Betty shouldn't be surprised at who she sees. Her Uncle, who isn't really her uncle, is just a title she uses for him and who is the father of Cheryl Blossom, and the father of the late Jason Blossom. And a distant cousin to her father Hal who was killed several months before by her Aunt Penny, who is the sister of her mom. It's a family affair.
Betty watches as Clifford paces back and forth across the room. He's talking but she's not paying attention. She's working at trying to put everything together. One thing stands out to her when he is talking.
"I'm here to finish what that dreaded woman couldn't." He said.
"Huh?" she asked. Is he talking about Vanesaa Hargrove, the woman responsible for kidnapping her the first time around. He's rambling on and not making much sense right now. It's making her frustrated because she can't believe this is happening again to her.
"Miss Cooper"
Betty looks at the door and she sees her English teacher standing there with a smirk plastered on his face. "Mr. Mueller, of course you're a part of this, I knew you were shady but psychotic." Betty said.
"I'm not Miss Cooper, I'm just passing by." he said, as he checked the time on his phone.
"Sure, if that's the story you're sticking too." she said, she wasn't sure where her bravery was coming from, but it made her feel like everything would be okay. "He's going to kill you, I hope you know that." Betty said.
"Who? Mr. Blossom? I don't think so" Mr. Mueller laughed.
"Oh, you think I'm talking about him." she smirked. "I assure you I'm not. And just for good measure he's going to kill him too" she adds.
"Ahh" Mr, Mueller said in understanding. "You're talking about Mr. Jones." he adds.
Betty just smiles. She didn't need to answer him.
"I don't think so Sweet cheeks, I will knock that boy on his ass, while you watch" he said.
Betty wants to laugh. He should know by now. That you should never underestimate the abilities of Jughead and his serpents. But it's obvious that Mr. Mueller is cocky and has never done his research. So she decides to ignore him and smiles softly at him. Jughead will kill him.
Mr. Mueller watches Betty, he's curious as to why she isn't reacting to the situation differently. "Why aren't you scared?" he asked her as he moved closer to her and is now standing in front of the bed she's on.
"Why should I be? I have lived through worse." she said as she looked up at him. He towered over her, he's tall but not Jughead tall.
A hand comes smacking her cheek. Betty spits at him. He was about to smack her again. When Clifford yelled. "Enough, let her be. We have work to do. We need to discuss our distribution plans into Greendale and Centerville."
Mr. Mueller smirked and walked off.
Betty goes back to scanning the room to see if there is something that will help her. She knows it's a long shot considering she's handcuffed to the bed. Someone else enters the room. It's her cousin Kai. He stops dead in his tracks. His eyes grew wide, he seemed shocked that she was here. Betty just stares, afraid to say something.
"Kai, come on." Clifford yelled.
Kai winked at her and left, she wasn't sure what to make of it. She knows the history between Kai and Jughead isn't good. She hopes Kai rises above it to tell Jughead where she is being kept.
Betty sighed as she laid back down. There isn't much to do but wait,
~
2 days later.
Jughead is going out of his mind. It's been two days since she was taken and they have nothing. He's very agitated and his stress level is extremely high, he's snapping at everyone and everyone.
Jughead walks back and forth. "We need to hurry up, move faster" he yelled to no one in particular.
"Boss, we are trying. Everyone is out looking. The elders are even out there" Pea yelled back.
That stopped Jughead. He isn't used to being yelled at. He looks over at Pea who looks utterly exhausted. None of them have slept. "We are trying, Jones. Everyone is tired, they are trying to push through. There just isn't anything," Toni said.
Jughead frowned. He knows all of this and he's so thankful for everyone and what they are doing for him. "I'm so lost right now, Toni" he tells her.
"We all are, I know she's your girl and all but she's also our Queen, We get it." she said.
Jughead wants to argue, Betty is his everything. He can't function without her. But he drops it. This isn't the time or the place for this. The Serpent's need to be united.
"Jug"
Jughead turns around towards the door. Fangs are standing there. "What is it?" he asked.
"You need to come outside, someone is here to see you." Fangs said.
"Who?" Jughead asked. He wasn't expecting anyone.
"Just come," Fangs said as he walked back outside.
Jughead wasn't in the mood for games. He gets up and walks outside. He wasn't expecting to see Malachi Smith. "I'm not in the fucking mood for your shit, Kai" Jughead yelled.
"Oh, jonesy. You seem tense. I suggest you calm down. You want to hear what I have to say." Kai said.
"And what would that be?" Jughead asked.
"The whereabouts of a certain Serpent Queen" He smirked.
It happened so quickly. Jughead lunges for Kai, not before being caught by Archie and Rob. "Let me have him," he yelled.
