Our story continues.
The mayor's Jubilee was supposed to change everything. Be a new start.
But when they woke up, Riverdale was still, at its heart, a haunted town.
Meanwhile, Archie Andrews, who doesn't even have a driver's license yet, was at this very moment, careening down the streets of Riverdale, trying to outrace death.
"Hold on, Dad," he constantly tried to assure his wounded father. "We're almost there. They'll fix you up. Just stay with me."
Now, I don't usually believe in miracles, but it was a miracle that Archie got his dad to Riverdale General Hospital without wrecking the truck.
"Help, please!" he pleaded. "Somebody help my dad!"
Play "Fortitude" by HAEVN
The nurses came in with a gurney and they strapped Fred onto it.
Archie could only stand there as they rushed Fred to the ER.
And the whole world's love holds me
And the whole world's love holds me
Archie watched through the door's window as the nurses patched up Fred and put him on life support.
And all I want is you around
All I want is your around
"I'm right here, Dad!" he shouted through tears. "I'M RIGHT HERE!"
All I want is you around
All I want is you
End "Fortitude"
Fred just stood there, frozen, phone in hand. In front of him, Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead were smiling, waiting for when he would finally take the picture.
"Dad, what are you waiting for?" asked Archie. "The ceremony starts in ten minutes. What's taking so long?"
"I just… can't believe we're here, Archie," Fred cried. "We're at your graduation. I just… never thought I'd live to see this day."
"Except you didn't, Mr. A," Jughead remarked.
"Don't you remember?" Veronica asked. "At Pop's?"
Fred looked to his right and saw a man in a black hood coming in with a shotgun in hand.
"EVERYBODY, DOWN!" Fred yelled.
BANG!
At the Coopers, Alice was serving breakfast.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she greeted Betty. "So what did you and your friends do after the Jubilee?"
"We went to Pop's," Betty replied. "And then, Jughead went back to FP's trailer, and then the Serpents showed up."
"You mean those thugs? See, I knew that Jughead was gonna follow in FP's criminal footsteps. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, especially not when there's a snake in its limbs."
That's when Betty's phone rang.
"If it's that Snake Pliskenn, I want him blocked," said Alice.
"It's Archie," Betty assured.
"Block him too."
Betty rolled her eyes and answered the phone.
Veronica just finished eating her breakfast when Hermione approached her.
"What did you do?" Hermione asked.
"I just ate a chocolate almond croissant from Bean and Beluga," Veronica replied. "Unfortunately, I only ordered one."
"Last night."
"Oh, Archie just spent the night with me."
"And you moaned so loudly you could've woken up the entire complex."
Before the conversation could escalate, Veronica's phone rang. She checked to see it was Betty calling.
"Hello?" Veronica answered.
Jughead was just minding his business when Betty called him.
The moment he was told the news, he left the trailer, got on a motorcycle, and rushed to the hospital.
In the hospital waiting room, Archie paced back and forth in panic. That's when Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Alice, and Hermione came in.
Archie broke down crying. His friends hugged him to comfort him.
Once he was calm enough, Archie sat down and explained everything. "I met up with my dad at Pop's so we could talk, then I went to the bathroom. When I came out, there was this man wearing a hood. He had a gun, he pointed it at my dad, and he fired it."
Veronica gasped. "Oh God."
"And then he…" Archie stopped.
"Then what?"
"He bolted. I was holding my dad, Pop Tate called an ambulance and it didn't come, so I drove here and…" Archie started crying again. "I don't know. Maybe I should've waited. Maybe I made it worse."
"No, you didn't," Jughead assured, holding Archie's shoulder. "You saved your dad's life. First Cheryl, now your dad. If you keep this up, you're gonna need a superhero name. Maybe Pureheart the Powerful."
Then Alice approached them.
"There isn't any new information," she informed them. "Your dad's in surgery. He's gonna be here for a while."
"Archie, have you spoken to your mother about any of this yet?" Hermione asked Archie.
"No, I haven't called her," Archie replied. "I'll be right back."
Archie got up and walked away.
