Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Cuphead! Order of drinks for -hic- Chips's poker table!" Cuphead jerked awake, previously half asleep, and rushed over to the bar where the female member of the Tipsy Troop waited with three trays of fancy looking drinks. "On it!" She gave him a pinched look of concern as he grabbed two of the trays and allowed her to place the last on the top of his head. "What? Is there something on my face?" Ginette crossed her arms, the alcohol in her head sloshing about as she leaned back. "You've been workin' since - hic- around four a.m. Plus, you've been havin' to -hic- work your brother's shift too." He shrugged. "Ah, it's fine. Double the work ain't botherin' me." She gave him that look again and he wanted to shrink, to get smaller and smaller until she couldn't see him so she would stop looking at him like that. He was fine! Totally. Fine. "Hey Cuphead! Those our drinks?" Cuphead turned towards Chips's hollering and plastered on a smile. "Sure are! Comin' over there right now!" The folks at Chips's table cheered, and he turned back to Ginette. "Welp, got work to do." He carried the trays to the table, laughing as the already drunk customers plucked drinks from his trays and cracked jokes. He ignored the burning feeling of Ginette's eyes on his back.

--

Cuphead let out a sigh of relief as the last customers left, luckily keeping their souls. But, unlucky for Cuphead, he was on cleaning duty. It was apart of the deal he made with the boss to make up for Mugman's hours. And no, he didn't make that kind of deal. He looked up at the clock, closing his eyes and sighed through his nose. It was ten pm, and the casino was a big establishment. The imps would be helping him of course, but it would still take a while. "Cuphead." He yelped, startled at the sudden voice and the hand on his shoulder. He whirled around, brandishing his mop like a spear at a tall, suited figure. "O-oh, it's you Dice. Don't scare me like that." Dice gave him a smug smile. "My apologies, didn't mean to startle you." Cuphead took a deep breath, which then turned into a yawn. "It's fine... Don't worry about it..." King Dice's smile fell and he gave Cuphead a look much like the one Ginette gave him earlier that day. "Cuphead, how much sleep do you get each night?" Cuphead blinked up at the dice, rubbing his face. "What?" Normally, Dice got annoyed when he had to repeat himself, but to Cuphead's surprise he took a small breath, his voice serious. "How much sleep have you been getting each night, since you've been covering Mugman's shift?" Cuphead stared at him for a moment, weirded out at how patient he was being. "Uhh, well I have to get up at around two to eat breakfast and get ready, then I come in to the Casino to help prepare for opening, and then I get off at ten and go home..." Dice hummed thoughtfully. "And do you go to bed once you get home?" Cuphead shook his head. "No I... Ahm..." He stopped himself and looked to the side. He didn't want to tell King Dice. It would only be a distraction for them. He felt a hand squeezing his shoulder and looked up. "Cuphead, what are you not telling me?" Shit. Was he that easy to read? Well, it probably didn't help that he had those damn demon eyes... Cuphead shook his head. "N-no! Uhh, sorry. I just got... Distracted. I was gonna say that I have to take care of Daisy before bed, feed them and stuff. So I usually go to bed at around eleven, I think. Bit late, yeah, but it's nothin' to worry about!"

He chuckled nervously, and Dice let him go, taking off his coat. "Uh- What're you-" "Grab me the other mop." Cuphead stared at him, confused. What was he doing? "Are you deaf boy? Hand me the mop!" He jumped, startled, and did as he was told, placing the mop handle in Dice's hands. "Now, get me another water bucket." Cuphead made his way to the supply closet and grabbed the other bucket, filling it with water and the cleaning stuff, then brought it back, setting it at King Dice's feet. "Let's get to work, boy." Cuphead grabbed his mop and watched in a daze as Dice rolled up his sleeves and set to work mopping the hardwood floor, then he took his bucket into the bar and started mopping, occasionally stealing glances at Dice. The imps looked confused too as they emerged from their hiding spaces to began their cleaning, but kept quiet and did their tasks. Well, most of them did. As Cuphead finished mopping the bar and picked up his mop bucket, he felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down. A little imp, the end of his tail shaped like a spade, peered up at him curiously. He motioned for Cuphead to come closer and he knelt down, tilting so the imp could reach his ear and whisper, "Why is Mr. Dice cleaning?" Cuphead looked over the bar to see if Dice was looking their way, then shrugged. "Don't know. I guess he just... Had nothin' else to do?" The imp puffed out his cheeks, obviously dissatisfied with his answer, then scampered away to dust the shelves. Cuphead moved his bucket to the next spot, mulling over King Dice's odd behavior. 

---

Cuphead sighed as they finished cleaning the last room, then yawned. He still needed to get home and take care of Daisy. Not to mention he still has his other task... He sighed again and gathered up his cleaning supplies. Going out to the alley he dumped out the dirty mop water into the ugly patch of dirt and yellow grass at the back, then went back inside through a back door and put away his cleaning supplies. While he was taking a look around the casino one last time to make sure they had gotten every spot, he realized Dice was nowhere to be found. "Probably went home already..." Cuphead muttered to himself and yawned as he grabbed his coat from the break room. He slipped it on and stepped outside, making his way home, and putting his hands in his pockets. As he did he noticed something was in one of its pockets. "What...?" It was small and had the texture of paper. Pulling it out he realized it was a crumpled ten dollar bill. He never carries money in his coat pocket, and he certainly wouldn't leave unsupervised in the casino. So where did it come from? It was highly unlikely one of his coworkers put it in there. Maybe Ginette? She'd been being awfully nice to him lately... He got to his apartment and as soon as he opened the door a small green figure came hurtling into his stomach. "Oof! Heh... Hey Daisy." Daisy smiled up at him, squeaking, and dragged him inside. "Alright, alright! Let me lock the door first!" Chuckling to himself, he shut and locked the door, Daisy bouncing on the balls of their feet. "Alrighty..." He sighed, taking off his coat. "Who's hungry?" Daisy put up their arms and squealed happily. 

