It was a lovely day in the Inkwell woods, especially at Kettle Cottage. It was usually around this time when the little devil came to visit the cup brothers. Sure enough, Bendy walked to the gate whistling his theme song. His cat nose was painted on his face and his long black sock was over his demon tail.
Sure, the cups accepted him as he was, but he still had to keep up the appearances with Elder Kettle.
He had just left the gate door behind him when suddenly... a bright blue light flashed behind the cottage followed by an old man's scream.
"What the?" Bendy wondered.
Just then, the cup boys come around the cottage and walk to the front door, laughing. Bendy follows them inside.
"What going on?" Bendy asked.
Cuphead and Mugman smile when they see Bendy.
"Just a prank set by yours truly," Cuphead said proudly.
"He hooked up the car battery to Elder Kettle's steering wheel!" Mugman said.
Bendy chuckled and the boys laughed.
Behind them, Elder Kettle entered the cottage. He had a few scorched marks on his face, mustache messy and cracked, and crackles of electricity emitted from the stache.
"Well, It looks like you got me again, boys," Kettle said with a smile. "Oh, hello Bendy. Haven't seen you in a while."
"Hi, Elder Kettle," Bendy said. "I've been with my dad but he's busy now so here I am."
"Oh, is your dad a busy man?" Kettle asked.
"Yes sir. He's very work oriented."
"Really? What does he do for work?"
Cuphead and Mugman grew nervous hearing that question but Bendy simply answered.
"I don't know. I'm a kid, I don't pay attention to that kind of stuff."
"Ah, never mind then," Kettle said.
"Phew." Cuphead and Mugman said.
"You're taking the prank thing awfully well Elder Kettle," Bendy said.
"Well, usually I would be upset except it seems to keep the boys from fighting each other all day," Kettle said. "Oh! If you boys aren't fighting, that means I can get my mustache waxed." He grabbed his brown hat and scarf. "See you at dinner, boys." He then shut the door behind him and left.
"So Bendy," Cuphead said. "You doing okay with your dad?"
Bendy sighed. "He's... still grumpy. But it'll be okay."
"Are you sure?" Mugman asked.
"Yeah, he'll get over it. Eventually," Bendy said. "So, what do you two want to do today?"
"After everything that's happened, I think I'd like a nice day inside," Mugman said.
Then, without warning, Cuphead punched Mugman's arm.
"Ow!" Mugman exclaimed. "Why did you do that?"
"It's what we always do when we're home alone. We fight," Cuphead said.
"Oh," Mugman said. Then he punched the cup.
"Ow!" Cuphead exclaimed.
"But what are you even fighting about?" Bendy asked.
"I don't know but it's fun," Cuphead said before he punched Mugman.
"Ow!" Mugman exclaimed.
"Oh, well in that case," Bendy said before he punched Mugman.
"Ow!" Mugman exclaimed. "Nice punch!" he then punched Bendy... but the kitten barely moved.
"You call that a punch?" Bendy asked with a chuckle. "C'mon, you can do better than that."
"Yeah Mugsy, like this," Cuphead said before he punched Mugman harder.
"Ow!" Mugman exclaimed before he punched Cuphead.
"Ow!" Cuphead exclaimed.
The cup brothers grunted as they kept punching each other. Bendy tried to step in.
"Guys, let's just—"
Without thinking, Mugman punched Bendy's face and the kitten's head spun around and around before it slowed and snapped back into place.
Mugman gasped. "Oh gosh, Bendy, I'm so sor—"
Bendy punched the mug in the face, cutting his apology. Mugman fell on his back before Bendy tackled him. Soon the two broke into a fight cloud. Cuphead then jumped into the cloud and joined in the fight. Now all three boys were fighting.
A few seconds later...
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
The boys froze in place on the floor.
Cuphead pushed Mugman and Bendy away.
"I got it!" the cup said.
Mugman grabs Cuphead by the handle and pulls him back.
"No, I'll get it!" Mugman said.
Cuphead grunted then Bendy pulled the rug making Mugman fall.
"Whoa!" Mugman exclaimed as he fell face-first on the wood floor.
Bendy jumped and pinned the mug down.
Cuphead laughed as he ran to the door. He was about to turn the handle on the front door... but Mugman pushed him away and scoffed before he turned, he opened the door.
"Hello," Mugman said politely. His eyes moved downward... then he sputtered breathlessly before slamming the door closed. His eyes were wide, full of fear.
Cuphead and Bendy stood next to the mug.
"Who is it?" Cuphead asked.
Mugman just continued to sputter breathlessly.
Bendy grabbed Mugman by the shoulders and shook him.
"C'mon Mugman, speak," Bendy said.
"Ba-ba-ba-ba-..." Mugman stuttered.
"Bandits? Badgers? Bagels?" Bendy guessed. "What is it?"
