The Prologue Before the Prologue

~August 28th, 1999 – Atlanta, Georgia~

The sound of burning rubber, screeching tires and gunshots had become normal for those involved in the Lodge family. After another semi-successful heist, it was now all up to the getaway driver to get the crew out of danger and definitely out of police custody. The score from the plan was assumed to be ten million dollars, and that was what would have been considered a good score for Hiram 'Doc' Lodge's crew of bank robbers, more commonly known to the national news as the Boston Breakers. He had been sat in the passenger seat of the red Nissan Skyline, waiting for the three other members of his force to be running towards the car without having to worry about the cops following them. Yet, one member just had to be smart enough to shoot one of the guards as he ran. Instead of massive bags of cash and bonds, they were carrying the thinner looking protective bags, with something moving and rumbling about as they all slammed into the back of the car. They soon shot off, careening out of the parking bay and out into the city.

The younger man was in the driving seat and had pressed his foot down so hard that Doc was sure his foot would eventually break through the flooring of the car. This was his little brother, the two of them had thrown themselves into a life of crime to afford their mother's hospital bills, only for them to become addicted to the rush. They loved the adrenaline when they executed the perfect heist, the monetary gain from unleashing their devilish criminality upon wherever they struck.

From Riverdale, New York to Atlanta, Georgia. They had gone from wholesome town kids, happy to be hanging around the same street corners and forest spots every day since they were old enough to go out alone without one of their parents having to follow them around like a damned chaperone.

Now, they were speeding through downtown Atlanta. The red Skyline was roaring through mid-day traffic, weaving in and out of the lanes to avoid any approaching traffic as well as to keep the police off their tails.

Doc turned to his brother. "Can you get us out of this, Baby?" He said, turning to the young man in his letterman jacket.

"Depends if I can get us out of business district in less than five minutes. Just make sure the score doesn't get hit." Baby spoke, not bothering to turn so he could focus on the road.

The younger Lodge pulled on the handbrake, forcing a hard drift into the opposing lane to avoid the cops behind them. It had forced a Jeep Cherokee to spin out and crash two police cruisers into the side of the truck. Looking in the rear view mirror, Baby and Doc could see two more cruisers attempt the same, only to see one get tee-boned by oncoming traffic. The final Crown Victoria had slowed down enough to the point where the Lodge gang had began to speed out of the central business district. The cops had already began to cordon off the Central Bank & Trust, and since they had driven past the Skyline on the way, the officers on the scene must not have managed to get a visible make and model of their escape car. Baby pulled off another hard turn and began to zoom down the alleys to keep out of the police attention.

Doc soon turned to the three brutes in the back of the car, glaring at them. "Where's the cash then? Did you all come out empty?!" Doc shouted, soon brandishing an AutoMag heavy pistol at the trio.

The oldest one spoke first, Donny. "Doc, wait, Jesus! We got some dough, but the vault was locked, twice as tight than we planned. We got through but we took their paintings instead."

"Paintings..." Doc muttered. "No money, but you took their paintings? Are you kidding me?"

It was just at the height of Doc's fury that the youngest and least experienced of the robbers had began to speak. "Please, the paintings are priceless! We got thirteen paintings, and I think I know how much they might be worth! Two of them, they were Rembrandts! There's fifty million dollars here! This is enough for all of us, we can get out!" Lorenzo said, stuttering and stammering as he sputtered for the life of himself and his friends.

Doc glared, and then looked towards Baby. His young brother, he was innocent in all of this. He didn't deserve having to live this life, constantly running until they found a safe spot to stay while the police response died down. From then, it was on to the next state, the next big job. This job, the job that had just gained them fifty million dollars worth of high-society paintings from old artists from the good ol' days. If two of them were worth fifty million, how much were all thirteen put together?

Doc gave a small smile, letting the silence into the car amongst the screeching tires and the screaming sirens of the police, storming to the Central Bank as the very men they hunted drove right past them. Now driving through midday traffic in a regular manner, the younger Lodge sibling had managed to escape the towering skyscrapers of Atlanta. There was a small little bungalow which they had been renting out since they had arrived in Georgia was their little base. It was Doc and Baby' home away from home, even if they only had been living their for the month. The post-heist nerves had began to get to both Lodge siblings, as well as their three employees. After laying out the paintings, Doc and Baby' began to estimate the price of the paintings all put together. The two Rembrandts were fifty to seventy-five million dollars, and after anonymously contacting a local art curator, all the paintings came together to five hundred million dollars.

