Hello my lovely readers! We are back with a new chapter!
Today, we are introducing new characters! They will be added further on in the story. While not in all, you'll see them a lot. Shout out to my brother who helped out! You rock!
Anyway, let's continue our story...
Season 1, episode 7; Help Wanted.
It was several days after the events at Mount Eruptus and least to say, the Devil was not in a good mood. He was so close to capturing Audrey but because of Josh and the Cup brothers, he failed and had to go back to the drawing board.
He was sitting on his throne, gripping the arms of his chair, nearly ripping the covering off with his own hands. He only encountered them three times so far, I did count them by the way, and he failed to get her. Sure, the first time, he was more after Cuphead, but he still desired to have her.
But she was more happy and thrilled to be with that Josh pest, coming in and saving her and thinking he's all that.
Sorry, I'm more reiterating what he said. Don't kill the messenger.
The Devil was deep in thought and anger, not hearing Henchman come into the throne room with a beverage and snacks.
"D'uh, boss, you ok? You seem a bit…tense." Henchman claimed.
"Yes. I am beyond angry." The Devil growled. "I was so close to getting my bride but that stupid boy and that cup got in the way!"
"...Head." Henchman piped up. The Devil looked oddly at him, till he realized he was correcting him about Cuphead.
He gave a groan. "Thank you, Henchman. But that doesn't make things better. I need to find a way to get those losers from my bride and to get me that cup's soul! Bring me my phone book!"
Henchman nodded and rushed off. Seconds later, he came back with a large red phone book and handed it to his master. The Devil opened it up and began flipping through the pages.
He stopped at one page, skimmed over for a bit, until he came to what he was looking for.
"Let's see. T.P. 101, Death, Restriction and The Pursuit of Despair, Services on Off-Pants Scaring Classes…Ah! Here we go! Hmmm, 'looking to hire some full-time minion assistance in your world conquering days? The low level number seven has the best duo off all torment and misery.'"
He turned the page and read on
"Known as the terror twins, Bash and Shriek cause mayhem, misery, maliciousness, and mind boggling. Wow! They really emphasized all the M's in this section." He claimed as Henchman nodded.
He then continued to read. "For their services, please contact Denny Despise for their services. We guarantee anyone who defies the great and powerful Devil, will be forever tormented and filled with unbearable fear."
He looked over the page once more and then decided "Ok, those two sound, promising. Henchman, bring me my phone."
He nodded and did so, as his master took it, dialed in the number and waited impatiently for an answer.
Finally, after what seemed to be an hour, which in reality was only ten seconds, someone on the other line answered.
"Seventh Level. How can I make your day horrible?" He asked in a sinister and pious tone.
"Well, it's about time someone picked up." The Devil groaned. "I need you to send me the two imps known as Bash and Shriek to my domain."
"Ahh, you couldn't have picked a better duo of diabolical mayhem." The person on the other end sneered. "How long do you wish to have them serve you?"
In a very calm voice, the Devil replied
"AS LONG AS IT TAKES! To get what's mine!"
"Ohhh I love the attitude. Alright, I'll send them right over as well as the paperwork you need to fill out."
Hearing that, The Devil gave a groan. Just as we people do not like paperwork and would like to get the house or whatever we're getting, we have to go through legal fees and other pathetic transcripts of protocols.
"Have a malicious day." the other end claimed. The Devil then hung up abruptly and handed the phone back to Henchman.
"So, how long do you think it'll take for them to come?" Henchman asked.
"It better be soon. I am a very impatient man and want them here sooner than later." The Devil claimed.
Hoping to calm him down, Henchman handed his master a fun crossword puzzle. Finally, after what seems to be four days, which in reality was five minutes, the elevator dinged and smoke came out, kinda like those big reveals in games or movies.
Suddenly, he heard one voice boom out
"We're the worst of the underworld."
Then another chimed in "You're for sure to freak."
Then in unison, they announced "You're in the presence of…"
The smoke cleared as they finished with "Bash and Shriek!"
Alright, ladies and gents. This is Bash and Shriek.
Bash is the one on the left, who was an anthropomorphic imp, wearing a tailored suit, with two sharp curves, a sword like tie, fingerless gloves, a snake like belt, knee guards designed with scary black faces with green eyes, that connected to his three toed feet.
