The Devil was sitting on his throne, feeling angry from his last encounter with Gwen. Henchman rolls a cart with a pot of tea and a little cup.
"Uh, hiya boss! Here's your favorite tea!"
The Devil growled and said,
"I don't want my tea! I want to get that cup's soul and that girl!"
The Devil sunk his claws into his throne.
"Uh, I know what'll cheer you up! Look, there's a ball at the mayor's mansion this Saturday! Except it's by invitation only." Henchman said as he showed his boss a newspaper article.
"The only thing that'll cheer me up is getting that cup's soul and that girl in my clutches! She can't keep eluding me forever! And she can't keep wearing that sweater forever! I'll find a way to get her to take off that sweater since she isn't dumb like that cup!" The Devil angrily said.
At the surface, Gwen and her best friends were walking in the woods and Gwen holds up an invitation she received from the mayor and says,
"Hey guys! The mayor's inviting me to the ball at his mansion this Saturday."
"Eh. That's a boring dance party thing he holds sometimes." Cuphead said.
"Well, you may think it's boring but it sounds like fun." Mugman argued.
"Well at my high school back in Boston, we had dances that are fun except…"
Gwen reluctantly finished her sentence.
"I would never get asked. And nobody's ever asked me to dance with them."
"Eh, don't be too worried about it." Said Cuphead.
Gwen thought for a moment. Then she suggested,
"I was thinking, why don't we go together? It might be fun. I think you can get in if you were with me."
"Eh, I dunno Gweny, I don't really dig dancing and all that fancy mushy stuff." Cuphead declined.
Gwen was unamused with Cuphead, but let it go and said,
"Fine, maybe Mugman might like to go with me?"
"Sorry Gwen, but I got some reading to catch up on." Said Mugman.
Gwen sighed and said,
"Fine, you two are no fun. I'll go by myself."
"Okay, just keep an eye out for the Devil." Mugman warned.
"Oh, I will. I still have the sweater on. He can try, but he won't get me." Gwen said.
Suddenly, a puff of smoke appeared in front of the as the Devil appeared before them.
"Ah! The Devil!" Cuphead yelled.
Gwen armed herself with the ink pen and asked,
"What do you want now?!"
"You're mine!"
The Devil reaches for Gwen, but he is once again electrocuted.
"She's never taking it off! Unlike some people, she's very smart!" Mugman said and referred to Cuphead.
"Yeah! Leave her alone!"
Cuphead said, then he realized,
"Hey!"
Gwen rolled her eyes, folded her arms and said,
"Just give it up Devil. I'm not going with you."
"Never!"
The Devil yelled and disappeared.
Cuphead laughs as they continue walking back home.
The next day, Gwen continues her training exercises while her friends were playfully punching her Devil dummies at the training grounds. The Devil appeared before Gwen and yelled,
"Come with me!"
But he is electrocuted again and leaves. The next day, Gwen was out at the abandoned garden planting some flowers while Cuphead and Mugman play in the dirt.
Day after day, The Devil appears wherever Gwen was again and yells,
"You're…!" ZAP!
"Coming…!" ZAP!
"With…!" ZAP!
"Me!" ZAP!
His recent attempt at the mall in a dress store, the Devil face-palmed and disappeared. Gwen was getting fed up with the Devil's attempts and kept looking for an evening dress for the ball.
Saturday came and Gwen was getting ready for the ball. She wears a beautiful champagne-colored spaghetti strap sparkling dress and a white fur shawl. Puts on pearl earrings, necklace and bracelet. As Gwen was putting on make-up, she remembered her invisible sweater and put it back on. Once she finishes getting ready, she packs her satchel and goes downstairs and notices her friends in the living room.
"Hey guys! I'll be off now! Don't wait up!" Gwen said.
"Alright!"
Said Cuphead listening to Dirk Dangerous on the radio.
"Have fun!"
Said Mugman as he was reading a book. Gwen was about to go out the front door but when she opened the door, the Devil was right there waiting for her. Gwen sighed and whispered,
"Please go away. I don't have time for this."
The Devil was stunned at her beauty and asked,
"You look ravishing today, what's the occasion?"
"That's none of your business! Now go away, I'm busy!" Gwen whisper yelled.