Making his way to the kitchen, he opened one of the bottom cabinets and hefted out a large bag of soil and a scooper. He grabbed a plate and put a couple scoops of the dirt onto the plate, and handed it to Daisy. They scampered off to the dining table, and Cuphead sighed with a smile. He looked up and his smile fell. Across from him hung a picture of him and Mugman, taken by Chips of their first day on the job. It was a kind of tradition he made ever since he first joined the casino crew. In the picture the brothers had first tried on their uniforms, and were examining them curiously. "Where are you Mugman..."

---

"Cuphead!" Cuphead jolted up from the seat he was sleeping in. "I-I'm up!" Wheezy loomed over him, smoke curling up from the top of his head. Crap. "Cuphead, your break ended twenty minutes ago!" Cuphead looked up at the clock and cursed under his breath. "Sorry, sorry..." He got to his feet and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to chase away his drowsiness. "I'll get to it right away-" "Hold on." Wheezy clamped his hand around Cuphead's bicep as he tried to go past him. "Oh- but- but I need to- huh?" Wheezy ignored his protesting and narrowed his eyes, leaning down to get a closer look at Cuphead's face. Cuphead's nose wrinkled at the mixed smell of cigars, booze, and cologne that wafted from Wheezy's coat. "What're you-?" "You've got some pretty dark circles under your eyes... You've been stayin' up late or somethin'?" Cuphead yanked his arm free and took a step away. "Ain't any of your business..." Cuphead stepped around Wheezy, rubbing his arm. "Cuphead-" "I've got work to do, Wheezy." Ignoring the curious looks from his few other coworkers in the break room, he slammed the door behind him and took a deep breath. Back to work. As he made his way to the bar Rumulus spotted him, a tray loaded with food balanced on his hand. "There ya are Cuphead! Where've you been?! Chips had to cover for you!" Cuphead jogged over and held his hands out for the tray. "Sorry man, I lost track of time. I-I'll make up for it though!" He added quickly as Rumulus gave him a glare. The whiskey bottle narrowed his eyes much like Wheezy had done, then set the tray in Cuphead's hands. "You betta. That tray goes to table seven." And Cuphead did as he was told, delivering food and waiting near the bar when he wasn't, waiting for the next order.

He noticed how some of the others looked at him, their faces confused, and another emotion he didn't quite understand. It couldn't have been concern. They could care less about Cuphead. Right? He shook his head. Oh please, half of them tolerated him and the other half wanted him dead. They certainly wouldn't care if he lost a couple hours of sleep. "Cuphead! Order for-!" "Actually, Ol' Ethan, I think it's time for Cuphead's break." Cuphead blinked up at King Dice, who had his hand on the cup's shoulder. Ginette appeared behind Ol' Ethan, her eyes flicking between their manager and her fellow alcoholic beverage, who looked confused. "Huh? But -hic- didn't he-" Ginette grabbed Ol' Ethan's arm. "You must -hic- be mistaken, Ethan. He hadn't had his break yet. Chips! Can you -hic- cover for Cuphead again?" Chips came over and and shrugged. "Sure! I don't mind." A look that Cuphead couldn't discern passed between King Dice and Ginette, and suddenly Dice was steering him towards the break room, his hands firmly grasping the small cup's shoulders. "H-hold on- hold on! I've already had my break Dice! What're you doin'?" King Dice didn't answer and shut the door behind them. It was normal for the break room to be mostly quiet, with only a handful of people in it, but now it was dead silent, and completely empty. A nervous feeling clawed it's way into his chest and and he stuck his hands under his armpits, stepping away from King Dice. "Dice, is this about me sleeping on the job? I didn't mean to, I just-" "Sit." Cuphead looked up at the older man. "Wh...What?" King Dice gestured with his hand to the right and the cup noticed that two of the chairs had been placed at the end of the room, one in the corner and the other across from it. "Sit." A number of scenarios ran through Cuphead's head, and none of them pleasant, but he sat down and King Dice did the same. Cuphead fidgeted in his seat, glancing around the room then at his manager. The seats were close, so close that the two's knees nearly touched. "Cuphead, what's goin' on?" Cuphead picked at the scar on his forearm. "W-what d'ya mean? Ain't nothin' goin' on!" He chuckled nervously, but King Dice's eyes bored into him.

"Cuphead, you've been acting strange these past two weeks. No scuffles with Wheezy, no snarky comments, no pranks," Cuphead looked down at his feet. "And you've even been fallin' asleep. Last time you did that your head ended up in the sink and you nearly drowned. After that you swore to never fall asleep at work again." Dice leaned forward. "What's goin' on with you Cuphead?" Cuphead's shoulders tensed and he closed his eyes. "Nothin' King Dice. I'm. Fine." He felt a hand on his knee opened his eyes, surprised. This was probably the kindest King Dice had ever touched him. Usually it was just shoulder grabs or pats. The harshest, minus their past battle, had to have been a couple shoves, but that was the most touch they'd ever had. "Cuphead, please," Cuphead looked up at him. That last thing he expected was King Dice begging him to talk. "You can talk to me. I know we haven't had the most... Positive, interactions... But as your boss, I am inclined to make sure my employees are doing alright." Cuphead rubbed his arm and looked away, and King Dice sighed. "I won't push you anymore if you don't want me to." He took his hand off Cuphead's knee. "I won't force you." Oh God, did he want to talk. But with King Dice? Despite his display of... Affection? Cuphead wasn't sure if talking to him was a good idea. Especially since he knew what would happen if he did. Even now, as he thought about it, a lump swelled in his throat. He choked it down and shook his head. "Sorry boss, but there's nothin' to talk about." He got to his feet, but King Dice blocked his path. For an older guy, he was fast. "Alright, fine. You don't have to talk. But you are going home." Cuphead's eyes shot open. "What?!" King Dice held up his hands. "You're takin' a break from work, whether you like it or not. You need it." King Dice grabbed his coat and put it on Cuphead for him. "But I don't need a break! I need to work! I need ta pay for groceries, clothes, the rent!" King Dice herded him to the door. "I'll be sending you checks while you're on your break."