The two brothers were silent as they looked at the thirteen slim bags, inside them was five hundred million dollars worth of antique paintings. Five hundred million reasons to leave town, get rid of their accomplices legally and hock the paintings for what they could get and split it between them. It would have been two hundred and fifty million dollars for both of them, minus the costs of what the medical bills for their mother would be, it would be a drop in the bucket for them.

They would finally be happy. It was everything they wanted since they were kids, a good life.

It was when the youngest sibling of the two finally spoke since they had arrived. "No more 'Doc' and 'Baby'?" He had spoken, giving the older one a smile.

"That's right, no more 'Doc' and 'Baby', no more jobs like this. Just us, just family. We can go back to Riverdale, we can bring her home. Jules, it's just me, you and Mom!"

They had not spent so much time celebrating as they had done that day, knowing that their escapades on the other side of the tracks would all be over, they had finally achieved what they had set out to do. The two took a small walk to the nearest payphone, giving an 'anonymous' tip-off to the cops about who had just robbed the Central Bank. Ending the call, the two started shouting and screaming in celebration, they'd won! They had fought the law, and the law hadn't won, they won! Hiram and Julius Lodge had won!

It must have taken around two days for them to get a buyer for some of the paintings, of which they would deliver in good condition to make the mass profit they acquired seemingly legal in comparison to how they had actually acquired the paintings. As long as they had gotten rid of all thirteen sooner rather than later, back into circulation then they would be two hundred and fifty million dollars richer and much better for it. It was money that could have been used better, better than by people in their ivory towers who never had given a shit about him, never given a shit about anybody else but themselves. Before anybody would criticise them for robbing, it was going to a better cause than it would have been if it was just stuck in the vault in the Central Bank of Atlanta. It would take a while to readjust and if their mother ever had to ask or become suspicious about where the money had come from, all he would say is that they hit the jackpot in Vegas.

No, that seems too lucky, too out of the blue. It needs to be convincing, something fool-proof… Hiram had already began to think of the lie, the one lie he would have to tell to his mother.

Hiram sighed, but then the idea hit him.

Lodge Industries...

-X-

~September 1st, 1999 – Brooklyn, New York~

It had not taken the sibling duo many days to get back to their home town. The trio of criminals that had been associated with the robbery in Atlanta had been caught two days after they had left the state of Georgia and had began the drive through South Carolina and into North Carolina. The trip had been long, and while not exactly hardy, it was definitely arduous at the best of times due to the stress of being found out on the way. Being found with five hundred million dollars worth of stolen paintings definitely did add a lot of stress onto those who stole them, believe it or not.

They had stopped over at a small hostel for the night, just to keep themselves from cracking under the duress of making it into New York. The next day they would meet up with a contact of Hiram's who would make sure the paintings were delivered and paid for, and said contact had not cared for where they were obtained.

The mere fame and monetary value of the paintings were more than enough to have any rich rat come crawling out at the mere mention of them, of perhaps even getting their hands on one just so they could show it off to all of their other rich rat friends.

Jules had been sitting in a small chair, trying to catch some sleep before his older brother had kicked his legs from off the floor, startling Jules into tackling the older sibling to the floor. Before Hiram even had a chance to get a word in edgeways, Jules had raised his fist to cave in Hiram's perfectly sculpted nose and to possibly rag out his finely combed black hair. "What the hell are you doing, you asshole?" the younger brother cried, quickly climbing off of his sibling.

"I was making sure you were awake, hermano. We need to get rid of the Skyline, preferably sooner rather than later." Hiram replied, holding his hands up as he slowly picked himself up from the floor.

Jules had sighed before looking at his brother. Hiram could tell he was still tense, and it didn't help that he hadn't slept in a while. Jules had been too busy driving from state to state, making sure his brother as well as himself had reached New York in record time as they needed to be. Whoever Hiram had knew wanted the paintings, they were in Manhattan and they would pay full price to get a hold of them. He would have to get rid of the car at some point, even if it was his own car. It was necessary if they really were going to get off scot-free with the biggest heist they had ever done. The fact that they hadn't been caught on the way up to New York was more surprising, even more so considering they hadn't decided to change cars on the way, which was a massive risk which seemed to pay off. They had driven up-state quicker, gotten to the 'safety' of New York. They could still very easily be killed on the way to the deal, after the deal and on the way home.

Riverdale.