Alice took the opportunity to sneak a glare at Jughead.
Betty noticed it. "Don't start this, Mom."
"Start what?" asked Jughead.
"Of course, I can't help but wonder if your Southside associates have anything to do with what happened to Fred," Alice replied.
Jughead groaned. "Unbelievable. At least, you can't accuse my father of being the shooter because he's in jail!"
"God, I can't handle this," Veronica said, leaning on Betty's shoulder.
Archie was out in the hall, on the phone with Mary.
"Hey Mom," he greeted. "How are you? Mom, we're actually in trouble here." He took a deep breath. "Dad's in the hospital. He was shot. I don't know what will happen, but I think you should come here as soon as you can in case…" He sniffed. "In case we have to say goodbye."
Riverdale
Chapter 14
A Kiss Before Dying
Sheriff Keller entered the hospital waiting room.
"How's your dad doing?" he asked Archie.
"He's still in surgery," Archie explained.
"Archie, I know this is a bad time, but perhaps we could go somewhere and talk about what happened."
"Is it cool if I tag along?" asked Jughead.
"Actually…" Keller tried to say.
"Yeah, that'd be great," Archie butted in.
The three went somewhere private to discuss.
"The man was about five-foot-ten," Archie described. "160 pounds or so."
"And he was wearing dark pants and a dark jacket," Keller said. "Did you see anything on the jacket? Any symbol or insignia?"
"You mean like a snake?" Jughead asked accusingly.
"No, it was just a jacket," Archie assured. "No snack."
"And the ski mask…" Keller tried to say.
"It wasn't a ski mask! It was a hood, a black hood! Homemade, like he'd cut the eyes out himself, and the guy's eyes were green."
"Now, Pop Tate had a fairly good idea of what happened up until when your father was shot, and then, well… there are some gaps, and I need you to help me fill them. What did the masked man do?"
"After he shot my dad?" Archie had to take deep breaths to avoid breaking down again. "He… he just shot my dad and left the diner. Who did this, Sheriff?"
"Archie, it's too early to speculate. This guy, he was probably out of his head on meth or jingle jangle, some Southside lowlife who was just looking for a cash grab."
"How much money did he take?" asked Jughead.
"We're waiting to hear about that from Pop," said Keller.
"Since this is Riverdale, I have to ask, what if robbery wasn't the motive? What else would it be?"
"I suppose it could be someone who held a grudge against your dad, tried to kill him and make it look like a robbery, but it's too early to tell."
"There are certain things no one does better than Veronica Lodge," Veronica told Betty. "Makeovers, party planning, dance-offs, dropping vintage bon-mots as if they were bonbons. Conversely, there are things I'm not good at: grief, bedside vigils, comforting boyfriends…"
"That's the old Veronica talking," said Betty.
"Old Veronica would've bolted by now, but… new Veronica doesn't wanna let Archie down."
"You won't."
Veronica saw Archie and Jughead coming back in. "Speaking of…"
"Archie, is there something you're not telling Keller?" Jughead asked.
"My dad said he and Mrs. Lodge fired the Serpents on their crew," Archie explained. "I know your dad vouches for them, but what if one of them was pissed off enough to do something?"
"I'll see what I can find."
Archie hugged Jughead. "Thanks, bro."
That's when a man in a lab coat approached Archie.
"Archie Andrews, I'm Steven Masters," he said. "I'm your father's doctor."
"How is he?" asked Archie.
"Well, we got the bullet out, and we stopped the internal bleeding. What's most worrisome is, he's not breathing on his own yet."
"I need to see him."
"And you will. As soon as we've got him set in a room, you'll be able to sit with him. Should be an hour or two at most."
"And what am I supposed to do until then? Nothing?"
"Maybe you should go home and get changed," Veronica suggested.
"I'm not leaving," Archie insisted.
"No, Veronica's right," Betty defended.
The nurse lady gave Archie a bag. "Here's your dad's clothes, and everything he had on him."
"Yet another reason to go," said Betty. "To get your dad a change of clothes. Veronica can go with you."
