Right Hand Man (King Dice x Devil)

Chapter 24 : Picking Up The Pieces

The Devil's POV

I couldn't move. The air was thin. Every part of me ached under the weight of a once-perfect home. I choked on my spit-no-blood. I was going to die. I had to escape.
I tried to move my arm, I felt a chunk of debris stab into it. I winced, but kept moving. I moved my other arm. Once both arms were free, I propped them against the debris on my body. I pushed with all my might. It hurt with each attempt, but failure wasn't an option. I had to live, I just had to! My family needed me! I pushed harder, and finally I saw the ceiling of the cave clearly.
I lifted myself up. The casino was demolished. I don't care. Where's my family!?
I shouted,"Dice...!? Mug...Cup...!? Mike-anyone! Hello!?"
Then, I heard a muffled cry,"Dev...!?"
I gasped, and followed the voice. I grabbed a chunk of debris and yanked it away, revealing my right hand man. He was falling apart, cracks forming on both his head and body. I carefully took his shaking hand, and kissed it softly.
"Dice, thank god," I sighed in relief.
"Dev...it's good to see you," Dice smiled, before he started coughing-no-hacking.
"Ssh, easy, babe," I told him. I held him in my arms as he tried to stand. Once he was on his feet, I called out,"Who else here!?"
"I am!" Mike said, clutching a broken arm. "I teleported Elder Kettle to his house before the casino came on top of us. He should be safe."
"Good...good..." I said, my head hazy.
I felt Dice trying to lift himself, and pulled him closer. "Dev..." Dice panted. "Mug and Cup were in the building when it fell. Where are they?"
We all expressed frightened looks to one another. Are they....? No! They can't be!
I handed Dice to Mike, who held him with his good arm, as I frantically searched for the children.
"Mug!? Cup!? Where are you!? Answer me!" I yelled, looking through rubble. "Mug!? Cup!?Say something of you can hear me!"

"...help..."

I stopped. The voice was dim, but I heard it.

Mug?

"Help..."

No, Cup!

"Cuphead!?" I called out.

I waited.

"Dev...il...?"

"Cup!" I shouted. "Keep talking! I'll find you! Where are you?"

"I'm...stuck...under the chandelier...it's crushing me...!"

"Hang on! I'm coming!" I told him.
I spotted something shining in the rubble. Something golden. A chandelier!
I hurried to the sparkling metal, and began to dig around it. I spotted a hand. I dug faster until I found an arm, a head, and a crushed body.
"Cuphead!" I gasped.
"Dev...il--" He tried to speak but started coughing up milk. One of the chandelier's branches was crushing the poor kid's body.
"I'm here....I'll protect you... easy..." I reassured him.
Once he was finished, he stared at me with sad, fretful eyes,"Dev...where's Mug...?"
"I don't know. Where did you see him last?" I asked.
As he answered, I began to remove him from the rubble,"We...we were falling from the chandelier....I landed in the crowd... I tried to find him, I was calling for him...Then the building came down and...I don't know what happened after that..."
I held the small child carefully in my arms. Cracks formed across his body, and he was bleeding milk. I was choking back tears, The Stranger will pay for doing this to my family!
"C'mon," I stared at Mike and King Dice.
"What about Mug?" Mike asked.
"I'll come back for him. None of you are in any shape for a search party. Wait outside in the grass, I'll be back," I told them.
They limped outside while I carried Cup. I laid the child in the grass. He stared at me, with watery eyes,"Find Mug...please..."
"Ssh, I will," I answered.
Mike and King Dice sat down, in pain. I looked at them, Keep an eye on him. They nodded.
I went back inside the cave.
They were together by the chandelier... I'll look there, I thought to myself.
I approached the chandelier, got on my knees, and began to dig. I shoved through handfuls of dirt and debris. I pushed past rubble and rocks. Where is he? I asked myself.

I found him.

But it wasn't him.

I stared in disbelief. My eyes widened in fear. My whole body shook. Tears pooled at my eyes and fell down my face without control.

"No..."

He.

"Please, No!"

Was.

"Oh god, NO!"

dead.

Mugman's body was completely destroyed. Shattered, broken in half. His head was split open, milk pouring out in a free-for-all. His face still wore the frozen expression of fear.
My tears turned to sobs. My sobs turned wails. My wails turned to howls. My howls turned to screams.
Mike rushed in, being the only one who could walk,"Devil!? What's going on in here!?"
"NO! NO THIS CAN'T BE NO! IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS! HE DIDN'T DESERVE THIS!" I screamed.
Mike yelled,"What the fuck is wrong with--"

He saw.

I was more than mad, more than furious, I was enraged.

I stood,"STRANGER! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU FOR HURTING THIS INNOCENT CHILD! HE'S DONE NOTHING WRONG! FUCK YOU! YOU CAN TAKE EVERYTHING FROM ME! HELL! TAKE MY LIFE INSTEAD! JUST LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!"

I screamed so much that my throats began to bleed again. I fell to my knees, crying.
King Dice and Cuphead mustered the strength to see what had happened.

Mike told them.

I can't live with myself. This can't be happening! He can't be...! I won't admit it! I won't accept it! 
I looked at Mug's fear-stricken face.
"Oh, Mug...." I sniffled.

"What have I done?"

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