This may be the last article I ever write.
Either I might not be here tomorrow or the town might not be,
or both of us might be gone.
Our villain's name is Percival Pickens.
He's an immortal, inter-dimensional sorcerer
whose power is growing by the hour.
He wants to claim Riverdale or destroy it,
depending on the outcome of a war that we're literally pre-destined to lose.
In advance of our battle,
Percival shut down the town's borders
to keep people from leaving, yes,
but mostly to keep help from arriving...
But the truth was, no one was coming.
No one knew what was happening outside of the town.
Riverdale was a sealed-off ecosystem.
We were on our own.
Not that we were giving up.
We had Archie Andrews who'd served two tours of duty in the US Army,
leading us, planning our counter-offensive.
Step one:
Mitigate the sources of Percival's power.
It turns out, Pop's had been built over a Hellmouth,
which, ever since we moved the diner, "uncorking it"
has been feeding Percival's strength.
So we had to seal and sanctify the Hellmouth
with, in this case, a sacred object like the Holy Grail
to catch the escaping darkness.
Step two: Raid his outposts.
Though, on this front, Percival was a step ahead of us.
Yeah, he's cleared out his whole shop.
All those weapons he's been collecting, they're gone, Arch.
Probably he's armed his troops with him.
- Yeah, but who are his troops? - No clue.
What do you want us to do?
Burn it down. So he can't use it as a safe house.
Copy.
You're up. Archie says torch it.
With pleasure.
We were preparing for combat as best we could,
given the horrific blow we'd already been dealt.
Tom Keller, Frank Andrews and Alice Cooper had been decapitated
as prisoners of war.
That bastard.
He did it out of spite.
To knock us off our heels to win this stupid war of his.
What are we supposed to do now?
I just got you back,
and now he executes Mom?
He chops off her head like a barbarian.
It's horrible, Betty, I know.
- But if it's any comfort, I know... - Don't.
If you say, "She's in a better place," I swear I will lose it.
Okay. I won't say it.
But, Betty, please try not to let this rage consume you...
All I have is rage!
Polly, I just want Mom back.
Not in heaven or wherever the hell she is.
- Just here! With us! - She will be soon.
Cheryl will be able to resurrect Mom and the others with her Phoenix powers.
How? We don't have their bodies.
She can't do anything without them.
Have faith, Betty.
Screw faith.
I just can't believe it.
I can't believe my dad...
He was under Percival's control, he didn't deserve...
Of course not, Kevin.
It's still not over.
It's okay.
We thought after everything you've been through,
you could use a little extra support.
I slipped back in right before the borders closed.
I'm so sorry, Kev.
Archie, I got your message.
How are you doing?
I couldn't sleep. Can't keep any food down.
I meant, how are you doing about your Uncle Frank?
Frank was a soldier,
he knew the risks of war.
If he were still here, he'd be telling me to focus on the living, the fight.
Okay, then.
How can I help?
I've got Cheryl and Heather looking for a spell to block the energy
Percival might be absorbing from the comet.
Percival doesn't need to get any stronger, that's for sure.
I sent word to him, and he agreed to a meeting at the Babylonium.
To establish some rules of engagement.
If you're willing, I'd love for you to come with me.
I'm going to need an expert negotiator,
and there is no better dealmaker than you.
Of course, Archie. When do we go?
Right after we meet up with the others.
This is a mistake.
You're walking into the lion's den.
We have to do it.
We're not just setting parameters for the war.
We're trying to get Alice, Frank and Tom back.
- Negotiate their return. - Would Percival really allow that?
And what crazy demands would he make in return?
- Baby Anthony... - Hell, no.
We're not going there, Toni.
But there are a few things we should discuss offering him.
Like, maybe...
- half of Riverdale. - What?
And go back to a Northside and Southside again? No.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Percival is but one.
Let me go all super-nova on his ass
and burn him off the face of the earth like the pimple he is. Please.
It's too risky, Cheryl.
I've seen the future,
a possible future. We are trying to avoid the apocalypse.
You going nuclear on Percival might be the very thing
that destroys Riverdale.
Look, I'll get us the best deal that I can,
but we have to assume that Percival is going to demand
our complete and immediate surrender.
Are we willing to go there?
And, if not, are we ready to say goodbye
to those we've lost? For good?
Hey, guys...
look, I didn't want to say this in front of everyone, but,
you know how I saw all of those different scenarios play out
when I was looking for a way to beat Percival?
Yeah. Only two out of 1,000 plus were successful, right?
