It was a nice day in the Inkwell Isles and Gwen is at her weekly theater lessons at Inkwell Theater. Gwen is doing her dance warm-ups with the other students as she is still learning acting and dancing skills. The latest lesson coming up was ballroom dancing, which she will have to have a partner to dance with.
The teacher Sally Stageplay arrives on stage with the others and said,
"Good morning class! Everybody sit down!"
Gwen and the other students sit down on the floor.
"I have a couple of announcements to make. First off, as you all know, you've all been doing your dancing very well on your own. Now is the time you all learn how to dance in pairs for your next lesson: ballroom dancing! And later we're going to have a recital!" Sally Stageplay announced.
The class have mixed reactions while Gwen is a little nervous as she recalled her last ballroom dancing experience with the Devil was enjoyable but he was pretending to be nice to her to drop her guard.
"Next, we have a new student starting today. So, I'd like you all to be nice to him just like to you all did to Gwen here when she joined our team." Sally said referring to Gwen.
Everyone nodded as Gwen smiled and was willing to welcome the new student.
"Good. Now everyone, I'd like you all to welcome our new student…"
Sally said as she gestured everyone to look stage right. Gwen hears a familiar man scatting and realized something.
"Oh no! No, it can't be! Not…!"
"King Dice!" Sally announced.
The class is awed while Gwen looked in horror as she saw King Dice scatting and dancing his way onto the stage. King Dice makes a finishing pose as the class applauds him while Gwen ducks down to avoid being spotted.
"King Dice? From the show 'Roll the Dice' and that circus?" A fellow student asked.
"Yes, the one and the same." Sally confirmed.
"Hey, hey, hey everybody! Happy to be joining your team! Ha ha!" King Dice said proudly with a smug look on his face.
"That's nice. Now Dice, take a seat." Sally instructed King Dice.
He walks in a fashionable way and sits down next to some eager students. Gwen scoots further from King Dice as Sally continued,
"Now class, if you will all stand up and we'll get started. Girls on the left side of the stage and the boys on the right side please."
Gwen and the other girls get up and go to the left side while King Dice and the other boys go to the left side. Gwen is still trying to keep hidden from King Dice as Sally started the lesson with the simple moves like the step-touch, the grapevine, jazz square, pivot turn and the chassé. After the lessons, Sally said,
"Now, for the recital I want you all to pick your dance partner. It'll be the boys choice this time. Then we'll have our pairs start dancing those moves together."
The girls were excited while Gwen was nervous and said,
"Oh, I hope he doesn't pick me."
Gwen remembered King Dice made her uncomfortable and tried to capture and bring her to his boss the Devil as well as foiling her escape attempt when she was a prisoner in Hell for two days. She starts to suspect this maybe another trap to be captured. Gwen hides behind the other female students as Sally has the boys pick their partners.
"Who would like to choose first?" Sally asked the boys.
"Oh me! Me! Me!" An anthropomorphic coin said jumping up and down.
"Alright, you can pick." Sally said.
The coin went up to the girls and picks his girlfriend the anthropomorphic apple to be his partner.
"Alright, that's the first couple. Who's next?" Sally asked.
Sherman the Bulldog raised his hand.
"Alright Sherman. Who's your partner gonna be?" Sally asked.
"I know just the gal." Sherman said.
The little chihuahua Doris walks up to Sherman and said,
"That's right! Nobody but me gets my Sherman!"
Doris and Sherman held hands and walked next to the coin and apple.
"Alright then. That's our second pair. Now, who's next?" Sally asked.
King Dice raise his hand.
"Alright King Dice. Who would you like your partner to be?" Sally asked.
"Let's see who we've got here." King Dice said.
He goes to the girls as all of them wanted to be his partner, except one. King Dice then noticed Gwen was hiding behind a large anthropomorphic female hippo. King Dice was surprised Gwen was in the same class as he was and smiled sinisterly, making his choice. The hippo gave King Dice a big smile and asked,
"Me King Dice sir?"
King Dice gave her a disgusted look and said,
"No…"
He pushes the hippo aside and gets a clear view of Gwen as she gave a scared look as he pointed at her and said,
"Her."
"Alright then Dice. You've chosen Gwen. That's our third pair."
