I'm so sorry for the late update on this story. I had some personal problems to face too and had no time to update this Story.

But now we continue and I hope you like this chapter more than the last ones.

Some small Info on the last chapter. If you know anything about the Usued content form Cuphead you might understand the Easter Egg I put in the story. Just look it up on the Wiki is my best option for you.

Also I added a small cliffhanger in this chapter in the end ;)

Until then

"And you really want me?" Dice was surprised but also frightened by the task the devil had given him. After all, it was not an easy task that Dice had to overcome to really prove to the devil that he was his number one. For as he calls himself, he had not yet been able to prove to the devil that he deserved this title. But Dice really hoped that he had misheard and that it was just a joke. But the devil wasn't joking.

He was serious and gave Dice more precise instructions on how to proceed. After all, the devil wanted Dice to do his job properly and not mess it up like certain demons he didn't want to mention. Yes, yesterday was anything but a good day for the devil. First, his first demons failed to kidnap Alicia and bring her to him. Of course, they were supposed to take care of the copy too, but neither had worked out. The rivals had not kept to their task and the third best demons or former second best were wiped out one by one so that none remained.

Even the four horsemen who returned without their horses failed to do so, although they were not known for it. The pumpkin pie they brought with them did not please the devil either. Instead, he threw the pumpkin pie away and ordered his Horsemen to bring their horses back. Only Dice was more or less lucky with Alicia's hair, which he gave to the devil. It wasn't much, but it was enough for the devil to prepare a very special potion that Dice had just put in his jacket pocket. For good reason because it was the only potion the devil had. One mistake and all the work was for nothing.

And Dice was reluctant to disappoint the boss. Otherwise he would have a much worse problem on his hands. "Okay boss, but how am I supposed to get Alicia to drink this potion?" Dice didn't know how to do it without Alicia noticing. He could disguise himself but that wouldn't do him much good. His head and general appearance was unique to the Inkwell Isles. Everyone would recognize him immediately.

"Hmm..." the devil thought and snapped his finger as an idea occurred to him. "Don't worry Dice, I've already thought of something for that" his grin was visible. Yes, it was a great idea that the devil had thought up and whispered in Dice's ear. Now he grinned mischievously and chuckled softly "Oh boss, that's very diabolical of you" he flattered the devil before he accompanied him to the elevator where Henchman was already waiting for him.

Of course, it wasn't the same elevator that the devil was stuck in with Stickler yesterday, but a completely different one. This elevator was very similar to the other one but was much bigger and had more space for a maximum of five people. If not more. However, the absence of the accountant didn't bother anyone. Rather, it pleased the other imps and demons, who were finally able to go about their work in peace without having to hear a constant "Uhm... Excuse Me!". Especially the devil. Yes, the accountant was not very popular for his "charming" way of announcing himself when something didn't suit him on the part of the other demons or imps or the devil himself. However, the devil asked himself one thing. Why did Henchman and Amnon give Stickler, of all people, the invisible and impenetrable sweater when they themselves knew that he hated Stickler's guts?

"Hmm... Maybe I should talk to them about it in more detail" There will probably be a good reason for that. At least the devil hopes so, otherwise the two demons will be in for a surprise. And it won't be a pleasant surprise. Questionably, the devil left his throne room to freshen up for Alicia. "A nice bubble bath is just what I need to get my beautiful coat going," his hand ran through his fur, which could definitely use some grooming. Judging by the smell, the devil himself rarely seemed to take a bath. But that will soon change when Alicia is with him.

Dice was getting closer to the surface by the second and knew what to do. His task was to administer this mysterious potion to Alicia without her noticing.

But where was Alicia?

"Hey Al!" could be heard shouting through the cottage as Alicia came out of the guest room. She was still wearing the clothes she wore yesterday at the fall festival. She liked the clothes that Lucifer had conjured up with his powers. On the one hand, it was a change from her normal clothes and on the other, it suited the weather. Summer was in its final phase and fall was beginning. Alicia's favorite season. She liked the fall. Not because the weather was pleasant or because of Halloween. The best day of the year! No, she liked autumn because of the colors.

But before she could talk any more about how beautiful autumn is, Alicia noticed a very strong gust of wind that was so strong that it blew away the large pile of leaves that Cuppy and Mugman had been working on so that all the leaves were scattered in the back of the garden. "Oh, great!" this really frustrated the two cups who had been working on the pile of leaves for hours and had to start all over again. Mugman angrily threw the rake on the floor and sulked like a little kid who didn't get any candy while crossing his arms. Oh man. Alicia had to smile but also sigh as Elder Kettle, who was looking out of the window with his head, informed both mugs that they should remove the leaves. "And these leaves better not be gone before I get downstairs!" his tone didn't sound very friendly but rather angry or even threatening. Actually very uncharacteristic for Elder Kettle. At least for Elder Kettle from the book.

He would at least have helped the two of them so that the work could progress more quickly. But Alicia knew that everything was different in this world. Even if they were almost the same Inkwell Isle's, there were clear differences between the inhabitants. But to help the two cups, Alicia decided to use her demon powers to clear the garden of leaves. She transformed into her demon form, holding her trident in her hand She lifted off the ground and all the leaves flew around her body like snakes. The wind stopped blowing for a moment while all the leaves were carried into the open composter, which was getting fuller and fuller by the second so that the lid had to be pushed up by the three cups to prevent the contents from falling out.

"Phew! Finally made it!" Just in time the Elder Kettle came out of the back entrance followed by Blood, Varian and... Uh... Where's Lucifer? Alicia asked herself as she looked around in confusion and was back in her human form. But she saw nothing of him. Where could he be... she rolled her eyes in annoyance before she could finish the sentence. Alicia knew where her husband was. He was right behind her and had seen everything. You could see that she was embarrassed. After all, her cheeks were slightly flushed."Oh, I see you've finished the task," said the voice behind the four of them. The group turned around and knew immediately that the voice belonged to none other than Elder Kettle who had just taken his afternoon nap and was pleased that the leaves had been swept up into a huge pile and were not lying in his garden disturbing his vegetables.

Elder Kettle seemed pleased that the garden looked nice again and not like a battlefield of leaves. His garden meant a lot to Elder Kettle, which is why he spent more time in it than anywhere else. Whether it was to tend to his plants or babies, as he liked to call them, or simply to enjoy nature. But Alicia preferred the city and knew that today they had to go to the city with Varian to get parts for the portal he had been working on for a while. They've actually wanted to do this for a while, but something has always come up. Whether it was Chalice, who appeared from time to time and got the three cups into trouble again, from which Alicia and the others had to free them, or the devil himself, who was still hunting Cuphead and Cuppy. There was always something preventing the group from completing the task. But today it seemed to be peaceful. A perfect day to go into town and ask for parts at the local hardware store.

So the group didn't hesitate for long and jumped into Elder Kettle's truck and drove into town. There was bound to be a hardware store in Inkwell City. I mean, if they have a theater, an office building with a bee colony living in it, a harbor and so on, they'll probably have a hardware store that will surely help Varian. Alicia hoped so, because she and the others knew that, unfortunately, Varian was quickly labeled a thief, an impostor or a swindler because he was a fox, even though he was none of the above.

