Bad Dads, a Cuphead AU

Day 1

That night there was a little discussion between the bosses King Dice and the Devil. King Dice had made a special appointment to him and was there to converse some important things.

"Hey boss, How ya doin'?" King dice sounded concerned about something.

"Hey, Dice. What's the matter?" the Devil sat there counting up his ill-gotten gains of the day and had a large lit cigar in his mouth. "Pretty late for ya to be comin' in here."

King Dice wasn't scared of his boss, nor was he intimidated by his presence. In fact, there might be something between them whether or not they would say anything is yet to be seen. He walked in with his hands together and a very straight face.

"I had a talk with our new employees."

"Ah yes, as I asked." The Devil grinned as he spoke, grinding his teeth on the cigar gleefully.

"Well. Thing is they admitted to me over dinner that they ain't got parents. Only Elder Kettle to look after 'em"

"So? what about it?"

"Look I know they work for us now but that's somethin' we should really think about."

"Yer not goin' soft on me are ya Dice?"

"No... I just think maybe we could..."

"Could what?"

"Show them a bit of compassion or somethin'."

"Hah, you really are gettin' soft. Those two belong to us now and there's nothing they can do about it. What's different about them compared to your other workers eh?"

"Sure, they're like the debtors we have employed before. I think there could be somethin' more in them. You know?"

The devil rolled his eyes and spun his Cigar between his teeth. "Heh, I'm sure you'll see soon enough that they are simply tools for us like the rest of 'em."

"Sure thing boss..." he finished. Feeling dejected, was this how he saw all his lackeys? He left unsatisfied.

The next morning came with an alarm clock going off in each of the cups rooms. It was a rather sound awakening, though. They slept like logs through the night the beds were just that nice, but despite feeling well-rested they felt apprehensive about the day. This would be the first day they worked properly in their lives, besides the debt collecting of course. Putting on their usual clothes, they headed out into the casino. King Dice was waiting for them at the craps table, leaning on it confidently and wearing his usual smile. This felt a little more like what they were used to, mostly because it wasn't all that active at the casino right now. Made sense considering it was pretty early in the day.

"Morning, you two." he greeted.

"Morning boss. They replied at the same time. Mugman looked suitably cautious while Cuphead looked more like he was prepared for anything that King Dice would throw at them.

"Morning boys!" He cheered. Pleased that they awoke so easily. He wished Mr Wheezy and the Tipsy Troop would wake that quickly in the mornings. "You ready for your first day on the job?"

"Sure thing boss." they both said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but in reality, they were both a bit apprehensive about working under their biggest enemies.

"Chin up, boys. You get to meet some of my associates today." He gestured behind him to two characters, a domino consisting of two individuals stacked on top of one another, a married couple it seemed seeing as the two of them were literally very close. Husband wearing his top hat and bow tie on the top half and wife in her red heels and dress on the bottom. The second character was a living roulette wheel, her head consisting of the spinner and her dress the wheel. She seemed a steely silent type while the domino looked ready for an argument.

"This is Pip, Dot and Pirouletta! No need for introductions as you have been acquainted before."

Cuphead interjected, "Well we battled them sure, but we don't really know them."

"Ah, sure, Get yourselves familiarized, you'll be working with 'em today. I've got other matters to attend to."

Pirouletta curtseyed to the cups and as she did, showed the details in her roulette wheel dress. It was like someone had genuinely brought a roulette wheel to life, the numbers in her dress were all accurate. "Welcome to the casino." she said with a gentle voice.

Pip and Dot both greeted the cups with a tip of Pip's hat and a bow from Dot. "Hey you two." Pip began. "Nice to meet ya on better terms!" Dot finished. They seemed a lot more chill with each other this time around, Cuphead couldn't help but remember Dot kicking her husband in the face once they lost the battle with the two of them.

"Well, I guess it means we gotta make friends 'n' all..." Dot said a little considerate of how they first met on harsh ground.

"Yeah, it should be pretty good I hope. Judging by how King Dice was yesterday." Mugman responded with a cautious smile.

"He's a bad man, don't get me wrong, but anyone on his side is easily treated with the highest respect," Pirouletta informed the two politely. "It's how it works here. We're all sinners in this place so why be cruel?"

"Can't argue with that." Cuphead shrugged as he spoke.

"Right, we'd better get on with it." Pip insisted.

That day was spent learning about the tables that the two workers were assigned to, roulette wheel and dominoes respectively. Seemed everyone here had a role to play and a place to fit it in. The two cups wondered what their specific role would be later on. Pip and Dot did indeed have a spat or two while the cups did some learning with them. But it seemed like nothing more than common married couple differences over actual hatred for one another. Pirouletta was pretty stoic all things considered but occasionally smiled widely whenever someone lost. Creeping out Mugman a little. Whilst they learned the Basics of scamming customers, something that they tried abstaining from but it was how this place functioned, they started feeling more inclined to do things they wouldn't do before, nothing big but it was like a little voice in the back of their heads telling them things like "Hey that guy has a loose gold watch, make quick with it!" it was strange, the two of them wondering if it was just little thoughts that came with being around so many bad people. For now, they could simply brush it off as so.

By the end of the day, they knew the jobs of their new friends pretty well, enough to replace them if need be, though that might not happen it was still good to know. Most likely they would be learning each job as the days went on. The two of them went to eat at the restaurant again but this time without King Dice to lead them in, they still got priority seating and didn't need to pay, it seemed their status in this place was somewhat known, at least to the point where they could eat in the casino's restaurant without worrying too much.

They casually chatted while eating, today seemed reasonably good all things considered, even with those little thoughts still pertaining in their minds. Then Mugman let out a pained noise.

"Ah! Ow!" he winced, placing a hand on his cheek.

"Oh, what's up Mugman?" Cuphead asked.

"I think I just broke a tooth," he said with concern. Before spitting out the crunched remains of one of his teeth into his hand. "Oooh ouch that really hurt." rubbing his mouth.

"How did that happen?"

"I don't know. I was eating and just felt this crunch."

"Let me see"

He showed his teeth to Cuphead, there was a noticeable gap in his smile now. Strangely there was no blood, and the tooth hole seemed like it had been absent of a tooth for a long time.

"Does it look bad?" Mugman asked.

There was certainly a difference now in his teeth like they had moved a little as well as him losing one. They seemed a little more crooked than before.

"Nah... looks fine Mugman." he said awkwardly, not wanting to insult him.

They headed to bed later on, a little later than last night what with them doing some odd jobs here and there. The lost tooth became a forgotten piece of information, none of the bosses cared at all. So Mugman chose to ignore it. But that night before going to their rooms, they noticed Mugman's head silhouette had changed and was also missing a tooth just like he was.

"Do you see that Cuphead?" Muman pointed it out to him

"Yeah, I do. Do you think the Devil changed it"

"Would be a lot of effort for a small change like that..."

"Huh."

"Let's just go to sleep."