"B-but..." Being paid to stay home and relax was, granted, a dream come true. For the old Cuphead. But now? He needed to work. He didn't know why. He didn't like working. But the idea of being stuck at home, all day... It terrified him. "C-can't we work somethin' out Dice?" King Dice opened the door and Wheezy stood on the other side, smoking a cigar. "Cuphead, this is for your health." He sighed and put his hands on the cup's shoulders. "Look, you can cut your break short. But!" He added quickly as Cuphead opened his mouth. "You have to be on a break for at least a week." "A week?!" Dice nodded. "A week. No more negotiations. Wheezy will drive you home." Wheezy put an arm around his shoulders and dragged him along to the front door. The others gave him curious looks. He caught a whisper between Pirouletta and Mangosteen.

"Is he bein' fired?" 

"No, no. Things would be happening much differently, Mango."

Cuphead crossed his arms and grumbled as he and Wheezy went out the front door, a car parked out in front. He shook Wheezy's arm off and threw up his hands. "This is stupid! I don't need a break!" Wheezy turned his head and blew out a cloud of smoke. "Ya clearly do if you're fallin' asleep in the casino of all places." Cuphead glared at him and the cigar shrugged. "Just sayin'." Wheezy opened the passenger side car door and Cuphead reluctantly got in, immediately grimacing and covering his nose. The whole vehicle smelt like Wheezy. It's owner got into the driver side and the engine started with a roar. He'd never admit it, but he thought Wheezy's car was pretty cool. Aside from the smell. He leaned over and pressed the side of his head to the window with a clink, watching as buildings went by in a blur. Already he was fidgeting, tapping his knee or shifting around in his seat. He needed something to do, he needed to use his hands. After what felt like forever, the car came to a stop and he looked up at his apartment complex in surprise. "Hold on... How do you know the way to my apartment? And why?" Wheezy ignored him and got out. "Tch. Thanks for the answer." He reached out to open the door, but Wheezy beat him to it and opened it for him. "I ain't a lady, Wheezy. You don't gotta open the door for me." Again, Wheezy ignored him, and Cuphead stepped out of the car. "Gee, great talk." What was with everyone acting so weird towards him?

"Remember kid, ya gotta stay home for at least a week." Wheezy called out to him, and Cuphead growled. "Yes Wheezy, I remember. And don't call me that! I'm eighteen!" Wheezy got into his car and rolled down the passenger side window. "See you in a week or so kid!" Cuphead groaned and slammed the door behind him. He got into the elevator and unlocked the door to his apartment. "Daisy?" He locked the door and put his coat on the hanger near the entrance and took off his shoes, placing them in one of the shoe cubbies. He frowned at Mugman's shoes, untouched. One of the pairs were gone, and have been for days now. He got to his feet and stepped into the living room. Daisy was sleeping in their pot, softly snoring away. He smiled, then sat down on the couch and leaned his head back into the cushions. "What am I going to do for a week?"

--

(Yay! I finally got the time to finish chapter one. I really like how it turned out so far and I'm excited to work on chapter 2!)

(Quick editors note: Like my other fics this will take a little while for its chapters to be finished and posted due to irl stuff)

Chapter Text

He needs to move . Run. Run. Run. He rushed through the woods, the trees around him familiar yet at the same time not. He stumbled to a stop at the creek, and groaned in frustration. Of course it was the same dream. Why wouldn't it be. "Give them to me!" That voice... Every time Cuphead heard it, it sounded so familiar, yet the face he tried to picture either came up blank or so blurry he couldn't make it out except for the color brown. He heard crashing and screaming, and he ran towards the noise, as he always did. The trees shifted from oak to spruce, and he came into a clearing where a two story farmhouse with a wraparound porch sat, it's windows broken in and blood dripping down the left side of the house. "Go! Take them and run!" Cuphead ran around to the front of the house where six blurry figures stood, three of them on the porch steps while the other three stood across from them. Cuphead could discern a few features, like clothes, but other than that it was a complete guessing game as to who these people were. One of the figures on the porch cradled two bundles in his arms, and he was slowly stepping back, his breathing thick and heavy with fear. "Hand over the children, [DCHHHH], and I will spare your life." One of the opposing figures growled, his body completely brown. Cuphead groaned again. Every time someone said that guy's name, it distorted and crackled like a TV with a bad signal. Cuphead had taken to calling him Carrier. "[DCHHHH], run! Take the children to the safe house!" Carrier hesitated, looking down at the bundles in his arms then back at his accomplices. "But- But what about you?! I can't-!" "Go!" The figure to Carrier's left barked. She wore a simple but elegant gray dress, it's skirt splattered with blood. Cuphead watched as she thrusted out her hand and a sword materialized in her white palm. "We'll keep them busy." Whoever this lady was, she was cool.