Cuphead grunted before he pushed the two friends back and looked into the peephole on the door.
"All I see's a ba..." Cuphead said before he gasped.
"So, what is it?" Bendy asked.
"Ba-ba-ba-ba-..." Cuphead sputtered.
"Bananas? Baskets? Barley? Is it Barley?" Bendy asked. The kitten lets go of Mugman and pushes Cuphead out of the way. He looks into the peephole. "If it's those butcher 'goons' again, I swear to-"
What Bendy saw outside was a baby basket sitting on the front step. In the basket was a baby bottle under a blanket and a very familiar note.
'Please, Take care of baby!'
"Oh," Bendy said. "That's...
"Baby Bottle!" the cup brothers screamed.
Cuphead grabbed Bendy before he and Mugman rushed to the closet under the stairs. Mugman closed the door once they were all inside and soon, they were in total darkness.
"Why is it back?" Mugman asked.
"What does it want?" Cuphead asked.
"Whoa! Everyone calm down." Bendy said.
"How can we calm down with that that monster out there?" Mugman asked. "Don't you remember what happened last time?"
A thought bubble appeared over their heads, and it showed an image of Baby Bottle when he was angry.
"Mama." Baby Bottle said with a scowl.
Both Cuphead and Mugman whimpered.
"Fellas!" Bendy shouted. He turned the light on and looked at the brothers intently. "How did that baby get into the cottage last time?" he asked.
"Um, Mugman brought it in..." Cuphead said.
"Right. And that's when the trouble started." Bendy said. "So, if don't want that baby to bother us again we..."
"Don't... answer the door?" Cuphead guessed and then smiled.
"Bravo! We don't answer the door." Bendy said.
"I guess that does make sense," Mugman said.
"We'll just do like Mugman suggested and stay in," Bendy said.
"Problem solved," Cuphead said.
A few minutes later...
Cuphead and Mugman were playing checkers on the table in the living room. Bendy watched while sipping on juice with a straw in a glass jar.
"King me," Mugman said proudly. He snickered.
Cuphead hummed as he thought of his next move.
Bendy gave a loud slurp.
"Eh? Eh, no." Cuphead said. "Eh? Eh, no. Eh? Eh, no."
Mugman's smug look dropped into one of annoyance.
Bendy kept slurping his drink.
Mugman glanced at the door. He started to feel nervous.
"Eh, no. Eh? Eh, no. Eh? Eh, no." Cuphead said still struggling to make his next move.
Bendy gave another loud slurp. Seemingly unbothered.
Mugman whimpered as he glanced at the door again, sweat dripping down his head.
"Eh, no." Cuphead Said. "Hmm..." he scratched his chin.
Bendy slurped down the last of his drink until there was no juice left but he kept sipping on the straw.
Mugman held his breath as he glanced at the door. He could hear the baby's coo and shook fearfully. Mugman stifled for a second.
"Would you just go already?!" Mugman shouted.
Without a word, Cuphead makes a move, and then another, and another, and another.
"I win," Cuphead said.
Mugman sat there, stunned. Bendy placed the empty glass on the table and clapped.
Mugman suddenly grabbed the table and threw it with a scream.
"Yeesh," Bendy said. "Someone doesn't take losing well."
SCRATCH SCRATCH
Mugman screamed after he heard that sound come from the door. The mug hides behind his chair.
"It's scratching at the door," Mugman said fearfully. "It's trying to get in!"
Cuphead stood up and grabbed Mugman's nose.
"It can't hurt us if we don't answer the door, remember?" Cuphead pointed out.
"But—" Mugman tried to protest.
"Ah, bu-bu-bu..." Cuphead interjected.
"But—"
"Ignore it," Bendy said.
"But—"
"There's nothing to worry about," Cuphead said. "Look. I'll show you." He said before he walked to the door.
"Wait, Cuphead, no!" Mugman said.
"Just watch. He'll be fine." Bendy said after he placed a hand on Mugman's shoulder.
"See?" Cuphead said as he stood in front of the door. "I'm not answering the door, and I'm perfectly safe. La la la la la la la "
GROWL
Cuphead screamed and ran to the closet. The three boys ran into the closet under the stairs again.
"Did you two hear that?" Cuphead asked.
"Baby Bottle sounds bigger and scarier!" Mugman exclaimed. "How did it get bigger and scarier?"
"How should I know?" Cuphead asked. "Everything is always trying to steal our souls-"
"Or blow us up with rockets-" Bendy said.
"Or hit us with pipes-"
"Or kidnap us-"
"Or eat us-"
"Or stone us-"
"Or possess us-"
"Or slice us-"
"Or rob us-"
"Or imprison us-"
"Or shoot bullets out of its fingertips!"
"Or-... wait, when did you see fingertip bullets?" Bendy asked.
