Chapter 14- Archie In Hiding
Natalie
We all watched as Toni helped clean Archies wounds on the bed of the bunker. Betty, Josie, Kevin and Reggie came down soon later, revealing they had helped get Archie out.
"Jughead told me you turned up" Betty said, looking up at me. I nodded slowly.
"Yeah...couple days ago" I sighed.
"Did they just let you go without saying anything?" Veronica questioned as she walked over.
"Warden Norton just told me it was an order" I sighed.
"There. You are all patched up" Toni spoke up making everyone turn to Archie. "Don't make any sudden movements"
"I won't. Thanks, Toni" Archie said weakly. Veronica walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed, taking Archies hand into hers.
"Who did that to you, Archie?" Veronica asked him, referring to his stab wound.
"It was Joaquin. He stabbed me" Archie sighed. "I think the Warden made him do it" Kevin looked hurt by that and Jughead glanced over at me and even Fangs and Sweet Pea were surprised.
"Guys, where the hell am I?" Archie questioned looking around the bunker.
"Your in Dilton Doiley's bunker" Jughead replied.
"The only people who know it exists are in this room" Betty sighed. "Right now it's the safest place in Riverdale for you, I promise"
"Dilton Doiley had a bunker?" Archie questioned in surprise. Everyone smiled at his confused look.
"We'll catch you up to speed once you're rested, okay?" Veronica said as she placed her hand on his side. Her expression changed as she spotted something. She pulled the cover that was over Archie down a little. "Archie?" She revealed a burn wound. It was a symbol, similar to the one I had. "What is that on your hip?" She questioned.
"Courtesy of Warden Norton" Archie mumbled. "To put me in my place, after I tried to escape the first time"
"Nat got one too" Jughead mumbled, glancing at me.
"You got branded?" Veronica questioned.
"Yeah" I sighed, placing a hand on my hip. "There was loads of symbols around in Juvie. I think they were part of G&G"
"Dilton and Ben had them on their backs" Jughead added. "So the Warden branded you, and ordered Joaquin to stab you?"
"Can I have everyone's attention??" Veronica asked. Everyone looked at her, circling around Archie and her.
"Since my father saw me. I need to go do some damage control on the home front. But someone needs to stay with Archie, at all times" Veronica said.
"Ronnie, I don't need anyone-" Archie tried to speak but Veronica spoke over him.
"Yes. You do" Veronica said in a stern voice.
"You go ahead, V. Jughead and I will take the first shift" Betty offered.
"Excellent" Veronica nodded. "Now, equally important... everyone in this room is part of a pact. From this moment on, no one knows where this bunker is. No one was involved with that breakout. And no one is aware of Archies whereabouts. To the grave. Capiche?"
Everyone nodded, agreeing in silence.
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Me and Sweet Pea were sat in a booth at Pop's. It was late and quiet so we took it as the best time to go. Pop's brought over our milkshakes, smiling at us as he walked away.
"You feeling okay?" Sweet Pea questioned as he reached over for my hand.
"Yeah. I just feel bad for Archie..." I whispered. "The brand mark...the fight club...everything he went through"
"He's safe now" Sweet Pea whispered before he took a sip of his vanilla milkshake. "And besides, you went through it too"
"Not as much as him" I mumbled. "And for how long is he safe? What if someone comes across the bunker and finds him?"
"We interrupt our top-ten countdown with a very important news bulletin. Convicted murderer Archibald Andrews has escaped from the Leopold and Loeb Juvenile Detention Centre. He is considered extremely dangerous. The public is advised to remain indoors and to report any suspicious activity. It is believed he will seek refuge in his hometown of Riverdale" Spoke the man on the radio.
Sweet Pea glanced at me, a worried look filled both our faces.
"If there's a manhunt for Archie...what about you?" Sweet Pea whispered as he looked around the room.
"You mean the Man In Black?" I asked.
Sweet Pea nodded. "What if he orders another kidnap on you. Wants you dead this time"
"Then you'll know this time..." I sighed. "You'll know whose behind it. We just gotta figure out who the Man In Black is..."
________
I was back at school the next day. And it was no surprise when I was sat in my first class that Minetta made a show. Giving a speech, questioning students. I was sat at the desk beside Sweet Pea, I could feel his glance at me almost every second as Minetta paced the classroom.
