Cuphead and Mugman in "Fate Will Find You"

Domain of the Overlords

Mugman fell down, down. Deep into the hole that constantly spewed lava around him. It was clear that he was falling into the heart of an active volcano, just like the one the Devil had in his lair. Only this one seemed even hotter. Like it was a piece of the sun that got trapped inside the earth's core, just boiling in a small and confined space, building up even more heat.

The mug child felt like he had been falling for hours. But in reality, it had only been a few heart-stopping seconds. The portal from which he fell grew smaller and smaller. Soon it was gone from sight completely. Mug could only imagine that it had closed up behind them. There was no way out now as he and the oversized demon fell deeper and deeper. His glass skin was immediately soaked in sweat, causing the remaining life essence that clung to his body to crystalize into sticky stains that would take hours to wash off. The tentacle of the demon was still wrapped around him, holding onto its prey like it might slip away somehow.

So this is it? This is how I die? Falling into boiling lava? Mug thought with very little effort going into his mental voice.

Don't think of it as such a waste, Mugman. His demon chimed in. You saved Cuphead, your grandpa, the dice lackey, and even that ungrateful creature I used to call master. In the end, we did good. If this is how we go, then I want you to know that there's no one I would have rather been shoved into.

Thanks. Mug replied. I'm glad that I don't have to face death alone.

Just as the young mug and its parasitic creature were having their sentimental talk, the colossal demon seemed to actually land on something with a loud thud. The shockwaves spread through its core and up into each one of its tentacles. Mugman felt the appendage vibrate before ultimately relaxing the muscle a bit. It slowly lowered the tentacles to the platform it had landed on. The mug child found himself lying half in the tentacle and half on the scorching ground. He started to panic about the heat when he realized three of its appendages arched up like snakes. The narrow ends pointed down at him, sizing up their target. Poor Mug gasped and covered his fragile head with his gloved hands. He waited for the inevitable shatter that would end his life.

"Fresh meat!" Called out a deep and sinister male voice.

"Let's dig in!" Another male voice said. This one was accompanied by a couple snapping noises.

"Huh?" Mug squeaked out and ventured a look at what was happening. His little hands lifted off his mug as he saw three shadows approaching the demon that lay before him. All of them bore piercing yellow eyes just like the Devil, except they were without pupils. One of them was clearly the shadow of a dragon. Its broad wings extended out to their full length as the snake-like body prepared to pounce on the parasitic creature. A second shadow scurried around, weaving in and out around the tentacles. It made those snapping noises as its many legs clattered against the stone ground. Mugman caught a glimpse of a scorpion's claw as it snapped off a piece of the demon's appendage. The latter began to screech in utter pain. A third silhouette slithered its way onto the parasitic creature's core. This shadow of a horned snake made directly for the center of the translucent bulb. A forked tongue slid itself in and out of the mouth in a seamless fashion, tasting its surroundings for the best place to sink its fangs into. And then it found it. Hazy black fangs bared themselves, letting out a hiss, before striking deep into its prey. That attack was like a signal to the other two to tear away at the fresh meat.

Mugman stared in horror as the shadows killed this enlarged demon like it was nothing. They all tore great chunks out of its center and devoured them like they had not had a proper meal in years. Blood and mucus gushed out of the parasitic creature. Mug knew its life had ceased when the tentacle around him went limp. Both the little mug and his creature were scared out of their minds. Mugman was sure they would detect his heartbeat that pounded loudly in his mug. It was so loud and violent. How could they not hear it?