(Start on the third isle. CUPHEAD and MUGMAN are standing together gazing at the list. All of the names are checked off except for one.)
Cuphead-Look at it, Mugman. It's beautiful, isn't it?
Mugman-But there's one left.
Cuphead-That's what makes it so beautiful! There's only one left!
Mugman-Well, we should still focus on that one.
(He reads the unchecked name.)
Mugman-"The Phantom Express." Now, Cuphead, think. Where can we find an express? More particularly one with phantoms?
(They stand in thinking positions for several seconds. A clock is ticking in the background.)
Cuphead-Wait a minute. Express! That's another word for train, isn't it?
Mugman-More or less.
Cuphead-And where do you find trains? On train tracks!
Mugman-Does this mean...
Cuphead-That's right, Mugman. We're going on the wrong side of the tracks!
(He grabs MUGMAN by the hand and runs across the isle, practically dragging MUGMAN behind him, similar to the way he did in the first episode. They stop in front of two parallel train tracks. On the other side is a cave with an arrow-shaped sign that says "Devil's Casino This Way!")
Cuphead-"Devil's Casino This Way?" Would you look at that? We're right back where we started!
Mugman-Yep...we're almost done...so what are we doing just standing here?
Cuphead-I mean, we've made it to the tracks. All we gotta do is wait for the train to pull into the station.
(All of a sudden, they hear a gravely female voice behind them.)
Curly-(voice only) Then you'll be waiting for a long time, me hearties.
(CUPHEAD and MUGMAN turn around and see CURLY, a blue-haired girl in red pirate attire, standing behind them.)
Cuphead-Oh, you.
Mugman-You know her?
Curly-You mean you don't recognize ol' Curly?
Cuphead-She's the one who gave me the directions to Cala Maria's lair.
Mugman-If you say so.
Cuphead-So what do you want?
Curly-I just want to tell you a little tale: the tale of the Phantom Express!
(Dun dun dunnnnn!)
Mugman-Well, we're kind of on a busy schedule, so-
Cuphead-We'd love to hear it!
Curly-Now, gather 'round, mateys, for the tale of the Phantom Express!
(Dun dun dunnnnnnn!)
Curly-The Phantom Express has been spoken of in folk tales and campfire songs for years, yet none believe it actually exists. The thing is...it's real!
(She points at the tracks.)
Curly-And it drives on those very tracks! A train with no driver, ferrying the souls of the doomed on their way to the afterlife except it never truly stops, and those who board are bound to the train for eternity. The Devil sought out this mystical train and made an offer to the souls who rode the rails: the train would be enchanted further, and spiteful specters would be introduced to slay the islanders, thus adding souls to the Phantom Express's cars, but if the train were ever to stop, the Devil would claim every last soul on board. The train had never stopped before, and it never would, so foolishly the ghosts and ghouls agreed to the Devil's ludicrous terms. A skeletal conductor who towered over the train, an eyeless ghost to paralyze their victims with fright, and two tall-necked demons to drag the innocent to their doom. If this didn't make the Phantom Express something to be feared, then nothing would...
(A long, dramatic pause.)
Cuphead-So what you're saying is the train doesn't stop?
Mugman-And there are a bunch of evil ghosts that kill people?
Curly-Aye.
Mugman-That makes this task a whole lot harder.
Cuphead-So if the train doesn't stop, how are we supposed to get to it?
Curly-You gotta follow it. Zoom down the tracks, and once you get close to it, show those demons inside what for!
Cuphead-Oh. Of course. Following a runaway train! That's easier said than done! You have any way we can do that?
Curly-Well, I do have one thing you can use.
(Wipe to a few minutes later. There is a wooden cart on the tracks with a pink ring on each end. CURLY, CUPHEAD, and MUGMAN are standing next to it.)
Curly-I only keep this baby for emergencies, but I guess I'll let you use it.
Cuphead-Excellent!
Curly-You two have pink parry, right?
Mugman-Yeah.
Curly-Well, lucky for you, so do I. You just change directions by parrying those ringy thingies. Now, wait here until the train passes in a big, long blur, and book it towards that luciferous locomotive. You got that?
Cuphead/Mugman-Yeah.
Curly-Good. Happy demon-slaying!
(CUPHEAD and MUGMAN hop on the cart.)
Cuphead-And now, we wait!
(A few seconds of silence.)
Mugman-Hey, Cuphead.
Cuphead-What?
Mugman-Every time some random person comes up to us, why is it you who's always like "Oh, it's you" while I'm the one left wondering "Who even is that person?"
Cuphead-What can I say? I get around.
(All of a sudden, a big, long blur passes them on the other track going to the right.)
Curly-That's the Phantom Express! Go get 'em, boys!
(In a frenzy, CUPHEAD parries the left ring, sending the cart flying to the left.)
Mugman-We're going the wrong way!
Cuphead-What?
Mugman-All you had to do was follow the darn train, Cuphead!
Cuphead-Sheesh, just give me a minute.
(He parries the right ring, sending the cart flying to the right. After a few seconds, it begins catching up to the train.)
Cuphead-We're getting close, Mugman. Shots out!
(From this point on, all action occurs on a two-dimensional plane. A ghost with an empty eye socket and eyes on its palms pops out of the caboose doing jazz hands.)
Cuphead-EYE...think we can handle this!
(He parries the right ring, bringing the cart closer to the train. He and MUGMAN begin shooting, CUPHEAD using Spread and MUGMAN using Charge. The ghost begins launching eyes out of its hands that bounce up and down.)
Mugman-What are you doing?!
Cuphead-I'm trying to get close!
