Chapter Text
Betty Cooper was afraid.
She had always been afraid of airplanes, ever since she was five years old and had absolutely despised the feeling that overwhelmed her when the plane began to rise into the air. Her stomach would drop, her heart would pound harshly against her chest, and overall, she felt like throwing up. Each time she would fly due to family vacation circumstances, she would hold on to her mother's hands. But this time, she'll be all alone.
"You'll be fine, Elizabeth," Alice Cooper assured her anxiety-filled daughter that morning. "You are a journalist, a great one, and this trip will make you even better."
Betty worked for an online magazine, HotBuzzToday, which was currently gaining the well-deserved popularity among the teens it was targeted at. They had sent Betty to Australia, particularly in the area of Melbourne, to investigate a boy's sudden disappearance when he went fishing with his father, who also disappeared. She believed his name to be Forsythe Jones, which was quite an odd name, but she figured it had something to do with his Australian roots. Anyway, his mother still lived in Melbourne and Betty had a scheduled interview, which she hoped didn't seem too insensitive.
Now Betty was sitting at the window seat on a crowded airplane, gripping her armrest as she sat next to a complete stranger. She didn't believe that the stranger would take too kindly to her gripping his hand as they flew through the air.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, we will be taking off soon so please fasten your seatbelts and prepare yourself for this fourteen hour flight," the pilot announced through the intercom, causing a nervous Betty to sigh.
Fourteen hours. That's enough time for everything to go wrong.
-
It was late at night when a rather large jolt awoken her from her slumber. Betty was confused at first, but soon became startled when the man beside her screamed in fear.
"What's going on?" Betty asked, bewildered, and completely terrified.
"We're going to fucking die, that's what's going on!" the man replied, his entire body shaking.
Betty looked out the window. It was dark outside, but she could feel the plane lower and lower, and she was aware of the fact that they were still over the ocean.
"Everyone, remain calm!" the sterwardess intructed, although no one really listened to her. "Please read the safety packet in case of emergency in front of you - we are doing the best we can!"
The lights of the plane started to flicker as the turbulence became more violent; more passengers screamed. Betty, tears in her eyes, reached into her bag and grabbed her phone. She had to call her mother, and tell her goodbye. She was almost certain she wasn't going to make it. Betty's heart dropped even more as she realized she had no signal - Alice would find out anyway, though, as she was tracking her flight and would take notice when the tiny airplane on the screen disappeared.
The airplane made a final drop and the intercom went off, "This is your captain speaking! Please grab a life vest under your seat and hold on tightly to whatever you can! We are trying to signal for help."
Betty quickly snatched the orange life vest from under her seat and quickly pulled it on. Finally, a loud sob escaped from her mouth, which became louder than all the screams from the people on the plane.
"I didn't want to get on this damn plane in the first place!" Betty screamed, looking like a mad woman.
"Neither did I," the man beside her spoke solemnly, "but my wife thought it best for me to spend the holiday with my brother."
Betty looked around her cabin and noticed multiple people praying. She also noticed sobbing kids, which deeply saddened her as they had so much to live for. But now they can't, and just for some mechanical error of the airplane. Betty swears that if she makes it out alive, which she probably won't, she'll sue the hell out of the airline company. If she didn't live, Alice Cooper would surely do it for her.
The airplane finally hit the water. Betty grabbed her purse from under her seat and slung it over her back, deciding to take initiative. She stood up as the plane began to fill with water; it even began to dismantle due to the strong weather. Betty realized there was a storm, which will make her chance at surviving even more difficult.
The roof of the plane suddenly pulled apart, exposing everyone to the icy cold rain. Betty took notice of a big enough piece of metal floating on the water, and struggled to make her way to it. Pulling her body onto the piece had been difficult, but she managed. As she was completely soaked, she pushed herself against the strong waves that battled down on her, desperate to pull her in and never let her leave. The plane had sunk now, and she was all alone, left to die.
Betty had never felt so scared in her life.
-
Betty woke up to absolute silence. She refused to open her eyes. Was it just a nightmare, or was she now in Heaven? It all felt surreal, but she knows the terror she experienced. She was almost sure she had crapped her pants.
Betty opened her eyes, instantly finding water in front of her face. She was still on the metal piece, drifting across the sea. How she had not slipped off and drowned was a wonder to her. She looked around, confused, seeing something in the distance. It looked to be land. She sighed in relief, directing herself towards this apparent land.
"I am definitely not equipped for this," she breathed out, wondering what her mother was thinking.
Alice was probably wondering when she had landed. Betty did land, but what she didn't know was that she landed in the middle the ocean, completely off course.
When she finally hit the beach of the land she had discovered, Betty was completely exhausted. She took off her soggy shoes and allowed her feet to be smushed in the warm sand; she had been cold for so long, this small slice of warmth was like a gift sent from above. Although, a better gift would have been a better pilot. Or an airplane that worked normally.
Betty realized that she was completely alone. Sighing, she reached into the bag she had taken and realized that everything was soaking wet and completely destroyed. Her books, her snacks (airplane food costs a fortune, okay?), her money... everything. Frustrated, she began to cry again, wishing she had the ability to teleport. If she did, she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.
"Who are you?"
Betty jumped at the sound of a male, and the fear overwhelmed her. She turned around and took sight of an attractive man around her age, looking absolutely confused. When he saw her face, the man sighed in relief at the fact that she didn't seem to be harmful. Although he cannot completely trust her.
"I'll asked again," he spoke, sounding rough. "Who are you?"
"Betty Cooper," Betty replied, creating distance between herself and him. He could be a cannibal for all she knows. "Who are you?"
He smirked slightly, nodding for some particular reason.
"Jughead, care to make your acquaintance?"