Note: This fic is illustrated. If you'd like to read it with them, come see it on Ao3 or Tumblr under the same title and username.
Once Upon a Dream
[Prologue]
"So…was I right?"
"Yes, boss.
We've got one."
.
.
.
When Cuphead first enters the casino, he does it quietly.
He and his brother are too young for this place, as far as he knows, but then he is always too young to do much of anything he wants to do. There's no thrill in playing safe, no fun in what's appropriate, and not even the threat of Elder Kettle's cane can temper his fingers when Cuphead gets bored.
So when he learns of the Devil's playground, it's no surprise when he wants to play.
Mugman follows him, ever devoted… ever worried. Though he's more than happy chasing butterflies near their home or reading books from Elder Kettle's personal library, Mugman is always happiest with Cuphead, where he can be sure to keep him safe.
After all, it's not rare for Cuphead to get himself in trouble when his younger brother isn't there to rein him in (and even then, it's a struggle to reason with his reckless soul). Mugman may not share his brother's thrill-seeking heart, but he is young and curious and Hell is not a place Elder's books can show in pictures.
(But they describe it well- a cruel and sweltering prison- and Mugman swallows his own fears because there is no lifetime where he would ever leave his brother alone to such a fate.)
Cuphead tells him they are only there to watch, explore the place and see what all the fuss was about. Sneaking into the casino was one thing, but actually getting to gamble was a crapshoot.
"C'mon Mugs. Even I know better than to try and con the Devil," Cuphead smirks, "At least not with you around. You know Elder Kettle would whoop me good if I ever got my precious baby brother in trouble."
Mugman rolls his eyes, about to whisper back a smart remark when a skeleton man pops his head under the table and drags them out by the back of their sweaters.
He lifts them up to eye level. "What are you kids slumming around here for?" he asks.
Flustered, the brothers stutter and scramble for an excuse until the skeleton cuts them off with a boisterous laugh, dropping them down into the seats beside him.
"This is the Devil's Casino, chumps. Nobody will bat an eye as long as you know how to play."
.
.
.
Elder Kettle would be so mad.
Mugman finds that the longer they stay, the less he cares.
The table the skeleton's playing at is running a game of Craps- something that the brothers find themselves surprisingly good at. In fact, they are so good at it that the casino manager took over the table to introduce himself- shaking their hands as he applauds them on their success.
"Why if you keep this up, I reckon' the boss himself may come down to congratulate you too!" King Dice smiles. Mugman supposes it is meant to be charming, but it only makes him uneasy, so he politely pulls away. Cuphead, blinded by greed, doesn't seem to notice.
"Well you better tell him to hurry up, or we'll be walking away with his whole casino in our pocket by the end of this game!"
King Dice laughs. Mugman tries to grin, but neither his brother's confidence nor their audience's cheers can quell the sudden sense of dread settling in his gut.
.
.
.
The Devil had come down, just as King Dice predicted.
And even with his brother there, Cuphead found himself neck-deep and sinking in a river of rotten choices.
He rubs the rim of his head and glares up at King Dice, irritated at the smug smile he aims down at him.
"I'd get going if I were you. You only have until midnight tomorrow to get those contracts, after all," King Dice reminds him with a sneer, "Straight to the debtors. If you even think about asking for help, there'll be immediate consequences."
As if his task wasn't daunting enough.
"And remember, I'll be watching you."
Elder Kettle would be so mad.
.
.
.
Rumor prides herself on many things.
The most important is order. Here in her hive, her workers follow her every command, inspired by the fruitful results her system provides them. They obey her because obeying her grants them not only stability but riches and rewards. She is queen of a kingdom that adores her; leader to an army that will follow her to battle.
Another is her magic. Though Inkwell is naturally imbued with magical energy, so few of its people know or even deign to use it. It's their loss, she thinks. Learning magic has helped offing other queen bees much easier. It's worked wonderfully with maintaining order too.
The shield around her hive ripples, and she learns of her intruders.
So he's finally come.
