29 Years Ago... Or a year after the Drew Studio Fire
It was a dark night when a large teenage strawberry, May, hopped into the woods. She was all alone until she spotted a large teenage corn on the cob, Earl. May smiled and the two hopped further into the woods. They found a large tree with a nook by the roots.
"Are you sure it's safe this deep in the woods? At night?" May asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, May, it's already autumn. Most of the animals don't attack this time of year,"
"But what about the monster in the woods the others at school have been talking about? The Demon Woodsman,"
"You mean the demon man with an axe that stalks people in the woods at night? C'mon, May, that's just a stupid rumor. We'll be fine, trust me,"
"I do trust you, Earl. But it's a little spooky here," May said.
"Look up," Earl said.
The strawberry looked up and saw the full moon glowing in the night sky. She gasped.
"What a pretty view," May said.
"Yeah, but I'm looking at something even prettier," Earl said.
May looked at Earl who had his eyes only on her. The two teens sit in the nook by the roots. She blushed a deeper shade of red before she and the corn started kissing. Suddenly, there came a chilling voice echoing in the air.
"Sheep... Sheep... Sheep..."
May parted from Earl.
"Did you hear that?" May asked worriedly.
"That was probably my heart beating," Earl said.
"No, I think I heard someone else's voice. I think someone's here,"
"Oh relax, babe, it was probably just the wind," Earl said before pulling the strawberry closer and kissing her cheek.
May kisses Earl on the lips and the two teens resume making out.
"Sheep... Sheep... Sheep..."
May parted from Earl again.
"Okay, I know I heard a voice that time! Someone's out there," May whispered.
"May, it's just your nerves," Earl said firmly. "There's no madman in the woo—"
"Sheep... Sheep... It's time for sleep..."
The strawberry shook with fright.
"See," May said trembling. "I told you so,"
"I bet I know what's going on here," Earl said. He gets up and takes a hop forward. "Whose out there? Gary? Phil? If this is some sort'a prank, it ain't funny!"
A cloud floats across the moon as a dark figure steps out from behind a tree. May and Earl spotted him but couldn't see him clearly. They did notice that the stranger was tall with a humanoid body type and pointed ears.
"Aha!" Earl exclaimed. "Is that you, Gary? I told you this was an important night for me! What are you doing here?"
"You sheep should be asleep..." the figure said in a hushed voice as he walked closer to the corn.
"Sheep? What are you talking about?"
"You, sheep, should be asleep, but since you're here, you can help me honor my lord."
A chilling feeling overcame Earl. "Uh, you're not Gary, are you?" he asked.
"Prepare yourself, little sheep, we are about to begin."
Earl hopped back a bit. "Begin what?" he asked.
At that moment, the cloud floats away from the moon and the glow illuminated the blade of the fire axe the stranger was holding. The young couple could see that the person was wearing dirty overalls and a scary demon mask over his face.
"To honor my lord... With your sacrifice!" he swings the axe at the corn.
Earl pulls back but the axe cuts a layer of kernels off his head. He and May screamed before running out of the woods, never once looking back.
Autumn had once again returned to Inkwell Isle. Back in the forest, the leaves had begun to dry up and change from vibrant green to different shades of orange and brown. At the Kettle Cottage, Mugman was chopping firewood over a tree stump with Elder Kettle watching him.
"Whew!" Mugman exclaimed while wiping the sweat from his brow. "Chopping firewood sure is hard work." He said.
"True, true, my boy," Kettle said. "But if you work hard today..."
"You can rest easy tomorrow," Mugman concluded the saying. "Being prepared is my middle name. Don't forget, I was the most decorated Cub Scout in my troop." He pulled out his scout sash from his pocket, put it on, and stood proudly with his hands on his hips.
"And don't you forget," Kettle said casually before his voice became ominous and his eyes became red. "Winter is a merciless killer! We must procure enough firewood to keep us warm through the long, dark nights." Then he snaps out of it and his friendly demeanor returns. "But with you and your brother's hard work, I'm sure we'll have more than enough to survive the winter. Isn't that right, Cuphead?"
Kettle and Mugman looked where another tree stump was... But Cuphead isn't there.
"Cuphead?" Kettle asked. "Uh, where is that boy? And why hasn't he chopped a single piece of firewood?" he points at a pile of firewood.
SIZZLE
Kettle and Mugman follow the sizzling sound to the back of the cottage where Cuphead and Bendy are standing next to a lit rocket.
The cup and kitten watch as the rocket shoots up in the air.
BOOM
They laugh after the explosion.
"Oh! Consarn it, Cuphead!" Kettle exclaimed irritably. "Don't you realize winter's coming? This is the time to work hard so we can enjoy..."
