Flashback.

Archie Andrews was starting to regret taking Jingle Jangle. He'd only snorted it a few hours ago, and now his nostrils were burning, his eyes were watering and he could barely concentrate on anything. He'd only taken it to try and figure out what exactly Jingle Jangle was. Because his girlfriend could fly. Veronica Lodge was his own personal angel, and even if suddenly being able to fly was pretty damn cool, he had to know how. So he had bitten his tongue and tracked down Reggie Mantle, a known member of The Serpent's. He was a former team-mate of Archie's, until Jughead Jones had dragged him into his creepy-ass X-men club.

Reggie had been more than happy to supply him with it, chucking Archie a small baggie of what looked suspiciously like Cocaine. The Mantle boy was clearly on Jingle Jangle. Though Archie wasn't entirely sure what it had done to the boy. Reggie couldn't fly, like Veronica. But he could catapult team-players halfway across the field at football practice with just a simple jerk of his head.

"Sniff it, Andrews." Reggie had told him with a smirk and Archie had ended up skipping afternoon classes and spending a long time staring at his reflection and trying to psyche himself up for it. His red hair was a straggly mess hanging over his eyes and his cheeks were pale, his freckles standing out. He was wearing his Letterman Jacket, and the bright colors made him wince.

If he actually took it, what would happen to him? Would he develop some freakish ability like Veronica? His phone buzzed on and off in his pocket and he didn't need to check it to know it was Betty. He couldn't tell her about this. He had known the girl since the two of them were little kids, paddling half naked in his garden. She would over-react if she knew Veronica's affliction was to do with drugs. After various mental arguments with himself, Archie had shakily poured out the strange powder on the edge of the basin and bent down, covering one nostril as he snorted a whole line of the stuff.

It had burned. Though of course it had. He was inhaling a foreign chemical into his body. Archie had waited for some kind of notion that it had worked, that the very fabric of his genes had been twisted and he'd been turned into some kind of lame superhero. Except there was nothing. He still looked the same. He didn't have glowing energy pulsing through his body and he definitely didn't feel powerful. Just to check, he winded his fist back and smashed it into the mirror. "Fuck!" Though that had been a stupid idea. He'd ended up in the nurses office with a bandage around his hand under the judging gaze of Nurse Cramer.

"Mr Andrews, what did you do?" she had asked, tutting. He'd shrugged. "I punched the mirror in the boy's bathroom." He muttered, without thinking, and the woman had looked slightly horrified for a second, until he span out a lie about being pissed that he's lost a game. Though the nurse hadn't been convinced and offered to call his dad. While she had been fumbling around in the student files looking for his, Archie had made a quick getaway, insisting that he was fine, and he wasn't in need of professional help.

Archie hadn't felt different until his last class of the day. Now, he stood, feeling like his legs were going to giveaway, over Miss Simon's desk. The teacher was frowning down at his most recent essay, the one he was actually pretty proud of, and to his distaste, his essay had red pen scribbled all over it, corrections so large they were blocking his actual work. Archie scratched the back of his head. He was trembling. Though it wasn't because Miss Simon's had given him a mediocre C minus. She had told him to stay behind after class. Archie could normally deal with this kind of feedback. Though not this time. The teacher's words were hurting him physically. He felt every pang in his chest every-time she muttered. "Disappointing" with a sigh, clicking her pen.

Archie could feel sweat beading down his neck, sliding down his back. He kept having to blink rapidly to maintain his vision. Archie longed to grip the side of Miss Simon's desk for support, but he resisted against it. He cleared his throat and forced a smile when the teacher glanced up to frown at him. Though he really didn't feel good. Archie felt like he was going to faint.

"Archie, You're an intelligent boy," she murmured. Though she was still drawing bright red circles around his essay, and correcting each and every word. Archie couldn't help glaring at her. He clenched his fists by his sides. 'I just really wish you put the amount of passion you put into football, into your work." She sighed. Archie narrowed his eyes at her. He was seeing double. Well shit.

"What's the matter with it?" He couldn't help grumbling. Normally, Archie was never vocal when he was being chastised by a teacher. But it must have been the drugs because he was silently simmering. He could feel his veins alive with energy trying to burst out of him. Archie bit back a groan when a thumping pain throbbed across the back of his skull.