Carrier hesitated again, then turned and ran, jumping over the porch railing and sprinting into the woods with surprising agility. Cuphead found himself the one hesitating now. Every time he'd have this dream, he stayed and watched the remaining figures battle. But two against three was an unfair fight. The man and woman were slaughtered, and Cuphead would wake up. But, what if he followed Carrier? He turned, giving the doomed duo one last glance, then forged into the trees. At first he thought he had hesitated too long, and had lost Carrier, but the figure stood frozen mid step. "What...?" Cuphead circled him, then stopped and stepped closer to try and get a better look at him. Carrier's face was still blurry, but Cuphead could now see he wore a white button up shirt stained with blood, a partially undone bow tie, dark brown slacks, and a pair of nice, dark brown, dress shoes. "Why do you seem so familiar?" He reached out his hand, and as a he touched the man's face, he suddenly unfroze and rushed forward, phasing through Cuphead, who let out a yelp of alarm. "Hey! Slow down! Wait!" Cuphead chased him through the woods, weaving between trees and hopping over fallen logs. The trees changed again, from spruce to oak. They jumped off a small rise over the creek and Cuphead knew where they were going. But it couldn't be... But it was. They emerged into yet another clearing, and Carrier stopped, panting. His clothes had changed. He now wore a long overcoat, slacks, and another pair of dress shoes, all black. On his head was a black ivy cap. "We finally made it." Cuphead nearly thought Carrier was talking to him, but he was looking down at the bundles, and something shifted from within them. Carrier had been told to take the children and run... Cuphead had an idea what Carrier was cradling, but why would that brown figure want them? "[DCHHHH], is that you?" Cuphead's breath hitched. That voice... He hadn't heard it in so long. Carrier looked up and laughed in relief. "Yes, Kettle. It's me." Cuphead looked up and nearly sobbed. The cottage... And in it's doorway stood a much younger Elder Kettle. "What happened?"

--

Cuphead shot up in his bed, panting, his body and shirt slick with sweat. Daisy stood at the side of his bed, shaking his arm. "It... It's alright, Daisy. I-I'm... I'm okay..." Daisy squeaked and tilted their head. "It was nothing kid, just a little nightmare." Cuphead gently pried off Daisy's hands and got to his feet, forcing a smile. "I'm going to take a shower, and then we'll have breakfast! Okay?" Daisy frowned at him and softly took his hand, cooing sadly. Cuphead knelt down and patted their head. "I'm fine, really. This is your pal Cuphead your talkin' about!" He smirked and poked Daisy's nose. "What, you think I can't take a little nightmare, huh?" Daisy giggled, then squealed with laughter as Cuphead scooped them up and began poking their stomach. "I'll have you know a nightmare ain't gonna slow me down! I'm the toughest cup on the Inkwell Isles!" Cuphead chuckled as Daisy tried to shield themself from his poking, then set them down and rolled his shoulders as he stood to his full height. "Alright, let me go take my shower ya little ankle biter." Daisy hugged his leg, then scurried out of his room. Cuphead sighed tiredly, picked out his outfit for the day, and then made his way to the shower. Normally he liked turning the water as hot as he wanted, but today he left the water cold and pressed his forehead to the wall, beneath the shower head. Having a full nine hours of sleep was nice, but he still felt tired. But not normal tired, like he needed sleep. He wasn't sure how to describe it. Maybe mentally tired? He took a breath, dumped out the water that had gathered in his head, then finished his shower and dried off. Looking at himself in the mirror, he realized that old Cigarette Breath had been right yesterday. The circles under his eyes were pretty dark. He decided not to dwell on it and went to the kitchen after he got dressed, each step feeling weighed down and sluggish. He got Daisy their usual plate of soil, then poured himself a bowl of cereal and slumped next to the living flower on the couch, taking slow bites of his food.

The TV was playing some Bendy The Dancing Demon episodes, the little ink imp poking fun at Alice the Angel while Boris the Wolf stood nervously off to the side. Daisy laughed as Bendy said some kind of snarky insult, but Cuphead wasn't really listening. He thought back to his dream... Nightmare? It didn't particularly frighten him, but as he thought back to the cottage, and Elder Kettle... He wasn't sure what he felt. Sad? Yeah, he supposed so. Confusion too. Who were those people in his dream? And what did Carrier have to do with Elder Kettle? He sighed softly. He missed the cottage, and the woods. He liked the city and all, but he wanted to go home. To feel the peaceful solitude of the trees, to hear all the different things living there, to feel the creek rushing around his ankles in the shallows. He thought back fondly to that one time he had fallen into the creek as a child, and Mugman tried to fish him out with his butterfly net. "Squeak?" Daisy was tugging on his sleeve, looking upset. "What's wrong kid?" Daisy pointed at his eyes and he lifted a hand to them. His fingers came back wet, and he cleared his throat. "Oh, uh..." He wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffled, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry, I just got somethin' in my eye, that's all." Daisy grumbled and put their hands on their hips, puffing up their cheeks. "Really! I did!"Daisy didn't look particularly convinced. Cuphead needed to change the subject, and he got an idea. "Hey Daisy, how would you feel about going outside?" Daisy squeaked and curled into a ball, whining. "Look, I know you don't like going outside, into the city, but I think it would do you some good to get some sun." Daisy pointed to a spot underneath the window where the sunlight illuminated a square of carpet. Daisy liked to bask there each day, kind of like a cat. "I know, I know, but the sun feels better outside. If you'd like, we could go to the park?" Daisy perked up at that. There was a large rectangular area of grass, playgrounds, and trees in the middle of the city. There isn't usually many people there at this time of day, because everyone was at work or school. "So? What d'you say?" Daisy hesitated, caught between their fear of going outside as well as their want to be in nature. Nature won. Cuphead found an old trench coat he had as a kid and gave it to Daisy. He also found an old pair of shoes, but when offered to them Daisy hissed and stuck out their tounge. "Fair enough. I didn't like wearing shoes as a kid either."

