The following morning seemed uneventful at first. The group lounged around, Hermione and Charles more than a little out of place with the group of otherwise teens. At around 10, Fangs, Toni and Sweet pea went out to work, while the others stayed as they had all morning.
It was midday before anything happened.
Midday, when the three serpents came back. With news.
"We have a problem. Quite a big problem." Toni said. "They are cracking down on drug sales. There were police in several places where there wouldn't usually be, and at least three of my regular customers didn't want anything. And the man who usually gives me the drugs wasn't there. So we're out of business. It seems that someone is trying to run us out of business."
"Hiram." Hermione breathed, at exactly the same time as Charles breathed out his fathers name. The two exchange a look.
"It could be either of them." Cheryl said. "The important thing is that they aren't going to succeed. So we are going to struggle selling drugs for a few weeks. We can find other ways to keep an income coming in, and soon enough whomever it is we'll realize what's happening. Anyway, its not like they've got any legal legs to stand on right? I mean there's nothing stopping Charles or Hermione from just going to work."
"Actually, there is. FP Jones released an arrest warrant for Hermione Lodge, Charles Smith and Hermosa Lodge this morning. On various charges of murder." Toni informs them.
"Interesting that Veronica and I were not among those they want back." Jughead comments.
"If Daddy didn't care about me I doubt I'd still be alive. He may not like me all the time, but he does love me, and he doesn't want me behind bars. The arrest of my mother and sister would force me to return to him anyway, I expect is his reasoning. And I would say similar for you, FP Jones doesn't want the son who bares his name behind bars either."
"That makes a weird kind of sense actually." Jughead responds.
"We could kill them." Joaquin suggests quietly. "They deserve it. It would solve all our issues."
"No!" Jughead shouts out. "No. because yes, they deserve it. Yes, they've done horrible things. And yes, we've killed before. Between us we've covered up murders of Jason Blossom, and of other random Blossom family members. we've joined cults and paid people to shoot others. Between us we've sold drugs and made illegal pornography. Between us we've killed Tall Boy, and Brett and Joan, and that serial killer in Pops, and Sheriff Minetta. But we need to start being the heroes. And that means no more killing. No more blood will we shed, or I'm walking straight out this door and telling all your dirty little secrets to the world."
Charles found himself agreeing with his younger brothers speech. There was something surprisingly therapeutic about listening to what the others had done, and knowing that Jughead thought that despite all that there was still hope for them.
"Fine. We won't kill them. we'll find a different way to bring them down, and when this is all over, each of us is going to live our lives how we should have had we not been drawn into this world of murder."