Rumor alights from her throne and steps down to the hive, poised in the face of her possible death.
Another skill she prides herself on is diplomacy. After all, every good queen knows not all wars must end with bloodshed.
.
.
.
Cuphead yelps as he falls back against a platform, narrowly dodging an incoming missile. He hits the ground hard, and tenses when Rumor Honeybottoms descends from above.
She is massive- the shadow of her head alone engulfs him- but it's nothing he hasn't seen before. Cuphead steels himself and grabs the edge of the platform to throw himself down on the one below it. He swiftly takes aim as magic erupts from her hands.
Twin balls of energy shoot past him and into the walls of the hive. He instinctively shoots a Charge shot at her direction, but to his dismay, it misses.
Rumor swoops to the side and shakes her head, just as the pillars of honey dripping around the hive begin to expand and close around them in a circle. Cuphead realizes he is trapped and curses.
"Calm down. This wasn't meant for you," Rumor explains, "It's for him."
"Who's him?"
"Your pesky little shadow. I'm sure you know who I mean," she grins, "Theoretically, this should block his view of our battle. Now we can talk, but we have to be quick. Surely he'll be working to break through soon."
Cuphead doesn't relax, "What do you want? Unless you're planning to hand over that contract right now, I'm not interested in talking."
"I understand. You found yourself with all this trouble through a deal, didn't you? I would know too- the Devil is far from a fair negotiator," Rumor sighs, "But you'll find that I am a gracious ruler. As you've seen, my workers are loyal. I treat them well, and they trust their lives with me in return."
"I'm not one of your little worker bees," Cuphead bites out.
"No, but you are a victim of the Devil, much like myself. You must understand, I wished for this magic to help my kingdom. If I traded in my soul, there would be no one to watch over my children. Our contract would have been worthless!" Rumor's eyes darken, her teeth grinding. Cuphead sees it then- the ferocity of a person who has something to protect- but remains silent.
She continues, "Listen, child. There is a way to break these contracts without trading in your soul. It is difficult, but you will be in a prime position to do it. You must burn the contracts in Hell's fires. It's the only way for them to be destroyed. Other fires won't even singe it." Cuphead inclines his head, as though he's paying attention, but Rumor can see the twitch in his hand.
She holds in her panic, "Of course, you must be able to get your own contract from the Devil beforehand. If you agree to help me, I can give you my contract and tell you the rest of my plan. There'll be no need for you to fight anymore. Well?"
Cuphead only stares. Rumor sways impatiently as she feels the magic keeping King Dice away start to fizzle out.
Finally, he slaps his forehead and laughs.
"Gosh it's the same ol' story every time," says Cuphead, "You talk a good game lady. Better than the others, I'll give you that. If all I had to worry about was myself, you probably would have gotten me. Maybe."
He aims at her again, fingers glowing red with power. Rumor reaches for her spellbook, resigned at the sudden dark and deep determination she sees in his face. Her magic weakens even more and the shield of honey begins to open like a curtain around them.
"Sorry but what I've got on the line is worth more than all your sob stories and my own damn soul combined."
.
.
.
When Cuphead returns to the casino, he doesn't do it quietly.
"Well, well, well…"
The Devil smirks at the shifting lights under his door, at the sound of snapping fingers and breaking glass. He smirks at the destruction he can not only hear, but feel, utterly wrathful and desperate in its haste to get to him.
He smirks when the gates to his throne room open, and Cuphead strides in like he isn't facing the Devil himself.
Not even Hell's flames can compare to the fire and brimstone in his eyes.
"Look how far you've come."
"I did what you asked for!" Cuphead shouts, "Now pay up!" His hands are trembling with adrenaline, finger glowing blue with power as the Devil only laughs at him.
"Don't snap your cap, boy. I ain't quite done with you yet," he sneers, unfazed when Cuphead growls at him, "I have to say, I'm impressed! I knew there was something special about you two but I wasn't expecting this kinda performance," He nods his head towards the sack clutched in Cuphead's left hand and cackles, "You're a natural!"
