"People of Riverdale, I have rid this town of the drug-dealing child-killer and others like him. Now, you must choose your fate. The next 48 hours will be a test. And I will be watching you very closely. Show me you are pure of heart, and my work ends. Continue to sin, and I will take up the sword again."
Y/n's Story Line
Y/n's POV
"Wow," I mumble as I stare at the paper.
"I know," Jughead says as he skims through the letter again.
"This is a lot," I say, "I feel like we should hide. For the whole 48 hours."
"That isn't an option N/n," He says.
"I know," I say, "its just. A lot." The annoying sound of a phone ringing fills the room. Jughead quickly sits up and grabs it.
"Hello?" He asks. His face grows sour and he jumps up. He turns back to me and sighs.
"Whats up babe?" I ask.
"I have to go to Pops," He says, "meet some serpent."
"Alright," I say. He pulls on an outfit and walks back towards me. He plants a kiss on my cheek.
"Bye love you," He says.
"Love you too," I say. He rushes out leaving me in the room alone. "And then there was one." I skim through the other pages and I specific article catches my eyes.
David L/n out on parole after half of his murder sentence. Is Riverdale his next target? Will he join the blackhood? Or be his next victim?
*****
"You guys, I'm worried about my dad," Kev says as we walk the halls, "The town is turning on him. He's trying his best under these crazy circumstances, but this Black Hood stuff is really getting to him."
"How is he dealing with it?" Veronica asks.
" -Yeah, what's he been doing?" Betty asks.
"He's not sleeping. He's not eating. I hear him rummaging around the house at odd hours, talking to himself, just heading out in the middle of the night," Kevin says.
"I'm sorry Kev," I say.
"Where do you think he's going?" Veronica asks.
"Where's he going?" Betty asks. I look and the girls and decide to not get into it.
"I don't know. But whatever it is, it's It's like he's a different person," Kev says. I pull him into a hug and he hugs back. I pull away as I feel my phone buzz.
Toni - Tonight at midnight
"Listen I've gotta go guys," I say, "helping Lily with the house."
"Want help?" Betty asks.
"Maybe another time," I say, "but not at the moment."
*****
"Listen Toni," I say, "I haven't really talked to Jughead about this." She and I were at my moms old house. I was sitting with a can of paint working on my decoration for the accent wall. It was a moon and stars on a black wall.
"Why should you?" She asks.
"Because he is my boyfriend and I love him," I say, "and I hate keeping secrets from him." She was helping me work on my room. Lily was sitting in the other room with Anna and Sophia painting Anna's room.
"From what you've told me he's had plenty of his own secrets," She says.
"Yeah but so have I," I say, "and I hate hiding this from him."
"Then tell him," She says, "stop bitching about it and just tell him."
"Its not that easy," I say.
"It really is," She says, "just look him in the eyes and say. 'Hey Jughead. I'm joining the serpents whether you like it or not. Because I'm already on the third trial and I'm not backing out now.'"
"You make it sound so easy," I say, "and thanks for helping me paint by the way."
"Its great bonding," She says, "and we need more girls in the Serpents."
"Well," I say, "lets see if I make it out of this alive."
"Hey Y/n," Lily says joining us, "we are going to eat. You guys wanna come?"
"Nah," I say, "I'm gonna finish this and then head out."
"And I have to head home," Toni says, "but I'll you tonight Y/n."
"Thanks Toni," I say as she leaves. Lily walks up and places her hand on my shoulder.
"Good luck tonight," She says.
"Thanks," I say.
*****
Everyone had cleared out of the house besides me. I was alone. And deep into thought as I painted. Until I hear a loud crash outside. "What the hell?" I whisper to myself. I get up slowly and walk to the window. I see a small old blue car now parked by my truck. I back away slowly only to hear someone inside. I pull my bag towards me and pull out a switch blade from the front pocket. With a murder running around the town I put it in there. To have something to fight with. And I gun wasn't possible for me to get. I flip it open revealing the small blade. I peak out the door and feel someone grab my wrist and pull me towards them. "Get off of me!" I scream. I look up and see the h/c haired man.
