Another raucous cheer filled the hall as the dice clattered to a final stop.

"Alright, Lady Luck! Don't ya fail me now!" Cuphead shouted with a manic grin, rattling the dice in his hand dramatically.

"Hot Dog! This cup just can't lose!" crowed the charming King Dice, manager of the casino, from behind, looking on with a glint in his eye.

Mugman cleared his throat nervously, looking over his shoulder at the crowd of skeletal and ghoulish onlookers.

"Uh, Cuphead," he murmured so only his brother could hear, "Don'tcha think we oughta quit while we're ahead?"

He had a gut feeling things were gonna go south...fast.

Cuphead gave him an annoyed look, rolling his eyes. "Reeelaaaax, Mugsy! I'm on a roll!" What a worrywart, cramping his style at the peak of his game.

Cuphead was about to release the dice for a throw when suddenly the casino front doors were thrown open with a flourish.

Like a shadow, a tall black shape stepped into the hall, commanding a wide berth as he walked forward.

A hush fell over the crowd, stepping back in hushed whispers as the figure made its way to Cuphead and his brother.

Cuphead looked up in awe, hardly aware he had been holding his breath.

"The-The-" he stammered.

"The Devil," finished the figure with a grin, his voice thick and refined like ink dripping from a quill.

It should have been no surprise to the brothers that they might run into the Devil in the Devil's own casino, but meeting him in person was always a lifechanging experience.

"Impressive!" Said The Devil, looking at the pile of chips that served as Cuphead's winnings. "Good. Very good." He cast a wink at King Dice, who smiled back with a nod.

"A very nice run boys," continued the Devil, circling the table, "but...how about we raise the stakes a little?"

Cuphead and Mugman looked at one another.

"Win one more roll...just one more roll-and ALL the loot in the casino is yours!" Shouted the Devil, spreading his arms wide, pitchfork in hand.

His words echoed and bounced off the walls of the casino, filling the boys' ears with promises of easy riches.

The crowd began to murmur, clapping, urging them on.

"But lose..." The Devil's voice lowered..."And I get your eternal souls! Deal?" He made a snatching gesture with his massive paws.

"W-wait, say again?" Mugman asked, unsure if he had heard just right. But it was too late.

"You're on!" Cuphead shouted with a laugh, and the dice were already in the air.

It seemed to happen in slow motion.

The dice clattered to the table, tumbling over and over.

Everyone watched with bated breath.

Then suddenly the Devil's hand came slamming down on the table, sending the dice over and over once again.

"Hey!" Shouted Cuphead.

"Ooh, Snake Eyes!" Cackled The Devil as the two faces of the dice came to a stop, both revealing a single, haunting pip each.

Mugman fainted.

The crowd erupted into laughter and clapping, and King Dice beamed at The Devil, mouthing the words, "House always wins!"

Cuphead stood frozen.

He couldn't believe it. This was a fluke, a joke-

"Any last words?" The Devil towered over him, white teeth of his grin bright and flashing against his ragged, black fur. With his pitchfork in hand and fire burning in his eyes, the Devil could have been a hundred feet tall.

"Oh, please Mr Devil!" Mugman pleaded, getting back up to his knees and trembling. "There's gotta be something-!" He looked up at Cuphead and nudged him roughly.

"Er- yeah! We'll do anythin'! There's just gotta be another way to repay you!" Cuphead joined in, falling to a kneeling position and clasping his hands together.

The Devil smiled smugly, eating the entire thing up with relish.

"Welll...as a matter of fact," he said casually, "I might have something."

He waved his hand in the air, and a long scroll appeared, floating at arms length.

"This here is a list of my runaway debtors," The Devil said, taking it in his claws and looking it up and down with a sinister smile. His eyes then peered over the paper and at the brothers.

"Collect their souls for me..."

It vanished with a poof.

"And you're off the hook!"

It almost sounded too easy.

Cuphead managed a weak smile, helping Mugman to his feet.