"What's the …"
The Devil tries to speak to her but she slams the door in his face. Out of anger, the Devil blew another fiery tantrum. Cuphead opens the door with Gwen and Mugman.
"Will you stop that?! Look just come around the back! Okay?" Cuphead whispered.
"Look you little…"
Cuphead slammed the door before the Devil could finish. The Devil mutters angrily as he comes to the back door. The door opens and the trio walk out and Cuphead whispered,
"What did we tell you about coming here?! Elder Kettle can't see you here!"
Gwen was shocked and asked,
"Wait, he's been here before?"
"Yeah, back when he had his invisible sweater." Mugman explained.
"I know! But you still owe me your soul and she's still not cooperating with me!" The Devil argued.
Gwen folded her arms and whispered-yelled,
"I told you a million times! I'm never going back with you and I'm never marrying you! Why won't you take 'no' for answer?!"
"Because I don't take 'no' for an answer! I'm the Devil! Remember?"
"HEY!" Yelled Elder Kettle.
The four gasp and Gwen shoved the Devil into the bushes and said,
"Shh!"
Gwen and the cups look up at the window as Elder Kettle in his night cap opened the window and yelled,
"What's all that noise?!"
"Nothing Elder Kettle!" Both cups answer.
"Uh, there was a pesky varmint annoying us but I just chased it away!" Gwen lied and smiled.
"Well keep him away Gwen! Cause I'm taking a nap! And shouldn't you be at the ball Gwen? You're gonna be late!" Elder Kettle yelled and slammed the window.
The Devil comes out of the bushes and said,
"So, you're going to that ball huh?"
Gwen facepalmed, now that the Devil knows where she's going.
"Yeah, what do you care?" Gwen grumbled.
The Devil gets an idea and said,
"Well, I could just take Cuphead's soul since you're leaving him… unprotected. Or perhaps you would like an escort for the evening?"
Gwen pointed her ink pen and warned,
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. And I don't need an escort!"
Cuphead thought for a moment and pleaded,
"Gwen, don't leave me alone with the Devil!"
Gwen puts her hand over Cuphead's mouth, for she wasn't sure what to do now and told the Devil,
"Excuse us."
Gwen takes the boys away from the Devil and asked,
"Guys! What am I supposed to do?! If I leave, he'll take your soul!"
"Maybe you could lend Cuphead your invisible sweater until you come back?" Mugman suggested.
"But if I give Cuphead my sweater, he'll kidnap me!"
"Hold on! I think I got an idea!" Cuphead said.
The cups and Gwen all whispered as the Devil waited impatiently.
"Cuphead! Are you crazy?! I can't go with him!" Gwen argued.
"Think about it! He won't refuse a deal! I'll make him promise not to take my soul and kidnap you! Just one date for tonight? Please?" Cuphead pleaded.
Gwen groaned and said,
"Fine! But just one date!"
The trio come back to the Devil and Cuphead said,
"Tell you what Devil, you can be Gwen's escort for the ball. And in exchange, you don't take my soul and you don't kidnap her!" Cuphead explained.
"Hmm, let's see. You'll let me take her to the ball and I don't take your soul or kidnap her?" The Devil asked.
Cuphead smiled as Gwen angrily nodded.
"Hmm… alright. Deal! But first, you take off that sweater!" The Devil ordered her.
Gwen reluctantly complies and takes off the sweater and slips it on Cuphead.
"In case you get any ideas!" Gwen said to the Devil.
"Right. Now let's see…"
The Devil makes his white tuxedo appear on himself with a white top hat, pink bowtie excluding pants.
"Well, shall we dear?" The Devil asked.
Gwen hesitated and turned to her friends.
"You can do this!" Cuphead whispered.
Mugman wasn't sure how it was going to go but he nods at her. Gwen took a deep breath, then she walked up to the Devil, he put his arm around her and lifted his pitchfork, tapped the ground and both disappeared.
"This better work for your sake!" Mugman snapped at Cuphead.
"Would you relax Mugsy? I mean come on, what could happen?" Cuphead asked.
Mugman groaned, took Cuphead's hand and both leave the cottage.
"Come on! We better make sure she's okay." Mugman said.
They both start their way to the mayor's mansion.
Outside the mayor's mansion, The Devil and Gwen appear outside and Gwen looks at the guests entering the mansion.
"Well, shall we?" The Devil asked, gesturing her to hold his arm in a gentleman-like way.
