Many Years Ago
Little Bendy and the Devil were out causing trouble for the surface dwellers in Inkwell Isle city. The Devil was mutating some squirrels in the park while his son was looking towards the playground were children playing. Especially the kids playing kick the can.
"Hey dad," Bendy said.
"Yes, son?" The Devil replied.
"Can I play with the other kids?"
The Devil looked at his son questioningly. "Why would you want to do that?" he asked.
"It looks like they're having fun," Bendy shrunk a little under his father's gaze.
"You think kicking a can around is fun, watch this," The Devil said as he points his pitchfork towards the can.
With one zap, the can grew to the size of a car, it grew legs and two angry eyes. The children screamed and ran away from the monster can that tried to kick them back while the lord of darkness laughed.
"See son, that was fun." The Devil explained. "Besides, you don't need weak mortals like them when you got me, understand?"
Bendy looked down. "I guess so," he said trying to sound less disappointed than he seemed.
The Devil didn't notice his son's sad expression, then he hears a bell ringing. "Oh, the ice cream cart! Let's get some."
The little devil perks up at the mention of ice cream. The two rush to buy some... and by 'buy' I mean shake down the ice cream man for some free scoops.
Present Day
It was a typical afternoon in the underworld; the screams of the tortured prisoners filled the air, the fires burned bright and hot, and Bendy tap-danced his way to the dining table. He takes his seat but finds the head of the table vacant.
A devil imp approaches Bendy.
"Menu, sir?" the imp said.
"Not yet," Bendy replied. "Do you know where my dad is?"
"The boss is busy with his job. I'm afraid you won't be seeing him much today."
"Again!?" Bendy fumed. This is the fourth time the Devil had missed eating with Bendy this week. The little devil gets up from his seat. "Cancel my lunch. I'm going out to eat. And maybe get some ice cream."
"As you wish sir," the imp said. "But what about the Devil?"
"What about him!?" Bendy snaps back. He goes to the throne room. "If anyone asks just tell them I'm in my room,"
"Very well sir," the imp said before walking in the opposite direction.
In the forest, Cuphead and Mugman were walking through the woods on a dirt road.
"I still want ice cream!"
"I know, Cuphead! I heard you the first ten times!"
Just as Cuphead and Mugman walk under a low-hanging branch, Bendy, in his kitten disguise, drops down and lands on his feet in front of the brothers. The two gasps.
"Hi'ya fellas," Bendy greets.
After getting over the surprise, Cuphead broke the silence. "Hi Bendy," he said cheerfully.
"Bendy? What happened to you?" Mugman wondered. "You disappeared and we didn't know if you were alive or dead."
"What? Oh yeah, the baby thing." Bendy shrugged. "Sorry, I had to run home to my dad. So, what are you weirdos up to today? Fighting again?"
"Yeah. I'm mad at Mugman for eating my ice cream," Cuphead said. "And he said he did it in his sleep!"
"Well Cuphead claims he 'sleep-ate' my ice cream, but I don't buy it," Mugman said resuming the walk.
Cuphead and Bendy soon start walking beside him.
"Then Elder Kettle gave Mugman five bucks and me some pocket lint. I say we should use the dough to buy some ice cream."
"Makes sense to me," Bendy said.
"Well, I say, if we invest it," Mugman countered. "We could have as much ice cream as we want when we're older."
"Ugh, but its so boring to wait that long," Bendy groaned.
"And I want ice cream now!" Cuphead shouted.
"Well you two don't have to be such..." Mugman said before being interrupted by a steamboat horn.
The boys then see a steamboat. A sign on the boat said, "The FLY TRAP" and two frogs in suits stood beside the entrance of the ship. One frog was short and green, and the other was tall and brown. They were also wearing boxing gloves and fine suits.
"Head right up, folks." Said Ribby, the green fog. "We cast off in a few minutes. Get on the boat."
The boys approach the frogs and Ribby notices.
"Hey, hey!" Ribby elbows the taller frog. "Looks like we got a couple of VIPs on our hands." He jokes. "Youse three want the premium treatment, don't yas?" He lightly punches Cuphead's arm. "Huh? Huh? Huh?"
