The Other Serpent - Book 2 (Riverdale Season 2)

Brave New World - Part 1

Archie, Veronica, Betty, and Aminity stood in front of the grave, Jughead's beanie in Betty's hands. She walked over, kneeling and running her hand over the name carved into the stone.

"Come back to me, Jug," she cried. "We're not done yet. Do you hear me? Our story's not over, it's just beginning."

"You can't go," Aminity walked over. "We're not ready to let you go and you don't want to let us go, do you?"

"So come back to us. Okay?" Betty finished.

Jughead groaned as he opened his eyes, taking in a sharp breath as he tried to sit up before laying down again. "Dad? Aminity?" he asked as he saw them sleeping in the chairs beside his bed.

"Jug?" FP asked as they startled awake, walking over to him.

"What did I miss?"

"A lot," Aminity tried to let out a chuckle, but it fell flat. They sat back down as they explained everything that happened after a nurse came in and checked on him, helping him sit up.

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

"Why?" he let out. "Why did you go?"

"I wanted to avenge you."

"I had an agreement with Hiram Lodge."

"I managed to persuade Aminity to stay here and watch over you, but there was no stopping the others. They were churned up about you and Fangs."

"Even though they didn't need to be." Jughead gave her a questioning look. "Fangs is alive. He's fine."

"Fangs is alive?" FP nodded and Jughead let out a sigh of relief. "But I thought... A deputy called you and told you he was dead."

"Yeah, that was a lie."

"A ploy, you mean. To goad the Serpents into a fight they couldn't win. All of riot night was a Hiram Lodge orchestrated mousetrap and the Serpents followed me right into it."

"Jug, it's not your fault."

"Sunnyside Trailer Park fell and while our trailer's still standing, most of them burned." FP sat up slowly. "Jug, after the rumble, some of the Serpents defected. They- They joined the Ghoulies, others were arrested, more went into hiding, the rest... they left town. The Serpents," he shook his head, "they don't exist anymore. We had our time. Nothing for you to do but get better and to be there for Betty."

"Betty?" he started to panic. "What happened to Betty?" Aminity and FP glanced at each other.

***

"I'll be out of here first thing tomorrow," Jughead sat with Betty and Aminity on either side of him on the bed, Veronica and Archie in the chairs.

"That's good, Jug, because we still need your brain. There's another mystery to solve," Archie told him. "Mr. Cooper was at the town hall when some other Black Hood took shots at the candidates and he was at home with Betty and Mrs. Cooper when another Black Hood, probably the same as the one at the town hall, came after me and my dad. So-"

"Well, a second Black Hood's attacks at the town hall and on your dad seem to indicate a political motive. Which to me suggests-"

"That my father's behind them?" They all turned to face her. "I don't disagree. With Fred out of the way, my mother's path to victory is that much more assured."