Chapter 47


Betty, Barry, Tim and Sabrina emerged from the forest onto the road.

"So where now?" Barry asked.

"Sabrina are you able to do a spell that can locate Hiram Lodge?" Tim inquired.

"I can try," Sabrina said. "But if he's the one responsible for bonding that Advespa Queen to Midge, then he's certainly capable of casting a spell that can hide his location."

"Well if you could try," Tim said.

"Alright, but I'll need a map," Sabrina said.

"We've got some maps back at my farm," Betty said.

Just then they all saw Cheryl flying up in the sky. She gracefully came down to a landing.

"Midge is safely with the cops," Cheryl reported.

"Good I'll use my contacts back in Gotham to try and get her transferred to Arkham," Tim said.

"So what are we doing now?" Cheryl asked.

"We're going to Betty's farm so Sabrina can try a locator spell to try and find Hiram Lodge," Barry answered.

"Alright, let's go," Cheryl said.

They gathered around Sabrina once more.

"Tropelet su ot s'ytteB marf," Sabrina cast the spell.

There was the whirl of smoke and suddenly they all found themselves standing at Betty's farm about half-way between the farmhouse and the barn.

"Come on, I'm pretty sure Dilton's got a bunch of maps of the area up in the loft in the barn," Betty said.

She led the way to the barn and up into the loft. The Monopoly board was still set up on the coffee table.

"You know I think Jughead is cheat," Barry said.

"Of course he's cheating," Betty said. "Jughead cheats at every board game that I've ever played with him."

"You knew and you said nothing?" Barry exclaimed.

"It's just a game," Betty said dismissively.

"We've got bigger things to worry about than somebody cheating at Monopoly," Tim said. "Do you mind cleaning this up Barry?"

Barry had the game packed up and put away in a matter of seconds. Betty looked around and she found a large map of the state of New Jersey, she spread it out on the coffee table.

"Will this work?" she asked Sabrina.

"It should work," Sabrina said. "Do you have a thumb tack or a nail?"

Betty went over to the desk and looked around and came back with a thumb tack which she gave to Sabrina. Sabrina took it from her and nodded her thanks. She then knelt down next to the map and ran her left hand over the map quietly whispering something. A faint glow could be seen between her hand and the map. Sabrina then held the thumb tack over the map with her right hand.

"Wohs em erehw marih egdol is detacol," Sabrina cast.

She let go of the thumb tack and it fell onto the map, bounced a few times and lay on its side. Sabrina let out a slightly frustrated sigh.

"He's masked his location," Sabrina said.

"How do you know, maybe the spell just didn't work," Tim said.

"I know the spell worked," Sabrina said. "Watch I'll find somebody else."

She picked the thumb tack up and held it over the map once more.

"Wohs em erehw mit ekard is detacol," Sabrina cast.

She let go of the thumb tack once more. This time it flew straight down into the map the pin sticking in deep. Sabrina pulled the thumb tack out and examined the mark.

"I'd say that's pretty accurate wouldn't you?" Sabrina said.

"Who did you try and locate?" Tim asked.

"Why you Tim," Sabrina replied with a smile.

The others all crowded around and looked. The pin looked to have pierced the map exactly where the farm was located.

"Okay that was pretty cool," Barry commented.

"Like I said," Sabrina said. "If he knows enough on how to bind a demon to somebody he almost certainly knows how to hide his presence from a magical locator spell."

"Well now what?" Cheryl asked.

"I have no idea," Tim said as he flopped down on one of the couches exasperated.

"You could use Dilton's police scanners," Betty suggested.

Tim sat up and looked over at the computers. He then looked at Betty and Barry.

"You have police… you know what never mind," Tim said. "I think this might work."

He ran over to the desk and sat down and put on a pair of earphones.

Sabrina got up off the floor and sat down on one of the couches and then lay over. She was clearly exhausted.

"I'm just going to take a little…" she started to say but fell asleep before she finished.

"I'll go get her a blanket," Barry offered.

He quickly took off to find one.

"Betty do you mind if I talk to you for minute?" Cheryl asked. "In private?"

Betty nodded and the two of them walked down from the loft to a far corner of the barn.

"So what's up?" Betty asked.

"I wanted to let you know, that whole reason I did this, the whole Silent Armor and everything; is because of you, and Jason," Cheryl replied.

"Well, thank you?" Betty said not sure if that was the right thing to say.

"But I was wondering if you could do me a favour," Cheryl said.