Shriek was the one on the right, similar to his brother, but consisted of a chain mail vest on his shoulders, a scale around his stomach, and a ruby waistline.
Both of them had bat-like wings, three claws, goblin faces, two horns that stuck out from their fuzzy hair, and grins that looked like the cat who ate the canary.
Remember that now.
The Devil arched an eyebrow as they approached his throne, confidently. He wasn't sure if these two could pull off a job, but he just asked for them, so what could go wrong?
Bash was the first to speak. "Greetings, oh powerful and terrible Devil. It is a pleasure and a horrible honor to finally meet you in person. We have heard so much about you and your work."
"Look at the mighty big paintings he has!" Shriek squealed, as he gazed in awe of the three paintings in his throne room. "He's HUGE!"
Bash grunted in disapproval. "Shriek! What did I tell you about speaking out of turn when you're in the presence of the great Devil?"
"Well, sorry! We haven't been up on his level since the time of Babylon!" Shriek argued. "How else could we express our gratitude?"
"Here's an idea; shut up and get over here so we can talk to him!" Bash shouted. "Then you'll get the full experience!"
"Don't talk to me in that tone, bro!" Shriek snapped.
The two then locked eyes, ready to beat the living daylight out of them, when the Devil intervened .
"Ok, ok, enough. I didn't call you two bimbos down here to argue. I have a task for you."
Both of them composed themselves and returned to their devious manner.
"Oh, our apologies." They claimed. "Like a thunderstorm, we know how to stir up chaos."
"Fine, fine. Look, I called you down here for a task at hand." The Devil explained. "You see, there are two mortals on the surface level who have been giving me a lot of trouble."
Shriek gasped in horror "No! Say it ain't so, boss! The only one who ever causes trouble is you! Who are these people and where do I smash them?"
The Devil rolled his eyes in annoyance and argued "I'm getting to that! The first one is a human girl, who I have decided to take as my bride."
Then, the two began to applaud as Bash claimed "Congrats, boss! You have finally found the one who stirs up your dark heart! We knew you would find the one to rule with."
"Oh! Oh! Are we invited to your wedding?" Shriek asked. "What kind of cake are you hoping to have!? I hope it's chocolate with those blood red strawberries!"
Bash slapped the back of his brother's head and shouted "Try again with the more appropriate question! Like, for one thing, who is she?"
Shriek looked sheepishly and asked in a quiet voice "Uhh…can you answer Bash's question?"
Bash rolled his eyes. Close enough.
"Well, I'm glad you asked. Her name is Audrey and she is the most beautiful human lady I've ever seen." The Devil sighed. "The main issue is she claims she's already married and has no interest in me. I think she's just playing hard to get."
The twins nodded in agreement. The Devil then continued.
"The second mortal is a small child with a cup-like head. He played and lost at soulball and now he owes me his soul."
"Oh please. Is that all?" Shriek asked confidently. "You don't know but we have a reputation for capturing those souls who owe you. We've never let anyone slip through our claws."
"Well, don't underestimate this one. He may be really stupid, but for some reason, he's clever."
Bash arched an eyebrow as he asked "When you say cleaver, do you mean like magician cleaver or acrobatic cleaver?"
"What difference does it make? He's clever and has avoided my capture for far too long!" The Devil argued.
"Well, I'm just saying, there's a big difference between cleverness and we want to make sure we know what we're up against." Shriek chimed in. "If he's clever like a magician, we're in for some big surprises, and a bunny, but if it's like an acrobat, then all we have to do is wear him out until he's tired. Or sprains his ankle."
The Devil gave himself a facepalm. Not an hour in and these two were really getting on his nerves.
Taking a breath, he finally claimed "Fine. He's clever as an acrobat. Is that what you want to hear?!"
"Uhm, was that rhetorical or a literal question?" Bash asked.
Getting ticked, the devil grabbed his pitchfork and blasted fire at them. Both screamed and ducked, nearly avoiding the pillar of fire that shot over their heads.
"Well, that answers that question." Shriek muttered.
Gotta say, that had to be the smartest thing he's said all day.
Standing up, Bash claimed "Sounds like these two are your most wanted. Don't you fret, boss, we will get them down here for you, just in time for dinner and proposal."
"You better get them!" The Devil snapped. "You fail and I'll have your heads!"
"Oh that's easy!" Shriek smiled. He then in a cartoon sense, took off his head and handed it to him, grinning from ear to ear.
