In this cold, unforgiving world, there were groups of people who would form alliances to help each other out in their time of need. Sticking together no matter what to protect each other with their lives was their task every day. Bonds of friendship and love were almost as complicated as the situation at hand, but the discrimination and hate radiating from different people led to many deaths. Many of those deaths were caused by the betrayal of their own people, thus creating a divide in their society. Eventually the situation became too untamed, and thus part of the land was deemed hazardous and unworthy of living on. The people who were considered much more dangerous or different were banished from their holy new land and sentenced to find their own place to ruin. Their decision was to create a little area of their own by building on the one place everyone thought was bad. To show that even trash can become treasure, the banished lived their lives happily on the bad piece of land to show the perfects that they could survive. This only made the territory worse. It was confirmed to only be a place of murder and only outcasts and criminals resided there, and with their minimal resources and materials,it was hard to prove otherwise. They called it the Southside, because just like Serpents they would bite if anyone dare mess with them or their loved ones. People called them monsters but they knew in their hearts that they were better than what other people believed.

Years and years after when a certain Alice Cooper gave up being a Serpent to raise her daughter Betty in a more cleaner surrounding, she was deemed to being a traitor and both her daughter and her were banished from the Southside. The tale was simple as her husband Hal had no intention of her being a Serpent in the first place, and he definitely would not allow his little daughter to be influenced by the Serpents to become like them. Alas he could not stop a pregnant Alice giving birth to Betty right in a shabby little corner hospital located right in the Southside. Alice was afraid that Betty would develop yearnings to be rebellious or have problems with her mental state because of the poisonous aura of Southside, but she did not see anything wrong with her shining newborn. It was not until later that she found Betty clutching her hands in frustration with blood covered hands in the aftermath. Alice knew then that she had to protect Betty from this horrible habit of hers before it becomes too much darkness bottling up inside her. She knew what happened when the rage consumes you.

Betty grew up with her normal environment and normal (kind of) parents while in the other side of town was the trio of misfits. Just like at the start of times, they all felt an incredible bond with each other when they first met, and they all met quite differently. Ruby and Hunter already knew each other on the account of their parents, but mostly Ruby's love for fighting. Hunter appreciated her passion for fighting so whenever her father was too busy to pay attention to her, he would help her practice her left hook. On multiple accounts he's always bandaged or bruised up, but he's never complained about it.

Lucas was found lying in an empty alleyway with stains and bruises on him. He was young at the time so everyone assumed he ran away from home or maybe was kicked out. It didn't matter if anyone saw him because the next day he was seen with bandages and clean clothes as if someone had taken care of him. He was notorious for the being the bad cop in every situation and he seemed more of a loner type then anything. No one was able to talk to him unless you wanted to be properly shunned. The only time he was seen talking with anyone was when he was in his little pack.

Bryce was a newcomer into the Southside life and he never seemed to fit the profile. He was always fidgeting around or just shaking in anxiety whenever he was near another person. the first person he ever properly talked to was Rose Mori, who didn't give a good first impression when she was calling Bryce out for being a coward. His shyness clashed hard with Rose's loudness, but they seemed to get along well. Rose always pushed Bryce to be more confident and to join more groups of friends. That led them to their usual circle of friends who they always were with no matter what situation. Bryce seemed more attached to them then Rose was.

Cyndil was with no one. She never got close to anyone because she considered herself to be toxic. There was low tolerance in the Southside and her birth genetics would get her killed any day of the week. She's not come to her friends about it because she's afraid they'll shun her. In case someone suspects it, she carefully hides it with overly over the top sports gear. She acts like a complete tomboy and tries to fit the perfect image of a Southside Serpent.

All six of these students pledge their loyalty to the Southside and to each other with matching Serpent tattoos. They're all located in different parts of their body depending on their liking. As an extra uniqueness, they've added tiny extensions to represent them. Ruby has one hiding on the division of the connecting of the arm and shoulder. It's slightly smaller with fangs baring out for all to see. Bryce's is swiftly hidden on his ankle with a depiction of a Serpent coming out of an enclosed space, showing that it's not going to hide anymore. Rose's Serpent is sticking out with thorns and is located on the back of her neck. Hunter is hiding his right in the center of his back with having the Serpent wrap its tail around a protection knife. Cyndil wears hers on her shoulder, with a Serpent having a rainbow hovering above it's head. She always wears long sleeves to cover it up. Last but not least, Lucas has a Serpent located on the upper part of his leg, having a heart in the background half colored and the other half not.

With the bonds they've secured in their own trust for each other, they've survived the worst of possibilities. Even when Jughead entered the picture everyone could understand each other's feelings, especially what Ruby was feeling. They've heard countless stories of the boy who was traumatized by his family leaving him with his messed up dad and not giving his consent. They knew that Ruby related to him so much that she deluded herself into loving him. They knew they couldn't stop her from eventually running into the girl who Jughead was dating, but they were still surprised when it happened. They could even see the changes Ruby was making to herself to improve for Jughead, yet they didn't stop her, nor should they.

Hunter told the group the whole fiasco with Ruby's parents and the same story about how she was going to be left with only her father. The father refused it and insisted that the mother stay with him no matter what. Her mother didn't approve but she had no choice but to stay since one she didn't want to be labeled as a traitor and be accused of so by her husband. Since then Ruby's parents are living an unhealthy life and Ruby's stuck in the middle of it. Even though both her parents are around all the time, they haven't been showing enough affection or love as any other parent would towards their child. She even hears her mom fantasize a life outside of the Southside. They found it understandable, but the torture she was bringing to herself to change was only unhealthy.

Hunter and everyone else tried to convince her to stop what she was doing, that her lack of affection shouldn't drive her to this state. Hunter pleaded, Cyndil begged, Rose yelled, Bryce gave her logic, and Lucas just scoffed at her. He felt she wasn't worth arguing for if she really felt that detached to love. "If she wants to push herself then let her. She can only decide what to do next." He said.

They've continued on as Ruby slowly changed bit by bit. She still acted weird at times but besides that she tried to be a pristine as possible. The only thing she felt she could do to finally find some affection towards the one she loved the most.