"Sure, anything, what is it?" Betty asked.

"Do you mind if I were to stay here, at the farm," Cheryl replied. "I don't think I'm ready to go home."

"Cheryl I'm sure your parents…" Betty started to say.

"My parents couldn't give a damn about me," Cheryl cut her off. "I was gone for six months and they didn't do a damn thing to try and find me. Heck I had my phone with me for the first month and they didn't even call. They don't care about me, they never did. Jason and I were just props for helping them sell houses."

"Are you sure this is about that?" Betty asked. "Or maybe you just don't want to face the reminders of Jason when you return home?"

"Maybe," Cheryl admitted. "But either way I, I can't go home."

"Well why don't you stay with my family," Betty suggested.

"No, no," Cheryl said. "I love your mom Betty, after Jason died she was more of a mother to me than my own mother ever was. And you and the rest of your family are great. But I think I need to be alone."

"I get it," Betty said with a nod of her head. "You're more than welcome to stay here. I should warn you though you won't be alone much, my friends and I we are here hanging out just about every day."

"That's fine," Cheryl said. "I'm not saying I want to be alone all the time. Heck, when school starts back up I'll probably go."

Betty let out a chuckle at that.

"What's so funny?" Cheryl asked indignantly thinking that Betty was being insulting.

"Oh sorry," Betty apologized still chuckling. "I'm just thinking about what all the other cheerleaders will be doing when they see you've returned."

Cheryl had to chuckle at that as well.

"I guess that depends on what kind of return I make," Cheryl said. "Look, I know you hide who you are and with good reason, I respect that. But as much as I want to be alone I can't do that. I mean the cops have already seen my face anyway. I doubt it will be long before the whole town knows about me."

"You're probably right," Betty agreed.

"Besides, being a cheerleader doesn't really hold any interest for me anymore," Cheryl said. "I'm surprised it ever did for you."

"It didn't really," Betty said. "You kind of manipulated me into it."

"Yeah… I guess I did," Cheryl admitted sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"You don't need to apologize," Betty said. "If you hadn't, we probably wouldn't be friends and Midge probably would have killed you."

Cheryl nodded in agreement. Just then Barry zoomed back into the barn with a blanket for Sabrina. He gently draped it over her and then leaned over the barrier looking down at Cheryl and Betty.

"What are you two talking about down there?" Barry asked.

"Nothing, just girl stuff," Cheryl replied.

She and Betty made their way back up to the loft. Sabrina was sound asleep and Tim was over in the corner listening to the police scanner on a pair of head phones.

"So what should we do now?" Barry asked.

"We can't do anything really," Betty said. "I mean the evidence we have suggests that Hiram Lodge is behind this, the problem is none of our evidence would hold up in court or even necessarily make the police believe us."

"And we've got no idea where he is," Cheryl added.

"I think I got something," Tim called.

The others all looked at him eagerly awaiting what he'd learned.

"They just found a dead body at the Lodge Mansion," Tim reported. "Sounds like the police are trying to keep this quiet, but a 911 call just came in."

"Is it Hiram Lodge?" Betty asked.

"I don't think so," Tim replied.

"I could run over there and take a look," Barry offered.

"No, the place will probably be full of people," Tim said. "Somebody will probably see you. I'll keep monitoring the police chatter, but I think our best bet is to examine the dead body once it's in the morgue. It'll be much easier to sneak in there."

"It will probably take some time though for them to clear the scene and move the body," Cheryl said.

"At least a few hours," Tim agreed.

"So what do we do in the mean time?" Barry asked.

"Well Sabrina is obviously exhausted, and frankly I could use some rest after the battle with Midge and all those other demons," Betty said. "I think we should just recuperate for a little while."

"That's probably a good idea," Tim said.

"We should probably let Sheila and Jughead know what's going on," Barry suggested to Betty.

"Yeah actually maybe they can pick up something to eat and bring it here," Betty added. "I'm starving."

"I could go for something to eat," Cheryl said. "I've had to survive on my own cooking for quite a while now."

"Oh that sounds rough," Betty joked.

"Laugh if you want but I actually have learned a few things," Cheryl said. "I'm not going to be winning any cooking shows but at least it's edible and tastes alright."

"Hey that's good for you," Barry congratulated her.

Betty found her phone which she had left here and opened it up and texted Sheila. She asked Sheila to pick up some food and come back to the farm with Jughead so they could talk about what had happened today. About a minute later she got a response from Sheila that she and Jughead were going to pick up take out from Pop's and that they should be there in about forty-five minutes. Betty added that there were five of them already out at the farm already so to make sure to get enough food for seven people.


