With the threat of Kurtz kidnapping her to get the Goddess back, Abby was under constant supervision. Trev and Tomoko had left her house after catching up. Dracula nods to them as they leave from his post at the front door. Kraken was at the back. Fangs and Abby were up in her room, doing some homework. From the giggling and talking, everyone knew they were hanging out. Sweet Pea was in the living room with Greg. "Can you just ask me what you want to know?" Greg was tired of his stare.

"Alright, be straight with me, do any of you have feelings for Abby?" All of them seem to be taking their job with a seriousness that comes with personal feelings.

"What are you going to do if I say we all do?" He tilts his head. Sweet Pea grinds his teeth. "You can cool it, none of us see her romantically. I know that's hard for you to believe. Abby saved us from Kurtz's craziness and more importantly our loneliness and depression. She saw us at our most vulnerable. Most people take advantage of that but, not Abby, she wanted to pull us through it. She even gave us an out, told us we didn't have to be Serpents, that we could go back to our regular lives and still be under protection from you guys." After getting to know her, he saw why the Gargoyle King chose her to be the Goddess.

"Yeah, she went over that with Jughead." He nods. "You're right, I don't believe you. I don't know how you get to know Abby and don't fall in love. Her warmth fills up every part of you and it's an addiction, to say the least." He knows he sounds like a simp but that's how he felt.

"I didn't say I didn't love her. I do. We all do. This isn't about owing or worshiping her. It is about keeping a strong friendship. It's about having loyalty when people are at their lowest, that's what Abby taught me." She cut off everyone she knew in the hopes of saving strangers. He could only hope to be that selfless and brave one day.

"Do you have any idea who the Gargoyle King could be?" He wanted to get this over with.

"That's something I wanted to talk to you about. The Goddess is said to be able to take over the body of a human that has enough goodness in its heart to make friends with the devil. I think it's someone who felt like they were evil and Abby showed them kindness." He described.

"She did a lot for my community. Recently, we lost a lot of people. I can't pinpoint one person that got overly clingy." Sweet Pea wished he could think of someone that fits that description.

"Don't worry, until we get it figured out she has six bodyguards." He had appointed himself to be the head one.

Abby was in the bunker with Archie, Betty, and Jughead. "And you believe Hiram?" Jughead asked his best friend.

"I do. He says he gave out a dozen quest cards." He admits to his wrongdoings.

"Well, he's nothing if not thorough." Jughead scoffs.

"Okay, so that means there could be as many as ten cards still in play, and that means we need to figure out how to track them and whoever's holding them down." Betty gave out the mission.

Abby took a picture of the card and sent it to the ex-Gargoyle group chat. "We'll see what the guys and Nancy know."

"Yeah, Mr. Lodge gave me a list of the places his dealers used to go to, where G&G players congregate." He passed them the piece of paper.

"Suds Laundromat, Innuendo... These places are all nearby." Betty was surprised by some of these locations.

"Dracula says to check out the comic book store. He knows a card is in play over there." Abby got a text back.

"And so continues our nerdiest mystery yet." Jughead smiled.

They walk into the back room of the comic book store. "Princess Fate, it's your role. But you're down five hit points and the hellhounds are gaining on... You're not allowed back here. This is a sacred space…. The Goddess." The gamemaster gasps when Abby steps out from behind Archie.

"Sheath your sword, Game Master. Just here to ask some questions." Jughead rolled his eyes.

"Sorry to interrupt your game, but, uh, we're here because of this. Do you recognize it?" Betty held up the card.

"Yes. And we know who you are. That quest is in play here." He smirks at Archie.

"Yeah, well, take your shot, then." Archie challenges.

"Who gave it to you?" Betty asked.

"The King." He held his head high.

"Try again. The king wouldn't waste his time showing up here. He has better things to do." Abby refuses to believe that. The king never showed himself to her and she was supposed to be the Goddess.

"One of his disciples delivered the quest card for him. He wore a mask. Didn't say much." He explains.

"I hate to tell you but that wasn't the King. That was Hiram Lodge." She corrected him.

"Either way, it's already in play. You know once that happens there is no turning back." His cocky attitude was making her wish she brought Kraken along.

"Who has the card?" She crossed her arms.

"No one in this room." He leaned back in his seat.

"Well, whoever does have the card, why haven't they made a play against the Red Paladin yet?" Jughead asks.

"The Red Paladin is an advanced individual quest. There is no game master, so they can take their time to prepare." Abby found out everything about that quest once she could pick the minds of enthusiastic players.