Huh, and to think the story of John the Baptist's beheading was more interesting than this.
Once more, Bash groaned and began wondering how he and his brother were related. The worst is when he puts his head on Bash's body. Then we have a problem.
Composing himself, he asked "Where can we find these two?"
"They should be easy to snare if we know of their exact whereabouts." The Devil answered, as he swatted Shriek's head to the side. His body ran after it like a headless chicken.
He then summoned his looking glass and tapped it. It began to ripple like a pond when you throw a rock in. in case you were wondering, the body of Shriek found his head is now secured.
The image of the looking glass came into view and showed Audrey sitting in the living room of the cottage reading and studying the newspaper.
"Behold, my bride." The Devil announced. The twins 'oohed' and 'awed' as they fluttered close to the mirror.
"Wow, she's pretty." Shriek gasped. "Never seen anyone like her."
"I'll give ya this, boss, you have a good eye for future spouses." Bash added.
"Yes, I do, don't I?" The Devil sneered. "Anyway, it looks like she's at home right now. This is your opportunity to go up there and bring her to me. I'll handle all the rest once you get her."
"You can count on us, boss!" Bash saluted. He then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded form.
"Before I forget, we need you to sign off on our jobs, so they know we have work from you. A little this, a little that, your signature if you want to do an encore."
"Yes, yes, hand over the paper." He took it from Bash and after skimming and many signatures, he handed it back to him who placed it in his pocket.
"Now, before I forget, when you capture her, make sure she's in perfect condition." The Devil warned them. "She's my bride and should have no mark whatsoever. You both have the switchblade keys?"
"Yep. Got them right here." Shriek answered as they each pulled out a golden key with the symbol of the underworld.
"Good. Use that when you have her so you can bring her in the private elevator." The Devil instructed.
Bash then remarked "Well, we have an idea of how we get back, but how do we get to the surface without being detected?"
"Oh that's easy. All I have to do is summon the snarl suck. And by me, I mean Henchman."
Hearing that, Henchman snapped out of his daze and rushed to a leaver located on the side of a pillar. Once he pulled it, suddenly, from the top of the ceiling, a giant vacuum like hole began to suck them in and within a few seconds, the two used their wings to fly up into it and vanished.
Once they were gone, the Devil slumped on his throne and sighed. "I have to say, being ruler of the underworld is very hard work." He then pulled out the new section on his crossword puzzle.
As he began to work on it, a thought came to Henchman. He peered above the book, tapping it constantly and asking "Boss? Didn't you forget to tell them something? Something important?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah but I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough." The Devil shrugged.
"Well, shouldn't you have given them a heads up?" Henchman asked.
"And take all the fun out of it? I don't think so."
Meanwhile, in the cottage, Audrey was in the living room on the couch, wearing her cute pajamas and bathrobe, skimming over the paper. Normally, she would be reading over the latest news or sporting events, but this time was different.
She was looking through the Wanted Ads of the paper, searching for a position. Even though she did have a job, it was in New York, and not the Cuphead Show world. She was happy Josh had a job at the bike shop, but she wanted to help as well, not just sitting at home with not a lot to do and she didn't want to go to Elder Kettle for money all the time.
As she turned the page and took a sip of her tea, Josh came down the stairs and saw her.
"Hey, honey. Whatcha reading?" He asked.
"Oh, just seeing if there were any job positions opened." She answered. "I figured I would help out and earn some money. That way I can purchase something without feeling guilty about asking Elder Kettle."
"Makes sense." Josh nodded. "So, does anything catch your eye?"
"Hmmm.. nothing yet. I was hoping I would see something from Sally Stageplay, but I think she's more looking for volunteers than actual paying positions." Audrey shrugged.
Just then they heard the boys head down the stairs.
"Morning, Audrey and Josh!" They both smiled.
"Morning, boys." Audrey smiled. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, I slept pretty well." Mugman replied. "Guess I was tired after all that swimming at the beach."
"The beach can wear you out." Josh claimed, as he poured himself some coffee. "How about you, Cups? Sleep well?"
"Erm, yeah. I had some weird dreams but eh I ain't too worried about it." Cuphead chuckled sheepishly.
Audrey looked at him in concern. She could see he was nervous and rubbed his arm, looking really tense.
"Hey, sweetie? You ok?" Audrey asked. "You look a bit scared."
