The forest was a place to unwind from the natural symphonies of the wind, water and the melodies sung by the birds, frogs and bugs. But, it was all interrupted by two brothers galloping through the bushes.
Cuphead and Mugman's hearts were throbbing as they kept bolting through the trees and bushes like if the Devil were on their tails.
"Hurry, Mugsy!"
"I'm running as fast as I can!"
Mugman was not too far off from his brother, but he felt that sometimes he just can't keep up. His eyes widened then pointed ahead and shouted, "Look out!"
The cup boys stopped running as they neared the end of the cliff over a canyon and across the canyon is the city.
"It's over! We'll never get across!" Mugman cried.
"Oh yes, we will! All thanks to my... homemade jetpack!" Cuphead unveiled from behind a firework that was twice their size.
"That's a rocket, not a jetpack," Mugman said.
"Same thing," Cuphead said before tying a rope around Mugman and lit up the fuse.
"Is this thing safe?"
"Maybe. In five, four, three, two..."
His countdown was interrupted by a splash and hiss from behind. Mugman managed to free himself from the ropes and put out the fuse using milk from his head.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Cuphead asked annoyingly.
"It was for your own safety."
"Hope you're happy now, Mugsy. 'Cause Now we're gonna miss the movie."
"Well, excuse me for caring about you staying in one piece!" Mugman grated.
"You're one piece. A piece of work!" Cuphead rebuked back, pointing at him.
That sheer comment made Mugman gasped.
"Oh, don't act surprised!" Cuphead rolled his eyes and went up to his face, waving his arms around; "You're always finding something to whine about."
"Well, you're always jumping in without thinking! Someone's gotta be the voice of reason!"
"Yes, sir! Officer Mugman of the Fun Police!" Cuphead sarcastically stated with a mocking salute.
"Well! If I'm so awful, maybe you need a new brother." Mugman huffed with his arms crossed and his back turned; he presumed he won this battle when he heard his brother gasp, but he didn't expect it to be taken seriously.
"That's a great idea!"
"What?" Mugman faltered.
"Yeah! You're overprotective and lame, so I'll just get another brother!" Cuphead proclaimed as he picked up the rocket.
"Well, fine! Who even needs you?" Mugman was feeling hurt but hid it with a sneer.
"I certainly don't need you. Good day!" Cuphead said before he walked away and realized he nearly went over the cliff and awkwardly left the other way as his brother glared at him.
"Oops, that's the cliff. I'll go this way."
Meanwhile...
"Okay, time to find that new brother."
Cuphead was sitting on a bench at the city park. He believed that this was the perfect place to find a brother. It was full of visitors strolling down the path or sitting beneath the trees. But he headed to the playground to find a brother around his age range.
He spotted a pair of spoon twins flying kites and it reminded him of how he and Mugman would fly kites.
Turning his head the other way, he saw a sandbox occupied by a pair of kitten toddlers finishing up their sandcastle. Another memory came into mind: how the two would build sandcastles when they were much younger.
He shook his head to look further up ahead to see that the two grown frog men, Ribby and Croaks on a see-saw. Cuphead remembered how he got Mugman to get over his fear of the see-saw.
But he went back to reality, not spotting any contenders and groaned, "Meh. All the brothers are already taken."
He got up from his seat, ready to give up when suddenly, Cuphead was taken aback by a gust of wind; the source was a figure that was nothing more than a blackish-violet blur. The person sped up to a cliff to reveal them flying on their bicycle into the sun.
"Who is that kid?" Cuphead asked himself, entranced by the mysterious figure. "Hey, kid!"
"Where'd he go?"
Cuphead looked left to find an old lady feeding pigeons and then right to see a couple swooning with one another. Then he spotted something in the middle; between the two scenes was Bowlboy on a tricycle.
"Looking for someone, Cuphead?" Bowlboy asked waving coyly.
"Ugh. Get out of here, Bowlboy!" Cuphead said, pushing the bowl away. "I'm looking for that kid that was doing all those crazy stunts!"
"Then look no further," the bowl then balanced on the seat of his tricycle.
"Wait, that was you?" Cuphead asked in surprise.