"We'll hold the fort down here," Alice assured. "Archie, try not to worry. Your dad's a strong fighter. Fred Andrews isn't one to leave unfinished business behind."
"Dad, come on," said Archie. "The car's here. We're gonna be late."
"I'm not ready to go, Archie," said Fred. "Something doesn't feel right."
"We're gonna be fine, Dad. There's nothing to worry about."
"That's what I do, son. That's what I always do."
"Yeah, and you deserve a break. I'll handle things."
Fred tried and failed to recall what came before this moment. "This doesn't feel right. It's too soon."
Archie started to get angry. "You can't change your mind, Dad. They're waiting for you."
"Who's 'they'?"
"Uncle Frank, Grandpa Artie."
Fred was taken aback by those names. "What are you talking about, son? They're dead."
Then someone started pounding on the door.
"That's them," Archie said with a smile.
Archie and Veronica got inside the house. The first thing they saw was Vegas, ecstatic to see them again.
"Hey Vegas," Archie greeted. "Nobody's walked you, have they? You must be wondering what the hell happened. Come on, let's go."
"Oh no, you're not going in that," Veronica said, pointing at Archie's blood-stained jacket. "You look like you're auditioning for a teen reboot of The Shining. You take your shower, and I'll walk him."
"Veronica, have you ever walked a dog in your life?"
"I've had dogs walked for me. Does that count?"
Archie and Veronica took Vegas out for his walk.
"Before we got Vegas, my dad was like, 'he's gonna be your dog, Little Archie, your responsibility. Are you ready to walk him, feed him, and take care of him when he gets sick?'" Archie said. "I wanted him so bad. I said, 'yes, I'm ready'."
"Cutest origin story ever," Veronica remarked. "And?"
"Now, when I get home late from football practice, my dad's already walked him, on Saturday mornings, my dad feeds him early so I can sleep in, and every time Vegas gets sick, my dad always goes with us to the vet. The truth is, no one loves Vegas more than my dad."
As Veronica listened to Archie's story, she got emotional. Archie noticed this and comforted her.
"I got nervous when you said to meet at the hospital," one Serpent, Tall Boy, told Jughead.
"I was wondering about when you said the Serpents had my back," Jughead explained. "Does that courtesy extend to a guy who's like my brother, and a man who's like a second father to me?"
"What do you need?"
"Fred Andrews, my buddy's dad, has been shot during a robbery at Pop's. The guy was in a black hood."
"Serpents don't wear masks."
"I get it, but some Serpents were working for Fred Andrews when, for reasons of his own, he decided to let them go suddenly. Maybe someone took it personally and went rogue. You guys know every hidey-hole in this town. Someone has to have heard something about what went down at Pop's."
"Okay, we'll knock some heads, let you know."
After the walk, Archie got in the shower. He let the warm water run down his body and rinse off any and all blood stains.
Yeah, the water seeped through his cast, but he didn't let that bother him.
"Archie, you okay?" came Veronica's voice.
"I'm okay," Archie assured.
Play "You Belong to Me" by Catherine Pierce
Then he heard the door gently open.
The moon follows me home, I'm never alone
Hangs like the shine in my sweet baby's eye
Sings to me nightly, sings to me brightly
Tells me the secrets of the sky
The curtain opened to reveal a butt-naked Veronica.
"Thought you might want some company," she said.
Archie nodded and stepped back so Veronica could climb in.
Feels like we're dreaming, we're tripping and reeling
Just say that you belong to me
I could get lost in the feelings we're feeling
Just say that you belong to me
Veronica started sucking on Archie's nipples. Archie licked the inside of Veronica's mouth.
End "You Belong to Me"
Betty and Kevin were waiting for any information about Fred when they saw someone carried in a gurney.
Whoever they were, they weren't Fred.
Betty then noticed Cheryl following the person.
Betty and Kevin got up and went after Cheryl.
"Cheryl, what's going on?" Betty asked.
"Oh, haven't you heard?" Cheryl replied. "There was a terrible fire at Thornhill last night. I would've perished if not for my mom's heroics."
