It was safe to say that everyone in Riverdale day ended worse than it had begun, whether they had been shot, found out their partner was having an affair, even those who had begun the day with those pesky final notice letter would wish for the horror of their morning in comparison to what the evening brought
x.x.x.x
Tom Keller's day began with interviewing the sole witness to the shooting of Mr. Kromer between the panic and hysterics Tom was able to determine that the masked shooter was wearing a watch just like Izzy and Jughead had reported a few weeks ago although he couldn't be sure that it was the exact same watch as Izzy had claimed, the witness had said 'it looked expensive.'
None of the local jewellers had a ten thousand dollar watch in their inventory let alone the opportunity to sell it, so Tom either had to look further afield and track down every store in their neighbouring town to see if any of their jewellers sold such an expensive item in stock or he had to start getting warrants for every man in town; both options was ridiculous and wasn't even worth the phone call to a judge to try and get a warrant.
This shooter had now killed his first-person and while the pressure was there to catch the man after Fred and Moose now that he actually managed to kill someone Tom might as well move into his office until the investigation was over.
x.x.x.x
Sweet Pea day started in the Southside like normal, what wasn't normal was Toni harassing him about a favour even after he'd said no multiple times.
"So why should I be helping Jones protect his girl?" Sweet Pea questioned walking through the school's metal detector, it was barely nine am and Toni had been trying to convince him to 'help out' on her new mission with Jones since last night, instead of celebrating the fact that FP actually had a decent lawyer Sweet Pea was getting his ears chewed off about some Northside Princess getting way too much money because a random pervert happened to like her.
"Rule one; no serpent stands alone" Toni replied back for the millionth time
"Jones isn't a serpent." Sweet Pea pointed out picking up his keys from the little tray after it'd gone through the machine.
"FP is still our King and we both know it's only a matter of days before Jughead asks to do the initiation."
"Until he asks I ain't helping him and even if he passes initiation -big if by the way- why would I go across town to stalk his girlfriend."
"Sweets, I get that you don't like him but this is serious. Izzy (the girl) has a stalker plus she's the one under Serpent protection her and that Andrews boy and she's in danger."
"That doesn't mean I want to go out of my way to play security to some north side bitch just because someone's taken a shine to her."
"Forget Jones, I'm the one asking for your help, we are trying to figure out who this shooter is, the cops all think is one of us so the quicker we can prove it isn't the quicker they leave us alone and everything can go back to normal."
"Still doesn't mean-"
"Rule two; a serpent's family is taken care of Izzy is Jughead family, she needs our help"
"Talk to Tall Boy, he can get someone else to play baby sitter" Sweet Pea huffed, he hated when Toni got a bee in her bonnet about 'protecting the weak' and 'doing the right thing' they were in a gang for God sake, not the salvation army.
"We are trying to keep the whole thing quiet, just follow her for a few days -a week tops- and I'll lend a hand in the next job you do." Toni bargained, the more she thought about it the more worried she got, she knew she down-played it for Jones yesterday but that man knowing Izzy's name, him coming to the diner on a daily basis for over a week the way he was with her…. There was already a shooter in town she didn't want there to be a kidnapping or God knows what else.
"Why do you care so much? You have a crush on this chick or are you just trying to get on Jones's good side?"
"Shut up and follow the girl." Toni scoffed walking into the English class where he found Jughead still looking worried, she could probably guess what that was about.
x.x.x.x
Midge begun her day in the hard uncomfortable chairs at the hospital sat next to Moose's side as he recovered, he'd been lucky, she'd been lucky to survive as well.
The good news of that morning was the doctors wanting to realise Moose from the hospital sometime over the weekend and the bad or slightly irritating news was Moose insisting on swinging by Izzy's house party next Friday 'just for a few hours' he said, 'just to support Reggie he wants to win Izzy back'.