Gwen rolled her eyes, held his arm and both walked up the stairs, through the entrance. Gwen is in awe of the inside of the mansion and says,
"Wow, this is kinda like those parties in the story of The Great Gatsby."
"What's that? Oh yes, I read that book. Poor human got whacked in the end. Hee hee." The Devil joked.
Gwen looked at him unamused and said,
"Let's get this over with."
"Oh, come on! It's just a little joke." The Devil said.
They both walk inside the ballroom and couples have started dancing while an orchestra of anthropomorphic instruments played classical music. Just then, the tune to Tchaikovsky's Lake in the Moonlignt started playing and Gwen said,
"I remember this enchanting melody that time my parents took me to the ballet when I was a kid."
The Devil bows to her and asks,
"In that case, may I have this dance?"
Gwen hesitated and confessed,
"Well, I would but here's the thing. No one's ever asked me to dance before so… I never danced."
The Devil took her right hand, led her to the dance floor and said,
"If I can paint a fence, you can dance."
Gwen wasn't sure but remembered that so far, the Devil kept his part of the bargain. She places her left hand on his shoulder and the Devil held her in a dance pose and started dancing the waltz. Gwen followed his lead as he spun her and said to him,
"I didn't know you could dance."
"You'd be surprised what I can do. Watch this."
The Devil levitates himself and Gwen off the ground. Gwen is startled, held him tightly.
"Don't look down, just go with it." The Devil assured her.
Gwen lets go of her fear and continued dancing in the air as the music grew intense. As they danced, they both make eye contact and Gwen thought maybe there was a chance he could have a change of heart and release her from marriage. They kept dancing until the song ended and are both lowered back on the ground.
"That was… enchanting." Gwen admitted.
The Devil smiled and said,
"Oh, yes it was."
Then, the tune to Debussy's Clair de Lune started playing on the piano. The Devil bowed again and asked,
"May I have this dance again? I think you're getting the hang of dancing."
Gwen felt happy and took his hand and both started dancing again as the ballroom dimmed and moonlight shone on them. Gwen thought to herself,
"Maybe this night won't be so bad after all."
And continued dancing through the evening.
Meanwhile, Cuphead and Mugman were on their way to the mayor's mansion to rescue their friend.
"I don't know why you talked her into this!" Mugman yelled at Cuphead.
"Mugsy, she can handle herself! I ain't too worried about it!" Cuphead argued.
"Oh really? Remember we found her alone in the woods the night we met her?" Mugman reminded him.
"Oh yeah! The night she came into our lives." Cuphead remembered.
"And King Dice almost had her from her first battle with the Devil?" Mugman pointed out.
"Yeah, you warned her and saved her." Cuphead remembered.
"And when we dealt with those poachers, she needed our help?" Mugman recaps the second adventure.
"Oh, yeah!" Cuphead remembered.
"And then on the boat, the Devil almost had her but we smashed his tail?" Mugman recalls another experience.
"That still makes me laugh! Remember the look on the Devil's face?" Cuphead laughed, remembering that.
"And what about the cemetery, the garden, and after our second visit with Quadratus she almost got barbequed until we saved her?!" Mugman snapped.
"Touché." Cuphead realized that Mugman was pointing out something.
"The point is Cuphead, she gets out of those scrapes because of us! Without us, she would've been taken away or who knows what else! It'll be a matter of time before she lets her guard down like you did at the Inkwell Pier! So, are you still 'not too worried about it?!" Mugman yelled.
Cuphead paused for a moment and said,
"Wow, you're right Mugsy. I guess I didn't think that one through."
"You never think! That's your problem!" Mugman admitted.
"Okay! Okay! Let's go get our Gwen! I owe her so much for doing this for me!" Cuphead said.
"That's more like it. Now let's keep moving! The Devil could turn on her any minute!" Mugman said, feeling proud of his brother.
They both kept running until they reach Inkwell City and search for the mansion the ball took place.
Meanwhile at the ball, the Devil and Gwen were strolling in the gardens, chatting, getting to know each other. They sit on a bench and watch the stars and the moon.
"That was truly amazing. I guess there was more to you than I thought." Gwen admitted, feeling happy as she was staring at the stars.