"Oh it-it's nothing." He answered, giving a weak smile. He then zipped into the kitchen to have breakfast.
"Ok, something must be wrong. He looks tense." She muttered. "But I don't want to force anything out of him, so I'll try again later."
She turned the page of the paper and skimmed over again, when something caught her eye.
"Hello, what's this?" She looked closer at it as Josh came into the room.
"Find something?" He asked.
"Yeah. There's a newspaper company by the name of the Honeycomb Herald. Audrey explained. "They're looking for someone who can help with edits and occasionally, write reviews about people, events and other accommodations."
"Hey, that sounds right up your alley!" Josh replied. "You're already editor in chief for the New York times. This one is in the bag for ya!"
"Thanks. Oh, it's only a part-time job." Audrey sighed. "I guess I can live with that. Not going to be the same but I have to make this work."
"Yeah, and it's only part-time, so you can be home and hang out the rest of the day." Josh added. "The pay looks good too."
"Yeah. Can't argue with that." Audrey smiled. "And here it says I need to bring in a resume to the main office. They'll then call for an interview later."
"That sounds good!" Josh claimed. "But, you think you'll remember what you wrote? Your resume is on the computer back home. And this takes place in the 1930s."
"Yeah, that's the problem…well, I can mention about other jobs I've had." Audrey shrugged. "Now I just need to find a typewriter."
"I know where Elder Kettle keeps his." Mugman piped up. "I'll go ask if we can use it."
A bit later, Audrey was sitting at the kitchen table typing on the typewriter. It was a bit tricky for her, since it wasn't like her computer and could erase things with ease or copy and paste. Thankfully, after a bit of practicing, not to mention having to start over ten times, she had her resume ready and cleaned up.
"Alright. Looks good." she smiled. She placed the typewriter back in its original place, got herself ready and finished her tea.
Before she headed out, Cuphead asked "Say, Audrey, are you going to the city?"
"Indeed I am. I'm going to the Honeycomb Hearld to get a position." She answered.
"I was wondering..can I come too?" He asked. "Mugman and Elder Kettle are doing things, and I get bored easily."
"Well, I guess I see no harm in it." Audrey pondered. "Ok, but if I have to chat with some people, promise me you'll behave and not cause any issues?"
"I promise." He nodded, crossing his chest with his fingers, placing his right hand on his heart and raising his left hand.
"Alright. Come on, let's get going."
She then took his hand and the two headed out the door and out of the cottage.
A short while later, as Cuphead and Audrey made their way into the woods, there was a creaking sound, causing a tree to fall over, nearly hitting them from behind.
"Whoa! What was that?! Cuphead cried, as he clung to Audrey.
"I don't know! It fell out of nowhere!" She claimed.
Soon the two were backing up into a dark shady area of the forest. They then heard the eerie sound of sinister laughter. Now, I have seen many films like this and my first initial reaction is to shout at the hero "Get the heck out of there! Don't stand there like a deer in the headlights!"
Erm, no offense to any wildlife. I love nature.
Just then from the trees, two shadows swung down creating eerie fog, morphing into monster-like creatures, cackling like a bunch of hyenas.
The one on the left said "Well, well, well. It's not safe out here. You never know who you're gonna run into."
The other claimed "These woods lurk with dark monsters, like us. But you won't be able to tell anyone, once we get you."
"Who-who are you two?!" Audrey trembled, "Show yourselves!"
The two emerged in a dramatic pose.
Then, Bash announced. "You're facing two monsters of the underworld."
Shriek added "Our sight will sure to make you freak!"
Then, once more, I swear this is going to be an on-going thing, they finished together "You're in the presence of Bash and Shriek."
Now, normally, one would scream in terror or cry out in agony, but Audrey arched an eyebrow in confusion.
After a second, she asked "Did you seriously try to rhyme "freak" and "Shriek" together?"
The twins looked confused and surprised. Not the reaction they were hoping for.
"What?! It works!" Shriek argued. "The lettering of both words are similar, just written differently. We worked so hard on those and got the perfect timing!"
"Well technically, he did most of the time and writing, I was just on the sidelines, following his lead." Bash shrugged.
"Well, yeah I get that, but freak and shriek dont have the same flow when you use them in a sentence." Audrey argued. "Besides, it was kinda lame."
"It's SO NOT LAME!" Shriek, well, shrieked. "You should at least appreciate it before your demise!"
