Resilience | Sweet Pea.

79 - Survive the night, Midnight Children

"The task before you is simple, make it through the woods. Survive the night." Penelope announces. "You will be tested, each of you. Refuse my tests, or try to escape, and my Gargoyle minions will kill you. May the final quest begin!"

We all stand there, confused, staring at her.

"I'd start running if I were you." Penelope warns.

We run off into the woods with flashlights, securing the chaos that tonight will bring. Once deep enough into the woods, we slow to a walk to discuss what's happening.

"The good news is, if Penelope wanted us dead, we would be. She wants us alive." Jughead says

"Yeah, well, at least long enough to complete her bizarre social experiment." Betty scoffs.

"Yeah or die trying." Archie adds.

"We don't even know where to go!" Veronica scoffs

"Actually, Enchantress, we might." Jughead says, shining his light onto a tree with a red arrow carved into it. "C'mon. Let's go."

The group of us keep moving, silently through the forest. Until we reach a tree with a scroll and a card on it.

"It's a Red Paladin card." I call out, grabbing the scroll from its holder. "Archie, this quest is for you."

Archie takes the scroll from me, hesitantly opening it.

"The Red Paladin must conquer the Grizzled Beast. He must battle, alone in the pit to save his home." Archie reads out.

"What is a Grizzled beast?" Veronica asks.

Instead of an answer, we hear growls and groans of a bear in the distance.

"No, no way." I gasp.

"Oh crap, not again." Archie sighs.

We move forward, reaching the pit. When we look in, not a bear stands in the pit, but a large man in tribal like attire, staring at Archie with a crazed look in his eyes.

"Archie, don't do this." Veronica warns as Archie takes off his jacket.

"V's right, Arch. You'll be killed." I warn. "That guy is eight-feet-tall and jacked."

"It's just a fight, I've been fighting all year. I survived a real bear attack, remember?" Archie says.

"Archie." I beg, grabbing his arm.

"Nov, if I don't make it, tell mom and dad I love them." Archie says.

"Don't say that." I beg him.

"I love you." He tells me, before looking at our friends. "And you guys."

Archie walks away into the pit, I try to go after him but Jughead pulls me back, holding my in his arms like a brace.

"Let go, Jug." I demand.

"Nova, we all know none of us are gonna like what we're about to see." Betty says. "But he's doing it for your own good."

Archie runs at the large man, who clotheslines him, sending him to the ground and begins kicking him with a heavy force, I hold back a scream, as I become nearly limp in Jughead's arms.

"He's going to die." I say so softly I don't even know if im heard. "I can't let him die."

I struggle against Jughead's grip as the bear man lifts Archie and shoves him back onto the ground repeatedly.

"Jughead fucking let me go!" I scream.

"I can't, Nova!" Jughead yells.

Archie leaps from the ground, shoving bear man back, and punching him a few times. Bear man swings at Archie, but he ducks in time, shoving him only for Bear man to punch him in the face which sends him back to the ground.