Cuphead: The Stolen Soul

Chapter 1

Cuphead slumped in his chair, his chin resting on his arms as he leaned against the dinner table. Out of boredom, the young boy stared out the window into the forest beyond the walls of the Elder Kettle's house. Cuphead was currently experiencing one of those days where everything one would enjoy didn't seem all that exciting for an unknown reason; and he wasn't enjoying that phase one bit.

The Elder Kettle noticed the blank expression on Cuphead's face. He called the youth's brother, Mugman, to the dining room to talk to them.

"What is it, Elder Kettle?" asked Mugman curiously, "Is there something you need us to do?"

The wise kettle placed a piece of paper on the table between the two brothers, "I've noticed that you two have been lacking in productive activity these past few days, so I've created something special for you. If you want to, you can call it a scavenger hunt."

Cuphead straightened his posture at the mentioning of a new adventure, "What are we looking for?"

The Elder Kettle placed a map next to the list, along with a dozen coins, "I would like for you two to explore the Inwell Isles, and search for the buildings listed here. If you want, you can also purchase some snacks from one of the shops."

Cuphead and Mugman exchanged an exhilarated glance among each other before looking back to the Elder Kettle.

"Now," the old kettle cleared his throat, "before you go, I have one more thing to tell you. No matter what you're told, no matter what you see, no matter what you do, stay on this side of the tracks. I don't want you going anywhere near the Devil's Casino."

Cuphead tilted his head with interest, "Why can't we go there?"

"Many strange events have occured in the casino. Most of those events have not been very good ones. Most of them ended with witnesses stuck with terrible fates. I don't want you boys being one of those unfortunate individuals. Do you understand?"

The boys nodded.

"Alright then," exclaimed the Elder Kettle, "you boys hop to it! Off you go!"

"Wait for me!" exclaimed Mugman as he eagerly chased after his brother. The two youngsters raced through the forest to complete their quest.

__________

Down in the darks caves below the Devil's Casino, a small black creature lay waiting; the vicious creature waited as his prey came rolling along the floor near him. He chuffed slyly as the unsuspecting victim came closer... and closer.

At last the target was within reach. The monster pounced from the darkness, seizing the red victim with ease. The black beast held the prey in front of him as he snickered in triumph.

"Oh, who am I kiddin'?" the black creature sighed, "It's a rubber ball! It's not gonna beg for mercy. Oy, sometimes even chasin' an inanimate object isn't enough to keep a demon entertained down here." The demon threw the rubber ball across the floor, watching as it seemingly fled to the far corner.

He sighed and looked to a dusty old mirror that leaned against the wall next to him. He had a round head with an indent on the top to represent devil's horns. A black, classical devil tail reached out from behind him. He wore white gloves and an ink-tainted bowtie. He had pie-cut eyes and a wide, somewhat disturbing grin. One detail that one would quickly notice upon seeing this devil was strange; he was made of ink.

The small ink demon sighed as he turned to face the pile of scrolls. In his lifetime, the young art piece had read every last one of the scrolls. One would think he'd memorized them word-for-word.

The young devil glanced to a tall pedestal in the center of the room. Resting on the pedestal was a small box. For as long as the small creature could remember, that box had waited there for someone to lift it and discover its secrets. The small devil had wanted to see what the box contain, but he had a problem; he wasn't the tallest of the monstrosities that lived down here.

Until today, the small ink creature had no clue as to how he could reach the hidden treasure. However, he was sure that he would find out today. The small creature leaned the mirror against the pedestal and took a few steps back. He ran up the slanted mirror and seized the top of the tall pedestal.

He carefully reached over the edge of the pillar and grabbed at the box. He was sure he'd reach the box until he heard a booming voice behind him. "Bendy! What are you doing!?"

Bendy lost his grip and fell, sliding down the mirror and crashing into a pair of furry legs. The demon looked up at a glaring figure above him.

"Uh..." Bendy stammered, "Hi, Pops."

"Bendy," the Devil growled, "were you trying to open that box?"

Bendy stood up and hung his head, "Yeah."

"And are you supposed to be looking in the box?"

"No."

"Then why are you trying to look inside it?"

"What else can I do? I've read every scroll, I've done everything one can do with the rubber ball! I'm bored outta my mind!"

"Well, what do you want to do?"

Bendy twiddled his thumbs, "I was thinkin' maybe I could go outside?"

"No."

"Why? There's nothing to do down here!"

The Devil sighed, "Look, Bendy, I understand that you're curious. It's natural for a child to be that way. But you have to learn self control. Everyone has a right to privacy and secret. If you want to learn one's secret, you must earn that right. Now, I won't let it slide, but I'll go easy this once."

The ink demon tilted his head, "Whaddya mean?"

The Devil, pointed to the pile of scrolls, "I want you to sort through those contracts. Sort them in alphabetical order and by date."

"B-but-"

"If you've read every scroll, it will be easier to sort them. Now get going. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish."

"Fine." Bendy groaned as he stomped over to the pile.