This started as a joke, but i got too into it lmao

It had been nearly three years.

Three years of the show, and three years of captivity. In the eyes of fans and the outside world, they were high on life, each of them expressing love for the show. But that couldn't be further from the truth. The truth was, the show had crashed and burned at the end of season 2. Writers had left over disputes over storylines, so they brought other- inexperienced ones. Those of which took control of the show's narrative. For the four main cast members, as well as Madeleine, their lives as actors came to an end at the beginning of the shoot before season 3. When most of them tried to get out of the contract.

The show in their eyes, was dead. The spark was gone, and they were beating a dead horse. But unfortunately, they were ignored. Worse than that, when it became clear they weren't intending to stay quiet about the cruelty of their contracts, a decision was made to take matters into the higher-ups hands. This meant that everything, from then on, would be staged.

Their social media profiles would be hijacked, and any content would be uploaded by the higher ups, in an attempt to keep a sense of normalcy. It started slowly, but as months went by and rebellion got stronger, the four, and then five of them hatching plans to go to any news source possible, anyone who could help them- the higher ups had no choice but to enforce stage 2. Instead of living in their individual apartments, Cole, Lili, KJ, Camila- and later Madeleine- were instead kept under lock and key. More specifically, deep underneath the Warner Brother's studio's.

They were only allowed out during filming for the show, as well as seeing their families. Though the writers/producers of Riverdale weren't stupid. They knew their cast would speak up about their mistreatment- that they were literal prisoners of a TV studio and show. Phone calls home were monitored closely, and when it came to seeing loved ones in person, they were drugged heavily, as to appear very tired and fatigued. But the drug also did a wonderful job of numbing their minds, turning them to slush. So when it came to each of them seeing their family, they forgot about their imprisonment, and the contracts sealing away their souls -

Instead, they sat in a sort of daze, smiling at their mom or dad, their sister or brother, or even friend. Trying to figure out what it was they wanted to say so badly - it almost hurt. But the words were always tangled on their tongue. When they returned "home" it would come back, like a wave of icy water, and the frustration was enough to fortify them. By the time the drug had worn off, they were back behind steel bars. Without a voice to scream with. Far, far away from their family and friends.

That day was no different. Returning from her usual shoot, Madeleine's body ached. Her bones felt hollow and every step was painful. Her guide was usually a dick, so it was no surprise to her when he shoved her forwards, grumbling under his breath. The floor was ice-cold concrete, a startling change from the hot May sun that had scorched her back outside. The room resembled a dungeon, but they weren't that cruel.

Madelaine guessed they could do worse. Though it didn't change the fact that they were prisoners. The wrought iron door was yanked open by her handler - Mads had an inkling his name was James. Handlers were men and women who escorted the cast to and from work, and as if they were actual prisoners in jail for murder or some other heinous crime, they were equipped with a walkie-talkie and a baton. As if five young actors were going to be much of a problem. Madeleine didn't fight back when James shoved her into what she now called home. A cell the size of a cheap motel room, that she shared with four others. Which meant arguments were inevitable, as well as fights. But being in the same shitty situation had actually brought her closer to her cast mates.

"Behave." James pressed his face against steel bars, green eyes almost teasing her, fingers sliding to the electronic keypad on his side, but pulling away quickly. Madeleine figured he wasn't much older than her. He had dark brown hair slicked with enough hair gel to make her nauseous,. The handler folded his arms. "The boss doesn't want a repeat of last time."

Last time. Madeleine felt her chest tighten. It was their first attempt at escape, and they would have gotten away if it hadn't have been for Lili's stupid chicken run. Just thinking about it made her blood boil. She loved the girl, really. They were best friends. But Madelaine was 100% they had been caught because Lili for some reason- had forgotten how to run. Mads had suppressed the memory deep, deep into the caverns of her mind. Because if she thought about how close they had been, how bright the light had looked from a distance, she would break apart. And breaking apart was the worst she could do.

The redhead locked eyes with her handler. She knew showing fear would only satisfy him, so she smiled and shrugged, swallowing hard. "Behave? I always do."

"I should hope so." the man rolled his eyes before turning and walking back up the cement staircase. Madeleine leaned into the bars, pressing her face against cool steel. She wanted to scream at him, her throat burning with insults. But she didn't dare, and instead she just watched as he returned to reality, a place she had been so cruelly torn away from.

Sighing to herself. Mads turned to face her company for the next few years- for however long her contract lasted. If she was honest, in the early days of the show, the four of them were really only colleagues. They got along, sure. It was hard not to. It was when they were thrown into a prison and stripped of their rights and humanity, when Madeleine began to see each of them in a different light. Like Cole for example. Before imprisonment, she hadn't been a huge fan of him. It was his larger than life personality and sense of humour, mostly. She guessed he just got on her nerves.