If necessary, we could pay a visit to the junk yard. But the question was where was the junkyard? In the book, it was not far from the theater and was extremely well guarded so that nobody stole scrap metal. Not because it was valuable, but because Dr. Kahl needed the scrap to continue his experiments. Like his robot, for example. Dr. Kahl. He was the only debtor who lived in the junkyard and saw anyone who entered as an intruder. His robot, which was equipped with a variety of weapons, was often used for this purpose. That would at least explain why Mugman advised Varian not to enter the scrapyard. I don't want to end up as a flaming something. Even though it's been a while since Alicia had to fight the Doctor with Cuppy and his brother Mugman, she still had a slight stomach twist when she was on the plane and could barely hold on because she was forced to write the entire fight during the flight.

But luckily Cuphead and Mugman didn't have any airplanes here. At least if you don't count the intro where Mugman sits in an airplane and flies around his brother's huge head. Otherwise they wouldn't be sitting in Elder Kettle's car, who offered to drive them all into town because he needed something to buy anyway. The town was packed with residents from all over the Inkwell Isle. Everyone was busy in different ways. Be it with shopping, carrying heavy objects like pianos or safes or conversations among each other that turned into laughter. "Looks pretty peaceful," Alicia mentioned as she looked out of the car with the three cups and her husband. "Yes, it's very busy today," Cuppy agreed.

"That's because there's a sale in almost every store in town today," Elder Kettle answered the question as he pulled over and stopped in front of a hardware store. The store wasn't really big as Alicia usually knew it from her world where it wasn't a normal store but a huge building divided into several areas like the garden area, bedrooms and so on. The store in front of them, however, was a small one with two large windows with the owner's name on them.

H.P. Gears and Things was the name of the hardware store, with H.P. being the abbreviation of the store owner. The shop window itself displayed a wide variety of items such as heaters, drills and so on. The owner himself was also visible in the window. He was an anthropomorphic cogwheel with a mustache consisting of screws shaped like a mustache. A sign hanging in the window advertised metal parts and more which seemed to have gone down in price from $15 to $5. A bargain you could say. But Varian seemed enthusiastic and went into the store while Blood and Elder Kettle followed him. Before the latter entered the store, however, he said the following. "You don't have to follow us, feel free to explore the town" he took his wallet out from behind his back and handed Cuphead, Cuppy and Mugman $5 to spend as they pleased. The former was very pleased because he finally had real money in his hands and not pocket lint.

"Oh you don't have to give us money Elder Kettle" Alicia declined the 10$ thankfully which confused Elder Kettle a bit but he didn't ask why she declined. Lucifer was with her and that's all she needed right now. His closeness and love. You can't buy that with money. Or can it? Well, Lucifer's eyes caught sight of a beautiful restaurant with an ice cream parlor next door. This is perfect for both Alicia and the three cups that the two of them had to look after for better or worse. The ice cream parlor was also seen by the three cups and of course they rejoiced like three little children on Christmas morning while they saw piles of presents addressed to them under the Christmas tree. Alicia giggled as Cuphead, Mugman and even Cuppy jumped up and down with joy and ran to the ice cream parlor with their banknotes in their hands. "But don't spend it all!" she called after them.

But the three cups were busy asking the shopkeeper all kinds of questions, making him dizzy. "A scoop of vanilla and one of chocolate," said Cuppy as he pressed his banknote onto the counter and handed it to the shopkeeper. Cuphead followed his lead and asked for "vanilla and strawberry please". The shopkeeper nodded and looked over at Mugman who also took his order "Peppermint and chocolate please".

"Thank you very much" the shopkeeper thanked him and took out an ice cream scoop behind his back with which he went into the containers to press the desired scoops of ice cream onto the waffles before handing them over to the three cups while they licked their ice cream with relish and received the rest of the money from the shopkeeper. Meanwhile, Alicia and Lucifer were sitting at one of the many and unfortunately empty tables in front of the restaurant. The restaurant was open and had many guests. Only they were inside and not outside. "Strange, isn't it?" Alicia asked while Lucifer held her hand with his huge hand as if it were something very valuable and easily breakable.

This was partly true because Alicia was unique and unlike most of the inhabitants of the Inkwell Isle's here or the other Inkwell Isle's she was not so stable that you could throw a safe on her head without her getting killed. No, Alicia was different. She could hurt and bleed very quickly if you weren't careful with her. That's why Lucifer was always gentle with her. After all, Alicia was like a rose to him. Beautiful but also very easy to destroy. She meant everything to him. No matter how many souls he collected, if Alicia wasn't with him, he would never be happy.

"Yes, a little bit, my dearest," Lucifer agreed as his eyes wandered to the inside of the restaurant. The guests seemed to be busy eating and talking and didn't even notice Alicia and Lucifer. Even the waiters ignored them both. Alicia sighed and leaned dejectedly against her chair while Lucifer tried to cheer her up. Alicia felt neglected again, as she almost always did, and wanted to get up and leave. But "Oh excuse me dear lady and gentleman I didn't see you out there alone" Alicia slowly lifted her head from the back of the chair and looked towards the waiter who was standing in front of her and Lucifer waiting for their order.

So I'm not really hungry right now. "A latte macchiato wouldn't be bad," Alicia ordered while Lucifer thought about what he could order. The menu with all the drinks the restaurant had to offer was in the middle of the table and displayed a wide variety of options. From espresso to soft drinks, there was everything on the menu except alcohol, of course. His choice, however, was black coffee. The waiter writes this down and goes back into the restaurant while Lucifer caresses Alicia's cheek. Both were happy, as were the three cups who were enjoying their ice cream and sitting on a bench as if nothing was going on. Well, that was true, you could say, if it weren't for one thing. From the alley not far from the ice cream parlor and the restaurant, a certain someone looked out who had been given a certain task. "Where is she?" it was none other than King Dice, of course, who looked out of the alley and looked around frantically for none other than Alicia, who Henchman said should be around here before he disappeared into the alley in the elevator.

His eyes wandered from right to left until he saw the tables in front of the restaurant and caught sight of the two lovebirds who were about to kiss. Dice watched them more closely and he didn't know why but somehow his head was playing with what it would be like if he was with Alicia and she was kissing him and not the boss's copy. His eyes literally played out what it would be like if he were seducing her. "Oh Dice..." she held his head and was ready to kiss him when his thoughts were interrupted by the voices of the three cups walking to the restaurant after they had finished their ice cream.

The two cups in red were still wanted by the devil. Dice knew it and decided to secretly introduce the potion the devil had given him not only to Alicia but also to the three cups. The ice cream parlor and the waiter who was preparing the drinks for Alicia and Lucifer were the perfect opportunity to try out his new equipment. He lowered his right sleeve, which concealed a black and gray wristwatch. This was not a normal wristwatch, however, but a special one created by the devil that allowed Dice to change his appearance without anyone noticing.

"Then let's see if my new toy is useful" Dice carefully turned the edge of the watch until a disguise symbol was visible which Dice activated by pressing a button. A kind of scanner light shone through the waiter from a distance, allowing Dice to take on his appearance. The waiter was unaware of this as Dice's cards knocked him out before the waiter could even set foot and replaced him with the disguised King Dice. He knew that Alicia had ordered the latte macchiato and poured some of the drink into the cup while stirring it gently so that Alicia wouldn't notice the taste.

With the tray in his hand, he walked out of the restaurant to the table where Alicia and Lucifer were sitting. They were both engaged in a conversation that was only interrupted by the disguised King Dice clearing his throat. "Your drinks for you sir and your beautiful lady" King Dice emphasized the last two words with seductive words. Alicia was a little confused by the statement and didn't know what to say herself. Lucifer, on the other hand, didn't really seem happy about it. His smile disappeared and turned into a frown.