Sally said as she wrote on her clipboard. King Dice goes up to Gwen and says,
"Fancy seeing you here beautiful."
Gwen glared at him and angrily said,
"I thought I told you to never call me those names! And why are you really here?"
"Gwen! Go with King Dice and take your position!" Sally scolded Gwen.
Gwen sighed and said,
"Yes Mrs. Stageplay."
King Dice takes Gwen's hand and takes her next to the other two pairs. The rest of the class were paired up.
"Now then, let's get started!"
King Dice holds Gwen in a dance position as she is hesitant to dance with him. All the students start practicing as Sally goes around to each couple and correcting their mistakes.
"Gwen, he leads. You follow." Sally corrected her.
Gwen reluctantly gives in as she practices dancing with King Dice.
"You're pretty good doll." King Dice complimented.
"Easy for you to say." Gwen muttered as she tried to avoid eye contact as she kept dancing.
Later after class, Sally said,
"Well done everyone! Now just keep practicing with your partners and you'll be ready for the recital in two weeks! Class dismissed!"
Everyone gets up and leaves the theater while Gwen tries to quickly leave to avoid King Dice. Gwen is suddenly stopped by King Dice as he takes her hand and asked,
"What's the rush doll? Don't you wanna rehearse for the show with me?"
Gwen glared at him and said,
"No, thank you! I can manage myself!"
Gwen attempts to head home until King Dice blocks her way and said,
"You think I'm here to capture you, don't you?"
"In those words, yes. Now leave me alone!"
Gwen tries to leave again until King Dice wraps his arm around her and said,
"Now, now. Let's not be too hasty dear. I know I'm the last person you wanna trust right now. But I promise you, I just wanna help you get better. And this is no trick, since I don't have my radio show, I want to do something else. And I decided to take up theater and dancing, just like you. So, what do ya say? Dance with me?" King Dice asked with a big smile.
Gwen glared at him and warned,
"Understand this Dice. I'm the last girl you wanna lie to right now. I'll dance with you, but beware, I'm not letting my guard down!"
"That's fine, let's just you and me dance for the show. I'm just trying to get back out there." King Dice assured her.
Gwen sighed and reluctantly goes with King Dice to rehearse ballroom dancing.
They head into town and both notice a jazz band playing swing music with a crowd of people watching and dancing.
"This looks a good place to rehearse." King Dice said.
Gwen looked at the people moving to the rhythm. King Dice takes Gwen and both swing dance together. Gwen struggles to keep up with King Dice but shows her the movements. Gwen starts to get better as people watched them dance to the swing music.
Gwen slowly started to trust King Dice, but she still needed to be on her guard since she's aware he is a con artist and works for the Devil. For the final pose, King Dice spins Gwen around and dips her for the big finish. People applaud them as Gwen gave a smile as he lifts her back up, put his arm around her and waved to the people.
"That wasn't so bad huh?" King Dice asked her.
"Uh, yeah. I guess you were right." Gwen answered.
"Of course, I'm right doll. I know these things." He replied back.
"Could you please stop calling me 'beautiful' and 'doll'? Just call me Gwen."
Gwen asked, feeling fed up with being called those two names.
"Fine, Gwen." King Dice reluctantly complies.
"Well, I better get home. Bye." Gwen said and leaves King Dice to head back to the cottage.
"See you tomorrow!" King Dice called out.
Gwen was unsure about him but kept going until she reached home.
That night, Gwen was getting ready for bed as she hears a knock on the door.
"Come in." Gwen called.
Cuphead and Mugman enter her room and sit with Gwen on her bed.
"Is it true King Dice joined your theater class and picked you as his dance partner?" Cuphead asked.
Gwen sighed and said,
"Yes, it's true. It's obviously a trap to capture me and he's trying to gain my trust. The Devil tried that before and it almost got me kidnapped until you guys saved me. But, how do I stop King Dice on this one?" Gwen asked.
"Well, you know how those guys are. They won't stop unless they're stopped. You've got to trick him." Mugman advised.
"How?" Gwen asked.
"Outsmart him. Give him a taste of his own medicine. You know, outfake the faker." Mugman answered.