Bash nudged him in the shoulder, arguing "We're getting to that!"
After a second, Audrey then asked "Let me guess; you two are tweedles of the Devil, right?"
Bash chuckled as he replied "Ohhh very smart. He always did admire you for your insight. So, you can probably guess what will happen in the next ten seconds?"
Shriek then cracked his knuckles as he sneered "So, this is the Cup that the boss wants so badly? Thought he was taller and a threat."
"Well, where did he find you two? Circus for hire?" Cuphead asked. That made Audrey laugh while the twins saw red.
"For your information, we are regarded as the most chaotic demons of all time!" Bash argued. "You should not take us lightly."
"Was that before or after he considered you to be his last resort?" Audrey asked as Cuphead doubled over laughing.
"No one laughs at us and gets away with it!" Shirek bellowed. "Only our mother can."
"Aww, did your mommy say you can be out this late?" Cuphead asked, as Audrey continued to laugh.
That made them more mad and Bash shouted "Ok THAT'S IT! This chat is over! You two are coming with us!" Turning to his brother, he added "Brother, let's get 'em!"
As the two started to approach them, Audrye cooly pulled out her sketchbook and began to draw. They looked and chortled "Oh what's that gonna do to help you? Is that your last will and testament?"
Before they could approach her, suddenly, a huge door appeared out of thin air and literally slammed in their faces. She opened the door and saw their faces all smushed in.
They pulled it out and asked "Whoa! What was that?"
"Humans can do magic!?" Shriek gasped. "He didn't say they could do that! He said they were clever like acrobats!
"No! We were talking about Cuphead, not Audrey!" Bash argued.
"While that may be true, but your master seemed to forget to mention I have a magical sketchbook that allows me to draw anything I desire. The sky's the limit." Audrey claimed. "Sooo, yeah you guys are not going to have an easy time getting me. I would suggest for you two to high tail now while you can."
"We don't take orders from you!" Bash snapped. "We came here to collect you and that Cup and deliver you two to our master."
"...head." Shriek replied.
Bash looked at him dumbfoundedly as he asked "What?"
"You said 'cup' and didn't say 'head.' That's his name." Shriek mentioned.
"I know that! Who else would I be referring to?!" Bash asked. "Just get them!"
They then attempted to use every trick from the book, book included, to capture Audrey and Cuphead. He was able to dodge but Audrey used her book to defend herself. At one moment, they cornered her, but she drew an entire house and it crash landed on them.
Now they knew how the Wicked Witch felt.
Shriek, seeing his brother was dazed from the house crushing, he argued, "Come on, we need to get our A game back! We're dying here!"
"I'm not leaving until we get them! Whether we get the girl or Cup, we grab one of them!" Bash replied.
"Hmm, the only thing you will be getting is the boot!" Audrey shouted.
"Nice try! You're not wearing any boots!" Shriek called back. "You take us for chumps?"
"Well, yes, but that's not what I meant."
She then drew in her book once more and magically a giant sentient boot came and began to chase and kick them around. After a bit, she drew rope and handed an end to Cuppy, who then hogtied them.
As they were struggling, the boot pulled back and
*SLAM!*
It kicked them to kingdom come, screaming in the distance. Audrey dusted her hands and replied "Good work. Now let's get going."
She then took Cuppy's hand and the two resumed their trip to the city.
Soon, the two arrived in the city and after passing by the busy crowd, they finally came to one of the large buildings. As they got close, Audrey could have sworn she heard…buzzing inside?
As they stepped into the lobby, they saw the palace was indeed swarmed with anthropomorphic bees. They were flying from left to right, carrying files or other items, chatting with one another, the phone ringing off the hook, and several bee security guards stood by various doors.
"Well, this is the Honeycomb Herald alright." Audrey sighed as she and Cuphead walked in. Of course, Cuphead was all eye wide and gazing in awe of the place. Audrey did think that was cute, especially since he was asking the bee security guard a million questions.
While he was doing that, Audrey headed to the front desk where a worker bee saw her.
"Hello. Welcome to the Honeycomb Herald. How can I help you?" She asked.
"Hi. I, uh, saw an ad in the paper for the part-time job offer." Audrey answered. "I have prepared my resume and was hoping you would give it to the editor in chief."