Cuphead knows he should feel guilty, but now that he is so close to his goal, he feels nothing but impatience and rage. Devil notes this, and smiles to himself in satisfaction.
"Of course, I was probably right to give you that extra bit of motivation."
The Devil snaps his fingers and Cuphead flinches back at the loud and sudden sound of chains falling from above. A large, golden cage hits the ground and sends flames licking at his skin, but he doesn't feel it, no. His eyes are immediately drawn to the figure curled in the cage, eyes shut tight from the unexpected fall.
Here is the reason he has fought so hard.
"Mugs!" he croaks.
Mugman lifts his head, dizzy from the impact, "Huh?"
Cuphead staggers closer and Mugman's eyes flit to him, face suddenly sharp and bright with joy and relief, "Cuphead!"
"Don't worry! I'm getting you out of here-" Without a warning, the Devil pins Cuphead in place with his trident, halting his words.
"Why don't you give me my contracts first?"
"Contracts?" Mugman echoes, brows furrowed in confusion. Cuphead grits his teeth at the question and his fist clenches around the drawstring bag in his grip. The trident around his neck glows with heat and power. He can barely feel it through his porcelain skin, but the slowly dawning horror in his brother's eyes is enough to still him.
The Devil doesn't let him explain, "Come now, don't give him that look. They were damned from the start! Your brother did them a favor by dealing with them before I could."
He pauses, allowing the silence between the brothers to grow suffocating before he breaks it.
"Of course, according to King Dice, I might not have done anything worse than you already did, huh kid?"
Cuphead sucks in a sharp breath, and the Devil smirks.
"No," Mugman murmurs, "Tell me you didn't, Cuphead."
Cuphead flinches when he meets his eyes, bright and blue with sorrow. He doesn't know how to tell his brother how little he found himself caring for others (for friends) at knowing he was in danger.
Especially when it's always my fault you get hurt. Again and again.
Mugman would call him selfish.
And he'd be absolutely right.
"I did what I had to do," he mumbles back.
The Devil clicks his tongue, "Enough with the pity party. I asked you a question, boy, and I'm not a patient person. Where are my contracts?"
"Let Mugman go!" Cuphead shoots back, "I want to see you hold up your end of the deal first, especially after that smarmy lackey of yours tried to kill me when I got back here!"
"I can't help the fact that good-for-nothing car decoration is a sore loser," The Devil jeers, "And you've got a lot of nerve trying to demand something out of me! I'm already doing you a courtesy by asking. If you don't cough up those contracts, I'll just take your sniveling brother's head off right now!"
Mugman glares up at the Devil, but Cuphead immediately falls silent at the threat.
"Fine," he relents, holding up the bag.
Mugman chokes back a protest. He knows his brother. Despite what others may think of him, Cuphead is mischievous, not malicious. Fighting those people must've gnawed at Cups, but he did it for him. Pulled through for him.
Because Mugman was too weak to defend himself again.
I have no right to judge you.
The Devil hooks his claw around the drawstring and hauls the bag away, "Attaboy."
He snaps his fingers and the cage melts back into the ground. Mugman instantly runs into his brother's arms.
"I'm sorry," he cries into Cuphead's chest. His older brother clutches the back of his shirt and shakes his head.
"What are you talking about, you goof? I'm the one who should be sayin' sorry!" Cuphead sniffles and laughs forcibly, "Though I'm pretty lousy at doin' that, aren't I? You'll just have to teach me on our way back, and maybe Elder Kettle won't lock me in the cupboard for longer than a month."
Mugman giggles, but Cuphead can still hear the light 'clinking' sound of his knees shaking and hitting each other. He takes his brother firmly by the arms and starts walking him to the door.
"Come on, Mugs. Let's blouse."
Before they can take another step, large gold pillars erupt from the ground and encase them in a small golden cage. It's even smaller than the one that held Mugman, so the brothers are forced to kneel to avoid hitting their heads. They look up in confusion as the Devil lets out a loud booming laugh.
