The Serpent and His Girl

Artillery of Tears

Her screams are muffled by the gloved hand holding her down. Sobs and cries escape her lips desperately, pain washing over her like never before.

"Betty, shhhh. It's alright, it's okay. We just need to make sure your arm doesn't get infected." Fangs whispers gently, her cries echoing in the small room. Rubbing the alcohol wipe on her cut to clean it, he can't help but feel bad for Betty. He sighs, exhausted from keeping watch. Suddenly, the door bursts open, Toni breathing in a panic.

"Fogarty! Thank god you came down early, he's on his way to her cell now! We gotta get her outta here and back there, now." She pants out, quickly helping Betty up. The blonde's ribs were still broken, but her arm was getting a little better yet still growing close to infection with each passing minute. Had Toni not brought her here mere hours before, there's no telling what might've happened to her.

As they slowly help Betty down the hall to her cell, a pair of loud footsteps thudding down the dimly lit corridor causes Fangs to basically throw the injured girl over his shoulder.

"Oh my god, oh my god," Betty thinks, "I'm gonna die here, now, this is it. I'm never gonna see Arch or V again! Not even Kevin or Cheryl! Oh, oh my god." Sensing her worry, Toni holds Betty's hand in a vice grip. Fangs bolts down the hallway, Betty bouncing up and down as her grip on his back becomes looser. Toni rushes ahead, and opens her cell door.

"Damn it, Fangs! Hurry, they're just down the hall!" Toni whispers, eyeing the blonde girl. Betty is feeling fainter by the second, just ready to collapse.

Placing Betty down, Fangs and Toni re-tie the restraints. Breathing shallow, Betty realizes that she's trapped-again, which means more questions,more pain, and more body-shaking fear. Toni softly hugs her, careful not to hurt the blonde's ribs.

"Bye Betty-Boop. I'll try to come back when I can, okay? Just don't forget, okay? When everything seems bad or that you won't get out, just remember that Fangs and I are trying really hard to get you out of here. We'll be back." Toni quietly bids the injured girl farewell, and closes the door.

As soon as the door closes, it opens again. The light in the hall only shows the silhouette of two men. Internally screaming, she realizes it's Jughead and Sweet Pea.

"See? I told you Boss, she's-"Sweet Pea's eyes widen ever so slightly at the sight of her, still restrained and crying. "Right there...wait. But, but how?" Jughead rolls his eyes, all patience for Sweet Pea's antics gone.

"Oh my God. This is what I get for putting an idiot on guard for this big of a job," The beanie-clad boy scoffs. To Betty, he smirks. "I still have to ask a few more questions, but it'll be quick, then I have to grab you a friend."

His words hanging in the air, he chuckles. Betty's mind races, thinking that he'll bring down someone to kill her soon enough, that he's going to replace her with the 'friend'. He circles her chair again, his expression unreadable.

"Now, should I get right to the pain, or are you going to find your voice today?" He growls, grabbing her chin in his hand. A tear trails down her cheek before she answers him.

"I-I...have my...just a-ask,"she manages to get out, her voice strained from holding back the artillery of tears threatening to come out. Jughead smirks, then lets go of her chin.

"What do you know about Archie Andrews?"