"Yeah, uh same with you. There's more to you too than meets the eye. You know, Gwen. I know we got off on the wrong foot. But after tonight, I was thinking maybe we could you know… start over?"
Gwen's eyes popped, then she asked,
"Start over?"
She paused for a moment. Then she asked,
"Are you saying if we did, you'd release me from marrying you, leave Cuphead's soul alone and we could all be friends?"
"Well…uh… yeah, um." The Devil struggled to speak.
"Because you know, that means you're doing something nice for someone."
The Devil was stunned by her words.
"So? What do you say? Can you let go of your obsession with me and getting Cuphead's soul and be friends? Put all this behind us?" Gwen asked, hoping to get through to the Devil.
He thought for a moment then said,
"I'd like nothing more."
Gwen smiled and gives the Devil a hug. The Devil's eyes widened, and said,
"Wow, nobody's ever given me a hug before."
The Devil admitted as he put his arms around her.
"Thank you." Gwen said, feeling relieved.
"It's getting late, we should probably get going."
"Yeah, you're right." The Devil agreed.
Gwen said as she noticed the clock in the gardens struck midnight. Gwen gets up, pulls the Devil off the bench and said,
"Let's go. Oh, I left my satchel and shawl at the front. Can we go get them first?"
"Sure, I left my pitchfork there anyway, can't get you home without it."
Gwen takes the Devil's hand and started their way back in the mansion. Gwen grabs her shawl and satchel and the Devil grabs his pitchfork and both walk out the entrance and down the stairs.
Gwen turned to the Devil and said,
"Okay, take me home please."
The Devil puts his arm around her and says,
"Oh, I will take you home. Take you back… with me to where you belong!"
Gwen is suddenly wrapped in ropes by his magic, tying her wrists and arms restrained from reaching the magic inkwell and ink pen in her satchel.
"What?! No! But you said…!" Gwen protested.
"Oh, come on! You humans are so gullible! I just needed to say a few things to get you to trust me!" The Devil admitted his ruse.
Gwen's heart sank, once again betrayed and feeling duped.
"I should've known better than to trust you!" Gwen yelled, in tears.
"Don't worry dear, we'll do this all again… after we're married! Now, shall we my beautiful flower?"
Gwen struggled to get away but the Devil swept her up in his arms, lifted his pitchfork and was about to tap it when all of a sudden… ZAP! Cuphead and Mugman jump and shove her invisible sweater on the Devil, thus electrocuting him severely. Gwen is dropped to the ground as Cuphead and Mugman rush to Gwen's aid and untie her.
"Gwen! Are you okay?" Asked Mugman.
"No." Gwen said in tears.
"Are you hurt?" Asked Cuphead.
"No."
Gwen sobbed into her best friend's embrace as they comfort her. After catching her breath, she looked at the Devil suffering and felt rage building up in her. Gwen gets on her feet, grabs her ink pen and magic inkwell and angrily says,
"I'll take it from here guys."
Gwen walked up to the Devil with her glowing ink pen. The Devil looked at Gwen, ready to attack and the Devil gulped in fear. Gwen blasted the Devil with her cyan-blue beam attack, her lightning zap attack and her laser attack. She summons her giant glove, grabs the Devil's tail and swung him up and down to the ground, spun him in the air and threw him against a tree. She finishes off by pounding him in the ground as he was still being electrocuted through the torture.
"Gwen! You've done enough!" Called Mugman.
Gwen breathed heavily and said,
"I'm not done with him yet!"
Gwen goes up to the heavily defeated Devil, unbuttons the invisible sweater and puts it back on herself. Enraged, she says,
"No matter what you've done, I thought there was a speck of decorum in you! I was willing to give you a chance to redeem yourself and be friends with you!"
Tears filled her eyes again and finished,
"But I was wrong; monsters like you never change!"
The cups walk up to Gwen, take her hands as Mugman says,
"Come on, let's go home. Leave him."
The cups take Gwen and lead her away from the mansion and start their way back to the cottage.
As the trio approach the cottage, Elder Kettle comes to greet them and is shocked to see Gwen very upset.
"Oh, my goodness! What happened?!"
"The Devil happened again. This time, it was really bad." Cuphead answered.
"Oh no! Dear, let's get you inside."
Elder Kettle takes Gwen and leads her inside and sits her down on the couch. Gwen hugs Elder Kettle and cries into him as Elder Kettle shushes her and says,
"Dear, calm down. Deep breaths."
