The Bondsman (a King Dice x Reader story)

Chapter Thirteen: A Sticky Situation

Song: Honeycomb Herald by Kristofer Madigan

       Your nose was busted, your feet were sore, and your heart was broken.

       What a lovely choir of complications, yes?

       Perhaps not.

       The cups had been hesitant to allow you to travel with them. It was clear from your argument with Dice that you weren't intended to be their friend, nor care what happened to them. Still, after some convincing reassurance, they agreed to give you a chance. There was only one Isle left, after all, that being your hometown no less. If anyone would be able to give these cups a leg-up, it would be you.

       The two had talked your ear off so far, explaining everything about themselves from their names to their favorite colors to their debt to Scratch. They never seemed to run out of energy, even in the face of new dangers as the three of you began to cross the bridge into Isle Three.

       The Die House had been empty again.

       This had surprised your companions, the boys being rather perplexed that Dice wasn't there to insure that they had gathered the contracts that they needed.

       You weren't very surprised, though.

       Dice had seemed like the type to turn tail and run when the odds didn't suit him. Maybe that's why he had become so used to winning: he was too cowardly to lose.

       You forced yourself to abandon the thought as you passed into Isle Three, sirens and car horns blaring as you crossed the street and entered the steel jungle.

       "So where do y'a think we should start?" Cuphead asked, head on a swivel as he took in the city. "Time's runnin' out, and I'm ready to kick 'ol Scratch right in the a-"

       "Cuphead!" his brother snapped, mortified.

       You smirked lightly at the kid's spunk.

       The two were obviously different from each other in various ways.

       Mugman was an older soul. He liked reading and observing rather than just looking. He never just "passed through", at least from what you were able to tell from the boys' stories and his overall persona. He was quieter during your conversations so far, but when he did speak it was always interesting to hear what he had to say. The kid was on his way to greatness, no doubt, though he was more on the wary side. He didn't seem the type to go first in an unfamiliar situation, especially if it posed any danger.

       Cuphead was the opposite. The kid zoomed everywhere he went, alway bouncing from one exciting thing to the other. His stamina rivaled that of your own when you were younger, and he was excellent at filling any awkward silence. He wasn't as filtered either, which had made you chuckle from time to time when he grew passionate during a conversation. You could see him not being too different from yourself when he got older; In contrast to his brother, Cup was less cautious, tending to act now and think later.

       You couldn't judge him for it; you were the same way in most cases.

       Combined, the two were an equally balanced force to be reckoned with. It was no surprise they had made it this far on their own.

       Maybe it's a good thing you didn't try to fight them...

       Not that you had seen them fight yet...but you would. Rather soon, in fact.