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[perfectible]

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voice - groundhog day zero

[burger_king]

[ Normally he wouldn't call her at five in the fucking morning but this is the biggest emergency and they're not even in th same city. ]

Betty... c'mon, c'mon, pick up..!

[perfectible]

[ Betty is actually asleep when he calls, she managed to somehow sleep through the alert. Thanks to super restless night of sleep.

So when she finally picks up, she probably sounds groggy as she sits up,] Jug?

[burger_king]

Betty! Are you watching the news right now?

[ He's pacing. You can hear that he's pacing. ]

[perfectible]

Wha-- [Her brow furrows as she tries to force the sleep from her mind.] No. It's... [ Really early.] What's going on?

[burger_king]

Turn on the news. [ His voice is tense, on the brink of... something, taut like a string ready to snap. Not with anger, but actual, deep fear. This is not a tone he takes on a lot. ]

[perfectible]

[ There's some silence before he might hear her TV come on and then... more silence as she listens.

It doesn't take long for her to figure out what is happening.]

This can't be happening...

[burger_king]

Exactly my thoughts. [ What do they do? What can they do? ] Betty-

[ He cuts himself off, because what can he even say? It'll be okay? That he loves her? Nothing seems to be enough. ]

[perfectible]

How long? [ How long do they have? What are they supposed to do? The news reports that the porters are down just then and she draws in a sharp breath.]

The porters are down...

[burger_king]

I know. [ And he's done the rough math, driving from De Chima to Maurtia Falls or the other way around takes too long. ] It's- it's headed for Heropa, maybe we'll-

[ Yeah, he can't finish that. ]

[perfectible]

[ There's the sound of her rustling on the other end of the line like she's getting out of bed.] I'm coming to you. I'll drive. [ Of course, the panic and traffic won't make that easy.]

[burger_king]

Betty- no. That would take - hours. You're safer where you are. [ He's assuming the house of hunks got something. They're practically gods after all. ]

[perfectible]

[ She protests with a noise. She switches it to video; ]

I don't care how long it takes. I'm not just leaving you, Jug.

[burger_king]

I know. I get it but- Betty, I don't want you to be alone. [ If there are more missiles. If Heropa is just the beginning. ]

[perfectible]

[ She looks at him, her brow furrowing.]

I don't want you to be alone.

[burger_king]

I'll be fine. [ It's a lie, but c'mon. What else is he supposed to say. ] Listen... if you leave and something happens..? I can't... I can't risk that. Okay? I can't. Please, Betty...

[perfectible]

You can't just ask me to stay here and wait to die while you're miles away.

[burger_king]

Better than dying on the road... and we don't know if it'll come to that yet. Maybe we'll be fine. Maybe... maybe Ronan or Gansey can do something, keep you safe.

[ He sure can't. ]

[perfectible]

And what about you? Where are you going to go?

[burger_king]

I'll figure something out. [ And if he doesn't. ] I love you, Betty Cooper. I love you more than anything. Never doubt that.

[perfectible]

Don't do that, don't-- [ Her mouth twists.] This isn't our goodbye, Jughead Jones. I won't let it be.

[burger_king]

[ He's trying so hard to not let it slip how freaked out he is, how close his voice is to cracking. It's not working great. ]

I'm not saying it is, but you need to hear it. No matter what happens. Okay?

[perfectible]

[ It feels too final to say it but she knows that if she doesn't and something happens, she'll regret until they... will they get sent home if they die here?]

I love you, [ she chokes it out.]

[burger_king]

[ That's a good question. Apparently the nanites heal death here, but to what extent? If the Porters are down, who's to say that'll work... and what world will they be coming back to if it does? He can't think about this right now. He can't think about anything but how much he wants to be with her right now, and how that's entirely impossible.

How long have they been talking? Half an hour? ]

[perfectible]

Promise me something, okay? [ She looks at him, imploringly.]

[burger_king]

What? [ He has a feeling it's something he'll have a hard time keeping. ]