So I was rewatching season 1 of Riverdale and I forgot how good the show was until the writers ruined all of its potential. Anyway, Jug deserved revenge on Chuck Clayton and I don't believe in his rushed redemption arc.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights belong to CW.

He was back again after a year away from the small town. Even though Chuck Clayton ended his time at Riverdale High with a suspension, he knew his Bulldogs would have his back again in the new term.

The throne he shared with Cheryl at the top of the food chain was ripe for his picking again. He figured Reggie wouldn't mind if he took his rightful place back. A year isn't that long to be gone, so he doubted anything drastic could've happened in the time he was gone.

He talked to the coach a day before and secured his spot on the football team. The letterman jacket felt like home on his shoulders. Parking his car, he couldn't help but notice the onslaught of motorcycles in the back. Teens in leather loitered nearby.

His eyebrows scrunched. Serpents? What are those trailer thugs doing on this side?

He ignored them for the time being. Entering the double doors, some of his old teammates waited for him. Notably absent were Reggie and Archie.

Chuck smacks Michael on his back, "Fill me in, man. What the hell are all these snakes doing here?"

The latter rolled his eyes. "Southside High closed, so they all came here, including their King and his thugs."

"Toss them out of here. Don't tell me Reggie and Cheryl just let this happen?"

Michael winced, "About that, Chuck—"

Down the hall, the all-star quickly spotted the Blossom red. "Cheryl!" He half-jogged to get to a set of lockers.

His hand was up in a half cocking greeting; the smirk on his lips died as he saw the red leather turn to face him.

"I heard rumors that they let you back in. I didn't think they were this stupid." The familiar bite of an insult wasn't new, but he had never had it directed toward him before.

Chuck took an accusing step forward, "Are you a Serpent?"

Her arms crossed, and she raised a challenging eyebrow. The pink-haired girl next to her glared.

"Are you controlling them around here?"

Cheryl and the girl laughed, "Oh please, while I'm not the King or Queen, I still get a say around here, but the Serpent King will not be happy hearing you're back. Let's go, TT."

The other girl wrapped an arm around Cheryl's waist before taking their leave.

His eyes followed them away. His shoulders tensed at the ominous threat of the Serpent King. Cheryl acted like the King personally knew him here at his time in Riverdale High.

He needed to find out who it is and put him in his place asap. He may have been gone for a year but he was still the King of this school and no one would take that away from him.

Chuck fit right back into the swing of things. The only difference was the slew of leather jackets that wouldn't stop glaring at him. He wouldn't say he was intimidated, but he was on edge about what he could've done to be on Serpent radar already.

Biology he shared with Reggie and Archie. He hadn't seen them all morning. The class was just about filled except the teacher had yet to make an appearance. Each lab bench sat two which Archie and Reggie shared.

"There are my boys! The big three bulldogs are back together again." He greeted with his overly whitened smile.

Others in the room continued with their conversations but quieted down some to still paying attention to their interaction.

The two shared an uneasy glance. Shifting in his seat, Reggie ran a hand along the back of his head. "Uh...about that man..."

Archie leaned back on his stool. "Why would we be cool? After what you did to Veronica, Betty, and Jughead."

Chuck scoffed, "I can admit I screwed up with Veronica but Betty and Jughead are just freaks."

Reggie took note of some of the Serpents watching, "Bro shut up. They've been waiting to sink their fangs into you; all they need is a reason."

Chuck set his backpack down on the opposite side of his ex-friends. He could feel the eyes staring at him, burning into his back. He was used to the attention but not like this. The teacher walked in to begin the lesson before he could think of anything else to say.

His first day back wasn't shaping up to what he thought it was gonna be. Besides Michael, no one else was really interacting with him more than necessary. Some snakes went out of their way to harass him. A tall one with a neck tattoo rammed his shoulder as hard as he could when passing him in the hallway and another shorter guy with his hair slicked up knocked the books out of his hands. He chalked it up to them being scared of the Serpent King. No one else seemed to share the same sentiment toward the Serpents as he does. In fact, he took note of how often the rest of the student body intermingled with the leathered snakes.

Walking down the hallway, he finally came across her. He figured he was going to run into her sooner than later. There was a limited amount of people in the hall since the bell was going to ring in another minute. The golden girl didn't seem concerned about being potentially late to her next class. She was calmly loading another book into her bag. What surprised him was that her hair was down and not at all in her usual uptight ponytail. Her outfit as well as looser. A denim skirt shorter than he'd never previously seen her wear at school and a tight blue top. He hated to admit it but she looked good.

Chuck turned his head, checking to see if any of the snakes were lingering around. Seeing that the coast was clear, he approached her locker.

"Freaky Betty Cooper. I see you're letting loose now. Did I inspire Dark Betty to make more of an appearance?" His shoulder banged against the locker next door, leaning all of his weight on it. Betty didn't react. Her eyes caught his through her mirror on her locker door.

"What do you want Chuck?"

"Can't I see how you're doing? It's been a while. You cutting loose does that apply to hookups?"

Betty snorted, "As if I would do anything with you Clayton, I'm still dating Jughead."

His lips wetted his bottom lip, "Still? Thought you would've gotten tired by now. He never did have much to offer unless you like shacking up in a dirty trailer."