Cuphead laughed. "Oh, it's happening somewhere! Believe you me!" he said.
"Shh. I don't hear anything." Mugman said.
Cuphead and Bendy stay quiet and listen. Silence. The boys open the door and see that nothing has changed in the living room. They cautiously walked to the door and Cuphead looked into the peephole.
The first thing Cuphead saw was the baby basket and then a big black nose sniffs on the glass followed by a mouth full of sharp yellow teeth. It turned out to be a big black bear standing on the front steps.
"Oh..." Cuphead said with a chuckle. He looked at his friends. "It's just a bear."
"Oh," Bendy said with a chuckle.
"Oh, just a bear," Mugman said with a chuckle.
"A bear?!" The three boys screamed.
They looked into the peephole and saw the bear with the baby basket in his jaw before he walked away.
"It's got Baby Bottle!" The boys exclaimed.
The boys were silent for a second before Cuphead spoke up.
"Well, I guess that solves that problem."
"Yeah, I'm hungry. Let's eat." Bendy said.
Cuphead and Bendy were about to walk away but Mugman stopped them.
"What is wrong with you two?" Mugman asked.
"What now?" Bendy asked.
"Baby Bottle's a monster, but we can't let it get eaten by a bear," Mugman said.
"Watch us," Bendy said before walking.
Cuphead grabbed Bendy's hand, and he stopped.
"Not you too," Bendy said.
"I know but he's right," Cuphead said. "Obnoxious, but right."
Bendy sighed and pinched his brow. "Fine. But I better get a snack after this,"
Cuphead was the first to exit the house. He carried a baseball bat as a weapon. Following him was Mugman with a frying pan and Bendy with a fire poker. They walk into the forest.
"Baby Bottle!" Cuphead called out.
"Baby Bottle!" Mugman called out.
"Baby Bottle!" Bendy called out.
"Baby Bottle!" Cuphead called out.
"Baby Bottle!" Mugman called out.
The only thing that replied was an owl hooting.
"I hate to say it, but I think we should split up," Mugman whispered.
"Good idea," Cuphead said. "Things always go better when we split up."
"Alright," Bendy said. "You two go that ways, I'll go this way. Scream if you need help."
"Okay," Cuphead and Mugman said.
The boys split up and kept calling out for Baby Bottle.
"Little Baby Bottle!" Cuphead called out.
The cup was walking by a bush, a branch caught his shirt and it stretched. When the shirt snapped against his back, Cuphead screamed before he hit the bush with his bat repeatedly. The leaves fall off the bush.
"Oh," Cuphead said with a nervous chuckle.
The bush slapped Cuphead before picking up its leaves.
"Psst. Psst."
Cuphead turned his head when he heard the sound. He cautiously walked in the sound's direction.
"Baby Bottle?" Cuphead whispered as he walked by a tree.
Suddenly, two gloved hands grabbed Cuphead from behind, covering his mouth, muffling his screams, and pulled him behind the tree.
Not far away... a whimpering Mugman walks around still holding the frying pan.
SNAP
"Bear!" Mugman screamed. He shivered.
SNAP
Mugman gasped and yelped. Seeing nothing around, he resumed walking.
"Baby Bottle?" Mugman whispered.
BUZZ
Mugman froze and then screamed. He peeks out of one eye and sees a bee hovering close to his head.
"Aw! It's just a little bumblebee." Mugman said.
The bee then landed on the mug's blue nose.
"Hey, little fella." Mugman greeted.
Then, without warning, the bee stung Mugman's nose.
Mugman screamed and aimed his pan to hit the bee, but the insect flew away in time and Mugman fell back after hitting himself in the face.
Meanwhile, Cuphead and his captor, Bendy, were hugging behind the tree with the kitten purring.
"This is nice," Cuphead said as he nuzzled into Bendy's shoulder.
"Mmmhmmm," Bendy hummed in agreement.
They hear Mugman screaming and flinch.
"We should probably go after him," Bendy said as he tried to get up.
Cuphead grabbed the kitten before giving him one more squeezing hug. Then they help each other up.
"Baby Bottle..." came Mugman's voice.
Bendy picked up the fire poker. "You go first, I'll follow after so Mugman won't get suspicious."
"Okay," Cuphead said before picking up his bat.
Bendy pressed his forehead against Cuphead's. He pulled back again. "Go," he whispered.
Cuphead backed away and Bendy disappeared into the shadows.
With a determined look on his face, Cuphead backed away not realizing that he and Mugman were now back-to-back.
Bendy comes out from behind a tree.
"Any luck?" Bendy asked.
Mugman yelped before he turned and accidentally hit Cuphead with the frying pan.
"Hey watch it," Cuphead said. He hits Mugman with the bat.
"You watch it!" Mugman shouted. He hits Cuphead again, this time on purpose.