The teacher shrugged. "Nothing's wrong with it, Archie." she sighed. "It's just…mediocre." Miss Simon's lifted her gaze to send the boy a reassuring smile, though it fell flat when she noticed he was visibly shaking. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and his fists were clenched tightly. 'Are you okay, Mr Andrews?' She studied him through beady eyes. Miss Simon's was in her late twenties with short brown hair and a long nose he couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from. It very much resembled a witch.

Archie nodded. 'Yeah, I'm good!' He lied. He most definitely wasn't good. Archie started to fabricate excuses in his mind to try and make a quick escape, since his entire body was heating up, sizzling, like he had a temperature. "You don't look very well, Archie." Miss Simon's stood up, abandoning his paper, her expression turning worrying. Before Archie could react, the woman was pressing her back-hand to his forehead, before jumping back, startled. 'Oh my goodness!" she squeaked. "Archie, you're boiling!"

Archie took a few steadying breaths. His eyes were starting to burn, and he blinked back tears. "I'm okay," he said softly, before losing his balance as his brain did a 360. The teacher looked horrified. 'I'll- I'll call an ambulance." She insisted, twisting around and grabbing her bag from behind her desk. "Mr Andrews, your forehead is almost too hot to touch!" she hissed as she searched for her phone. "Have you taken anything?" Archie didn't answer. His eyes were still burning. Excruciating pain made his head swim, and he staggered back when something zipped across his peripheral, and before he knew it, the edges of the teacher's desk were burnt and smouldered. Miss Simon's was too busy looking for her phone to realize. Archie managed to hold back a cry.

"I'm- I'm okay, really." He choked. "I think I just have a bug, Miss Simon's." Archie lifted his head to force a smile at the teacher, attempting to stop whatever the hell had just happened from happening again. But he was suddenly blinded by a dazzling light flashing in his vision. He stumbled, clawing at his eyes with a strangled cry before Miss Simon's let out a sharp squeak. There was a soft thud, like a body hitting the ground, and Archie could only stare helplessly as his eyes blazed a startling bright light. He tried to find his footing but tripped and stumbled as he fought to grab for his teacher, try and help her- save her.

And then it was gone. Flashing out of existence as quick as it had came. But it wasn't just the light evaporating, as if never there. Archie felt a piece of him drain away slowly, as if the drug stirring in his system was gradually picking him apart piece by piece.

Archie opened his eyes, and the light was gone. So was the pain, the agony zipping across his skull. Archie felt a cold sweat start to drip down the back of his neck as whatever had claimed him, held him in a metal vice for so long, suddenly let him go. He managed to stay upright but he was disoriented and steeled himself against the teacher's desk for support. After a moment of swallowing burning vomit at the back of his throat and trying to blink away the colorful spots invading his vision, Archie turned his attention to his teacher, who was uncharacteristically quiet. Even when she did get along with him, she still lectured the boy.

'Miss Simon's?' He managed to whisper, his lips felt dry and cracked. His voice was a slight hysterical squeak.

But when he stared forwards at Miss Simon's, she was no longer standing. Instead, the woman was lying on her back. At first he couldn't understand why. Had she fainted? Archie squinted, trying to clear his vision. He glimpsed Miss Simon's' heels sticking up, attached to pale white legs, a torso, and- oh. Archie wasn't sure what was wrong with him. But what he was seeing didn't seem to be registering because he wasn't crying out in horror and stumbling backwards like a normal human being. Or like the boy he was this morning, before experimenting with Jingle Jangle.

Archie Andrews was different now. When he saw the cavernous hole in his teacher's chest, he didn't move. Only stared. It was funny. The woman almost looked like a doughnut if he squinted, and that was the first thought that came to his head. Though instead of sweet icing, there was only congealed blood still sizzling around the gaping wound exposing her slithery insides. Which didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. In fact, he was suddenly taken over with morbid curiosity. He wanted to get closer and a small part of him- the sane part- was screaming at him stop.

It didn't hit him for a second that he had caused it. But after a moment of staring at the deep hole cutting through Miss Simon's' pale dress as well as layers and layers of flesh, blood and bone- he understood. Archie had burned a hole through his teacher. With his eyes. Like he really was some kind of superhero. Or, he guessed, in this circumstance; super villain.

Archie didn't cry. His eyes were still hurting. He felt- strange. Like any traces of empathy, of sympathy and care for the poor woman had diminished. His first thought was to ring Betty or Veronica. Though he wasn't sure that conversation would go well.