"But they'll act on it. Sooner or later, they'll come for you, Red Paladin." The Game Master smirks.

"Let me guess you're just a game master." She looks him over, unimpressed.

"Just a game master… without me there is no game." He glares.

"I bet you've never been a player. You're too much of a controlling egotistical coward. Why put yourself at risk when you can level up on others' backs?" She circles him while keeping her glare on him. He twisted his neck to keep his eyes on her. "But, you don't want to ascend, do you? I can see it in your eyes."

"I do… I do." He insisted.

"How? You'll never get the option of chalices?" When he didn't answer, she scoffed. "We are wasting time here." She walks out.

The rest of them took a second to look around the room, trying to think if they had any more questions. A piercing scream ripped through the air. Archie ran when he recognized his sister's voice. "Get your hands off her." Two masked figures tried to drag her out the door. Jughead ran to help his friend. Archie throws one of the guys to the ground before stomping his stomach. Jughead punches the other in the face, knocking him into a bookshelf and making it fall on him.

Betty was on the phone with the police. "Are you alright?" Archie looks at his sister after he knocks the guy out.

"Archie." She hugs him. "I was so helpless."

"You did the right thing, screaming." He didn't want her to feel hopeless like he did. That feeling made him reckless. "We're going to get through this together." He didn't want her to go off on her own again.

FP pulled up with Sweet Pea to arrest the two men. She didn't recognize one but she knew the other. "Tadpole." She gasped when his mask was taken off.

"Give us the Goddess back, you selfish bitch." He screams in Sweet's hold.

Sweet Pea swung him around to head towards the door, smacking him into the wall. "Sorry, try not to wiggle around. I don't want to use force." He snickers as he drags him out the door.

"I got you." Archie rubs her back as she thinks of the rage on Tadpole's face.

Abby, Greg, and Nancy brought all the photos of people who could have the Red Paladin card to Archie, Jughead, and Betty. "It's a weird feeling, knowing that there are all these people, strangers out there who want to kill me." He couldn't believe that the suspect list was this long.

"It's the game. It makes people crazy. Trust me, I know more than anyone. I was ready to die with the promise of being a part of someone greater." Nancy knows the feeling, so desperate that you were willing to kill and die for a feeling of belonging.

"You know those hardcore gamers are so obsessive, any message they receive from the Gargoyle King they take as gospel. Maybe we can harness that." Jughead got an idea.

"Like when I became the Gryphon Queen." Betty nods.

"There is no such thing." Greg squints.

"The Goddess isn't a real person, but…." She points at Abby.

"Not true, it says that the Goddess is known to inhabit the body of a golden-hearted individual. Someone who can make a friendship with the devil." Nancy corrected.

"Is the devil supposed to be the Serpents?" Archie asked.

"I don't know why she qualifies." Nancy shrugs.

"Let's circle back to that. Let's solve the easier problem right now. What quests can we create to get back the cards?" Abby put them back to her brother's issue.

"Do you guys remember when we were in elementary school, and it was snowing, and we played that game, uh, king of the mountain?" Jughead asked.

"Yeah, kind of." Archie's smile said that he remembered it fondly.

"Not really, no." Betty shook her head.

"I was never allowed to play." Abby pouted.

"You were smaller than us. You would have ended up getting hurt." Archie laughed that she was still pouting about it years later.

"Everyone played that game. You have to wrestle the King off the top of the hill." Greg didn't see how that game would help them. "I won every time." He brags to Abby and Nancy.

"Well, in our games Archie won every time, so we can play to his strengths. I'll write an addendum to the quest that says the Red Paladin will defend his mountaintop for hours, dusk till dawn. Anyone that has this kill the Red Paladin card can try and take you down, but if they don't by the time the challenge ends, your mark of sacrifice is lifted." Jughead laid out his plan.

"Let's do it." Archie nods.

"Okay, well, if we're gonna do that, no weapons, hand-to-hand combat only, only one challenger at a time." Betty set the rules.

"That sounds good, but for this to be taken seriously it is going to have to be dealt with by a Gargoyle." Nancy knew they wouldn't take it seriously if a Serpent delivered it.

"Easy enough, we still got masks." Greg didn't see the problem. "If you want everyone to come, you should have the Goddess host it. Make it a quest to prove their worth to her."

"Won't that put her at risk?" Archie thought that put a target on her back.

"Doesn't matter, Kurtz knows she'll be there. Beside, Kraken, Dracula, Nancy, and I will all be on bodyguard duty. I'm sure Sweet Pea and Fangs will join. She'll be surrounded better than the president." Greg wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"Okay, I'll write the Goddess angle in. But we're still gonna need space." Jughead looks over at Archie. "A mountaintop that's going to increase your chances of winning."