"One black coffee for the gentleman" Lucifer knew that something was wrong with the waiter and watched him closely as he took his drink from the tray and placed it on the table in front of him. The waiter was as if he had been replaced and grinned so unnaturally. Almost like King Dice. But that couldn't be. It couldn't be the King Dice from the Fall Festival who had asked Lucifer to hand Alicia over to him. No, his eyes were playing tricks on him. King Dice could never turn into an anthropomorphic spoon.

However, it could also be true. Lucifer didn't know a lot about King Dice and his past before he worked as a manager in his casino. Perhaps it was also because Dice is rather secretive and doesn't reveal much about himself. "And a latte macchiato for the beautiful young lady." Her cheeks grew redder and redder with every second. Not with anger, but with embarrassment and nervousness. Alicia wasn't really a fan of being in the spotlight and preferred to be called a supporting role or second fiddle.

"Thank you," she said with flushed cheeks as she held the cup in her hand, ready to drink from it. Dice's eyes widened as did his grin. His plan would soon work, although he didn't know what the potion the devil had given him would do. His guess was that it must be some kind of love potion. Otherwise the potion would not be so important. But then he remembered what his boss had whispered in his ear and grinned diabolically while he actually wanted to return to the alley. But he decided against it because there was still a little bit of the potion left and Dice could use it to bag the two cups whose souls the devil wanted.

"Maybe I could finally prove to the boss that I'm worthy of being his number one." Without hesitation, he played the same game as before and used his wristwatch to transform himself into the shopkeeper of the ice cream parlor while his cards knocked out the shopkeeper like the waiter. The metallic noise followed by an "OW!" was hard for the three cups to ignore. All three stopped licking their ice cream and looked confusedly at the ice cream parlor before deciding to see what exactly was going on. Curious, all three looked behind the counter. Or at least they tried to, as the counter was far too big for the three cups. Even standing on tiptoe, they couldn't see what was going on behind the counter.

Mugman's expression changed from confused to nervous while Cuppy and Cuphead asked what was going on and if the shopkeeper was all right. "Yeah I'm fine guys just hit my head on the radiator" all three cups exhaled in relief until Cuphead noticed the purple squeeze bottle the shopkeeper was holding. "Uh sir, what's the squeeze bottle for?" he asked curiously while Cuppy and Mugman remained silent. They both wondered what the bottle was for, apart from perhaps pouring sauces like vanilla, chocolate or caramel onto the scoops of ice cream. "Oh, it's just a new kind of sauce I'm tinkering with at the moment and I'd like to offer it to customers for free as a test object" Cuphead grinned with delight when he heard the word "free".

"Well, if it's free, give it to me" without hesitating to ask what kind of sauce it was, Cuphead stretched out his hand with which he held his ice cream. Dice grinned and squeezed some from the bottle onto his ice cream scoops while looking at Cuppy who was still skeptical about the color and asked what flavor it was. "Blueberry," Dice answered, squeezing the rest onto Cuppy's ice cream, who neither asked for it nor was pleased that there was purple sauce on his vanilla ice cream scoop. But he couldn't change it. Mugman also wanted some, but unfortunately he didn't get any as the bottle was empty.

Sadly, he lowered his head towards the floor. His straw did the same while Mugman was busy licking his ice cream like Cuphead and Cuppy were doing. It was done. Dice had not only gotten Alicia to drink the potion, but had also gotten the two cups to wrap their arms around it, who had no more idea than Alicia that they were about to get into trouble. Grinning and giggling softly, he disappeared from the ice cream parlor and went into the alley from which he had come, where he was greeted by Henchman, who was sitting in the elevator and asked if he had completed his task. "Would I be grinning like this if I hadn't?" he asked the demon. "I guess not Mr. King Dice sir," Henchman swallowed nervously as he flipped the switch and the elevator door closed while the entire elevator burst into flames and disappeared.

"Don't you think it's strange?" Lucifer looked towards the alley before turning to Alicia's question, "What do you mean, my dear?" "Well, that the waiter behaved so strangely when he handed over our drinks." Alicia had only taken a sip of her drink and had a very bad feeling. Not just because of the drink or how the waiter had behaved, but also because her latte macchiato had a strange aftertaste. Alicia wasn't sure whether it was the drink or the cup itself. So she drank it several times to make sure what the problem was. But as soon as she had taken a few sips, she couldn't feel the taste any more and left it alone.

Cuphead and Cuppy also noticed that the sauce, which was supposed to taste like blueberries, didn't even taste like blueberries. It tasted more like old socks. Or it did until they both felt the blueberry flavor and kept licking their ice cream until there was nothing left of it like the coffee Alicia had drunk. Satisfied, the group walked on through the city after Lucifer had paid and passed the city park, which now shimmered in a golden and orange glow. The trees were orange-yellow to red while some turned yellow. Kites were flying in the air, held by children or adults. Others sat on the benches or went for a walk. Autumn was in full swing on the Inkwell Isle's and the residents enjoyed the time as much as they could. Alicia also wanted to enjoy the time before winter set in and the season came that Alicia didn't like at all. The Christmas season.

"Shall we go for a walk in the park?" Cuppy snapped Alicia out of her thoughts with his question, which was directed at everyone. "Sure, why not?" she agreed, while Lucifer and both brothers nodded. The southern entrance stood as a gateway to nature's untamed realm, a stark contrast to the manicured orderliness of the city park. As the group drew nearer, the lush foliage surrounding the entrance swayed gently in the breeze, beckoning them to step into its embrace. The trees, their branches reaching out like welcoming arms, seemed to whisper secrets of the forest beyond.

A sense of anticipation hung in the air as they approached, the distant sounds of birdsong and rustling leaves growing louder with each step. Unlike the neatly trimmed bushes and flower beds of the city park, here the vegetation sprawled freely, creating a natural canopy overhead. Despite its wild appearance, there was an undeniable beauty to the southern entrance, a rawness that spoke of untouched wilderness waiting to be explored. Alicia's senses were momentarily conflicted as she approached the seemingly wild entrance to the park. Despite the untamed appearance of the surroundings, the familiar sounds of laughter and chatter floated through the air, reassuring her that civilization was not far away.

The laughter of children, a universal sign of joy, mingled with the soft murmur of conversations, creating a comforting backdrop against the backdrop of nature's symphony. It was as if the wilderness and the city were engaged in a harmonious dance, each complementing the other in a delicate balance. As Alicia drew closer, the sounds grew clearer, the distinct tones of human interaction blending with the rustling leaves and chirping birds. It was a reminder that even in the heart of nature, the presence of humanity could still be felt, a comforting reminder of connection and community amidst the serenity of the wilderness.

"There's quite a lot going on here today," Lucifer mentioned with a grin on his face that resembled the Cheshire Cat. "Well, maybe there's some kind of event in the park today?" Alicia's observation was swiftly confirmed as she passed by a poster announcing a picnic event within the park. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, aligning with the vibrant atmosphere they were experiencing. "Looks like you're onto something, Alicia," Lucifer remarked, his grin widening as if to acknowledge her keen intuition. The poster served as a tangible confirmation of their suspicions, adding a layer of excitement to their stroll through the park.

The discovery of the event sparked a new sense of anticipation within the group, as they imagined the festivities that awaited them. It was as if the park itself was coming alive with the promise of food, fun, and fellowship, inviting them to join in the celebration of community and togetherness. "Yes, you're right Luci," Cuphead's agreement with Lucifer's observation brought a sense of camaraderie to the group, further solidifying the shared experience of discovery and anticipation. Meanwhile, Alicia's reaction highlighted a sense of amusement and bemusement at the predictability of their cartoon-like circumstances.

