Author's Note: Rewrote this chapter with better dialogue/more in-character interactions/descriptions/etc. I was on a trip when this was written and I feel like it could have been done better, so here is a revised version. I hope you enjoy!

"Well..? What do we do now?"

"I don't know... I don't trust this as concrete proof of the serum working. One knocked-over cabinet is far from convincing me completely. Even if it is a sign of the serum working, that may not be good news either.

Sure Cuphead doesn't get a second dose, but then the Devil will be obsessed with turning him into his perfect killing machine. It's a lose-lose scenario to put it lightly...

For now, we act as if nothing happened. I will only be forced to report the success to the Devil when I see tangible proof. Until then, we're in the clear."

- Chapter Nine: Slapjack And Sparring -

Cuphead woke up feeling better than ever. He stretched, extending out across the length of the cot. Strangely, his body didn't flare up in pain like he was used to.

"Gin?" He groaned, rolling onto his side, looking for her. "Gin, I dunno what happened, but I'm feelin' better than ever-"

His mouth fell open in utter shock. There, instead of Ginette, stood Elder Kettle. The old man was beaming, tears in the corners of his eyes. "Good morning, Cuphead... I've missed you so so much."

"Elder Kettle...?" The boy's voice was weak, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Elder Kettle nodded and knelt by Cuphead's side, pulling his beloved son into a tight hug.

Cuphead broke down and began to sob, clutching onto him. "I-I never thought I'd see you again, Elder Kettle."

"It's alright, it's alright... I'm here now, that's all that matters."

Wiping away his tears, Cuphead looked up, a relieved smile across his face. "Is Mugsy awake yet? Does he know?"

"No. Not yet." Elder Kettle said, glancing over at Mugman. His face fell at the mention of Mugman's name. Cuphead noticed. "I didn't want to wake him yet, he needs his rest. Very badly." Elder Kettle finished.

"Do you... Do think he'll make it?"

Elder Kettle quickly turned to face Cuphead, squeezing his hand. "Of course, he will! I'm sure of it." He said reassuringly. If only he truly believed it. "Miss Ginette tells me he's been getting better with every passing day."

Cuphead gasped in excitement. "Ginette!" He looked around and saw her sitting at her desk, smiling at the pair of them. "Ginette! This is Elder Kettle! The one I've been tellin' you about."

"So I've heard." Ginette chuckled. She turned to Elder Kettle. "They've spoken very highly of you. I'm told you make excellent pancakes."

Elder Kettle laughed, patting Cuphead on the back. "Why am I not surprised?"

For the first time in two weeks, genuine laughter echoed throughout the staff's common room. Ginette made breakfast while Elder Kettle listened to Cuphead tell him all about his many misadventures in the casino. Just hearing Cuphead talk brought a smile to Elder Kettle's face. After seeing his son writhing in agony from the Devil's serum, he thought he'd never see his son happy again. Thankfully, he was wrong.

Mugman stirred awake just as Ginette finished cooking, awoken by the sound of boisterous voices. Cuphead and Elder Kettle didn't notice him wake up till they heard a loud gasp from behind.

"Elder Kettle!" Mugman called, reaching out his arms towards him.

In an instant, Elder Kettle dropped everything, rushing to Mugman's side, scooping him up into a tight hug. Cuphead crawled to the edge of his cot, reaching out and squeezing Mugman's arm.

"I can't believe it... You're really here... I-I'm so glad you're okay, Grandpa Kettle." Mugman said, holding on tight. "I was sure you were dead."

Kettle let out a long sigh, wrapping his other arm around Cuphead, sitting between the two cots. "No no... I'm far from dead, thank goodness. I'm here and I promise you, Mugman, I won't be going anywhere."

"I'm glad... It's amazin' to see you again, Elder Kettle, but... Why are you here? In the casino? What does the Devil want with you?" Mugman said, sitting up a little. He winced, but today it didn't hurt half as bad to move. That was odd.

