Authoress' note: You may be having de-ja-vus from another fanfic I wrote (that is now deleted) called the Contract CATastrofe. Yeah, this is a take two at it. It was poorly written and I wasn't enjoying myself. So I'm sorry I had to torture you (and myself) with that crap. But enough with the negativity! Hopefully this story will satisfy your expectations!
But thanks goes to TheLexTurtle for reviewing. I'm glad you were liking it, and I hope this story will be even better. (I'm a huge fan of your meddling with magic story)
Anyway, on to the story! I own nothing but my OCs and wand!
If your looking for danger, mystery, and possible a big win, then the Devil's Casino is just the place to visit.
Unless your a hero.
If you're a hero, then... well... your screwed. Just ask Cuphead.
But that didn't stop Joanfenny from entering. She, as well as her OCs Felines Orio, Prim, and Video, quietly entered the casino and sat down at one of the mini round tables without greeting anyone or even making eye contact. This was very unlike our beloved Authoress, who was normally more than willing to introduce herself to new characters. But this time the four of them slinked in like a shadow. Well, actually, the felines just hid in her backpack. When Joan sat down she plopped her gray and purple pack on the cloth-covered table. A series of "ows" came from inside.
"Orio, get your paw off my face!" Prim muttered from inside. The young Authoress wordlessly unzipped her backpack and all of her kittens tumbled out.
"That's the last time we're riding together!" Prim hissed as she licked her fur.
"Fine by me, your purrfume stinks." Video muttered.
Prim was about to lash out, when Joan shushed them all.
"Stop attracting attention." She whispered. "We're on a mission, not some fanfic adventure."
"I thought all our trips to the fandom realms are fanfic adventures." Orio pipped up.
Joan rolled her eyes. "Okay, true, but we're not here for fun and games. This is The Devil's Casino, not the most friendly place for heroes like us."
"Yeah, these skeletons look kinda sketchy." Prim noted as she fixed her oversized purple bow.
Joan placed her elbows on the table as she leaned in. "Okay, kitties, like I said, this is a villain hotspot. The last thing we want is to attract attention." Joan pulled out her mini notebook and looked over the instructions she wrote down before she left. "Okay, since you three are cartoon cats you won't stick out as much, but me being from reality I'm gonna turn a few skulls. So listen up. Orio, see those back doors over there?"
Orio turned his head before nodding.
"Good, I need you too see if you can get into the back rooms. You're stealthy enough, see what you can sniff out."
Orio's already cartoonishly-big eyes widened in excitement. Finally, his first stealth mission.
"What about me?" Video whined.
Joan grinned. "You're just the kitty for this part, Video. See that Die-man over there?"
"Yeah?"
"That's King Dice, manager of this Casino."
"I thought the Devil was the manager." Prim said.
"He owns the Casino, Mr. King Dice is the manager. So in other words, he's The Devil's right hand man." Joan sang the last part. "Anywho, Video, you have a way with conmen and villains in general. I need you to strike up some small talk with him, as well as keep him distracted. See if you can pick up anything from him."
"And me?" Prim asked.
"You, Prim, are going to sniff around the skeletons. You don't have to talk to them, just eavesdrop in, got it?"
"So... in other words, I'm in stealth mode too?" Prim queried.
Joan nodded.
"Aww... How come I can't go into stealth mode?" Video whined again.
"Can't have everything, Vid." Joan said as she took out some notes. "Any questions?"
"Yeah, why are we even doing this?" Orio asked.
Joan cocked an eyebrow. "Weren't you listening on the way here?"
"I was having my catnap."
The Authoress sighed. "We are here on a mission for the FHU, the Fandom Heroes Union. Several villains from various fandoms have been overheard talking about the owner of this here hellhole. This is a bit strange, since fandom characters can only stay in their fandoms unless accompanied or assisted by someone from the Realm of Reality, which is where I'm from. Several of the heroes suspect that the Devil may be plotting something with the other villains."
Orio yawned. "Wait, how can they do that without the help of a fanfic writer?"
Joan pointed her index finger at the furball. "Aye, that's where the mystery comes in. We have two theories on what could be going on. One: some diabolical fanfic writer out there is causing this."
Orio grew worried. Corrupt fanfic authors were never good. Especially when they were fangirl writers who shipped everybody. "And the second theory?"
