Chapter 28


Betty came to a stop and set Cheryl down.

"Put me down! Put me down!" Cheryl screamed.

She then realized that Betty had indeed put her down, but that they weren't in the restaurant anymore.

"Where are we?" Cheryl asked.

"My farm," Betty replied.

"What did you bring me here to kill me now?" Cheryl asked.

"What? No!" Betty exclaimed.

"You just killed that guy back at the restaurant," Cheryl said.

"He was trying to kill us!" Betty said. "He killed Jason!"

"Oh god! Jason," Cheryl said looked down at the blood on her hands and clothes. "We need to go back."

"No," Betty said grabbed Cheryl's shoulder as Cheryl turned to walk down the drive way.

Cheryl spun around and slapped Betty in the face, however she only succeeded in hurting her own hand.

"Ow! Fuck!" Cheryl exclaimed holding her pain in agony.

"I'm sorry," Betty apologized. "Just… please calm down."

"Calm? Calm? I just watched my brother die in my arms and you want me to be calm?" Cheryl yelled clearly distraught.

Betty wasn't entirely sure how she was keeping together herself.

"We don't even know who that guy was or why he was there!" Cheryl exclaimed.

"Actually I've got a theory on that," Betty said.

"Oh and what is that?" Cheryl asked.

"I think he was sent by Midge, to kill you, me and Jason," Betty said.

"He did say her name in the restaurant," Cheryl admitted calming down slightly. "But he looked like professional hitman, how could Midge pay for such a thing?"

"Because I don't think she did," Betty answered.

Cheryl's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" Cheryl asked.

"My friends and I… we think Midge has developed some kind of mind control," Betty explained. "She's the one that got Adam to attack you the other day."

"That gun he had… you disarmed him?" Cheryl asked.

"I… yes," Betty lied not wanting to give up Barry's secret; that was his to tell.

"How did you do that?" Cheryl inquired.

"Same way I got us all the way here from the restaurant," Betty replied. "I can move really fast, faster than people can see."

"And what about the laser eye thing?" Cheryl asked.

"Um, that's new," Betty answered. "I've never done that before."

"And Ambrose, were you responsible for stopping him too?" Cheryl asked.

"That was the first real test," Betty replied.

"So you could have saved Jason," Cheryl said.

"I… yes…" Betty replied. "But I was trying to save everyone."

"How exactly?" Cheryl asked.

"I figured if he wasted his bullets trying to shoot me…" Betty said.

"Waste his bullets shooting you?" Cheryl asked.

"I'm also bulletproof," Betty replied. "But I didn't want to risk a stray shot hitting somebody, but Jason felt the need to take the bullets for me. He… he didn't know."

"Well who else does?" Cheryl questioned.

"My family, Jughead, Dilton and the new kid Barry, and now you," Betty answered. "And that's it."

There were a few more like Ambrose, Cricket and possibly Veronica, but Betty didn't feel they needed to be mentioned.

"So how?" Cheryl asked.

"How what?" Betty asked back.

"How do you do all of this?" Cheryl asked. "Are you like secretly an alien or something?"

"Actually that's exactly it," Betty answered.

"What?" Cheryl asked utterly confused.

"I'm actually an alien," Betty explained.

"You're kidding, I mean you don't look like an alien," Cheryl said.

"I'm not really sure what that's supposed to mean or what an alien is supposed to look like," Betty said.

"If you're an alien where are you from? Uranus?" Cheryl asked sarcastically.

"My home planet is called Krypton," Betty replied. "It was destroyed; how that happened I don't know but my parents sent me here when I was an infant. I arrived with the meteor storm and the Coopers found me and raised me as their own. I didn't even know I wasn't human until a couple of weeks ago."

"How did you not know?" Cheryl inquired.

"My parents always told me I was special, my abilities manifested themselves as I got older," Betty said. "They found out I was super strong when I was 3, that I was nearly invulnerable when I was 5 and my speed when I was 10."

"So you've been like this for years, had these abilities and never used them?" Cheryl asked.

"Because I know that there are people out there who would take advantage of them," Betty explained. "I try to only use my abilities to help people."

Cheryl said nothing but just looked back at Betty.

"Look I get that you're mad at me about Jason," Betty said.

"I'm… I'm not mad at you," Cheryl said. "I want to be, believe me I really want to be. But I can't be mad at you."

Betty was taken aback.

"I already told you that I really did a number on my brother, I screwed him up socially," Cheryl admitted. "But then you were fixing that. These past few days you were about the only thing that Jason would ever talk about. He really cared for you."