Kettle stops talking when he hears the sizzling sound again. The rocket flies up and explodes in the air.
BOOM
Cuphead and Bendy laugh again.
Elder Kettle grabs Cuphead's arm.
"That does it!" Kettle yelled. He pulls him roughly by the arm to a pile of firewood. "You think this is funny? Well, now you are gonna take this pile of firewood and stack it neatly..."
SIZZLE
Cuphead tied up the firewood to the rocket and lit the fuse. The rocket shoots up...
BOOM
...destroying the firewood.
Bendy and Cuphead laughed... but they stopped laughing when they noticed Kettle glaring down at Cuphead.
"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Kettle said ominously.
"Yeah, I made my friend laugh and I got rid of all that stinkin' hard work," Cuphead said almost proudly.
"And now we don't have any firewood for the winter," Kettle said worriedly.
"Eh, I ain't too worried about it," Cuphead said casually.
"Oh, is that so? Well, now you get to gather the entire season's worth of firewood by yourself." Kettle said before yelling. "So get chopping!" he points towards the woods.
"Yes, Elder Kettle," Cuphead said defeatedly before walking away. "C'mon Bendy,"
Bendy was about to follow the cup but the kettle stepped in between them.
"Oh no, I said by yourself," Kettle said.
Cuphead stopped walking.
"But Elder Kettle he shouldn't go on his own. What if the Demon Woodsman tries to get him." Bendy said.
Kettle rolled his eyes.
"The demon what?" Cuphead asked.
"It's just an urban legend made up years ago," Kettle said. "Supposedly, there's a demon in overalls who carries an axe that goes around chopping people who get lost in the woods. But it's all dishwater. I've been living in these woods for over 15 years, and I've never once seen a demon come anywhere near here."
The boys gave each other nervous glances.
"Maybe you're right, no demon would bother coming for any reason," Bendy said tugging on his bowtie.
"Anyway, as long as you, Cuphead, don't stray too far from the path, you'll be fine," Kettle said.
"I still want to go with him," Bendy said. "Please," he widens his eyes and gives a cute smile.
"Aww, how can I say no to a face like that? You go right ahead." Kettle said.
"Thank you, Elder Kettle," Bendy said before catching up with Cuphead.
"But no more rockets and stay near the path," Kettle said warningly.
"Yes, Elder Kettle," Cuphead and Bendy said as they walked away holding hands.
"Uh, you do realize that neither of them even took an axe?" Mugman said with mild disapproval.
Kettle frowned.
Mugman sighed before walking in Cuphead's direction.
"I'll go with them." The mug said.
Kettle groaned before spotting something odd about Cuphead and Bendy that made him starch his chin.
"Since when did Cuphead and Bendy hold hands like that?" he wondered.
The boys walked until they were deep in the forest. A red rocket flies up through the trees and into the air.
BOOM
Although the sky was partly cloudy above the trees, the thick foliage from the trees made the forest look so dark and the fog was rolling in. The bark of the trees was either gray or black making them look spooky and lifeless.
Mugman was chopping firewood, Cuphead was grabbing the chopped wood and tying it to the rockets before Bendy lit the fuses with his fire spit. Bendy laughed with every explosion. They repeated this twice more until Mugman stopped chopping.
"Will you two cut that out?" Mugman asked angrily.
"Ah, come on, Mugsy, don't be sore," Cuphead said.
"Yeah, we're just having a little fun," Bendy said.
"We're not here to have fun, we're here to chop firewood," Mugman said before shoving the axe into Cuphead's hands. He turns around and grabs another firewood. "Stupid rockets." He muttered. ""Having a little fun."" He said mockingly.
The mug sees that, in the two seconds that he looked away, Cuphead had tied the axe to a rocket. It quickly flies up to the sky and...
BOOM
Bendy laughed.
"Did you just launch my axe?" Mugman asked angrily. "You're lucky we still have yours."
Cuphead smiled, tied his axe to a rocket, and lit the fuse. The rocket launched up in the air and...
BOOM
Mugman growls and shakes with rage. "Unbelievable!" he yelled.
"Cuphead, maybe we should stop blowing up the tools," Bendy said.
"Finally someone agrees with me," Mugman said crossing his arms.
"Instead, we can blow up this inkwell," Bendy said before handing an inkwell to Cuphead.
The cup ties it to the rocket before it flies into the air.
BOOM
"Or my tail sock," Bendy said.
Cuphead ties it to the rocket before it flies.
BOOM
"Or this chalk stick,"
BOOM
"Or this bone,"
"Wait, where did you get that b—?" Mugman tried to ask but was cut off by the...