Midge wondered what it was about teenage boys that made them think that they were so invisible, Moose had just gotten shot and he was planning on going to a party, he didn't even seem after by the shooting meanwhile Midge rarely slept any more she was so lost in thought that she walked straight into Izzy as she opened her car door.
x.x
"I'm going food shopping get in" Izzy ordered opening the door to the car and waiting for Midge to decided what to do, after a minute or so she decided to follow Izzy not so subtle suggestion and got into the car.
Midge found herself going grocery shopping with Izzy, the girl didn't really say anything going from aisle to aisle grabbing random stuff it wasn't until they reached the Tate house that she had even said a word to Midge which was basically another order telling Midge to let her mum know where she was.
"Living room is through there get settled in, I'll put the shopping away and let Pop know you're here" Izzy directed before leaving Midge by herself, it took a while but Midge could hear some petty bickering coming from the kitchen she didn't need to wait long before Cheryl and Izzy walked out.
"Don't think I've forgiven you just because you got-"
"You're still here?" Izzy asked surprised to see Midge still standing in the hallway, "Follow me then," Izzy shrugged making her way to the living room and dropping the tray of ice cream, chips and snack onto the table. "Do you want to start on the English assignment or the history one? Oh and Cheryl is here if you want to talk to her" Izzy added as an afterthought.
"Why is she here"
"She's doing her homework Poppy and eating ice cream, join us"
"You're fucking unbelievable join you. You-"
"I'm going to stop you right there" Izzy sighed cutting off Cheryl's tirade before it got underway. "I helped you and I'm not going to apologise for telling Pop, now I'm helping Midge and I'm trying to get all my homework done today so I can spend the weekend doing something I actually want to do."
"You're a fucking bitch." Cheryl fumed studying the casual way Izzy sat there being unconcerned.
"Great now that that's out of the way Midge sit down, get your books out, you're meant to be good at history right, cause I suck at it."
x.x
True to her word Izzy spent the next three hours jumping from one assignment to the next, she was on a mission to finish everything that day even the new assignment they just got today.
"Why am I here?" Midge spoke grabbing a hand full of crisps out of the bowl.
"You looked like you need someone to be there" although it was a non-answer it was the only one Izzy was going to give, saying 'you look like you are struggling and I think you might try to kill yourself because I just found out Cheryl tried to kill herself' wasn't really a good conversation starter.
"But-"
"You saw someone get shot and so did I so if you want to talk or not talk I'm here to go shopping and do homework with."
"Why?"
"Why not" Izzy shrugged. "We can be a part of the 'we saw people shot group" the joke fell flat giving the mood. "Look it gets better you know the whole jumpiness and constant vigilant thing so how's he doing"
"Good… erm, the Lodges paid for half the hospital bill so you know" Midge shrug.
"That's nice of them if you want I can look over your maths see if you've made any mistake."
"Why are you doing this."
"I told you"
"But why I get distracted and bump into you so you take me grocery shopping I-"
"Think of it as my good deed of the day if it makes you feel better, or maybe I am sick and tired of living in a town where people are getting shot on a weekly basis or maybe it's the fact that you are obviously struggling and the only thing people are doing is gossiping about the fact that you saw your boyfriend get shot instead of actually doing something to help you cope and whilst we are on the subject tell your mum you need therapy." Izzy ranted.
"In fact we all need therapy; this entire town is basically one traumatic event after the other first Jason is assassinated by his own dad then his body gets stuffed into a fucking freezer then Cheryl then Fred get shot in the middle of the diner oh and let's not forget Mrs Grundy gets strangled to death then Moose gets shot and this morning a sixty-year-old pensioner gets killed walking his fucking dog. A DOG!"
"Izzy?"
"WHAT?!" Izzy snapped her head turning towards the doorway to find Mrs Klump, Cheryl and Pop all standing there listening to her rant and rave. "Mrs Klump get your daughter into therapy" Izzy ordered ignoring the looks she was receiving "and I'm guessing I probably need one as well."
x.x.x.x
Izzy wanted to make it very clear that she wasn't running away from her problem because she wasn't five, she was just leaving the house and going to sleep at Josie's so she could get a good night sleep, the fact that she was doing it while Pop went up to check on Cheryl was beside the point, the fact that she was doing it even after he ordered her to 'stay' so they could talk about her outburst was beside the point.
