Ride or Die

*18*

"What did I miss?" Jughead asked from his hospital bed

"What you did brought every Serpent I've ever known out of the woodwork and you would've been proud of 'em, boy" FP stated "It looked like we were gonna win the day, but in the end, there were just too many Ghoulies. It was like shooting snakes in a barrel"

"Why? Why did you go?"

"I wanted to avenge you" He argued

"I had an agreement with Hiram Lodge"

"There was no stopping the others" He continued "They were churned about you and Fangs. Even though Fangs is...He's alive"

During the fight, Sunnyside Trailer park fell with most homes burned. But then it got worse, some Serpents joined the Ghoulies, others got arrested, and finally, the others went into hiding or just left town.

—

"A lot of people took advantage of riot night" The Sheriff explained to Archie after identifying the black hood "We had multiple reports of looters wearing black ski masks"

"The man at my house wasn't a looter, Sheriff, he was there to murder my father. You may not be taking this seriously but I am. Make sure your boss knows that"

—

"So this is how it ends, huh?" Jughead asked as he threw a paper to a side "Not with a whimper, but with a memo from Weatherbee"

"Riverdale High is now suddenly overcrowded" Toni sighed as she began reading the paper in her hand "So starting next week, all former Southside High students will be bussed to Seaside High, which is two hours away"

"Meaning, he blames us for trashing the school during riot night"

"Isn't that exactly what you did, Amor?" I asked with an eyebrow raised

"What's our play, Jones? Do we have one?"

"I don't know anymore, guys" Jones answered "I can't keep fighting for a gang that doesn't exist"

"Well, what about us?" Toni countered "Or any of the other Serpents at the Wyrm?"

"What Serpents at the Wyrm?"

—

The Wyrm was filled to the brim with Serpents and their families. While Jug was looking around, I was busy checking on the younger ones.

"I don't understand," Jughead said after sometime

"You saw what the Ghoulies did to most of Sunnyside" Toni reminded

"A lot of Serpents couldn't afford to leave Riverdale" Sweets added "So we came here"

"Does my dad know about this?"

—

"Take only what you absolutely need, and what you can carry with you" Jughead ordered "We need to move quickly and quietly. Sheriff Minetta's forces are all over the Southside and they're looking for our blood. If we want our skulls to remain uncracked, we have to go undetected"

"Go where? There's nowhere safe"

"We've been offered asylum on the Northside"

—

"All right. Two dots and a dash" Fred said as he passed the plate to a Serpent "Two chicks on a raft here, Jug. And there's a stack of Vermont hot for ya"

"What's going on here? You do all this?" FP asked as he entered the house

"With an assist from Archie" Jughead added "Toledo's gonna have to wait"

"Maybe so" He stated "Bulldog helping Serpents, Freddie Andrews opening his house to a bunch of snakes. There goes the rest of your Northside boat, buddy"

"We're all neighbors here"

—

"What's the meaning of this?" Weatherbee asked as he saw his students wearing Serpent jackets

"It's to show of support, sir" Archie explained "For the Southsiders who are being wrongly transferred out of our school. Everyone's ready to walk out, Principal Weatherbee"

"Any student who walks out better keep walking because they'll be expelled"

"You're a good man, Principal Weatherbee" He continued "You're a good man, Principal Weatherbee. You're not the kind of person who discriminates. And if you are, then expel me. Because I don't want to be apart of that"

"Everyone, get to class," Weatherbee said before walking away

—

"Attention, Riverdale High students," Weatherbee said over the PA "The results of your student council election are in. Your new student body president is Archie Andrews. In unrelated news, for the foreseeable future, all former Southside High students will remain at Riverdale High. That is all"

—

After school, FP called for a meeting at the lakeside. All of the Serpents and Cheryl were standing around chattering when FP started talking.

"Listen up now! Hey, listen up! Some 60 years ago, the very first Serpent meeting took place on these same riverbanks. And it makes sense that it where we gather now, where I...Where I say my goodbye. Jughead, would you step up here, son?"

"Dad, what are you doing?" He whispered once he got walked towards him

"What I should've done a long time ago" He answered before addressing the rest of us "I'm retiring from the Serpents. For real this time. But my boy...My boy has never stopped fighting for this crew. Hell, he almost died for it" He turned back to Jug "That's why I'm giving you the mantle. And now, as you're first official duty as Serpent King"

Toni passed him a red Serpent jacket, FP continued "I think you know what to do with this. Take it"

"All I can say is I love you, dad" Jug said as he held the jacket as FP stepped away "And the Serpent will not die out. Not on my watch"

And with that, the newest Serpent member was given her jacket. Cheryl Blossom was one of us. She was officially apart of our family.

—

Epilogue coming sometime next week!