BOOM
"Oh! How about... this?" Bendy said before pulling out a yellowish beating heart.
"Um, maybe we shouldn't launch vital organs," Cuphead said apprehensive to take the heart.
"Maybe..." Bendy said before he put the heart back in his pocket.
"Okay, enough with the rockets and questionable things coming out of Bendy's pockets!" Mugman yelled. "Now, thanks to Cuphead, we have to go home and get another axe for chopping the firewood."
"Okay, fine. Let's go." Cuphead said. But before he took a step, he looked around questioningly. "Uh, which way was home again?" he asked.
Mugman crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.
"It's obviously... Uh... I'm not sure. And I don't see the path anywhere," Mugman said. "Hand me the compass." He holds out his hand.
Cuphead hands Mugman the compass... tied to a lit rocket.
Mugman exclaims before the rocket fires up into the air...
BOOM
Mugman gives a strained smile as he talks, trying to mask his anger.
"Why would you launch our only compass?" he said.
"I guess I didn't think that one through," Cuphead said.
"Without that compass, we really are..." Mugman said before yelling. "...lost in the woods!"
His voice echoed through the forest.
"...woods! ...woods!"
"At least it's a nice part of the woods. Nice and quiet," Bendy said looking around the ominous-looking forest.
Mugman gasped. "That's it! Bendy, you're always walking through the woods to get to the cottage. Can you direct us out?"
Bendy winced. "Yea... no," he said shaking his head. "I usually only walk a couple of steps before I use the elevator to get home."
"The elevator? What elevator?" Mugman asked.
"I can summon a magic elevator that goes from the Underworld to the Surface world and back."
"Could you use it to take us home?" Mugman asked.
"I guess I could," Bendy said with a shrug.
"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Mugman asked. "How do you summon it?"
"With my glowing chalk stick," Bendy said before reaching into his pockets... but then realized he couldn't find it. "Where's the chalk stick?"
"You mean the chalk stick we launched on a rocket?" Cuphead asked slowly.
Bendy went wide-eyed before face-palming.
"My dad's gonna kill me," the little devil muttered.
"Not unless we end up dying in these woods..." Mugman said.
"Eh, I ain't too worried about it," Cuphead said nonchalantly.
"Oh, you're not, huh? Well, it must be nice." Mugman said. "The only reason you're not worried about anything is because Elder Kettle and I and even Bendy worry about everything for you. In fact, we do everything for you!"
"Oh, relax, would ya? Me not worrying about stuff is the only reason we have any fun around here." Cuphead said. He crossed his arms.
"You wouldn't make it one day without me and my worrying!" Mugman yelled.
"Ah, banana oil! I've had it with you and your worrying!" Cuphead yelled back.
"Oh really? Well, I'll tell ya what." Mugman said. "I'll keep worrying about stuff, and you keep not worrying about stuff, and see where that gets you!"
"Okay, I will!" Cuphead yelled.
"Good. I'm outta here."
"Great. Me too."
"Good!"
"Great!"
The brothers grumble before they hmphed and walk in opposite directions.
"C'mon Bendy let's go," Cuphead said.
"Oh no you don't!" Mugman said. Mugman grabs Bendy and holds him up over his mug head.
"Hey!" Cuphead and Bendy yelled at the same time.
"I'm sorry Bendy, but if Cuphead thinks he can get out of the forest without anyone worrying about him then he goes alone." Mugman said.
"C'mon guys," Bendy said.
"You know what? Fine! I can take care of myself without anyone's worry," Cuphead said. "Go with Mugman, Buddy, because he's nothin' but a worrywart on his own."
Mugman gasped before turning around and walking away faster with Bendy.
At the Kettle Cottage, Elder Kettle was pacing the floor with a worried look on his face.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Kettle opens the door and finds Mugman lying weakly on the doorstep with little bumps all over his face and head. The kettle gasped.
"Mugman!" Kettle said worriedly. He picks Mugman and holds him in his arms. "What happened?"
"I worry too much and got the worry warts..." Mugman said before passing out.
The kettle starts sobbing. "Oh, he learned it from me!" he cried out just as his face got covered in warts.
Meanwhile Cuphead and Bendy were sitting comfortably on the Elder Kettle's lounge chair by the fireplace.
"I tried to tell 'em," Cuphead said. He tossed another piece of firewood into the fireplace. "What a couple of jerks." He said before laughing.
Bendy suddenly pulls Cuphead closer into a hug.
"Mmm, that feels nice," Cuphead said already feeling comfortable.
"Cuphead, I want to tell you something," Bendy whispered.