"That's right," Bowlboy said. He jumped off the tricycle and used a crossbow with rope to zip into a tree.
"I had no idea you were such a—"
"Loose cannon?" Bowlboy finished the sentence while hanging around.
"That's my favorite kind of cannon!"
"Wanna get silly... with a bowl?"
"Do I?"
Bowlboy landed on the ground. "One thing you gotta know first. Bowlboy's always got a few tricks up his sleeve."
Cuphead then felt himself tense up. He wasn't sure to choose Bowlboy as his brother; he then spotted from behind another kid who was riding a bicycle doing tricks similar to earlier. He seemed to resemble the figure than Bowl-Boy "Uh, I'll get back to you," he then walked pass the unsettling bowl and headed towards the silhouette.
He ran up close to see that it was…
"Bendy!"
"Hey. You're alive," exclaimed Bendy after skidding on his bike.
"Those are some cool tricks. Can you do other stuff?"
"Of course", Bendy said as he stood up and balanced on his bike with one foot, then flip onto his hands on the seat. He then jumped off without a scratch. "Ta-da!"
Cuphead's eyes lit up and his smile grew bigger. "Wow! What else can you do?"
"What else?" Bendy scratched his chin in thought. "I don't do much. I usually just HANG around!" He jumped onto a tree trunk, hanging upside down.
"And you tell jokes too?"
"Oh! That's nothing! Wanna see something cool? Check this out!" he spun his head 360 and when he turned it back around, he somehow got eight lit dynamite sticks into his mouth.
Cuphead screamed "Spit 'em out!"
"Okay!" Bendy spat out the dynamite, and they ended up in Cuphead's hands. The dynamite blew up, and the explosion made the other brothers and Bowlboy in the park fly away.
"You almost killed me!" Cuphead yelled and pointed back. "Bendy, you are irresponsible, careless, and simply unhinged!"
Bendy gave a blank stare as if he were in his own world.
Cuphead then dropped to his knees, folding his hands. "Will you be my new brother?" he begged.
"What happened to the other guy? Mug-head, is it?"
"Oh, HIM, he's dead…" Bendy gasped, but Cuphead continued, "…to me anyway."
"Oh. What'd you do to him? Did you bury him? Did you drown him? Did you take out his organs?" Bendy asked with morbid curiosity.
"What? No!" Cuphead shook his head with disgust. "He just suggested that I search for a new brother."
"I don't blame you" Bendy shrugged. "The guy was a wuss!"
"Exactly and you're not! That's why I've been meaning to ask you…" Cuphead went down on one knee as if he were proposing. "Bendy, will do me the honor of being my new brother?"
"…Okay," he shrugged and was greeted with a tight hug which Bendy pushed away from. "Since we're brothers, you need to do something for me."
"Of course! Anything!"
"I need 5 bucks. I gotta pay this kid back for his bike," Bendy opened his palm out in front of the cup before retrieving the now wrecked bicycle. "Now let's go before he comes back!"
Bendy then turned around, bolting away with Cuphead being dragged by his handle.
Back at the cottage, Mugman sat crossed on the couch, still upset over Cuphead taking his sarcasm too literal. He waited for his brother to return back to apologize, but looked up at the cuckoo clock strike 3:00.
"Huh. 3 o'clock and not a single contusion. This may not be so bad after," he realized. He grabbed his favorite book that he's been meaning to read, getting his mind off of his brother.
The day was spent nothing but extreme thrills!
Cuphead and his new "brother" Bendy tried out anchor diving, something the former invented. They were both tied up to their waster with large anchors at the end of their ropes.
"So, how does this game go again?"
"It's simple, Bendy; Whoever goes down and swims up the furthest wins."
"Got it!"
"3…2…1…GO!"
They pushed their anchors to water and the weight dragged them down into the water.
The two of them were sinking further into the dark waters while preparing to untie themselves at the right moment. Cuphead noticed how his game was not really thought up well as he was starting to feel the lack of oxygen in his lungs and untied himself to swim up to the surface as Bendy followed upwards.
It seemed to a close race to see who would live first. The two manage to burst out of the water at the same time, gasping and coughing.