"I think I know someone who can help provide that. Get writing, I'll call you." Archie ran out of the bunker.

"We're done here." Greg stood up along with Nancy. "Come on, Abs. I can't leave you with them. Almost got abducted the last time." Jughead rolled his eyes. Abby got up to follow him out.

The group was hanging out at the tent village. Greg stood up when he heard a noise. "Dude, you don't have to be on guard all the time." Fangs snickers.

"I heard something." He walks to the back.

"Don't go alone." Kraken got up to follow him.

"Glady, someone trying to jack your car," Greg yelled.

"Probably the boy toy." She got up.

Abby ran to stop them from beating up Reggie, knowing that was Glady's nickname for him. "No Kraken, he's okay. Drop him, Greg." Greg was holding him and Kraken was about to treat him like a punching bag.

Kraken put his fists down but Greg didn't let him go. "What are you doing, Reggie?" She asked.

"I want my car back." He grumbled.

"Your girlfriend gotta pay me back first." Glady crossed her arms.

"This is your car. I thought she had the same model as you." Abby got up to speed as Reggie told her it was put up as collateral because they burned her drugs and equipment. "That's Veronica's debt, not yours, why is it your car?"

"She suggested it and we agreed because we were in a tight spot. But, this is bullshit. I'm giving everything and I'm making as much as Toni from it." Reggie hissed. "Can you let me go, dude?" Greg did so with a shove.

"What if we get you something of Veronica like the diamond earrings she wears that are from her grandmother?" She turns to Glady. "It's worth more than the car. More than she owes you."

"I can accept that." She nods.

"Reggie, get in the car. We are going to the speakeasy." She pushed him towards the car.

They walk into the La Bonnie Nuit. "Reggie, what the hell is going on?" Veronica knew it couldn't be good when he walks in with Glady and some Serpents.

"Your bozo boy-toy here thought it wise to try to steal his car back before we settled our account. Not smart." She hummed. "Only reason he is not in pieces is that Abby was there."

"Mrs. Jones, perhaps I can make it up to you in some way." She offers.

"Now, how are you going to do that?" She held her hand up for Abby to hold off.

"Your husband's 50th at La Bonne Nuit. Let me cover the expenses for that." She remembers Jughead talking about throwing a Serpent party for him.

"Done, now Abby wants to talk to you." She gave her the floor.

"Veronica, it's bullshit that Reggie's car is up for collateral when it's your debt. So, give us the diamonds so Reggie can have his car back." She tugged on her ears.

"No way, these are my grandma's. They are worth more than what I owe. How do I know that she won't sell them?" She covers her ears.

"Damn it, Veronica, I gave you everything. I wanted to get my damn car back, at least." Reggie was tired of her selfishness.

"I'm insulted that you think so little of me. I'm a woman of my word. I could have taken over this whole place if I wanted to. My husband is the sheriff. He'd turned the other way if I had the Serpents take it. With our numbers, your Pretty Poisons couldn't do anything." She glares.

Abby put her hands on her hips. "I know your feelings for Reggie are surface level but come on having some decency."

"That's not true." She looks at Reggie.

"So, if Archie walked through that door right now saying that he was ready to try again, you wouldn't?" Veronica opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"Jeez, Ronnie." Reggie looks at his feet.

"Here." She took off her earrings to hand them to Glady. "Don't get used to them, after this weekend I'll have my last payment."

"I'll keep them warm for you." She put them in her pocket before handing Reggie the keys. "Think you can give us a ride back?" Abby asks.

"Sure." He nods.

They got into the car, it was quiet for a while. "So, are you building a reverse harem?" She looks at Abby.

"What?" She screamed.

"You got Sweet Pea, Fangs, these two, the blonde, and the pretty girl. Now you're adding this one." She counted.

"No, I do not. I'm only with Sweets." She denies. "Reggie took a lot of steps to be a better person. He doesn't deserve to get jerked around." Despite another failed relationship, Reggie felt a warmness in his chest that someone noticed he was trying to be better.

"Abby is not a user like that." Kraken narrows his eyes at the older woman. She was being nice to them, not trying to get in their pants.

"You always did have a way of making men think you were precious. I remember you and FP. Anytime you cried, he would bend backward to make you feel better. You were a crybaby." She laughed. "There was the time you cried because the boys locked you out of the trailer to watch the Gremlins. So, FP took you to watch It."