Gwen takes a few deep breaths as Elder Kettle gives her a tissue. Elder Kettle turns to the boys and says,
"Boys, why don't you go upstairs to your room? I'll take it from here."
The boys go upstairs, leaving Gwen and Elder Kettle alone to talk.
"You ready to tell me what happened?"
After wiping her tears, Gwen explained everything that happened at the Ball with the Devil escorting her, dancing with her and bonding with her right up the last moment when he betrayed her.
"I was stupid! I never should've tried to be friends with him!" Gwen yelled.
"Hey, hey, hey. You are not stupid Gwen. Your heart was in the right place trying to reason with him. But he made the choice not to consider your feelings for his own dumb obsession." Elder Kettle assured her.
Gwen sniffled and said,
"True. But it just hurts to trust someone, then get stabbed in the back."
"Betrayal always hurts dear. It may not seem like it now, but you're gonna be okay. At least he won't be bothering you for a while since you really did a number on him this time, which he rightfully deserves. Now, I want you to go upstairs, wash up and lie down and go to bed."
Gwen goes upstairs, cleans her tear-stained face and goes into her room, closes the door and lies down and curls up in bed in sadness.
After a while, Gwen finally calms down and goes to sleep.
The next morning, she hears knocks on the door.
"Gwen? It's me Cuphead. I'm so sorry."
Gwen gets up goes up to the door and asks,
"For what? You're not the one who…"
"No, I'm sorry I put you up with that date. And that he broke your heart." Cuphead apologized.
"I know it was all a lie, but he made me feel like I was more and I thought we could be friends and put an end to feud this once and for all. And don't remind me that he's an irredeemable monster that can't be reasoned with." Gwen sorrowfully said.
"If it makes you feel any better, I too once thought we could be friends back at the Inkwell Pier."
Gwen opened the door, gestured Cuphead to come in. Cuphead goes into her room, they both sit on her bed and Gwen asked,
"You tried to befriend him too? Mugman didn't tell me that."
Cuphead explained how after he took off the sweater before they left for the Obliterator Ride, they tricked the Devil into painting the fence but he found them and told them he'd join them on the ride while Mugman left to go get the sweater. Cuphead told funny jokes and briefly bonded with the Devil right up to the moment he realized he wasn't wearing the sweater and almost took his soul until Mugman arrived in time and shoved the invisible sweater on the Devil, saving Cuphead's life. Gwen couldn't believe that she wasn't the only one who thought they could befriend the Devil.
"Well, that makes two of us." Gwen said, touched by his story.
"So, what are you gonna do now? At least you didn't lose your invisible sweater. You could still wear it just in case." Asked Cuphead.
Gwen got up and thought for a moment. Then she unbuttons her sweater, puts in her drawers and says with determination,
"You know what Cuphead? I don't need to wear the sweater. Cause if he ever shows his ugly face again, I'll be ready! I'm gonna make sure he hates me so much that he'll never want to marry me cause I'm not afraid of him anymore!"
"Wow, you're really braver than I am."
Said Mugman, peeking in the door and eavesdropping on their conversation. Gwen goes up to Mugman, knelt down and hugged him and said,
"Braver than you? No way. You guys saved me, again. Very brave if you ask me. It's like what Quadratus told me that anything is possible with love and friendship and trusting you guys. At least I know who my real true friends are; lookin' out for me."
Cuphead joins Gwen and Mugman in the embrace and says,
"If the Devil strikes again, we're with you to the end."
Gwen smiled and said,
"Thanks guys."
Feeling better and they all go downstairs to breakfast. Gwen felt proud of herself for overcoming her fear.
Meanwhile, back in the depths of Hell, the Devil was in intensive care in the Emergency Room and imp nurses were treating his injuries. They wrap the Devil up in bandages and the Devil was in too much pain to get out of bed. Henchman flies in and said,
"I knew this would happen boss. You just had to push her, didn't you? I really hope you learned your lesson this time."
The Devil groaned in pain as he struggled to get up but was still in too much pain.
"Mark my words Henchman, when I recover, she… will… pay for this! Ow!" The Devil declared.
Henchman sighed out of disapproval, still have not learned his lesson and leaves his boss alone to recover but it was going to take a long time.
