It didn't take long for Jughead to hear the soft cries emanating from his room. Turning his head towards the general vicinity, he frowned before standing up from the couch and making his way to his closed bedroom door. Hesitantly, he knocked.
"Betty?" Jughead asked softly.
"Please go away," came the quiet reply, and he sighed, before starting to push the door open slowly, giving her plenty of time to tell him to leave if she was in the middle of changing or something. She wasn't. He took in her huddled form on the bed, noting the way her shoulders were shaking.
"Oh, Betty," he murmured, making his way towards her and crouching down in front of her.
"I want to go home," she whispered, and his heart clenched. He, not for the first time, wished there was another way to bring down the formidable Coopers and he hated himself because there wasn't. Although, it didn't seem like Alice Cooper cared all that much about the wellbeing of her daughter. Surely, surely, Hal Cooper, Betty's father, would care.
Jughead raised his hand hesitantly and watched as Betty flinched, curling in on herself. Right. Her mother had struck her across the face right before they took her. He let his hand fall back to his side.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Betty. You don't have to be afraid of me," he promised lowly, heart aching for the second time. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, damp cheek pressed against her left knee.
"Easier said than done," she muttered, biting her lip as her brow furrowed. It was then that Jughead noticed her hands were once more clenched in fists, knuckles deathly white. He stared at them for a moment, frowning, before looking at her.
"Can you uncurl your fists for me?" Jughead asked softly, watching as she exhaled shakily. He waited patiently for her to comply. She did so eventually, slowly, (and, with tremors wracking through her). Once her palms were laying flat against her knees, facing upwards, Jughead saw the angry half-crescent moons littering her skin. There was blood as fresh as he could imagine and scars that would forever be embedded into her skin.
"Self-harm?" Jughead asked quietly and watched as she blinked back unshed tears.
"Coping mechanism," she mumbled.
He nodded. "Can I doctor these for you?"
She shrugged but didn't reply so he took that as a yes. Standing up from where he had still been crouched down on the floor below her, he went and retrieved his first aid kit once more before making his way back to her. He looked at the ground for a moment, deliberating on what to do, before going to get his desk chair and rolling it towards her. After sitting down in it, he began rummaging through the kit that he had placed on his bed, grabbing an antiseptic wipe.
"This might burn a little," he murmured, frowning remorsefully. She shrugged, like it didn't phase her. Right, he thought to himself. Her mother likes to hit her and she purposefully causes harm to her own self. A little burning sensation should be nothing new.
She didn't say anything as he took her palm in his hand and began wiping at the fresh indentations gently. He marveled at her steely resolve to not flinch as he swiped meticulously over each cut in her palms. Once he had finished cleaning them out, Jughead pulled out an antibiotic ointment that he dabbed onto each little moon before capping the bottle again.
"There we go," he smiled. She didn't match it but her eyes didn't look quite as desperate so he took it for what it was worth. Just as he got ready to ask her if she needed anything for the pain she was most likely feeling with her damaged ankle, there was a knock on his door. Pea let himself in, announcing his presence as he made his way into the living room. Jughead watched as Betty closed her eyes tightly, trying to make herself as possible it seemed. Squeezing her gently on the forearm, Jughead made his way into his living room where his friend, and fellow Serpent, was waiting.
"What is It, Pea?" Jughead asked.
"Boss wants to see our newest addition," came the reply.
"Why?" Jughead asked warily.
Pea shrugged. "He just said it was imperative to see her and for me to remind you that you know the rules."
Jughead knew the rules alright. He would have to blindfold Betty again so she didn't see what the Wyrm looked like. Sighing, he nodded his head.
"Alright, give me ten," he muttered. Pea hummed before exiting his flat.
Staring at the door he just left through, Jughead sighed in frustration at the situation before collecting himself and making his way back into his room.
"We have to go see the boss now, don't we?" Betty asked dully, and he made his way to her, crouching once more in front of her.
"Yes," he admitted. "But, it'll be alright. The boss's name is FP and he's my dad. He's not as intimidating as he likes for people to believe."
Betty's eyes traced his face, before biting her lip and nodding.
"Alright," she whispered after releasing her lip from it's prison.
"Think you can walk on your foot?" Jughead inquired, and she nodded again, but opted to remain silent.
He nodded in return, then pulled out the blindfold he had retired to his pocket. Her eyes widened fractionally.
"Is that necessary?" Betty asked quietly, and Jughead sighed.
"Unfortunately so. I'm so sorry," he muttered, the self-hatred returning in full force at the petrified look on her face.
"Okay," she said in a painfully small voice. Bending down, he tied the blindfold around her eyes, making sure it was loose enough.
"How's that?' Jughead asked softly. "Not too tight is it?"
"It's fine," she mumbled, hands clasped primly in front of her.
Hating himself, he helped ease her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist to support her as she gingerly put weight on her foot. Then they were on their way to meet what awaited them.