"It's complicated. I wasn't supposed to be apparently." Kettle said, grimacing. "That night, I heard it happening. I was downstairs and there was this crash in your room. I assumed you boys were up to some late-night mischief, but when I opened the door, I saw the Devil's imps instead."

There was a deep pain in his voice now. "They'd tied you two up and were going to take you through some hellish portal. I tried to stop them, but they took me too. But, thanks to Ginette, I'm here with you two again."

Ginette forced a smile at the mention of her name. It hurt her heart to hear about what Kettle and his boys went through. And their suffering had only just begun...

Elder Kettle lovingly squeezed the boys tight in an attempt to get off the subject of their kidnapping. "At first, I thought I'd never see you boys again, but here we are. I suppose miracles really do happen. If so... Things will turn out alright someday, I'm sure of it."

Elder Kettle looked like he was crying. Cuphead and Mugman had never seen him cry before. The three embraced, sitting in silence. Reunited at last.

"Breakfast is ready!" Ginette called out as she placed a few plates on a small table. It had been about a half hour since the three's reunion and Cuphead had been very vocal about how hungry he was.

"You look like you're feeling right as rain today, Cuphead!" She continued, kneeling beside him. "You up for trying to eat by yourself?" She asked.

"You betcha!" Cuphead said, grinning. "Maybe I can even walk over to that there table!"

"Woah there! Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Ginette nervously laughed, putting a hand on Cuphead's shoulder. "You need to be taking it easy, kid."

Cuphead's smile turned a touch mischievous and he pushed her hand away. "Watch me."

Then he dramatically planted his feet on the floor and stood up. He was wobbly but didn't immediately collapse.

Ginette looked like she was about to pass out from worry, tensed up; ready to catch him. Mugman clutched a shocked Elder Kettle's arm. They all watched in awed silence as Cuphead took a step. Then another. And another. He was hobbling his way over to the table.

Gritting his teeth in determination, Cuphead reached out and grabbed onto a chair for balance, and sat down at the table. Ginette, who'd remained still, face stoic and unmoving like a statue, burst into tears.

"You did it!" She cried, picking up Cuphead and spinning him around.

Cuphead, who usually disliked being held, didn't even mind. He hugged her back, laughing with glee. "I told you! I told you I could!"

"Well, you proved me wrong!" Ginette said, grinning. "Two weeks you and Mugman have been stuck bedridden, no signs of getting better, then all the sudden: a miracle." She turned to Elder Kettle. "I think you're our lucky charm."

Elder Kettle laughed, trying not to show his nervousness. "I guess so." Chalice had told him the Devil was after her. He couldn't give let anyone suspect his secret connection to the ghost girl. Not even Ginette.

Setting Cuphead down, Ginette let out a triumphant sigh. "Let's eat!"

Elder Kettle carried Mugman over and the four had breakfast. Cuphead was especially energetic while Mugman remained subdued. Ginette and Kettle took notice.

"Aww, Mugsy! I'm sure you'll be up and walkin' in no time!" Cuphead said, taking a big bite of his piece of toast. "Then we can go back to playin' tag and sneakin' around this joint everywhere we ain't supposed to."

"Yeah, sure," Mugman replied, forcing a smile. He'd hardly touched his food.

Ginette and Elder Kettle exchanged a worried glance. "I'll watch him." mouthed Ginette.

Elder Kettle nodded. It was so strange to see someone else treating his boys with such love and care, like a parent. Part of him didn't like it. It was bittersweet, to say the least, let alone the fact this very well could be a ruse.

But now was not the time to try and investigate. He had to play dumb and make sure his boys recovered, that was all that mattered.

"What about we play somethin'? What do y'all have?" Cuphead said. He'd noticed his brother was down, but bringing it up would do the opposite of cheering Mugman up. He had to distract him; get him to have fun. Maybe even let him win a game or two, as much as Cuphead detested losing.

"This is a casino," Ginette chucked as she got up. "I'm sure we have some of everything."

"What do you wanna play, Mugsy?" Cuphead continued, scooting up next to his brother. "Poker? Snap? Slapjack?"

