The Devil arrived back in his lair with Elder Kettle and a mutated Cuphead in tow. The kettle and the cup flinched terribly from the aftershock of teleporting. Elder Kettle would have complained about the method of travel if he hadn't been so stricken with grief at what had just happened. His own grandson had been left for dead in his house. He didn't even know if he or Cuphead would ever see their home again either.
"Welcome to your new home, Kettle." The satanic creature announced. "Oh, please, make yourself at home. It's not like you'll be going anywhere."
"A-aren't you happy now? You've already killed one of my boys and turned the other into your slave!" Kettle sobbed, reluctantly following the furry creature farther into his realm. The satanic creature plopped into his red and gold throne with a sigh of content. Its black trident rested against the chair's arm. A gray foot crossed over the other knee as the Devil crossed his hands behind his head.
"Oh, this is only the beginning, Kettle. You and Cuphead are going to spend all eternity with me, just like you promised." He sneered. "With the help of your boy as my new right-hand man, we will destroy the world!"
"You can't! It's in the contract!" Elder Kettle protested.
"Oh…But who says we can't bend that rule?" The creature leaned closer to the kettle, poking his spout in a taunting fashion. "You always have the choice to help yourself, friend. Because you will help me, be it through your own will or not." He then leaned back into the chair. "My trusty slave will see to it that you comply." It said, closing its eyes. The Devil expected Cuphead to respond to that comment with at least a roar or snarl. But it did nothing of the sort.
"Mmm?" It wondered and opened a single eye, gazing at the ceiling. The mutated cup was still staring out toward the island where they had left that little mug to die a painful death. For the demon could not forget what it had just witnessed. A mortal and a demon working together as one. Could it be that this was better than living under the Devil's rule? It became curious and started to walk towards the cave's exit.
"I said my trusty slave!" The furry creature said louder, still not looking at what its minion was doing. Kettle, however, saw that his boy was making his own decision instead of listening to that vile creature.
"Go, Cuphead." He whispered to himself.
"Huh?" it growled, finally taking a look at what was going on. He immediately became insulted at the fact that it wouldn't listen.
"HEY!" The Devil roared, shoving his tail into the ground. A large shadow version of it came upward through the cavern floor in front of the young cup. The mutated body flinched to a halt. It turned around with a confused glance at its master. "Get back here!" It demanded and motioned downward with its claw. The large cup merely looked back to where it was trying to go. "Why won't you listen to me?" His hand started to spiral with purple electricity. He then pulled it back towards his chest. This ultimately tossed the cup across the cave, plummeting face first into the ground. Cuphead slid across the floor back towards his guardian and the angry furry creature. Fiery pupils looked up at the relentless king of darkness. Instead of confidence, the cup's eyes were now filled with fear. For the demon knew he had done something wrong. And now it feared punishment. The Devil would certainly deliver such when there was disrespect and disregard for his rules present.
"It seems the mug has converted another one of you." The Devil realized. "I can't have another faulty demon running amok under my ranks." Yellow eyes narrowed as it singled out the one at fault. Kettle heard an actually shriek of fear come from the demon. For that was something that very few could admit to witnessing. Cuphead's mutated body tried to flee from its persecutor, but a gray paw caught its handle. The other paw grabbed into the top of Cup's head. It seemed to drag out something from the boy's soul rather than the actual body. The glass body seized terribly as a living creature was yanked out of it. Cuphead shrunk back to his normal self as the screaming seemed to detach from the boy's body and followed an organism that thrashed about in the Devil's paw. A bunch of secretions seemed to pour out of it as it continued to shriek. Ten long and floppy tentacles reached out from its circular center that was about the size of a soccer ball. These appendages went out in all directions, like petals on a flower encircling its core. Kettle saw that this demon was gray and translucent. It sure seemed unhappy to be out in fresh air instead of the warm nest of a mortal's soul. Elder Kettle's eyes averted to his grandson when the Devil just dropped him to the ground. Cup's limp body sprawled helplessly on the cavern floor, spilling his white life liquid everywhere.
"Looks like some of you are not ready for this honor!" The creature hissed at the floppy thing in its hand. He then walked away from the young cup. Kettle took this opportunity to get to his boy.
The black creature walked behind his throne and tossed a blood red carpet to the side. Underneath it was a portal that led deep underground, to the realm of demons. Shades of black swirled counterclockwise as it was activated.
"I'll be sure to deal with you later if you haven't cleaned up your act! So get your shit together or you'll face my wrath!" The Devil yelled at it. A few of its tentacles slapped him in the face when he got close to it. The gray paw then threw it back where it came from.
Voices rang out from the swell of darkness when it sensed their master was at their door.
"Pick me! Pick me!" They chanted. "I am worthy, master!"
"Calm down, damn it!" The black creature hissed. "Now let's see…. Ah, yes. You will do just fine!" A gray paw reached down and fished around in the warm and viscous atmosphere. It then yanked out another demon. This one was a dull purple with thick and muscular tentacles that were sure to cause discomfort to anyone it latched onto. "Don't disappoint me!" He said to it.