Cuphead pulls back so he can look at Bendy.
"Yeah?" the cup said.
"I've been meaning to tell you this for a while," Bendy said. A blush on his face.
Cuphead's face started blushing too as he waited for what the little devil wanted to say.
"Cuphead, I like—"
CHIRP CHIRP
"What?" Cuphead asked.
CHIRP CHIRP
Just then the world faded and Cuphead felt a chill all around his body.
Cuphead woke up from his nap, slowly he opened his eyes. He was still in the woods, it was dark out, he had a five o'clock shadow, using a log as a pillow and two little chipmunks were chirping next to him. A chilling wind hit him, and his teeth chattered as he sat up.
"Oh, it's freezing," Cuphead said with a groan.
The cup gets up, rubbing his arms for warmth, and starts walking.
"Okay, so getting a little hungry," Cuphead said. His stomach rumbles. "Not too worried. Just gotta find some..."
Just then an acorn fell on his head, and it landed in a hollow in the tree next to him.
The cup gasped before looking into the hole and seeing it filled with acorns.
"Food!" Cuphead exclaimed.
He sticks his hand in and tries to pull out a handful of acorns, but his hand gets stuck. He pulled harder but his hand was stuck tight.
Cuphead hears a chittering noise over his head and stops pulling. He looks up and sees three squirrels on a branch, glaring at him.
"Oh hello," Cuphead said before chuckling nervously.
Just then the squirrels pounce on the cup and start beating him up in a fight cloud. After a few punches, the squirrels pick up the cup and throw him over a cliff.
Cuphead falls with a few thuds and breaks some branches along the way down before finally hitting the ground. He lay mangled on the ground.
"Still ain't too worried." He said weakly.
SHING
Cuphead flinched at the sound. He lifted his head and saw a figure in the distance with tall, pointy ears and two axes in their hands. When its yellow eyes look back at Cuphead, the cup screams.
"Demon Woodsman!" Cuphead screamed before running away.
Later in the night, under the light of the full moon, Cuphead stood over a rock and howled like a wolf. His five o'clock shadow now a full, scruffy beard. He runs through the forest on all fours, looking dirty and scuffed, he has a wild and hungry look in his eyes.
At a lake nearby, a raccoon had just caught a fish and threw it to the side before looking back at the water to catch another fish. The fish flapped for a few seconds before laying still on the grass.
Cuphead passed by before stopping when he spotted the fish. Gasping softly, he prowls over to the fish, grabs it, and starts biting it.
The raccoon clears his throat with his paws over his hips and an eyebrow raised.
Cuphead looks at the critter before spitting out the fish and handing it over.
The raccoon takes the fish. He was about to punch the cup when an axe suddenly came flying towards them and landed, blade first in between them. This was enough to scare both cup and critter away.
"Demon Woodsman!" Cuphead screamed.
Snow had been falling from the clouds above and the forest floor was now covered in a blanket of it. The wind howled loudly as it blew through the forest.
Cuphead, wretched and weak, was crawling on the snowy ground.
"So cold. So hungry." Cuphead said with his teeth chattering. "A little worried now."
Just then he spots a cabin up ahead. Smoke was coming from the chimney and a warm glow emanated from the windows.
"Maybe whoever lives here will help me," Cuphead said with a small and hopeful smile.
He makes it to the door and knocks twice.
The cabin door opens and it's Mugman on the other side.
"Yes, may I help you?" Mugman said in a formal matter.
Cuphead was stunned for a second before he smiled.
"Mugsy, what are you doing out here? Is Bendy with you?" Cuphead asked.
The mug looked nonchalantly at the cup.
"Bendy isn't here. He left awhile ago to find a way back to his home." Mugman said. "Meanwhile, without a compass, I was forced to build this cabin and lodge here until spring."
"Oh, that's cool," Cuphead said.
"Yes," Mugman said. "Well, if there's nothing else, I need to close the door now. It's quite cold and I'm baking a pie."
Mugman was about to shut the door, but Cuphead stopped him.
"Wait, Mugsy!" Cuphead shouted. "You gotta let me in. That demon guy with an axe is real and he's after me!"
The mug rolled his eyes. "Pretty weak excuse, Cuphead." He said.
"It's not an excuse, it's the truth! I'll freeze to death and I'm so hungry!"
Mugman glares at his brother.
"I ain't too worried about it," Mugman said.
After Mugman slams the door, a layer of snow lands on Cuphead. The mug takes out the fresh pie from the oven and sniffs it.
"Ah!" Mugman sighed.
Just as he passes his window, he sees Cuphead frozen in a block of ice. He sighs before grabbing a cup of cocoa and an axe. He walks out on the snow towards his frozen brother.