"Oh, wow! We didn't think anyone would see it, with all the other positions in the paper." the worker bee smiled, as she took Audrey's resume. "You know, I could buzz you in and see if she's here. I don't think she has a busy schedule today, but I can check."
"Oh, wow! Really? Gee, I don't want to cause any trouble." Audrey protested. "I know humble bees like yourself work around the clock and all, I don't want to disrupt anything."
"Oh, nonsense. I'll just worst thing that could happen is she's busy."
She then dialed on the phone and waited for a second. Then, she replied
"Hi, I have someone who has a resume for the part-time job, and was wondering if she was available? Uh huh. Uh huh…sure! She's here now. I'll send her up. Thanks!"
She hung up and turned to Audrey. "She's in her office. You can take your resume up to her. Her office is on the second floor, first door to the left. Can't miss it."
After handing back Audrey's resume, Audrey thanked the bee, got Cuphead and headed upstairs. Once they reached the second floor they made their way to the door which was the color of a light honey and had on a plaque "Editor in Chief".
"Ok, here it is." Audrey sighed.
"You ok, Audrey?" Cuphead asked. "You sound nervous."
"Yeah, sorry. I haven't had to do interviews for a while, so old nerves are back." Audrey answered, rubbing the back of her neck.
"I'm sure you'll do fine." Cuphead assured her. "But do I have to stay? Might get boring."
"I'm sure there's a lounge area somewhere." Audrey mentioned. "You can go there and wait. But please behave while I'm gone."
"I promise, I promise." He sighed. Thankfully, there was a sign that led to different areas and the lounge area was down the hallway. Cuphead then rushed off, disappearing from sight.
While Audrey asked Cuphead to behave, she still was worried. He was a good kid, but even without his brother, he can cause trouble. But then again, even he had his limits, so she didn't think too much about it.
Taking a breath, she knocked on the door and waited. Just then, she heard a voice call from the other end "Come in."
She opened the door and saw none other than Rumor Honeybottoms. She was in an average size office with light amber color on the walls. There was a dark brown flooring along with a white rug in the center of the floor. There were two chairs in front of a white desk near the large windows. The desk contained a typewriter, stacked papers, photo frames, files, a pencil cup and a, well, an inkwell.
The walls were decorated with a honeycomb like design, along with a phone in one of the combs and there were curtains on the side of the windows.
Rumor was sitting on a comfy yellow cushion, along with a pillow behind her. As Adurey gazed at Rumor, she couldn't help to see some different aspects of her. Nothing too dramatic had changed about her appearance, but she was wearing a pair of round silver glasses on her head, and had legs with black tights, and red heels.
She looked up from her typing and smiled.
"Hi, hon. Welcome to the Honeycomb Herald. I'm Rumor Honeybottoms and I heard you're looking for a part-time job here?"
"Yes, ma'am. My name is Audrey Anderson and I saw an ad in the paper regarding this position." Audrey answered, handing Rumor her resume. She skimmed it over and smiled.
"Well, I have to say, your resume is very organized." Rumor announced as Audrey took a seat in one of the chairs. "Some of these were small jobs, but you were there for long periods of time. Tell me, hon. Are you familiar with how a newspaper is operated?"
"Yes, ma'am." Audyre replied.
"Good. Being in a newspaper like this is very difficult, especially with meeting people, editing and meeting deadlines." Rumor explained. "Now, I know this is a part-time position, and you won't be here for long hours, but there may be times I need you to come in and stay longer for a final edit. You just need to be flexible."
"I understand." Audrey nodded. "A popular newspaper company does receive clear and concise information. It does go out to all the people of Inkwell."
"Exactly. Now, another thing to consider is, you're the only human working in a place of bees." Rumor continued. "We are always looking for new people, no matter the background, but I want you to be aware of that. They'll need time to get to know you if you have this position. So, don't feel intimidated or stressed about that."
"I understand, ma'am." Audrey nodded. It wasn't the first time she felt like the, as she likes to call it, 'Odd one out.'
There was one instance she was the only girl in a staff meeting and had to present a project to the other male employees. It didn't intimate her, but it was odd being the only female in a room of men.
"Now, before I wish to talk about anything else, I need to go through the interview process with you." Rumor mentioned. "You have great qualifications, but like all employers, I need to ask questions and go through the interview process."
"I understand." Audrey nodded.