---

Daisy was in Cuphead's arms,curled up against his chest as he walked, gripping his sleeve and glancing around nervously. The flower kept squeaking and jumping at every noise. A car backfired somewhere behind them and they squealed in fright, trying to crawl into Cuphead's coat and hide. The cup rubbed their back soothingly, explaining the source of the noise as they made their way to the park. The area of grass and trees, despite being very different, made Cuphead homesick. Daisy seemed to feel that way too, cooing sadly as they looked at the plants. He found a secluded spot that's plants were more dense, and he set Daisy down on the grass. "Why don't you run aroun' a bit, yeah? Just stay where I can see you." Daisy squeaked, then got up and began exploring as Cuphead sat down on a nearby bench. It was nice to be able to sit outside, but he couldn't keep his mind from wandering. His dream, Mugman, Elder Kettle, he felt like it was all connected somehow. But how? He was brought back to the present by the sound of Daisy chirping loudly. They were stood in front of Cuphead, growling with their hackles raised. Across from them, mostly hidden by the trees, was a figure. They were covered in shadow, and Cuphead couldn't tell what they looked like. A breeze coming from the stranger's direction brought the scent of tulips to his nose. His hand crept to the revolver he kept hidden under his coat. "Cuphead?" He jumped and looked over. A woman wearing a long red trench coat stood behind his bench. "Hilda!" She circled around and sat next to him, glancing over him curiously. "What's got you so jumpy?" He blinked and stuttered, looking back to the trees, but the figure was gone, and Daisy was sitting at his feet, whining softly. "Uh, 's nothin'. Sorry." He cleared his throat. "What are ya doin' in the city?" 

Hilda raised a brow. "You don't know?" Cuphead stared at her with a blank expression. She sighed and leaned back, blinking rapidly. "Nah I guess you wouldn't. He doesn't talk much to anyone." She took a shakey breath. "Cagney's missin'..." Cuphead sat forward abruptly. "What?!" She nodded, still looking up at the sky. "I've been in the city for maybe over a month lookin' for him. I even started puttin' up missin' signs a few days ago, but still no luck." Cuphead felt dread pool deep in his stomach. Not again, please... "How... How long has he been missin'?" She looked over at him, a pained expression on her face. "Two months. He's been missing for two months."

--------------------

(Finally done with chapter 2! I know it's short but the other chapters will be longer!)

Chapter Text

They went home not too long after talking to Hilda. Daisy scampered to their broken pot, glad to be back, but Cuphead hovered near the door. Two months... Cagney's been missing for two months. He looked over at a picture of Mugman above the couch. Two months... This can't be a coincidence.

----

It's been four days since he got sent home. Occasionally he would take Daisy out to the park, and Hilda and him would catch up. It was always the same. He would ask Hilda how her search was going, and she would say there's been no luck so far. Sometimes he would catch that smell of tulips when he was alone. Cuphead felt like he was going crazy. He's heard no word from anyone at the casino, but the checks kept coming in like King Dice had promised. Cuphead sat up from his bed, sick of replaying all these moments in his head. He looked at his clock beside his bed and stood up, already dressed. It was nearly time anyways. He crept out of his room and into the living room, spotting Daisy snoring on their pot. Good. He grabbed his coat and fedora and silently walked out the door, to the elevator, then out of the apartment building. The city was almost never quiet, but it was more calm at night. A few cars passed by as he walked down the sidewalk, keeping his head tilted down so that the fedora casted a shadow over his face. The city was dangerous, and even more dangerous considering he's made a couple enemies while living there. He walked for a while, the concrete and large buildings giving way to grass and trees. He came up on a area surrounded by a tall, chain link fence with no trespassing signs in giant red letters. He turned to the left and went a couple paces before stopping at a mangled part of the fence, and pushed it up so that he could slip underneath. Further up the hill large ruins dotted the landscape, some bearing the crest of Calix Animi. He ignored most of the ruins until he came a pool of water in a circle of old columns. As he approached it, it began to glow a pale blue color, and a voice that sounded older than time itself spoke. "I was wondering when you would seek me out." He sat down near the pool's edge. "You knew I was coming?" 

"There is a difference between knowing and suspecting, young cup." Quadratus said quietly, and Cuphead grumbled. He hated when the old pool started talking all cryptic-like. "Well if you "suspected" I was coming, did you also suspect what I'm gonna ask?" Quadratus paused, gazing at Cuphead with a troubled look. "...Yes. You wish to know where your brother is." Cuphead's eyes stung. He blinked and nodded. "I know much, that is true, but not all. I do not know Mugman's whereabouts." Quadratus frowned as Cuphead stifled a sob. "But he came to me, two weeks before you came to me now. He wished to know things he should not know, for it would not be his place as a mortal to know them." Cuphead stared in disbelief. Mugman had been here the first day he was gone, asking questions? "What-" his voice came out as a croak and he cleared his throat. "What did he ask about?" Quadratus hummed softy. "He asked for forbidden knowledge of his past. Old secrets locked in his blood. I refused to tell him..." Quadratus looked away. "...At first." Cuphead leaned forward, placing his hands on the rim of the pool, his fingers dipping into the water. "What did you tell my brotha Quadratus?" The old water frowned. Cuphead could feel steam beginning to curl up and caress his face. "Many of his questions were in relation to the Calix Animi. I would not tell the answers he seeked, but one." Quadratus paused again and Cuphead grit his teeth. "And?"

"He asked where he could find someone with knowledge of his family, and ancestors. I told him he had already found them." Cuphead leaned back slightly. "Our family...? Did you tell him who it was?" Quadratus nodded. "Not directly, but I guided him in their direction." If Cuphead can find this person, he could find Mugman. "Who knows about our family? Where can I find him?" Quadratus shook his head. "Not him, young cup. Them. It is not just one man who knows. It is three. But beware of who you trust. One has a desire he has not yet let go, and two have loyalty that could be deadly to others. Or themselves." Cuphead rubbed his temples, and opened his mouth to ask where he could find them, when he caught a familiar whiff of tulips. He turned, and there was a sudden violent rustling in the tall grass behind him, and the tulip smell was briefly replaced by the scent of cigarettes. But that was gone as quickly as it came, and he couldn't smell anything except dirt and grass. "Beware who you trust, young cup. Beware." He turned back to the water, but Quadratus was gone, and he was left alone in the dark.