"What's the big idea?!" Cuphead grabs at the bars and shoves his face up to snarl at him, "I did everything you asked, so what are we still doing here?!"
"You two saps walked into a trap, that's what," the Devil leans forward and gleefully bares his teeth back, "The minute you waltzed into my casino, your souls were mine! Sure, it was a pleasure to get back the rest of those ungrateful welchers, but you two were always the main targets. And now, it's curtains for you!"
"That's a load of malarkey!" Mugman suddenly shouts.
Cuphead jolts. If anyone is getting popped for mouthing off, he doesn't want it to be his baby brother.
"Mugs-" he tries to shoulder him back, but Mugman just brushes him off.
"If you really just wanted us dead, why go through all this trouble with the debtors? What was stopping you from just taking our souls when we lost the game?"
"What do you know? The other one's got moxie too!" The Devil chortles, "Tell you what, kid. I'm in an awful' good mood right now so I'll tell you and your brother a little bedtime story before yer big sleep. You ever heard of angels?"
Cuphead and Mugman glance at each other, perplexed.
"No," Cuphead replies. He sidles closer to his brother, silently proud at the turn of events he'd brought them. Maybe if they let the Devil beat his gums long enough, he can come up with an escape plan.
"Once upon a time," the Devil drawls mockingly, "An angel walked the earth and fell in love with a mortal."
Against all the laws of Heaven, the angel and the mortal bore fruit from their love. The child was a nephilim- the first of its kind. Its blood was half-divine, and it carried the ability to battle anyone that had demonic powers.
The angel was immediately stripped of its wings… but their bloodline remained holy. Every firstborn child in the generation carried Heaven's mark and was blessed with the powers of a nephilim.
Soon, the nephilim formed a society known as the "Calix Amini". They fought off demons and spread the word against their influence to defend their homes. They were heroes. They were cherished. They were beloved.
However, the war between the nephilims and demons would soon take an ironic twist.
Despite the situation, Mugman finds himself intrigued. The story reminds him of the fairytales in Elder Kettle's collection- his favorite kinds.
The nephilims were created when an angel fell in love with a mortal.
The Devil was released when a nephilim fell in love with a demon.
She was young, hopeful and hopelessly smitten. The demon loved her naivety and convinced her he loved her all the way to the guillotine.
He used her blood to forge a key and opened the gates to Hell.
The Calix Amini suffered. Their numbers were already low and they steadily dwindled under the Devil's reign. He ravaged the land with his demons and murdered many of the nephilims, including their families. He knew that if he left any of them alive, more nephilims could be born. They had to be wiped out.
After all, Heaven wouldn't stop him. Humanity was made to save itself.
Thankfully, the nephilims formed a plan.
First, they would use their blood to remake a key, and lock the Devil back into Hell.
But they knew that even if he was cast back down, his demons would remain.
So they sacrificed their bodies to create a cage within the gates of Hell.
To help lock the Devil in, they called on the greatest hero in their midst:
The Legendary Chalice.
It worked. After a long and tortuous battle, Chalice locked the Devil and his demons in the cage and closed back the gates of Hell with the key. Then, using the last of her power, Chalice split the land holding Hell away from the rest before succumbing to her injuries.
Years later, settlers would find the land and call it home. It would be named "Inkwell Isles", after its founding family.
And many more years later, on the far east side of the island, a greedy young man would find himself walking past the gates of Hell to open up the Devil's cage in search of glory and riches.
"Bring me ten souls," the Devil purrs to him, "Ten souls and I will fulfill your every desire."
The young man brings him nine other people.
"These are my workers. My family," he says, "They have agreed to your terms and offer you their souls. Without our business, they mean nothing to them!"
"And where is the tenth?"
"He stands here before you," replies the young man as he holds out his soul contract.
The Devil is pleased.
"This should be enough."
In a flash, the cage around the Devil shatters into bone-white dust. With a swish of his tail, it scatters into the wind and not a single trace of his prison is left behind. From his shadow, numerous demons begin to crawl out onto the ground, snarling and leering at the mortals before them.