"I like Slapjack," Mugman said. He was smiling now, a good sign. "That one always makes everyone laugh! Like when you and I got so into it we accidentally knocked Elder Kettle's plate full of dinner clean off the table."

"I remember that all too well." Elder Kettle said, playfully rolling his eyes. "What about I clean up breakfast before we start? Just in case."

"That's a swell idea," Ginette answered, bringing over a pile of cards. "The last thing I need is King Dice asking me how I broke a whole set of plates."

Cuphead and Mugman giggled. Imagining King Dice's appalled expression was very amusing, and a little scary too.

The goal of Slapjack was to slap any Jacks played in the center pile, so it didn't take long before chaos ensued. Ginette and Elder Kettle weren't trying too hard and instead just laughed over the brothers' antics.

Cuphead went easy on Mugman at first, letting his brother rebuild his confidence. Although Mugman was noticeably weaker than Cuphead, he was more active today than he'd been for the past two weeks. He was recovering too.

By the 11th round, Cuphead wanted to make it more challenging, all in good fun, while testing his own strength. The moment Elder Kettle placed the Jack on the table, everything moved in slow motion.

Cuphead's arm moved at inhuman speed, slapping the card with all his might. His arm moved so fast that Mugman didn't have a chance to react.

Cuphead's palm connected with the pile of cards, slapping the table with a force he didn't know he had in him. Then, something gave.

Snap!

Splinters soared into the air. Elder Kettle grabbed Mugman, shielding him. A chunk of wood almost stabbed Ginette in the eye, but she caught it. The table collapsed. Splitting perfectly in half.

Cuphead's eyes went wide as saucers. All was silent.

"Did... Did I do that?"

Ginette covered her mouth, tears in her eyes. "Oh no..." Wincing, she clutched her head. She knew she had to tell the Devil, immediately, but the free part of her fought it.

She couldn't do this to Cuphead. Ginette had always known this day would come, but she didn't think it would be today. She wasn't ready to watch the Devil take him away.

"I'm so sorry..."

"What do you mean sorry?" Cuphead whispered, grabbing her arm. "G-Gin?"

Ginette let out a yelp in pain. Her free will, temporarily gone. Her eyes glowed a bright red as she casted a spell. Sending a message to the Devil.

"Boss. It's the Strength. It worked."

The Devil told her he'd be there within the hour. In the tense minutes leading up to the demon's arrival, the past happy morning plunged into chaos.

Cuphead bombarded the overwhelmed Ginette with fearful questions, clutching onto her arm with an iron-clad grasp.

"What happens now? What is he going to do to me?"

Ginette only had one answer. "I don't know."

Elder Kettle didn't speak, trying to control himself. His eyes fixed on Ginette. How could she do this to them? She'd been on their side, hadn't she? How could she let the Devil know? Deep down he knew she didn't have a choice, but nevertheless, rage against her boiled in his heart.

Mugman was trembling. Clutching Cuphead's hand as if this was the last time he'd ever see his brother. What if this was the last time? Without Ginette there to stand up for Cuphead, what if the Devil took it too far and killed him?

The room burned with an ever-rising tension, till the door swung open.

There was the Devil -along with a not-so-subtle entourage. The rest of the casino's staff wanted to see the conflict themselves, peering into the common room from the spiral staircase

The Devil approached Ginette, not saying much besides a few whispered words to her. Elder Kettle kept his distance, protectively holding onto his children. Ginette was trembling as the Devil spoke to her, and looked up at him pleadingly.

The Devil flashed Ginette a mocking smile, then turned to Cuphead, his hand outstretched. "Come, my boy. It's time to go."

Elder Kettle gritted his teeth. How dare the Devil call Cuphead 'his' boy? He wished he could speak up, but that was how he'd get himself killed right before his sons' eyes. He clutched their shoulders tightly, shaking with fury.

Cuphead's body automatically obeyed the Devil's command, wrenching himself free of Elder Kettle's grasp. He walked forward and took the Devil's hand, his now glowing red eyes fixed on the demon with a robotic smile.

