"No," He whimpered taking a staggering step forward. "No…" His voice broke, as he swallowed the blood in his mouth. Castle stepped further in holding Jughead's glare and smiling. Two men followed him in, Jughead recognizing one as the boy from the party. Betty was struggling in his grasp trying to pull away, she had visibly been crying but the tears seemed to be gone as she looked up at her captor in fear, but still desperately tried to pull her arm out of his grip.
"Feisty little one you have here, Forsythe," Castle looked down at her and squeezed his hand harder on her bicep making her wince and let out a whimper as she stilled.
"Don't..." Jug choked out reaching his hand forward, his head still pounding "Let her go," He tried to sound intimidating but he knew his voice gave away his fear.
"Hmm," Castle looked back to him calmly, surveying the room "I'm just going to assume my invitation got lost in the mail," He smirked his face growing serious as his eyes landed back on Jughead "I believe I asked you a question, Mr. Jones…" He explained taking a step forward and dragging Betty with him, but she tried to plant her feet, forcing them to slide across the wood getting caught and making her stumble, Castle gripped her more tightly and pulled her forcefully to his side. Jug clenched his jaw, his anger rising to a level he knew he couldn't control as he studied Castle, the gun in his hand that wasn't gripping the love of his life was pointed towards the ground, but his finger was on the trigger. Jughead knew he couldn't get to the man and guarantee that he wouldn't take a shot at him or even worse at Betty. He swallowed hard glancing to his side and seeing his own gun that he had dropped when he hit the bar. He pulled his eyes back up, training them on Castle. "I expected an answer."
"I will get you an answer, just let her go," Jughead commanded more clearly, his pain melting away as adrenaline took over. He gripped the broken bottle in his hand, blood dripping from it still from the gash it had sliced in his opponents arm.
"I wish I could trust you," The man shook his head slowly.
"You can, you can trust me, I swear…" Jug trailed off, knowing he would give anything at the moment for the man to just release Betty so she could get away.
"Elizabeth," Castle addressed her. She froze pulling her shoulders back and glaring at him, "What do you think? Should we trust him?" Castle tilted his head to the side, his manipulations crawling under Jughead's skin like a million spiders. Jug pulled his lips up into a snarl, but it melted as Betty finally turned to him, their eyes meeting as he searched her face. She watched him carefully, blinking her big blue eyes and shaking visibly. The Kid from the party stepped forward to her side.
"He asked you a question," He spat as he grabbed her hair at the nape of her neck, pulling back and making her look at him, she gasped but gritted her teeth visibly silencing herself and not giving him a reaction. Jughead tensed, his arms shaking so violently he could see it out of his peripheral vision. He squeezed the bottle in his hand so hard that the glass cracked and splintered in his palm, blood trickling down his fingers, but he kept it in his grasp knowing it was his only weapon. They boy looked up at him smiling, and still gripping Betty's hair, she breathed through her nose loudly but didn't react otherwise. "Not so big and bad now, are we?" The boy taunted.
"I'm going to fucking kill you," Jughead growled in a low voice, knowing it wasn't a threat but a promise. He would end this kids life the first chance he got.
"Now boys," Castle Scolded "Nicholas, let our friend go," Castle ordered and the kid obeyed but stayed standing too close to Betty. She straightened her head her eyes narrowed to slits as she looked at Jughead again, he watched her gaze fall stealthily to the kids hip where he had a holster and gun, she eyed it carefully and Jugs blood ran cold. He could see her gears turning but it was a move he knew she couldn't pull off. She looked back to him letting out a shaky breath and he tried to shake his head as subtly as possible willing her to obey him. He couldn't be sure that he could get to her in time and he couldn't risk her getting hurt. Her eyes moved again to the side of her and her body seemed to tense up, he swallowed hard willing her to look back at him but she didn't. She threw her shoulder back knocking into the kid and grabbing with her free hand getting the gun out somehow, but fumbling once she held it trying to right her hand but failing as Castle swiftly kicked her legs out from under her, the gun falling to the ground as he forcefully shoved her to her knees.
"Stop!" Jughead cried desperately, lunging forward, but stopping when Castle started lifting his gun "Don't… Don't hurt her," He held his hands out in surrender "Just don't hurt her," He pleaded.
"Oh, I'm not going to hurt your little bird," He chuckled dragging her back up from her knees. He lifted the gun using it under Betty's chin to lift her face up and pull it closer to his. "I just might clip her wings," He smiled wickedly moving his lips too close to Betty and Jug balled his fists but before he could say anything Betty pulled her head back and glared before spitting in the Collectors face. Jug stared with wide eyes, and time slowed around him as he watched Castle reach back and pistol whip Betty across the face sending her flying to the ground as she cried out. Jug snapped throwing himself into motion as Castle pointed the gun at her crumpled form. He ran at the man his vision going completely red, he heard the gunshot, he even blinked up seeing Castle smirking at him, the barrel smoking slightly, he knew his body wasn't listening to him as he commanded it forward but instead he fell back, but it wasn't until he heard Betty scream his name, and he had fully hit the ground, a horrible burning pain flaming through his whole left side, that it even registered that Castle had shot him.
"I will be waiting for my answer, Jones… Oh and Happy Birthday."