"That was…close. We almost drowned," Cuphead coughed.
"I know!" Bendy commented and paused to get a deep breath in. "Wanna go best 2 out of 3?"
"Do I?!" Cuphead rushed out of the water to find any anchors or any other heavy stuff around the pier.
The score ended with Bendy winning! It's either beginners luck or he's definitely played this before, Cuphead thought as he gasped for air.
DING-DING
The trolley was picking up speed while the two ran towards it, leaping onto the back of the vehicle. Cuphead was entering inside to find a seat only to find it full.
"Hey! Cup!"
He turned around to face Bendy who was gone in plain sight. "Up here!"
"Bendy?! What are you doing up there?!" he exclaimed as the streetcar was too loud to hear.
Cuphead looked to find Bendy peeking from the roof and extended his arm out. "Hitching a ride! C'mon!" He grabbed on and climbed up onto the roof, still holding onto Bendy for support for how slippery it was; his mouth dropped by the view of the streets.
Bendy led him to the front of the car, keeping his balance alongside the cup. "This is so awesome! You do this all the time?"
"Whenever I want my ride to be more extra!"
"Extra?"
"You know, more exciting?"
"Oh! Makes sense!"
The cup was starting to lose his balance and getting a bit scared looking at the sides down below. "I got you, don't worry. Don't look at the sides, look forward." Bendy grabbed Cuphead by the waist while he extended his arms out for balance.
"Wow! It's like I'm flying! I can't believe I never did this!"
"I know, right?"
The trolley sped through the Inkwell trolley on top of the vehicle; it was going at a much rapid speed than usual. But that was due to the driver passing out from a dart in his neck, placed in a by a stranger. _
For lunch, they stopped at Cuphead's favorite spot, Chili Jim's known for having the spiciest chili in the world! Coincidently, it was also Bendy's favorite too!
"Give me the Jimmy's special!" the two boys requested to the waiter in unison. "Hey! That's my favorite too!"
Their bowls of chili were eventually served to them. Bendy wanted to add some spice to his bowl; he picked up the 'WIMPY' sauce and scoffed. He spotted a black sauce bottle with a skull on it. "Ah-ha!"
"You eat that stuff?"
"Oh, yeah. It's supposed to be hottest sauce on the planet; they call it: The Soul Collector!"
"Mugman would NEVER let me try me something like that."
"Well, this is your chance. Want some?"
"Soul Collector…sound ominous…LET ME HAVE IT!"
Bendy poured the sauce in his chili and poured some into Cuphead's; after one spoonful, the scorching heat went through their bodies and the boys were spewing out fire.
The two of them strolled back to the cottage as Cuphead spoke about his time in prison.
"So those guys tricked you into helping them escape?" Bendy commented. "You know if you need some help of plotting vengeance, I have sort of a specialty in that." He then hit his fist with his palm, cracking his knuckles.
"Eh, they're probably in jail by now," the cup then decided to change the subject, "Hey what your thoughts on jetpacks?"
"Well, I've got one at home I've made and have been meaning to try out," Bendy said. "But I don't have enough gunpowder."
"I've got some at home somewhere and we can test it out."
"Alright, I'll get the jetpack, you get the gunpowder. See you back here!" He ended the sentence with a friendly punch to Cuphead's arm.
"Same here!" he punched back and parted off.
Cuphead opened the door and strutted to the kitchen, which awoken Mugman from his nap.
"Mugsy, I can't thank you enough for what you said earlier. I already got a new brother!"
"You did?" he couldn't believe what he just heard. His brother had a tendency of taking things too literally.
"Hey, where do we keep the gunpowder?" the cup asked.
"Behind the sugar and the flour, where it's always been," the former "brother" noted.
"Thanks, pal!"
Don't ask why, 'cause I don't either.
Cuphead found the large sack and was heading outside, while Mugman peeked his head out through the kitchen.
"So is your brother a pirate or something?"
"Like a pirate, but better. Well, so long, Mug-head!"
Mugman clutched his chest, whimpering before stiffening his lip and slamming the door. "WELL, WHO EVEN NEEDS A BROTHER?!"