----

He had come home, exhausted and covered in dirt. Tear streaks covered his cheeks. He crashed into the couch and fell asleep. The next morning, he hovered by the phone, staring at the dial. Despite having slept in, he still felt exhausted. He was still dirty, and wore the clothes from last night's adventure. Daisy sat on their bed, chittering nervously while looking at him. Finally, he took a deep breath and dialed the number of the casino. It rang for a few moments, before someone picked up and he heard a feminine voice on the other side. "Hello?" Cuphead took a breath and smiled. "Hey Pirouletta..." "Cuphead! It is good to hear from you again. How are you feeling?" Cuphead leaned against the wall. "Uh it's been... Good. Yeah. I feel..." He trailed off.

{Switched P.OV.}

Pirouletta listened closely to the phone, but Cuphead had gone silent. "Cuphead?" The young man cleared his throat on the other end. "Oh ah sorry, um... Look can I talk to Dice?"

"Dice? why would he wanna talk to Dice?"

"Hell if I know."

"I thought they hated each other! Hehehe..."

The others were crowded around Pirouletta, listening in on the conversation. It was three thirty -seven in the morning, so the Casino hasn't opened yet. She waved her hand and gave them a stern expression, telling them to be quiet. "Well, alright, I don't see why not but... Are you quite sure you're okay?" Cuphead told her he was fine, just a bit tired. Pirouletta frowned. Something wasn't quite right. "Hocus would you mind getting King Dice?" The rabbit giggled and hopped away, humming to himself, seemingly oblivious to what was going on. She put the receiver back to her mouth. "King Dice will be coming in just a moment." Cuphead thanked her and went silent again. This was very strange... Cuphead wasn't the silent type, normally he'd probably try and talk her ear off, spinning some egotistical story about a fight or something, but he just stayed quiet. The others seemed to pick up on this too and talked quietly amongst themselves, until King Dice and Wheezy walked in, Hocus Pocus trailing behind them. They whispered back and forth to each other, seeming to be arguing about something. That wasn't too out of the ordinary, but normally when they disagreed on something the whole casino would hear about it. Something very odd was going on.  Finally Dice huffed and muttered something to Wheezy, and the old cigarette walked off to the break room, yawning. The manager turned his attention to the group gathered around the phone. "Hocus told me I had a call?" Pirouletta nodded and handed the phone to him. He put it to the side of his head and said a greeting. He paused, listening, then waved his hand for the others to leave. They looked at each other, then dispersed to the rest of the casino. Pirouletta hesitated for a moment, hoping to catch a small piece of their conversation, but Dice and Cuphead spoke low, and she couldn't hear them. Giving up, she left to ready the tables for customers.

{Switched P.O.V}

"...I've been fine, Dice. Really." King Dice shifted his weight to his other foot. "You sound tired." He heard a chuckle on the other side. It sounded forced. "Uh, yeah, I'm just... Still getting used to this new schedule." Dice knew a lie when he heard one. "You're coming back to work tomorrow," he reminded, and he heard a sharp inhale come from the cup. "About that..." He hesitated, and Dice told him to continue. "Could I have a bit more time off? Just, 'til Mugman gets back home?" King Dice nodded. Cuphead had told them Mugman had left around three weeks ago on a trip. Something about doing some research. The boss hadn't liked that. Normally, you're supposed to ask and tell your higher ups in advance, but Cuphead said he was already gone, so they left it be. "How much longer until he gets back?" He heard Cuphead mumble on the other side, saying something like "I wish I knew..." "What was that boy?" He heard the young man's phone jostle around, sounding like it had been dropped. "Cuphead?" He heard a scraping noise, and a quick, "Sorry, sorry." "Fuck's sake, don't scare me like that. The hell did you do to your phone?" Cuphead chuckled again. "Got distracted and I knocked it over, sorry." Dice sighed through his nose. "Whatever. When will Mugman be back?" "I think, uh... A-a week." Another week without their waiters wasn't ideal, but it shouldn't put too much strain on business. "Okay. One more week." Cuphead sighed in relief. "Thanks... T-thank you." Dice paused, hesitating. "Dice?" He put his hand in his pocket, clearing his throat. "Cuphead, what have you been doin' durin' your break?" "Um, not much, really..."

"You've just been stayin' at home and doin' nothin'?" Cuphead scoffed softly. "W-well no. I've been takin' Daisy to the park..." "Is that all?" Cuphead took longer than Dice liked to respond. "I ran into an old friend maybe two days ago, I think. Hilda. You remember her right?" Dice recalled the less than sane woman. "Hilda Berg? Yes I remember her. What's she doin' in the city?" Cuphead hesitated. "...Dunno. She didn't tell me." More lies... "But we talked for a bit. And now we meet up at the park sometimes." Dice wondered why Hilda had appeared now of all times. "That sounds good." Cuphead made a sound of agreement and they sat in awkward silence for a moment. They weren't necessarily friends. Just boss and employee. "Well, it was good to hear from you." "Uh, you too..." They said their goodbyes, and Dice hung up. The lying rubbed him the wrong way. He doesn't expect his employees to always be truthful when speaking to him, half the time they weren't, but when it comes to Cuphead's behavior and recent staff absences... An uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest. Everything felt off. It was like he had a puzzle in front of him but several pieces were missing. And he wanted find them. 

----

Fwoosh... Wheezy blew out rings after rings of smoke from his cigarette out of his car window, ignoring the sprinkle of rain coming down. His coat laid draped over the passenger seat and he had his hand slightly covering the gun strapped to his side. After that little scuffle he had last night, he wasn't taking any chances. His car was backed into an alley, and across the street from him sat an apartment building with several windows, but he kept his eyes trained on one in particular. A small silhouette passed by it every now and then. His target was pacing back and forth, though wether it was from thinking about something or being restless he wasn't sure. The silhouette stopped in the window, and for a moment he thought he had been caught, but the figure moved away from the glass and soon walked out of the building, carrying a small green and yellow humanoid in his arms. Wheezy snatched up his coat and stepped out of his car, throwing down his cigarette into a puddle and stomping down on it. The smoke would only get him caught.