Without another word, the Devil began to lead Cuphead away. Elder Kettle's eyes prickled with angry tears, but he couldn't bring himself to move. It was too dangerous. The same was not true for Mugman.

He'd been at Elder Kettle's side, sitting on his bed, but he suddenly threw himself forward, struggling towards the Devil and Cuphead. Walking.

"W-Wait!" He yelled, grabbing onto a chair to keep himself from falling. His body was quivering like a leaf in the wind, but he kept going.

The Devil turned, an eyebrow raised. Mugman, walking? This boy had made a miraculous recovery as well. How strange.

"Please wait, Mister Devil, sir!" Mugman said, taking shaky steps. "W-when will I see Cuphead again?"

The Devil smiled. How sweet. This boy was quite the loyal one.

"Tonight, my sweet Mugman. I'm not taking him forever." He chuckled, kneeling to meet Mugman's eyes. "It's like school. Cuphead spends some time with me in the day for a class -or as I like to call it, training. But then he'll come back to you every evening. I promise."

He beckoned Mugman closer and the boy wobbled forward, trying to not fall. He nearly lost his balance, but the Devil caught him, holding him up by the torso.

Elder Kettle felt steam leaking out from his top. He couldn't hold in this anger much longer. The Devil was acting like some kind of sick and twisted father. Taking Cuphead by the hand? Calling Mugman sweet and holding him up? Elder Kettle had never wanted to kill someone before, but now he did.

"You have a big heart, Mugman." The Devil continued, rubbing his thumb on Mugman's cheek, wiping away the boy's tears.

"Use it. Use your care for others to get better, to get stronger. Then, your gift will show itself." He gently traced around Mugman's eyes. Ginette's stomach turned. He was teasing her, making vague references to The Sight.

"When your gift reveals itself, then you can come and be with your brother and me. You boys will never have to be separated again. Would you like that?"

Mugman nodded.

"Wonderful!" The Devil said. "I knew you'd understand. Now, go on and give your brother one last hug, then run along back to your mother. Oh! I'm so sorry, I meant Ginette. Slip of the tongue, of course." He snickered.

Ginette's face turned a bright red. Now the casino staff locked their eyes on her, faces full of shock and anger. She was acting as the boys' mother now? After what those brats did to the casino troupe? They would never let her forget this.

Mugman hugged Cuphead. "Be safe." He whispered and then he wobbled his way back over to Ginette.

She gave up on trying to hide her immense care for him and scooped the boy up into her arms, cradling him. Elder Kettle's grip on his cane tightened, that traitorous woman would never be their mother, but he still said nothing. The Devil gave her a satisfied smirk, then left, still holding Cuphead's hand, and slamming the door behind him.

"During your time with me," The Devil told Cuphead as they walked through the dimly lit dungeon halls, "you will learn the proper ways of combat, train to control your newfound powers, and learn the intricacies of how to defeat any opponent I set before you."

"This really is like school." Cuphead quipped nervously. His heart was pounding out of his chest being back in the dungeons. He had to relieve the tension somehow.

"Don't you worry. I'll make it worth your while." The Devil grinned.

They re-entered the laboratory, but to Cuphead's relief, they didn't stay there. The Devil led him through it and down a pitch-black hallway leading somewhere Cuphead had never been before. He heard a door creak open and they entered a giant room.

Snap!

Torches across the room flared up. Warm torchlight filled the space. Cuphead's jaw dropped.

It was the biggest arena Cuphead had ever seen. They were standing in the center. There were glass viewing areas all along the top, looming over Cuphead and the Devil.

"Do you like it?" The Devil chuckled.

"What is it?" Cuphead whispered, his voice filled with awe and fear.

"A fighting arena, built especially for you. There used to be many of these centuries ago, called Colosseums. So, I built my own. Here is where you will train with me to control your gift."

"How will I learn to control it when I don't know what it is? All I know is that I split a table in half." Cuphead pointed out.

"You'll see, dear. You'll see."

