"We shall accept your surrender, Devil." Cuphead laughed. "But we're not done just yet!" The creature dreaded what may come out of the young cup's mouth next. "Where's your soul contract library?" A gray finger shakily pointed back toward the throne room.
"T-the th-throne room. T-to th-the r-right." The creature stuttered out the least amount of words he possibly could. Cuphead ushered Mugman to come with him. They grabbed all of the soul contracts that they had collected over the previous two days. The boys then traveled back to the cavern. Cup and Mug promptly threw all of the soul contracts into the roaring hellfire. They wanted the Devil to witness all of his servants being released from their debts. The creature could do nothing to stop them. He had been beaten. And he very well knew it.
"Now you'll have plenty of time to sit here and think about what you've done to everyone!" Cuphead teased the mortally injured demon. "Maybe you'll think twice before snatching someone's soul again!"
"Let's go home." Mug suggested.
"I couldn't agree with you more." Cuphead added. "Gosh, I can't wait to tell everybody!" The boys began to head for home.
"C'mon, last one there's a leaky cup!" Mugman teased as they began to run. The young mug forgot about the crack on his leg and stepped down a little too hard.
"Ow!" He hollered. Cuphead immediately came to a halt and turned around.
"Er, maybe I'll be the leaky cup." Mugman said with a small chuckle. Cup walked back to his brother.
"There's not going to be a leaky cup." Cuphead said as he sympathetically put a hand on Mugman's shoulder. "Because we're going to make it back together. No one's first. And no one's last." Smiles formed on the brothers' cups. They slowly made their way back through the three Inkwell Islands. Along the way, they ushered the former debtors to follow them. The only thing the brothers told the residents was that they had a big announcement. Elder Kettle heard cheers from outside his home.
"They're back! Cuphead and Mugman are back!" He heard his neighbors, the Root Pack, cheer. Using his cane to steady himself, the old kettle stood up and joined everyone outside. He saw his two boys standing up on a brown stage. All of the fellow debtors eagerly surrounded the stage, wondering what the brothers were going to say. Elder Kettle squeezed himself between the residents to get closer to the stage. He got up there just in time for Cuphead to give the news.
"You're all free from the Devil's debt!" Cuphead announced.
"And that fiend won't bother us again!" Mugman added. Elder Kettle was literally brimming with pride at the boys' words.
"Let's hear it for Cuphead and Mugman! Hip-hip-hurrah! Hip-hip-hurrah!" The crowd began to cheer. Cup and Mug began to blush from their new friends' praising.
"We should have a celebration!" Beppi the clown suggested.
"I'll make a cake!" Baroness Von Bon Bon added.
'And I'll provide free magic tricks for everyone!" Djimmi the genie offered. "No wishes or coins necessary!"
"That sounds great!" Cuphead beamed. Mugman gasped at the peoples' generosity. His eyes sparkled at the thought of a celebration in their honor.
"Yes! Tomorrow we will have a party!" Elder Kettle happily agreed. "But for now, you boys need to rest. And get those wounds healed." The Elder helped the boys down from the stage with his free hand. He saw how severe their wounds actually were and was surprised how peppy the boys were for such deep wounds. Cup and Mug had put on a confident and happy face for everyone. But in reality, they were ready to collapse on their beds and sleep for hours.
"It looks like you boys had one heck of a fight with the Devil." Kettle stated as he looked worriedly at the gash on Cuphead's chest and the white liquid that pooled under Mugman's shirt and soaked his right arm. "I'm sure it wasn't easy."
"No, it wasn't." Cuphead replied. "And we learned the hard way that the Devil is not someone we, or anyone, should mess with."
"And so we promise to never wander into trouble again." Mugman concluded. The Elder just chuckled happily as he ushered the boys home. He prepared to treat the boys' wounds. They all gathered in the kitchen area, where the boys could sit down at the dining table. Cuphead watched as the kettle approached him first. The large gash on Cup's chest was what drew him there first.
"Now this looks mighty painful." It stated. He then noticed the cracks on his arm and the ones on his cup where the demonic mug had swatted him. "Oh dear!" Elder Kettle gasped, inspecting the cracks closely. He lifted the cup's black sleeve to see the white liquid oozing out of the cracks. "Well, I do believe we have some potions and magic spells that can heal these wounds overnight."
"No. Do Mugman first." The young cup told his guardian. "He's been through a lot." Elder Kettle wondered what "a lot" meant when Cuphead's wounds were that severe.