He realized how he had eaten his own words; now he and Cuphead were more like strangers than brothers. His bereavement paused when he heard a car pull up in front of the cottage. He peeked open the door to spot the mail truck parked in front of the gate.
The mailman, Dixon was so slim that he resembled a pencil. In fact he actually IS a pencil! He brought out some letters for the address , but the mailbox was blocked by a sweet smiling mug wearing an apron, holding a fresh pie in front of him.
"Special delivery," Mugman sang. "For you this time. It's a pie."
"No, thank you. Here's your mail." Dixon replied, while sticking the letters into the pie. He grabbed onto the mail satchel, "Wait, wait! Stay a while!" the mug pleaded.
"I need to deliver the mail."
"What you need is a new brother. Just listen to how good this sounds. Mugman, Mailman. Mailman, Mugman. Mugman, Mailman. Mailman, Mugman. Mugman, Mailman."
Dixon quietly treaded back to the mail truck, closing the door and was about to start the ignition. BUT…Mugman was sitting in the passenger seat.
"Mugman, Mailman. Mailman, Mugman. Mugman, Mailman. Mail—"
Dixon had no choice but to kick the mug out and sped off.
He scratched his chin in thoughts, "Guess I'll have to find a brother the old-fashioned way."
Bendy strolled through the woods dragging a wagon with a giant homemade rocket that was stood 3 times his size, along with some smaller fireworks and some bags of gunpowder.
He noticed that the path was unusually eerie, but didn't really mind it. He began whistling a tune until he heard a snapping of twigs. He continued whistling but heard another unusual sound.
He whistled the last few notes slowly and jolted in pain as he felt a prick from his rear end. "OW!" He picked it off and sees that it's a dart. "Alright, Cups! Enough horsing around! It's gone too far!"
All he heard was nothing more than the wind. "Cup?"
Bendy then found himself becoming weary and blacked out. He sees a dark silhouette in front of the sunlight, before closing his eyes.
Back at the cottage, Mugman made fliers around town to search for a new brother, since Cuphead didn't seem to have a problem with it. About 30 minutes later, an endless line of contenders stood in front of the cottage.
"…And as instructed, please come prepared with 2 monologues and a song", he instructed while on his cardboard desk.
"Mugman, what are you doing?" Cuphead asked; Mugman's gaze was focused on the new replacement, holding his hand. He couldn't believe who he chose!
"BOWL-BOY?! You're new brother is Bowl-Boy?!"
"Oh no way! No offense, Bowl-boy."
"None taken," Bowl-boy replied.
"Bendy's actually my new brother.
"The kid we met at the graveyard?"
"Yep. Unlike you, he's up for anything. He's always got something up his sleeve. He had to go back home 'cause he forgot something. Wants to make our jetpack a little bit more "extra".
"And why's he here?" Mugman pointed at the oblivious and creepy bowl.
"Bowl-boy actually knows Bendy and volunteered to be our test dummy."
"I'm a wild little bowl," he then made a coy but unsettling face.
"Come on, Bowlsy. We got a jetpack to make before Bendy shows up!"
The two laughed while dragging the wagon full of gunpowder and rockets.
"Don't expect me to pick up the piece when you get shattered!" Mugman stomped back to the front of the line and pointed at the first one in line without question. He was a trembling, coke-glassed lightbulb.
"You, Bulb-face! You're hired!"
"I didn't prepare a monologue or a song."
"Doesn't matter. We're brothers now," the mug angrily grabbed the light-bulb boy into the cottage.
"Please be gentle. I'm very fragile."
The two ceramic boys made it to edge of the cliff that separated from the woods to the city to place the jetpack.
"Hey, Cuphead. Try this on for size: Cuphead, Bowl-boy, Bowl-boy, Cuphead. I like how that sounds." Bowl-boy was pouring in the gun powder while still talking away; Cuphead took a good look at the jetpack and saw that it was crudely built with multiple holes patched up with bandages. But they didn't seem to hold in the gunpowder.
This didn't seem like something Bendy would make if he said put in a lot of hours into creating a jetpack. It almost seemed like as if it was in good shape before it was beaten up.