Meanwhile, Kettle tried to cradle his boy's body in his arms. Cup's condition looked almost as bad as Mugman's. The elderly kettle tried to get his boy to wake up. His hope was that he would wake up and be able to escape while the Devil was busy at his portal of darkness.
"Cuphead! Cuphead, wake up, my boy!" He quietly urged. But the poor little cup did not respond.
"Well, isn't that touching?" The satanic creature said sarcastically. It was obvious that he was holding another demon behind his back. The purple tentacles lashed out from behind the Devil's skinny body. Kettle watched as the violent creature approached he and his grandson.
"You're not killing this one, too!" The tan kettle said defensively, trying to hide Cup from its vision.
"Oh, please! I'm not going to kill him! He's the one that will be killing for me as my new right-hand man." The Devil explained.
"Well, you're not getting him to do anything in this condition!" Kettle argued.
"Certainly not. A warrior should never do anything like that in his condition." It said calmly.
"Huh?" Elder Kettle wondered. He had not heard that voice be so calm and understanding since it was the faun he used to know. "….David, are you really still in there?" The creature stayed silent. It flicked its tail in annoyance. Yellow eyes narrowed in the same angry fashion they always were.
"Are you going to hand him over or not?" The satanic creature said, still sounding calm.
"Only if you promise not to put that thing in him." Kettle said, pointing to the squirming body behind his back.
"You have my word, friend. I won't lay a claw on him." It promised.
"Thank you, David. It's good to know that you haven't completely lost your sanity." Kettle handed over the little cup. A gray paw cradled him just like elderly glassware was doing. The black creature blew a gentle breeze onto the red cup's body. Just like magic, all of its cuts and gashes disappeared on the spot. Cuphead started to stir once all the wounds had been mended. His cup lolled to the side as his eyes opened.
"Elder Kettle?" The young cup said as he realized his guardian was living and well.
"Oh, Cuphead." The kettle sighed in relief. But then Cup realized that his grandpa was standing a couple feet away. Who was the person holding him at that very moment? His cup whipped back around to find the menacing glare of the Devil. Its lips parted into a devious smile. The cup child gasped in fear and tried to roll himself out of the creature's arm. A single finger hooked the boy's handle and kept him from going forward. Feet planted on the floor, Cup could only stare at Elder Kettle and hope that he would be able to embrace him at some point. He was scared, but it wasn't like him to admit it. Cuphead swallowed hard as he tried to prevent himself from shivering.
"D-don't worry, Elder Kettle. Everything's going to be all right." Cup said, still trying to be brave. As quick as lightning, the Devil brought the tentacled creature around and shoved it into the child's cup. The squirming body twisted and burrowed its way into a spiritual hole that was considerably smaller than the creature actually was. Poor Cup screeched in pain as the tentacles reached deep into the opening.
"No! Why would you do that? You promised not to-!" Kettle gasped in shock.
"Didn't you notice that I crossed my tail behind my back? That meant I was lying!" The Devil took great joy in rubbing its cunningness in the old person's face. "Oh, and I would take a few steps back if I were you." A gray paw motioned as if he were telling the elderly glassware to shoo. Elder Kettle heeded this warning and went even farther back than the dark creature suggested. It took the demon a full 30 seconds to get its body into the boy's soul. And Cuphead screamed all the while, thrashing about wildly. By the time it had finished its struggle to get in, Cup's body had changed back to the monstrous appearance it had mere minutes ago. The mutated body fell forward for a second. Clawed hands pressed against the cavern floor to keep its cup from going all the way down. Its large head hung down and panted for a few seconds as it got its bearings.
"Cuphead, are you there?" The elderly kettle ventured to find out. He figured the only way to find out was to ask. However, it was unlikely that his boy would still recognize him in that state. Fiery pupils flared up and homed in on the kettle's location. It ceased its panting and let out a roar like he was a hound dog that had found its target. Its sound seemed to rumble right through the ground and shake the kettle's body. The monstrous cup launched itself toward the elderly person. Jaws opened wide, it had almost made it to the trembling old kettle when something yanked it to a stop. A chain formed around the underside of the child's cup and anchored to the ground. Cuphead gave a yelp of pain as his body was forced to change directions while in midair. Its large brown boots shot out toward Kettle instead of the oversized fangs. The glass body collapsed to the ground like a big weight. It gave a violent shake of its head before trying to stand up again. The white and purple straw rolled back and forth as it did so. Its white liquid nearly sloshed out as well. The hole in his straw was the only thing that recycled it back into his head.
Yellow eyes locked back onto its target. The possessed child snarled and pulled against its chain. Large fangs violently snapped in Kettle's direction. An aggravated snarl bellowed in the oversized cup. Elder Kettle couldn't help but notice that the chain started to dig into his boy's skin as it tried with all its might to get to him. Hell-bent on its mission, the clawed hands dropped to the ground and attempted to pull itself forward.