----

"Still no luck." Hilda said glumly as she watched Daisy poking at the mud with a stick. Cuphead sat beside her, his arms crossed. "No ones seen 'im?" She shook her head. "No one. Cop's ain't got any leads either. They don't have a clue where ta' look." Cuphead kicked a pinecone at his feet. He watched it roll past Daisy and they chirped, spinning around and chasing after it. "Where'd you find them?" Cuphead looked up at his friend. "Huh?" Hilda pointed towards where Daisy had disappeared into the bushes. "Daisy. They're one of Cagney's little flowers." Cuphead felt a small smile form on his face. "They were actually the one who found us. Couple a' months ago they had somehow climbed up to our apartment window and broke in. Stepped into my head while climbin' through the window." He looked down at his feet. "We thought... We thought maybe they had just gotten lost, wandered a bit too far from Cagney and the woods. But now that you're here lookin' for 'im... God I should've known better..." He trailed off, and Hilda put her hand on his back. "Hey, it ain't your fault. You didn't know." He leaned back and groaned. "But I should've thought about it more. I mean, one of Cagney's minions, who never go into the city, just show up outta nowhere at my apartment buildin'? It should'a been obvious ta me, I'm such an idiot." Hilda kept trying to make him feel better, but he wasn't listening. Something was rustling in the bushes across from them, something bigger than his little flower friend. He heard a distant "shhhh...," and suddenly Daisy launched themselves out of the leaves, kicking around the pinecone and giggling. Maybe he was just being paranoid. He saw Hilda look down at her watch and quietly curse under her breath. "I was supposed to talk to the chief of police seven minutes ago. She stood up, tucking her purse under her arm. "I gotta go, talk to you again tomorrow?" She held out her hand and Cuphead took it as he stood up, giving it a firm squeeze. "You betcha." They waved goodbye to each other as she left, and he turned to Daisy, who was chewing on the pinecone. "Alright buddy, time to go home." Daisy cooed, disappointed, but dropped the cone and scampered over, allowing Cuphead to scoop them up. As he did he caught an odd smell, and leaned down to sniff the flower's petals. Was that... Lucky Strike?

----

"He's still not back... It's been a week, but he's still gone. He promised he'd be back in a week." Cuphead sat on the couch, staring at the wall. When Mugman left, he told Cuphead he was going to be gone for three weeks, and he'd come back on the last day of the third week. Cuphead glanced over at his clock. The hands pointed to two twenty-three in the morning. He'd waited all day, even canceling a meet-up with Hilda, but Mugman was still gone. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. He hasn't slept in a few days. Daisy was curled up on his lap, peacefully snoring. They had insisted on waiting with him, but Cuphead didn't think they fully understood what was going on. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He just wanted to see his brother again, and for everything to go back to normal.

----

In his dream, Mugman was crying. He sat at the base of a large tombstone, one of the ones used for couples. Cuphead tried to look at the two names etched into the stone, but they looked smudged, like when you swipe your finger across wet paint. Mugman was mumbling between sobs, but he was talking in Latin. Last Cuphead knew, he didn't speak the language that fluently. He was able to catch a few words that Mugman had taught him before, but what he heard didn't make much sense. "Time.." "Angel..." "Hurts..." Time could possibly be referring to being late coming back home, but angel? Hurts? What could those be? Was Mugman hurt? Cuphead reached out. "Mugma-" His fingers had barely brushed his brother's shoulder before Mugman's head spun around abruptly. Cuphead jerked his hand back. His brother's face was contorted, looking stretched out and uncanny. His eyes darted around hungrily like he couldn't get enough of what he was seeing. Instead of tears, drops of blood oozed from his eyes. His jaw made a horrid crunching noise as it slowly opened, and his gullet glowed pale blue. "Beware. Beware. Beware." Quadratus' voice bellowed out of his mouth, and a chill went through Cuphead. He tried to turn and run, but he couldn't move. Was Mugman getting taller? He looked down. No, he was sinking into the ground, the mud sucking at his legs and pulling him down. He clawed at the ground, but his arms were cracking, fractures spread through the porcelain like spiderwebs. He swung his left arm, attempting to grab at the disturbing imitation of his brother. His fingers hooked onto his messenger bag, but his arm snapped off at the bicep with a nasty CRUNCH. "Beware. Beware. Beware." Mugman was still chanting, his eyes stopping to follow Cuphead as he continued to sink. He felt the earth squeezing and pulling as his chest went under, his ribs snapping and popping from the pressure. "M-mugman!" He cried desperately, trying in vain with his remaining arm to pull himself out of the dirt. Mugman stayed still, watching as Cuphead's head finally went under.

----

He screamed and sat bolt upright from the floor. His shirt was sopping wet with sweat. He clawed at his chest, his mouth and throat still feeling like they were being filled with mud. He couldn't catch his breath, no matter how much he gasped for air. Everything around him was too blurry, too bright, too loud. He jumped and scrambled back into a corner as he heard a car door slam out on the street. He could barely think. His brother's disfigured face was still so clear in his mind it was like he was still there, staring at him. He clutched his head in his hands, and tried closing his eyes, but that just made it worse. BANG BANG BANG. "Cuphead?!" Someone was banging at the door. Their voice was gravely and strangely familiar, but he couldn't focus enough to figure out who it was. His chest still hurt, and he gripped his shirt in his hands, his breaths coming out in loud, high pitched gasps. He needed everything to stop, he needed the whole world to just shut up and turn down the damn lights. He heard his doorknob unlock and saw two fuzzy figures enter his living room from the corner of his eye. They paused for a moment, then seemed to notice him and rushed to where he sat on the floor.