"Hey guys, I burned a hole through my teacher's chest and she looks pretty dead to me. Also, I took Jingle Jangle and I think it's given me laser eyes."

He was pretty sure killing his teacher and taking drugs was on Betty Cooper's 'No-no' list.

Archie shivered. Though he was wasn't cold. He was boiling. Archie stood for a long moment, just staring at Miss Simon's. At her face. She had died with her eyes open in shock, her lips still parted slightly, ready to scream louder. But she never had the chance.

Archie jumped at the sound of the door opening, and he twisted around, panic settling in his chest- finally. Though it wasn't another teacher or student. It was a sea of black jackets with that same entwined snake on the back. Archie spotted Reggie Mantle among them and swallowed a yell. Reggie had been the one to give him Jangle Jangle. This was a set up.

The South-side Serpents lead by his former child hood best friend Jughead Jones. The boy who had transformed from a loner kid who maybe said something once a month, to this. Archie had never felt anything for Jughead. It had always been a platonic friendship, and when they drifted apart- they just tolerated each-other. Maybe exchanging awkward greetings now and then. Though now, Jughead sent shivers tingling down Archie's spine. His chest ached, and his stomach flittered. But this was for Jughead Jones! He wanted to yell at himself, but he couldn't tear his gaze from the boy. His chocolate brown hair was still nestled under that damn knitted beanie Archie had teased him for having when they were little. Jughead's Green eyes looked- different somehow. There was something lingering there in his iris, though Archie couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was. Jughead's lips were curved into a playful smirk and his arms were folded. Archie spotted Cheryl Blossom among them and sent her a frown. But she only grinned back, her gaze playful. She was excited. Archie cleared his throat and looked back to the teacher who was- yep, she was still very dead.

"Jughead?" Archie managed. "What the- what the hell are you doing here?"

Though the dark haired boy ignored him, only looking straight at his dead teacher. 'Nice." Jughead moved forward, his gaze studying the impossible hole in Miss Simon's chest, before it flickered to Archie. "Let me guess. Laser Eyes?"

Archie stiffened and he opened his mouth, but Jughead got there first. "Yes, Archie. I know that you barbecued your English teacher." he grinned when Archie scowled. "But I'll get to that." Jughead cleared his throat and turned to the gang of kids. "Sabrina." He turned to a girl who stepped forward. She had pale skin and short silver-white hair tied in a red ribbon. Sabrina too sported a Serpent jacket over a red sweater and pleated skirt. The girl grinned excitedly, rubbing her hands together. "Want me to fix her?" Her voice was like wind-chimes. Dreamy. Soft. Archie felt her voice sink into his panicking mind, soothing him.

Jugehead nodded, his lip curling. "Fix my old friend's mistake." He murmured, winking at Archie. Who only glared back. "Jughead, whatever sick game you're trying to play. I'm not playing along." He growled.

Though Jughead only shushed him. "Just watch!" He insisted, before smiling at Sabrina. "Show him what you can do, Sabrina."

The girl's expression brightened and she nodded, hurrying to the fallen teacher. Archie watched as Sabrina knelt next to Miss Simon's and lay her palm over the gaping wound in the woman's chest. Archie couldn't help letting out a hysterical laugh. "What the hell are you doing? She's dead!" He turned to Jughead, his eyes wild. Jughead only ignored him.

But Archie wasn't letting this go. He tried to lunge forwards and pull the girl away from the body. "Look- what we need to be doing is ringing an ambulance!" He insisted, his voice quivering. "I- I- don't think she could be any more dead-" His words were suddenly muffled when Jughead rolled his eyes in irritation and slammed his hand over the red-head's mouth. "Stop bleating."

"Bleating?!" Archie tore away from the boy's grasp, stumbling away. "You're crazy!" he yelled, before making a break for the door. Though Cheryl Blossom grabbed him and turned hm back around, shoving him back into Jughead's awaiting arms. "Dude, get off me!" Archie struggled, but Jughead kept a tight grip. "Arch, all I'm asking you to do is watch Sabrina's little trick.

In the end, Archie did. He watched Sabrina, one of The Serpent's squeeze her eyes shut, pressing pressure onto the teacher's chest. At first, nothing happened. Archie rolled his eyes. "What is this?!" He demanded, struggling again. "Some kind of sick ritual?"

