CHAPTER FOUR: THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN.
belle and rose watched as their dad, rafael set up the security system to their house. belle looked over to see their mother, melissa, turn on the television that connected to the cameras outside of their house.
"look what alice had put up," melissa called out to rafael as she read the article.
rafael looked over her shoulder to skim through, "she may not live on the southside anymore, she may not want anything to do with the serpents but deep down she knows, she can never get rid of who she was."
melissa sighed as she looked at rafael, "serpents don't shed their skin so easily." he reminded her.
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belle sat in her kitchen as she watched the video archie had put up, "you keep rewinding it, you're gonna break your laptop," rose told her.
"i just. . . i don't get it. why can't he leave it to the police," belle exclaimed, "i get why his doing this. i get it but, i just don't want him to get hurt."
"people do stupid things to protect the ones they love," rose reminded her, belle sighed as she closed the tab.
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belle walked into the room that kevin and betty where in, "betty? are you okay?" she questioned.
"i was going through the blue and gold's mail. . . and i got a letter from the black hood killer," betty told them as she handed belle the letter.
belle grabbed it and sat down next to kevin so he could read it as well, "he says he's doing it for me." betty informed them.
"betty, your words at the jubilee inspired me. the towns sinners must show their contribution. if not, there will be more suffering and bloodshed. enclosed is a cipher. it details where i will punish the next sinner. it is a test. only you may solve it, betty," kevin read.
betty exhale, "my speech. . . inspired him. that stupid speech belle and i wrote."
"so, the black hood was at the jubilee." kevin said.
"the entire town was there," belle reminded him.
"we have to give this to my dad or belle's," kevin suggested.
"the cipher, yeah, sure, but not the letter." betty snatched the letter out of kevin's hands, "this—this is just. . . for me. we can't tell anyone."
"it's evidence," kevin told them.
"kevin, if we give this to your dad or belle's, they will tell my mum and she will make sure i'm nowhere near this," betty said.
"good," kevin spoke.
"no. this. . . is a test. he said so himself. what if. . . the started of the test is to see what i do with the letter? do we share it? or not? am i—? am i strong? or am i weak? am i worthy?" betty questioned.
"he is a psychopath, betty, and you are in high school, not the fbi." belle reminded her.
"isn't it better for people to be focusing on the cipher rather than the letter?" betty asked.
"how would that even happen?" belle questioned.
betty give her a questionable look.
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rafael sighed as he read the article alice had wrote about the cipher key, he put down the newspaper, gathered his things before he walked down the set of stairs.
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belle sighed as she wiped down a table at pop's she looked over and spotted the newspaper and saw the article, she walked over towards it and flipped it to be face down.
belle grabbed the dirty plates and made her way towards the back.
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belle sat in jughead's trailer with betty, kevin, jughead and toni. she sighed as she flipped through the papers, "these symbols look so familiar to me. it's like i've seen them before and it's driving me crazy. i can't figure out where," betty told them.
"maybe if you loosened your ponytail," toni spoke, making everyone look at her with raised eyebrows, "what? that was a joke, guys."
"betty's ponytail is iconic and beyond reproach." kevin told her, making toni give him a questionable look.
"kev, it's fine, at this point, i'm willing to try anything," betty said as she let her hair down.
"per mrs. paroo's books, i've been looking for common-letter associations, like t-h, a-n, i-n-g." jughead spoke as he sat up.
"i'm looking for doubles. double L. four-letter words like 'kill.'" toni added.
"that's morbid," kevin commented.
"is that, we don't know if it's in english. guys this could be an anagram." belle spoked as she put down the book.
"like, literally on the top of my brain." betty added.
"alright, let's go back to the basics." jughead said, "what do we know about him? who is he?" he questioned.
"he's white male, in his fourties. like almost every serial killer ever." toni stared.
"no, i mean, like, why. . .? why is he killing people? or at least, why now?" jughead asked.
betty gasped, "we know the hood's obsessed with cleaning the town of sinners and hypocrites, right? and he seems to be attacking anyone with ties to the northside."
"here we go with the fake news again. you northsiders and your privilege. all you do is demonise the southside, so of course you think the black hood's from there." toni spoke up.
"it's not demonising, toni. it's stating facts. there's way more drugs and gangs and—." betty told her.
"the drugs which are sold primarily to northside crackheads? and what about northside neo-nazis, the red circle?" toni questioned, "the red psychos, you mean. hell, betty, i'm surprised you haven't said it yet."
"said what?" betty asked.