As they continued on their way, Alicia couldn't help but marvel at the whimsical nature of their surroundings. In a world where the unexpected often became reality, it seemed fitting that their conversation would manifest in such a literal way. Embracing the surreal charm of their cartoon-esque adventure, Alicia allowed herself to be swept up in the magic of the moment, knowing that each twist and turn would only add to the enchantment of their journey through the park. Alicia's struggle to reconcile the cartoon world with her own reality was understandable. Growing up in a world governed by conventional laws of physics and logic, the fantastical nature of the cartoon world must have felt surreal and disorienting.

The notion of being able to remove one's head without dire consequences would indeed challenge the very foundation of what she understood to be possible. In her world, such actions would be met with, at best, confusion and disbelief, and at worst, alarm and concern.

As Alicia navigated this whimsical realm alongside her animated companions, she couldn't help but marvel at the boundless creativity and imagination that permeated every aspect of their surroundings. While it may have been difficult to fully embrace the cartoon world, there was a certain magic in surrendering to the fantastical possibilities it offered, allowing herself to be swept away by the enchantment of the unknown. But a picnic couldn't hurt. Indeed, the prospect of a picnic on such a beautiful day was a welcome distraction from the surreal nature of their surroundings. As they continued on their way, Alicia couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that the day seemed to be unfolding in a relatively normal manner.

The warmth of the sun on her skin and the gentle rustle of leaves overhead added to the sense of tranquility that enveloped them. With no sign of the devil or any other unexpected occurrences, it seemed that they were in for a peaceful and enjoyable day in the park. Alicia allowed herself to relax, basking in the simple pleasures of the moment. As they reached the picnic area, the sight of families and friends gathered together, laughing and chatting, filled her with a sense of warmth and contentment. For now, at least, it seemed that they could enjoy a brief respite from the chaos of their cartoon world and simply savor the joys of a carefree day in the sun.

But while Alicia and the others were about to sit down on a picnic blanket lying under a tree with a picnic basket on it, King Dice and Henchman entered the throne room, the atmosphere crackled with tension, evident in the devil's impatient demeanor. His fingers drummed against the armrest of his throne, a clear sign of his agitation, while his gaze fixated on the newcomers, eager to hear the news they brought.

King Dice, ever the suave and confident lackey, approached the devil with a smooth stride, his expression a mask of deference and respect. Beside him, Henchman, though perhaps less polished in his mannerisms, exuded an air of loyalty and determination.

"Boss," King Dice began, his voice oozing with charm, "we've got some news you'll want to hear."

"I hope so, Dice, because I hope you know yourself that you can't afford to make another mistake after what happened with your show and the two cups." Dice swallowed nervously at the devil's statement. On the one hand, what he said was true, otherwise the souls of both cups would be in the devil's possession and not in their bodies. But the fact that the devil was now putting him under even more pressure because of this worried King Dice a lot. "Boss, you don't have to worry because King Dice stirred the potion into Alicia." King Dice breathed a sigh of relief when Henchman helped him out and nodded to confirm his statement. The devil was pleased to hear this statement "Well then, my plan will soon be underway and Alicia will be mine".

Dice grinned like the devil while Henchman just smiled in agreement until he thought of one more thing he wanted to ask "Uh But boss when does the potion Alicia drank actually work?" Dice wondered the same thing. "Oh don't worry about that Henchman. I've got everything under control" his middle finger and thumb were ready to snap but something stopped him.

What stopped him was not his conscience or the like, as he did not have one. Otherwise he would feel bad about every action he took when he tortured the inhabitants of Inkwell Isle or ruined their everyday lives in other ways. No, what stopped him were King Dice and Henchman. Both still wanted to know when the potion would take effect. "Well, let's put it this way, the potion only takes effect when I snap my fingers".

And it did, as the ground shook under the feet of Henchman and King Dice with the snap of his fingers. "B-Boss what's h-h-happening here?" Henchman asked nervously while King Dice chattered his teeth. But the devil didn't answer his question immediately but laughed hysterically before clearing his throat and looking at the two of them, who slowly calmed down while the earthquake disappeared. But an explanation for the sudden earthquake would not be bad. After all, the Inkwell Isle's were rather less known for it "You two must know that since Alicia's signature is on the marriage contract, I'm slowly getting my old strength back that was taken from me back then".

Henchman remembered the exact day when his boss lay weakened on the floor in front of the throne, no longer able to use his old powers. It made his heart ache to see his boss so sad. But it made him all the happier to see his old powers return. Even if they progressed quite slowly. But what does the potion have to do with his powers? Surely he wouldn't want to take away Alicia's powers? Or would he? The devil realized that Henchman and King Dice were still confused about the effects of the potion. "But to answer your questions about the potion's effects," he nursed his claws as he made his way down to Dice and Henchman. They both stopped hugging each other and stood normally again, trying not to stare at each other.

You could see how embarrassed they were about the situation while the devil stood right in front of them and turned his attention from his shiny claws to his two minions. Both were still waiting for an answer from him. But they weren't hoping for a question.

"Tell me Dice and Henchman do you two know the children's book Alice in Wonderland?" Both King Dice and Henchman looked at each other as if they themselves were confused by the question the devil had asked them. "Of course we know the book boss," Henchman replied with a smile on his face that looked more nervous than cheerful. "Who doesn't know the children's book?" added King Dice, also smiling nervously.

The devil liked the answer "But boss, what does the potion have in common with the book?" Dice asked again as he couldn't say exactly what the potion was supposed to do in Alicia. "Well, my die-headed friend, don't you know that Alice in the book has the ability to change her size?" Her size? What does the boss mean by that? "The potion I gave you will give our 'Alice' the same ability. Only with one difference". the devil flicked his hand again. Only this time, instead of the ground shaking or nothing shaking, the magic mirror appeared and showed Alicia looking for something in the small wooded area outside the city park. What she was looking for was a baseball that Cuphead had idiotically thrown into the woods. What's more, it was the only one they had, according to Mugman.

She searched everywhere for the baseball until she heard a chirping sound coming from a bush. Please don't tell me Cuphead hit a bird with the baseball. Her fears turned out to be true as she followed the chirping and pushed aside the branches of the bush to look inside. Oh no. It turned out to be true because there was a great tit in the bush with the baseball on top. "Oh you poor thing" Alicia felt how hard it was for the great tit to free itself as the baseball was much bigger and heavier than the bird itself. Alicia gently took the baseball off the great tit and placed it on the ground while looking anxiously at the bird. It tried to pick itself up but seemed to have trouble doing so, so Alicia helped it to stand on its little legs.

The great tit chirped to Alicia as if it wanted to thank her before it tried to fly. But unfortunately, its right wing was broken by the baseball. Alicia knew it was not a good sign for the little bird. It had to fly to survive otherwise it would end up as food for predators. "Wait, let me help you," Alicia didn't hesitate for long and held the bird in her hands. Alicia's palms lit up green and illuminated the great tit. The great tit looked around in confusion, not knowing what was happening, and felt something pass through its right wing. Curious but also afraid, it looked towards the wing which lit up green. The pain in the wing disappeared as quickly as the glow. Slowly, the bird stood up and moved its right wing.

It no longer hurt and the bird was able to fly again. Alicia opened her hands and released the bird into the wild. It chirped after her and thanked her while Alicia quietly said "You're welcome". She smiled with satisfaction at what she had achieved and turned her attention to the baseball.