"Perfect. Now let's begin. Tell me about your working experience…"
Elsewhere, back in the underworld, The Devil was sitting on his throne, finishing up his crossword puzzle, when suddenly, he heard the sound of a faint scream. The screams got louder as small figures slammed into the pipes that were connected upward.
About a second later, Bash and Shriek fell through the hole and landed hard on their stomachs.
They scrambled to their feet as they quickly announced "Oh, hey boss! Uh, so, I'm sure you want a report on how things went. But we can tell you-"
"You failed." The Devil bluntly announced, not bothering to look up. "Yes, I saw everything from my looking glass and I have to say, that was the worse way to try and get my bride."
"Well, in our defense-" Shriek started, but Bash cut him off by claiming "We would have succeeded if you had bothered to mention one small thing. That she has magic!"
"Oh, did I forget to bring that up?" the Devil asked. "Whoops. Must have slipped my mind."
"That could have really saved us some trouble!" Shriek cried. "She managed to draw a boot and booted us back here!"
"To the point. Uh, can we see this as a test run? Since you, our boss, forgot to mention that one small detail?!" Bash asked, rather bluntly.
"Hmmm. I suppose so." The Devil replied. "Fine. Now that you know about it, try to fight back and bring her to me."
"This time, we will be prepared!" Shriek announced. "We shall not fail you, oh diabolical one!"
They bowed to him once more and then headed out. Before they left, Shriek looked back and asked "Uh, can I get a coffee to go?"
The Devil responded by throwing a coffee mug at him, hitting him in the head.
"Jeez! You didn't have to be so personal! I could grab my own mug!" Shriek snapped.
Back at the cottage, Josh was finishing reading a book when Audrey and Cuphead came in, closing the door behind them.
"Honey, I'm home." Audrey smiled.
"Hey, how was the interview?" Josh asked. "I know you haven't done it in a while, but did old tips and tricks work?"
"Oh, yeah! The interview was a bit long, but I think it went pretty well." Audrey shrugged.
"That's good. Think it'll take awhile for them to get back?" Josh asked.
"Yeah, might take a while, but eh, I can wait." Audrey shrugged.
As if on cue, the phone rang. Audrye was a bit surprised but decided to see who it was. She walked over and picked up the phone.
"Kettle residence. Oh, hi Ms. Honeybottoms. Yes, this is Audrey. Uh huh. Oh wow really? That's good to hear. Yes, tomorrow will be perfect. Alright. Thank you again, ma'am. Good bye."
She hung up and smiled. "Well, I got the job."
"Wow! That was quick. Great job!" Josh smiled, giving her a kiss.
"Thanks. Kinda weird I wasn't nervous or anything." Audrey mentioned. "I guess I've done a lot of interviews, it's not as nerve-wrecking as they used to be."
"That's good to hear. I mean, you do have a good knack for working with a newspaper, so this was made for you." Josh commented.
"Yeah, that's true." Audrey sighed. "Say, you want to go out for a quick walk? It's a nice day."
"Sure. I could stretch my legs for a bit."
Josh got up and followed Audrey out the door.
Shortly, the young couple was out for a walk, chatting with one another. Since Audrey didn't start working until tomorrow, they decided to have some time for themselves.
As they were heading to the small hill, suddenly, a pair of bolas shot at them, one tying around Audrey, locking in place. Before Josh could react, just then, someone barreled underneath him, causing him to get flung back.
"Ow! What was that?!" He asked, as he sat up.
Just then, a black-hole like thing manifested itself and suddenly two figures, you know who I'm talking about, stepped out and announced
"You thought you'd seen the last of us?"
"Our presence will make you reek!"
Then, they finished together, "It's payback time for Bash and Shriek!"
Audrey groaned in frustration while Josh asked "Wait, did you seriously try to rhyme "reek" and "Shriek" together?"
Shriek groaned while shouting "UGH! Everyone's a critic of our performance! We work really hard on those!"
Bash merely grunted as he argued "Save your complaining, Shriek. It'll be worth it once we deliver the master's bride to him. Just keep an eye on the useless biped."
Josh arched an eyebrow as he asked "Biped?"
"Ya know, a creature thing that stands on two legs!" Bash reminded him.
"Ywah, but you two are also standing on two legs. Therefore, you must be useless bipeds too." Josh shrugged.
"That-that's not true! Sometimes, Bash and I can crawl on all fours!" Shriek argued. "We just like to stand on our front legs when we confront them."