Left with no barriers between them and these monsters, King Dice wonders if he has made the right choice.
"Now how should I repay you lot?" the Devil wonders aloud as he rubs his chin theatrically.
Snapping his fingers, he summons his trident into his hands and slams it down into the ground.
In what feels like less than a minute, a gleaming, ritzy casino towers above them and makes its place in Hell.
"Listen up! You'll be working for me from now on, starting at this casino! You'll get all the fame and fortune you'll ever want, but in return, I want you to hook more souls into creating a contract with me, got it?"
"Why do you need more souls? You're already out of the cage," asks one of the debtors, a raggedy little rabbit. The Devil shoots him a dirty look and he stumbles, "C-Course you'll get anything you want, boss!"
"The soul contracts…" interrupts Cuphead, "They give you power?"
"Hah!" the Devil sniggers as Cuphead glowers back at him, "Boy! Souls are power. They're the whole reason you live and if you've got any ounce of magic in you, it'll be coming from your soul."
"Right," Cuphead crosses his arms. He curls back against the cage, eyes distant as if he's already grown bored of the conversation.
"You broke the cage, but not the gates," Mugman wonders aloud, "You needed more power to get through the gates, didn't you?"
"Now you're on the trolley," The Devil buffs his claws against his fur, seemingly content to let Mugman fill in the story, "Those rotten gates were built just for me. Everyone else could come and go as they please, but I was stuck relying on demons to do my dirty work outside. Dice and his court of grifters did manage to get the yahoos rolling in, but then too many got away. I almost regretted wiping out the nephilim once I started nickel-and-diming my way back to freedom," He flicks his fingers one by one, rolling his eyes, "But when you're fighting a war, there's no reason for mercy. I just had to kill them all."
The brothers startle as he suddenly turns to them with a grin.
"So imagine my surprise when I feel a nephilim walking around Inkwell Hell."
"What are you talking about?" asks Cuphead, "I thought you wiped them all out?"
The Devil smirks, "Trust me, kid. Up until yesterday, I thought I did too."
Still confused, Cuphead feels Mugman squeeze his hand so he turns back to face him. He smiles, ready to assuage any fears he may have.
Instead, Mugman gazes back at him contemplatively, eyes alight with intent. Despite their close quarters, Cuphead can hardly pick up the soft murmur of "Mark?" that comes from Mugman as his brother lifts the hem of his sweater up to his neck.
He sputters and tries to pull away, but Mugman's grip is surprisingly tight, "Mugs, what are you doing?!"
Mugman softly presses his hand above Cuphead's heart, palm flat against the vague shape of a wing that has been there since his birth, and looks up at him with a mix of fear and resignation.
Without turning his head, he speaks to the Devil.
"It's him, isn't it?"
It's like a slap to the face. Immediately, Cuphead understands.
The Devil grins.
"At least we know you're the smart one, kid."
Mugman pulls away and lets Cuphead's sweater fall back down.
Though he tries to keep it steady, Cuphead hears the warble in his brother's voice, "You said the gates can be unlocked with nephilim blood. Does it have to come from a nephilim? Will blood from the same family work?" Mugman's voice cracks at the end, his eyes welling up with tears. Alarmed, Cuphead pulls him close and Mugman sags in his arms like a puppet whose strings have been cut. He looks up at Cuphead, his hand clenched tightly in the fabric above his heart as he pleads, "Please! Isn't there anyone else?!"
"Mugs…"
The Devil yawns, "Oh, tone down the theatrics. His blood isn't that valuable to me yet." Puzzled, Mugman holds back his tears and peers up at him, "Don't worry. Your brother's got about another eight years before I even think about draining him."
"What, does it gotta age like wine before you take a drink outta me?" sneers Cuphead.
"Something like that," Demons begin to crawl out from the fires around them, creeping closer to the cage, "See, nephilims got one more trick up their sleeves. Once they reach adulthood, their blood becomes fully divine. They become angels."