Gwen thought for a moment and said,
"You know Mugsy? You're right. I gotta keep dancing with him like nothing's wrong anymore. It'll probably be after the recital he'll try to backstab me. When he does, I'll be ready." Gwen said, formulating a plan.
"That's our Gwen. You got this." Cuphead complimented.
"Thanks guys." Gwen thanked her friends as they all went off to bed.
The next day, Gwen was out dancing in the forest, practicing her dance moves. Just then she hears a familiar voice call out,
"Hey hey Gwen! There you are!"
Gwen armed herself with her ink pen, turned and saw King Dice approaching her.
"Oh, it's just you King Dice. I thought you were someone else."
Gwen put away her ink pen.
"Relax, I ain't the Big D. So, you ready to rehearse?" King Dice asked.
Gwen took a deep breath and said,
"Sure, whatever you say."
Gwen used her ink pen and made a phonograph appear and it started playing swing music. King Dice and Gwen rehearsed their dancing for the upcoming recital. Gwen started to trust King Dice a little more to a point where she didn't hesitate to dance with him anymore. As time went by, Gwen and King Dice started to bond. They go into town and attend a dance and King Dice invites Gwen to dance with him. Gwen goes for it without hesitating and both sing a jazzy song about their newfound friendship.
The day before the recital, after one last rehearsal, Gwen and King Dice sit on a street bench and Gwen said,
"Wow, Dice. You really are something. You really think we're ready for tomorrow?"
"Of course, we are Gwen. You're the best dance partner I've ever had." King Dice admitted.
"Really? That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. You're quite the wonderful dancer yourself." Gwen said.
"Thanks kid. That's really nice of you to say." King Dice said.
Gwen smiled and gives King Dice a hug. King Dice's eyes widened and then wrapped his arms around her.
"Wow, thanks. Nobody's given me a hug before. Not counting your cup friend when he hugged my leg on my show after I chose him as the next contestant." King Dice admitted.
"It's what friends do Dice. It's a sign of friendship." Gwen explained.
"Oh. I didn't know that." King Dice said.
Gwen releases King Dice, gets up from the bench and said,
"Well, I better get home. See you tomorrow."
Gwen turns around and leaves back to the cottage.
After Gwen leaves, King Dice laughs evilly and said, "Oh man this is too easy! My plan is working perfectly!"
Just then, the Devil magically appeared before King Dice and gives him a bit of a scare.
"Boss! Uh, what are you doing here sir?" King Dice nervously asked.
"Is the plan falling in place?" The Devil asked.
"Yes sir. I earned her trust! She even gave me a hug to prove it and she's not afraid of dancing with me anymore!" King Dice proudly explained, folding his arms.
"Good, but remember: she's my fiancée! Don't get any ideas of stealing her from me!"
The Devil warned him, showing jealousy of King Dice spending time with Gwen.
"I won't sir! I promise! I have no interest in her anyway!" King Dice fearfully explained.
"Good! And also remember, no harm is to come to my beautiful flower! I need her to be kept alive and well or else!" The Devil sternly reminded him.
"Yes boss! I promise!" King Dice fearfully promised.
"Oh, and one more thing…" The Devil said.
"Yes?" King Dice nervously asked.
"What do I hate more than anything?" The Devil asked.
"Disappointment?" King Dice answered.
"Correct! So, don't disappoint me… AGAIN!"
The Devil yelled, then he disappears back to Hell.
King Dice shivered in fear, then he quickly leaves.
The day of the recital arrived and Elder Kettle along with the boys sit in the audience to watch Gwen perform with King Dice. Backstage, Gwen along with her fellow students were getting ready. Gwen wears a purple dance-dress to match King Dice's outfit and prepares herself for whatever might happen. King Dice comes up to her and asks,
"You ready for this Gwen? This is it!"
Gwen smiled and said,
"As ready as I'll ever be."
Just then, Sally Stageplay goes on stage and the show was ready to begin.
"Good evening and welcome to our Ballroom Dancing Recital! Where our own Inkwell Theater Players will show you what they have learned. Lets start things up with our first couple: Doris and Sherman!"
The audience cheers as Sherman and Doris enter the stage and start their dance number. Later, during the coin and apple couple's number, Mugman whispered to Cuphead.
"Let's go Cuphead! We gotta check to see if there's any trap for Gwen!"