She was running away she was making sure that Cheryl had Pop's undivided attention, she'd just been to therapy that afternoon, she was dealing with a lot, Izzy herself needed sleep, she hadn't slept last night.
She wasn't running away she was being thoughtful and considerate and she would be back tomorrow once she's gotten a good night sleep, she left a post-it on the table, Pop knew where she would be.
Izzy jumped back after opening the door to find Jughead standing there about to knock. "Jesus Jug what are you doing here, shouldn't you be going home or something," Izzy asked gently closing the door all this tiptoeing and gentle movement would be for nothing as soon as she started the car but so what, she was out of the house now.
"I wanted to talk to you-"
"What, did Shady man come looking for me tonight?"
"He didn't come, that's not what I want to talk to you about I-"
"You want to talk to me about what I said today, right, let me save you the hassle I stand by everything I said. You and those guys are fucking morons for keeping quiet oh and another thing I'm not sure if your blubber mouth girlfriend told you or not but Andrews has something up his ass when it comes to me and he used Cheryl's suicide to score points so I'm going after him I suggest you stay out of this."
"You, you haven't read the paper have you?" Jughead questioned knowing Izzy won't be talking about anything else if she had read it.
"Why…. What's in there?"
"Here" Jughead reached down and grabbed the newspaper of the front stoop and handed it over to Izzy watching as she used the porch light to read and re-read the paper.
"OH my God… it's this… the Black Hood?"
x.x.x.x.x
On the front page of that evening, Register was a letter written by the Black Hood for the citizen of Riverdale, all across town people were experiencing a different kind of nightmare tonight.
The town was discovering the presence of their very own serial killer, a serial killer who was proclaiming to have been behind the shooting and murders that had plagued the town for the past month and worse than him writing an editorial the man- the Black Hood was promising more death and destruction.
Many of you may be wondering about what happened to the once idyllic town of Riverdale, the town that you and I grew up in when men were men and women were women, when children were respectful and obedient and our elders were upstanding members of the community.
I myself blame the destruction of our values and morality on you, the very same citizens that reside in this town.
These shooting of innocents as you call it are not some random act of violence but a well thought out plan and justifiable punishment against the sinners of this town in order to restore balance and help return this town into the oasis it once was.
Riverdale was a vibrant town full of hope and dreams but now we are descending into hedonism and ungodliness; fathers killing sons, drugs running through our street being consumed by the hand full by our citizens, adultery having no shame covering their neighbour's wife.
Jezebel's corrupting our youths using the sins of their flesh to lead them down the road of damnation.
However, there is hope yet citizen of Riverdale; those that repent shall be saved those that do not shall meet their end by my hands unless Riverdale's Angel is kind to show them mercy yet again.
Those who have survived was due to the mercy of the angel looking out for them, praying for them to escaped death, she wore your blood and save you.
For all those saved I urge them to use their second chance and repent; do not disappoint me for I will be watching.
Riverdale has been warned any and all sinners, any and all corruptors of our innocent will be dealt with…..
For the wages of sin is death.
-The Black Hood.
Writer's note:
Well, What do you guys think, the Black Hood has made his debut to the town's people via letter. I have written and re-written the letter part a dozen of times and it's never quite right so I quit if you read it and got psycho/ obsessed with Izzy/ Riverdale's Angel vibe then I've done my job. I was going to write a Hiram part in this chapter but it didn't really seem to flow with everything else that I had going on so I've left it.
Before I forget first Sweet Pea sighting as well, and poor Tom can his day get any worse first the Black Hood finally manages to shoot and KILL someone then he sends a letter to the newspaper and of course Alice publishes it.
If there's anyone's POV that you want me to write let me know, I may try Alice or Polly now that she is back in town or maybe a random school kids to get a completely different POV.