Lazily spinning his trident, the Devil watches as the brothers inch closer together, away from the bars of the cage.
"And an angel's blood is the only thing that can unlock the gates to Hell."
He swings his trident and the cage splits into two.
Cuphead yelps as he is pulled towards the Devil, close enough to see the malice and glee in his eyes.
"You better get comfortable, kid, because you'll be staying here for a while. But don't worry. When I start cleaning up your memories, I'll be sure to erase any little thing that could make you homesick. Starting with that brother of yours."
Cuphead spins back, drawn immediately by Mugman's scream. He watches in horror as the cage around his brother melts and twists into chains, leaving him vulnerable to the demons that circle him.
"You know the rules," says the Devil, "No survivors. Don't want more of you running around after this."
Face suddenly blank, Cuphead asks the Devil, "You really think I'm just another dupe, don't you?"
The Devil hums noncommittally.
"Well, you're wrong."
"I don't think you heard me kid. I wiped out almost all the nephilim long ago, and that's back when they actually knew who they were and what they were doing. What makes you think I'd be afraid of you?"
"Oh I heard you," Cuphead replies smoothly, "And I think you should be. I know you saw everything your lackey saw and now I know why you sent me on that quest instead of him or your demons."
He grabs the bars of the cage, and to the Devil's surprise, rips it apart.
"So, you're a little stronger than I thought. That's not going to matter in a minute!" The Devil flicks his wrist and tries to summon the soul contracts in his hand. Cuphead and Mugman's contracts appear but the rest remain in the bag. Confused, he rips the bag with a claw and empties it into his palm.
Inside he finds King Dice and his lackeys' soul contracts.
"You really think I was just gonna give in and do whatever you asked after you cheated us yesterday?" taunts Cuphead, "Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, Devil? You pay the price."
He takes advantage of the Devil's shock and grabs their contracts, shoving them into his pocket. He jumps down before he can catch him, finger already charged and poised to shoot as he hits the ground around the demons. The force of the Charge shot shatters the ground and forms a dense fog that frazzles the demons as they scatter away from their prey, leaving enough space for him to dash to his brother.
Mugman coughs and shuts his eyes from the smoke, but leans in obediently to his chest, instinctively aware that it's Cuphead grabbing and breaking the chains around him.
The Devil gets over his shock and snarls, the fires of Hell billowing in his rage.
"After them!" He yells, sending the demons back on their heels as he aims his trident at the brothers.
With a snap, Cuphead summons a Chaos Orbit and sends it around his brother as he sprints and drags him to the exit. Mugman watches in fascination as the little green stars around his head dart around to catch the fireballs that fly too close to him.
Like tiny moving shields, he thinks.
Meanwhile, Cuphead struggles to dodge the fireballs on his own- his powers and attention divided. The demons chasing them on the ground are joined by flying ones, making it more difficult to protect them both.
Thankfully, fighting the debtors did wonders for his quick-thinking and agility.
As the last of the stars fade around Mugman, Cuphead shoots another Charge shot at a pillar to their left. It collapses, taking down some of the flyers and blocking the path of the demons after them.
Cuphead laughs, exhilarated as they reach the exit, and Mugman joins him. They are so close to freedom. To writing this off as yet another crazy (dangerous) misadventure.
They stop as the doors are thrown open, the way blocked by a familiar menacing figure.
King Dice glares down at them, spidery cracks running down his head.
"End of the line, boys."
Quick as a whip, Cuphead feels something wrap tightly around his waist. Before he can be pulled away again, he jams the contracts into his brother's hands and summons another Chaos Orbit around Mugman, scaring away the demons that had tried to grab him. Immediately after, the Devil reels him back with his tail and Cuphead finds himself dangling back in front of him.
The Devil scowls, "Nice try, kid. Now give me the contracts."
King Dice closes the doors behind him and watches grimly.
"I'm not giving you anything," spits Cuphead.