Abby smiles fondly at the memory. It was true, FP spoiled her rotten even though he didn't have much. "Yeah, FP is the best."

"That's why we gotta go big on his 50th. Especially now that it's free." She snickers.

"Sweet Pea, Fangs, you're going to the old comic shop. Old Deuteronomy and Weasel, you're going to hit Innuendo, and Termite and Jinx, you're going to cover All About the Glaze. And we need to canvas all of Hiram's hot spots if we're going to get the word out fast." Jughead heads out the quests.

"What about these masks?" Sweets held up the mask.

"Wear 'em. Remember, the goal is to try and convince them that this quest came directly from the Gargoyle King." He reminds them that they have to be in character.

"We're on it." Fangs nod.

"And there's one more thing. It's kind of personal. These aren't just gaming hot spots. They were hubs for Hiram's Fizzle Rock trade. I've heard a rumor that a new player is moving in to restart it. I want you guys to suss out any information that you can discreetly. And if you find anything, I want you to come to me and only me." Jughead points to his chest.

The ex gargoyles shared a look, knowing he had to suspect his mother. Abby nodded to them that she would do it. "We'll wait for you up there." Greg nods to the head of the bunker.

"Jughead, I hate having to tell you this because you just got your family back but the new player is….." She couldn't say it.

"It's my mom, right?" He knew in his gut it was true.

"Yes, she was supposed to buy the business from Hermoine, but Veronica burned it. That's why she had the Gargoyle rad in the chemistry lab. I know I should have told you sooner. I thought you should enjoy it for a little." She hates having to tell him this.

"I suspected. I didn't think she would have stuck around if it wasn't for my dad being the Sheriff." He sighs. She felt like she was untouchable because of it.

"What are you going to do?" She asks.

"Confront her, see if I can get her to leave town on her own. If not then by force." He wasn't going to let his mother do this.

The Serpents made up the whole crowd for the boxing ring that had Archie, Betty, and Jughead in it. Abby was surrounded by her bodyguards. "Maybe we didn't allow enough time for words to get around? Maybe they didn't believe that it was coming from the king." Betty put her hands in her pockets.

"They'll come, there is no way to level up faster than getting the Goddess's blessing." Kraken pointed behind him where Abby was sitting.

As if on cue, the door slammed open. "I'm here for the Red Paladin." A man in a costume came in with his card. A Lot of people in costumes came in.

"Do they normally dress up?" Sweets asked.

"You do for advanced missions." Nancy answers.

Soon the place was filled with an audience along with opponents. "Challengers, welcome to the Iron Mountain. Approach this hallowed battleground, submit your kill the Red Paladin card, bring the Paladin to his knees in three minutes, and your quest is won. However, should you run out of time, should you fall to the Paladin's hand, then your quest is over. Is that understood?" Jughead waited until he got an answer from everyone. "Then let's go!" He got out of the ring. A man in a dark Robin Hood costume steps into the ring making Betty ring the bell. He got one hit in before Archie was able to knock him out. He was able to knock out a few guys before someone that made them worried stepped in.

"Who's next?" Jughead called.

"Shit, it's Zombie." Abby stood up for Fangs, who was sitting behind her, to pull her down.

"Zombies?" Sweet Pea asks.

"He called that because he… no no no. No clinching, Archie." She screamed. She knew he was tired but he could afford to do that with this guy. It was too late, Zombie bit into Archie's shoulder. He was able to shake him off and throw a hard right hook to knock him out.

"Damn." Fangs grimaced at how big the bite mark on Archie's shoulder was.

"He's starting to look good to me." Dracula twisted in his seat, getting excited by the blood dripping from his wound.

Abby looked around her: Kraken was in front, Fangs in the back, with Sweets and Nancy on either side of her. Greg was sitting by Kraken and Dracula by Fangs. "Kraken, you fought all these guys, right?"

"Between being a Ghoulie and my quests as a Gargoyle, yeah, some a few times." He nods.

"Okay, then go be in Archie's corner." She nods.

"I'm not leaving my post." He shook his head. When he saw her wide eyes he went on. "No offense, Abs but your safety is more important to me than your brothers."

"I'll take your spot." Dracula got up to go down.

"Dude, we got this. Besides, if anyone can drag her down. You'll be on the floor level, it'll be our last chance." Greg pointed out.

"Alright." He got up to go to Archie's corner. With Kraken's tips and Archie's skills, he was able to win all his matches. He had two black eyes, a broken nose, and bruises all over but he was still standing.