Jughead chuckled, tightening his grip around Archie's biceps. "You just turned your teacher into a human kebab, Archie. You're no better than us."

Archie was ready to argue. But the words clogged in his throat when he noticed something happening to Miss Simon's chest. At first he thought he was imagining it. But he was seeing it clear as day. It looked like the hole in the teacher's chest was slowly knitting itself back together, bits of bone and muscle regenerating quickly, forming layer after layer of what Archie had obliterated. Archie relaxed in Jughead's arms, and eventually, the dark haired boy let him go. "Okay first of all, before you say anything-" Though this time Archie was interrupting Jughead. "She's healing her." He said softly, his voice choked. "Oh my god, she's really healing her."

"She'll be okay." Sabrina murmured, lifting her hand. There was a thick layer of pink flesh spreading out across the woman's chest. The blonde haired girl smirked at Archie. "Try not to lose control next time, dude." She murmured, before standing up. "Cheryl, can you give me a hand?" The girl asked, scooping the teacher into her arms. Cheryl nodded, rushing forwards and helping. The two girls carried the teacher away. Cheryl winked at him in passing, and Archie avoided her eyes.

Archie finally tore his gaze from Sabrina and Cheryl, to Jughead. He narrowed his eyes. But Jughead only grinned at him, cocking his head. "Have you been feeling weird today, Archie?"

Archie wasn't sure how to answer that. "What do you think?" He hissed back. Though Jughead only giggled. Which he found kind of- cute? Archie shook his head of the thought. No, that was crazy. Before he could begin to ask questions, Jughead smiled brightly at him. He really wasn't used to Jughead smiling this much. The boy seemed to have changed significantly, it was almost scaring him. The warm smile he was used to- it was gone. "Okay, Archie. Bottom line; We have your girlfriend."

Archie couldn't help scoffing out a laugh. Though his chest tightened, knowing about the girl's strange ability. Like his own. Did that mean Jughead was connected to kids having powers?

"You have her?" He demanded. "What are you talking about?"

jughead sighed and moved in front of him. Archie realized the boy was uncomfortably close, he could practically feel Jughead's breath tickling his cheeks. "Archie, you're a smart guy. Right?" He murmured softly, and Archie only frowned back at him. "You know what's happening to me?" He whispered. Jughead nodded. "And what happened to Veronica," he said smoothly. "Because both of you took Jingle Jangle."

Archie glared. "You gave my girlfriend life altering drugs?!"

Jughead's lips curved into a smile, his eyes glinting. Archie resisted the urge to take another step back. "I gave you both mind-altering drugs so I could get my best friend back." Jughead shrugged, grinning a little. "Maybe I have a diabolical plan to drag you and Miss Socialite into to my gang, so Betty Cooper follows." He smirked when Archie's lips twisted in disgust.

"Leave Betty out of this." Archie grumbled. Though Jughead shrugged. "She'll come to her senses once she knows not only her bestie Veronica Lodge is a Serpent, but also her childhood friend."

Archie glared at him a while longer, half-hoping his new laser eyes would carve the smile right off of Jughead's face.

The boy gestured to his gang. One of them chucked him a bound leather jacket. Archie could just about glimpse the dark Green snake printed on the back. This time he did take a step back when Jughead smiled expectantly at him. "Strip it off, Andrews."

Archie couldn't help blushing, and he could tell Jughead loved it. The boy only got closer until they were practically touching noses and Archie let out a soft breath. "What?!"

Jughead raised his eyebrows. "Your Letterman jacket, Arch," he said. softly. "Any kid who comes into contact with Jingle Jangle automatically becomes a Serpent."

It was Archie's turn to laugh. "You're kidding right?"

Jughead shrugged. "I dunno, am I?" He muttered. "Veronica? Can you come here a second?" Archie stiffened.

"Dude, there's no way I'm joining-" He started to say, but then Veronica Lodge was appearing in the doorway. She didn't say anything, though, really, she didn't need to. The girl wasn't wearing a shirt, her breasts were exposed. Though nobody batted an eyelid as if it was completely normal. The only thing she wore was a Serpent jacket and her usual dark skirt. Though when she grew closer, Archie could see something spreading from her back. Golden brown feathers furled into what looked like- wings. Veronica Lodge could fly, he had somehow registered that. But Veronica Lodge having wings?!