Now, however? He was a different person. Well. Not exactly. Sure, Cole hadn't really changed. But he was far more mature than she gave him credit for. In the Before, when Mads only saw him on set and at events, she thought he was annoying. But now, she saw all of him. Not just his joking side, or his hyperactive side. There was a whole other side to him she didn't even know existed, because admittedly, she had been ignorant, now wanting to know this side. Because as far as she was concerned, he was a guy trapped in an eight-year-old's body. Though hell, she couldn't have been more wrong.

Madeleine didn't move from the door. She slipped to the ground slowly, ignoring how cold the floor was, seeping through her jeans. At least her clothes were still tolerable. Her appearance was looked after, because why wouldn't it?

The others were dotted across the room, in various positions. Lili was hanging upside down from the bed that she shared with Camila, tangles of blonde curls folding in her eyes. She didn't seem fazed though. As soon as the girl returned from the shoot, she ripped out her Betty ponytail. It had become almost a ritual. A book was in her hands; bright and colourful. Some kind of YA contemporary. Camila was cross legged on the floor with her back to the wall, head tipped back, raven hair in a bun.

She wore old style headphones from a brand that had probably gone out of business years ago. They were chunky and kind ugly, but they did the job. The raven haired girl was nodding her head appreciatively to the music. Though she wasn't smiling. Madelaine could vaguely hear the base. Camila usually cranked her music up to the highest volume, but nobody said anything. Except at night. Madeleine focused on the cover of Lili's book. She'd like to take up reading again, since it was a welcome distraction. It's not like they could refuse to provide her with one. Though she'd have to think about what series it was she wanted. Harry Potter was appealing, or maybe The Mortal Instruments. Their "home" was an all-concrete hole in the ground with no heating, no flooring, and barely any space to move. It was the occupants that made it tolerable.

"Bad day?"

Glancing up, Madeleine automatically rolled her eyes at the familiar accent. Though a smile was curving on her lips. Like Cole, she had definitely gotten closer to the Kiwi, since he was the youngest, and something none of them knew beforehand- chronically claustrophobic. He'd never thought to tell them, so when the boy completely shattered, breaking down when they were initially thrown into captivity, Mads had very quickly realised he wasn't quite as chill and easy-going as he made out. It had taken Cole and Lili nearly two hours to calm him down. These days he wasn't nearly as bad. But KJ had his bad days. But they all did. To anchor himself, he usually stayed with Cole. And Cole was the perfect person to drag someone from the hollows of a panic attack. If being held prisoner had any perks - being with KJ and Cole made it better (sometimes worse, when she was in a bad mood.) But overall, they were like her younger, as well as older (know it all) brother.

"Always." Madeleine answered the boy. But there was a wry smile on her lips.

"Ditto." came his breathy reply.

Still in his Archie outfit, tight blue shirt, jeans, with his Letterman hanging off one shoulder, KJ still looked good, even as a prisoner. His red hair fell in different hues over his forehead. He was starting to lose the Archie red. It was any day now he'd be forced to have his 100th dye job. KJ was sitting on a plastic chair they had been provided with, and as usual he was trying to come up with a plan for their fateful escape. He usually busied himself with pointless activities, because it only took a second for him to glance up and stare at the door, at what was cruelly trapping him inside such an enclosed space. It had happened several times, with Cole describing the boy as "possessed". Though Madeleine had to agree with him. He truly did lose it, and only breathing exercises- and some serious pep talks from the others- snapped him out of it. That afternoon, KJ seemed his usual self. The boy was lost without his partner in crime, his sort-of brother figure. Cole was still on set, and with the girls doing their own thing, the redhead had resorted to... Madeleine squinted. What exactly was he doing?

The boy was holding something black, something chunky. And her stomach flipped over when she realised it was a phone. Though looking closer, the device was clearly broken. Its screen was shattered. KJ was prodding at it with what looked like a makeshift screw driver - a long, narrow nail-like object. Madeleine couldn't help it. "What's that?"

"A phone." KJ murmured, his gaze on what looked like a beaten Samsung. His tongue was stuck out in concentration, thin fingers running around the encasing. She noticed he'd taken off the back exposing thin coloured wires.

"Yeah, I get that," Mads rolled her eyes. "What are you doing with it?"

"Trying to turn it into some kind of radio, probably." came another voice. Bored sounding. Almost annoyed. Lili had sat up and shut her book. Her eyes were half lidded. "He's been trying to crack it open for an hour, and I'm this close," she held up the book with exaggerated force. "to throwing this at his head."

