The Serpent and His Girl

Trust Me

Spitting out blood, she glares at him. Her hair, messy and unkempt, falls in her face. He presses the blade deeper into a small cut on her arm, no sign of remorse on his face as she cries out.

"I'm gonna ask you again,sweetheart, does she and if so, where would it be?" He kicks her in the ribs after a minute of silence, the chair she was on just mere minutes before having been ripped away, yet the wrist restraints keep her bound to the floor with about a foot of chain, trapping her.

"I already told you, my mom doesn't have any secret safes or anything. I promise. I've lived with her my whole life, and I know my house inside and out. And besides, why are you really doing this anyways, huh? After all, I'm just a teenage girl who just happens to live in the northern suburbs of the same town you do. What. Do. You. Want. From. Me?" She begs, her eyes filling with tears. He only chuckles, seeming content with the blonde's agony. Circling her like a predator circles its prey, he stops his pacing abruptly after a few seconds. Seeming to contemplate what he'll say next, he bites his lower lip. Inhaling, he just shakes his head.

"Blondie, let me tell you something you shouldn't forget for a while. I am the one asking questions here, not you. So I suggest that you quit playing Nancy Drew for a second and ask yourself if asking questions like that are worth your life." He snarls, absolutely livid. Her body tremors, terrified he'll hit her again. She only nods, petrified to say anything more. Chuckling darkly, he strides towards the door.

"Oh, and Princess? Since you were a good girl, you'll get dinner soon. And if you're lucky, maybe I'll give you a few hours to get ready for the next round of questions." Smirking, Jughead closes the door to her cell, letting his words hang in the air.

A tear slips down Betty's cheek, as the pain in her chest sets in. Gingerly, she touches her ribs, gasping at how much it hurts. Pain blossoms from her fingertips, and she's yelping in pain. Quietly the door to her cell opens, a dark figure in the doorway. She whimpers, terrified it's Jughead back for more.

"Hey...hey, it's okay. I'm a friend, I promise. You just need to stand okay? Can you do that for me? I'm gonna get you help for your cuts and most likely a broken rib or two, but you have to stand. Come on, it's okay. I need you to stay quiet for a minute as we go down the hall." The stranger whispers, stepping into the light. The blonde gasps as the stranger shows its face. Toni Topaz takes another step towards Betty, holding her arm out to support the wounded blonde. Betty takes it, grateful.

"H-how...what...th-thank you," Betty manages to get out, hissing in pain. Toni just gives her a sad smile, her eyes showing that she was hiding something. Slowly walking down a hallway, Toni takes a breath before responding.

"It's the least I can do. Look, Betty, getting you to trust me is going to be hard, I know. After all, I do work for the man who kidnapped you...anyways, I really do wanna get you outta here. So, please, just keep quiet about this. I'm going to give you some advice here, too. When Jones brings you food, eat it. When he asks you something, answer. If he gives you something, take it. Just be as obedient as possible and we'll get you out, okay?" Toni instructs the weary girl, her voice lowering as they slowly turn the corner. 

"W-who's...aaagh...who's we?" Betty gasps out, the pain in her ribs getting stronger with each breath. Toni pauses in the middle of the hallway, checking on the blonde. Nodding at Betty's thumbs up that she was okay, Toni keeps going. Stopping at a closed door, she knocks three times.

"Why, only Fangs and I." Toni whispers, slowly guiding Betty into a room with medical equipment. Fangs stands in a corner, quietly conversing with someone on his phone. Reaching behind Betty, Toni grabs a small box.

"Remember how I said you need to trust me?" The pink-haired girl asks. Betty merely nods, exhausted from the walking. "Well..." Toni quickly injects Betty with something, stepping back to catch her. The last thing Betty sees is Fangs and Toni reaching out to catch her, before the darkness swallows her.