"Very well." Kettle replied. He then turned to the younger cup. "OK, Mugman. Show me where it hurts the most, and we'll start there." The young mug slowly grabbed his black shirt by the sleeves. He shakily took off the blood-stained shirt. The kettle's eyes shot wide open. Cracks were all over Mug's body.
"Oh my!" The brown kettle gasped. Elder started to rub a magic potion on Mugman's chest. It was white with his soul liquid instead of his regular silver glass skin. The child winced as his guardian applied the potion on his chest, arms and cracked leg.
"And the back." Mug added as he turned around. Kettle saw the two unusually large cracks that extended the full length of his torso.
"Mugman, are you sure the Devil did all of this to you?" Elder Kettle questioned. Cuphead closed his eyes and turned his cup away from his brother and guardian. He was ready for Mugman to rat him out. Ready to take the blame for some of those wounds.
"Yes." Was Mugman's answer. "He was ruthless." Cup whipped his eyes open and head back around, knowing that his brother wasn't telling the truth.
"But Mugs..." Cuphead started to say.
"No. This isn't your fault, Cuphead." Mug replied. "The Devil is to blame for all of it."
"This may sting a little, son." The kettle warned as he went to apply the potion.
"Ow-ow!" He screamed as the ointment made contact with his back. The young mug tried to hold back tears of pain. This potion gave a burning sensation on these deep cuts.
"All done, Mugman." Kettle said as he finished with the treatment. "Why don't you go rest in your bed?"
"Thanks Elder." Mug replied and put his shirt back on. He slowly stood up from the chair and limped his way over to the boys' bedroom.
"Ok Cuphead. Now it's your turn." The kettle bellowed. "Go ahead and take off your shirt. Cup listened and obediently did what was asked of him. Guilt hung over him like a dark cloud. He had a hard time looking the old kettle in the eyes. But he knew that he wouldn't feel right if he kept the truth about Mugman's wounds inside. In a split second, he looked his guardian in the eyes and spit out the truth, even though it hurt.
"You should know the truth about Mugman's wounds." He blurted out. "Not all of those wounds came from the Devil." Elder Kettle stopped rubbing the potion on Cuphead's chest when he said this.
"What do you mean, lad?" He questioned. "Who did it then?"
"I...I did something that I am very ashamed of." Cup stuttered out. The young cup felt a knot in his throat. It prevented him from talking clearly.
"Are you saying you did this to Mugman?" The kettle stepped back a couple of steps, aghast at what his older boy was saying.
"I-I d-didn't mean to." The knot in his throat grew bigger. "Th-the D-Devil made me. He turned me into a monster....and I attacked Mugman." Cuphead confessed with tears welling up in his eyes. "I don't remember most of it. But Mugs said it was me. I feel awful!" He now sobbed. His right gloved hand tried to wipe away the tears.
"Don't worry, my boy." The kettle tried to comfort his young cup. He hugged Cuphead tenderly, trying not to squeeze any of his wounds. "It's all behind you now. What's important is that you're not the monster anymore, and both of you are safe." The kettle then finished up treating Cuphead's wounds. Cup did not yelp in pain like his brother. He tried to never show his pain to his brother or Elder Kettle. Being a little tough guy was just his way. The young cup put his shirt back on and shuffled to bed like his younger brother. Mug was already sound asleep by the time Cuphead entered the room. He crept quietly into his bed that was to the right of Mugman's.
The boys slept until the next day came around. They woke up remembering that they were going to take part in the island-wide celebration. Cuphead sprung out of bed, not feeling anymore pain. Mugman was slower to get out of bed, but he was just as excited about the party as his brother. They raced outside, only to be greeted by their neighbors. A large living potato announced their coming.
"They're here!" The potato called out, alerting the rest of the island's residents. Cuphead and Mugman stopped short when they came across a giant pink cake. White icing was layered around its circular rims. It encircled the top and bottom of the cake.
"Is it big enough boys?" Baroness Von Bon Bon asked as she came around the cake. The dress she was wearing was the same shade of pink as the cake. Her yellow eyes sparkled with pride at her creation. She happily twirled her pink and white candy cane in her right hand.