"Is that how you treat your father?"My dad asks. I pull my arm from him and step back.
"Get away from me!" I yell at him.
"But pumpkin," He says snickering.
"Don't call me that," I hiss, "now get away from me."
"You're in my house," He says.
"You're name was never on the property. So actually its my house," I say clutching the knife in my hand, "so get the fuck out."
"Aren't you gald to see me?" He asks.
"I honestly was hoping that you would of died in there," I say, "now go!"
"Why should I?" He hisses.
"Because she told you too," I hear someone say from behind him. He turns around to reveal Toni and Sweet Pea. The psychos facing a murderer. He holds up his arms and smirks.
"Fine," He says, "I'll leave." He looks back and glares at me. "A bitch just like your mother."
"Don't you dare talk about her like that!" I scream.
"Would you rather hear about how I cut her up? Slice by slice just like your sister? How every scream echoed in my eyes with pleasure," He mocks.
"Stop." I say gripping the knife tighter.
"You're just like me you know," He says, "I see the look in your eye. You wanna kill."
"Get out," I warn again.
"Maybe you would of enjoyed it to," He says, "coating your self with the blood. Slicing away at them as they scream in horror. Just like I did." This was the final straw, I snap. Stepping forward and shoving the knife into his shoulder in blind rage. Taking the man to the ground as I move twist the blade. Not realizing what I was doing until I hear Toni yell my name. I look up at them with the knife up ready to move again. And it sunk in what I was doing. I stand up drop the knife, starting to back away. I look at my scarlet covered hands and fall to my knees. Soft sobs of mine filling the room as Toni runs to me. turning me to her. Everyone was right. I did it, I became just like that man. I was just as bad as him. Maybe even worse.
******
"What happened Lily?" Keller asks. I was sat with a blanket draped around my shoulders as Toni held her hand on my shoulder. Sweet Pea watching from in front of us.
"David attacked her," She lies, "she was defending herself from the vicious man. He kept coming back. She kept trying to stay alive." He looks over at me quickly.
"Alright," He says, "I understand." He turns to start to leave when Lily speaks up.
"And this will stay away from the public?" She asks Keller.
"Yes," He says. He walks out and Lily turns to me. My hands now clean felt dirty. As if the blood was still laced around it. I cringed at the thought. I wanted to puke.
"He's fine," She assures, "the bastards lived through worse."
"I did the thing everyone thought I would do," I mumble, "I'm just like him."
"You are not," Lily says, "you're nothing like him."
"He was taunting you," Toni says, "he wanted this to happen. He was leading you to do this."
"Its true," Sweet Pea says, "he was mocking you with it." I look up at them then Lily. "I think you've taken enough blows today."
"I think she has," Lily says. Toni looks at them then me.
"What do you mean?" I ask them.
"Maybe we should put off the serpent stuff," Lily says. Brushing my hair from my face.
"No," I say, "I want to finish the trials tonight. I need to." I try pushing all of my attention to the serpents. I needed to do this. For myself, for Jughead, for my mom, for everyone.
"Y/n-" Lily starts.
"No I need to do this," I say, "mom would of wanted me to keep going. No matter what that prick did."
"He deserved it," Toni says, "he is a murderer after all. I think he can deal with a little assault."
"If she joins us," Sweet Pea says, "we can keep him away from her Lily. Make sure he doesn't hurt her. He might of not fought back tonight but he might next time. She could use some reinforcements."
"Fine," Lily says, "but its not as gruesome as Jughead's was."
*******
"Serpents dance?" I ask Toni as she clutches my mothers jacket.
"I know its sexist and awful but... Its how girls get in," She says, "I've already tried to outlaw it."
"Its tradition," Sweet Pea clarifies.
"He's a perv," She warns.
"So I have to act like a stripper to become a serpent?" I ask staring at the girl currently on the pole.
"Unfortunately," Toni says.
"Fine," I groan, "but the moment I become one I will do everything I can to change this tradition."
"Many before you have tried," Toni says, "it never works."
"Don't doubt me," I warn.
