Falice

Forsythe Sr.

Jughead wandered deep into the woods in search of a cabin that he recently discovered belonged to his grandfather. He wasn't sure what exactly he was getting himself into. The man didn't have the nicest of words used to describe him.

He knocked on the front door. He glanced around as he waited for the door to open. It was very isolated from the world. He knocked again when he didn't get a response, but yet again had no luck. He thought about taking a look around before deciding to leave.

He took a few steps down the side of the cabin towards the back. The closer he got to the back the more clearly he could hear glass breaking.

He spotted an older man in the distance. He was chucking empty beer bottles at a bulky tree. "Hey!" Jughead tried grabbing his attention, but the man couldn't hear him. He continued to throw bottles at the tree, watching them shatter all at once. "Hey!" Jughead repeated. Forsythe finally heard a couple of footsteps behind him. He didn't turn around to face him though. "Are you Forsythe?" Forsythe let the bottle in his hand drop down to the grass all while still refusing to turn.

"Who's asking?"

"I heard he went to Stonewall Prep for some time. I was enrolled there recently." Jughead explained. "And well I'm his grandson." Forsythe turned around to face him. He could tell he was from the prep school just by his uniform.

Forsythe had a full, rugged beard hugging his chin and his gray hair was slicked back, much like his father usually had it. "You're junior's boy?"

"Yes," Jughead shyly continued to say. "I'm the third of us."

"I didn't know he had a kid."

Jughead didn't know what to say after that. Thankfully Forsythe kept the conversation going by inviting him inside. Jughead took a seat on the couch. "So what brings you here? How did you even find me?" Forsythe slumped down on his recliner.

"My dad said you were dead." Jughead said. "And unless this is some seance you look pretty alive to me."

"Does your father know you're here?"

"Nope," Jughead spat out. "I knew he wouldn't let me see you if I told him I found you." Jughead knew FP would disapprove of him having any contact with Forsythe. "And I have a couple of questions for you."

Forsythe sighed. He had a gut feeling as to where this was heading. "I don't know how your old man would feel about this."

"He doesn't need to know," Jughead shrugged. "First of all I know you went to Stonewall Prep because he told me," Jughead began. "So why were you so against him going to college?"

Forsythe pinched the arch of his nose. "The past was the past. I honestly do regret many things." He reached into his pocket for a box of cigarettes. He pulled out one and lit it up. "My boy had potential." He took a blow of it. "But I knew he had responsibilities as a Serpent. It's in his blood."

"That's the thing. He didn't want to," Jughead pointed out. "Just like he opposed of me getting wrapped up with them."

"You a Serpent?"

"Yeah," Jughead nodded. "He passed down the mantle to me actually."

"Serpent King, huh?" Forsythe seemed to approve. "I like you."

•••

Forsythe found the new Jones house courtesy of Jughead. He hasn't seen his son in years and he was due a confrontation.

He stood in front of the bright red door, hands in pocket, and eyes straight ahead. He couldn't believe his son lived there, or was even on the northside for that matter. The house was huge compared to the double wide.