She was about to grab it when Alicia suddenly felt something strange inside her. She stopped in her tracks as her eyes widened and she felt a sign of fear.

The baseball lying at their feet and looking down at them was getting bigger and bigger by the second. The bushes and trees were also growing to an enormous size. Oh no, don't tell me. Alicia knew that it wasn't the trees, the bushes, the surroundings or the baseball that were growing. But her clothes were also growing and Alicia knew that something was wrong. She disappeared into a sea of her clothes and had shrunk to the size of a mouse. Not again! Alicia climbed out of her cage of clothes and looked around. She was still in the forest, surrounded by trees and bushes that now looked like mountains and trees to her. "That's great," she sighed and lay down in her pile of clothes, staring up at the treetops that hid the sky.

It was bad enough that she had now shrunk. But she didn't like the fact that she was now wearing nothing but her underwear. She covered her body with some of her hoodie, but she still felt naked and only wanted one thing. To grow back to her normal size. She lay down and closed her eyes Oh hopefully Lucifer finds me before- "Alicia?" she opened her eyes again and sat up as she looked around at where the voice was coming from. The voice, or rather voices, sounded familiar. Don't tell me that... She looked around from her mountain of clothes for the source of the two voices but saw nothing.

"Down here Al!" Only when she looked down did she see where the source of both voices came from. It was Cuphead and Cuppy. And to her shock, they had both shrunk to the same size as Alicia. However, they were both still wearing their clothes and weren't naked or nearly naked like Alicia was right now. "Cuphead? Cuppy? Why are you here? And why are you so small?" Neither of them had an answer to her question. They were actually both here to look for berries growing in the forest and only saw Alicia slowly start to shrink from a distance. Alicia could guess the rest.

Cuphead, in turn, asked himself, "Why didn't your clothes shrink with you?" he scratched his chin thoughtfully, "And why are you covering your bo-?" his cheeks flushed as he almost wanted to finish this sentence but let it go. He saw and realized that Alicia was embarrassed and that she would like to be buried in her clothes. But Cuppy had a solution at hand and reached into his trouser pocket. Alicia looked at him. Her whole body was covered except for her head and hands with a part of her sleeve that now more or less resembled a blanket. "Here this should help Alicia" Oh thank you Cuppy you are the best. From his trouser pocket he took out spare clothes that resembled Alicia's everyday clothes. Or rather, they were the same clothes Alicia wore when she was in the book for the first time.

She remembered back to the time when she traveled with Cuppy and his brother to collect all the Inkwell Isle's soul contracts. During their journey they experienced various adventures. Unfortunately, she also remembered how she was shrunk, almost naked except for her cloak, which shrank with her. On top of that, she was in the hands of King Dice who was ready to strip her if she wasn't willing to sign the soul contract that was meant for her. Luckily both brothers, Grim and Bon Bon came to the rescue with a remedy that helped Alicia get back to her normal size and the clothes she had outgrown. Apparently these have now been enchanted with some magic so that they grow with me. That was Alicia's guess when Cuppy threw up her clothes. She grabbed them with her free hand and looked down at the two cups with a questionable and nervous expression on her face.

They both knew why and turned around whistling while Alicia slowly got dressed. Oh boy. It felt awkward to be here in the forest, almost naked and someone might see her at any moment. Even though she was as small as a mouse, she felt like she was being watched. This was not because there were animals living in the forest, such as squirrels, birds and the like. No, it was because not far from Alicia and the two cups, a certain person was hiding behind a tree, grinning with joy. This person with a Dice for a head was, of course, none other than King Dice.

His eyes lit up when he saw Alicia crawling out of the pile of her clothes to get to the two cups that were next to the pile of clothes and had also shrunk. "Perfect. It's perfect that all three are right next to each other." Satisfied and mischievous, he rubbed his hands together and slowly moved towards his target, which was just waiting to be picked up by him. With each step he approached the three shrunken men, who had no idea what was coming. Alicia had no idea, as she was currently busy coming to terms with the fact that she had been shrunk unintentionally. "Oh man, why does this have to happen now of all times?" she was less than pleased. Not only because she felt small and weak again, but also because she was far away from Lucifer. He and Mugman sat on the picnic blanket and wondered what was taking the others so long.

Alicia sighed and only now realized the tremor that was getting stronger by the second. What's more, it suddenly went dark Oh, please don't tell me. Cuphead and Cuppy couldn't close their mouths from fear or shock? Well, it's hard to say. Please don't be the devil. Alicia turned her head towards the bottom of the shadow and rolled her eyes in annoyance. You're not serious, are you?

Even if she didn't want to believe it, Alicia was relieved not to see the devil standing behind her. But she didn't feel like Dice and felt like it was all a joke. Please tell me it is. The memory of when she had shrunk to the same size and was alone in the Die House with King Dice. The accident from back then still replayed in her mind when he tried to force her to sign the soul contract, knowing that she had refused until then and was in an unfortunate situation then, unlike now. Alicia was alone with King Dice, her clothes weren't with her either or she didn't have any enchanted clothes with her and on top of that King Dice stared at her with his emerald green eyes that widened with every second the more buttons he opened to see her well... You know what I mean.

But at the moment she wasn't the only one who had shrunk, let alone was almost naked. Cuphead and Cuppy were with her and thanks to the latter she at least had her old clothes on. Thanks a lot Cuppy. Without him, she would probably have ended up in the same situation as back then. Only it probably wouldn't have been about soul contracts but about marrying the devil. "Well, well, well, who isn't our bride on the run with her two flower girls?" his grin was hard to miss. Alicia growled softly, annoyed at his statement. Cuppy also seemed to show little enthusiasm while Cuphead was the only one to tilt his head to the side like a confused dog.

"I wouldn't call myself a bride since I'm already married to someone other than the devil," Alicia crossed her arms and showed him her back, taking a few steps back to get back to the park, "so if you'll excuse us, we're probably wanted by our friends who are probably worried about... Hey!" Alicia could barely finish her sentence as a huge hand snaked around her body, grabbing her and lifting her off the ground while both mugs looked behind them in confusion as to what exactly was going on.

Cuppy growled even more than before. His head was running red, the liquid in his head was boiling and steam was rising from it. Yes, the cup was not very pleased that Alicia had to go through something like this again. Once again she was being forced to do something she didn't want to do. In this case, ending up as a bride for the devil. "Don't worry, the boss will be happy to have you with him" his index finger gently stroked Alicia's cheek as he said this "Even if I could imagine being married to you" Oh of course not! "But then I would incur the wrath of the boss" Believe me, you will incur a much worse wrath when Lucifer finds out. Alicia tried to free herself with all her strength and took on her demon form.

But Dice's grip was stronger and Alicia admitted defeat. For now. She was at least glad that Dice didn't have both cups in his hands. "But of course it would be rude not to give the boss wedding presents," but Alicia had rejoiced too soon. Dice knelt down again and bent over the two cups. Cuphead, who now realized that something was wrong, trembled while Cuppy clenched his hands into a fist and was ready to fight Dice. "Cuppy, Cuphead. Run!" but Alicia's words stopped him and without hesitation both cups ran away before Dice could grab them with his other hand. Needless to say, Dice was less than pleased to see them run away. He actually wanted to take both cups and Alicia to the boss as he had planned in his show.

