Chapter 23- Part Of A Plan
Natalie
"It's just shocking how quick you can lose so many people and how ruining one relationship can ruin so many others" I sighed as I leaned back. I was in the student lounge with Veronica as I shared how much damage the egg had caused.
"Is Toni and Cheryl still not speaking to you?" Veronica questioned.
"Nope. Neither is Sweet Pea or Fangs" I sighed.
"Boys...they are so complicated" Kevin scoffed as he sat on the arm of the couch.
Both me and Veronica looked at him confused and he only gave us a smile. "I mean...dating boys"
"You and Moose okay?" Veronica questioned.
"He's just too scared to come out to his dad which is making our relationship awkward" Kevin sighed. "We're always hiding and can't be out open with each other"
"What about you V? Are you and Archie getting back together now that he's back?" I questioned as I looked back at Veronica. Archie had been back a week and he was struggling to get his life back together and Veronica was trying to help him to do so.
"I'd like us to. I just don't know if it's the right thing to do" Veronica sighed.
"The right thing to do?" I questioned.
"The safest" Veronica corrected. "With my father it might be better for us to stay apart"
"Understandable" I nodded.
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As I was texting Reggie on my phone my bedroom door opened and Dad stood in the doorway in his Serpent jacket once again.
"I called Fangs, he's meeting us in fox forest" Dad informed me.
"Alright... let's go then" I sighed as I stood up and followed Dad. I walked past Jughead without saying a word. We still weren't talking so that felt like another person I had lost.
We rode our motorcycles to fox forest and parked them up beside the already parked up motorcycles which belonged to Fangs and Sweet Pea.
"Fangs!" Dad yelled as the two serpents came into view.
"Mr Jones... Natalie" Fangs sighed. The way he said my name still gave of that he was annoyed at me.
"Fangs, my dad and I were talking" I began. "We wanna give you another shot at redemption"
"What are you thinking?" Fangs questioned.
"We want you to go undercover. Join the Gargoyle gang. We need a man on the inside of Hiram's drug operation so we can take him down. Are you in?" I told him.
Fangs thought for a moment before answering. "It'd be an honour" Sweet Pea smiled and Dad nodded as Fangs finally agreed.
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"Hey Nat" Sweet Pea called as I started walking back to the motorcycles. Dad glanced at me but I nodded for him to get going.
"I'll meet you back at the trailer" I told him as I stopped and turned to Sweet Pea.
"Alright..." Dad agreed and he left.
"What is it Sweet Pea?" I questioned the him as stood in front of me.
"I just wanted to thank you... for letting Fangs re join the Serpents" Sweet Pea replied as he smiled at me.
"I done it for Fangs not for you" I reminded him.
"I know...I know. I just-" Sweet Pea mumbled.
"What Sweet Pea? You just what?" I questioned as I crossed my arms and glared at him.
"I'm just sorry... for what I said back at my trailer" Sweet Pea sighed.
"Yeah well you were a real ass. Your no longer king of the Serpents I could of kicked your ass out if I wanted to" I scoffed.
"Do you really not love me anymore?" Sweet Peas voice broke as he asked me that.
I shook my head. "I just cant do it again"
Sweet Peas head dropped. "If it's about me cheating I'm sorry I-"
"You've cheated twice" I sighed. "I don't know if I can trust you"
"You can!" Sweet Pea yelled.
"Shut up Sweet Pea" I muttered. "Just back off and enjoy your love life with Josie McCoy... I guess you've changed about hating the Northside"
"Guess I have. But it seems we've both changed" Sweet Pea scoffed as he walked away.
I stood alone as I watched him disappear and I sighed as I took a different route and walked over to sweet water river. The sound of the water was loud but peaceful and I just liked the moment alone. I sat on a rock, the darkness around me and the water splashing against the large rocks beneath me.
Snapping me out of my thoughts was my phone vibrating. I pulled it out of my pocket and tapped on the notification. I stared confused at my phone.
Unknown: 𝙱𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚈𝚘𝚞
A sudden fear filled my mind but I took the chance and slowly glanced over my shoulder. A figure in black was stood beside a tree and I scoffed.
"Very funny Sweet Pea!" I yelled. "Trying to scare me into loving you again!"
I stood up, taking slow steps towards the figure. The figure didn't move or show any reaction to my behaviour towards them. I sighed, smirking as I strongly believed the figure was Sweet Pea.
Snapping me out of my belief was the sudden presence of the person behind me. A cold hand covered my mouth to stop me screaming and a gun was placed against my head making my muffled screams even more panicked.
"Shut your mouth and move" Spoke the voice behind a mask. The figure tugged my arm and I was pushed towards the loud river again.
The figure who had hold of me pushed me onto my knees and lowered his hand to my neck where he held me tightly so I still couldn't scream but I now couldn't breathe. My eyes swelled with tears and I filled with fright when the figure forced my head down into the freezing water of the river.
They were trying to drown me.
My lungs tightened and I tried to fight back against the person but I couldn't even with all my force. My head was pulled up and as I coughed out water I noticed that the guy from by the trees was getting closer.
"Hey!" I managed to let out before my head was pushed back under the water.
I felt myself struggling to keep myself together. Feeling myself fade into darkness but as I was pulled back up and I choked out the water that had filled my lungs and I gasped as felt the guy behind me let me go.
"Complete the quest of killing the silver snake to move onto the next quest" Spoke the figure from the forest.
The word 'killing' sent alarm bells in my mind and in a rush of panic I attempted to try and get up and run but again the figure who stood behind me grabbed my hair and tried to force my head into the water but this time I attempted to fight against it. I screamed as I tightened my fists against the rocks and I used one hand to grab my switchblade from my pocket and I stabbed it into the figures leg and he let me go, yelling out in pain.
"Bitch!" He yelled.
In anger he kicked me in the side and I collapsed down, hitting my head against a rock and I whimpered in pain as I lifted my head. I caught sight of the gargoyle masks the two guys were wearing and I realised really what was happening. The gargoyle kicked me again and then again and repeatedly until I couldn't lift myself up anymore. My head throbbed and so did my whole body.
"The king wants her alive" Spoke another voice and I realised there were more gargoyles around me.
"But the quest-" The Gargoyle muttered.
"Forget about!" Snapped another. "There's a new quest"
"Keep her alive or we'll kill you" Warned the fourth.
"Hey!" Yelled a voice in the distance. The distant yell gave me thoughts of relief and with my eyes closed I was able to pull a painful smile.
"The Red paladin...scatter!" Yelled one gargoyle and four of them ran along with the one from the forest.
The one remaining grabbed me by the shoulders and twisted me around, slamming me back onto the ground.
"Let this be a warning to your stupid gang. You keep interfering and we'll kill you. The Serpent Queen" Muttered the voice in my ear before he punched me in the mouth and then he disappeared with the rest of his gang. I groaned as I felt pain everywhere.
"Nat!" I recognised the voice of Betty Cooper approaching me and soon Betty and Archie were knelt beside me.
"Betty she's bleeding" Gasped Archie as he looked at me in pure shock. I tasted blood in my mouth and winced as Archie tried to lift me.
"Her head..." Betty gasped.
"She needs to get to the hospital" Archie muttered.
"No. No please-" I pleaded. I couldn't go to the hospital.
"Mine then" Archie nodded. My eyes faded shut and Archies hands cupped my cheeks.
"Stay awake Nat... please stay awake" He begged but I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. I faded into the darkness that filled my mind. And I remembered no more.
But while I was unconscious and in the arms of Archie Andrews there was a questioned that floated in the air. A questioned that was desperate to be answered. What plan did the gargoyle king have for me and why did I need to live?