"Why, you!" Cuphead growled.
Bendy steps in between them. "Fellas stop, look!" Bendy said, pointing ahead of them.
Not far from them was the baby basket on the grass.
"Baby Bottle!" the boys said as they ran to the basket.
Cuphead pulls the blanket and... the basket is empty.
"He's gone," Cuphead said.
"Fe-Fe-Fe-Fellas, look." Mugman stuttered as he pointed to the side.
Bendy and Cuphead looked in the direction Mugman pointed at and gasped when they saw the milk splatter.
"There's a trail of milk leadin' to that bush!" Cuphead said.
Bendy stood back up, grabbed the fire poker, and walked forward. The cup brothers followed him. All three boys yelped when the leaves of the bush rustled.
The black bear gives off a low growl as he slowly emerges from the bush. His back to the boys. Once he fully stood up the bear turned around, milk dripping from his lips, and then he roared right at the boys.
After the roar, the boys stood there, eyes wide from shock. Milk leaked out from Cuphead and Mugman's straws while Bendy snickered. Then the cups screamed, then they grabbed the kitten and ran away, dropping their weapons in the process.
Back at the cottage, Kettle had returned and was checking out his freshly waxed mustache in front of the mirror.
"Lookin' good, Kettle." Elder Kettle said. "You old rascal, you."
The front door opened, and Kettle heard the cup boys yammering and crying hysterically. Bendy looked calmer but still concerned.
"What is it, boys? What's wrong?" Elder Kettle asked.
"We were in the woods!" Cuphead said.
"We tried to save it!" Mugman said.
"The milk was everywhere!" Bendy said.
"The bear ate Baby Bottle!" The boys yelled.
Kettle gasped and then... he started to chuckle before he started to laugh.
Cuphead and Mugman stopped crying and just looked at Kettle with confusion.
Bendy started to chuckle. "So, you think it's funny too?" he asked.
Kettle shook his head. "No, it's just... that wasn't Baby Bottle the bear took." He said.
"Huh?!" The three boys wondered.
"It wasn't?" Bendy asked.
"It was a regular bottle of milk wrapped in a blanket." Kettle explained. "I put it in a baby basket as payback for hooking me up to the car battery." He laughed. "And you fell for it." he continued to laugh.
The boys glared at the laughing kettle. Then...
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"It's Baby Bottle!" Kettle exclaimed.
Kettle and Cuphead screamed and then ran to hide under the table. Both whimpered and shook with fear.
"Are you kidding me with this?" Bendy exclaimed.
"He's right, Elder Kettle," Mugman said. "You just explained that Baby Bottle was never really here."
"Oh. Right." Kettle said.
Bendy and Mugman walked to the door.
"Then who's at the door?" Cuphead asked.
Bendy and Mugman look into the peephole on the door.
"Oh!" the mug and kitten said before they chuckled.
"It's just the bear again," Mugman said.
"Oh!" the kettle and cup said.
"The bear?!" all four of them shouted.
They huddled together and screamed.
The black bear opened the door and walked inside. Then he shut the door behind him.
Kettle and the boys stopped screaming.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right." The bear said. "Look, I feel bad for stealing your basket and drinking your milk. But, guys, I'm a bear. Don't leave your milk sittin' out."
Kettle and the boys nodded in agreement.
"Fair enough," Kettle said.
"Yeah, that's a thing," Mugman said.
"Don't leave milk out," Cuphead said.
"Makes sense," Bendy said.
"Nothing I can do about the milk at this point, but, uh, I thought I'd return your basket." The bear said before handing over the baby basket.
"Well, uh, thank you, Mr. Bear," Kettle said after taking the basket.
KNOCK KNOCK KNCOK
The kettle family, Bendy, and now even the bear huddled together and screamed.
"It's Baby Bottle!" they all shouted.
The bear pulled back. "Wait. Who's Baby Bottle?" he asked.
"Uh, why don't you open the door and find out?" Cuphead suggested.
"All right." The bear said with a shrug before he opened the door. He looked down and rubbed his paws together. "Ooh! Another basket with another delicious bottle of milk."
"Mama?" Came a very familiar baby's coo.
The family and kitten looked at each other worriedly.
"Aw." The bear said with a gasp. "What a cute—"
Baby Bottle yowled and the bear screamed as Baby Bottle started fighting him. A fight cloud surrounded the two and it sounded like the bear wasn't winning. The bear tried to claw his way out of the cloud, he looked battered and bruised.
"Help me!" The bear pleaded.
Baby Bottle screeched as he pulled the bear back into the fight.
Kettle closed the door and locked it with a key. The bear was still screaming outside.
"Well, it looks like we "bear-ly" got out of that one," Kettle said before laughing.
Then the boys all laughed with Elder Kettle.