But it looks like he had to send Alicia packing first, for better or worse. "Now that both cups have unfortunately escaped me thanks to you, my dearest, I have to take you to the boss first." Alicia didn't like this at all. She wanted a day off from any kidnappings that ended in marriage proposals. As if on cue, the devil appeared from the elevator behind Dice. His grin was hard to ignore as it stretched across his face. It widened even further when he spotted Alicia, helpless in Dice's hands. "Ah boss as if on cue" to make the situation even worse Dice walked over to the devil and handed him Alicia who was now in the devil's hands. Literally. "Thank you Dice for bringing my bride to me" Dice just nodded in agreement and was proud to make the devil happy. It would surely keep him as number one.

However, there was one small thing that neither Dice nor the devil had considered. The great tit that had recently helped Alicia flew out of one of the many bushes and pecked both Dice and the devil in the face several times. "What the..." the devil didn't know what was going on and unintentionally dropped Alicia to protect his face. She screamed as the ground slowly approached faster and faster and Alicia feared the worst. But it didn't come to that. "What's..." instead of falling, she landed on something soft and heard a chirping sound that sounded more than familiar to Alicia. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was sitting on the great tit.

The great tit chirped loudly while Alicia wondered how the great tit knew her. "Wait, where are you taking me?" Before Alicia got an answer, the bird flew off into the depths of the forest, leaving the devil, who came to, and Dice alone. The little bird's peckers still hurt them both, but this passed with time. However, the devil knew that Alicia was no longer in his hands. "Oh that bird!" he growled, his fur flaring slightly. "Boss, you're on fire again" Dice's statement didn't make it any easier. "I know Dice!" With every word, the devil became more and more enveloped in flames, frightening Dice even more. His nostrils quivered up and down with rage and his fangs were clearly visible. The devil was in a bad mood and wanted to let loose with a huge explosion. However, he decided against it and calmed down again.

"I'll go after that great tit and get my queen back myself if I have to," he grabbed his trident that was leaning against the wall in the elevator. Slowly he raised it and was about to teleport when Dice told him another important thing that might cheer the devil up. Alicia wasn't the only one to be shrunk. Both cups whose souls the devil still wanted to claim for himself had also shrunk. "Boss, if it pleases you, I would love to look after them and give them to you as a 'wedding present'." The devil liked the idea and could imagine how he and Alicia would rather take the souls from both cups and eat them with relish instead of a wedding cake.

His bad mood was gone as if blown away by the wind, and the Devil agreed to Dice's offer to bring both cups to him while he himself searched for his future wife and queen. "Okay Dice I'll take you up on that offer" Dice grinned smugly "But if you fail there will be consequences for you. Bad consequences" Dice swallowed nervously and grinned, no longer smugly but rather anxiously.

Both split up or rather the devil teleport away while Dice looked for the two cups in the nearby bushes not knowing that just in the forest Lucifer and Mugman were also looking for the same people Dice and the devil were looking for. "They can't have just vanished into thin air" Mugman mentioned in a frustrated voice. Lucifer, on the other hand, said nothing and continued to search by pushing bushes aside and looking behind them. Behind one of these bushes, he found Alicia's clothes. They were lying on the floor. This was unnatural as Alicia rarely put her clothes down and never picked them up. "Alicia?" He slowly approached the pile of clothes and gently lifted them as he inspected them. He didn't do this to harm the clothes but to see if Alicia was still in them. His fear had turned out to be true when he saw the clothes lying on the ground and knew that Alicia was not running around naked in the forest but had been shrunk against her will.

"They are not gone. They've been shrunk" Mugman stood up straight when he heard Lucifer's words. "What do you mean they've been shrunk?" he stuttered and really hoped Lucifer was joking. But Lucifer wasn't joking with him as he suddenly held the shrunken Cupheads in his hand, who were more than relieved to be safe. However, they both knew it wasn't Alicia and didn't hesitate to share the bad news. "Al is in trouble!" Cuphead mentioned in a wheezing voice as Cuppy took a deep breath and continued, "The devil has her and wants her..." his lips sealed as Cuppy felt Lucifer growl.

Both knew, just like Lucifer, that the devil would force Alicia to marry. Even though she was already married. "It won't come to that. Not as long as I'm here," his free hand clenched into a fist as he tried to control his anger and handed both shrunken cups into Mugman's care. "What exactly are you up to Luci?" Cuphead asked curiously as the former drew his trident out of nowhere and stared at the three cups with a red glint in his eyes that signaled he wasn't in a good mood. He was in a bad mood and didn't seem happy about the news and decided to save Alicia. "Oh boss, there you are" but Dice appeared in front of him, confusing Lucifer with the devil. "I was just about to look for the two cups you ordered but I see you have..." he fell silent when he realized that it wasn't his boss standing in front of him but Lucifer whom he had seen only a few days ago at the autumn festival. Lucifer also remembered Dice and how he asked him to hand Alicia over even though he knew she was happier with him.

"Oh, you're not the boss at all" Lucifer didn't really pay him any attention but rather rolled his eyes in annoyance. Lucifer had finally had enough and his patience was wearing thin. "Where is she?" he asked Dice in an annoyed, slightly angry voice, who was only now realizing that Lucifer was addressing him. "Who are we talking about, if I may ask?" His lie was immediately obvious as Dice was sweating like a waterfall. "Where is my wife and Queen Alicia!" Lucifer roared in a menacing, demon-like voice as everything around him and Dice darkened, making the situation even more threatening than before. Dice swallowed nervously and anxiously as Lucifer loomed over him and his fur took on a reddish hue. His horns shimmered in a golden hue and looked much more menacing than the devil's.

Dice knew that he could hardly talk his way out of his current situation. On the one hand, he didn't know where Alicia was because she had been rescued by a great tit, and on the other hand, it was his job to bring both shrunken cups to the devil. But he could forget about that now because Mugman was holding both in his hands and was protected by Lucifer. One thing he couldn't talk his way out of. So what did Dice decide to do? Right, he fled. Pinching the non-existent tail between his legs, he ran off, leaving Lucifer, who was slowly calming down again, alone with the three cups. He knew that the boss would be less than pleased that Dice was returning empty-handed and had blown his chance to be the devil's number one. But his life was more important to him at the moment than anything else.

However, he could hand the two cups to the boss at any other time. But not at this moment. "Where do you think Ali might be?" asked Mugman. Now Lucifer was asking himself the same question. She could be anywhere and searching the whole forest for her would take too long. But luckily Alicia had a tracker in her horns that enabled Lucifer to find her anywhere. His horns served as a kind of search device.

"Don't worry I know where she is and I'll bring her back" his smile radiated positive vibes "You go to the others and tell them to meet us outside the park entrance" Mugman nodded and put both Cupheads in his pocket so they wouldn't fall out of his hands during the journey. Cuppy thought back to the time when he carried Alicia, who had been shrunk during her mission to collect the soul contracts, in his pocket before Bon Bon handed her the cookies that made her grow back to her normal height. Now I know how Alicia felt when she told me not to crush her. There was just enough room for two people in my trouser pocket. That was all that was left unless they both wanted to fall out of the pocket.

"Where are you taking me?" Alicia asked herself as she rode on the great tit she had just saved from the devil and Dice. Somehow I feel like Hiccup from How to Train your Dragon. Only she wasn't flying on a dragon but on a little bird. Toothless, on the other hand, was something else. After all, he was unique as the only Night Fury in existence. But that's also how Alicia felt in this world. She was the only real human and the only one who was a hybrid of human and demon with the same powers as Lucifer. She was even stronger than the devil from this world.