"Don't you think we should wait for Bendy before putting in the gunpowder? 'Cause this doesn't seem safe," Cuphead observed as Bowl-Boy jumped off the ladder.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What happened to not being worried about stuff? Just think about it this way: Boring old Mugman would NEVER do anything THIS crazy! And you wouldn't want to disappoint your new brother, would ya?"
"Good point."
"Mmm-hmm."
Mugman noticed how Bulb-face seemed a bit, dare he say, fearful as if anything he'd touch would explode. Maybe we should start off slow, he thought.
"How about a nice relaxing game of checkers? You want to be red or black?"
Bulb-face was stuttering while sweating bullets…OVER CHECKERS!
"Checkers? Without helmets?! This cottage is a death trap!"the light-bulb wailed as he rushed and slammed the door.
"Fine, go! Who needs ya? Officer Bulb-face of the Fun Police!" Mugman angrily mocked doing a salute…just like Cuphead. He sulked in realization how lonesome it was without a brother.
"Why can't there be anyone like Cuphead?" he sighed.
He went outside for some fresh air until he heard a thud and clattering inside the shed. Those possums must've gotten in the shed again, he sighed annoyingly. Mugman hated those pests by how scary they looked; this made him reminisced on how he would stand behind Cuphead when they headed into the shed to scare off the possums. Now he was all alone.
He picked up a shovel, opening the door quickly; opening his eyes to reveal what seemed to be nothing.
"Oh, it's just Bendy gagged to a rocket," he shrugged, shut the shed door and walked back up into the house, before he realized what he just said. "GAGGED TO A ROCKET?!"
It was true: It was Bendy tied up to a giant rocket with duct tape covering his mouth, which muffled out his shouts and swears. He struggled to get up due to the rocket's weight and it the shed was a cluttered mess with tools, mosaics of ceramic flower pots and fertilizer across the floor.
Mugman went up to the victim, perplexed while untying him. "Bendy! Are you okay?"
He stripped off the tape from his mouth, "OW! What the heck?!"
Mugman led the distraught and exhausted Bendy inside the cottage, sitting him down on the couch.
"Sorry! What happened? Why aren't you with Cuphead?"
"I was on my way over here but then I passed out and all my jetpacks were stolen!"
"That's awful! Who would do this?"
"I don't know! Some bowl-headed psycho! Wait till I get my hands on him!"
"Bowl-headed psycho? Bowl-boy!" Mugman gasped as Bendy raved on how he was going to torture whoever mugged him. "Cuphead's in trouble! Bendy, I need your help!"
"What do I get out of this?" he hissed back.
"Look, just help me rescue Cuphead and you can do whatever you want with Bowl-Boy."
"Deal!" he grinned menacingly as Mugman already had an idea and grabbed Bendy by the hand. "You know, you're not as big of a wuss as I thought you were," he said.
"Oh, thank you," Mugman replied.
"Looks like we're all set."
Bowl boy tied him and Cuphead around the ramshackle rocket. "Now before we get jet-packing, I got to something to say; it's a real Bowl-Boy doozy."
"Lay it on me, Double B."
"Bendy backed out and he actually wanted me to be your brother instead."
"What, why? He's been with me all day doing crazy stuff with me. He's been irresponsible, careless and simply unhinged, why would he suddenly back out?" the cup felt a pain in his chest. He really thought he found the perfect brother.
"He's just grew bored of being your brother. Not like ME, I wanna LEARN from you Cuphead and be just LIKE you, Cuphead and BECOME YOU, CUPHEAD!"
His face froze with his mouth agape, "What…was that last part?"
"Nothing," Bowlboy struck a match and lit the fuse. Cuphead was not going to get blown up with this psycho; so he slipped through the ropes.
"Ok, that's it!"
"Hey, where you going?"
"Back to my REAL brother, Mugman!"
"But I thought we were…brothers!"
"Oh no! Bowl-boy!"
The rocket blasted off in random directions at rapid speed with Bowl-Boy tied up. The fuse shortened having the rocket explode.
"I'm okay!"
Gravity brought the bowl down towards the bottom of the canyon, shattering his whole body with one shard of his face still unharmed. "I'm still okay!" Bowl-boy insisted but a small pebble dropped delicately, shattering his whole face, which made Cuphead wince in pain.