The cup rubs his and asks, "What's with those gloves?"
"Ho-oh, we used to be pro boxers," Ribby explained.
"Champions!" Exclaimed Croaks, the brown frog.
"But, our dear old ma, she hated when we pounded each other. So we opened this club! We're respectable types now."
"Anybody says different, I'll pound 'em!" Croaks threatened.
"Ha-ha! Croaks is just kidding!" Ribby said. He points at a board. "Check this out! Want an evening you'll never forget? We got first-class entertainment, ballroom dancing, and fine dining."
Bendy suddenly smiles, grabs Cuphead and Mugman's handles, and directs their faces toward the board.
"Fellas, look!" Bendy said. "Free ice cream with entry","
"Ice cream!" The boys screamed.
The three run for the boat but are stopped by Croaks.
"Not so fast!" Croaks exclaimed.
"Cover charge is 20 bucks," Ribby said.
"We don't have that much," Cuphead said.
"Hmm... Well, how much you got?" Ribby said.
"Five bucks and some pocket lint," Cuphead said showing both the lint and the money to Ribby.
Ribby takes the money, "You know what five bucks gets you?" he said.
"Ice cream?" the boys ask excitedly.
The frogs grab Cuphead and Mugman.
"A kick in the pants!" Croaks answers.
The frogs kick the boys into the river, and they laugh.
Ribby wipes away a tear, smiling. "Now for- huh? Where did the kitten go?"
The frogs look around but Bendy had vanished.
"Must've scared him off," Ribby said proudly.
"You saying you better than me?" Croaks said accusingly.
"So what if I am?" Ribby answered.
They start punching each other before noticing the Mayor arriving with his wife. They stop fighting.
"Oh! Hello, Mr. Mayor., Mrs. Mr. Mayor. We're respectable types." Ribby said.
"Say any different and I'll pound you!" Croaks threatened.
"Oh! This guy! Always with the jokes!" Ribby said trying to defuse the tension. "Please, step right inside."
No one noticed the little kitten sneaking onto the ship and throwing a net over the side. He feels a tug, pulls the net up, and Cuphead and Mugman flop like fish once on deck.
"This is an outrage!" Mugman said as he empties the water from his gloves and shoes. "They stole our five bucks. They kicked us in the river!"
"The lint!" Cuphead shouts.
All three boys watch the pocket lint sink in the waters.
Cuphead perks up and starts sniffing. "Ice cream." He said. "I smell ice cream!"
The boys find a window and look inside. A large, classy dining room with many customers... but the boys barely notice them. Across the room, there is a table laden with ice cream of many flavors in cups, bowls, and cones. And a chocolate fountain. Their eyes widen at the sight.
Cuphead looks toward the ceiling. "Ooh... It's right under that vent." He finds an air vent to climb into. "Look!" He, Mugman, and Bendy climb up some boxes to reach the vent. The brothers jump into the vent at the same time, struggling to squeeze in before Bendy shoves them in. Just as the brothers get inside the boat horn blows and the ship rocks.
"We're shoving off!" Cuphead shouts.
"Let's go!" Mugman said before he reaches for Bendy. "C'mon!"
Bendy was about to reach up when suddenly the door next to the vent opened and a firefly came out.
"I think I heard someone out here," said the insect.
Bendy shuts the vent opening just as the bug turns his head.
The firefly gasps. "M-Mr. Ribby! Mr. Croaks!"
The frogs arrived in seconds. "You!" Ribby shouts.
"Oh no, you caught me," Bendy said smiling and holding his hands up.
Cuphead and Mugman watched silently as the Croaks grabs Bendy and holds him up by the tail.
"Youse thought you could just stow away on our ship," Ribby said angrily.
"Ship? I've seen better ships in a toy store. This is tub!" Bendy protested.
"That's it, say good night kitty!" Croaks said raising his fist. He's about to punch Bendy but Ribby blocks his fist.
"Wait Croaks, we can't just hit him. We're respectable now, remember?" Ribby said. "Let's just lock him up, call the police and they can pick him up once we get back to shore."