"I-is that all? Heh!"

"Well, there is one more detail..." The Devil chuckled. There was an awkward pause.

"YOU ONLY HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT TOMORROW TO BRING THEM ALL TO ME!" A howling wind blasted around the brothers and a giant, serpentine shadow wrapped around them, yellow eyes flashing, fangs gnashing. "GET GOING... OR YOUR SOULS ARE MINE!"

And Mugman and Cuphead ran like hell.

Elder Kettle was just minding his own business, tending to his garden and humming a tune on that fine afternoon. It was a lovely summer day, a perfect day for young cups to be out and about, and he was sure Cuphead and Mugman were off somewhere having a perfectly wholesome adventure.

Whistling absently, he watered his shrubs with great care, a smile on his face. After this, perhaps he'd take out the lawn chair and have a nice nap. No sir, not a thing could ruin this day!

"Elder Kettle! Elder Kettle!" Suddenly, loud voices broke through the peaceful stillness.

Huffing and puffing like they'd just run a marathon, Cuphead and Mugman erupted and stumbled through the foliage and down the path leading up to the home they shared with their Elder Kettle.

"Goodness! Where have you boys been?" Elder Kettle asked sharply, hoisting Mugman up as the younger brother sank to his knees in exhaustion and a barrage of sniffles. "Tell your Elder Kettle what's wrong!"

The two boys both burst out at once.

"CASINO! DICE…SLEAZY! CUPHEAD-GAMBLED! ALL LOST! THE DEVIL-!"

"Shut up! One at a time!" Elder Kettle shouted, losing his temper.

"Now tell me, slowly, one at a time!"

A good solid 30 minutes later, the brothers finally managed to explain what had happened.

Elder Kettle was quiet for some moments, a solemn look on his face as he rocked in his chair.

Finally he spoke.

"You never should have trifled with the Devil, boys…." He sighed, eyes closed and giving a weary sigh. "Now it looks like you have a tough decision to make."

He paused. "But I don't blame you Mugman, it's Cuphead's fault," He added, flicking a finger to the older brother with some annoyance.

"Oh, come on!" Cuphead groaned.

"Should you go face these so-called 'debtors'…" Elder Kettle continued, "You'll have to collect their contracts…and no doubt they'll fight you to their dying breath. Some may even turn into terrible monsters with the powers of the Devil himself!"

Just the thought of it sent a shiver down the older gentleman's spine.

"Aw, I can take 'em! Bring 'em on!" boasted Cuphead, that childlike glisten in his eye.

"Elder Kettle, how do you know so much about it?" Mugman asked, looking curiously up at his senior.

Elder Kettle gave a heavy sigh. He'd hoped to never have to tell them this- but it looked like the time had come.

"Because, boys…I had my own run-in with the Devil. A long time ago."

Both Cuphead and Mugman's jaws dropped in shock, and the older vessel took another moment to mentally prepare himself for the story he had to tell.

"It was a very long time ago…in the times of the Inkwell Turpentine War. I was a soldier, fresh out of school. Young, confident. Ready to show the world what I was made of!"

Closing his eyes, Elder Kettle could see himself, shiny and new in his uniform.

"That was before I woke up to the reality of war. The struggles, the pain, the loss. 50 years later, I still have nightmares like it was yesterday." Even now, he could hear the shouting, the hail of gunfire.

"One day…in the midst of a losing battle, a figure appeared before me." Elder Kettle spoke slowly, recalling the guise of the mysterious stranger- a carnival man, dressed for show, arriving in a puff of smoke. "He offered me a way out- an escape. 'Just in exchange for your soul'. And I knew right then- it was the Devil."

"You musta really wanted out of there," Mugman said quietly, fully invested in the story.

"I did," Elder Kettle agreed, "But I knew I could never abandon my friends and that I had my place there. And I would never sell my soul…for any price! And just like that, the Devil lost all his power and disappeared." He smiled. "And in time, we overcame the challenges all on our own!"