"Fine. I'll get rid of my car. For you, Hiram." Jules responded, soon putting on his jacket and leaving the hostel into the cold air.

As soon as he had moved the paintings into the hostel, four bags at a time, it had not taken long for Jules to get to the docks. It was already midnight, so getting through the empty streets provided the younger Lodge provided him with one last ride, one last dose of adrenaline in what he had deemed the perfect car. It was just a lot more difficult as soon as actually getting rid of the car came up, trying to push it into the icy waters was almost like trying to kill someone. He did not particularly want to get into another gunfight where he had to be one of the people firing a gun.

He'd rather be the one behind the driving wheel, listening to the music whilst easily evading the police cruisers. He might not have been one of the gunmen, or the brains like Hiram. It didn't mean he wasn't important, without him, they would be up Shit's Creek without a paddle.

He could soon feel the car tip over the edge, and as soon as he saw the cherry red body of the Skyline crash into the river, he was definitely the opposite of satisfied. That car was inseparable for him, it was custom-tuned, by others at first but soon enough it became his baby. The same car had gotten him set for life, and that was more than enough for him to want to pull it back out.

Too late now then…

He soon picked up his phone, calling Hiram but soon getting the voicemail instead. The dull voice spoke, but Jules didn't bother to listen. "Hiram, it's Jay. Car's gone, I'll be back soon."

Jules stood on the dock, overlooking the river and looked at the Brooklyn Bridge, lit up right over the waters where the car was now slowly sinking to it's depths. The lights were bright enough for Jules to see the small highlights of the slowly fading paint, crumbling off of the steel and sticking to the stone, eventually being taken by the rough winds of autumn. Whilst New York was the Lodge's home-state, the city was not really a home for Jules. Hiram revelled in the city's delights, in seeing the sights and getting to know the people, the right people that was, intimately. It was how he had managed to find the buyers for the paintings. The city that never slept was a place where Hiram thrived, but it definitely was not the location for his younger brother. Jules was just one of the people behind the curtain, one of the people that did not want to be involved in the higher-ups. Jules knew, he knew before anyone that anyone that was not Hiram Lodge was expendable. It was a simple conclusion to make, just from one simple part of every planned heist they had ever done. His brother made sure his plans were meticulous, that there were never any loose ends afterwards.

So it was safe to assume that Jules was expendable too.

Jules could only do what he had been doing for the past five years, and that was focus on the money. The money kept him going, it was his deepest sin, that of pure greed. It was avarice in it's purest form, but the avarice was for those around him and not for him, unlike Hiram. All he wanted was to secure his family's health and well-being, and while he did not take pleasure in being the good guy who did bad things. His family might have been grand in the little town of Riverdale, but they were nothing in the grand scheme of things.

While his dad might have ruined them, he would fix them. While Hiram would leave them behind, Jules would stay. While his mother suffered, while Hiram was free, Jules would suffer with her too.

Whilst Hiram Antonio Lodge slipped off to New York City, Julian Silvestro Lodge would stand like a stick in the mud.

He soon took a deep breath, keeping it inside before he let out all the stress from the last five years out in a desperate gasp. It all came tumbling down, he dropped to his knees, scraping along the cold concrete. He had spent so long trying to keep every weakness, every crack and chink in his armour that had began to appear, disadvantages that would appear and disappear from time to time, from state to state. Five years since leaving his home, leaving his own sick mother with a nurse they knew well enough to keep her safe. His mother was made of iron, tougher than nails. She might have been edging into her older years, and was tough, but when she couldn't walk, when she had to use a wheelchair, it began to worry him. How the hell could they have left their mother on her own, with someone they trusted but she barely knew?

Hiram would always say how family was everything, how it was no man left behind. He was a hypocrite, he didn't care about them. He didn't give a single shit about anybody but himself…

Taking a look at his watch, he soon realised that he spent two hours at the docks. He'd pushed his car into the river and was contemplating the relationship between him and his family and how they all were gonna get screwed by him at some point.

It was just a matter of time…

-X-

~September 3rd, 2017 – Riverdale, New York~

It had been eighteen years since the Atlanta Art Heist, eighteen years which had soon turned into a peaceful life. Hiram had settled down and found a wife, had a little girl named Veronica Lodge. They had stayed in New York, soon creating an import business known as Lodge Industries. Hiram, with just two hundred and fifty million dollars, obtained through 'legal' means had soon created a Fortune 500 company known across the United States for shipping innumerable amounts of car parts. That was all him, he had achieved what he had wanted to do, even if it meant having to stay dirty for the rest of his life.