The Devil left Cuphead to his own devices for a time, disappearing behind a large padlocked gate. It reminded Cuphead of floodgates. What was the Devil preparing for him?

From beyond the gate, he could faintly hear raised voices. Like people were arguing. He fidgeted anxiously. The awe of the arena had worn off, leaving him with nothing but an impending sense of dread. Why had he even been given these powers in the first place? Cuphead had a few theories, but none of them boded well.

A harsh screech snapped Cuphead back to his senses. The large padlock gate was opening slowly, like the big barred gates he'd seen in picture books of castles. Elder Kettle had once told him they were called portcullises.

"Hello?" He called out, getting to his feet.

The room beyond the gate was dark. Was the Devil there? Or someone else? He could hear movement, the shuffling of feet on the cobblestone floor.

"Uh," Cuphead took a cautious step forward, "is anyone there?"

Someone was breathing, raggedly, like a wild animal.

"Boss? Is that you?"

A figure lunged out of the darkness. Cuphead leaped backward into a fighting stance. The rabid form of Baroness von Bon Bon was staring hungrily at him. Her eyes were red with pronounced dark circles. She looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Baroness von Bon Bon?" Cuphead said, hurrying toward her. "W-What happened to you?"

She grabbed ahold of his arm, eyes wide. "Hungry." She hissed and bit down on his arm. Cuphead screamed, tearing his arm away from her. She'd chipped his porcelain.

"What's wrong with you, Baroness?" Cuphead cried, backing up. "What did the Devil do to you?"

The Baroness lunged forward, revealing a weapon. Her signature candy cane, now sharpened into a blade. She went to stab Cuphead in the chest, but he dodged, rolling under her and scrambling toward the opposite side of the room.

"I don't wanna fight you!" He cried.

She didn't respond. The Baroness just stared, seething, foaming at the mouth. This was not the Bon Bon that Cuphead once knew.

Then, she came barreling toward him again, producing tiny candy-like daggers from her pocket, throwing them. Cuphead dashed away, trying to keep an arena-length distance between him and Bon Bon.

She might be desperate, but Cuphead was faster and stronger than ever. He lured her over to him, feining being cornered, then used the wall to backflip over her. Sprinting across the length of the room, he saw the Devil, watching from above in a glass viewing box.

"What did you do to her?" Cuphead yelled as a dagger missed his head by only a few millimeters. "I won't fight her! No matter what you make her do! So make it stop!"

He grabbed onto a jutting-out part of the wall and began to climb. The Devil raised an eyebrow. Cuphead was climbing the side of the arena, directly toward him. The Baroness threw her cane. It soared through the air, impaling the wall where Cuphead had been mere moments ago. Cuphead grabbed ahold of the cane, stabbing it into the wall as a climbing pike. His eyes were fixed on the Devil.

"MAKE. IT. STOP." He screamed at the top of his lungs, climbing closer and closer to the glass box.

The Devil took a few steps back in case the glass broke. This glass was magically tempered, but he wasn't sure if it would withstand the full power of The Strength. The Baroness was clawing frantically at the wall, trying to climb as well, but she couldn't get a good grip.

"Come back!" She wailed in agony, in tears. "Get back here!"

Cuphead had clambered onto the outside of the glass box, balancing on its metal frame. One hand clutched onto the frame to keep him steady, the other brandishing the Baroness's cane. "This is your last warning." He hissed, glaring at the Devil.

The Devil didn't reply, smirking. "Do your worst. Show me your power." He mentally replied.

Cuphead stabbed the glass with the cane. It bounced right off, flying back with such strong momentum that it made Cuphead fall back. The tempered glass was stronger than Cuphead anticipated. As if time itself slowed down, Cuphead locked his eyes on a ledge he could grab. His hands shot out, grabbing the ledge of the frame, now dangling in mid-air. The cane slipped out of his hand. Cuphead gasped, watching it fall to the floor, shattering into little pieces. If he fell, there would be nothing Ginette could do to fix that.

The Devil was laughing. To him, this was all very amusing. Cuphead clinging onto the viewing box's frame for dear life. The Baroness down below, rabidly trying to climb up to Cuphead.