"I know, that's why he took a bullet for me," Betty said with a sad smile.

"I may come across as this self-absorbed bitch at school," Cheryl said. "But I can't be mad at you for my brother loving you. I'm upset at him for being a fool."

"You shouldn't be upset with him even," Betty said. "You should be upset with that gunman, or assassin or whatever and with Midge for sending him."

"You're right," Cheryl said nodding as tears began to flow from her eyes. "But I can't help feel like somehow I'm to blame, like I got my brother killed."

"Look, I'm not going to say that what you did to Midge was right," Betty said. "I think even you can admit it went a little far. But what Midge has done in response is beyond insane, and there's no way you could know that she would go to such lengths for revenge."

"Still the way I've treated her…" Cheryl said.

"You can't think on it," Betty cut her off. "All you can do is try and change who you are going forward. Your brother was trying to be a better person, you were trying too."

"You're right again," Cheryl agreed. "God, you're such a better person than I am Betty. I wish I could be like you."

"You can be, you just have to work at it," Betty said.

"I'm going to make things right," Cheryl said. "I'm the one Midge wants dead so she's going to be coming after me and I'm going to help you stop her."

Betty wasn't sure what Cheryl could exactly bring to the table in terms of helping stop Midge, but she wasn't about to turn Cheryl down either; especially not after losing her brother.

"Alright, the we need to get back to the restaurant," Betty said.

"Why?" Cheryl asked.

"It would be kind of suspicious if we're not there," Betty replied. "But we need to get our story straight. Nothing about my powers. After Jason got shot we ran and hid and we didn't see how the assassin got killed."

Cheryl nodded in agreement.

"You don't mind if I carry you once more?" Betty asked.

"No just don't drop me," Cheryl replied.

Betty smirked and picked Cheryl up as she sped back to the restaurant.


Veronica arrived at the restaurant called The Mill. There were already multiple ambulances and police officers on the scene and as she got out of her car she saw several different media vans arriving. Veronica was curious as to who the victims were. She suspected that this was yet another attempt by Midge to kill this Cheryl girl that she felt had wronged her somehow.

Veronica was quite certain as to what had happened here; Midge had taken control of her mother's assassin Deathstroke and used him to kill Cheryl. She saw two Medical Examiners wheeling away a corpse and Veronica went over to take a look.

"Excuse me, may I see," Veronica asked stopping them.

The two of them looked at each other unsure and then Veronica reached into her purse and pulled out two hundred dollar bills and gave one to each of them. One of them unzipped the body bag to let Veronica have a look.

Veronica was surprised. It was a man wearing what looked like some kind of fine mesh Kevlar body armour. However the armour hadn't protected him, as he had a huge gaping hole clean through his chest. Veronica could see that the edges of the wound were cauterized so it must have been made by an intense and concentrated blast of heat, like a powerful laser or something.

"What the…?" Veronica muttered.

"Our thoughts exactly lady," the second ME said. "Thanks by the way."

They zipped the bag up and took the body away.

"Looks like your mother's favourite assassin failed," a familiar sounding man said from behind Veronica.

Veronica spun around to see her father Hiram.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Veronica asked.

"You think I don't know what's going on at work with you?" he retorted. "You may be the boss but I write the pay checks. I know about the Klump girl."

Veronica wasn't surprised by that at all, she knew that several of her employees reported to her father on what went on.

"Yes, but that doesn't explain why you are here," Veronica stated.

"I'm here to clean up your mess," Hiram told her.

"Clean up my mess?" Veronica asked. "I didn't…."

She didn't get a chance to finish as her father walked off over towards where the media teams were setting up their cameras. Veronica followed hoping to finish her thought but soon the cameras were all on her father.

"I'm going to keep this brief," Hiram said. "I'd like to announce that Lodge Corp is going to pay for the medical bills of all the victims of this tragedy and for the funeral arrangements of the deceased."

Veronica grumbled to herself as she turned and walked away. She was heading to her car when something caught her attention. It was Betty Cooper. She appeared to be wet and was wrapped in a dull grey blank and was sitting next to a red headed girl as the two of them talked with police officer.

Veronica made her way over to see what was going on.

"My brother he… he took a bullet for Betty," the red headed girl was telling the officer. "We used the opportunity to jump out the shattered window into the river. We stayed down there until… until…"

She broke off crying.

"It's okay Cheryl," Betty said comfortingly as she rubbed Cheryl's back.