"Calm down Jug. We need him" Pea said.
Jughead wrangled free, "Tell me what you know. Now!" he yelled.
"Wow, I don't think I have ever seen you this wound up, its amusing" Kai laughed,
"Fuck You!" Jughead said.
Kai laughed. "Alright, she is alive." he said.
Jughead visibly relaxed. "I need more," he said.
"I'm not fond of you, you are a straight up buzzkill. But Betty is family and I don't like what I saw." he said. "That's the only reason I'm telling you this and I'm cutting ties with Mr. blossom. Let's just say he's crazier than what I like to deal with." He adds, pulling out a cigarette. He offered Jughead one, hoping it would calm him.
"Where is she?" He yelled, and he's getting more and more agitated.
"Chill, I'm getting there," Kai smirked.
Jughead was getting close to bashing his face in. He was doing this on purpose. Archie and Rob grabbed his arm again, sensing he was about to do something.
"I didn't know Clifford had taken her until I saw her Monday at his compound," Kai said.
"You've known since Monday and you know we're just getting around to telling me" He yelled as he started to move. Fangs and Pea now grab his arms, two men, one on each side holding him back. Jughead is angry.
Cheryl comes outside and walks over to him. She puts her hand on his arm. Jughead looks over at her and she is shaking her head. He relaxes, but not enough for them to let go of him. Cheryl then looks at Kai. "You need to finish before they let him loose," she said to him.
"She's fine, I needed to collect some things from him before I told you." he said, "Mr. Mueller is there as well" he adds.
"Of course he is. He's a little bitch" Pea yelled.
"That's no lie," Kai said. "Now, I know you are going to kill them both and I want no part of it. I didn't take her, I would never take her. I'm not that stupid" he adds.
"Debatable" Cheryl said.
"Cute," he said. "Anyways, I want your word that my Ghoulies and I will not be harmed," he said. "I want to be safe," he adds.
This is something that Jughead didn't want him to ask. It's something he would never offer. There would be an uproar within the Serpents if he agreed to this. But what else could he do? He backed him into a corner. He had to agree to it so he could get the information that he needed.
Jughead growled. "You and your Ghoulies are safe. As long as the information you give me is correct," Jughead said.
Kai nods. It's an oath from king to king. The only thing that can undo it, is the death of both kings. "She is at the Warehouse on Lincoln past H street," he said as he turned away. There was no reason to be here anymore.
They let go of Jughead's arms. He doesn't say anything. He walks inside and whistles, alerting the Serpents."We have news"
He feels relieved. They are a lot closer than they have been and it came from an unlikely source. Now they need to plan. Jughead stands and looks around, his people. His friends, his family. All stand there, waiting for word to go into battle, to rescue their Queen.
It feels like he stands there forever, thinking about what he wants to do. He doesn't want to put everyone in danger. They may have a location but that's all they have. He finally decides on something. "I'm only taking Cheryl with me," he said as he looked at her. Cheryl nods in acknowledgement.
"What? Why?" Toni asked as she ran up on stage. She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the back, she needed to speak with him without the eyes and ears of the other Serpents.
"I need the rest of you to be distractions, I don't need him to know we are on to him." He said. "Just makes it easier that way" he adds.
"Well, it isn't a terrible idea. I just don't like the fact it's just you two going in there" Toni said.
"It will be fine. T.T. I just need to be there. It's my father and I want to be the one that makes him pay for everything he has done" Cheryl said, as she joined them.
Toni takes her hand. "I just worry babe" she said as she kissed her.
"I know, but it needs to happen this way" Cheryl said as she cupped her face.
Toni looks over at Jughead. "So, what's your plan, once you're in there" Toni asked him.
"The only thing I care about and it involves just the three of us." he said,
"Solid plan genius," Toni said. Rolling her eyes, not approving of the plan.
"What? It's a great plan. Cheryl and I will go in. Take care of who needs to be taken care of and find Betts and leave" He said.
"You dont think it will be that simple. Do you.?" Toni said.
"Probably not," Jughead said. "But it's the plan we are going with" he adds as he starts to walk back to the stage.
"Well, I don't like it," Toni said.
"Too bad, you're not the boss" he said, he hears her mutter something but he ignores it. He will deal with her later, now there's a more important matter.
"Okay, so Cheryl and I will go into the compound, alone" Jughead said,
"I want my father, he deserves what is coming to him, for kidnapping Cousin Betty and killing my father." Cheryl yelled.
"Will you be able to kill your father?" Rob asked.
Cheryl looked at him and smirked. "Absolutely." she turned back to the crowd. "I know some of you still don't trust me, but trust this, trust that I will make my father pay for his actions" she yelled.