"Hey guys!" Jughead called as he entered the barn. "We brought food."

"Up here!" Betty called from loft.

Sheila and Jughead made their way up to the loft. They were each carrying large paper bags that smelled of grease and deliciousness.

"We order fried…" Sheila started to say. "OH MY GOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! Cheryl you're back!"

Cheryl smiled from where she was sitting on the couch.

"I forgot just how excited you can get," Cheryl commented with a smile.

"Okay, and the magician is here too, you guys have got to tell us what is going on," Jughead said.

"Well sit down, and we'll tell you as we eat," Betty said.

Everybody sat down around the coffee table as Jughead and Sheila opened the bags and brought out Styrofoam containers filled with fish and chips. Everyone passed the food around so everybody had something to eat and then began sharing the condiments and napkins. As they were eating Betty, Barry, Cheryl, Sabrina and Tim each told Jughead and Sheila what had happened. Once that had been done Cheryl had told the story of how she had gained her powers.

"So you're saying you met an actual goddess?" Tim asked her once she was done her story.

"I don't know if who I met was actually Athena or not," Cheryl replied. "All I know is what she told me. But I have no reason not to believe her."

"It probably was Athena," Sabrina said nonchalantly as she dipped a fry in some mayonnaise and then ate it. "Your whole situation is just the sort of thing where Athena would intervene."

"Have you met her before?" Cheryl asked.

Sabrina shook her head.

"No, but I know of her and I've met others who had met her," Sabrina replied.

"Man this is so cool," Sheila said excitedly. "I know somebody who talked to a god."

"You know I've told you about everything I've been up to," Cheryl said. "But I'd like to know what's happened here that I've missed."

"There's a few crazy things," Jughead said. "That new pizza place opened up down near the beach, and yet they don't serve anchovies on their pizzas."

"I don't think Cheryl really cares about that," Sheila said.

"Well I do enjoy anchovies on my pizza," Cheryl admitted.

"I'm sure you'd like to know about how Ginger Lopez is the new head cheerleader and how she's been dating both Reggie and Archie," Betty said.

"I'm guessing she kicked the two of you off the team," Cheryl said.

"Well I quit actually," Betty said. "You weren't there anymore and that was pretty much the sole reason I was on the team."

"I quit too," Sheila said. "I don't think the other cheerleaders like me very much."

"They don't," Cheryl said. "They find your exuberant cheerfulness… annoying."

Sheila's face fell.

"Do you think I'm annoying?" Sheila asked.

"At first a little," Cheryl replied. "But honestly once I got to know you it stopped bothering me. If those bitches can't get past that, it's their loss."

"Okay who are you and what did you do with Cheryl?" Jughead asked.

"You know Junior Prom is next Friday," Barry piped up. "We should go."

"Yeah we are juniors," Betty agreed.

"I think it would be fun to go as a group," Sheila said.

"That's not what I… never mind," Barry muttered quietly.

"Junior Prom? Well now I have to come back to school," Cheryl said with a smirk.

"Oh boy maybe tomorrow we can go dress shopping," Sheila said excitedly. "And the boys can go get fitted for tuxes."

"I actually own my own tuxedo," Tim said. "But I think perhaps we should consider using tomorrow to try and figure out what Hiram Lodge is up to, provided he does try to destroy the town this evening."

As Betty looked around she could see disappointment on the faces of several of her friends.

"How about we play it by ear Tim?" Betty suggested. "I mean tonight Barry and I can go to the morgue and check on the body and tomorrow we'll see where to go from there."

"I'll check on the body by myself," Barry said.

"What? Why?" Betty asked rather surprised.

"I can get in and out faster than you," Barry said. "And really two of us going would just double the chances of getting caught."

Betty thought Barry was acting a little strange, but his point was rather valid.

"Alright fine, go alone," Betty said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I could use a couple extra hours of sleep."

Everyone else looked around feeling a little uncomfortable with the exchange between Betty and Barry.

"So... what colour dress were you thinking of wearing?" Cheryl asked Sheila trying to break the tension. "Because I'm really thinking that red is my colour."

The conversation started up and got light hearted once more, but Betty couldn't help but feel like Barry was acting a little strange.


Just what is this tension between Betty and Barry about? And what is Barry going to find when he goes to examine Smithers' body? Please keep reading and Please Review