Stardust // Reggie Mantle (3)

Chapter Fifty

The group ventured forward until they cane across a large pit, in which a fire burned brightly in the middle. Bones were scattered around the ground. Caia couldn't tell if they were fakes placed there to scare them, or if they were real remnants caused by the thing Archie was about to have to fight.

Next to the fire, a large man stood. He wore nothing but shorts and a large fur pelt face mask. He growled again, and although Caia could see it was a man, she still wasn't fully convinced he wasn't actually part bear. That said, she definitely didn't envy Archie.

"Archie," Veronica warned, staring in fear at the bear man. "Don't do this." Veronica's warnings seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Archie was already taking off his sport coat. "That guy is eight feet tall and jacked."

"It's just a fight," Archie responded. She glanced at Veronica. "I've been fighting all year." He began unbuttoning his vest. "Don't forget, I survived a real bear attack, remember? If I don't make it, tell my mom and dad I love them. And you guys." And with those words, Archie started towards the man in the bear outfit, still stripping clothes as he went. Caia sucked in a deep breath. Archie had to win this fight. He couldn't die.

Archie's first run at the bear man resulted in him getting knocked all the way off his feet to land belly up on the ground, hard. Caia grimaced. Beside her, Jughead groaned and dropped to his haunches, putting a fist to his mouth.

The bear man proceeded to kick Archie twice as he lay on the ground, before grabbing him by the back of the shirt, pulling him up a little, then slamming him back down again. At each hit, Caia grimaced even more. Betty stood completely still, watching the fight wide eyed, mirroring Veronica's expression.

Finally, Archie managed to scramble to his feet and punched his opponent in the stomach and face twice before missing a third punch and receiving one to the face instead. The bear man knocked Archie the ground once again. Archie pushed himself up on his arms to stare at the man opposite him, breathing heavily. He made a move to get up, but received a hard kick to the gut sent him rolling a few feet away.

Caia closed her eyes. She almost couldn't watch. However, she opened them a moment later, right after Archie kicked the bear man in his gut and sent him flying back. Archie scrambled back a few feet and snatched one of the bones from next to the fire. He stood to his feet and slammed the bone in to his face. Archie received a few punches in return. He was knocked down again, and the bear man advanced upon him.

Archie's feet were grabbed and he was drug a few feet before the bear man picked him up and launched him through the air and into the dirt wall surrounding the pit. Caia breathed heavily as she watched Archie struggle to his feet while the bear man grabbed a large bone from the ground. As the bear man attempted to bring the bone down on Archie's head, the red haired boy ducked under and sent multiple punches into bear man's face until he fell to the ground. Finally, Archie picked up the same bone bear man had attempted to attack him with and slammed it into the man's face three times, effectively knocking him out.

Caia wanted to cheer. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Archie throw the bone to the aide and stand to his feet, victorius.

The group immediately rushed down the hill to Archie's side. He was staring intently down at the man he had just beaten. "Hey," Jughead greeted, setting Archie's jacket over his shoulders.

Veronica looked sympathetically at Archie for a few moments before finally repenting to what she felt. "Come here," she called, bringing Archie close and engulfing him in a hug.

When they finally broke away, Archie grimaced, hard. "Archie, are you sure your okay?" Veronica inquired, concerned.

Archie raised his gaze to meet Veronica's. "Apart from every inch of my body," He joked.