Jules had remained in Riverdale, and after losing Mrs. Lodge it became much more apparent that the Lodge Family had never been split in two like it had done. Their mother was the one link that had kept Hiram and Jules together and now that it was gone, the two could not have been more different. Hiram was basically the aspiring con artist, the man who had decided that being waist deep in shit was a good thing to be. Jules was done, his money was enough for him and whatever family he would possibly have in the future.

It had been a cold day in hell when he saw a straw basket with a little black-haired babe in swaddling cloth outside of his own home. He had no idea who had left the kid there, but they left him there with a little card on his miniscule chest, words written in black ink.

Hi! My name is Edward! I have been left here because my mom and dad don't have enough money to look after another baby! They left me here because they know anywhere is better than living in filth and going to a dead end! Please look after me!

Jules did not exactly know how to care for a little baby left on his doorstep just like in Harry Potter, but the younger Lodge doubted that the little baby was capable of casting spells. The little boy he took in, the child he gave food and a cot to stay in was his child and nobody else was going to say otherwise. Edward Drake Lodge was his son and over sixteen years that Jules had looked after his son, he had been proud of what he was seeing. He was smart, dedicated and multi-talented, and it was something that Jules would always be grateful for. He was grateful for the one in a million chance that a baby was dropped on his modern forest house. He might not have had a rendezvous with a lady, he might not have had a proper family but it just meant his relationship with his son was greater than any other one he had.

Whilst his son might have been much more of an actor and dancer, it didn't stop him from embracing sports whenever the dry spells of shows came along. It just so happened that both father and son had taken a liking to combat sports to relieve stress.

Jules stood in the black and red kit, watching as his son stood opposing in blue and white. Jules was getting on in years, and he was already short as it was. He was five foot nine and noticeably Latino, olive skin highlighting in the lights above their cage. Edward was six foot two, built like he was made of steel and was strong as moonshine. The trainers were astounded by how quick the kid was growing skill wise, but having the natural abilities and attributes that being a six foot two, two hundred pound young man with the stamina to match almost made him a demon in the cage. As soon as Edward began to move forward, Jules had no other choice but to move forward to initiate combat.

"You think you can actually take on your old man now, kid?" Jules spoke, smacking his two gloves together before throwing the first straight left.

The aforementioned straight left was slapped down, like a fly being swatted away as if it were nothing. Edward advanced, kicking twice at his father's left leg and landing both times. The older man was forced to move backwards, keeping his hands up whilst Edward threw two crosses, left to right before finishing with a kick to his liver. It was at the last moment that Jules had caught his son's leg and forced him down to the floor. Now in side control, Jules attempted to use his elbows to smack his son a few times, only to have it land against the back of his son's hand.

The kid is good, getting better every day. He could be the next big thing… was what Jules was thinking as he continued, eventually getting into the north-south position.

He managed to land two punches to his gut before he felt his son's arms wrap around his waist and roll over, immediately changing position to where his son was now on top. He soon turned to the side, and Edward had an iron grip on his right arm, pulling and twisting until Jules had began to tap against his son's arm. The father and son soon were on their knees, Edward wearing a wide smile on his face as he began to take off the gloves.

"So, one minute and fifty seconds." Edward gasped. "Surprised you can last so long, Dad."

"Hey, just because your old man is fifty-two doesn't mean he can't fight, you little twerp." Jules reminded. "You are getting good on the ground now, especially on your back. All you have to do now is-"

Before Jules could think of another criticism for his son, he could hear his phone ringtone go off outside of the cage. The basic iPhone ringtone was reverberating, soon getting on Edward's nerves, before his parent silenced it and began to natter over the phone to who Edward soon realised was his auntie, Hermione. He began to feel around his face for any damage, soon finding where his dad had thrown the two elbows which had left a bright red mark. He laughed a little before he ruffled his hair, a little strand of black hair sticking to the tape, soon wiping the sheen of sweat from under his bright blue eyes. He could overhear is father trying to tell Hermione to calm down, before ending the call after speaking lightning-fast Spanish. Jules soon returned to the cage, sighing before he called his son.

"That was Aunt Hermione. She just told me that her and your cousin are staying at the Pembrooke Hotel." Jules began. "Hiram has been arrested for fraud, illicit trafficking and tax evasion. Veronica's going to be transferred to Riverdale High so maybe you can make her feel comfortable?"

