Chapter 1

Under Pressure

Archie and Betty rushed to the grave where a make shift gravestone was made. 'Here lies Joseph Conway Sinner' Archie began to dig, Betty supplying the light. Archie hit something hard. "Oh my god, Archie." Betty dropped into the grave and helped Archie open the coffin. Empty. "Where is Mr. Svenson?" asked Archie, looking at Betty. She turned to look at him.

"Why would the Black Hood bury an empty coffin?" asked Archie as they continued to look at the coffin. "Maybe it was a tr-" Suddenly they heard a gun cock. They looked up to the Black Hood. "Get in the coffin." he said, pointing at Archie." He shook his head. "No way." He took the gun and aimed it at Betty's head.

"Either get in the coffin or you will be wearing her brains." he said. Archie nodded and laid in the coffin. "Shut the coffin." he said to Betty. She shook her head. "Shut the coffin or you die Betty. Your choice." She looked at Archie. "I am so sorry Archie." she said, crying. He nodded. "It's okay Betty."

She got out of the grave. He handed her the shovel. "Now start filling in the grave." She shook her head. "Please don't make me do this." He put the barrel to her head. She whimpered. "Fill. It." He said. She picked up the shovel with shaking hands and began filling the grave.

She could hear Archie gasp as the dirt hit the coffin he was gasping as he struggled to get away from the dirt that seeped through the holes in the coffin. "We know what Mr. Svenson's sin is. What he did. That's the town's secret sin!" She said as she continued to fill in the grave.

"That's what you want revealed right? We can do that. I can do that. I can make sure that its heard. Mr. Svenson doesn't have to die. Archie doesn't have to die!" she said looking at him. "Fill the grave Betty." Betty sobbed. They heard a siren.

She looked from the coffin to the Black Hood. "Please you don't have to do this." she said. He looked dead at her and aimed the gun at her. "Shut up and just fill the grave Betty." She shook her head. "No. You wont get away with this. Just stop doing this. Please." He cocked the gun. "Fill the grave and shut up Betty." She shook her head. She threw the shovel to the side. "No."

He pulled the trigger. Archie busted out of the coffin and jumped out of the grave. He looked around for him. "Where is he? Where did he go?" he asked, looking around. He looked over at Betty who was holding her stomach. She dropped to her knees and fell on her back.

"Betty! Oh God!" He raced over to her and out pressure on her wound. She cried out in pain. "HELP!" He begged as he frantically looked around for someone. "HELP!" He begged as the blood of his best friend flowed through his fingers. He heard a single gunshot. He heard footsteps in the grass, he looked around, praying that it wasn't the Black Hood again.

"Please someone help!" he yelled, looking down at Betty as she gasped for air. He looked back behind him as he heard someone coming closer to them. "Archie?" He looked over and saw Sheriff Keller. "Please get help! Please!" He begged. Sheriff Keller radioed EMS.

Archie looked down at Betty. "Hang in there Betty., help is on the way. You're gonna be fine. Betty looked at him as tears continued to flow down her cheeks. "I love you Archie." she said. He smiled. "And I love you. You're the best friend that anyone could ever have. Please hold on." He begged. She took a shaky breath.

"Do something for me?" He nodded. "Anything." She coughed, tasting blood in her mouth. "Tell Jughead I love him." Archie shook his head. "No, I don't have to because, you are going to tell him yourself. Don't talk like that." Betty struggled to keep her eyes open. "Please." Her eyes closed.

"Betty! Betty open your eyes!" Archie begged. The ambulance came and took Betty. Sheriff walked over to Archie. "I called your father. He's on his way to come and get you. And when we learn of Betty's condition I will take your statement." Archie nodded.

He looked down at his hands. They were stained with his best friend's blood. "Archie!" He turned to his father coming over to him. Fred Andrews enveloped his son in a massive hug. "I am so glad that you're okay." He said looking at his son's face.

He looked at Archie's eyes. They were blank and he now realized that his shirt and hands were covered in Betty Cooper's blood. "What happened?" He asked. Archie looked at him. "A long story. Please can we get to the hospital?" he asked. Fred nodded.

"Sure son." They walked to his truck. Fred handed Archie in a few wipes. "Here, come on, let's clean your hands." He nodded. Fred helped clean his son a bit. Once Archie was in the truck he took his phone out and called Jughead. Jughead was sitting at his kitchen table with his laptop when his phone rang.

"Archie? What's up?"

"Something's happened."

"Okay, what happened? Did Betty get another call or letter from the Black Hood?"

"No, I need you to meet me at the hospital."

Jughead's heart sped up. His father looked at his son's face. "What happened? Are you okay? Is Fred okay?"

"It's Betty."

He felt like he had gotten punched in his stomach. "What happened? Is she okay?" he asked, panicking.

"She was shot Jug."

Everything in Jughead's world stopped. He thought he stopped breathing for a moment. Fear coursed through Jughead as he thought about Betty Cooper, the woman that he loved more than anything in this world, hurting or in pain.

"Where are you right now?"

"We are heading to the hospital. Her mom is already with her. My dad told her about what happened. And I'll also call Veronica and tell her."

Jughead nodded. "I will meet you there." He hung up and got on his bike. "Jug, what is it? What happened?" asked FP. He looked at his father. "Betty was attacked. She was shot. I have to go to her." FP nodded. "Yes, you do. But you are in condition to ride. I'll drive you there." Jughead sighed and nodded.

They raced to the hospital. Veronica, Archie, Fred, FP, and Jughead met Alice Cooper in the waiting room. "Any news?" asked Jughead. Alice shook her head. "No, she's just in surgery. But other than that they won't tell me anything." She said, her eyes filling with tears.

"I am so sorry Mrs. Cooper." said Archie. She looked at Archie. "What the hell happened?" asked Alice. Archie sighed. He turned and there was Sheriff Keller. "I know that you wanted to wait, but I really need your statement Archie." He nodded. They all walked into the family waiting room. "What happened Archie?" asked Sheriff Keller. He took a deep breath.

"I couldn't look at Moose or my dad without seeing the Black Hood. Betty agreed with me. And she noticed that there was a janitor we thought that we led the Black Hood right to Mr. Svenson. And a little while later, Betty received Mr. Svenson's finger as a present from the Black Hood. She called me to come over. As soon as I came over. Betty got another call from the Black Hood."

"We were tasked with finding the primal sin that was committed to save his life. After a lot of fact searching we found a picture of Betty's grandfather and others, standing over the grave. We used the picture to figure out exactly where it was. We called you on the way. And we found the grave and found that it was empty."

"Then suddenly there was the Black Hood. He wanted me to lay in the empty coffin. He threatened Betty if I didn't. She shut the coffin and began filling in the grave. And the next thing I knew I heard sirens and a gunshot. I broke through the coffin and I wanted to go after him, but I saw that Betty was hurt."

"I called out for you to get your attention. And you know the rest." Sheriff Keller nodded. Archie looked at Alice. "I am so sorry Mrs. Cooper. I should have done something." She shook her head. "No, I am glad that you didn't pursue the Black Hood. You both could have ended up dead. I am glad that you're okay."

"Archie!" yelled Jughead. He looked over and saw that Jughead was filled with fear and anger. Archie took a deep breath. He had told Sheriff Keller and Alice Cooper about what happened, now he has to tell his best friend that he almost lost the girl that he loved.