Croaks grumbles but he concedes before they walk back inside with Bendy in tow.
"We gotta' save him." Mugman said.
"We can't. If we go now, they'll just lock us up too." Cuphead said. "I don't like it either, but we'll get him back. Somehow..."
Mugman and Cuphead move shuffle through the vent while Ribby checks the guests.
Meanwhile, Croaks locks Bendy in a cage in the storage room.
"Enjoy your stay in the VIP suite," Croaks mocks before walking out of the room and locking the door.
"You sure this is the right way?" Mugman said following Cuphead into the vent.
"Shh, quiet! Someone might hear!" Cuphead replied.
"Hey! How'd you bozos get in?" Ribby shouted from the floor.
The cup brothers gasped, thinking they had been found. Cuphead looked through an air vent.
"Just kidding..." Ribby laughs. He and Croaks are on stage and the guests laugh along. Cuphead and Mugman let out a breath of relief and resume their way through the vent. "You fine folks are paying customers. You ain't bozos." Ribby said.
"Except for this clown." Croaks jokes.
A clown bug laughs humorously.
Back in the storage room, Bendy's body melts down into an inky mass that slips out through the bars and under the door. The little devil morphs back to his normal self and he sneaks around the halls avoiding the staff.
"But seriously, folks, we'd like to start the night off with a song," Ribby said.
Musician bugs start playing a sad tune.
"Since we was tiny tadpoles, There's only been one gal. She washed our clothes and fed us,~" Ribby sings.
"And boosted our morale.~" Ribby and Croaks sing.
"We owe her everything we gots. Everything we ever had.~" Croaks sings.
"And she never did run out on us,~" Ribby sings.
"Not like our crummy dad-ah!~" Ribby and Croaks sing.
"Two, three, four!~" Ribby sings.
"Mudda. We love you, mudda. In this garlic bread called life, she was the butter!~" Ribby and Croaks sing.
"She told us, boys, don't fight!~" Croaks sings.
"She taught us wrong, from right.~" Ribby sings.
"Her heart, it was pure go-old! She was our mudda!~" Ribby and Croaks sing.
"You're stepping on my fingers!" Mugman shouts before kicking Cuphead.
"Hey! Watch it!" Cuphead shouts back kicking Mugman.
"We miss youse, Ma!" Ribby cries out. Mugman's face hits the vent, and this makes a loud enough noise to catch Ribby's attention. "Hey-o! Who's up there?" The green frog shouts.
"Come here, firefly!" Croaks said, grabbing a firefly and using them as a flamethrower on the vent.
Cuphead and Mugman feel the heat and quickly make a turn in the vents to escape. They land in a freezer.
The fire from the firefly spread to the stage curtains and onto the painting of the mother frog.
"Ma's on fire!" Ribby screams.
"You saying it's my fault?" Croaks argued.
"So, what if I am?" Ribby argues back. The two frogs start fighting before they hear the guests gasp. They quickly stop fighting and smile back at the crowd. "All part of the show, folks." He snaps his fingers at some of the staff. "Hey, you. Put out Ma. Make with the music."
The door to the freezer opens and the cook, a bulldog in a deli cook outfit, takes out the frozen Cuphead and Mugman. He then goes to sharpen an ax when a shrill voice screams out.
"Sherman!"
Sherman turns around he sees a chihuahua wearing a blue dress and heels.
"Dorris? What are you doin' here?" Sherman asks.
"You stood me up again! You're always woikin'!" Dorris answered frustrated.
"Aw, sweetheart, I'm sorry."
"No more excuses! You missed my parents' "anniversiary." You missed our "anniversiary!"
"Anniversary! It's "anniversary"!"
"That's what I said."
The ice around the cups begins to melt just as Bendy sneaks into the kitchen. He unhooks the cup brothers as the dogs keep talking.
"No. You said, "anniversiary." And you said it twice." Sherman said. "It's the only reason I brought it up."
"Oh! Here he goes again. Correctin' me!" Dorris said. "This is why I don't tell you things. Like how some cat just stole your meat."
Sherman turns around in disbelief, but it was true, the 'meat' was gone. Bendy, Cuphead, and Mugman hide under a table.