"that you think the black hood's a serpent. we all know how much you hate us, even though you try and hide it from belle." toni told her, belle raised her eyebrows at betty.
"okay, toni. that's not true." jughead shook his head at toni.
"i don't hate the serpents," betty told her, she looked at belle.
"is that why you don't want my dad anywhere near this?" belle questioned, betty shook her head.
"oh yeah? then why is it your boyfriend lies about sitting with us at lunch? or the way you look at belle's dad every time he walks into the same room as you?" toni asked, "and don't even try to lie. rafael tells us how you and her family basically despise them."
belle looked at betty and jughead, "i'm gonna go." kevin spoke.
belle nodded and gathered her things, "ah, yeah, yeah, i-um-i-same." she stuttered.
"yeah, i'm gonna get out of here, too." toni said, getting up after belle.
"okay. we can walk you home." kevin suggested.
toni looked at him before she walked straight pass, "or you can walk us home. uh, bye, guys." kevin added.
"belle." betty whispered as she watched belle follow toni out.
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"kevin, i drove here. i'll be fine." belle told kevin as they reached his car.
"then where's your car?" kevin questioned.
belle sighed, "i parked it outside my grans trailer."
kevin nodded, "i'll see you then."
belle nodded as she continued to walk, "you didn't know?" she heard someone asked. belle looked to her right and spotted toni.
"what? that my dad's a serpent? or about the whole betty thing?" belle questioned.
toni walked over to her, "both, i guess?"
"oh, trust me, i knew about my dad being a serpent. he won't leave the house until he's got that jacket on," belle told her, chuckling a bit at the memory of her dad always leaving with the jacket, "and the whole betty thing. no."
toni smiled at her, "look, i shouldn't have said anything. it wasn't my place but i couldn't help it."
"don't worry, i was gonna find out sooner or later," belle assured her, "ah, this is my stop." she said as she stopped near her car.
"your grandma is maría josé dawson?" toni questioned as she spotted the trailer.
belle nodded and smiled, "yeah."
"alright, then. i'll catch you around sometime?" toni asked.
belle nodded, "hopeful." she hoped into her car and waved at toni.
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belle was seated next to kevin as she draw in her notebook, "sorry to interrupt, dr. phylum." mr. weatherbee spoke as he entered the room, "sheriff keller and i need to see archie andrews in the hallway." he said.
belle looked up and looked at archie, "i'm sorry, principal weatherbee, but the t-shirts were my idea, not archie's."veronica spoke as she stood up right after archie.
"this is not about t-shirts, ms. lodge. please sit down." mr. weatherbee told her.
"it's okay, ronnie. nothing to worry about." archie assured her before he made his way over towards the two.
belle watched mr. weatherbee closed the door.
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belle stood in her room, as she flipped through her the books on her shelves, "you okay?" she heard rose asked.
"yeah, yeah, fine." belle told her as she turned around and walked to her bed.
rose raised an eyebrow, "you don't seem it."
"i found out, betty doesn't like that dad's a serpent." belle told her as she laid on her bed.
"and that matters because?" rose asked as she sat down next to her.
"no, no. but betty should of said something." belle said as she moved her head on to rose's leg.
rose started to play with her sister's hair, "it doesn't matter what she thinks, dad being apart of the serpents is the most amazing part of him." she reminded her, "look how many serpents don't go to jail just cause someone accuses them for something they didn't do."
belle sighed and closed her eyes, "and he showed them, that northside and southside can get along when he married mum." rose added.
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"again, tell me why i'm here with you?" belle asked as she and veronica made her way to the toilets.
"because i asked you to be. and i don't want to be alone. . . it's creepy here." veronica told her.
belle nodded as they walked towards the toilet and veronica pulled something out, veronica turned around and showed belle.
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"at least you were smart enough not to keep it in your locker. but a gun?" veronica questioned as the two girls stood in front of archie.
"why? for what?" belle asked.
"to protect myself." archie answered as he looked up at them.
"against the black hood?" belle questioned.
"archie, that video, the gun. if i'm following you, i need to know where. i need to know the truth." veronica told him.
"i want him dead, veronica!" archie exclaimed as he stood up, "i want the black hood dead. and i wanna be the one who does it. i wanna be. . . the last thing that he sees."
"spoken like a true vigilante," veronica commented.
"that's a suicide mission," belle whispered.
"no, you wanted the truth. i made that video and i showed my face so he'd make me his next target." archie told them, "i went to the southside hoping he would come for me."
belle stood up, "you think the black hood's from the southside?" she question. archie softened his glare.