"Okay, Cuphead, let's get you out of tha—"
Before he could finish, an axe came flying out of the woods and the blade hit the block of ice. Mugman stood there, frozen from surprise, as the ice around Cuphead fell apart.
Cuphead sat there, his teeth chattering, as Mugman looked in the direction the axe came from. He sees a demon-shaped figure in the distance with yellow eyes looking back at him. The figure raises another axe in their hand. The mug screamed.
"Demon Woodsman!" Mugman screamed.
He grabs Cuphead by his handle and drags him along as he runs into the cabin. He shuts the door and locks it.
"I don't understand," Mugman muttered. "Kettle said it was an urban legend."
Cuphead found the pie and started scarfing.
"I told you he was after me," Cuphead said. "You never believe me!"
Mugman's heartbeat loudly.
"Maybe... maybe he won't come this way," Mugman said.
Just then, something pounded against the door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Cuphead and Mugman screamed and huddled close together.
"W-w-what are we gonna do?" Cuphead asked quivering.
"He can't get in the door is locked," Mugman said trying to sound confident.
"Mugsy, when was the last time you saw a locked door stop a demon from getting inside a house?"
Before Mugman could reply, they saw an inky mass of a hand slip under the door and slowly reach the door lock.
"Oh no!" Cuphead shouted softly.
"I have an idea!" Mugman shouted softly. "You got any more rockets?"
The demon turns the knob and opens the door to the cabin. The lights were out, and a window was open. Just as the dark figure steps in, the Mugman slams the door closed.
Mugman and Cuphead tie a dozen rockets around the cabin with rope and light the fuses.
"Now let's go before—" Mugman said before...
Just then the front window opens, and the demon stuck his head out. It was Bendy!
"Ha! You should've seen your faces!" Bendy said with a laugh. "Ah! Demon Woodsman! Ha ha!" he mocked then laughed some more.
At first, the cup brothers stood there in shock until they frowned, mad at the little devil's trick to scare them. But before they could respond, they suddenly remembered the rockets.
SIZZLE
It was then that Bendy noticed the rockets and his laughter stopped. And then the rockets shot the cabin into the air and Bendy yelled as the cabin flew to the sky.
BOOM
The cabin exploded and logs fell from the sky.
Cuphead and Mugman wince.
The logs fall faster than the ink and the boys scream before running away. Cuphead skids to a stop in a clearing with Mugman stopping behind him.
"Well, now we've lost everything!" Cuphead exclaimed. "We're gonna die out here!"
"Now are you worried about it? You jerk!" Mugman yelled.
"I'm not a jerk, you are!" Cuphead yelled sadly.
"No, you are!" Mugman yelled back sadly.
"Boys!" Came Elder Kettle's voice.
The boys turn their heads to the left and see the kettle coming towards them. The cottage could also be seen.
"There you are. Where have you two been these last few hours?" Kettle asked. "I've already chopped up all the firewood. Come, get inside before you catch a cold. And Cuphead, shave that beard. I'm not raising a bum."
Cuphead rips the beard off and drops it on the ground.
The brothers walked past the gate before Mugman placed a hand on Cuphead's shoulder.
"Hey, I— I guess we both didn't handle things too well back there," Mugman said. "Uh, I just want to say I'm sorry. I didn't—Phew" Mugman fanned himself. "Is it me or is it really warm all the sudden."
Cuphead gasped.
Mugman looked back at Cuphead who looked shocked by whatever was behind them.
"What?" Mugman asked. He turned his head and then gasped.
Bendy stood there, he looked battered and bruised. The tip of the left horn was on fire, and he was covered in gunpowder which sparked under the heat radiating from the little devil's body. He was looking at the boys with fury in his eyes and his sharp teeth gritted.
Mugman and Cuphead shook with fear.
"H-hey Buddy," Cuphead said, smiling nervously. "You're okay,"
Bendy didn't respond. He didn't even blink.
"C'mon Bendy. Y-you know it was an accident, right?" Mugman said.
Bendy used his thumb and forefinger to pinch away the fire on the tip of the horn. And then, in a flash, he wrapped his arms around the boys and pulled them in for a hug.
Cuphead and Mugman stood frozen for a second before relaxing in the embrace.
"Aw, thanks, Bendy. This is mighty big of you, and I hope that we as friends can understand..."
SIZZLE
Bendy backs up and the cup brothers find themselves now tied to a large rocket.
"Ah nuts," Mugman muttered.
The rocket launches into the air and when it reaches the sky above...
BOOM
The little devil takes a deep breath.
"Now we're even," Bendy said before laughing.
