Cuphead and Mugman in "Fate Will Find You"

A Change of Heart

The Devil arrived back in his lair with Elder Kettle and a mutated Cuphead in tow. The kettle and the cup flinched terribly from the aftershock of teleporting. Elder Kettle would have complained about the method of travel if he hadn't been so stricken with grief at what had just happened. His own grandson had been left for dead in his house. He didn't even know if he or Cuphead would ever see their home again either.

"Welcome to your new home, Kettle." The satanic creature announced. "Oh, please, make yourself at home. It's not like you'll be going anywhere."

"A-aren't you happy now? You've already killed one of my boys and turned the other into your slave!" Kettle sobbed, reluctantly following the furry creature farther into his realm. The satanic creature plopped into his red and gold throne with a sigh of content. Its black trident rested against the chair's arm. A gray foot crossed over the other knee as the Devil crossed his hands behind his head.

"Oh, this is only the beginning, Kettle. You and Cuphead are going to spend all eternity with me, just like you promised." He sneered. "With the help of your boy as my new right-hand man, we will destroy the world!"

"You can't! It's in the contract!" Elder Kettle protested.

"Oh...But who says we can't bend that rule?" The creature leaned closer to the kettle, poking his spout in a taunting fashion. "You always have the choice to help yourself, friend. Because you will help me, be it through your own will or not." He then leaned back into the chair. "My trusty slave will see to it that you comply." It said, closing its eyes. The Devil expected Cuphead to respond to that comment with at least a roar or snarl. But it did nothing of the sort.

"Mmm?" It wondered and opened a single eye, gazing at the ceiling. The mutated cup was still staring out toward the island where they had left that little mug to die a painful death. For the demon could not forget what it had just witnessed. A mortal and a demon working together as one. Could it be that this was better than living under the Devil's rule? It became curious and started to walk towards the cave's exit.

"I said my trusty slave!" The furry creature said louder, still not looking at what its minion was doing. Kettle, however, saw that his boy was making his own decision instead of listening to that vile creature.

"Go, Cuphead." He whispered to himself.

"Huh?" it growled, finally taking a look at what was going on. He immediately became insulted at the fact that it wouldn't listen.

"HEY!" The Devil roared, shoving his tail into the ground. A large shadow version of it came upward through the cavern floor in front of the young cup. The mutated body flinched to a halt. It turned around with a confused glance at its master. "Get back here!" It demanded and motioned downward with its claw. The large cup merely looked back to where it was trying to go. "Why won't you listen to me?" His hand started to spiral with purple electricity. He then pulled it back towards his chest. This ultimately tossed the cup across the cave, plummeting face first into the ground. Cuphead slid across the floor back towards his guardian and the angry furry creature. Fiery pupils looked up at the relentless king of darkness. Instead of confidence, the cup's eyes were now filled with fear. For the demon knew he had done something wrong. And now it feared punishment. The Devil would certainly deliver such when there was disrespect and disregard for his rules present.

"It seems the mug has converted another one of you." The Devil realized. "I can't have another faulty demon running amok under my ranks." Yellow eyes narrowed as it singled out the one at fault. Kettle heard an actually shriek of fear come from the demon. For that was something that very few could admit to witnessing. Cuphead's mutated body tried to flee from its persecutor, but a gray paw caught its handle. The other paw grabbed into the top of Cup's head. It seemed to drag out something from the boy's soul rather than the actual body. The glass body seized terribly as a living creature was yanked out of it. Cuphead shrunk back to his normal self as the screaming seemed to detach from the boy's body and followed an organism that thrashed about in the Devil's paw. A bunch of secretions seemed to pour out of it as it continued to shriek. Ten long and floppy tentacles reached out from its circular center that was about the size of a soccer ball. These appendages went out in all directions, like petals on a flower encircling its core. Kettle saw that this demon was gray and translucent. It sure seemed unhappy to be out in fresh air instead of the warm nest of a mortal's soul. Elder Kettle's eyes averted to his grandson when the Devil just dropped him to the ground. Cup's limp body sprawled helplessly on the cavern floor, spilling his white life liquid everywhere.