Betty closed her locker abruptly. "Jug is twice the man you are."

Chuck's mouth opened to reply back but a force hit his back. His left elbow and knee hit the metal hard.

Snapping, "Watch it! You piece of—" His voice trailed off seeing the snake that stretched across his back.

The kid was younger and shorter than him. If he had to guess a freshman. The audacity that a freshman did that to him sent his blood boiling.

"Is he bothering you, Ms. Betty?"

He ignored Chuck entirely, his back facing him as all of his attention was on her.

Betty shot him a grateful small. "I'm okay Jer. I was just about to head to class."

"I'll walk you there." He held out his elbow with a kiddish smile.

She giggled and accepted.

Jer finally turned around to address Chuck. He tilted his chin up defiantly not taken aback by their height difference. "Watch you're back Jughead isn't gonna take this lightly." He warned.

Chuck laughed mockingly, "Oooh so scared of Jughead Jones. The last time he tried to fight me he went through a table. I'd like to see a repeat of that."

Betty raised an eyebrow but remained silent as her and Jer walked off.

The only person that Chuck was concerned about was the Serpent King and certainly not Jughead Jones.

The rest of the day dragged on until lunch. Chuck was sequestered to the end of the lunch line. Usually, when he was late he was able to cut up ahead but he seemed to have lost that privilege when he was gone. He was allowed to sit on the Bulldog's table but in the back.

He spied the usual table of Archie, Veronica, Betty, and Kevin but Jughead was notably absent. The Serpents had their own table and the rowdiest one. Cheryl stuck out among the black depths in her blood-red jacket, her arm around the girl from earlier. Most of them were standing in front seemingly trading stories, others sat on the benches and on the table itself.

"What are they huddling around for?" Chuck asked.

Reggie who appeared the only one to hear him raised an eyebrow. "You're joking, right? You didn't figure it out yet?"

"Figure out what?"

"They're surrounding the King."

Chuck rolled his eyes, "I put that together Mantle. I mean who is it?"

A puff of hair escapes Reggie's nose in disbelief. "Oh boy."

The Serpents parted slightly allowing someone that was sitting on the tabletop to slip through. Michael clapped Chuck on the shoulder, squeezing. "Jones is the Serpent King. Jughead Jones."

Jughead moved to where Betty sat. Kissing her temple and throwing an arm around her shoulder. Betty whispered something in his ear. Soon his steel blue eyes found him across the cafeteria. Chuck couldn't breathe. He didn't think anyone was capable of a stare like this. It was like the air around him turned frigid but despite that, the back of his neck broke out in a sweat.

Some of the students picked up on the palpable energy. The Serpents in tune with their leader halted the conversation to stare down at the Bulldog table as well. Jughead stood up prompting the rest of the Bulldogs to do the same thing.

He strutted over to the jock table. The other students watched on in rapt attention. Archie and the other Serpents looked ready to spring up at a moment's notice.

"Mantle."

"Jones."

The two imposed leaders stood face to face. Their jackets serve as juxtaposition in color and texture. One absorbs all the light and the other is brightly colored. The worn leather creaked slightly at every shift of his shoulders compared to the warm wool on broader shoulders.

"Don't want any issues. I just want him."

Reggie twisted his neck, eyeing Chuck for a minute. Michael minutely shook his head no. Chuck himself stood frozen.

He held out his hand to shake, "Have at 'em."

Jughead accepted his firm handshake and Reggie gestured with his head for the rest of the players to back off.

Chuck shook himself unconsciously, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Jones." He unleashed his most charming smile, "It's been a while. I see your cheek didn't scar."

Jughead grabbed him by the lapels and forced him back into his seat. "You get this talk once. Don't approach Betty. Don't talk to her or better yet don't even look at her. If I hear that you're tormenting girls again so help me no one is going to stop me from running you out of town again but this time with a few less teeth."

"You're in no position to demand anything from me Jughead." Chuck sneered, "You're just as freaky as your girlfriend but I can at least get into the kinky shit with her."

Jughead growled, tipping Chuck back until his chair was toppled over with him still sitting. He scrambled up and resumed a fighting stance.

"You want a repeat of your party?"

Jughead flexed his fists, tightening them up enough to crack. "Gladly."

Chuck swung first but he dodged the sloppy fist. He threw another hook that connected to the side of Jughead's cheek almost identical to the hit that sent him into the table on his birthday. Smirking, Chuck relaxed thinking that the wannabe Serpent King was down for the count. Jughead simply dropped his hands and opened his jaw testing to see if anything was amiss.

"Wow, and to think that you've gotten weaker after all this time."

Chuck stood slack-jawed. He couldn't even see a mark. He'd be lucky enough if a bruise formed later. Jughead quickly dug his own fist into his solar plexus. Chuck groaned automatically hunching in on himself. It left him unprepared for the punch to his jaw. He felt the sharp knuckles tear into his cheek and his bottom lip already opening up the skin there. The force behind it also startled him. He couldn't control his own momentum as his head pivoted viciously to the side careening his body to the floor.

He vaguely remembered to twist his head to spit out a glob of blood and a tooth or two onto the linoleum. Black crept upon his vision as it was Jughead's turn to smirk.

Jughead stood over him and patted him on the chest. "Good talk, we should do this again sometime."