"Archie is a murderer. And we know he didn't escape alone. He had help" Minetta spoke. Everyone who had helped Archie was sat in that classroom. No one dared to look up, speak or move.
"Hiding a convict or withholding information from the law is a felony offence" Minetta added. "So, whoever's aided and abetted Archie Andrews is just as much of a criminal as he is" Minetta walked over to Reggie, standing in front of him.
"I was busy all day, Sheriff. You can check my browser history, if you know what I mean" Reggie said with a smirk. Some chuckled quietly while others rolled their eyes.
"I don't even know this Archie person. And on Mondays, I host a group for teen Farmies. We are still accepting members" spoke a girl I hadn't seen before.
"And where were you, Ms. McCoy, at the time of the breakout?" Minetta asked Josie who was sat in front of Sweet Pea.
"Don't look at me, sir. I, uh...I...I was in the music room..." Josie lied. She was struggling, freaking out clearly. "Practising"
"Alone?" Minetta asked. Josie went silent.
"I'll be looking into all of your alibis. And if I found out later that someone in here was involved...well, you can say goodbye to this school, your hopes and dreams" Minetta said, leaning onto Josie's desk, and speaking clearly at her.
"Your music, your entire future. All of it goes away, just like that. So again, to be clear, if you know anything, nows the time to tell me-"
Before Minetta could finish, Josie started shaking, her head going back. Cheryl stood up in a rush of panic.
"Sheriff Minetta, back off!" She yelled. Before she could reach Josie, Josie had slammed her head onto the desk and she broke out into a seizure, shaking like crazy and then she passed out, falling into Cheryls arms.
Everyone gasped, staring in shock. It was another seizure.
________
"Another seizure? As if things weren't crazy enough" Jughead mumbled.
"How many seizures have there been?" I questioned.
"Three...Betty, Ethel and now Josie" Jughead answered.
"My gosh" I sighed as I walked beside my brother down the corridors of Riverdale High.
"Hey. I gotta get to Betty but I'll see you later, alright?" Jughead quickly said.
"Yeah okay" I nodded as Jughead hurried away.
"Natalie!" Sweet Pea yelled as he ran towards me. A smile filled my face as Sweet Pea put his arms around me, I sighed as I had my arms around his neck.
"Hey there handsome" I laughed.
"Love birds" Fangs chuckled as he walked beside us.
"Oh perfect, your both here" I sighed. "I need your guys help"
"What is it boss?" Fangs questioned.
"I need to rally up the Serpents. We need to find Joaquin to get some answers out of him" I mumbled quietly as I walked with the two serpents. "Meet me at mine after school, okay?"
The two serpents nodded and I smiled as I took Sweet Peas hand and we walked away.
________
After school, Fangs and Sweet Pea arrived at my trailer like planned.
"Minettas trashing tent city, Nat, looking for Archie" Sweet Pea mumbled as him and Fangs walked into the trailer.
"I propose a manhunt of our own. I want every Serpent on the grounds searching for Joaquin. I want no stones left unturned" I sighed as I faced Sweet Pea and Fangs.
"Serpents don't just shiv other Serpents" Sweet Pea muttered.
"What the hell do you think got into him?" Fangs questioned.
"According to Archie, Joaquin did it for Warden Norton. When the Warden confronted Betty, he called Archie the Red Paladin. He called Archie that when we were locked up together. And Jughead told me the Warden poisoned himself with cyanide and blueberry Fresh-Aid. Oh and he worked for Riverdale High before the detention centre. The question is, was he playing G&G with someone or for someone?" I sighed, questioning myself.
"And since he's dead, Joaquin's the only one who can know" Sweet Pea mumbled.
"Right" I nodded.
"But Joaquin may not be alone. Kevin said he's rolling with a new gang" Spoke Jughead as he walked in. He walked over, looking at the three of us.
"Those gargoyle creeps you saw?" Fangs questioned.
"Exactly" Jughead nodded.
"And if the gang is working for the king, then they're gonna take us right to him" I muttered.
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Third Person
Betty walked down the stairs into the La Bonne Nuit. Coming face to face with the parents. All their eyes widened as they stared back at her, Alice Cooper stepping forward to her daughter.
"Elizebeth. Don't tell me this is your doing" She said, glaring slightly at Betty. Each parent had a letter assigned to them. Accordingly from the Gargoyle King however actually from Betty.
