monsters | riverdale

The Stand

The time is now.

The gang is meeting to decide how to deal with their current villain, Percival, the immortal, inter-dimensional sorcerer whose power is growing by the hour.

By tomorrow, the town might be gone forever. Percival wants to claim the town of Riverdale as his or he'll destroy it.

The town's borders have been shut down to keep people from leaving. Also, the closed borders means no one is coming to help, but that was inevitable since no one knew what was happening unless they lived in Riverdale. The town has become a sealed-off ecosystem. All of this piled against them wasn't going to stop the friends from trying.

Betty isn't sure if it's worth it though. "This is a mistake. You're walking into the lion's den." Veronica and Archie have just revealed their plan to go meet with Percival.

"We have to do it," Veronica insists. "We're not just setting parameters for the war. We're trying to get Alice, Frank and Tom back. Negotiate their return."

Kevin wonders, "Would Percival really allow that?"

Sitting on the arm of the couch occupied by Toni and Fangs, Mickey asks, "What crazy demands would he make in return? Baby Anthony?"

Immediately, Toni shuts this down. "Hell no."

Archie with his folded arms assures her, "We're not going there, Toni."

Veronica hesitates on saying what comes to mind. Then she remembers this isn't the time to be fragile. "But there are a few things we should discuss offering him. Like, maybe...half of Riverdale."

"What?!" Jughead frowns deeply, "And go back to a Northside and Southside again? No!"

Cheryl throws her hands up out of frustration. "At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Percival is but one. Let me go all super-nova on his ass and burn him off the face of the earth like the pimple he is. Please!"

Tabitha shakes her head. "It's too risky, Cheryl. I've seen the future, a possible future. We are trying to avoid the apocalypse. You going nuclear on Percival might be the very thing that destroys Riverdale."

Veronica decides to end the back and forth, "Look, the meeting is happening. I'll get us the best deal that I can, but we have to assume that Percival is going to demand our complete and immediate surrender. Are we willing to go there? And, if not, are we ready to say goodbye to those we've lost? For good?"

✿

The next day, Mickey, Jughead, and Tabitha are in Mickey's apartment. After last night, the three of them—as well as the rest of their friends, probably—needed to recharge from Percival's psychological warfare; he gave back the bodies without their heads so Cheryl couldn't revive them.

They also needed to rest up and prepare because Percival made it clear to Archie and Veronica that the big battle is going to happen tonight at the diner.

Tired from Percival giving back the bodies without heads so that Cheryl can't revive them. Psychological warfare before the big battle.

Jughead is preparing the ultimate sandwich. If he was going to die tonight, he wanted his taste buds to be completely satisfied. It's silly, and he knows that, but what else can a dying man ask for while trapped in a small town. "Are you both sure neither of you want one?" He glances at Mickey, who is sitting on the other side of the island that he's using. Then he looks over to Tabitha, who is standing by the refrigerator with her arms folded.

"Jughead, you need to leave Riverdale!" Tabitha blurts. She is slightly agitated that he's concerning himself with perfecting his sandwich instead of his demise. "Like, right now." It kept her up all night.