"I trust you," Rob said.
"So do I" Archie said.
"Cheryl has proven herself over and over again, this is a dead subject moving forward" Jughead yelled so that everyone could hear him, "Now, the ghoulies will not be touched" he adds.
"What?"
"Bullshit"
"They deserve what's coming for them"
Serpents yell, they are not happy with what Jughead has just told them.
"Calm down." he said. The Serpent's start to settle down.
"Why are they off limits?" a serpent asked..
"Well. for some strange reason, which I'm perfectly fine with. Kai decided to be a decent human for once and tell me where Betty is, he came across her when he was doing some business dealings or whatever he wants to call it." he said. "He also has told me that the ghoulies and him are leaving Riverdale" he adds.
"He's done this before"
"Im aware. We will deal with it when the time comes" Jughead told his Serpents. They all seem to calm down and accept it.
Jughead gives out assignments, he needs them all over the town, distracting everyone. After the last Serpent has their assigned job, he walks over to Cheryl. "Can I talk to you?" he asked her.
"Sure, What's up?" she asked.
"I want you to know that I don't condone what my father did," he said to her. "He could have come to us, but instead he kept to himself and looked where it led," he adds.
"Jug, listen to me. If my father was threatening you, he may have not had a choice." she said as she took both his hands. "My father is to blame, no one else" she adds.
Jughead sighed. He just wants to make sure she is okay. She has come a long way from the days when he hated her, to now where he calls her a member of his family. He will do anything for her.
"Leaving in an hour" Jughead yells, as everyone goes and gets everything that they need.
~
Across town in a room, Betty waits patiently for something to happen. She feels Jughead is close to rescuing her, she feels it in her heart. She smiles at the thought of their reunion. She hears the door open and she doesn't look, she doesn't care too.
"What are you smiling about?" Clifford asked as he walked in.
"The fact that Jughead is going to kill you" she said.
"If he can find you" he said as he started to laugh. He walked over to the table he had stacks of papers on. "We are going on a trip, to the beginning. To where it all started" he adds.
"My house" she said. What else could he be referring to?
"Exactly, Elizabeth" he said. "And after I take care of you. There is one more thing I need to find and cleanse" he adds. "Sin is strong in that one:" he adds.
Betty wants to scream. She knows he's talking about Cheryl. But she doesn't. She waits. "You're Crazy" she said to him. "Just like my father, how could you kill your own children" she adds,
Clifford laughed."We will be leaving soon," he said.
Betty sighed, She was tired and over this. She needs a vacation, on the beach with some vodka and Jughead. That will make everything right in the world.
A while later. Betty watches as Mr. Mueller comes walking past her with a set of keys, and he unlocks her cuffs. "I'm really going to enjoy watching you get yours," she said. Betty rubs her writs. Red marks left behind.
"Keep talking shit" Mr. Mueller said. "It's going to be grand watching you take your last breath" he adds.
"Sure" Betty grinned. She's not sure where all this courage came from but she liked it.
Mr. Mueller smacked her and then pulled her up so he could lick a strip up her face. He pushed her back down on the bed.
"Eww, I knew you were nasty" she said.
"Maybe I'll do more next time," he said, shrugging his shoulders like it was no big deal.
Betty stands up quickly, kicks him between the legs. He falls down and she starts running to the door. He's father then her. He grabs her and slams her against the wall. Her head hits the brick and she screams out in pain. "I would advise against that in the future" he said.
Betty takes her hand and wipes her face, she feels the blood coming down it. "Should have figured you had no Balls" she said.
Mr. Mueller hit her again. "Keep it up"
Betty stayed silent as he drugged her out of the room.
~
The Serepnts arrived at the warehouse that Kai had mentioned. Jughead has Serpents stationed around the perimeter. He has them at the Blossom estates. Kevin and Fangs are trying to get to the Sheriff. It's time to end this once and for all.
Cheryl and Jughead stand side by side. They are about to go in. Toni comes over and gives Cheryl a kiss. "Be Careful my love" she said to Cheryl. Toni turns to Jughead. "Need a good luck kiss" she smirked.
Jughead smiled. "Come her" he said as he pulled her in for a hug.
"Take care of her" Toni whispers.
"I will, I promise," he said.
"I'm going to hold you too," Toni said. "Your plan is still shit" she adds.
Archie comes walking over to them. "Everything is secure out here," he said. Pea follows right behind him.
"Good. I know there aren't anymore Ghoulies but who knows who Blossom has out here" Jughead said.
"We got it, boss," Pea said.
Jughead nods, he takes Cheryl's hand and they walk towards the window they are going in. It's time to get her back.
tbc