everyone waited nervously for him to finish. "Fangs, uh... He didn't make it. He's gone." The Serpents fell quickly into a depression.

"And Sunny?" Cait's voice cracked.

FP looked down. He always hated this lying thing. "She kicked it half an hour ago." He looked up at Cheryl. The redhead's tears began to fall. He really hated this lying thing.

"They're dead?" Jughead refused to believe it. None of them wanted to.

"We will mourn them," FP pointed to his son. "hell yeah, we will. But first, we will honor them." Sweet Pea exited the building. "From what I just heard, it sounds like we need to put it to a vote."

Sweet Pea collapsed to the ground, outside the Wyrm. Sobs raked his body, causing his entire being to shake. He yelled out due to the pain of a broken heart.

Back inside, Jughead lent against the pool table, feeling as if he was going to throw up. They were head. The girl that he would go to war for. They were dead. The boy that had so quickly became his friend. He wanted nothing more than to trade his life for theirs. And it was all his fault.

"All those against going to war with the Ghoulies?" FP began the vote. Not a single hand rose. War was the last thing on their minds. "And all those for giving them hell on the battlefield tomorrow?" Not a single Serpent hesitated. They all made the shape of two fangs with their fingers.

Sweet Pea cried harder, now leaning his back against the building. Memories of her flooded his mind.

"You're an idiot." Clemintine rolled her eyes.

"You going to tell me what happened?" Clemintine knelt between his legs, washing the blood from his hands with a damp rag.

"Just come lay down."

He couldn't get her voice out of his head.

"I was just fine before I met you."

"In unity, there is strength."

"What's wrong, Sweets?" Her voice echoed.

"Everything." He whispered, his knees pulled to his chest.