"Some final warning." He called out to Cuphead. "Is that really the best you can do?"

Cuphead gritted his teeth. He'd done nothing but make a fool of himself while this monster got a laugh. Clutching onto the ledge for dear life, he aimed his finger gun at the glass, building up a charge shot. The Devil laughed even harder. It would surely rebound and hit the boy squarely in the chest, what a stupid idea.

Cuphead remained determined, the shot was almost ready. Then, he fired. The blast collided with the window, exploding. Cuphead held on for dear life, squeezing his eyes shut.

The glass shattered. Fragments of glass flew in every direction. Baroness von Bon Bon scrambled back as big chunks of glass landed around her. Mouth still frothing, she cowered behind the debris, watching intently.

The Devil's eyes widened. This boy was indeed more powerful than ever before, the little bastard.

Stepping forward, the Devil peered over the edge to see Cuphead still hanging on by a thread.

He flashed the Devil a cocky smile, despite his predicament. "That was the best I could do." He grinned. "Now make the Baroness stop, or I'll blow this whole place to shreds."

The Devil scoffed. "Aren't you bold? From the looks of it, you are in no condition to negotiate with me, boy. One little push and it's goodbye Cuphead."

"Or so you say. From how I see it, you ain't gonna kill me. You worked so hard to get this serum to work, yeah? Why would you kill your success? Ain't I like your boy or somethin'? No parent kills their own kid." Cuphead shot back.

"You're right." The Devil said ominously, walking across the broken glass. "But who says this kills you?"

Then he stamped his foot, full of broken glass, down onto Cuphead's hands. The boy shrieked, letting go. His body hit the ground with a sickening crunch. His legs twisted unnaturally. But, even though Cuphead had fallen fifty feet down, he was somehow still alive and very much awake. He screamed and wailed at the top of his lungs. Blood poured out of his mouth. He couldn't feel his legs. His whole lower body was unable to move.

The Baroness scurried forward to feast on her victim, but the Devil appeared in front of her, throwing her to the ground, injecting her with a strange substance. The antidote to the toxin he'd administered to her before opening the gate. It was a simple potion, turning the victim into a rabid monster till an antidote was administered. The only downside was it took weeks to recover from. He needed more opponents for Cuphead in the meantime. The imps would have to keep hunting down the runaway debtors.

Cuphead was still screaming, but the Devil paid him no mind, carrying the unconscious Baroness back through the gateway and into the darkness beyond. Cuphead sobbed, his wails echoing throughout the arena.

The staff common room door swung open. Ginette and Elder Kettle leaped to their feet. Mugman, who'd been laying on his cot pulled himself up into a sitting position. "Cuphead?"

The Devil entered, carrying Cuphead. The boy was awake, his eyes red from crying, but he didn't move -let alone speak. He looked like he was in shock, blankly staring at the ceiling.

"What happened?" Ginette said, running over to the Devil.

"I'm testing his healing properties." The Devil calmly told her. "He took a bit of a fall and is now paralyzed from the waist down. If your calculations for The Strength's healing are correct, he should be up and walking by morning."

Ginette's mouth fell open. If she'd been holding anything, she would've dropped it. "Paralyzed?"

"Yes. Two broken legs. The lower half of his spine was snapped. The usual causes."

That broke Elder Kettle.

"How could you?" He whispered, his hands balled into fists. "How could you do this to an innocent child?" He lunged at the Devil, but with a swift strike of his pitchfork, the Devil knocked him prone onto the ground.

"Elder Kettle!" Mugman shrieked. He scrambled out of bed, but the Devil kicked him back with a threatening glare.

"I didn't do anything he couldn't handle." The Devil said casually. "He fell. That's all. And, if Ginette's calculations were indeed incorrect, I'll heal him myself. With a few punishments in order as well." He turned back to Ginette. "Best hope you were right, darling."

Ginette glared up at him, snatching Cuphead from the Devil's grasp to get him to safety. "Get out. You monster."

"As you wish."