"What is this, the apocalypse?" asked Kevin.
"After my… ordeal at Sweetwater River, I was asleep when the fire started. They think a breeze knocked a candle onto the curtains. Mommy got home from the Jubilee and rushed headlong into the blaze, risking her life to save mine. Unfortunately, she suffered third-degree burns and acute smoke inhalation. What are you doing here?"
Archie finished putting on some clean clothes when he saw Veronica putting stuff on the table.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"I took your dad's things out of the bag," Veronica explained. "I hope that's okay."
"Was his wallet in there?"
"I didn't see it."
Archie checked Fred's coat pocket, only to see it was empty. "Dad usually keeps his wallet in his coat pocket. Are you sure you didn't see it?"
"I didn't. Maybe it's in the truck, or back in the hospital."
"No, this is everything they had, according to the nurse."
"Well, worst case scenario, it's just a wallet."
"Everything that's important to my dad is in that wallet."
"Well, maybe it's at Pop's."
"Why did you even open the bag?"
"I… I wanted to help."
"No, seriously! What are you doing here? I didn't ask you to come! Hell, I didn't want to come here!" Archie scoffed. "Forget it. Just go. I'll take care of this, and I'll see you back at the hospital."
"You really want me to go?"
"I do, yeah."
Veronica was about to leave, but then she stopped herself. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going. Archie, you shouldn't be alone right now. You're angry, hurting, and probably terrified, so go ahead. Yell at me, push me away, but I'm going nowhere."
Archie broke down, crying. Veronica pulled him closer for a hug.
After Archie calmed down, his phone rang.
"Hi, Sheriff," he answered. "Wait. Now?"
Archie headed to the police station. Keller led him to one room in particular.
In it was a window that showed another room. In that room were five figures standing in line.
"These are the men we picked up so far," Keller explained to Archie. "All of them have a history of armed robbery or some other violent crime. You feeling up for this?"
Archie nodded.
Keller pushed a button and said, "Put them on."
Everyone in the other room put on black hoods. One at a time, they stepped forward.
None of them had green eyes.
Veronica returned to the hospital.
"Where's Archie?" Betty asked her.
"At the sheriff's station, doing a line-up," Veronica explained. "He asked me to be here with Fred until he gets back."
"Well, that's gonna traumatize him. We should go down there."
"Actually, could you guys do me a huge favor? Mr. Andrews' wallet is missing. We're thinking it might be at Pop's. That, or the guy who might've shot Fred robbed it."
"Well, if it was just some rando robbing Pop's, he might've just taken the money and threw away the wallet."
"Unless it wasn't a rando," Jughead suggested. "And it was premeditated in some way."
"What?" asked Veronica. "Is that an actual theory?"
"Not according to Keller, but if you ask me, people have grudges. Think about where we live. Fathers are killing their sons. It's entirely conceivable that this was a hit."
"Or the wallet's just at Pop's," said Betty. "So we'll check it out, Vee."
Betty and Jughead left.
Veronica then noticed Hermione was heading somewhere. Out of curiosity, Veronica followed.
Jughead got on his motorcycle. "Hop on."
"Without a helmet?" asked Betty.
"You can use mine, or we can walk, or call your mom."
That convinced Betty to take Jughead's helmet and get on the bike.
"Just go slow, okay?" she asked.
"No, it's actually much more dangerous if we go slow," Jughead argued. "You'll need to hold tight."
Once they were both in position, they sped away.
Veronica found Hermione kneeling and praying in front of a statue of Mother Mary.
"What are we praying for?" Veronica asked. "Fred's speedy recovery or a quick death?"
"Why on Earth would I pray for that?" Hermione replied.
"Jughead said that what happened to Mr. Andrews may have been… a hit, but who would be evil enough to do that, and why? Then I remembered you tried to get Fred to sell his share of the company back to you and Daddy, because he and Daddy wouldn't get along. That's a threat if I ever heard one."
"And because you're so determined to paint your father as a villain, you assume he must've put a hit on Fred Andrews. Brilliant."