Joan's face grew serious. "Two: One of the villains themselves is from Reality, and is causing these crossovers to occur."
Prim scrunched her heart-shaped nose. "How's that possible? No fandom villain exists in Reality."
Joan shook her finger again. "We might be wrong, Miss Calico." The Authoress pointed to the doors that lead to the Devil's office. "Some of us heroes suspect that he may be no fandom character at all, but a Real Villain, just as I am a Real Hero."
The feline trio gasped as the "DON DON DOOON" music played in the casino. Cartoon logic?
Joan then smiled. "And that, my friends, is what we are here to find out! Since I can crossover into any fandom I please (since I'm an Authoress) we are the perfect team to uncover this mystery. The sooner we find out the identity of this Real or Fictional Demon, the sooner we can uncover what evil plot is unfolding."
The cats gave her blank stares, until Video sneezed, shooting out a sticky bugger vine from his nose.
"You guys get all this, right?" Joan asked. Her cats could be pretty clueless at times.
The cats were quiet for a moment. Then Prim asked "Can't we just ask the Devil if he's real or not?"
The three heroes gave her looks that said, "Don't ask stupid questions."
"I'm ready to do some demon hunting!" Video piped up.
"We're not going to attack him, heck we're gonna avoid him if we can. If he's really from Reality, then we want ta' leave pretty quick." Joan retorted.
Video huffed in annoyance. Joan ignored him. "Alright, Ya'll know what to do?" Joan asked.
"Yeah, you just told us." Video mumbled.
"Excellent! Now go out there and sniff 'em out!"
The cats scattered, leaving Joan to go over her case file. The young Authoress turned up her trench coat collar to hide her realistic face. The navy-blue coat itself was a cartoon coat, complements of Mickey Mouse. The two of them were old friends. In fact, it was the old mouse who recommended Joan for the mission. Normally when people got trapped in Cuphead it was through some magic pencil or a freak accident of some sort. But thanks to Joan's magic she could hop in and out of fandoms with ease.
That is, when her wand was working.
For the past few days her Authoress Wand had been glitching, which normally happened when she needed it the most. When the wand was working Joan had no problem causing a ruckus, but in this case, she's gonna air on the side of caution. The purple wand was currently tucked under her jacket sleeve that was if she needed it she didn't have to search for the darn thing.
As Joan studied the records provided by various fandom heroes, Video strolled up to Dice. Video was the con-kitty of the crew, so he normally dealt with villains. Wearing his poker-face, the feline cleared his throat.
OOO
King Dice was watching some skeletons gamble from a distance when an "a-hem" caught his attention. Looking down, he saw a cartoon kitten giving him a relaxed expression. The feline was black and white, though mostly black with his face being split in half with black and the kitten's head rested a green cap that was too big for him. He wasn't from 30s cartoons, he seemed to be an original design. An OC, no doubt.
"Yo, you Mister-Gamiest-in-the-Land?" The kitten asked.
King Dice grinned. "You know your characters, boy. And who might you be?"
The cat jumped onto a nearby table so they could see eye-to-eye. "Friends call me Vid. Sent in an application a couple days ago. Just wanted to make sure ya'll got it."
Dice raised an eyebrow. "A villain application-?"
The cat scoffed. "I wish. My owner would never let me be a villain. But I need a Summer job, and I heard you're hirin'."
King Dice rubbed his non-existent chin. Wasn't uncommon for OCs to get Summer jobs. Even though OCs worked more during the school year, when their creators were too occupied in Reality, Summer is the time when things get busy for the fandoms, when all the fangirls were on break. As a result, almost every store, company, restaurant, etc were hiring during the Summer.
And the Casino was no exception.
"The Devil's always hiring." King Dice said with a smirk.
"Vid" returned the grin. "Awesome. Ya'll need a little guy like me?"
King dice chuckled. He liked this kid already. "Depends on what you got, kiddo."
"I may not look like much, but I can give trouble, and ain't that exactly what Villains look for in a person?"
King Dice put his gloved hand on the table and leaned over the kitten. "Depends on who you give the trouble to."
"Well, I can give heroes a hard time." Vid said.
Dice straitened. "Well, you certainly seem like a good pawn in the game, but we'll have to see your application first."