"Are you kidding? That will last us weeks!" Cuphead praised the candy queen. He then looked over to his brother. Mug's eyes sparkled with delight at his favorite dessert. "Or maybe not with Mugman around..." The young mug dove straight into the side of the cake. He dug his way up to the top of the cake, eating mouthfuls on his way. His mug popped out of the top, covered in pink and white cake pieces. Mugman kept grabbing handfuls of the sweet, sweet cake. It was so moist that it just came apart in his hands.
"I'll give you and the cake a moment!" Cuphead called up to Mugman, who was not even paying attention. Djimmi the orange genie approached the young cup.
"How would you like to see some of my new magic tricks?" The genie offered.
"That sounds great!" Cuphead cheered. Beppi the clown also approached.
"And how about a ride on my new roller coaster when you're done with the magic tricks?" The red and blue clown chuckled. "It's sure to make your liquid sizzle!"
"Golly, I'll make time for all of your tricks and treats!" Cup said with a big smile. He was eager to try everything that was presented to him from his new friends. Cuphead spent the afternoon talking to each of Inkwell Island's residents and trying out their games. Hours past, and before he knew it, evening fell upon the island. The young cup realized he had not seen his brother since that morning. He set off to find Mugman, asking each of the island's residents if they had seen him. And in which direction he went. To his surprise, many of the residents did not know his whereabouts. Luckily, Hilda Berg, the witch of the stars and moon, happened to have seen him.
"Mugman? I believe I saw him heading toward the fishing docks." Hilda told Cuphead. Her long pointy nose pointed in the same direction that her gloved hand did. "But that was about two hours ago." She added.
"Thanks Hilda." Cuphead said and set off in the direction in which she told him. The young cup came upon his brother. Mug was sitting on the wooden dock with his legs and feet dangling over the side. His mug rested in his gloved hands. He looked down into the water at his own reflection. It started to become blurry as the sun was starting to set. Mugman heard footsteps coming up behind him. He could tell it was his brother's from the speed and heaviness in their tone. Mug continued to stare into the water, not acknowledging Cuphead, who was now standing behind him.
"What are you doing out here, Mugs?" The cup questioned. "The party is back that way." He pointed inland. His brother still did not move or say a thing. "You eat too much cake or something?" Cup asked with a chuckle. Mugman still did not respond. The young cup started to worry about his brother. He sat down next to Mug.
"What's wrong Mugs?" Cuphead probed once again. But this time he did it with seriousness in his voice. Mug took a deep breath and then started to talk to his older brother.
"We told everyone that the Devil was defeated. That he won't bother us ever again.... But is that even true?" Mugman wondered aloud.
"Of course it is!" Cuphead answered firmly while making a fist of power. "The Devil would be crazy to step foot anywhere near us again!"
"But this is the Devil we're talking about here." Mugman interjected. He lifted his mug out of his hands and stared into Cuphead's eyes. "Sure, he was defeated. But that doesn't mean he can actually be killed. There's still a chance he will come back for us!" Mug gave his brother a worried look.
"Don't worry, Mugs. We defeated him once, and we'll do it again if we have to!" The cup said with confidence. "But don't worry about it now. We'll deal with it if and when the time comes. Right now, you should be enjoying yourself at this wonderful party!" Cuphead pointed back towards the island where music pounded and everyone celebrated. Mug looked back toward the party and then back to his brother.
"Maybe you're right, Cuphead." Mugman said with a smile growing on his face.
"That's the spirit!" The cup replied and quickly stood up. He held out a gloved hand to help his younger brother up. Mug happily accepted the offer for help.
"Come on, last one back's a leaky cup!" Cuphead teased and started running off. Mugman took off after his brother.
"If anyone's going to be a leaky cup, it will be you!" The young mug called up to his brother as a big smile grew on face. Despite the smile he put on for his brother and the rest of his friends, Mugman still felt a seed of dread growing inside him. The young mug feared that defeating a deity's mortal form would only anger it. That it would surely be back for revenge. The feeling pulled on his heartstrings and weighed him down. Unlike Cuphead, this feeling hung over Mugman like a dark cloud. Ready to open up and pour down within a moment's notice. Mug felt they had defeated the Devil by chance. Would they really be that lucky if the Devil showed up again? The young mug knew that their success was largely in part to the demon that had infected him. He hoped and prayed that his brother was right. That the tyranny of the Devil was truly over. Mugman wanted more than anything to believe that. He couldn't help but feeling that the Devil was planning his revenge at that exact moment. Mug could imagine the creature's brain thinking diabolical thoughts behind his wicked smile and piercing yellow eyes.