"Not him. You. I don't think you're an innocent pawn, Mom. I think you're Daddy's eyes and ears on the ground, calling the shots."
"Do you genuinely believe that?"
"If the Manolo Blahnik fits."
Hermione stood up. "Mija, your disrespect will no longer be tolerated. Not by me, and certainly not by your father when he comes home. So, word of advice, get back in line with this family, because you are a Lodge before anything else." She leaned towards Veronica's ear. "You know, I should slap you for what you're insinuating, but I'm not a violent person."
With that, Hermione walked away.
Once Archie returned to the hospital, he saw some other faces had arrived while he was gone.
"The Bulldogs are here for you," Reggie assured as he hugged Archie.
"So are the Pussycats," said Josie. "We're sending your dad our prayers, and as many of our nine lives as he needs."
"Thanks guys," Archie thanked.
"Veronica said that you were down at the station? Did they get the guy?"
"No, he's still out there."
That's when Doctor Masters returned.
"Archie, he's in Room 12," he informed Archie. "You can see him now."
"Okay, great," Archie said.
"Listen, he hasn't woken up yet. Talk to him, coax him back. Keep it positive. It'll make all the difference."
Archie entered Fred's room and sat next to him.
"Dad, I don't know if you can hear me," Archie said through tears. "Hopefully, you can. I'm only supposed to talk about good things which… kinda limits my options, but… what can I tell you?"
Archie showed Fred a box with a tiny ring inside it.
"Dad, I'm asking her tonight," he said.
"You know, Veronica's gonna love it," said Fred.
"Well, she better. She picked it out."
"That sounds about right." Fred turned to Pop. "Pop, you're not gonna believe this. Archie's getting married!"
"Is that right?" said Pop. "Well, well, time dies."
Fred did not expect that. "Don't you mean time flies?"
"No, I don't."
Pop pointed at Fred's stomach. Fred looked down and saw blood was oozing out of his stomach, staining his shirt.
Betty and Jughead entered the diner to be greeted by a giant stain of blood in the center.
Pop came out of the kitchen with a mop and bucket.
"Kids, we're closed today," he informed them. "There was a…"
"Pop, we heard what happened," Betty said. "We just got back from the hospital to look for Mr. Andrews' wallet."
"Is he…?"
"He's out of surgery. We'll know more when he wakes up."
"Alright. The police have already looked, but if you wanna double-check, he was in that booth there."
"So, what happened from your point of view?" Jughead asked.
"I wish I knew," Pop replied. "As soon as he came in with that gun, God help me, I dove. I don't even remember calling the police, but I guess I did."
"How much cash did the creep take?"
"Not a penny."
Jughead gasped. "I knew it. What kind of thief shoots up a joint and doesn't take a single dollar bill?"
"He wasn't a thief. This place was robbed many times over the years, even bricks through windows during riots. I've looked plenty of thugs in the eye. This man, his goal was something else. It was like the Angel of Death came to Riverdale."
Jughead gasped.
"Hey, I found the wallet," Betty said, showing Fred's wallet. "It was under the table. He must've dropped it before the attack."
"Hey, you kids hungry?" asked Pop.
"No, we're good," Betty assured.
"I'm always hungry," Jughead said at the same time.
Pop quickly fixed Betty and Jughead a burger and fries for each of them. Jughead devoured his burger, while Betty didn't even touch hers.
"In times of crisis, people lose their appetite," Jughead remarked. "Me? Mine increases tenfold."
Betty didn't seem convinced.
"Okay, you got me," Jughead relented. "I haven't eaten since last night."
"I don't want to think about this while Mr. Andrews is… how he is," said Betty. "But last night, when you put on that jacket, it meant something, Jug."
"Yeah, it meant there were, like, ten biker dudes standing in front of me and I didn't think I could say no."
"It fit you like a glove, Jug, and the look on your face… you weren't acting in front of the Serpents. Now, you're riding a motorcycle, which you've never done."
"Betty, that might be my dad's life, but it isn't mine."
