Cuphead and Mugman in "Fate Will Find You"

The Plan

It was late in the afternoon when Mugman gathered all of his friends to discuss different tactics they could use to rescue Cuphead and Elder Kettle from the Devil's clutches. They all put their two cents into what they thought they should do, each one focusing on their own strengths and weaknesses. By the end of it, everyone was voting for an all-out attack on Inkwell Hell. The Devil would most likely have the rest of his lackeys ready for battle too. So they decided on who should fight who. Everything seemed finalized when King Dice dragged himself to the scene and offered a different strategy.

"If I might interject," He began. All of the heads whipped in the casino manager's direction. "Perhaps a stealthier approach would yield better results."

"Who asked you?" Cagney spat.

"Why don't ye crawl back to where ye came from?" Brineybeard said and started to brandish his sword at the die man.

"Stop!" Said Mugman. "Let him speak." There were murmurs among the crowd that spoke of whether they approved of this or not. But Mug knew that Dice's advice was valuable. He had learned a lot from Dice about his grandfather and the Devil himself. Despite what anyone else said, the young mug was ready to take his advice to heart.

"An attack may make a good distraction, but it shouldn't be your only plan of action. If you're able to avoid a fight with the Devil himself, then do it. Because you won't get out of there alive again." Mug swallowed hard as he realized that King Dice was right about this. "Let your friends lead an attack on the casino and cause a distraction. Meanwhile, you should sneak in and get your family out of there while they're all busy. Get in and out without being noticed if you can. That's your best bet on saving your family without getting into a fight with the big man."

"And why should we believe you?" Cagney argued. "For all we know, you could still be working with the Devil and leading us into a trap!"

"You all have no reason to believe me. I realize that. But I am telling the truth." He then looked directly at Mugman. "Lead them well, kid."

"Thanks, Dice. You should go rest." The young mug urged. It wasn't only for the fact that he wasn't fully healed yet either. The other residents were not as trusting of the casino manager as Mug was. For they would be looking for an excuse to attack the die man if they could. Cagney kept an eye on Dice as he crawled himself away again.

"Okay, so we have the plan." Mugman said, making sure everyone was paying attention. "Hilda will lead her group into the casino to take down the lackeys. Dr. Kahl, your team will hold a position just outside the casino. Meanwhile, I'll sneak into the Devil's lair alone to retrieve Cuphead and Elder Kettle. Everyone understand?" They all nodded and gave their approval. "If that's the case, then everybody should go make any preparations that they need to. The plan will execute in exactly one hour. You are all dismissed."

The young mug had addressed everyone that was able to do combat. Spoonfred wasn't about to allow him to just forget about those that were not as big and strong as the others. For he could still contribute in some way.

"What should I do, Mugman?" He asked, making his existence known. The young utensil stepped right up before the other child.

"You...." Mug started but began to trail off. For he wasn't sure what role to give Spoonfred. "Um...." His fingers scratched his mug.

"Oh, come on! There has to be something I can do! I'm not useless!" The young spoon asserted. "Perhaps I could help load ammo, or sharpen weapons, or something."

Negative. Such a position is too dangerous for a creature with no means of protection. The demon pointed out. The spoon has no fighting skills. He wouldn't last a minute.

Mugman silently agreed with him.

"You're to stay out here where it's safe." He told the utensil.

"But-!"

"I'm not finished!" Mug snapped. "If something goes wrong and we are losing the battle, Kiki will come notify you." The golden feline trotted forward and began to circle around the boys' legs at the sound of her name. A purr rose in her throat as her silky fur brushed against their skin. The two of them glanced down at her. "And then you'll need to be ready to gather everyone and get them off the island quickly and safely."

Spoonfred's eyes went wide as he realized he was getting more than he had asked for. Mug could tell that this thought frightened him.

"It's a big responsibility. But I need someone I can trust and is a good leader to be responsible for this job. Do you think you can handle it?" The mug child asked, placing a sympathetic hand on the utensil's shoulder. He watched as the spoon contemplated this for a moment. Spoonfred gave a hard swallow before becoming confident.

"Yes. Yes, I can! You can count on me, Mugman. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that everyone is safe." But then his confidence wavered. "Just promise me that you won't die in there, okay?" He pleaded. The utensil suddenly became aware that this could be the last time he ever spoke with him depending on the outcome. Mug merely gave a soft smile and a slight nod.

"I'll try my best too, Spoonfred." The mug child then went off to prepare himself for the mission. He made a round around the island to see the others readying their weapons and sparring with one another to sharpen their skills. Mugman eventually ended up on the east side of Inkwell. His little boots stepped over the train tracks and approached the entrance to Inkwell Hell. Mug stopped at the mouth of the cave and stared in. Waves of heat came from the ever-silent cavern. The absence of noise made a chill run down the child's spine. It was as if the place was giving off threatening signals, that something was off even for that dark and relentless realm.

"Are you ready, kid?" Came a voice from behind Mugman. He had been so focused on the dark passageway that it made him flinch. The young mug turned around to find that King Dice was still crawling himself around.

"Honestly....no." Mug said and hung his head in shame.

"There's no shame in admitting the truth." Replied Dice. "Just focus on saving your family. Anything else can wait. I just came to wish you good luck on your endeavor. I...actually wish I could be more help to you. After all, you did save me from death and listened to my sob story."

"You've helped me plenty, Dice." Mugman said humbly. He started to notice the king's wounds healing up nicely. Even his arm didn't seem as lame as it was early that morning. But it was still broken. An injury like that would certainly take some time to heal, even with the Miracle potion. And Mug knew this better than anybody. "You've given me some valuable information. It will certainly help me when talking with Elder Kettle."

The two of them stared with a meaningful look into each other's eyes, as if they were truly understanding one another for the first time ever.

"Well, you should probably be heading back for your resting place. If anyone catches you talking with me, they may not be so understanding."

King Dice nodded.

"No matter what happens, just remember to stay calm." The die man explained as he began to crawl away.

"Hey Dice," Mug called after him. A set of green eyes glanced back at him. "I'll try to help the Devil if I can. Even though he was bad to you, I know that you still considered him a friend. Once I save my family, I'll try to do the same for him."

"....Just be careful." Was the casino manager's only response before continuing his trek.