"Cuphead, stop! Please! You're hurting yourself!" Kettle shouted to the mutated cup. For even if it had heard him over the loud clanging of its fangs, it still wouldn't have listened.
"Oh, Kettle, you really are so naïve." The Devil taunted. He walked right past the snapping cup and came to the elderly person's side. "You always believed there was good in everyone."
"So did you!" Kettle pointed out.
"Perhaps I did." It admitted. "But then something happened that made me believe that there was evil in everyone. Even your closest friend!" The Devil hissed as he circled around the living glassware. "Their selfish desires will always shine through." Gray paws then rested on Kettle's shoulders as they both stared at the struggling purple cup. "Take Cuphead for example. I gave your boys a chance to join me or accept their fate. And he chose to have power. That greed for power led him to hurt his own brother and eventually leave him for dead. He chose to save his own hide. It seems to run in the family, don't you think?" Yellow eyes glared at the tan kettle that was mere inches away.
"But…I….never…..erm...!" Kettle started to say but then fell silent. His gaze fell to the floor as his eyes drooped closed.
"That's right. Blame it on me! Blame it on the world! But at the end of the day, you're the only one responsible for your actions." A clawed finger pointed in the kettle's direction that he didn't even see. Imp ears twitched as the satanic creature got an idea. "Hmm. Perhaps you need some time to think about it. And maybe you'll have something different to say about it then." With a snap of his fingers, a red chair appeared next to his throne. "Why don't you take a seat? Make yourself comfortable."
As evil as the dark creature was, this offer actually seemed truthful. Elder Kettle finally snapped out of his trance. He slowly passed by his mutated boy. It did not snap at him anymore. For it had learned the hard way that it couldn't go any farther. Cup still watched the kettle intently. One sudden move and he would try to go after it again. The elderly person heard a low growl rumble in the cup's throat as he passed by. Kettle sat down in the chair that was the same shade of red as the throne. He sat there watching his grandson, and it watched him as well.
"Take your time, old friend. You've got all eternity, after all." The Devil reminded him as he plopped back down in his own cushy spot.
Hours passed by as the three sat in silence. Elder Kettle had lost but all sense of time. He sat there letting his mind go numb. For his thoughts kept running back to that very morning, when poor Mugman lay there with his painful wounds. And how his gaze seemed to plead for mercy. For anything to help him. But there was also sorrow in his eyes. That his family was still in danger and there was nothing he could do about it.
Soon enough, it was evening time. Cuphead had gotten bored with staring at the elderly kettle and fell asleep on the ground. His large cup rested on crossed arms. Even when sleeping, the mutated cup's breathing was still audible. The Devil sat with his body across the seat. Two clawed fingers flicked at one of his trident's pointed edges while the other hand supported his slumped head. Kettle had gone pale from all his silent weeping over his lost grandsons.
A toothy cup lifted up when it sensed someone coming their way. It stared down into the dark hallway that led to the outside world. The satanic creature didn't take notice until its slave started to growl at the nearing presence. Its fingers stopped flicking the trident as it looked in the same direction. A body clothed in purple emerged from the shadows. For it was the large die man. He dragged himself ever so slowly into the light. Kettle watched as the casino manager limped along, clutching its arm that was soaked with blood. A large scratch mark across his chest was also evident from the blood soaking through the suit. Dice hesitated to meet his boss's gaze. He just looked to the ground to avoid angering the satanic creature even more. And to prevent the infected cup from lashing out at him.
"So…you finally decided to come crawling back, did you?" The Devil sneered, putting himself upright in the chair. His underling opened his mouth to say something. "I knew you had failed when you stayed silent for so long." He interrupted.
"But how did these two get here?" Dice finally got in a comment.
"I did it myself, you fool!" It hissed back. "I did everything you were supposed to do! All without much effort, if I do say so myself." Gray knuckles brushed against the furry chest, indicating that the job had been a pushover. "And what do you have to say for yourself?"
"I…uh…" King Dice stuttered out, letting his gaze sweep to the floor again.
"That's right. There's nothing to say for your failure. In fact, I don't need you anymore."
"What?!" The king said in shock, whipping his cube up. He stared his boss in the eyes for the first time, hoping he didn't actually mean what he just said.
"You heard me. I have a new right-hand man now. That means you're fired! Now get out of my sight!" The black creature roared.
"B-but boss!"
"However, if you're so inclined to stay for a bit…" Two clawed fingers snapped, causing the chain around Cuphead's neck to dissolve. "My new right-hand man will be more than happy to give you a proper greeting." The growl in the mutated cup's throat grew louder as it realized it was allowed to go beat on somebody. Enlarged brown boots proceeded toward the former casino manager. Its glowing yellow eyes stared into the man's soul. Without warning, it launched forward with gleaming fangs ready to attack.