Cuphead and Mugman in "Fate Will Find You"

Sheltered From the Past

It had been so long that the Devil started to slump in his chair. For he was getting impatient with the old kettle. He had told the elderly person he had all eternity, but he didn't really think Kettle would take it seriously. The satanic creature had expected him to crack by now. Instead, Kettle sat there seemingly lost in thought. The tan kettle tapped his cane in a steady beat and hummed a tune. For he was trying to find a ray of utopia despite his abysmal situation. Cuphead's mutated body paced back and forth, seeming uncomfortable with the elderly person's humming. It came to the point where the black creature just could not take waiting anymore.

"Enough!" The Devil roared, slamming a fist down on the arm of the chair. Elder Kettle flinched in surprise and ceased his tune. Cup's mutated body snarled at the loud and sudden noise.

"Do you have something to say or not?" It spat in the kettle's direction. Imp ears twitched in clear frustration. He watched as his former friend gave this some thought. Its spout ultimately turned towards his slave.

"Couldn't you give him a break?" Kettle squeaked out.

"What?!" The Devil was flabbergasted. After all the time he had taken to think about everything, that was the only thing that concerned him?

I waited all that time just to hear this?The satanic creature thought. Anger burned within his heart, turning his eyes red. His scarred body huffed in exaggeration. Elder Kettle tensed up at his old friend's reaction to his request.

"If you're not making him do anything, then please let me have a minute with him." The kettle ventured with a hint of fear in his voice. He was surprised when the Devil actually complied with his plea.

"Tch! Fine!" It scoffed and stood up very unceremoniously. For he was waiting for the kettle to say something in particular. And he hoped that giving him a moment with his grandson would make him more talkative. Gray feet marched right up to Cuphead. The creature yanked out the demon from the boy's soul just as fast as it did before. It had to give an extra yank since the demon hung on so tightly. The suction cups on the tentacles made loud popping noises as the pressure released. Cup screeched in pain when the dark presence was taken out by force. His body melted back to normal. Once the last of the tentacles let go, he fell to his hands and knees, gasping for breath. He could feel a burning sensation on the underside of his cup where the chain had dug into him. But poor Cup didn't know where it was from. He just knew it hurt like hell. For the chain had dissolved away when the Devil took the demon out.

"Cuphead!" His guardian cried out.

"Elder Kettle!" The boy responded in a strained voice and whipped his head up. He immediately tried to go forward to embrace his grandfather. The Devil gave a simple flick of the tail as he turned toward his throne. Chains appeared around the little cup's wrists and held him in place. Cuphead struggled against the binding apparatus that drilled itself into the ground. Elder Kettle approached his son when the confused and scared little cup could go no further.

"Sorry, Kettle. Can't have him destroying the place .....or me." The Devil quietly added as he stopped just before his magnificent blood red chair. He placed the translucent, purple creature atop of it. Kettle caught a glance of the monster that almost seemed a bit larger than when it went into Cuphead. "You sit there quietly!" It demanded the lesser creature. The ten muscular tentacles draped around the chair and felt around it. For it tried to understand its environment without being able to see anymore. A host gave it the opportunity to actually see its surroundings. Now it had to go by feel once again.

Elder Kettle began to stroke his boy's cup. Little gloved hands tried to hug the larger piece of glassware as best they could despite the chains. Cuphead finally broke down into tears. He just couldn't take it anymore. Not only did his throat hurt, but his body felt drained of its positive energy. Cup pressed his chin against the kettle's torso and looked into his grandpa's eyes. Water flooded down his face.