"What about your soon-to-be foster family? They're from the Southside. Maybe if they have ties with the Serpents, they can try to…"
"Indoctrinate me? Don't worry. I've actually made a decision about that. They'll cover for me with my social worker, but I won't be staying with them. I'm gonna be at the trailer, my dad's trailer."
"Why?"
"Betty…" Jughead took a breath. "Archie almost lost his dad, and my dad's going away for a long-ass time. Wearing that jacket and riding his bike, living in his trailer… does mean something. It just means I'll be closer to him no matter what."
"I don't want to see you get hurt, or hurt someone else. Not because you did it on purpose, but because that's the Serpents' world. That's how they live, is it not?"
"Good, you're awake," Cheryl said to Penelope. "Now, here's the realz, Baby Jane. I'm telling everyone you ran back into that towering inferno to save me, not that hideous family portrait you loved so much, and that the fire was a terrible, tragic accident. If you tell the truth about that fire, I'll tell everyone the truth about how Daddy died. You were cruel to me, Mother. It was abuse, plain and simple, so, henceforth…" She plugged Penelope's oxygen flow. "If you breathe, it's because I give you air. If you drink, it's because I poured your cup myself. If you move, it is quietly, and with my blessing."
Cheryl released the cord, allowing Penelope to breathe again.
Archie got a drink of water when Veronica gave him a tiny gift box from Barnaby's.
"Just a little something for your father when he wakes up," she said. "Which he will, very soon."
Archie opened the box to reveal a new wallet.
"Just to tide him over until we find his tried and true," Veronica explained.
"When did you find the time to go to Barnaby's?" asked Archie.
"I didn't. I sent Smithers. Is that cheating?"
"You are the best girlfriend ever, and I don't deserve you."
"Why do you say that?"
"Ronnie, can I tell you about this… thing that happened at Pop's?"
Before Archie could say anything, Betty, Jughead, and Pop came in with bags of food.
"Who's hungry?" asked Jughead. "We got burgers, fries, onion rings, and more."
After the 'dinner', Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead sat together in the refreshment area. Archie didn't say anything, not even when Betty returned Fred's wallet.
"Your dad would be so proud of you, Arch," Betty assured Archie.
"Yeah," Jughead agreed. "You've really been just a rockstar god through all of this."
"Archie, what is it?" asked Veronica. "Talk to us."
Archie took a breath. "There's something I haven't told you, because I'm so ashamed. After the guy fired, I should've went straight to my dad, or just tackled the guy, but I was paralyzed. I didn't move, not even when the guy walked up to me and held the gun to my head. I just got down on my knees and closed my eyes. I don't know how long, but I didn't open them until I heard Pop's bell, which meant he was gone."
"There's nothing else you could've done," said Betty.
"That's not true, Betty. I could've done anything to comfort my dad, or get the gun away from the guy, but I was a coward. What if he comes back?"
Veronica put a hand on Archie's shoulder to calm him down.
Archie returned to Fred's room to see Cheryl kissing Fred on the forehead.
"Cheryl, what are you doing?" Archie asked.
"Paying you back for saving me," Cheryl replied. "You gave me the kiss of life, Archie Andrews. Now, I've given it to your dad. He's going to be fine. Toodles."
She then left Archie alone with Fred.
Archie sat down with Fred.
"I've been thinking about what I could say, Dad," he said. "I've been thinking about what we would've talked about had things not gone down the way they did. You would've asked me about Veronica, I would've told you how crazy I am about her, you would've said, 'that's great, but take it slow, Archie. No one's getting married.'"
Fred watched with a look of pride as Veronica walked down the aisle.
As the priest gave his speech, Fred looked at the audience.
There was one person who wasn't supposed to be there: Clifford Blossom.
Then there was another: Jason Blossom.
Mary gave Fred a wink.
Then Fred noticed a man in a black hood walking down the aisle, gun in hand. No one else seemed to notice him.
Fred tried to alert everyone, but nothing came out of his mouth.
The man pointed his gun at Archie.
Fred jumped in the way.
Fred slowly opened his eyes.
Archie started to get hopeful. "Dad, can you hear me?"
Fred nodded.