"You know what I think that's enough for now," the police officer said folding up his note pad. "I'll be in touch if I need anything else."

The two girls nodded.

"Well, well, look who it is," Veronica said.

Betty looked up surprised to see Veronica there.

"Veronica… what are you doing here?" Betty asked.

Veronica didn't reply but just looked at Cheryl.

"So you must be Cheryl, sounds like a lot of people have been trying to kill you lately," Veronica commented. "Tell me Cheryl did Betty here save your life?"

Cheryl stared back at Veronica, almost like she was trying to stare a hole right through her. Veronica felt a little unnerved by the girl despite the fact all the makeup on her face was smeared and running.

"My twin brother Jason was just killed in there," Cheryl said. "He took a bullet for Betty and I so we could get to safety. So no, it was my brother who saved my life."

Veronica clenched her jaw in anger.

"You know I can help put an end to these attempts on your life," Veronica said her tone threatening.

"So are you saying that you're at least partially responsible?" Cheryl asked. "Because when I find the person responsible for my brother's death…"

Cheryl let the threat hang in the air. Veronica stood there for a moment, thinking about how to respond.

"That's not what I'm saying," Veronica said. "I have a great many resources and I can help you…"

"Keep your money," Cheryl said. "I don't need it."

"Now just a minute…" Veronica said.

"I think you should leave," Betty said standing up and interposing herself between Cheryl and Veronica.

Betty and Veronica locked eyes for a long moment.

"This isn't over," Veronica said quietly so only Betty could hear before she turned and walked away.

Betty and Cheryl watched Veronica leave.

"Ugh, I can't believe I used to idolize her," Cheryl said. "What a bitch."

"She definitely knows more about what happened then she's letting on," Betty said. "But I don't think she wanted this to happen."

"Don't be so sure Betty," Cheryl said. "You always try to see the best in people, but some people are just rotten to the core."

"Well I believe that," Betty said. "But she doesn't strike me as a sociopath, not like Midge."

Just then another police officer came over to them.

"We're done questioning you ladies so I'm to take you home," he said.

"My parents are out of town at a real estate conference in Florida," Cheryl said.

"You're coming to my place," Betty said.

"Thanks," Cheryl said.

"Come with me ladies," the officer said leading the two of them past a mob of reporters.

The reporters all tried to get a comment from them but the officer held them back as they climbed into the back of his patrol car so he could take them home.


Midge was in her hotel room enjoy a free lobster dinner that she had told the manager to give her as well as a massage as she watched TV. Suddenly it cut away to breaking news. When the banner scrolled along mentioning a shooting at a Riverdale restaurant Midge turned up the volume.

"Oh this is going to be good!" Midge said excitedly.

The TV then cut to a reporter who was standing outside The Mill. There were police cars and ambulances all over the place.

"Eight people, including the shooter are confirmed dead and at least twenty four injured in the deadly shooting," the reporter said. "The identity of the shooter remains unknown at this time as well as his intentions."

Midge licked her lips hoping to hear about Cheryl's death along with Betty and Jason.

"Nobody is sure what happened to the shooter, however he was dead before cops even arrived," the reporter said.

"Wait what?" Midge shouted at the TV.

Midge had specifically told Deathstroke to kill as many people as he could before he was killed himself after he killed Cheryl, Betty and Jason.

"Oh it looks like two of the survivors, let's see if we can get a comment," the reporter exclaimed.

The reporter took off with the camera man following and as Midge watched she saw a mob of camera men and reporters swarming two girls currently with blankets draped over their shoulders, being led to a police car. As they got into the police car their faces were finally visible to the camera.

"NO!" Midge screamed angrily as she saw that Betty and Cheryl were still alive.

Furious she threw the remote at the TV causing it to shatter in a shower of sparks. She got up off the massage table, however the masseuse was still trying to give her a massage.

"Use those hands to break your own neck," Midge snapped at him.

The masseuse grabbed his own head and broke his own neck with a loud crack just as Midge had hold him to. Midge looked down at his dead body. She tried to think about how she could kill Cheryl, somehow she had managed to survive two attempts on her life. If only she had somebody like Ambrose Pipp…

A smile slowly spread across Midge's face. Her father had created her, had given her the power to control men. Perhaps that is what had been done with Ambrose. And if that was the case then Belle Reeve was more than it appeared to be.


Will Midge finally get her revenge or will Betty be able to stop her? Find out in the next chapter. Please Review.