ѕerpenт qυeen - Jughead Jones

XXIX.

Jughead paced angrily as he talked, "This isn't an alliance with the Ghoulies. This is a hostile takeover. God, who knows how long Tall Boy has been planning on betraying us. Maybe I stall, just until Sweet Pea and Toni get out. I just hope they'd rather go to war with the Ghoulies than start..." Jughead said to Hot Dog, Archie, and Ava. "Jughead." Archie said. "...dealing jingle-jangle." Jughead finishes. "You joined the Serpents to keep the peace." Archie said. "Our dads would never sit back and let this happen, so, neither will we." Ava told them standing up. "So, unless you have any better ideas..." Jughead said. "Not me. But, dude, what you just said..." Archie said. Ava smiled slightly, they would go to FP for help... If he couldn't, they would have to have better help, Ava really didn't want the other help. 

Jughead and Ava had the phone while Archie watched from behind them. " Start from the beginning, boys and girl..." FP said through his phone. " Hey, you can reprimand me for joining the Serpents later, but if we don't do something now... there will be no more Serpents. It'll just be the Ghoulies." Jughead said before FP banged his phone on the glass. Ava flinched and Jughead stopped talking. "Ghoulies dress like fops, but they're a nasty crew. The Serpents have survived worse, though. Much worse. The only hitch is, it sounds like you're outmanned, which means you gotta avoid bloodshed at all costs." FP told them. Archie nodded, "I agree. A hundred percent." Archie said through Ava's phone. "So, outthink them. This is about territory. If there's one thing Ghoulies love..." FP said before Ava joined in at the end. "it's their crazy souped-up retro cars and hearses." Ava nodded and thought of a plan for them. "You catch my Riverdale drift, boys and Ava? Challenge them to a street race, one-on-one. But keep it on the DL. It's illegal. It'll get you locked up." FP said. "Go on..." Jughead said. "Set the terms of the race. Their guy wins, the Serpents roll over." FP said. Ava smirked a bit, "But if we win, the Ghoulies back off." She said looking at Jughead who nodded. "And maybe you raise the stakes. Whoever wins controls Southside High." FP said. "We get rid of the Ghoulies and get rid of the jingle-jangle and get McCoy off our back." Jughead said nodding, he was smiling a bit at the idea of them winning. 

" Me and my boys... wanna challenge you to a race." Ava said smirking. "If we win... Serpents remain autonomous... and you quit dealing at Southside High." Jughead said. Malachai went closer to Ava and smiled. " And if we win?" He asked. "We fold... and you can continue polluting Southside with your little straws of death." Ava said looking at him. "So, the mighty Serpent Princess and Prince has some stones, but not much else. So, unless Your Highnesses wants to put some of Daddy's territory on the table, I got no reason to agree to a race." Malachai said. Jughead looked at Ava then heard the door open. "They were following me. Tried to get in the garage." The dealer said. "Veronica?" Archie asked. "Betty?" Jughead asked as they looked at the two girls being drag into there. "Archie?" Veronica asked. "Jughead? Ava?" Betty asked seeing them. "What are you doing here?" They all asked each other in the house. "Wait. So, these are your bitches?" Malachai asked. "I beg your misogynistic pardon?" Veronica said. "Why don't you take your skanks and get the hell out of here? Until you make me a better offer, there'll be no race." Malachai said. Ava looked at Jughead then Archie. "If you win...we'll give you the Whyte Wyrm. And my full pledged loyalty to you. You can expand your drug-dealing horizon sand upgrade out of this literal hellhole." Ava said looking at him. Jughead tried to stop her but she glanced at him. "We'll take the Wyrm and Sunnyside Trailer Park and your pledged loyalty for me." Malachai said. Ava nodded and walked off first. 

Jughead stopped her from walking away from him anymore. "When were you going to tell me... That you were the Serpent Princess?" Jughead asked her, he was holding her wrist. She turned to face him with tears in her eyes. "As long as I could... I saw how happy you were with Betty... You will always choose her over me." She said to him. "Aveline... I love you." He said truthfully. "But, I will always love Betty too." He said. She nodded then looked down sadly. "I can't be the second choice you would go for... I need to be the first one." She said. "Why did you even swore your loyalty to him, he had enough..." Jughead said. "Because, I trusted us to win... I hoped. If we didn't. I would lose everything... Even myself." She said before walking off to where he feet would take her. 

Jughead leaned against Reggie's car as Betty fixed his car for racing. Ava was helping Betty, she knew how to make racing cars since her brother taught her before he disappeared with their mother. "God bless Reggie Mantle and his inferiority complex. His car's a lot like him. It's beautiful to look at... but not much going on under the hood. Um, crescent wrench, please." Betty said to Jughead who gave her the tool. "Thank you." She said. Jughead turned away from Betty again, she looked at Jughead then Ava for help. Ava motioned to start talking about something, she didn't want to deal with talking with her. "So, this is what Serpents do for fun, huh? Street-race rival gangs?" Betty said trying to start a conservation. Jughead turned around and looked at her. " Just go ahead and say it, Betty." He told her. "You said you weren't gonna join them, Jug." Betty said, she stopped working on the car. "And you said you loved me, and then you dumped me via Archie. Which, by the way, way worse than via text." Jughead told her while Ava was ignoring them. She hummed while fixing Reggie's car to be better in the race, she didn't want to pledge herself to Malachai...

"All right, let's do this!" Tallboy said. "All right!" They all yelled. Malachai went to Ava and winked. "I'll make sure I win, my Princess." He said. "Sure you will..." She said blankily before she walked away. She walked over to her Northside friends. "Not the kind of drag raceI ever imagined myself going to, but at least the guys are hot." Kevin said. Ava smiled and rolled her eyes. "Some are... Malachai is not." She told Kevin. Ava walked to Jughead and hugged him tightly. "Please be safe, Juggy." She told him. Jughead kissed her cheek, "I will. I promise, Avie." He told her. She walked away to Archie, "Your plan better work..." She said to Archie as she passed him. Tallboy walked with Ava to in between cars. "Let's do it!" Tallboy and Ava yelled. The Southside Serpents cheered for the Serpent Prince. Jughead's friends from the Northside cheering for Archie and him. Cheryl walked to her spot in between cars, she started the race. Ava was messing with her necklace then her hat. She watched the cars disappear in the streets, she went to Toni. "I heard Jughead knows..." She said. Ava nodded and sighed. "He loves Betty more than me so... I told him to decide but I'll stand by him no matter what." She said looking at her. Sweet Pea nodded, he knew she would pick Jughead over him, she was the Serpent Queen. 

"Everyone scatter!The cops are rounding up Ghoulies!" A guy yelled. Ava looked at the Serpents and nodded. They needed to leave too just in case. Jughead and Archie arrived in Reggie's car. Ava rushed to Jughead and hugged him tightly. "I'm glad you're okay." Ava said. Tallboy walked to them, "You called the cops? You won't throw in with the Ghoulies,but you will with cops?" He asked. "Calm down, Tall Boy. You think I knew Keller would be there?" Jughead said. Ava nodded. "I called Keller." Archie said. "What the hell, Archie? Did my dad tell you about this, too?" Jughead asked angered. "No, this was my ideato get rid of the Ghoulies. It worked. They get arrested for racing,they're off the chessboard." Archie told him. Ava gasped and looked at him, "For how long? One month? Three months? You know what they'll wanton the other side? Your head on a stake! All of ours!" Ava yelled to Archie before walking away.