He turned around to hear a familiar voice.
"Cuphead! You were right! I AM too overprotective, I wanna be reckless like you!" Mugman cried while running up to the cliff. However, a rocket was tied around his waist and Bendy was following in tow.
"MUSGY NO!" Cuphead cried.
"Light me!" Mugman ordered; Bendy scratched his match to light the fuse as they got closer to the cliff.
"NO WAIT!"
It was too late, the rocket blasted Mugman off, hugging Cuphead tightly and Bendy stood at the edge watching the brothers flying upwards.
"You were right the whole time!"
"Wait what?"
At that moment, the rocket ran out of gunpowder and nose-dived to the bottom of the canyon. The impact caused an earth-shattering explosion.
Hours later, at the city hospital, the two brothers were bedridden as their bodies were fully wrapped in bandages and their limbs were held in casts. According to their doctor, it was a miracle that they didn't die from such an explosion.
"Cuphead, I'm sorry that I suggested you get a new brother."
"I'm glad it happened."
"Huh?"
"This made me realize that you're more than just my brother, you're my best friend, and that's how it's always gonna be."
The brothers looked back at each other, smiling.
Mugman couldn't help "Oh, gee, Cuphead," Mugman said while tearing up. "That's real nice. I'd hug you if my spine wasn't shattered."
"Me too."
"Boys, you have a visitor," the doctor said from behind the curtains. They believed to be Elder Kettle to give them an earful, but instead they were greeted by a small cat-like visitor with a bouquet in hand.
"Bendy? What are you doing here?" Cuphead asked.
"I Just…wanted to…you know…" Bendy turned his head down to his feet that were shuffling around. "See if you were alive."
The boys found him to be at a loss for words, something that they never saw before.
"We are alive, thanks to you!" Cuphead beamed.
"Especially since you called an ambulance," Mugman added.
"So I'm guessing the brother position has been filled?" Bendy asked as he went up to place the flowers in the vase, still not looking at either brother. "Well, it was fun while it lasted. So long, fellas."
Bendy was about to head to the curtain, sulking with his hand in his pockets.
"Wait! We can still hang out; besides, I kinda thought you were the closest thing to a brother," Cuphead noted.
Bendy turned his head around. "Really?"
"Yeah. You even help me try to reach Cuphead before we were blown to pieces. That's something a brother would do."
"Well…I guess you are pretty neat to hang out with, even if you are a nutjob and you're a wuss. Just one thing: Cut the schmaltz-talk," Bendy smiled while lightly punching the two of them by their casted arms and radiating pain through their veins.
"OW!" they both yelped which made him chuckle.
"I better go; I got some stuff to take care of. See ya guys."
"See ya later!" Cuphead shouted.
Mugman growled with annoyance. "Gonna have to get used to that."
"Don't worry, Mugsy. Bendy's not so bad when you get to know him," Mugman noted after Bendy closed the curtains.
While leaving, Bendy stopped in his tracks while gripping his chest while smiling and sighed. They viewed him as one of them. He never had as much fun with anyone since...well, ever. He wouldn't admit it but he was sort of…relieved that those cups were alive and breathing; busted up, but still alive.
He then spotted a doctor's uniform hanging on the wall, which made him display a smile of excitement…and malice.
Meanwhile, several rooms laid Bowlboy, whose body was completely bandaged. Even his mouth was covered. His eyes fluttered open as he saw a silhouette of a figure behind the curtain. "Hello, son. It's your…doctor!"
The curtains pulled back to reveal that his doctor was Bendy, wearing a uniform and head mirror. He also displayed a sadistic grin. "Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!" Bowlboy whimpered and then tried to reach the hand bell on the nightstand to get help, but it was too far.
"According to your results, we're gonna have to do some procedures. But don't worry; Dr. Bendy's always got a few tricks up his sleeve." Bendy then got out of his coat sleeve was a syringe full of some unknown pink substance, while laughing maniacally as he approached the helpless Bowlboy, whose body was squirming and his shouts for help were muffled.
One thing to know is that you should NEVER mess with Bendy! When you strike, he strikes back!