"Wow, Elder Kettle! You're a real hero!" Mugman cheered, giving his guardian a hug of new appreciation.

"Yeah, never knew an old fart like you had it in you!" added Cuphead with admiration.

Elder Kettle smiled and rubbed a medal on his table until it gleamed to a shine. "Remember boys- always fight for what's right!"

"Golly, what do you think we oughta do Cuphead?" Mugman asked worriedly as the brothers marched out of the house, list of debtors in hand. "I don't think we can fight all of these people!"

"I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'!" Cuphead snapped, rubbing his chin and deep in thought.

"M-maybe we could just try talking to them-" Mugman offered sheepishly, and Cuphead cut him off with a sarcastic scoff.

"What a stupid idea!"

Then he brightened. He snapped his fingers.

"Hey! I got it!" He turned back to Mugman. "Let's just talk to them!"

"Hahaha!"

Suddenly a peal of laughter rang out, startling the two cups.

"You two sure got into a sticky mess…!" said the voice. There on the fence, prim as you please, sat a golden goblet the two had never seen before in their lives.

"Who in heck are you?!" demanded Cuphead, and the girl grinned back at him.

"Name's Chalice," she said, folding her hands and looking down on them smugly. "Now, let me guess…the Devil gave you until midnight to seal some kind of nasty deal with him, am I right? Word travels fast in my part of town."

Mugman and Cuphead exchanged uncomfortable glances as she hopped down off the fence then, approaching them. "But what you don't know is just how often I've seen this scam go down- and I'll tell ya right now. Ya fetch those soul contracts for the devil…"

Suddenly serious, she jabbed a finger in their faces. "Then it's only a matter of time before he sends another schmuck to go after yours!"

"Wh-what are you saying?" Mugman asked, horror sweeping over his face.

"I'm saying you're just delaying the inevitable," Chalice responded. "Do your dirty deed for the Devil, he'll still get your souls one way or another."

Mugman turned frantically to Cuphead, who looked just as perplexed. "Gosh, do you think she's telling the truth? Can we trust her?"

Cuphead narrowed his eyes, scowling and looking at the newcomer. "No way! She's suspicious!"

"Cuphead, you say that about every girl," Mugman said irritably.

Watching the discussion unfold, Chalice stepped in. "How about this, boys? I help get the army of Hell off your back- and then you help me with an itty-bitty problem of my own. Sound fair?"

She swooped in, putting her arms around the two. "Besides, you're gonna need someone who knows these islands like the back of her hand! Like me! Hehe!"

Cuphead groaned in clear disgust. "F-fine."

Mugman smiled and held out his hand. "Well, I'm Mugman and this here is Cuphead!"

Chalice beamed, giving a little curtsy. "It's a pleasure to meet ya both!"

But there was no time for pleasantries!

"Now that that's over with, how 'bout we get moving?" Chalice urged, skipping ahead. "Clock is ticking! And we've got all these islands to visit!"

"She seems nice!" Mugman said, following right behind her. Cuphead just rolled his eyes. Girls.

Cuphead and Mugman's humble little home sat on the top of a hill surrounded by a grove of trees, right near the coast of one of Inkwell's Isles.

Coming down the slope, there was a fine view of the beautiful meadows and forests that spanned the rest of the island for as far as the eye could see. Inkwell Isle One was rural- compared to the other islands in the chain, it was made up of only the smallest towns and villages.

It'd been an entire day's trip, by trolley and train, for Mugman and Cuphead to get to Inkwell Isle 3, the big city, and the Devil's casino.

"Heya, fellas!" a friendly voice chirped, and Mac the apple gave a wave from his usual hangout on the wooden bridge.

"Hiya, Mac," said Cuphead, walking past his old friend and classmate with a sniff. "Sorry, no time to talk today."

Mac gave Mugman a meaningful look.

"I bet you're really in for it now," he said knowingly, in reference to Cuphead's well known criminal record around the isle.