And yet she felt small, lonely and weak when he was near her. But it was different with Lucifer by her side. She felt stronger and more confident with him. It was as if everything around her had disappeared. Every second that she felt like she was being followed or watched went by in a flash so that she had almost forgotten that the devil wanted her. He was determined to have her with him and never let her go again. But first he had to get past Lucifer. And no one has ever managed that before. Lucifer, I hope you find me before he finds me. She very much regretted not telling the great tit that she should fly back to the park. Instead, the bird flew to its nest, which was at the top of a tree between two branches that resembled the letter Y and served as a support for the nest.

The great tit landed in the nest and let Alicia down from his back. Slowly and carefully, she stepped onto the floor of the nest and looked around. There wasn't much to see in the nest itself apart from a few berries that had been started, loose twigs sticking out of the sides of the nest and a few open eggshells. Wait, eggshells?! "Oh no" Alicia had feared the worst. "I'll end up as lunch for the little bird chicks". But Alicia didn't end up as dinner. Quite the opposite. The eggshells were empty and seemed to have been laid in the nest for a long time. After all, the incubation period was long over and most of the baby birds had long since grown up and flown out of the nest on their own wings to become parents themselves. The bird brought Alicia here to keep her safe from the devil. The devil searched the entire forest for Alicia and seemed to look behind every tree and bush until he had her in his hands. "Where could she be?" he asked himself, looking around but nowhere to be seen was the great tit that had abducted his beloved Alicia. "That bird will pay for this!" he growled until he heard familiar chirping coming from above him.

"Is that..." his pupils widened as he saw the nest from which the great tit flew. He didn't need to find out that it was the same great tit. The white dot on its belly signaled to him that he had probably found Alicia. "I'm coming my love". Alicia opened her eyes. Her heart raced as she breathed in a gasp and didn't know exactly why. She was safe here, wasn't she? She saw nothing of the devil. So why was she panicking? Well the question answered itself because as Alicia looked around she didn't realize that there were two golden horns behind her that were slowly coming out more and more until the full face of the devil could be seen grinning behind her.

Oh no, don't tell me that... Alicia noticed the shadow that now appeared behind her and swallowed nervously as she slowly turned around, hoping it was Lucifer. But luck was not on her side and instead of her husband, the devil was standing behind her staring at her with his glowing yellow eyes reflecting Alicia. She knew that she was his desire. It was not without reason that she saw herself in his eyes and was overcome with fear. "Ah, there's my future wife and queen," his voice sounded seductive and threatening. Or so it sounded to Alicia, who slowly moved away from him but bumped into the wall of the nest with her back.

She knew she was in a stupid situation. Escape was not possible at the moment. Firstly because she was high up in the tree and even if she jumped down she would kill herself. But also because the devil had her in his hands again. "Where are you going, my love?" he asked her seductively as he climbed down the tree with her. He held her with his tail and slid down the tree trunk while holding on to it with his claws. Alicia tried to free herself but the devil held her too tightly. After all, he didn't want to lose her again. She was his whether she wanted it or not. "Let me go!" Alicia ordered him as she tried to free herself. But the devil only chuckled as he reached the ground and held Alicia with his hand again, lifting her cheek slightly with his fingers. "Why would I do that? You were meant to be with me".

Alicia didn't like the answer. Neither did the forced kiss from the devil "Alicia my love you will be my wife and queen" Can you stop saying that over and over again? Yes, Alicia didn't want to hear it anymore. She didn't belong to him and wasn't his wife or queen at all! "I don't love you and I have no feelings for you! I love Lucifer and that's not going to change! Not you or anyone else! So why don't you choose someone else to be your wife and queen?". She was frustrated and tried to free herself but had to give up. Not because she wanted to, but because her physical strength was not sufficient to free herself. One thing she always hated when she traveled to the book world. The cartoon characters were always physically stronger than real people. Whether a child or an adult. Alicia wasn't physically strong enough to go up against them. So arm wrestling she would lose to anyone and get a broken arm to boot. However, Alicia was unique thanks to her demon powers.

And the devil liked that. "Because no one else is worthy of me but you, Alicia," the devil replied in a seductive voice as he stroked her cheek with his claw. "You are something special to me my love" a soft purr could be heard. Alicia knew it came from the devil. He was happy because Alicia was with him and wasn't going to disappear any time soon. She couldn't either because he was holding her and Alicia wasn't strong enough to free herself. "You are so sweet my love" he mentioned while purring even more intensely than before. Oh man... Alicia tried to push him away. But that didn't happen. Instead, Alicia disappeared in a puff of smoke from the devil's hand, who was just as confused as Alicia, who couldn't finish her sentence. "What the?" the devil looked all around but didn't see Alicia anywhere. She was gone and that not only frustrated him but also made him angry. "Oh this..." but he knew who had kidnapped Alicia.

"There she is," Alicia heard as the cloud of smoke disappeared around her. She was lying on something soft and panicked again. But when she heard the voice, she calmed down again. For good reason. The voice she had just heard belonged to Lucifer. Her husband. Slowly she opened her eyes and realized that she was sitting on the hand of her husband who had just helped her out of another unwanted situation. Again. "My love..." at least she was reunited with him and didn't have to worry about ending up in the underworld where she would be forced to marry the devil. What's more, she would stay in the underworld forever and ever. Alicia didn't want that. Alicia didn't even like the thought of it. The devil would find her everywhere while she was trying to escape.

The thought was enough to give her nightmares. However, the caress from Lucifer also helped to calm her down. She leaned against his other hand that was next to her and enjoyed it. His finger massaged her back. It was very relaxing for her. "Have you got it?" but of course a certain cup had to disturb the mood. "Yes, she's here with me," Alicia opened her eyes in annoyance and saw the three cups behind her, who were worried but also pleased to see her again. She was also glad to see the three cups again. Cuphead and Cuppy were still shrunken like her, but that didn't bother Alicia at the moment. She knew that this problem would soon be solved. At least for the two cups. Alicia suspected that Lucifer would leave them at their current size for a while longer. That would be nothing new for her. He liked it when he could hold them in his hand like a baby. She meant a lot to him and he didn't want to risk losing her.

"I'm glad you two are okay," Alicia sighed with relief as Lucifer stroked her cheek tenderly. Her tail wagged and so did his. All three cups giggled before a bright glow appeared around Cuphead and Cuppy. Mugman knew immediately what was happening and placed both Cupheads on the ground before both began to grow to their proper size. "Oh boy does it feel good not to be small again" said Cuppy with relief. "Yeah it feels good but honestly when you're as small as a mouse some foods are huge" Alicia was confused as was Lucifer when Cuphead said that.

But the cheese puff he was holding in his hands, which was huge, seemed to confirm his statement. Alicia giggled as Cuphead ate the giant cheese puff in one gulp. Typical cartoon logic. She thought to herself and sat down on the palm of Lucifer's hand. Or that's what she wanted Lucifer suddenly and without warning placed her on the floor and snapped his fingers. Alicia felt something tickling inside her and slowly grew back to her normal height. This makes her even more relieved than before because now at least she doesn't always have to hide. Well, at least not from the devil, who was probably boiling with rage because Alicia was no longer with him. But Alicia didn't care. He could snap as often as he wanted. She wouldn't come crawling to him just to calm him down. Honestly, it really made him behave like a huge baby.

