Right Hand Man (King Dice x Devil)

Chapter 6 : A Long Night

The Devil's POV

It was past midnight when most of the debris was gone. "Whew!" I sighed. "I think we did a good job!" I smiled to myself as I took a good look at the casino. Sure, parts of the ceiling were gone, pool tables were broken, and the bar counter was chipped, but other than that, it was looking good. A warm feeling came to me, something I hadn't felt in years. Hope. I had a feeling-I mean-I had hope that the casino would be in tip-top shape in no time!
King Dice seemed to had noticed my joy and smiled back,"I say we call it a night! We got a lot work done, and frankly, I'm plum-tuckered out!"
I chuckled,"Ha! You got that right!"
Then we heard a yawn. We turned to see a drowsy Mugman, doing his best to keep his eyes open. My right hand man and I faced one another and turned so he couldn't hear us.
"I completely forgot: where are gonna put the kid?" I whispered.
"Not sure," Dice admitted.
"Well, we gotta think of something! We can't send him back to town! Lord knows what them folks'll do to him!"
King Dice raised a brow at me,"Look at you, caring for somebody other than yourself."
"Not the time, KD."
We heard a thump. Quickly, we turned around to find Mug passed out on the ground, snoring softly. The two of us sighed in relief.
Then a thought passed through my head,"Hey! I got an idea!"
I carefully picked up the small boy, trying not to wake him up. I carried him to my thrown, brushed off a few specks of dirt, and placed him down.
"Huh. Well, that's a thought," Dice said.
"Ssh! Go find a blanket or something!" I shushed him. With a smile, he walked off. A few seconds later, he came back per my request. I took the blanket from him and covered Mugman. He didn't feel a thing.
I turned to Dice and the two of us tip-toed out of the room. Once we returned to my office, we plopped into bed (yes, we share a bed) and fell asleep immediately.

King Dice's POV

I felt a poke. I ignored it.
...
I felt it again. I ignored it.
...
Poke. "Psst. King Dice."
I opened one eye. Mugman was sitting on the side of the bed. I propped myself up, disregarding the fact I was only wearing undergarments.
Rubbing my eyes, I said,"Kid? What time is it?"
"2 o'clock," he answered.
"Why are you in here?"
He squirmed a little, looking uncomfortable,"I...I thought someone was watching me again. I heard them whispering weird things..."
"What kind of things?" I asked patiently, mildly curious.
"Things like 'All in good time' and 'You won't have any sorrows for long'. It was creepy."
"Hmm..." I pursed my lips. This is wrong. Is someone tormenting us?
I sighed and nudged the Devil, who was curled up behind me,"Dev. Wake up."
"Mm?" He replied without moving.
"Mug's gonna sleep with us. He says someone was watching him again," I explained.
He didn't say anything at first. I thought he fell back asleep, until I heard him mumble,"M'kay."
He scooched over a little and Mug crawled in between us. After he was snug, he fell back to sleep. I laid in bed watching him. It's hard to believe that only a few hours ago, we were enemies.
Devil turned to look at me,"Are you gonna watch him all night long?"
I giggled a bit,"Good night, Dev."
He smirked,"Night."
Finally, all three of us were resting peacefully.

Together.

Cuphead's POV

We were exhausted. Everyone had worked hard to renovate Inkwell Isle, and add a few new defense systems too. Cala Maria helped Captain Brineybeard and the other sea dwellers fix the harbor. Hilda Berg and Wally Warbles flew to the sky to fix the tall buildings no one could reach. Even the Phantom Express ran around bringing supplies to the Isles. Elder Kettle, however, didn't stay. After the riot, he went back home without saying a word. I think he's mad at me for something. Either way, I stayed and brought Inkwell Isle back to shape. We all returned home, happily leaving for a good night's rest.
Sally Stageplay was the last to leave. I told her I'd stay behind to pack up the rest of the supplies and prepare tomorrow's work.
"You sure, Cup? I can stay to help if you'd like," she offered.
I smiled politely,"That's fine, Sal. You go home. I got some things I need to get my mind off of anyway, so private time is much needed."
She gave a look of sympathy,"Is it about Mug?"
I nodded,"Yeah."
She sighed,"Look, sweetie, we can continue this tomorrow. You need sleep too!"
"Don't worry, I'll join you soon!" I reassured her.
Reluctantly, she said,"Alrighty, Cup. See ya tomorrow!"
Once she left, I continued to look through crates of supplies. I mumbled to myself the list of items,"Bricks...steel rods...wood planks...."
I stopped. "Hello?" I said, turning around.
Nothing.
I went back to the list. Probably nothing....
I continued,"Cement mix...playboy magazine-wait. Why is this here?"
I threw the magazine behind me,"I bet it's Werner's..."
"Dropped something?" I heard a voice.
I went stiff,"S-Sally...?" Who am I kidding? That voice is too masculine to be Sal's.
"I'm not your friend, but rather...an ally," the voice spoke cooly.
I looked around,"W-where are you?"
"Unfortunately, you can't see me. At least, not yet. Nevertheless, I need your assistance."
I gulped,"Wh-what do you need help with?"
"We both want someone back, and someone else defeated. Right?"
"What do you mean?" I felt cold sweat drip trickle down the back of my head.
"You and I want to get back at The Devil, for taking away the people we care about! He brainwashed your brother! And you'd do anything to get him back! Well, at least I think you'd do..."
"Of course I would!" I snapped. Then I paused,"Hold on, who did he take from you?"
"Why, he took away King Dice from me."
"King Dice!?"
"Yes, he was brainwashed too. He may seem evil now, but that's because you haven't seen the real him. He was a kind, and gentle soul. I care about him, very much..." the voice whispered something after this but I couldn't make it out.
"Please, Cuphead," the voice continued. "You're the only one who'd understand. I just want to help..."
I thought for a moment. How can I trust this guy? He sounds suspicious, and strangely familiar... still, he can help me get Mugman back.
I looked into the darkness,"If I help you get King Dice, you have to help me get Mugman."
"And we'll both take down The Devil... together..." the voice finished.
A shadowy hand emerged from the night sky.
"Partners?" The voice asked.
I held my breath and grabbed his hand. When nothing happened, I shook it.

"Partners."

(A/N)
If anyone is wondering who the mysterious stranger is, I'll give you two hints:
1) It's the person you'd least expect.
2) It's the person we know the least about.

Btw, (completely off topic, but) why can I imagine Sally Stageplay with a southern drawl??
Anyhow, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter! Until next time...

12/8/17