"It's none of your business!" Cuphead turned red and stomped ahead, grumbling. "Why that jerk…he's just spoutin' nonsense ever since he done got chomped on the head!…"

"So, listen up," Chalice spoke up, catching up and taking Cuphead by the shoulder. "If we're going to be looking for these people, it might be a good idea to get some advice and perspective from the locals. Do you two know a friendly face that can steer us in the right direction?"

Cuphead and Mugman looked at one another, a smile spreading across their faces.

"We know just the fella!"

"Porkrind!"

"He's the friendliest face in all of Inkwell!"

SLAM!

Moments later, the door to Porkrind's Emporium was flung open with a bang, its owner jolting a foot in the air.

"Hiya Porkrind!" called out the horrible little voices he'd hoped he'd never hear again.

With a deep, agonizing sigh, the pig shut his magazine and resigned himself to look down the counter at his new customers.

"Oh. It's your twerps." He didn't try to disguise his annoyance. "Store's closed. Clear out." He jabbed a dirty finger at the door.

A girly cup he didn't recognize approached. "Excuse me, sir, but we just need some information. Do you know anybody by the name…" She glanced at what looked like a long sheet of parchment. "…'Root Pack'?"

Porkrind paused a moment, letting the word sink in. Wait a minute-

He cackled.

"Wait, wait, do ya mean, 'The Root Pack'?" He corrected, a sly smile growing on his face. "Now whaddaya kids wanna mess around with a nasty gang like that for?"

Mugman stopped fiddling with the merchandise, and turning to look in concern. "G-gang?" He repeated, face growing pale.

Porkrind grinned even broader. "That's right! Ooh, a whole nasty bunch of 'em!" He started scrawling on a sheet of paper, and held up a hideous fanged monster to show the kids. "They'd eat ya up like a garden salad!" He gave the three of them feigned looks of horror. "Don't tell me you three plan on pokin' 'round their hideout!"

Mugman looked ready to break, trembling, while Cuphead just seemed excited at the prospect.

Chalice, on the other hand, was getting annoyed.

"And where is their hideout?" She demanded.

"Oh, come on, kiddies, it just wouldn't be right to tell ya! Least…not without makin' sure you kids got some kinda protection." Porkrind's pout turned into another sly grin and he clapped his hands, rushing out from behind the counter.

"SO! I'm havin' a blowout sale, right here right now! Take yer pick off selected items, limited time only!" He bellowed, shoving the cups into his collection of fine power-ups and potions.

After all, he was a salesman first, and a concerned citizen second!

"And as for the hideout…check by the old farmhouse. But don't say I didn't warn ya!"

"This doesn't sound like such a good idea Cuphead."

The three made their way down the fields from Porkrind's shop, headed for the acres of farmland to the south.

"I really, really, don't think we should mess around with an entire gang…"

Most of the farms around Inkwell Isle One were picture perfect, and there was an abundance of them. But the one the young cups were seeking was one that hadn't been in proper use in a long time.

"Cuphead!"

"Don't be so chicken, Mugsy!" Cuphead snapped, finally giving in to his brother's whimpering. "Besides, how tough can they be if they hang around a farm?" He pulled back a bush to reveal an old barn, siding faded and a broken down tractor rusting on the side. "This has gotta be the place."

"Seems like it," Chalice confirmed, and the three took some tentative steps across the grounds.

A tire swing hanging from a branch swayed in the light summer breeze and the tall grass rustled.

After a few minutes of looking around the seemingly abandoned area, Cuphead chuckled with obvious relief. "Well! Looks like there's nobody here! Guess we sent those roots packin'! Haha! Geddit!?"

The words had barely left his mouth when the ground started to shake.

"Ahhh!" Chalice and Mugman yelled, jumping to the side as out through the soil burst an enormous, tuberous shape covered in filth.

"Hahaha! Well, well, whadda we have here, huh!?" crowed a deep voice.