Vid shrugged. "That's cool, man. In the meantime, how 'bout you show me the ropes of this joint. I heard people have a hell of a time down here."
King Dice eyed the gambling skeletons and grinned. "Ever played a round of craps, kid?"
OOO
Nothing like seeing undead toons break out into quarrels to rattle the nerves of an Authoress. Joanfenny quietly slurped her root beer as she watched the skeletons fight over poker. They were all probably drunk from the illegal alcohol. This was the prohibition era, after all.
MatPat was right, it is fitting to have illegal booze in Satan's Casino. That is, if it is the Devil. Joan prayed it was not, but the rumors have been telling her otherwise. The girl studied the accounts the heroes had left her, hoping to find any clues or connections. They were all separated in tan-colored files each labeled a silly phrase to avoid suspicion.
The first report was from the hero of the fandom Joan currently resided in, Cuphead. He said that there had been a rumor going around that the Devil was leaving his Casino more than usual, which was making the townsfolk nervous.
"Mugs and I were chasing a monarch butterfly the other day when we passed The Root Pack. The Onion was crying and the three-eyed carrot was pacing nervously. When we asked what was the matter, they told us they heard the Devil was leaving his Casino a lot. We went away worried, so we started asking the other bosses what they heard. Some of them weren't aware of the rumor. Others did hear and were bracing themselves for the worst. We ran home to Elder Kettle and he said that this should go to the FHA."
The next report was from Luke Skywalker, a Star Wars hero and old friend of Joans.
"Actually, it was my dad who told me this. He asked to meet me on Planet Truce one day, said it was an emergency. So we met up at the golf course that we go to every other Sunday. He seemed worried, which was a bit unlike him. When I asked him what was wrong he told me that his Master, Emperor Palpatine, has been meeting up with a villain, but won't tell Vader about it. Vader thought he was plotting against him,which wasn't uncommon. I mean, they're villains. At one point Vader caught a glimpse of the Villain Palpatine's been talking to, and his description of the beast didn't match any aliens I knew. Tall, covered in brown fur, had huge yellow eyes and long horns that towered over it's head. Vader told me that the most unsettling thing about him was the creature's smile.
'It stretched from ear to ear,' he said, 'And was filled with razor-sharp teeth.' "
Reports like these were piling in left and right. Eventually Mickey Mouse got the word, and he stepped into action right away. Soon all the fandom heroes that were part of the FHU gathered at Planet Truce to discuss the situation. Unfortunately since "Cuphead" wasn't owned by Disney, Mickey and his gang, or really any heroes from any fandom, could go in and investigate. The Cup brothers volunteered to help, but they would most likely be kicked out thanks to that whole "boss battles against King Dice and Devil incident." Eventually Joan was called in, one thing lead to another, and now...
"Ugh..." Joan moaned. "Why me...?"
OOO
There wasn't much of Orio's adventure to tell, except that he found the Casino's kitchen. The rest is self-explanatory.
OOO
What is it with kids being such good gamblers these days?
"Vid" was proving himself a natural at the game of craps. With a flick of the wrist and a role of the die the cat was causing long-timer gamblers to go into dept.
"Golly, ya can't lose, can ya?" King Dice sneered.
Vid smirked. "I was taught by the best, die-man."
Vid was about to answer when another feline strutted up to him and put her paws on the table. "Hey bro." She said.
"What're doin' here?!" Vid hissed under his teeth.
"I'm bored. Plus the skeletons kept rambling about talking cigars and poker disks. What are you playing?"
"Craps. And I'm winnin' too." Vid rolled another round and got two sixes. "Bingo!" He cheered.
King Dice studied Vid's sister. She was a small calico with a big purple bow on her neck. Unlike her brother, everything about spoke "Prim and Proper," from her posture to her well-kept fur to the way she looked at the other players.
"And what's your name, little lady?" King Dice quired, flashing a smile.
The girl was startled by the sudden question, and answered softly, "Prim."
Huh, so everything about her was Prim and Proper.
"Have ya ever played craps, doll-face?"
Prim shook her head. "I don't gamble, sir."
"Well maybe ya could learn some things from your brother here-"
Suddenly a pair of doors banged open in a dramatic entrance. For a brief moment the jazz music stopped and the place went so silent you could here a card drop. All eyes focused on the new arrival, who was none other than the Devil himself.