Edward began to unwind the hand-wraps, sighing. "I guess so, it's only been two years since we actually saw each other."

-X-

~Pop's Chock'litte Shoppe, Riverdale~

While his father had made it explicitly clear that he was going to meet his sister-in-law, Jules had always been honest in what Hiram was doing in New York. The younger Lodge knew his son would keep his mouth shut, since both Jules and Edward had kept themselves out of the public eye, they decided to not get involved with whatever Hiram waded in. Jules' might have been part of the Board of Directors for Lodge Industries, but it was just to secure the Board in case they rebelled against Hiram. It was made even more clear when Hermione was added to the Board, soon even Veronica and Edward were added too. It was all part of his schemes, to keep on top of the game, to not lose control.

Much like Edward was trying to not lose control of the blue Ford Focus RS whilst he pulled into Pop's Diner.

Pulling the handbrake and turning off the engine, Edward realised he might not have looked great since his match in the cage. His face still glowed red around his left eye and cheek, but nothing more. Edward knew that when he got a burger and onion rings from Pop's, he would definitely feel a lot better. Even walking into the Fifties-esque diner made him feel better, with the pudgy yet kindly owner, Pop Tate giving him a warm welcome. Edward handed Pop a ten dollar note, placing the order before turning to see his two friends, Betty and Archie sitting at a booth with a raven-haired girl standing above them. She soon turned to look at the counter, soon gaping like a fish as she saw a much more developed Edward Lodge in front of her.

"Oh-Emm-Gee, Edward is that you?" Veronica squealed, running into his arms and giving him the tightest hug possible. "I've missed you so much, Eddie! How have you been? You're so…"

"Tall, muscular, dashingly attractive? It's all true, it's amazing what exercise can do in two years." Edward replied, soon looking to Betty and Archie. The beautiful blonde girl and the handsome redhead seemed to be in the middle of something, and the Lodge family always seemed to have a tendency to rush in and ruin any well-made plans. "Hey, guys, we weren't interrupting were we?"

Archie remained quiet, with Betty being the one to respond. "Oh, it's nothing, Eddie. We were just talking to our new student here, I'll be giving her the tour tomorrow." The blonde spoke, giving a sweet smile.

"I trust that you can keep my dear cousin in safe hands then?" Edward asked, tucking his hands into his hoodie.

"Wait, you two are cousins?" Archie interjected. "That's so awesome, guys. It'll be cool for us to all hang out some time."

Before either of the Lodge cousins could respond, Pop Tate called out the two orders which were meant for both Veronica and Edward. Quickly waving goodbye to the couple, Edward and Veronica left the diner and walked to the blue hatchback, with Edward opening the door for Veronica, soon getting into the driver's seat. Edward heard Veronica give a heavy sigh. "My dad told me what happened, Ronnie. Do you want to talk about it?"

"The Police… they arrested Daddy when we were in the restaurant." Veronica managed to mutter. "We barely managed to keep our own belongings before we got here. I was terrified, Eddie. I… I'm just happy I've got you and Uncle Jules here as well. What about you, bruises don't suit your pretty little face, dear cousin."

"Ah, this was just some good old-fashioned sparring with Dad. Two elbows, I'm surprised he didn't cut me open with 'em." Eddie replied. "You staying at the Pembrooke with your mom?"

"Yeah, we agreed we'd get some food from Pop's before I got caught up in that… ginger stallion." Veronica spoke, soon taking a bite out of a small fry.

Edward soon placed his keys into the slot, before turning on the engine. The dashboard soon came to life, as well as the engine giving a soft purr as they pulled out and were on the way back to the hotel. "I'll see if I can talk to Betty, later, go on the tour with you. Might help you feel at ease."

Veronica turned to her lanky cousin. "Thank you, Eddie."

"No problem, you are going to love Riverdale."

-X-X-X-

HEY!

So it's been a long time since I have written a chapter for an original fanfiction, the second attempt at a Riverdale fanfiction. College has been a massive pain, but after finishing Season Two of Riverdale, the inspiration had hit me right in the nose. So, this is one I am determined to finish, even if it kills me. I will not let this one die and fade into deletion. The OC pair (Uncle Jules and Cousin Edward) will be just a small part of a larger scheme in my version of the show. I will focus more on integrating them into the cast, so it will feel more natural and hopefully you will come to like them if you also like the story too!

Thanks for reading the chapter, remember to follow, favourite and review for even more of my writing!

-Skrumpf