Caught in the blast, Cuphead tumbled down a wall of falling soil and came face to face with the biggest- and ugliest- potato he'd ever seen in his life.

A giant hand reached out to grab him, to peel him and mash him up no doubt, revenge for all those times he'd eaten taters in the past, and Cuphead bolted, straight into another giant body bursting out from the earth.

"Visitors! Oh! We haven't had guests in forever!" squealed the newcomer, a giant yellow onion, tears welling up in his eyes and looking down on Cuphead with amazement.

Cuphead gave it one more shot, turning the other way and making a mad dash of escape.

"Going somewhere?!" cackled a third voice, and a nasty looking carrot suddenly erupted into his pathway.

And then, as if gravity itself had ceased to exist, Cuphead felt himself hoisted by his pants upwards into the air and floating back towards the center of the vegetable patch, screaming and flailing all along.

"Lemme go! Lemme go, you vile veggies!"

Abruptly, the psychic power dropped Cuphead back to the ground, and he found Mugman and Chalice beside him, all three now closed in by the giant vegetables.

"How rude! You was gonna leave without sayin' hello?" said the potato, leaning in with a nasty smile on his face. His skin was covered in wrinkles and blemishes, and he had the kind of face that clearly said he was not the patient type. "Ya hear that, boys?" He turned to the others, shaking his head. "Kids these days just ain't got no respect."

The carrot, lean and mean looking, rubbed his forehead, and for a second, Cuphead thought he saw what looked like a third eye in his wrinkles. "Lemme teach 'em some manners, Sal!" He snickered, looking at the cups with some sinister glee.

"Now, now," said the potato, holding up a hand and looking expectantly at the cups.

"Uh-I-I'm Cupman and this is Mughead-" the brothers bumbled nervously.

"Chalice." Said Chalice, gathering herself and standing back on her feet.

The potato crossed his arms and chuckled.

"Well, I'm Sal Spudder, and these here are my buddies Ollie Bulb and Chauncey Chatenay. The little guy is Horace. Careful, he bites!"

The little horseradish opened his mouth and chomped down, showing off vicious sharp teeth.

"And together, we're da Root Pack!" Finished Sal proudly, and the group of vegetables began to lean in with menacing smiles.

Mugman and Cuphead both gulped.

"Now tell me- what are three sweet lil kids doin' around a place like this?" Asked Sal nonchalantly, "Dontcha know its dangerous?" He sideeyed his companions with a smirk. "Lotsa shady characters around here!"

Chauncey the carrot leapt in their faces, agitated. "So what's the deal? Are you with the coppers? Are you spies?!"

"Actually we were sent by the dev-" Cuphead started, but Chalice clapped a hand over his mouth.

"The truth is, we've heard all about you in the papers!" Said Chalice, coming up with an excuse on the fly, "and we just had to come and see for ourselves if the rumors were true!"

"Th-that's right!" Agreed Mugman, nodding. "We wanted to see if you really had done all the things they say you did!" He forced a smile, but he was still shaking a little.

"We just had to talk to real living legends!" Cuphead added, getting free of Chalice's grasp and joining in.

"Oh? Well ain't that flatterin'!" Sal said with a softening expression, and the other three seemed to relax a little, taken in by the compliment. "Though I'm sure all you've read in the papers has been, uh, exaggerated a bit-" he chuckled.

"Can we hear it from you?" Chalice asked, hands together in a pleading gesture.

Ollie immediately got excited, tugging on Chauncey and huffing and puffing as he spoke. "Ooh, please, Sal! It's been so long since we told anyone our story!"

The potato and carrot exchanged looks of amusement and then Sal spoke, an aura of smug authority radiating from him. "Arite, you kids wanna hear the origins of The Root Pack? Sit back and listen."

"It's so sad!" Ollie wailed, tears peeping up in his eyes, and Horace gave the onion a hardy pat on the back.

Sal rolled his eyes and looked back at the cups, who listened in with both fear and curiosity. "...And in the meantime, I'll even set the record straight."