Flatline ((Jughead Jones)) 3

7

"Good job, you're inside. Pantera, you're up." Jughead smiled, as Cheryl rolled enough for her intimidation spell to be effective. It seemed that the game I had been so fascinated with was just like every other game that was played between friends. What I was struggling to understand was how everyone was so drawn into it, and why they treated the characters like they were real?

Fangs picked up the dice, about to roll as I lay my head on Jughead's shoulder. He was beginning to talk about the Paladin, and I was feeling the dimly lit room getting to me. The game had turned out to be less of a mystery than the Blossom family red hair, and the worry for my brother was increasing.

The more the game went on, the more excitement filled the room and the room anticipation filled my head. I didn't know how the plan was going, but I hoped it was going as well as Jug's quest. Fangs, Cheryl, Toni and Sweet Pea were all enthralled by the thrill of rolling the dice, each clearly feeling like their luck wouldn't run out.

As the chase began, I stood, moving to the bed and getting a book from my bag. Every few lines I stopped, smiling at J's passionate face, soaking in every piece of anticipation from the four in front of him. They were living out the quest.
"...Or do you surrender and beg for mercy?" J asked them only to be met with shouts to keep going. I had never seen these four so entranced by a story before. I was sure that the two boys had never picked up a book in their lives, yet here they were hanging off every word, off of every little detail as if they were the characters. I guess thats what Jughead's writing could do.

After it was announced after a few minutes more that they had outsmarted the emperor's cavalry, they boys began cheering, making those weird happy chanting noises that make our age group more similar to the neanderthal than the modern man, while the girls shared a celebratory kiss.

I listened to my phone buzz, while the four serpents asked jughead if the quest was a success. It was from Betty, saying that they were on their way to the bunker. I knew that meant my brother was safe. He was out of the hell they called juvie, and away from Hiram's clutches.

"They're coming." I said to the group breaking the tense silence that had fallen.

Both myself and Jug stood up and walked to the entrance to the bunker just in time to hear bangs from above. From the message, I knew who that was. The door above opened to reveal Veronica looking down, then guiding a very battered and dirt covered Archie next to her. He began to lower himself as Jughead ran to help him.

Once Archie was lay on the bed, Toni and I moved next to him to assess his condition. Toni had worked on her fair share of fight wounds and I had gotten used to bandaging up my brother after school fights before our parents found out. (That and Jug was a very accident prone child.) I pulled the first aid kit I brought with me out of my bag, knowing the condition we found Archie in wouldn't be a good one. Toni began to clean the wound with antiseptic lotion and cotton pads while I was getting a patch ready. I pulled out the bandage patch, applying it to his now clean wound.
"Don't make any sudden movements, you'll only have your sister to answer too." Toni smiled at him.
"Yeah wouldn't want to get on the queen's bad side." He chuckled as I moved and kissed his forehead, telling him I was glad he was home.

Veronica moved to sit next to Archie, asking who had stabbed him. From the looks of the wound it was recent, happened in the last few hours. Archie's answer was more than unexpected. Joaquin.
"I think the warden made him do it. He said he couldn't get to the angel, so he'd have to settle for me." Jughead looked over to me in concern, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me closer in fear of losing me. It seemed that this game did come with surprises. Someone was playing a much more dangerous game, one that didn't involve fake quests and dice.

As Archie was asking about where he was, I was thinking back to Archie. In a matter of days everyone knew that I was the Angel of Death in the game, and Queen of the Serpents. Whoever had made Joaquin kill Archie, even if it was Warden Norton, must have known about my avatar name. This only made me wonder how deep a simple game ran in the small town of Riverdale.

Archie revealed a brand on his hip, the same one that was found on Dilton. Everyone looked shocked, and seemed taken aback by the development. Maybe Jughead's character that he created to represent Archie in the game was more real the he thought.

"Thia and I will take the first shift. She won't want to leave her brother anyway." Jughead answered. After zoning out, I realised Veronica had asked for people to stay with Archie. Like a true gang leader, she then made everyone promise not to tell anyone about their involvement with the breakout, the bunker or even Archie. For the safety of ourselves and the boy lying helpless on the bed, no one could know. Sadly that meant dad had to suffer a little longer without his son.

It took hours for Archie to fall asleep after everyone left. Myself and Jug were sat in the pipe leading to the bunker in silence while Archie shut his eyes. I knew what he was feeling. Like if he closed his eyes then he would be back in Juvie, back in his cell, back with the warden. He knew if he closed his eyes he would think about each fight and all those who are still in their and not at least somewhat safe. He was going through what I went through after the Black Hood. He would be terrified that everything was a dream and falling asleep would mean he'd have to wake up to the nightmare once more.

"Jug, his burn mark."

"You mean his brand," J corrected. We were talking barely above a whisper, not wanting to disturb Archie anymore. "Looks like a runic symbol from Gryphons and Gargoyles." He wasn't wrong and he knew it. In fact, everyone that saw that brand the moment archie showed it knew what it was from. With the amount people were playing it, it was hard not to recognise it.

"Betty said the warden called him the Red Paladin. Does that mean he's playing G&G?" I asked. Jughead leaned forward, off the wall to be closer to me.

"This is what I am saying. This game is so much bigger than a couple kids playing. What if Warden Norton is the Gargoyle King?" The fire of mystery was back in his eyes. It was there during the investigation into my brothers death. It was there last year with the Black Hood killings. And now it was back as the mystery of the game seemed to be thickening into the most elaborate one yet.

"Before we dive back in, J, I think you should go home and rest first. How long has it been since you've slept?" My boyfriend hadn't slept with me and I knew he hadn't been home either. He had been too wrapped up in this game. "A couple hours at least." I reasoned. "I'll be fine here. I have my big brother to look after me anyway." I smiled. It seemed Jughead would take me up on my offer, knowing he couldn't change my mind, and couldn't bare to argue with me further. He kissed my forehead, collected his jacket then left. Leaving me alone with the Red Paladin. In the end, why did Warden Norton do it? Was he afraid of retribution from the authorities for his illegal activities? Or was it that the game of G&G that he had been playing was finally over? And the Gargoyle King was calling him home to ascend. Either way, the result was the same. Death by cyanide poisoning.