"What's wrong with 'im?!"

"Shhh, yelling will make it worse."

The bigger of the two stood up and reached for something. The room dimmed and Cuphead finally felt like a flashlight wasn't being shined in his eyes. "Cuphead, I need you to take deep breaths." The big one was back on the floor, kneeling to his right. His voice was rough and stern. Deep breaths? He tried to do what he was told, but he had trouble thinking. "Try to do it like this: inhale for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds." He blinked, slightly shaking his head. How is this going to help? "Cuphead, I need you to do this." He squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled, doing his best to count to four as he did so. He pressed his lips together and tried to hold the air in, counting to seven, his lungs still screaming for oxygen. Finally he slowly let out a shaky breath, counting to eight. "Good. Keep going." He had to do it more? He sucked in air again, surprisingly finding it a little easier to do so. One Mississippi... Two Mississippi... He counted, and breathed, over and over again, each time a little easier than the last. "That's it, good job!" The other person to his left, his voice having a southern accent, congratulated, trying to speak softly. He buzzed with nervous energy, his blurry hands fidgeting with his bright green vest. Cuphead could tell he was just trying to help, but the man's anxiety made him feel more stressed. The big guy however was calm, more grounded. It was like he had dealt with something like this before. Cuphead leaned towards him as his vision slowly began to clear. "Easy now. Try not to move too much. You're breathing is better, but try to do it from here," He reached down and lightly pressed the tip of his finger to Cuphead's stomach, and he obeyed. "There you go. Good." He stood up and Cuphead frowned. Where was he going? He leaned down and whispered something to his friend, who nodded and scooted closer to the cup. The taller man disappeared, and Cuphead tried to focus on something, anything, in the room, but his sight was still somewhat fuzzy. "Cuphead?" He flinched. Too loud. "Sorry, sorry." The cowboy paused, then shifted into a more comfortable position. "I need you to listen to me okay?" He managed a weak nod. "Can you tell me five things you can see?" Cuphead blinked and slowly looked around. "I-I see..." His voice sounded raspy and frail. "The couch, a vase... Um... The coffee table... The carpet, a-and Daisy's broken pot." "Great, ya did great. Now tell me four things you can touch." What was he doing? Was this some kind of game? "Uh, my leg?" He poked his limb and sure enough, he felt the hard porcelain underneath his pant-leg. "My shirt, the wall, and... Uh..." He glanced over and grabbed the other man's vest. "You, I guess..."

They kept going, the cowboy asking him to name three things he could hear, then two things he could smell. Cuphead continued answering, feeling his hammering heart slow down to a normal pace. "Good job pal. We're almost done. Tell me one thing you can taste." Cuphead paused. Something he could taste? He swallowed and whimpered. "Dirt..." He could still taste it, invading his mouth and lungs. He took a shaky breath. "Dirt?" The guy beside him sounded confused. Cuphead didn't blame him. Thump, thump, thump. Heavy footsteps came from around the corner and the second man stood over them. He sat down and set a warm bowl on Cuphead's lap. The smell coming from it was pleasant, and reminded him of Elder Kettle. "...Oatmeal?" He felt something cool brush his fingers. "And water." He took the cup, examining it's contents first, then put it's rim to his lips, taking a cautionary sip. The cold water felt good, washing away the taste of soil. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was. "Slow down idiot, you'll make yourself sick." The big guy snapped, grabbing the bottom of the glass and making Cuphead take smaller gulps. "Go easy on the poor kid Wheezy." Cuphead paused his drinking. Wheezy? "Shut up Chips." Chips? His eyesight was still kind of foggy, but he turned and tried to focus on the bigger dude's face. He found it was oddly more blurry than his other surroundings, but he squinted his eyes and forced his brain to focus. Slowly a face he's grown familiar with came into view. A long nose, brown papery skin, but the only thing not familiar was the angry, swollen, dark blue and purple bruise just underneath his right eye. "Wheezy?" 

-------------------

(Chapter 3 finally done! This is probably my longest chapter yet!)

(Author's note: Just to elaborate on the whole "Lucky Strike" thing, I did a tiny bit of googling and, according to Google, Cuphead is set in the 1930s. Google also says that the most popular cigarette brands during the 1930s in the U.S. were Lucky Strike, Chesterfield, and Camel. I thought maybe incorporating a few things that were popular or at least well known during the 1930s would be a good idea)

(Another author's note: I'm sure you guys have noticed the small line of dashes between some of the paragraphs, and I just wanted to say in case it wasn't obvious, they're supposed to be time skips or scene changes)

(ANOTHER another author's note: I tried my best to portray Cuphead's panic attack accurately. I don't have much experience with panic attacks and what I went off of was a couple sources I found on Google so forgive me if it's not the most accurate)

Chapter Text

It had turned out that Chips and Wheezy had arrived at the apartment building just as Cuphead woke up. Chips told him they had heard him screaming because he left his window open and they came rushing up to his room. "Why did you come here in the first place?" They sat on the couch, Cuphead in the middle wrapped up in a blanket and eating his bowl of oatmeal with Daisy cooing on his lap. "You were s'posed to come back to work today, remember?" Chips answered, and motioned to the calendar on the wall beside them. There was small, messy handwriting on the box for October 2nd, and Cuphead sighed. "Shit that's right..."

--------------------

(W.I.P)

(Just a heads up, my editing for fics is pretty sporadic. I'll add a little bit, update it, look at something, then add a bit more not long after. Sometimes I'll just leave a fic alone for a LONG time, unfinished until I get the motivation or time to pick it back up (*cough* almost every other fic I have on here *cough*) so please be patient with my awful updates and time management 😔)