Under Fire and Undercover

Just Needed You

"Alice, I need you to get over here." FP said frantically through the phone.

"Babe, the kids are going to be home from Veronica's party any minute. I can't." She reasoned.

"It's about the kids. I was putting Jughead's laundry away and found a G&G manual in his drawers." FP huffed. She could hear him throwing furniture around as her heart dropped into her stomach.

"I'm coming." She said, already closing the door behind her.

Six minutes later she threw open the trailer door to see FP on the ground looking under the couch.

"Have you found anything else?" Alice said, coming to stand next to him.

"Nothing but the manual. Why would he have this, but not the game? It has to be around here somewhere." He said as he took the hand she'd held out to help him up. He walked to his bedroom, with Alice on his heels. They took opposite sides of the room, searching everywhere for the game that ruined their teen years, and the years that followed.

They heard the front door swing open, both looking up and then exiting the bedroom.

"What the hell?" Jughead said as he saw the living room torn apart.

"What happened?" Betty questioned before seeing their parents emerge from the back of the house.

"Where the hell did you get this?" FP demanded as he came into view. "Have you been playing the game? Don't lie to me, boy!" FP shouted, grabbing his son's chin in his hand. Alice stepped between them, pulling at FP to let go of his son. She knew FP wouldn't hurt Jughead, but at the moment, his terror was expressing itself as rage. "I can still see the blue on your lips!"

"Mom, what are you doing here? What are two hiding?" Betty questioned her mother.

"Where did you get that book?" Alice yelled at the kids before FP could rush up on Jughead again, she placed her hand against his chest, steadying him.

"Who gave this to you?" FP asked before anyone could answer Alice's question.

"Somethi--" Jughead started but was cut off by Betty.

"Jug do not say anything!" She shouted. "Not until they tell us what they know about the game." Betty didn't understand what could possibly be so terrible that they were acting so strangely. And why were they suddenly so keen on jointly reprimanding them?

"Looking through my stuff now, Dad? Really?" Jughead asked almost smugly.

"You don't get it, this game is--, it's pure evil, and no one's ever going to play it again." With that FP turned for the door, followed by Betty and Jughead yelling behind him. Alice ran out the trailer after the three of them.

"Dad, I'm begging you. No one's going to play Griffons and Gargoyles, but that book may be our best shot at figuring out what happened to Dilton and Ben." Jughead pleaded with this father in front of the fire, Alice pushing her way between them.

"How many copies are there?" FP asked, knowing that there was no use destroying this one if there were more. This game spread like a disease.

"As far as we know, that's the only one." Jughead said, trying to snatch the book away, only to be pushed back by Alice.

"Which is why you can't destroy it!" Betty said over Jughead's shoulder.

"FP, do it." Alice demanded, and with that, FP threw the scripture into the fire. The parents watched as pages of the book burned. It was like watching their deepest fears disintegrate. Their children on the other hand, were crushed. That book felt like their only shot at figuring out what evil was lurking around Riverdale this time.