OOO
Joan noticed the change of setting the moment she heard the door-slam before everything silenced. Looking up from her notes, the Authoress' blood ran cold.
NONONONONONONONONO!
OOO
Prim gasped and hid behind her brother, who was at a lose of what to do. But soon the moment ended, and everyone went back to their business. The jazz and the clanging of poker chips resumed as if nothing happened.
"Boss!" King Dice called. "This lad here's been crokin' our costumers for the past hour!"
"Uh... that's a good thing, right?" Vid asked weakly. He lost his voice for a moment.
Slapping the cat's shoulder, Dice said. "This boy's got luck on his side, and not only that, he hopes to work here soon!"
"Seriously?" Prim hissed to her brother.
The Devil raised an eyebrow. "Really? How good are ya, kiddo?" His voice was deep and sent chills down the cat's spines.
Video swallowed. "I can make Batman go into dept if ya give me enough time."
"Video!" Prim snapped under her breath.
"What? I you don't believe me?" Video asked over his shoulder.
"No, it's just... w-we gotta go." Prim tugged her brothers shoulder.
"Aw, come on toots, the fun's just starting." King Dice said.
"W-Well, actually my b-bother and I need to get going-"
"Before the boy can show his real talent? I don't think so." Dice insisted.
"Whatdya mean 'real talent?'" Video asked.
The Devil grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth. "Ya hope ta work here, eh?"
This time it was Video who stumbled. "I-I- well... yeah."
The Devil chuckled. "Well, let's see if ya got what it takes." Holding out two dies, he said. "Prove ta me that you're a real gambler. Win, and all the loot in my casino is yours. If not, I get you and ya sisters souls, deal?"
"Nope!" Prim shouted. She pulled her brothers arm with all her might. "We reeeeeally should be going, c'mon Video."
"Aw, what a wimp." A nearby skeleton sneered. "Ya really gonna let your sister boss ya around, boy?"
"Video listen to me, there's no way he'd raise the stakes that high without there being a catch. Remember in the game itself? The cups lost to a deal just like this!" Out of the three kittens, Prim was the most logical.
"I think ya just got no confidence in your brother, toots." King Dice snickered.
"You don't think I can't win?" Video asked his sister, looking slightly offended.
Prim frowned. "I know you won't win, bro. It's too risky-"
"C'mon sis, you know me, I was born for risks." Video's furry chest puffed up with pride.
Prim's toony eyes widened with alarm. These villains were starting to get to her brother, feeding off his greed.
The calico started searching the casino, hoping to see Joan. King Dice noticed this odd behavior. Searching the room, his black eyes fell onto a realistic-young woman. She wasn't from any fandom Dice could recall, so he theorized that she was either an OC or an authoress.
Whatever she was, it was clear to Dice that she was not liking the scene before her. The girl stared at the Devil and cats with alarm. Every muscle in her body was tense, as if she was bracing herself for the worst. Dice also noticed something with a magenta glow under her left coat sleeve. Eventually the two made eye contact. The woman's teal eyes grew wide with fear. But King Dice only flashed her a grin before returning to the current situation. Whether or not she got involved in this was none of his concern.
"This is not a risk, Video! This is suicide! If you have any common sense in your fur you won't do it!" Prim hissed.
The gambler had enough of his sister's bickering. "Shut up Prim, you're always bossin' Orio and I around as if your our mom! I ain't putting up with your cat litter! Give me those dice!"
The boy grabbed the dice from the Devil's palm and was about to roll them when-
"VIDEO! DON'T YOU DARE!"
All heads snapped to the girl. She was standing up now, her back arched in fury. She had snapped up from her chair so quickly it fell to the floor with an echoed "BANG!" A couple papers fell to the floor from the vibrations the chair made.
So much for keeping low profile.
Video was so startled by his owner's screams that the dice slipped out of his black paws. Joan screamed as she raced towards the gambling table, hoping to grab the die before they hit the board. But it was too late.
"Snake eyes." The Devil sneered.
Authoress' note: NO TIME FOR AN EPOLGUE I GOTTA SAVE VIDEO FROM HIS OWN STUPIDITY REMEMBER TO REVIEW FOLLOW AND FAVORITE BYYYYYYYEEEE!