"Okay, uh, there are only 11 cards here." Betty went to tell Jughead while he was holding the mic. "What, that's all? Who else wants to try?" Archie yelled.

A man came in wearing sweats, he seemed to put Archie on edge. Jughead put the microphone down to talk to him. "Who is that?"

"Captain Golightly. My old guard at L&L. Norton's lap dog." He told him.

"My admission price." He held up his card.

"Hey, look at me. Are you sure you're up for this?" He asked Archie.

"It's okay. I want the sacrifice mark off me." He nods.

"Enter the Kraken!" Jughead pointed to the ring.

"What?" Kraken didn't like his name being used.

"Sorry, couldn't think of anything else and you're standing there." Jughead shrugs.

Abby held onto Sweet Pea's hands as they traded blows. She squeezed tightly when the guy was able to get Archie against the ropes. Archie was able to fight through the pain and deliver the knockout punch. They jump to their feet screaming. They ran to the ring to surround Archie as they congratulated him.

"Happy Birthday, FP." Fangs and Sweet Pea tackled him into a hug.

"Thanks tweedle dee and tweedle dum." He playful pushed them off of him.

"Happy Birthday, FP." Abby hugs him tightly.

"Thanks, Kiddo." He rubs her back.

"Something doesn't change, huh?" Glady laughed at the girl beaming up at FP. "Remember when she declared you her best friend, gave you a friendship bracelet and everything."

"Yeah, still wear it." He pulled his sleeve up to showcase the green, black, and red yarn that was braided. Abby let out a happy scream as she stared at his wrist in awe. "Going to need a new one soon though. Think you can make me one?"

"Of course." She nods, feeling a blush take over her face.

"How're your new Serpents doing?" Glady asked.

"Good, we had to minus the crazies but we kept the most valuable." She updated her.

"Hey, no business talk." FP smiled.

"Alright," Glady pats his chest. She had told him that when he was talking to some of his officers.

"Oh, Nancy and Ginger are here." Fangs nod to the entrance.

"Happy Birthday again." She says before heading toward the couple. This was Ginger coming out. "Hey Nancy, Ginger," She greeted.

"Hi, Abby." She nods to the redhead.

"Ginger, this is Sweet Pea and Fangs, there my friends. Sweet Pea and Fangs, this is Ginger, my girlfriend." She introduced them.

Ginger smiled at how much cheer was in Nancy's voice when she said that. She pulled her into a kiss at the emotions that overtook her. She never had anyone claim her so proudly. "Well, let's give them their space." Sweet Pea went to sit at the table that was occupied by the new Serpents.

"This is a nice party." Dracula whistled.

"Better than a Gargoyle party I'm sure." Fangs bragged.

"Definitely cleaner." Kraken sips his beer.

"Could use a little more than beer though." Greg reaches into his jacket.

Sweet Pea glares. "That better not be fizzle rock."

"Calm down. I never did that shit or Jingle Jangle. Don't sample from your supply is the first rule of dealing." He pulled out a joint to light.

"Oh, pass." Fangs held his hand out. They passed the joint around to smoke. A few eyes turned to them but no one said anything.

Glady took to the stage. "Thank you, everyone, for coming out to celebrate one of Riverdale's finest. The finest, if you ask me. My husband, FP Jones." There was applause and whooping. "Once, he was a king, a great king. Maybe the best. But I think the greatest role that he's ever held is that of a father. So, why don't we ask Jughead to come on up here and say a few words? What do you say, guys?"

"Jug! Jug! Jug!" People chanted.

He went on stage to hug his mom tightly before she went back to her seat. He looks down at a paper before pocketing it to speak from the heart. "Uh... Thanks, I... Wrote... It's no secret that the Jones men don't like birthday parties. We're a rather broody bunch. You know, I remember when you made me promise not to stop writing. Not for anything. And I haven't. I've written every day. But I could punch keys every night in a booth at Pop's and never come up with a story nearly as remarkable as yours. You've gone from the wrong side of the tracks to the right side of the law. From Serpent King to Sheriff of Riverdale. From a man that most people in this town had probably written off... to someone who righted his wrongs and brought our family back together. That's who you are to me, someone that would do anything for his family. There's something you need to know about this family…"

"Now it's not the time." Abby hissed.

Jughead didn't pull the trigger. "We'll always be there for you. Me and Jellybean and Mom. I'm proud to be your son. I'm proud to share your name. And I am proud to be part of your amazing story. Here's to you, Dad. And to the stories to come." Abby smiled as she watched FP tear up at his son's words. He got up to hug him.