Well, one of them involved the two of you
going to the Babylonium and meeting with Percival.
And what exactly did we do in that scenario?
Percival's immortal but not invulnerable.
So you shot him point blank.
Twyla Twyst.
I'm confused.
No disrespect but didn't all the Ghoulies die?
Who are these people?
Take a closer look, doll face.
They're your friends and neighbors
under our control.
Maybe you shouldn't have blown up his ghost train, ya think?
Ms. Lodge, you should know that I have filters in my nostrils,
and my body is coated in a special sealant.
So any kind of venomous attack by you will fail.
Luckily, I'm just here to negotiate a way out of this mess.
And the first thing we want is... our dead back.
In exchange for what?
Me. I'll be your prisoner.
You can do whatever you want to me. Starve me. Chain me up.
- Sounds great. - Force me out of the final battle.
And need I remind you, Archie's still invulnerable,
so that's got to be worth something to you.
Do you know what this is?
This is a mace forged in the fiery pits of Asgard,
strong enough to break anything, even forged skin.
Like the daggers of Megiddo. I call it my great equalizer.
And it's the reason I don't have to make deals with any of you.
What if we split Riverdale in half,
along the former Northside Southside line?
My dear Ms. Lodge, here's what I want.
It's what I've wanted from the beginning.
My revenge on your friends.
And the town of Riverdale under my complete control,
why would I accept anything else?
So, surrender.
Turn over your property, revoke your town's charter
and pledge your undying allegiance to me
on your knees.
Yeah, we talked about that. All of us.
And we are not surrendering.
I tried.
You know, Percival, before you came along,
Riverdale had another great tormentor...
my father.
He spent years trying to destroy this town,
but ultimately, I put a hit on him.
My only regret is that I didn't kill him myself.
The time for negotiation is over.
We shall meet again tonight for the final act.
8:30 at the Chock'lit Shoppe work for you?
Wherever that is these days.
For war or your surrender. But be assured.
If you submit to my authority, I shall be merciful and generous.
To that end, take your dead.
Mourn them, bury them.
Perhaps this gesture will prove that not everything
need be bloodshed and destruction.
Confused and suspicious,
Veronica and Archie headed back down to the casino floor
where, sure enough, three caskets were waiting for them.
Are you getting soft on me, Boss?
Why give them what they want?
Twyla. How little you know of true warfare.
Mr. Andrews and his meddlesome associates
scuttled my plans for the dead.
It's only right that I pay them back in kind.
Archie and Veronica brought the dead back to the El Royale...
back to their loved ones.
Cheryl, are you sure this is going to work?
It should.
But I need to conjure my Phoenix powers in the mines.
Otherwise, everything here will be toast.
- Guys... - Wait.
I want to see my mom.
If Cheryl's spell doesn't work,
I want to feel like I at least got to say goodbye.
Bee, what is that?
Is it not her?
- No, it's her. - What is it then?
Her head's missing.
Oh, my God.
Cheryl...
The bodies need to be whole.
Or the resurrection won't work.
It was psychological warfare at its most diabolical.
Percival was twisting the knife,
making us relive the death
of our loved ones all over again.
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Are you sure you don't want one?
Jughead, you need to leave Riverdale.
Like, right now.
You don't survive the final battle or did you forget?
No, I didn't forget.
But as you said,
if there's even an outside chance that we beat Percival,
then my mental abilities are going to be key.
You can open up a portal to literally anywhere.
Tabitha...
I'm not going to leave you
or anyone else.
I came back from the dead for this.
And if it means going up against Percival mano-a-mano,
then I'm going to do it.
I knew you'd say that.
And you said that in every scenario
that I visited.
But I couldn't...
- I had to try. - I know.
That's why I love you.
I love you, too.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us,
Percival was preparing to launch a ghoulish stealth attack
in direct violation of his agreed upon terms with Archie.
So, Arch, what's your plan?
How's this battle going to go down?
Given everything, Reg, I think we should leave the houses.
We're sitting ducks out here.
So you're saying we bail and run?
Not run.
Hide.
In Fox Forest. Let Percival and his army come to us.
Will that work?
I mean, with how powerful he is.
He's got magic. We've got Cheryl.
He's got telepathy. We've got Jughead.
The rest of us? We get down and dirty.
And we take out his troops.
Smart.
Hey, bro, can you grab me another brewski?
Yeah, sure. I'll be right back.
I'm sorry, Polly. I know that you mean well, I just can't...
I just want to be alone, okay?
Yes. I love you too.
Okay, bye.