"Archie, it's rude to stare." She murmured. There was something wrong with her voice. It was dreamy, like Sabrina's, as if she was in a trance. Archie gritted his teeth. "What the hell did you-"

Jughead rolled his eyes, and Archie softened his voice to a low growl.

"If I join The Serpent's," he stared at the floor as he said it, as if ashamed. "You'll tell me what the fuck you did to me and Veronica."

"Done." Jughead smiled. But Archie wasn't finished. He lifted his head, brown eyes blazing. "And you'll stay the hell away from Betty."

The dark haired boy pursed his lips, his eyes glittering. "Nah, I can't promise you that, Arch." He said softly. "After all, weren't we always The Three Musketeers? It was always me, you and Betty." He said. "It would be awfully rude to leave her out of this."

Archie scoffed. "You barely spoke to her. Dude, she doesn't even know you exist!"

Jughead's eyes darkened again, and Archie felt the breath catch in his throat. The boy seemed to also have an aura, a dark shadow looming over him, consuming him in darkness. "Shut it, Archie. Before I do something I regret."

Archie glared at him for a moment longer, before straightening up. He was sick of this. He'd had his fill of trauma for one day. "Have fun in your creepy gang, Jug." He muttered, shoving the boy backwards. "God, you turned into such a freak."

Before he could make a break for it again, Jughead was grabbing him and pulling him close. Archie started to fight back, but Jughead's eyes were suddenly blazing orange, his iris's rings of fire. "You'll be joining The Serpent's, won't you Archie?" He said softly. Dangerously. Archie wanted to yell and batter his fists against the boy, but his limbs suddenly felt heavy, his eyes flickering slightly as he stared deeply into Jughead's Jones' eyes. His best friend from Kindergarten. He saw himself and Jughead when they were little, rising their bikes, Archie flipping over his handlebars and Jughead carrying him back home, his facial expression twisted with fright. Then there was him, Jughead and a tiny blonde girl with flowers in her hair rolling down hills, racing to get that last cookie.

Archie and Jughead has always been so close before their friendship crumbled. But the boy wanted it back.

He wanted them back. It was kind of sad, Archie thought. Jughead was lonely.

The deeper Archie stared, watching shimmers of orange glinting in Jughead's pupil's, the less he struggled. The boy's voice bounced around in his skull and suddenly seemed to take over every thought process. You'll be joining The Serpent's now, won't you Archie?

His last logical thought was that his ex best friend wasn't just recruiting super-powered teens to join his gang, he was- he was…

Archie lost that train of thought and found himself nodding, dumbly. Yes. Yes he was. He was joining The Serpents. There was a small voice in the back of his head, pushing the thought deeper and deeper until he simply let it envelope him and joining The Serpent's suddenly didn't seem so bad.

Jughead let go of the red-head and the fire dispersed from his eyes. "So, what do you say, Andrews?" He offered the jacket, and Archie stared down at it, before a small smile appeared on his lips that he was sure wasn't his. Before he could hesitate he was pulling off his beloved Letterman Jacket and Jughead grinned widely. "That's it, Arch. How good does it feel to get rid of it?"

"It feels great." Archie said softly. Dreamily. He threw on The Serpent jacket and smoothed it down, fitting it around his blue shirt. Jughead looked impressed. "Damn Andrews,' he smirked at the boy. Archie actually did suit the jacket. the contrast of the dark leather and his bright red hair and pale face made him look like he'd just stepped out of Grease.

"Yes." Archie said softly. "Yes, I suit it."

"Good." Jughead murmured, before slinging an arm around the red-head. "Now, Archie, what did you say about Betty Cooper? Sorry, I didn't catch it."

Archie frowned, his eyebrows furrowing, before he smiled widely. "I say go for it, Dude."

Jughead smirked, before pulling out a baggie of white powder out of his jeans pocket. He smiled at it. He had Veronica and Archie. The raven haired girl came to stand by him, her facial expression frozen into a permanent dazed smile. He pulled Archie and Veronica both close to him, and they stumbled, like the very puppets they were. The angel and the human laser beam. It was great having his best friend back, even if it was in this state. But Betty Cooper's friends were only stepping stones to the real thing. Soon he'd have Betty, and she'd shine with the powers he'd give her. He waved the Jingle Jangle in front of Archie's face teasingly.

The boy didn't blink, and Jughead's smile grew. "That's what I thought."