Riverdale: The Black Hood

Nighthawks

Behold, Pop's Chock'Lit Shoppe. For decades, the heart of Riverdale.

"What the heck?" Jughead said when we walked up to the building.

"Oh, shoot," I said.

It now had Death Diner in black spray paint on the wall.

Now, the lastest casualty in the town's ongoing battle against darkness.

We walked inside the diner to find Pop Tate leaning against the counter, his head resting on his hand.

"Pop?" Jughead said.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Did you see?" Pop asked. "Did you see what they wrote on mg Chock'Lit Shoppe?" He ran a hand through his short, black hair, nearly bald head.

"I am so very sorry, Pop," I said.

"It's another win for the bad guys," Jughead said during lunch at school. "No one was there. His entire staff quit. He says he's not sure how long he'll be able to keep the doors open, maybe not even a week."

"It's because of what happened to my dad," Archie said. "People are freaking out. And I gotta be honest, guys, I don't see myself going back any time soon."

"Wait, I'm sorry, am I hearing acceptance?" Betty asked. 

"I'm not gonna let one psychopath with a gun dictate what happens to our place," I said. "Jug, you and I went crazy trying to save the Drive-In."

"I can't take on any more social issues right now," Jughead said. "My hands are full."

"With your dad, of course," I said. "And he should be your main priority.'

Jughead sighed.

"I'll take point on helping Pop Tate," I said.

"I'll help, too, Gracie," Veronica said. "Hey, anything to get me away from my parents, I'm in."

"Count me in," Betty said.

"Another G, B, and V team-up," Jughead fiddled with his fingers. "They should really make a video game about you guys. I gotta jet." He stood out of the picnic seat. "I'm off to meet my dads court-appointed joke of a lawyer at the Sheriff's station." He pulled his bag strap over his head and neck.

"I'm gonna come with you, Jug," Archie said. "I gotta drop some flyers off for Sheriff Keller."

"Bye," Veronica said as the two boys walked away.

"I haven't been able to sleep last night, Jug," I paced around my room. "I kept worrying about your dad and Pop's. And how we can possibly kill two birds with one stone. Can you meet me at the Mayor's office?"

"Yeah, I can," Jughead said.

"Okay, great, I'll get it set," I said. "Betty's going to call Veronica, so I'll see you there."

"See you," he said, hanging up.

Betty called Veronica, asking her if she could see if Archie was okay, since he wasn't in his room anymore for quiet a few days.

Jughead and I arrived at the Mayor's office around the same time, and we sat waiting on the tan-colored bench.

"You know what?" I said, breaking the silence between us. "I actually didn't think all of this was going to happen. You know, with Jason Blossom, your dad, Clifford Blossom, and now this. I had no idea that this was going to happen. Until I started to get feelings about it."

Jughead chuckled.

"Mysterious things happen in Riverdale apparently," he said.

I leaned against the back bench.