The Devil looks over at Mugman thoughtfully, watching the demons flinch away from the sharp points of the green stars still guarding him fiercely. "You know, once I rewrite your memories, I'll just make you drop that barrier and kill him yourself. How's that sound?"
The stars around Mugman briefly falter as Cuphead shudders.
"Y-You're bluffing," he answers defiantly, "You'd need the contracts to do something like that 'cause you're weak. You can't do anything without them!"
A gleeful smile, thirsty for blood, curls around the Devil's lips.
"I've fought your kind numerous times, boy. I know all of your tricks."
Tossing his trident in the air, the Devil begins to chant a spell.
Cuphead screams as he suddenly falls, only to find himself caught and held by two buff demons. The trident spins slowly over his head and his eyes widen when he feels his soul liquid start to churn. Panicking, he tries to fight back but most of his magic is still powering the stars, so it's all too easy for the Devil to pull the contracts out from his head.
Protected by the magic of his soul, they come out perfectly dry.
"No!" yells Cuphead. Dipping his head down, he sinks his teeth into one of the arms holding him, forcing the demon to yowl and let go. With one hand free, he quickly knocks the other demon in the jaw before using his body as a springboard to jump up towards the contracts.
Summoning a single Roundabout shot in his hand, he wraps the contracts inside the shot before tossing it across the room towards Mugman.
"Catch!" he shouts, just as the Devil slams him down into the ground under his palm. Mugman instantly reacts, sprinting towards the contracts.
The Devil lifts up his head and barks at King Dice, "Well don't just stand there, you fool! Catch them!"
King Dice nods, eyes already trained on the incoming shot as he follows after Mugman.
It's strange though. If he really intended for his brother to catch it, why did he aim so high?
The answer hits King Dice just as the shot arcs backwards.
"Boss, watch out! It's a boomerang shot!" he yells.
Too late. The contracts speed past the Devil and behind his throne, straight into the fires of Hell.
A massive blue light erupts from the flames as the contracts ignite and the debtors' souls are finally released.
Cuphead smiles as the Devil roars, infuriated.
"You conniving little bastard!"
"Cuphead!" shouts Mugman, still racing towards them.
"Come back here!" King Dice starts to chase him, only to collapse when the doors behind him are suddenly blown open.
Frothing with rage at his ruined plans, the Devil freezes when he looks up to see the two figures framed by the doorway.
"Chalice…"
"Grandpa!"
The Legendary Chalice floats into the room, flanked by a harried Elder Kettle. She responds, an edge in her voice as sharp as her spear.
"Devil. What an unpleasant surprise."
"You and me both! I guess I didn't do as swell of a job as I thought I did smoking you little rats out!" The Devil laughs, loud and hysterical. Still trapped under his palm, Cuphead can feel the shivers running up and down his body, doubtlessly shaken at the sight of the one who'd defeated him. No amount of showboating can hide it.
"Release my grandsons, you fiend!" Elder Kettle interjects, slamming his cane into the ground.
Chalice darts forward and brandishes her spear, "Do as he says, Devil!"
The Devil continues to laugh, "What a hoot! This day's just gone completely off-track now. But it don't matter. I know better than to put all my eggs in one basket, you rusted up oil can! Dice!"
His eyes go blank, eyes shining a brilliant gold as he summons all the energy he'd stored from the soul contracts in his collection. King Dice backs away, shutting the doors behind them as the ground crumbles and falls beneath their feet.
Chalice swears, unable to do much at her current state other than summoning a protective bubble. She wraps it around her and Elder Kettle, imploring Mugman to do the same.
"Hurry!" she cries, reaching her hand out to him. Mugman hesitates, peering back to see if he can find his brother under the Devil's suddenly massive form.
"Mugman! Come here!" It's much harder to ignore Elder Kettle's voice, but Mugman does so easily, his attention caught completely at the sight of his brother crumpled under one of the Devil's fingers.
"Cuphead!" he screams, leaping across the remains of the floor as they slowly descend into Hell. Cuphead looks up at the sound of his voice, trained all his life to react at the sound of his brother in distress, but he's drained from the stress of the past two days and the loss of the contracts he'd been using as a power-up.