The Kiwi's head snapped up, brown eyes sparkling. He was grinning. "You love me really Lils."

The blonde groaned, collapsing into a heap on her bed, dropping the book on her face. "Debatable."

Madeleine cocked her head. "You're trying to make a radio?" she asked incredulously. "Out of a phone?"

KJ held up the phone. "Nope. If I can get this working, and we can connect to the WIFI somehow-"

"We'll be screwed." Lili cut in. She lay back on her elbows, head tipped back. She was wearing one of Betty's outfits, pale blue overalls over a purple tee. It was a cute look. The girl sighed. "Even if we do manage to reach out, it's their word against ours." she shrugged helplessly with a bitter laugh. "They'll say we've lost our minds or want some serious attention."

The Kiwi let out a sharp exhale. His gaze went back to the totalled phone, though his smile had disappeared. "It's better than rotting in here for half our lives." his voice had gone surprisingly cold, but Madeleine was used to it. Living with her cast mates, they were pretty much bipolar when it came to moods.

Lili didn't tear her gaze from the ceiling. "Everyone wants to get out of here," her voice was soft, eyes flickering closed. "But you have to be realistic. We're not going to get the phone working. Especially when all you're doing is poking at it with an old nail."

KJ ignored the girl. "I've almost got it," he muttered, tackling with the wires.

The blonde sat up, her expression pricking with irritation. She swung her legs off the bed, plunging her hands in her lap. Madeleine straightened slightly, and even Camila looked up, intrigued. It was a Lili intervention. The last time she'd had one, was Camila refusing to turn her music down. "No, you don't almost have it," she said, her lips pursed. "You're trying to distract yourself, KJ. I know you are, and I understand completely. But playing handyman? All you've done is poke it!"

The redhead finally dropped the phone and it clattered on the floor. It slipped from his grasp when his expression darkened, fists clenching. His head snapped up. "What do you expect me to do?!" KJ hissed back. "Do you want me to read or listen to music, like you guys? Since you seem fine with all of this! Which is- which is fucking insane!" He jumped to his feet, tearing at his hair. "You're not even trying to escape! Are you just going to roll over and let them do this to us?"

KJ's eyes were fierce, but Lili didn't back down. She stood up, arms folded. "Okay," she said calmly. "And what exactly are you going to do when your brilliant plan falls through?" Lili wasn't trying to be intimidating, or, well, a bitch. She was trying to be realistic. Madeleine knew that. Though it was going to be hard to see KJ's dreams crushed again. Even if Lili was soft and calm, it definitely came across as patronising. "What are you going to do when we're caught?" Lili took a breath, her eyes watering, tears pricking. Madeleine knew Lili blamed herself for that night. When they almost escaped. "Again."

The boy shook his head. He bent and scooped up the phone, cradling it to his chest. "I'll take the fall, obviously." he said shakily. Though that glitter of hope in his eyes were starting to fade. "I'd never let you guys get punished for something that I did."

Lili nodded, and she was trying so hard not to cry, Madeleine could sense the girl's emotions bubbling up inside of her. "That's right," she murmured, slowly reaching out and taking the phone from his trembling hands. "But we won't want you to get in trouble, KJ." Lili's smile was reassuring. She took his hands and squeezed them. "Forgive me for sounding cliche, but I'd rather we get caught as a five, than just you on your own. With your failed radio." her lips pricked into a grin. "And you can just bet our plan is going to be a thousand times better than last time, and I'm not going to run like a fucking chicken."

They were both laughing then, and Lili was wrapping her arms around the boy, and KJ was leaning into her. He wasn't crying, but Madeleine could tell he was close. They stayed like that for a moment, with the blonde just holding him. Madeleine couldn't resist her own smile. While Cole was like his older brother, Lili was his sister. It was kind of adorable.

The boy pulled away with a sniffle, swiping at his nose. "It was a stupid idea." he confirmed with a sheepish grin.

"What was a stupid idea?"

Madeleine jumped at the sudden voice coming from behind her, twisting to find a two figures standing behind steel bars. Lili and KJ stiffened, Camila jumping to her feet, the headphones slipping from where they had rested over her ears. There were two figures in the dim, silhouettes basking in the dim light coming from a sputtering bulb above. Madeleine recognised the one closest to her- the one practically pressed into steel bars was Cole. The man standing behind him with not much of an expression, except irritation, was already shoving the boy forwards. Even when the door was locked. Cole was smiling, but there were shadows under his eyes. He was in his Jughead getup, the crown beanie still nestled over dark curls spilling out.

He held up a brown paper bag, and Madeleine caught the aroma automatically. "Who wants Chinese food?"