"Oh right! She asked us to do that! I almost forgot!" Cuphead whispered back.
They set up dummy versions of themselves to make sure Elder Kettle doesn't suspect anything. The cups sneak off to the backstage area and look around. They barely avoid detection by the bear security guard and hide in the back room.
"Phew!" Both cups said.
Just then, they both notice a fire on the floor.
"Whoa! What is that?" Cuphead asked.
"Looks like we're about to get our answer. Quick, hide! And be quiet!"
Mugman exclaimed and both hide under a table covered with a white linen. They peek from under the linen and saw an elevator come up from the fire. The elevator door opens and Henchman steps out with a big brown bag, rope and a cloth gag.
"Duh, I hope this works this time." Henchman said to himself.
Just then, King Dice enters the room.
"Hey, hey there! You're just in time Henchman! Once the recital is over, I will send her back here, telling her there is a gift for her. When she comes in through that door, that's when you ambush her! Bound and gag her, then shove her in the elevator and send her back to the boss! Special delivery!" King Dice explained the plan.
"Uh, I know King Dice. I just hope it works this time. I can't think of what'll he'll do to us if we fail." Henchman expressed his concern.
"I don't wanna think about it either. We have to make this work! I can't disappoint him again! And remember what the boss said: we have to bring her to him alive and well." King Dice answered.
"Duh, I know. Boss forbade us from hurting her. He even forbade the Four Horsemen and the remaining demons from hurting her too." Henchman added.
King Dice realized he and Gwen were up next and said,
"Oh! We're on! It's showtime!"
King Dice snickered and ran out of the room, forgetting to close the door. When Henchman's back is turned, the cups sneak out of the room, hide in the dressing room and Cuphead said,
"We gotta warn Gwen!"
"I know, but she and King Dice are on now! We have to wait until they're done!" Mugman exclaimed.
They peeked out of the dressing room and saw Gwen and King Dice go on stage and perform their swing dance number to the Louis Prima song Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) covered by Benny Goodman. After their performance, the audience cheered and Gwen and King Dice go off stage to wait for the remaining performers to finish.
"That was amazing! They love us Gwen!"
King Dice said proudly and placed his arm around her shoulder.
"Yeah, it really was, I'm sure that…"
Before Gwen could finish her sentence, Gwen saw her friends gesturing her to meet them in the dressing room.
"You're sure that what?" King Dice asked.
"I'm sure that… we'll do this more often!" Gwen lied.
"I need some water, so if you'll excuse me a second."
Gwen leaves King Dice and heads to the dressing room. Gwen closes the door and sees her friends, waiting for her.
"Guys! What's going on? Did you find anything?" Gwen whispered.
"Yes! In the back room over there, there's gonna be an ambush with an elevator to the Devil's headquarters waiting for you!" Mugman whispered.
"What?!" Gwen exclaimed.
"Your dance partner's gonna say there's a gift for you in there. But actually, there's a big fat purple demon in there waiting to attack you and deliver you to the Devil!" Cuphead added.
Gwen's eyes popped and said,
"That's Henchman! I knew it! I figured Dice was just pretending to be my friend to capture me!"
"What are we gonna do?" Asked Cuphead.
Gwen thinks for a moment, then she gets an idea.
"Guys, I think I got an idea!"
Gwen and the cups huddled together and Gwen whispered her plan.
"Okay guys, you know what to do."
"Way ahead of you Gweny!" Said Cuphead.
The cups go to the prop area and grab some props.
Gwen grabs a water bottle and rejoins King Dice and the other performers. After the show, Gwen and the other performers head on stage, take their bows as Sally said,
"What a marvelous performance! Thank you all for coming and good night!"
The performers go backstage, to the dressing room and get ready to leave. King Dice goes up to Gwen and said,
"Oh, before you go, I got you a little something."
"Aw, come on Dice. You don't need to get me a gift." Gwen kindly said.
"No, really. I got you a little something as a token of our friendship. But I just realized I left it in the back room. You wanna go get it?" King Dice asked.
"Why did you leave it in there?" Gwen asked.
"Because, I wanted to surprise you. Now, why don't you go and get it?" King Dice answered.