"Mugs," he chokes out, growing steadily dizzier as Hell grows hotter around them. Something foreign roots through his head, staining his soul liquid red, "Mugs!"
"Cuphead! Mugman!" Elder Kettle slams his hands against the bubble but Chalice holds it steady. She knows there is nothing to be done now.
Since they were born, Mugman has always wondered why his brother had powers and he didn't. Elder Kettle had always told him it was just how genetics worked, that traits would often skip a generation.
He hadn't minded much back then. Fighting was hardly a hobby of his, after all.
Now he wishes it were.
Cuphead falls freely, his eyes struggling to stay focused as Mugman darts desperately across several fragments of the floor. His timid, bookish brother is jumping, running, and gliding through them seamlessly- as if he'd been doing it all his life.
Inside, he feels nothing but pride.
Finally, Mugman jumps out and grabs his hand but they slip, his fingers slipping free as gravity forces them apart.
Cuphead sees him crumble, his eyes brimming with tears as he howls after him in anguish. It's the last thing he hears before the Devil's influence overwhelms him, cutting off his senses as he willingly falls to the dark.
"Brother!"
.
.
.
"Now remember Dice. If by whatever chance this doesn't work, we still have a backup plan."
"Of course, sir."
"And don't think it means you'll be safe from me. I'll still have your soul contract and I will damn you for eternity if I sense even a lick of betrayal coming from you."
"I wouldn't dream about it, boss. So we'll be playing the long con again?"
"I've waited centuries to get out of Hell before.
I can wait a little more."
.
.
.
King Dice hums, a hand curled around his chin as he surveys the unconscious body lying in front of him.
Around him, Hell has settled down, its fires lapping gently at the massive ruby-black egg where the Devil's throne used to be.
"Now what to do with you?" he wonders, leaning down to grab Mugman's shoulder and turn him on his back. He pauses, silent as he studies the wounds on his face- little chips and cracks running along his head.
"Look at that. We match." King lifts his hand to his own face, fingers tracing the large crack running past his right cheek. Cuphead had gotten particularly more aggressive as he drew closer to his goal, "I guess we'll call it even."
He summons a portal beneath them and transports Mugman to the boundary of Inkwell Isle 1.
"See you in a few years, kid."
.
.
.
"Oh my goodness. Don! Dolores! Come quick!"
"What is it Doris?"
"There's a boy lying here unconscious. We've got to take him to a doctor!"
"Heavens, he looks so young."
"What kind of sick crumbs would do this to a kid?"
"We'll figure that out later. First we have to make sure he's alright."
"Darling, are you awake? Can you hear me?"
Mugman stirs as he feels something brush against his cheek, what feels like satin-gloved hands lifting and turning his head up. He whimpers as a wound on his side is jostled and a sweet, musical voice coos at him.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. This may hurt a bit, but we have to get you out of here."
"Crackers, how'd you even end up all the way here, kiddo? Come on," Mugman winces as he feels someone lift him into their arms. The pain sends tears springing to his eyes but he stubbornly tries to keep them at bay, biting his lip until he feels it bleed.
He feels someone gently wipe it off with their finger, "None of that, darling. We know it hurts. It's alright to cry." This voice is lower, but just as sweet. It reminds Mugman of a stately older lady.
"Yeah bucko. This ain't the time to act strong now. You'll be safe with us," Mugman feels a rumble against his head, and deduces he is being held by the speaker. A man, warm and cheerful.
"Do you have a name, sweetie? We'll need it for the doctor."
"M-Mugman."
"Thank you, Mugman. Now do you know where we can find your family? I'm sure they must be dreadfully worried right now."
Mugman pauses for a long time.
"I don't know."
"You don't know where they are?"
He shakes his head, "I don't know," Mugman begins to hyperventilate. As hard as he tries, everything is coming up blank.
"I don't know," he repeats.
"I don't remember anything at all."