Who's there?
It's me, mi nieta, tu abuelite...
Can I please come inside?
Cheryl, I've checked various astronomical texts
for any and all references to Bailey's Comet.
And we have been making an incorrect assumption about it.
Pray tell, what do you mean?
Cher-Cher. Want to play?
Jay-Jay, Heather and I are a little busy right now,
but maybe later.
Why are you always so mean to me?
Mean to you? Jay-Jay...
Cheryl, something's wrong.
Go, go, go!
Reg?
Bingo?
You know what, bro?
You're not that smart.
This is one of Percival's magic daggers.
Glen?
Please, mi nieta, let me in.
Abuelita, why didn't you call to say you were coming?
Because I want this to be a surprise.
What? What is it?
Something's wrong.
My sense of the divine is tingling.
- What? - It's a heightened awareness.
I'm Riverdale's guardian angel, Jug.
And one of the souls of the town is dying.
You killed my son! Murderer!
Marco...
Come on, Cher-Cher.
Polo.
Come get some.
You're going to burn in hell for everything that you've done.
Abuelita, I don't know what you've heard,
but before you do anything you regret, let me explain.
I'll start with the neurotoxin I coated the doorknob with.
It won't kill you,
but it has paralyzed you.
Don't worry, the effects of it should wear off soon.
Archie...
- Marco... - Polo.
Jason, this isn't you.
You're being controlled by an evil sorcerer.
We're playing a game.
Jay, I'm so sorry.
I never should have brought you back to life.
It was a mistake.
Please forgive me.
Archie! Oh, my God.
Tabitha...
am I dying again?
Not if we can help it.
I don't know what happened, mi nieta.
I just heard this voice inside that told me
that I should come here and punish you,
for killing Heraldo, your papa.
Then I don't remember what happened after that.
It's not your fault, Abuelita.
I believe a very bad person sent you here to hurt me.
I was getting anxious, so I thought I'd come and check on you.
What...
what happened here?
I'm not really sure.
I think it was Percival who launched some kind of crazy stealth attack
using my old boss, Glen, as some...
stitched-together, patchwork man.
His body parts are twitching in the garage.
Heather, I feel terrible that my brother did this to you.
Sabrina was right.
I shouldn't have resurrected him.
Don't apologize.
Your brother was clearly possessed by Percival.
It wasn't his fault.
Before Jay-Jay pierced you with an arrow,
I believe you were about to tell me something about the comet?
Merciful Hecate, yes.
This is unbelievable.
All my stab wounds are gone.
Or does it make complete sense?
Bingo has healing properties,
as does his saliva, clearly.
Ergo, him licking you regenerated all of that torn tissue.
Healed your wounds.
How ya feeling, Reg?
I'm so sorry, bro.
I don't know what happened.
I was with my dad and suddenly I heard Percival's voice in my head,
telling me to find out what your plan was and...
to then kill you.
Toni, what's up?
Fangs, Kevin, Moose and I came up with a plan.
A crazy-ass plan.
There's a saying we Serpents have.
Always kill a baby snake in its egg
so it doesn't grow up to bite you.
That's exactly what Percival's trying to do with Baby Anthony.
The only true threat to someone who's immortal
is someone else who's also immortal.
Anthony can hold someone like Percival in checkmate for centuries, if need be.
Even as everyone else dies out around them.
The last man standing is the winner.
Okay, what are you thinking, Toni?
Simple. We kick some Ghoulie ass.
The Serpents and I break into the Babylonium with Baby Anthony,
who Percival is terrified of.
We bust up his army.
And then we look for those missing heads.
I mean, we know they've got to be in there somewhere.
And then Baby Anthony can take out Percival.
I... hear you.
But Toni, Anthony's a baby.
Right now he is.
But we've had the privilege of seeing Baby Anthony in the future,
and he's a warrior, Archie.
So what if Tabitha speeds up time?
Just for Baby Anthony.
Ages him up. We would miss his childhood,
but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
Percival would never see him coming.
Damn, that's some Looperlevel crap.
In Rivervale, I created a time-loop.
I might be able to create a time-bubble around Baby Anthony,
in which I accelerate his and only his aging.
I mean, it could actually work.
Did it work?
It did.
Anthony...
are you in there, son?
Yeah...
I'm here.
So are we kicking Percival's ass, or what?
Yeah.
I got the weapon for it.
Percival's dagger. If it'll hurt me, it'll hurt him.
Serpents, remember,
we're not trying to kill the Ghoulies, just subdue them.
