Bad Dads, a Cuphead AU

The descent.

"You're mine now! And We're gonna have a hell of a time down here...!!"

The Devil smirked at the two cup brothers with a glint in his eye as the contracts were now in his hands, doing exactly what they were told was probably not the most sensible idea this time around. They were tricked and were seeing how bad the Devil really was. Cuphead moved back with his brother Mugman beside him as they both tried to avoid whatever the Devil did next. He simply laughed at the two's attempts at getting away from him now that they had both given the contracts to him.

"Too late boys." He boasted "You agreed and now you belong to me. I've wiped the memories of everyone in Inkwell Isle. Nobody remembers who you were."

"You're a rotten cad, Devil." Cuphead chided. Mugman nodded in agreement.

"Hah! You should have realised that when you entered my casino. You work for me and King Dice now."

King Dice walked in, looking like their battle never happened, dusting off his suit and smiling widely like he always did. The cup brothers just gawked at him. "Yes, you two. I'm your boss now."

"More accurately, we are both your bosses." The Devil continued.

Mugman spoke up. "We would never work for you."

He laughed again "Oh you will. You can't leave now. Nobody will recognise you or try to look for you."

The two cup brothers were at an impasse. Go home where nobody knows who they are or work with the literal Devil. They looked at each other, knowing that the only choice they had was to go with him and King Dice. "Fine. We'll do it." Cuphead sighed, feeling utterly defeated, stepping forward and looked at King Dice, "What's our first job, boss?" He asked politely.

"Ah, that's more like it." King Dice grinned at the two brothers. "Let me show you around the casino first. You have a lot to learn."

Mugman, clearly trying to avoid this stepped back, but Cuphead looked at him and he sighed, following along. "Yes, boss."

Thus started their slow descent.

King Dice led the two boys to the casino. Only there was a different air about the place, unlike when the place seemed to be full of sinister feeling and malice, it was now a place abuzz with laughter, dancing, playing on slot machines and merry drinking. A complete turnaround from before, it was like a completely different place and the cup brothers couldn't help but feel amazed by the change, mouths agape as they looked around at the sheer ecstasy that was the people in the place. Even the swing music playing over the speakers was enjoyable. King Dice seemed more jolly here than his usual smug grin. Mugman was the first to speak after becoming dumbfounded by the change in mood, "Is this really the casino?"

"Sure is, boys!" He sounded very pleased, his attitude more happy than sneaky like this place was a pride and joy to him. It made sense to the two since he seemed to practically live in this place, a home for a die that was truly fitting. "I'll be showing you around this place. It's a lot bigger than what you two have seen. In fact, you only saw the surface!" He started walking away in hopes they would follow. Which they did.

"See this place isn't just a casino. It's also several different things! We have a swing club in one section and a bar in another, even a beer garden and restaurant. Anything you could want is here. Food, friends, laughs. The big cheese likes it swanky and you won't get more so than this place." He boasted. Cuphead and Mugman looking a little less sorry for themselves and more excited to be working somewhere so upbeat and joyful.

Cuphead smiled for the first time since giving the contracts. "Alright! This place seems pretty good now that we have seen it properly! What's our first job?"

King Dice turned back to them, "Your first job is to monitor this place. Make sure people have fun and nobody runs off like all the debtors you had to face before. If someone loses a bet to us, they owe us. Simple." it certainly sounded simple.

"That's it?" Mugman questioned.

"Sure is boys" Dice chuckled. "Did you expect something harder?"

"Well yeah... " he looked at dice with a confused face. "Especially considering who we are working for..." Cuphead nodded in agreement at his brother.

"Well, the work may be simple but runnin' this place requires some pretty hard managin'. But you two have a lotta extra hands here. The amount of staff already here means it should be easier on you two. Go have a chat with some of them. You'll recognise them from our battle."

"Why are you suddenly being so nice?" Cuphead asked. "We beat you and your cronies."

"Well..." He rubbed his chin, or rather where a chin would be if his die head had one. "You did defeat me, yes, but you work for me and the Devil now. So you're not a problem any more. You're an asset! So there's no need to be mean. Also, they ain't cronies, they're associates." The cups simply looked at each other and shrugged in agreement. Continuing to follow him as he demonstrated how things worked in the casino.