"I'll help you get ready," Toni says, "follow me." I nod as she leads me to a bathroom. She hands the outfit. It was actual lingerie. Now don't get me wrong. I'm comfortable in my skin and my sexuality. But this was more intimate. And seeing as the whole whyte worm got to see me in Lingerie before Jughead did was weird. I pull on the constricting outfit.
(You can picture what you want but here are some options)
"I look fucking ridiculous," I tell her as I step out from the the stall.
"I think you look pretty hot," She says. I groan and she hands me another article of clothing. A normal knee length dress that buttons up. "Sex appeal is a big thing."
"This is gross," I mumble. I pull on the gray dress and button it up.
"You wanna be a serpent?" She asks.
"Yes," I say.
"Then go up and do a strip tease for a song, then bam. You can now be a serpent," She says.
"Great," I say. A rush of confidence rushing over me. I walk up to the stage a smirk at Toni. I take a deep breath and step up on the stage.
"Whats this?" Some guy groans.
"Your next serpent," Toni says, "following tradition." I hear a song start and I bit my lip. I work at the buttons slowly and teasingly before pulling of the dress. I discard it on the ground. I mimic the moves I've seen the girls do before. My heart was pounding. But the whistles sounding in the room made me feel a little better. I didn't look stupid at least. As the song ends I pick my dress up from the ground and button it back slowly. I hear people clap. Looking through the crowd I run to Toni at the bar. "Congratulations," She says, she hands me my mothers jacket and smiles. "Welcome to the South-side."
****
I walk into Pops. My jacket folded in my arm with Toni. We walk straight to the bar with Pops. "Your boyfriend is over there," She says, "we can join him."
"No," I say, "I'll talk to him later. Now I just want food."
"Oh I understand that," She says, "order us what you usually get."
"Alright," I tell her as Pops walks up to us, "Yo Pops."
"Hey Y/n," He says, "the usual?"
"Two actually," I say, "Toni and I are starving."
"Coming right up," He says walking back.
"Walking around with lingerie on is weird," I say to her. "I feel weird."
"You could of changed out of it into your other clothes," She says.
"Nah too much work," I say, "plus they still were kinda stained." She nods. The sound of the loud deafening telephone fills the room. Pops answers it and silently nods to whoever was on the other line.
"That was him on the phone," Pop Tate announces to us all, "The Black Hood. He says that we've failed his test. That we're all sinners. That the reckoning is upon us."
****
I awkwardly pace around the living room waiting for Jughead. As the door flings open I feel my throat tighten. What if he hates me for doing this. "Whats going on?" He asks looking at me.
"Jughead," I say grabbing his hand.
"What?" He asks. I roll up my sleeve revealing the inky tattoo on my wrist. He looks at it then up at me.
"You're a serpent?" Jughead asks.
"Yeah," I say, "I told you I might reconsider. And after you completely joined I started talking to Toni and she helped me join."
"What didn't you tell me?" He asks slightly annoyed I didn't talk to him.
"Why didn't you tell me you went to Penny?" I ask.
"I didn't want to get you hurt," He says.
"And I did't want you to worry about me," I say.
"You look fine for that last task," He says, "I was pretty banged up. And you don't have a scratch on you."
"Girls only do one thing to join," I tell him.
"What?" He asks. I unbutton the dress and let it fall. His eyes widen as he seeing the lingerie clinging to my form. A slight pink tint fells his cheeks. "I don't understand," He says.
"The Serpent Dance," I say. He looks at me.
"You had to do a strip tease at the Whyte Worm?" He asks, "in front of everyone."
"I didn't know until last night," I say, "and don't get mad. You didn't bring me into this I wanted to do this."
"Why?" He asks.
"Its the only way I can learn about my family," I tell him, "the only way I can connect to them too."
"You accepted me doing this," He says, "I should accept you doing this." I pull him into a kiss. This is all I wanted. He pulls away and looks at the lingerie "Now lets not let this go to waste."
"That's what I was thinking," I say. He throws his stuff down and picks me up.
"Good," he says biting his lip, "because as much as I love this on you, I can't wait to get it off you."