(MUGMAN scowls and parries the left ring, scooting it away.)
Cuphead-Alright, fine.
(He gets as close to the train as possible. Unbeknownst to them, a winged jack-o-lantern is flying above them carrying a pink brick. It drops the brick on the right ring, bringing them closer.)
Mugman-Cuphead...
Cuphead-That wasn't me.
(He begins shooting out the eyes while MUGMAN moves them away. A second pumpkin flies above them with a brick. This time, MUGMAN sees it above CUPHEAD.)
Mugman-Cuphead, heads up!
(CUPHEAD looks up and sees the brick falling at him. He jumps up and parries it. Then he gets back to shooting the ghost. It screams in defeat and retreats back inside the train. The train slows down while the cart keeps moving forward to another portion of the train.)
Cuphead-Whew. Phase one complete.
Mugman-Phase one?
Cuphead-Yeah. Curly gave us a list of monsters we have to defeat. There's the eyeless ghost who paralyzes their victims with fright, two tall-necked demons who drag the innocent to their doom, and one more, except I can't think of what it is.
(A skeleton head and arms burst out of the top of the car.)
Cuphead-Oh, a skeleton! That's the one I was forgetting!
Mugman-Uh, Cuphead...
(He sees another pumpkin drop a brick on the right ring, moving the cart in the way of the skeletal arms about to slam down on them.)
Cuphead-Yikes!
(He parries the left ring, and they escape just in time. They get their shots back out. The skeleton retreats into the train while a brick lands on the left ring, moving them to the left.)
Cuphead-Ha! He quit! You can't beat ol' Cuphead that easily!
(The skeleton pops back out with its head on the right and its arms at the left and center.)
Cuphead-Run!
(He and MUGMAN sneak in between the arms as they slam down.)
Cuphead-Well, now we know his deal. Let's get spooky!
(The head appears on the left. CUPHEAD and MUGMAN fire at it. The skeleton retreats again.)
Mugman-Now, there's only two places it could be. One is...
(The head reappears at the center.)
Mugman-Right there.
(They get as far to the right of the cart as possible to avoid the hand coming down. The skeleton cries in pain and lowers himself back inside the train.)
Mugman-Was that it?
(The train slows down again. The cart moves forwards to another part of the train.)
Cuphead-I think that was it. Now what's next? First we had Eye Guy, then the skeletons. Next should be...
(Two piston-shaped monsters with long, flexible necks burst out of the top of the train.)
Cuphead-Long-necked demons!
(MUGMAN takes the one on the left while CUPHEAD takes the one on the right, which is the one they are directly underneath. Just then, the one on the right begins raining lightning from its mouth.)
Cuphead-Lightning!
(It begins moving its head further to the left. CUPHEAD moves the cart as far to the left as possible. He is now focusing on the guy on the left as well, but not before shooting out a small ghost that was homing in on him. It drops a pink skull, which he then parries. At this point, the guy on the right has moved back to its position.)
Mugman-I think we're safe now.
(He parries the right ring so that they're in the center. The guy on the left begins raining down lightning, moving towards them.)
Mugman-Actually, maybe we're not.
(He parries the right ring again. CUPHEAD unloads on the right guy. The right guy wails as its face melts off.)
Cuphead-Well, that's one. We need to get close to the other one.
(He parries the left ring, bringing them closer to the left guy. It starts raining down lightning again.)
Cuphead-Yipe!
(He moves the cart to the right again.)
Cuphead-Okay, Mr. Sorta Better Range. You take care of this one.
Mugman-I'm on it.
(He begins using alternating hands on the left guy with one eye closed and his tongue out. After a few shots, the left guy's face melts off, too. The train slows to a stop.)
Cuphead-We did it! We won!
(He and MUGMAN high-ten. As they pass the engine, it gallops after them.)
Cuphead-That's a really inefficient way to move as a train.
Mugman-Cuphead, I don't think you see the big picture.
Cuphead-Wait, WHAT? That wasn't even its final form?
(He sighs.)
Cuphead-Shots out, Mugman.
(MUGMAN notices the pink light on its tail and parries it. A door on its side opens, revealing a heart inside a furnace.)
Mugman-I think we've found our target.
Cuphead-Yeah, but I don't think I can get close enough.
Mugman-Leave it to me.
(He summons the Giant Ghost and lets it wail on the heart while he uses Charge. After a few seconds, the door closes, and the Giant Ghost flies away.)
Cuphead-Psh! I can do that! See?
(He activates his invincibility. A flaming ring of bones begins flying at him. He lets it past through him.)
Cuphead-Ta-da!
(The invincibility wears off. A second ring of bones hits him.)
Cuphead-Ow!
(MUGMAN scowls before parrying the tail. As he's firing at the heart, CUPHEAD jumps on his shoulders.)
Mugman-Hey!
Cuphead-I will get close to that heart if it kills me!
(He fires like heck at the heart. Then the engine begins crying in defeat, its furnace extinguished and its tentacle wheel thingies flailing around in defeat.)
Cuphead-Now we did it!
(Fade to the other side of the tracks. CUPHEAD and MUGMAN are both holding the list.)
Cuphead-Well, Mugman, would you like to do the honors?
Mugman-Gladly!
(He checks off "The Phantom Express" on the list. They walk into the cave hand in hand. CUPHEAD narrates.)
Cuphead-(voice only) That's seventeen down...none to go! We got them all! Of course, that's not quite the end of our journey. We still have to return the contracts to the Devil or at least return to the Devil with the contracts. There's no telling what's going to happen inside the Devil's Casino...