"I like you better like this, my dearest" do you mean my normal size? Or something else? Alicia asked herself about the statement from her husband, who lifted her chin slightly with his finger and was ready to kiss her again. Her lips were only centimeters away from his when the mood was disturbed by the three cups. "Oh damn it's late!" it was only 03:00 PM Mugman "Oh right you're right we should meet Elder Kettle and the others at 02:45 PM" Alicia rolled her eyes and sighed. She would rather have the kiss right now than run after three panicked mugs who were worried about the time.

But her conscience was naturally against it Thank you Jiminy Cricket. Annoyed, Alicia and Lucifer followed the two cups out of the park into the city to meet up with the others, who had just been out and about in the city themselves and had searched all the hardware stores but were unfortunately unsuccessful. The three of them didn't like the fact that they had literally wasted their time. Varian, however, seemed more frustrated than angry. Alicia noticed this when she saw the group from afar. "Hey, here we are!" Cuphead called out to get the attention of the others, who were deep in thought when the cup snapped them out of it. Without a word, Blood, Elder Kettle and Varian joined the group and reported on their less-than-stellar success. "I guess you had more luck today than we did," Elder Kettle mentioned in an annoyed voice.

Alicia and the others didn't really know whether they could call today a positive day or not. In fact, it was half a nightmare for Alicia. Firstly that she was shrunk and in the hands of King Dice and then there was the matter of the devil and the marriage proposal that she hadn't been able to get out of her head for days, if not weeks. She kept hoping that it was a nightmare. But then she remembered how it came about that her signature appeared on the paper. The devil had wished for it and there was nothing Alicia could do about it. "Well, I wouldn't call it a positive day because we had a visit from the dev-" before Mugman could finish the sentence, Cuppy nudged him to stop saying it. Nobody should know what happened today, let alone what happened to the devil. Blood, however, already suspected what was going on and didn't ask any more questions as his attention now fell on Varian, who looked even more depressed than before.

"Varian is everything all right?" asked Alicia, concerned about the fox, whose ears were lowered to the side. He seemed even more frustrated than before by the question Alicia had asked him. That's why Blood took over for him and told him what had happened. Alicia's curious but also depressed face quickly changed to an angry one. The three cups gasped in astonishment at what they had just heard while Lucifer growled softly. The reason why the fox looked so depressed was because every shopkeeper and store owner called Varian either an impostor, a thief or a liar. Unfortunately, this is one of the things that cartoons like to avoid when it comes to foxes. They were always portrayed as cheats or con artists who took advantage of everyone. Be it Honest John from Pinocchio, the vixen from Balto Wolf Quest or even Nick Wilde from Zootopia. All three had fooled the main character.

But Varian was not like the three foxes mentioned above. He was always honest and never took the mickey out of anyone when it came to technology. No, Varian was honest and friendly and always tried to show this. However, many saw it as a kind of deception, which is why Varian was depressed that he hadn't found the parts he needed to build the portal without it becoming unstable. But the three of them weren't completely without loss, as Varian still seemed to have an ace up his sleeve "Well, it may be that nobody here wants to sell me parts..." Alicia sighed sadly at his statement and wanted to hug him "However, Dr. Kahl could certainly help me without judging me beforehand just because I was born a fox" but she didn't have to because the three cups had already taken over their task and wished Varian good luck despite the statement from earlier.

Alicia patted him on the shoulder to cheer him up and help him. She knew that he was carrying a heavy burden. After all, he had to build the portal to bring not only him but also Alicia, Cuppy and Lucifer back to their world. Blood had no problem with that. He could return with Muru whenever he wanted. Varian, on the other hand, also needed the portal to return to his world. But even if he could, something seemed to be preventing him from doing so. It was as if he had forgotten something or someone.

In the underworld, the devil returned, angry and annoyed, and sat on his throne while grumbling quietly. "That damn copy..." his gaze was furious and looked very menacing from afar. That's why none of his Imps dared to get closer to him as they feared they would only aggravate his anger. "I already had her in my hand and she still got away!" Yes, the devil was not very happy about losing Alicia again. Once because of the great tit and once because of the copy itself. What's more, Dice had failed to bring Alicia to him. He realized that Dice was no longer of any use to him. That's why the devil didn't care what happened to him. As long as he could have Alicia for himself, he didn't care about the rest. Even the souls of the two cups, which he could no longer collect because his bookkeeper had told him that the souls were no longer in his possession. Even the thought of it frustrated him. Fortunately, Stickler was still locked in the elevator and could no longer get on anyone's nerves.

That was already positive. At the moment, the devil needed to find a way to bring Alicia to the underworld, force her to marry him and then regain his old power by performing the ritual with her. All questions that he found difficult to answer himself. But luckily he had two helpers who could help him with this. "Hey boss" his eyes wandered from the carpet to Henchman and Amnon. They both drove up to him with a trolley, hoping that a cup of tea and a donut would change his mood. The donut itself was black with a red glaze with two devil's horns and a devil's tail. The cup with #1 Boss on it had a devil's tail as a handle. "The donut is freshly baked with your favorite filling," Amnon grinned nervously as he handed the devil the donut in question, which he held with his fingers and examined closely before biting into it.

"Oh fear my favorite filling" and ate the rest of the donut with a smile on his face as he drank the tea and was almost back to his old self. But only almost. The devil could not compensate for his loss. Alicia was still not with him and the souls of both cups were still missing. His plan had fallen through and that made him as angry as before. But instead of watching his boss explode with rage, Henchman decided to bring him some good news that was sure to please him. "Boss, I know today wasn't what you had in mind, but you might be pleased to hear that we have a new prisoner who could be useful to you".

His eyebrows furrowed "Since when should a new prisoner please me when I can simply destroy them with my trident?" the devil asked Henchman as he pointed his trident at an imp and fired at it. The imp that was still flying in the air was reduced to ashes in a few seconds. Amon gasped and jumped into Henchman's arms like Scooby Doo usually did when he saw something scary. Henchman, himself surprised by the devil, groped back and forth as Amnon lay in his arms, trying to keep his balance so as not to fall. "Well, the new prisoner looks a lot like the fox that always accompanies Miss Alicia," this statement surprised the devil. So much so that he demanded to be taken to the dungeon where the prisoners were kept.

"Where is this prisoner?" asked the devil as he appeared out of a cloud of smoke with Henchman and Amnon and looked into each cell. But the prisoner was nowhere to be seen. In any case, the devil saw no fox. Or did he? Well, he stopped in front of a cell and stared at the prisoner lying on the bench with a blanket over his body so that the devil couldn't see the prisoner. However, the white tail told the devil that this was the new prisoner his two assistants had been talking about. "It's not the same fox boss but she seems to know the other fox" Henchman explained as he dropped Amnon who was getting too heavy for him. But the husky demon quickly picked himself up again and wiped the dirt off his fur. "Hmm, she could be useful to bring my dearest Alicia to me," the devil thought of a diabolical plan that he could soon put into action. The devil could use the vixen as bait to bring Alicia to him and then set her free as compensation.

Only if she agrees to marry him, of course. The sly laugh was hard to miss and came from the devil himself, who couldn't stop laughing. His plan was set and he could hardly wait to see it in action. "Henchman, Amnon prepare everything" ordered the devil, but both demons were confused. They stared at each other before the latter asked in a nervous voice, "What exactly should we prepare?". "Well what the wedding!" the devil roared at them both and gasped them both away as he looked into the prisoner's cell "Oh you will help me bring my dearest Alicia to me" and walked away. The prisoner, however, was less than thrilled about being used as bait to kidnap an innocent person.

"Varian I hope you find me soon and get me out of here before anything else bad happens."