They're our neighbors. They're being mind-controlled.
We seize command of the casino and clear a path to Percival.
- Got it? - Yeah!
You've seen all the scenarios play out, Tabitha.
Do you really think this Serpent surprise attack is gonna work?
I mean, the Battle of the Babylonium is one of two possible ways
we beat Percival.
So maybe, maybe not.
Like they say, hope for the best,
prepare for the worst.
Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that.
Whatever happens to me, don't mourn, okay?
I want you to chase your dreams. Live your life.
Jughead, how can you be so casual about this?
I am choosing to look at it like this.
I've lived a wonderful life.
I've fallen in love. I published a book.
I've gone to an alternate universe
and met other versions of myself.
There's not many people that can say that they've done that.
Alternate universes...
Oh, my God, I don't believe this. Jughead, you need to open up another portal.
To Rivervale. Like, right now.
- Back to River... Why? - Yes. All of those scenarios
in which we lost against Percival, those happened in Riverdale,
but we have access to an alternate universe now.
I have some maje tea to spill about Bailey's Comet, Archie.
Did you find a spell to keep Percival from absorbing more power from it?
No, but that may be moot at this point.
Turns out Bailey's Comet isn't arriving tonight.
- It's passing over Riverdale tomorrow night. - What?
Percival's been talking about, how this comet will give him the ultimate advantage.
Well, we've set up Nana's telescope,
so once it's dark out, we'll be able to track its progress in real time.
Okay, cool.
And with any luck, Toni and the Serpents
will have ended things before the zero hour.
Yep.
I'm worried about the army, Boss.
What is that, my dear?
You're controlling them.
But they're newbies.
Twyla.
As if my victory hinges on those feeble misfits down there.
That band of Ghoulie-surrogates are simply shields to be shattered.
Cannon fodder. Pawns to be sacrificed.
As are you, for that matter.
You're really messed up in the head, you know that?
Why don't you go and investigate that, Twyla, my love?
See what Big Bad Wolf is banging on my door?
Don't open that door!
Topaz!
Don't even try it, bitch!
And who are you supposed to be?
I'm your match.
I'm the guy that kills you.
I don't think so.
Now do you know who I am?
- Anthony. - That's right.
Like you, that gun won't kill me.
But this blade will hurt you plenty.
I just got word from inside the Babylonium.
The good news is, Toni and the Serpents took the Ghoulies off the board.
Bracing for the other shoe...
Percival escaped and trapped them inside the building
with some kind of sealing spell.
And there she drops.
- My God, is everyone okay? - Kevin's injured,
but they think they've got the bleeding under control.
And any sign of the missing craniums?
Not yet, but they're turning the place upside down.
Where the hell have you guys been?
Our parallel universe.
And we have a plan.
So Jughead opened up a portal to Rivervale,
and I went through and started exploring different future scenarios.
- Did we win in those? - Our odds were better.
In Rivervale, we had a fighting chance, at least.
Okay, not that I want to hear the answer, but why is that, exactly?
The energies are different there.
The supernatural exists there.
These different variables affect all probable outcomes.
- I knew I shouldn't have asked. - We have an idea, though,
that might beat Percival. It's a long-shot.
But for it to work,
the final battle has to take place at Pop's...
at the diner's original location.
How would that happen?
Well, we'd need to move the diner back to where it was.
That would take days.
We have two hours until this battle.
Well, the same way I was able to speed up time for Baby Anthony,
I might be able to speed up us moving Pop's.
Which is what Tabitha did.
She formed a time bubble around all of us at the El Royale.
While some of us loaded out the gym, the diner was rebuilt,
matching the original exactly.
Then everything was moved back into place,
brick by brick, piece by piece.
Man, even in hyper-speed, moving blows.
Once everything was back where it belonged,
we all went to our respective houses to rest,
regroup and recharge.
And then, it was the appointed hour.
Time for our final stand.
What an interesting choice of weapon.
And you brought reinforcements. Good.
I always knew it would come down to you and your cohorts.
Where's your back-up?
Comet's a day away.
Yeah, but it's been bolstering me for weeks.
First the end of Archie Andrews.
Then the end of Riverdale, as you've known it.
And I'm so glad your friends will...
Wait, where's...
Where did they go?
As far as this being the end of Riverdale,
I wouldn't hold your breath.
This is our town, bitch.
You're outnumbered, Percival.
You've lost.
Now... will you surrender?
Never.
I never surrender.
I'm a magic man, Mr. Andrews.
And I've always got another trick up my sleeve.