"Thank God," Archie cried. "Dad, I just want you to know I'm sorry I didn't do more at Pop's. Whether or not Sheriff Keller finds the person who did this, don't worry. I'll make sure this never happens again."
"Archie, son," Fred said softly. "That's why I came back. To protect you."
"Are you sure I can't give you a ride home?" asked Jughead.
"I think if my mom saw me on your motorcycle, she'd come out with a shotgun," Betty replied.
"Fair enough."
Before Jughead could leave, Betty spoke again. "Jughead, what you said at Pop's… I heard you. Whatever you need to do or explore, I support you."
The two hugged each other.
When Jughead returned to the trailer, he saw a couple Serpents in the living room with a man tied to a chair. The man in question had blood all over his face and a swollen eye.
"What the hell, guys!" Jughead shouted. "What is this?"
"We went out like you asked," Tall Boy explained. "This guy was holding court at the White Wyrm, talking about how if Freddy Andrews was gonna let Hiram Lodge's bitch run the show, fire his crew, then it's good he was sunshot. So, we thought we might press him a bit, see if it was all just talk."
"And?"
"And after a long cross-examination, we've concluded he was just being a loudmouth."
"Then what did you bring him here for, if he didn't do anything?"
"So you could see we'd done what you asked. So you could tell your old man it was important to us. With or without the jacket, you're a serpent."
Veronica entered the Pembrooke to see a familiar face.
A Latino man with a suit and tie was sitting at the end of the dining table.
"I came home early to surprise you," he told Veronica. "And imagine my surprise when you weren't here to greet me. So disrespectful, not like you at all, Mija."
"I've changed," Veronica replied. "More than you would know. The question is, have you?"
"Not so much that I still don't want a kiss hello from my daughter."
Play "Start a War by Valerie Broussard"
So you wanna start a war in the age of icons?
So you wanna be immortal with a loaded gun?
Veronica approached Hiram and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
So you wanna start a war?
So you wanna start a war?
"By the way," she told both her parents. "In case either of you were wondering, Mr. Andrews woke up. He's going to make it. I know we're all really happy about that."
Veronica then went straight to her room.
Once Mary got to town, and Fred was back at home, recovering in his own bed, Archie's true vigil began.
So you wanna start a war in the age of icons?
So you wanna be immortal with a loaded gun?
He made a promise, a vow, to protect his father from harm.
And as long as the man in the black hood was out there in the night, Archie intended to keep that promise.
Archie grabbed a bat and sat in an area where he could watch both the front and back doors.
End "Start a War"
He never imagined the Angel of Death was stalking different streets tonight, in the small town of Greendale, just on the other side of Sweetwater River.
Geraldine Grundy was teaching one of Greendale's local residents: Harvey Kinkle.
"How was that?" Harvey asked after playing a small song on a piano.
"It was great," Ms. Grundy replied. "You're making wonderful progress. You'll come by tomorrow, then?"
"Absolutely."
Harvey left the house and headed home.
The moment he was gone, Ms. Grundy locked the doors and started cleaning up the place.
That's when she felt a breeze. She turned and saw the window was open.
Before she could close it, though, someone with a black hood snuck up from behind her and grabbed her by the neck with a baton. Ms. Grundy tried to fight it, but the man was too strong.
In the end, she gave in.
Riverdale
A.N.
Happy Easter, everyone.
I didn't really change much to this episode.
One thing I noticed was they revealed the Black Hood stole Fred's wallet, and this doesn't come into play again. It especially doesn't help that the season ends with the reveal that Hal is the Black Hood, and he lives right next door to Fred, so he wouldn't need the wallet for any reason. To fix that, Betty and Jughead find the wallet.
That's also why I didn't have Hal show up at the hospital. I figured that provides a better setup for the reveal.
Many have brought up the inconsistency with Lochlyn Munro not having naturally green eyes, but that's easily fixable here.
The other notable change was the Harvey Kinkle cameo. Since Ms. Grundy died in Greendale, I figured I might as well give a character from "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" a cameo as a small reference.
Thanks for reading.