Gwen thought for a moment, knowing this was going to happen. Gwen pretends to shrug off her suspicion and said,
"Okay, if you insist. I'll go get what's coming to me."
"Couldn't have said it better myself." King Dice said sinisterly.
Gwen gets up and leaves the dressing room to the back room. When no one was watching, Gwen inaudibly signals her friends as she makes loud footstep sounds. The cups hold one of the props, which one of them looked exactly like a door with a hinge. Gwen opens the fake door and makes a few more step noises. Mugman gets on Cuphead's shoulders with a rope and handkerchief. Mugman leaps on Gwen and she makes grunting noises while Cuphead pretends to tie her up and Mugman ties the handkerchief around her mouth.
Then, they both carry her into the curtains to hide. Gwen gets out her ink pen and makes the door prop disappear as she gives the cups a thumbs up for doing a good job.
Just then, the saw King Dice scatting happily, believing his plan worked and prepared to go into the back room. Gwen quietly removes the handkerchief and gestures the cups to get ready.
King Dice opens the door and the cups sneak up behind and shove him inside the back room. Henchman leapt on King Dice, gagged and tied him up. Then finishes by swooping him in the big brown bag. Henchman gladly carries the bag into the elevator, closes the door and disappears back to Hell.
Gwen comes into the back room with the cups and they all started laughing. They all high-five each other and Cuphead said,
"Oh man! You should've seen the look on King Dice's face!"
"Priceless!" Mugman added.
Gwen laughed and said,
"Oh, I believe it was priceless! That's what he gets for trying to con me! Their boss is not gonna be happy." Gwen snickered.
Gwen and the cups laugh again and they all head back to Elder Kettle and head on home together.
Meanwhile, down in Hell, the Devil is sitting on his throne, waiting anxiously for Henchman to deliver Gwen to him. The elevator appears and Henchman steps out.
"Henchman! You got her?" The Devil asked eagerly.
"Yep, I got her boss!" Henchman happily answers as he carries the big brown bag.
"Open it! Quickly!" The Devil ordered.
Henchman unties the bag, but to both their shock, it was King Dice bound and gagged inside the bag the whole time.
"King Dice? What are you doing in there?" Asked Henchman as he quickly untied and ungagged him.
"What did you do that for?! I heard her go into the back room and you captured her! I was just coming to see for myself until someone shoved me in there and you attacked me instead!" King Dice yelled at Henchman.
"Duh, I didn't do anything, I thought it was Miss Emmons coming in the door and I just did what you told me!" Henchman argued.
The Devil growled furiously and yelled,
"SILENCE YOU IDIOTS!"
King Dice and Henchman stop bickering and faced their enraged boss.
"She tricked you both again! I am very, very disappointed in the both of you!"
The Devil yelled furiously and blew fire around them. The Devil started breathing heavily, unable to control his rage as King Dice and Henchman knelt down, held each other and shivered.
"Wh-what are you gonna do to us?" King Dice nervously asked.
The Devil leaned over, growled at them and said,
"I'm gonna make you both suffer a most terrible punishment that it is guaranteed to make you suffer beyond repair!" The Devil answered angrily.
"Oh no!" Henchman said fearfully.
Later, King Dice and Henchman were both forced to wear maid outfits and were forced to clean up the Devil's messy bedroom. Afterwards, they were forced to clean all of Hell. After a long day of cleaning with no breaks, they approach the Devil sitting on his throne. King Dice almost out of breath said,
"Alright boss, we're all done!"
"Yeah, the whole realm is sparkly clean!" Henchman added. Afterwards, they both collapsed from exhaustion.
"Now, I feel much better!"
The Devil said, feeling satisfied that his two minions were suffering their most gruesome punishment.
Meanwhile, Gwen and her surrogate family celebrate by stopping by the bakery and picking up a red velvet cake. They drive home and they all have a slice of cake.
"Thanks, Elder Kettle." Gwen said, after eating a few bites.
"You're very welcome dear. You did a wonderful job. I wonder what happened to King Dice though?" Elder Kettle wondered.
"I have no idea." Gwen pretended to not know.
Elder Kettle shrugs it off and continued eating.
Gwen and the cups smiled smugly, know exactly what happened to King Dice. Afterwards they all say 'good night' and head to bed.