And I'll be bathing in your blood by morning.
Percival turned our powers against us.
- He poisoned Veronica. - Excuse me.
- Archie? - He blinded Betty.
- Veronica? - He froze Cheryl.
He turned Archie into an iron statue,
and Reggie into a life-size dummy.
Where are you guys?
And then, it was just me.
Guys?
Mr. Jones.
The last line of defense.
And our ghosts are here to bear witness.
Good of you to dress for the occasion.
And what do we have here?
I was thinking, let's play a game.
Winner...
takes the soul of Riverdale.
And the loser...
gets lobotomized.
You know, I've been looking forward to this.
A test of our mental prowess.
I must say, I admire your hubris.
And while your psychic abilities have been impressive,
you'll never break into my mind.
We'll see about that.
I'm a believer in beginner's luck.
May the best man win.
And may the other's memories and cognitive abilities
be shredded like so much cabbage.
Damn. That was easy for you, wasn't it?
Well, I have broken into your mind before, if you remember.
I remember. That's how we came up with this plan.
Plan?
Well, "plan." "Trick." "Trap." Take your pick.
We beat you.
While you were in here inside my mind,
you left your body vulnerable to my friends.
Mr. Jones.
All of your friends are incapacitated.
And didn't Ms. Tate tell you,
you cannot and will not beat me in Riverdale...
ever.
I know.
But these are different friends.
And you're not in Riverdale anymore, Percy.
So, how do those stab wounds feel?
How?
I defeated them already.
Oh, no, these are different friends.
These are my Rivervale friends.
It's confusing, I know, but when you stepped through the doors of Pop's,
you walked through one of my portals
into Rivervale's Pop's.
Doesn't matter.
Doesn't matter who they are, or where I am, you can't kill me.
I'm immortal.
Right now you are.
But 440 years ago, before you made your deal with the Devil,
you were very, very mortal.
Welcome back to 1580.
Ms. Tate...
what have you brought me this fine evening?
Mr. Cypher, an old friend.
We softened him up a bit, but he's still...
dying to reconnect with you.
If I'm not immortal, then I haven't sold you my soul yet, have I?
In fact, this contract, which exists in perpetuity,
in all continuities, into the past as well as the future,
suggests otherwise.
Don't look at me.
I'm terrible with time paradoxes.
But maybe, that's just how things roll in Rivervale.
If I can't have Riverdale, then no one will.
Okay.
Mr. Cypher, get him the hell out of here.
You know, I believe I will.
So... it's over?
It's over.
We did it. We... we beat him.
But there was still important work to be done.
After Percival's death, the casino was no longer sealed.
More good news...
Toni and Fangs found the missing heads.
They were, naturally, in a fridge
in the Babylonium's kitchen.
Betty supervised Dr. Curdle
as he re-attached the heads to the corpses' respective bodies.
At which point, Cheryl brought our loved ones back to life.
And then she returned to Thornhill.
There was one last surprise waiting for her.
Heather.
Oh, no.
What's the matter?
There's something very, very wrong.
It's the comet.
It's fine. No, it's fine.
Percival is toast,
and the comet is going to pass over Riverdale, no biggie.
But that's just it, Cheryl.
You'd better see for yourself.
How are you feeling?
A little foggy.
Truthfully, just relieved.
I am confused, though.
You saw what happened to me
in every one of your time-traveling scenarios, right?
I died. It was a fixed point.
Why am I still here?
I'm not sure.
I know that's not a great answer, Jug,
but I was only exploring scenarios in Riverdale, not Rivervale.
Maybe something shifted between universes.
Yeah, I guess we'll never know.
Similar scenes were playing out across town.
Everything was a jumble of emotions.
Shock and gratitude that we'd survived.
But with so many questions hanging in the air.
Like, what happens now?
How do we rebuild?
How do we start over?
Would our powers last forever?
Would the dead remain alive?
Was the threat really, truly over?
Archie.
Cheryl.
- What now? - Rally the troops tout-suite.
Turns out, it's not over yet.
Riverdaliens, we have one last cataclysm to face.
Bailey's Comet is not simply going to pass over Riverdale tomorrow night.
We think Percival did something to it
because now the comet is headed straight for us.
Based on Heather's latest calculations,
Bailey's Comet is going to crash into Riverdale in less than 24 hours.
And it is going to be an extinction-level event,
killing everyone and everything.
Oh, my God.
If I can't have Riverdale, then no one will.
That's the destruction I saw in the future.
Not fallout from the war with Percival...
from...
the comet.
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