Descendants of Darkness

Prologue

Jughead opened his mouth to argue but when Betty picked up Daphne and spun her around in circles, he knew he couldn't risk it. Someday, he'd find a way out of this, but until then, he had to obey and give into the shitty deal.

"Fine. You have a deal. 5%."

"Ha! 25 or Juliet drops dead." The feed showed his ten year old daughter walking outside and standing on the back porch.

"Twenty-five percent?!" 

"Get ready men." Matiez said into the phone.

"Fine! Twenty-five percent!" Jughead caved, his heart rate spiking and sweat beading on his forehead.

"Was that so hard, Jones?" Matiez shut off the phone.

"I will send one of my men to meet you on the last Tuesday of every month, past the town lines with your payment. You cannot send any of your Ghoulies into Riverdale, and if I catch any of them involved in any shady business, I'll personally take care of them myself." Jughead spat in Matiez's face.

"Don't push your luck Jones, for now, we've made a deal."

"Get him out of here." Jughead ordered as he gripped the metal table and Sweet Pea and the man dragged Matiez out of the interrogation room. "And Matiez." Jughead turned to face him, "if I ever catch you or your daughter sneaking around here or anywhere near Juliet, Betty or around the rest of my family, you're both good as dead."

Matiez chuckled, "and I don't count on it."

The door locked shut and Jughead scrambled for his phone and called Betty. His heart pounding and his palms sweaty, and a million what ifs buzzed around his head like hornets.

"Come on Betts, pick up!" Jughead shouted, "please." He added, his voice breaking.

She picked up on the last ring. "Jug? What's up?"

"Thank god." He let out a breath of relief and he nearly let a tear slip from his eye.

"Jughead?" Her tone changed immediately. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes." He smiled, "everything's better now. Are the kids there?"

"Yep, are you sure you're okay?"

"What about Jules?"

"Juliet!" Betty called out and Jughead felt his heart stop for the fifteen second pause.

In the background, he heard her little voice, "yeah mom?" He let out breath of relief and sagged against the wall.

"She's here, just snuck outside like she always does." Jughead could picture Betty's perfect adoring smile.

"Of course she was. I'll be home soon, just gotta finish some stuff up here."

"Don't think you are getting out of telling me what's going on later." Betty scolded.

"Is that daddy?" He head Daphne ask.

"Yes, daddy will be home soon."

"Hi daddy!" Jughead laughed at Daphne's cheerful voice.

"Dadda!" He heard Cylus call out.

"Get home fast. Please." Betty pleaded.

Jughead smiled, "I'm coming home now. Love you Betts."

"I know you do. See you in a bit." She hung up and Jughead sagged into the wall.

"Hey, Jug?" He heard Fangs say.

"Yeah?" Jughead walked towards him, eager to get home to his family.

"25%? We can't cut that."

"I know."

"We already give the city 60%." Fangs uttered as they walked through the liar.

"We'll have to cut back, we can just say things are slowing down." Jughead said, raking his hands through his hair as they walked through the sewage pipes.

"They'll find out."

"We can't tell the governor about the Ghoulie deal, our operation is fucked if they find out." Jughead answered firmly, the echoes of their footsteps blending with the constant dripping of water.

"Yes, but the governor will find out eventually."

"Fangs, the government keeps secrets way worse than what we're doing all the time and they get away with it. We'll be fine, besides." Jughead stopped at his bike. "We know he's cheating on his wife with Kiara Grundy."

"Wait, is Kiara related to Geraldine?"

"Her niece." Jughead revved the engine.

"God, that name is cursed."

"Yeah it is." They both laughed, "I'll call a meeting for tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m.,  I want every Serpent there."

"You got it boss. Say hi to the family for me." Fangs finished and Jughead nodded and drove off under the misty streetlights, knowing that he would do anything to protect his family, no matter what the cost was.