"so, you find the black hood and shoot him, and then what?" veronica asked making archie look at her, "you go to jail. or you miss him and he kills you, archie."
"doesn't matter what happens to me." archie told her.
"yes. it matter to me, and your dad, belle, betty, jughead." veronica exclaimed.
archie sat back down, "meanwhile, like an idiot, i'm . . . trying to support you by designing t-shirts." veronica said.
"i didn't ask you too," archie spoke.
"no, you just asked me to go fetch your loaded gun. and by the way in case you were wondering where it is we throw it in sweetwater river." veronica told him, belle nodded.
"what?" archie asked.
"you can be mad at me or belle now, but you'll thank us later," veronica told him.
suddenly there was a bang at the door, belle and veronica began to walk towards it, "wait. what if it's—?" archie began.
belle opens the door to reveal the reggie and the bulldogs with pizza, "reggie?" she questioned.
"can we come in?" he asked, archie nodded. reggie walked in and eyed belle as he walked past her and into the living room.
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"to what do we owe this unexpected honor?" veronica questioned as belle next down next to her.
"archie could've told weatherbee the hood was mine. . . but he didn't. in the book of reg, that makes you a top-tier loyal badass. and we were talking today, and exuded, if you wanna keep the red circle going. . . we're here for you, dude," reggie answered, making belle roll her eyes.
belle heard engines being revvied she stood from her spot, veronica followed closely behind. the two made it to the door and spotted some serpents walk up the stairs.
"and not a moment too soon. archie, trouble." veronica spoke as she saw who it was.
archie made his way over to the two girls and opened the door, belle's eyes widened as she saw the tattooed neck serpent she saw the other night, her breath hitched.
"how stupid are you northsiders? you really think you can come to my house, stick a gun to my face in front of my boys, and there wouldn't be any payback?" sweet pea questioned.
belle gasped, "you pulled a gun on them?"
"belle not now," archie whispered, making belle glare at him.
reggie walked over and pull open the door more, "you have crap timing, bro. bulldogs eat serpents for lunch." he threatened.
"we'll see about that. and more, the merrier." sweet pea threatened.
"reggie, chill," belle spoke as she held her hand on his chest.
"veronica, belle, stay here." archie told the two girls.
"what? archie, no." veronica said.
"veronica, after my dad. . . i made a promise to protect him and his house. stay here." archie told her.
"belle, they're serpents." reggie whispered to her.
"and so? my dad's a serpent." belle replied, making sweet pea raised his eyebrows in curiosity.
"he's the only one that's good," reggie told her, making belle roll her eyes at the response, sweet pea smirked at her movement.
"if you want a fight, we'll fight." archie told sweet pea.
"what about your gun?" sweet pea questioned, moving his glaze from belle to archie.
"what about your knife?" archie asked.
"how about no, weapons?" veronica question, "if you troglodytes insist on doing this, there are gonna be rules," veronica spoke as she step forward, "or should i call sheriff keller or how about belle's dad to be referee?" she questioned.
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belle and veronica stood in the living room, veronica paced around as belle stood near the window and sighed as she watched them.
she wanted nothing but them to stop, belle gasped as she watched archie's fist collide with sweet pea's cheek. she turned to looked at veronica, "this isn't okay."
veronica nodded in agreement, as they heard the yelling and grunts of the boys, belle turned her attention but to the window and watched. veronica sighed as she made her way over and grabbed something and her coat, before she made her way out the door. the sound of the door slam grabbed belle's attention, "veronica!"
she quickly made her way to the door, as she opened it she heard the sound of a gun go off. belle throw open the door and spotted veronica standing there with a gun in her hands.
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belle was in her car when she spotted one of the serpents hop on his bike, "wait!" she called out as she got out of her car, making the serpent look at her.
"are—are you okay?" she questioned as the serpent walked over towards her.
"that wasn't my first fight," sweet pea told her. belle nodded, "why do you care?"
"what archie did, he don't have the right to do it," she replied, her hair getting soaked.
sweet pea stood a few feet away from her now, "your rafael's kid, right?"
belle nodded, "belle."
"sweet pea," he replied.
belle raised her eyebrows, "your name's sweet pea?"
"it's a nickname, princess." sweet pea chuckled.
the nickname sweet pea said made belle blush and lucky for her it's wasn't notice. at least she thought, sweet pea saw the tiny pink shade in her cheeks making him smirk a bit.