Madeleine expected the others to start yelling. After all, it was their first proper takeout in a while. They had strict diets on set, so she was lucky to get a plain cupcake. She also knew the others were stubborn. Even if they were happy to finally be getting something greasy, none of them would open their mouths in front of a handler. Especially if they were being given something. Because, like KJ said, it was a form of acceptance- submission. Which neither of them were. Looking at the others though, Madeleine had to bite her lip to suppress a giggle. Lili's eyes were stuck to the paper bag in Cole's hand. The girl's expression had gone almost feral, eyes wide and lips twisted, as if wiling to fight to the death to get those noodles.

She wasn't the only one. Camila was smiling for once. Madeleine missed her smile.

"In." Cole's handler growled. He unlocked the door with a mechanical sounding beep, before shoving the boy inside. Cole stumbled but didn't fall. He kept a hold of the bag, turning and giving his best patronising smile to the man. "Thanks for walking me back to prison," he said cheerily, giving the handler a two fingered salute. "You can go now."

The handler hovered for a moment, before giving a stiff nod. "Enjoy your meal." he grumbled, before plodding back up the cement stairs. As soon as he was gone, Cole held out the bag. "Alright, I've got enough Panda Express to feed a small country." the boy started depositing wrapped packages. " I got chow mein and spicy rolls for the meat eaters," Cole glanced up from the bag with a smirk, catching the redhead's eye. "Yes, I got vegan options." his brow quirked. "How does spicy tofu sound?"

Grand. Fucking amazing. Madeleine struggled to her feet. Her mouth was watering. Cole handed a wrapped package which was still hot to the touch. The five of them sat together in a sort of circle on the floor, digging in. Cole handed out plastic forks and cans of soda. Madeleine took two bites and she was in heaven. She took her time, taking small bites. But this was the kind of food she just wanted to stuff in her mouth. Cole leaned back on his elbows, swallowing a mouthful of noodles. "So." he eyed each of them, a smile quirking on his lips. "What train wreck of a plan did KJ come up with today?"

Lili, who was sitting next to him, choked on her looked up, her eyes widening. "How did you-"

Cole shrugged. He turned to the girl, cocking a brow. "You've clearly been crying, KJ is quieter than usual, even when I brought in Chinese food,, and.." he nodded at the phone still shattered on the floor. "That." he hummed. "Did I miss another famous Lili Reinhart Intervention?"

Camila was nibbling on a spring roll. "KJ wanted to make a radio out of a phone." she said, giggling when the Kiwi reached over and nudged her. "Traitor!"

"Really?" Cole spluttered through a mouthful of noodles. "Was the phone working?"

KJ shrugged. He paused in sipping his soda. "I was bored so I went rooting around. It was right in the corner just gathering dust."

Lili had been quiet, and Madeleine glanced at the girl, who just looked happy to be having something decent to eat. The blonde pointed accusingly at KJ, but she was smiling warily, rolling her eyes at the two boys. "You forgot the bit when you were hammering a phone with a rusty nail for an hour, when I was trying to read."

The redhead shot her the finger teasingly.

Straightening up, Cole finished his food and shuffled over to the brown paper bag. "Sounds fascinating," he chuckled. "I'm glad you guys had fun." There was something wrong with his voice. The laugh was definitely forced, or even put on. Madeleine caught Lili's questioning look, though Cole didn't seem to notice. "Who wants dessert?"

"Dessert?" Camila's chin was covered in spicy sauce. She grabbed a napkin and cleaned herself up. "Since when did Panda Express do desserts?"

The girl was was right. Madeleine opened her mouth to say something along the lines of, "Wait, Panda Express do desserts?" when Cole pulled something out out of the bag, making sure to keep it discreet. It wasn't food for drink, or some kind of cheesecake or treat she expected. Instead, stuck to the boys palm was a key card. Madeleine recognised it from earlier when James whipped his out to flash in front of the door. Lili let out a sharp gasp, KJ choking on his Sprite.

"Wait-" Camila shuffled forwards, but Cole shook his head sharply, his expression darkening. That was enough to send her back to her knees, whatever she was about to say dying in her throat.

Cole's gaze were on the ceiling, green eyes flickering, searching for something. And to them, he nodded once, hiding the card in discarded paper. "Dessert." he repeated slowly, very discreetly gesturing to the ceiling with his eyes.

Madeleine understood automatically.

Cameras. They were being watched. A shiver slithered down her spine. Or listened to.

Cole, still with that grin, addressed all of them, slightly manic eyes telling a completely different story.

They're listening to us. Shut the hell up and go with it.

"Who wants it?"

yes im bored during our like,,, 12th? week of lockdown lmao. review for more! and hey, tell me what you think!