"You okay?" Cuphead asks Bendy. "When the frogs caught ya' I- er... we-"
"Relax Cuphead. I'm fine." Bendy answered. "Now let's get that ice cream and get off this tub!"
Suddenly the table flies away, exposing the boys. They look up to see Ribby and Croaks looking down angrily at them.
"I knew I saw him sneak under here!" Croaks shouted.
"And you two!" Ribby shouted, "Youse bums didn't pay!"
"And you bums stole our five bucks!" Mugman shouts back.
"Come here!" Ribby shouts trying to grab the boys but misses.
The boys run away.
"Get back here, you little creeps!" Ribby shouts as he and Croaks chase the cup brothers. The frogs stopped running to check on the Mayor and his wife. "Hello, Mr. Mayor. Push in your chair? How about a picture? Cheese!" They resume their chasing after a quick picture.
The boys then split up. Cuphead jumps over tables, Mugman hides under a table, and Bendy runs for the ice cream table. The little devil takes the opportunity to fill a big bowl with ice cream.
Mugman almost gets crushed by Croaks but manages to slip away. He runs towards Cuphead.
"Cuphead! Cuphead! Cuphead!" Mugman shouts as a furious Ribby closes in on them.
Cuphead and Mugman jump on a long table and run. They run over plates, knock over cups and centerpieces, and Ribby waits for them at the end of the table. The cups gasp but then a bowl of ice cream flies across the room and hits Ribby in the face knocking him down.
Croaks turns his head. "Who threw that?" he wonders. He then sees the kitten about to throw waffle cones at him like darts. "Uh oh," he mutters. He manages to dodge all but one of the cones, the last one hit his bottom. Croaks screams in pain.
"That's for grabbing my tail!" Bendy shouted.
Croaks grabs a firefly, "Come here, you." He said. He aims the flames towards the kitten. Bendy manages to dodge the flames and runs away.
The flames spread, from the drapes to the painting of the frogs' mother.
"Ma!" Ribby notices the people panic and tries to calm things down. "All part of the show, folks. All part of the show!" but it was in vain.
Cuphead and Mugman skid to a stop when they find a large bowl full of ice cream.
"The ice cream!" Cuphead said. "Let's grab it and get outta here!"
"Wait, Cuphead. I need to say something." Mugman said. "I'm sorry, Cuphead."
"For sleep-eating my ice cream?"
"I didn't sleep-eat it. I awake-ate it! I'm the worst brother ever!"
"Hey! No, you're not. 'Cause I awake-ate your ice cream too."
"You did?"
Cuphead and Mugman embrace each other.
Unnoticed by the cup brothers, Ribby and Croaks stopped and listened to their confession. Their own fury vanished. Tears formed in their eyes, and they smiled.
"It's so beautiful how youse two forgive each other like that," Ribby said before wiping a tear from his eye.
"We should try to be more like that." Croaks said. "I'm sorry we's always fighting."
"Me too," Ribby replied before hugging Croaks. "Youse two are family now." He looks at Cuphead and Mugman. "And with family, anything in the past is water under the..."
The boat was filling up with water and soon the Fly Trap was halfway submerged in the lake. The frogs argue while the passengers swim or fly back to shore. Just as Cuphead and Mugman resurface, a rowboat passes by. Bendy, in a boat, grabs the cups by their handles and pulls them in. There was also a big bowl of ice cream. When they reached the shore, Bendy was about to walk home but Cuphead grabbed his arm.
"Wait," Cuphead said. Bendy turns his head. "Don't just leave us again."
"I should be getting back." The kitten said.
"Do you have to go home right now? Can't you have some ice cream with us first?"
Bendy looked surprised. "You wanna share with me?" he asked.
"Sure, we do," Cuphead replied.
"But the ice cream is for you guys. You wanted it most."
"You helped us a bunch in there, it's the least we can do," Mugman said.
Bendy smiled, "Okay," he said.
All three sat in the grass and ate the ice cream together and, though he probably wouldn't admit it, Bendy was most happy to have the brothers to hang out and eat with.