"Look, I don't know if I didn't hit you hard enough last time, but I am not going to see your boss." Audrey announced. "My husband and I are spending time together. So, please leave us alone."
"Oh please! I don't see a ring on that finger!" Shrike was taunted. In normal situations like this, a person would not have one. Josh, however, simply showed them his ring finger and sure enough, there was a gold ring with a fancy leaf design on it.
The two were very quiet when they saw that, feeling more stupid than they did five minutes ago.
Bash was the first to snap out of his dumbfoundedness and shouted "Ya know what?! It doesn't matter! Once we drag you to the underworld, we'll pry it off with my pinchers. It's obviously a fake."
"Oh! Oh! Can I get rid of his fake ring?" Shriek asked hopefully.
"You can rip off his finger as well." Bash smirked.
As the two began to make their way to the couple, thinking fast, Josh saw Audrey's bag near him. He grabbed it and opened her sketchbook.
Just then, Shriek, landing in front of him, snapped "Not so fast, biped! You'll miss out on your doctor's appointment where I rip off your finger! And good luck trying to figure out the sketchpad. It only works for Audrey."
"Oh, does it now?" Josh smirked. He then drew in it and suddenly, two things came out; one, a pair of scissors to free Audrey and two, a ferocious lion, which growled and roared at the two imps.
"WHAT?! NO FAIR! Nobody told us he could use the sketchbook too!" Bash cried.
"Don't fear, brother! I came prepared!" Shirke announced. He then pulled out a small laser pointer and pointed at the ground, moving it slowly around. The ion, who was clearly unimpressed, looked at it for three seconds before looking at them and growed.
"WHAT!? That should have worked!" Shriek cried. "It worked on the cats yesterday!"
"Just shut up and cover me while I grab the prize." Bash argued.
He didn't even make a foot closer when the lion got in his way and showed his barred teeth at him. Panicking, the two flapped their little wings, in an attempt to get away from the lion's sharp claws and chomping mouth.
Seeing the two were distracted, Audrey and Josh rushed back to the cottage, hoping to avoid capture and finger amputation.
Bash, in a last ditch attempt, he summoned vines and shot them at Audrey. However, the scissors that were still there, managed to cut them allowing the humans to disappear.
Back in the underworld, the Devil was finishing a cup of tea when Bash and Shriek returned, scratched and banged up. The two were panting from the previous encounter with the lion.
"Ok, boss. I know how this looks." Bash gasped. "But we can assure you-"
"Oh, don't go there." the Devil interrupted. "You two failed to get my bride two times in a row. You are more pathetic than any of my staff members,"
"Uh, but if you refer to us as pathetics, would you be calling us amazing instead?" Shriek asked with a hopeful grin.
The Devil glared at him and shot a fire ball at him, but sadly missed.
"His aim's gettin better," Bash muttered.
"Well, it's clear to see I am working with incompetent morons." The Devil announced. "I gave you a shot and you blew it. Consider this contract over and your services to me are finished.
The two hung their heads in defeat. Just then, Bash realized something.
"Uh, technically, you can't get rid of us until the completion clause is finished."
The Devil arched an eyebrow. "What completion clause?" He asked.
"Uh, the one in the contract? Ya know, the one you sighed?" Shriek asked. "Didn't you read the fine print?"
Panicking, the Devil looked back and using a magnifying glass, he skimmed it over and sure enough, it showed that they were in total service to him until the completion clause was finished.
A.k.a, they couldn't leave until they get what he wants. Either Cuphead, Audrey, or both.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? The Devil roared. "I'm stuck with you two bimbos until you finish the job!?"
"Uh, yeah. Kinda the gist of it," Bash shrugged. "Usually, it doesn't last this long, but your task is a new one for us."
The Devil pondered it over for a second and announced "Hmm well, I guess you're stuck with me. Which means...I can do this to you all day!"
Before the two could react, the Devil began firing beams and other magic at them, hitting them several times and making them run around the throne room, screaming in pain.
While he was upset that he was stuck with them, he at least can still abuse them and make their lives a living nightmare.
Well, looks like the Devil has two new lackeys who will try their best to get Audrey and Cuphead. Looks like the group has two other baddies to be aware of. Let's see how Bash and Shriek handle their boss and his impossible demands.
Anyway, thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review but let's avoid the flames please :D