"I sent the invitations from the Gargoyle King" Betty sighed.
"What!?" Alice gasped.
"And look, you all came" Betty muttered.
"What are you up to?" Alice questioned her daughter.
"All of the secrets end now, Mom" Betty sighed. "And this was the only way to get all of you together. Someone in this room is a murderer" The parents all looked at each other, confusion and shock expressed on their faces.
"Alice, we promised each other we would never talk about this" Hermione Lodge spoke up. "I mean, who else did you tell?"
"I told Betty to protect her, so she wouldn't play the game" Alice said in defence.
"And it worked. I'm not playing the game. But many of your kids are. This is about protecting them. Don't you care?" Betty questioned.
"Care?" Sierra McCoy questioned. "Josie had a seizure this morning. I should be with her right now. Not here, rehashing the past, when it has zero relevance"
"Attorney McCoy, it is relevant. Your daughter is playing the game, along with Kevin and Cheryl. And even your son Reggie, Mr. Mantle, no matter how many black eyes you give him" Betty sighed.
"I would never hit my son" Mr Mantle denied.
"Another lie" Betty mumbled.
"Guys, it was bound to get out sometime" Fred Andrews sighed. "Our children need to know the truth. So Betty, where do we start?"
"With the dead Warden from Archies Juvie. He was also the RROTC instructor when you guys were in High School. Mr Keller, you were a cadet then. Did you play the game with him?" Betty questioned, looking towards Kevin's dad.
"Major Norton just confiscated a stray manual. That's all" Mr Keller answered.
"Mr. Lodge, you had business dealings with Warden Norton until he died. What were they? And did you know that he was playing G&G?" Betty asked Mr Lodge.
"None of your business, and not a clue" Mr Lodge answered.
"And what about Ascension Night? Was he there?" Betty asked him.
"How are we suppose to answer that? We were all high off our guards, hallucinating gargoyles" Mr Jones spoke up.
"Wait, FP. You saw it, too?" Alice questioned him. FP's expression changed and Hiram Lodge outburst in an annoyed laugh.
"Oh, this is such a waste of our time" Mr Lodge complained. "And I actually have a job that I need to get back to. So, if you'll excuse me.." Hiram stood up and attempted to leave but Hermione stood up and grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"No, Hiram. Let's just get this over with. Otherwise, it will never end" She muttered.
"Betty, you wanna know who poisoned the chalice" Hermione began. "The game master is the one who sets up the game. So, my instinct is telling me that...the culprit was Penelope Blossom. My guess is she grew the poison in her greenhouse"
"You don't grow cyanide, Hermione" Penelope sighed.
"A fact that only a Blossom would know" Hermione said.
Penelope sighed and stood up. She paused before speaking. "It was Daryl Doiley" Everyone looked around confused. "We were both game masters. And he was secretly in love with me. He put poison in the chalice, because he wanted us to ascend together. But I said no. I assumed...the chalices were emptied afterwards, but they were not. Years later, Daryl came to me, riddled with guilt over that tragic incident, and seeking comfort. And I refused him again. We were both married with families, and... I was afraid, you see, of revisiting that unholy night. So, he left. The next day...he was found dead in his garage. Sitting in his sedan, engine running, windows up" Betty looked confused as parents took glances at one another.
"Dilton Doiley's dead dad did it?" Betty questioned.
"Well that explains how Dilton got his hands on the game, and why he started playing it" Alice sighed.
"No, but that doesn't explain who the Gargoyle King is today. Jughead and I saw him" Betty said.
"What do you mean you saw him?" FP questioned, looking up in shock.
"In Fox Forest. We've tried to track him down ever since. Why do you think Jughead started playing?" Betty questioned.
"He's not still playing, is he?" FP asked.
"Im afraid so, Mr Jones. And so is Natalie along with the other young Serpents. And he's made some weird connections between the game and Riverdale, which he wouldn't have-" Betty started but FP silenced her.
"I've heard enough" FP muttered standing up and walking to the stairs. "Those two are gonna be the death of me" He said as he left. The rest of the parents followed, leaving Alice and Betty.
"Satisfied, Elizabeth?" She asked before leaving.
"No mom" Betty answered. "Not even close"
And there Betty stood alone, her plan failed and she still had no links to who the Gargoyle King was.