Cup, Mug, and Elder Kettle made their way back to the training grounds for round two of Mugman's sessions. The young mug could only hope that it would go better than the previous evening. That he could prevent himself from turning into his alter ego. Elder Kettle told Cuphead to stay well out of the way of his brother. To not interfere with the events that occurred within the cavern.
Mugman positioned himself in the middle of the rocky oval shaped field. The young mug took a deep breath and slowly let it out. It was his way of making himself calm. Well, as calm as he could be when about to fight creatures that he feared. The silent cave would no longer remain so in a moment. He watched as the lid was taken off the bottle. The blue liquid oozed out and formed the three mini devils. Each and every one of the purple creatures snarled at him with their fangs bared. They inched toward the mug, trying to get a reaction out of him. Fear is what they hoped for. It was what fueled them after all. To their surprise, Mugman stood confident.
An index finger pointed in their direction. Circular bluish-green rings spiraled toward the purple creatures. Mug watched as they predictably ducked the attack. Three sets of eyes shuffled closer to their prey. The child, however, stood comfortably, crossing his arms in front of his chest. A smirk of intelligence formed on his face. He watched as the rings circled back like boomerangs and crashed into the devils' furry hides. One of the creatures happened to evade the rain of roundabout shots. It lunged forward. Mugman saw this and acted accordingly. Five streams of red arrows emitted from a pointed index finger. The attack exploded on the remaining devil. It came crashing down face first to the floor, sliding right past the cup child.
Mugman knew they all would be back up for round two in a matter of seconds. The purple creature that had just lunged at him dragged itself back up. It charged with a purpose, having teeth and claws bared. Mug saw this and simply stepped out of the way. A single brown boot lifted up. The creature's eyes bulged out when it tripped over the child's foot. Its body tumbled forward and barreled into the other two devils that were attempting to get up. Mugman smiled in confidence at their defeat.
"Perhaps this is a bit too easy for you, Mugman." Elder Kettle noted. "How about we enhance the features that you fear the most about them?" There were so many features of the real Devil that chilled Mugman to the bone. Which ones to pick? Mug knew his tail always proved to be a problem. The teeth were like sharp knives that cut deep into its prey's skin. Mugman then realized what he truly feared the most though. Memories of the moment he was being crushed in the satanic creature's paw came back to him. The pain he had felt from its squeeze was unbearable. Mug had no doubt that the Devil would have put an end to him in two seconds flat if his brother had not interjected with a different idea.
"The things I fear most about them?" The young mug repeated. "That's easy: teeth, hands, and tails." Upon the child's words, these features were emphasized. One of the devils' teeth grew even larger. The second's tail grew much longer and thicker. It was so big that the creature had to get down on all four limbs to steady itself. The last one's hands grew into massive boxing glove weapons. They all chuckled in delight at their new weapons.
Oh boy...
Just stay calm, Mugman. He thought as he took a couple steps backward.
The cup child had to tell himself to stay calm as the purple creatures all stared down at him with his newfound fear, fueling them to their full potential. Mug watched as the devil with enlarged hands leapt forward. The large mitts came crashing downward. Mugman quickly jumped out of the way. Dust clouds danced into the air from the sheer force of the blow. A second creature emerged from the clouds with its new pair of chompers. The fangs clanged loudly as they attempted to crunch down on the child. Mugman gave a quick scream of panic as he backed away from the dangerous figment. Instinctively, he shot at the close-range enemy with his red spread shot. It hissed in pain and attempted to block the attack with its arms.
Mug stopped his assault abruptly when he saw a large spade heading his way. He gave another quick yelp as the tail crashed down right where he had been standing. Stumbling to safety, Mug had little time to catch his breath. For the third devil was right on him. It charged forward as a quadruped, swinging its oversized tail. The young mug avoided two powerful swoops of the appendage. A third strike caught him by the shoulder and mug. The flat part of the spade smacked the child up and away from the attacker. Mugman felt his body bounce off a boulder. Pain throbbed in his shoulder and back where it collided with the rock. His body wanted to collapse on the ground, but his mind told him that it was not a good idea. And for good reason.
The large handed devil attempted to strike at the cup child again. Two fists came down on the boulder as Mug rolled out of the way. The rock shattered beneath the power of the devil's might with a loud crunch. Mugman stood up to find the devil picking up handfuls of the debris. It threw them into the air before punching them in the child's direction. Mug acted quickly and protected his head with his arms. He muttered an "ow!" for each of the decent sized pebbles that ricocheted off his arms. Even though the stones were small, it still felt like he was being hit with a slingshot at close range. The long-fanged devil saw the mug was preoccupied and took advantage of this opportunity. It promptly ran over and pushed the cup child down to the ground. Mugman tried to hold the creature back as its fangs chomped and tried to get close to him. Gloved hands seized the fur on its chest.
"Get off!" The little mug roared as he kicked the fanged fuzzball off. Mug immediately pulled himself off the ground. For he knew they would all be coming after him with a fever. Just as expected, all three devils charged his way. Mugman had an idea on how to defeat them all at once. But that plan meant letting them come close.
"Wait for it..." He said to himself. His heart pounded faster and faster as they approached. Mug's body wanted to cower down and give up. But his mind said to stand strong and go through with the plan.
"Now!" Mugman shouted as the bodies came within mere feet from him. In a split second, the young mug released his powerful 8-way arrowhead attack. These large red arrows pierced the creatures' bodies. Each of the large fists received a pointed weapon to the meaty part of the hand. An arrow collided with a furry torso, and another to a devil's enlarged tail. Mug watched as all three purple creatures collapsed onto the ground. Smoke emanated from their injuries. The cup child took a couple deep breaths as he took in the sight of the defeated enemies. A smile came upon his face when he realized that he had just taken out these enhanced creatures. Feeling empowered, Mugman's hands confidently pressed against his hips.
"Ha! Is that all you've got?" He taunted the fallen devils with his mug held high and chest puffed out.
"Wow, Mugs! It's like you're not afraid of them anymore!" His brother praised his efforts.
"Well done, Mugs." Elder Kettle said with a smile. Mugman's smile grew even larger from the positive feedback. The three purple bodies dragged themselves up from the floor. Mug cocked his head to the side when he noticed their focus seemed to shift elsewhere. Their eyes locked onto a different cup this time. Cuphead's straw nearly jumped out of his head when the devils turned toward him.
"Whoa! I never said I was afraid of you!" The young cup gasped. And he didn't need to say anything. The fake devils could sense fear from anyone that was around. Their furry bodies started to close in on the other child.
Cuphead must be more afraid of them than me right now. Mug thought.
"S-stay away!" Cup hissed, pointing an index finger in their direction. He wanted to shoot at the devils. But try as he might, Cuphead could not get himself to fire anything at the opposing creatures. It was as if he had been glued to that one spot. Cup could not move or say a word.
"Elder Kettle! Call them off!" The young mug shouted to his grandfather.
"Stop! Cease! He's not a target!" The kettle bellowed. But the three purple beasts continued forward. Their harsh stares bore deeply into the cup's soul.
"Cuphead, get out of there!" Mug shouted in his direction. But his brother did not hear a word he said, for he had frozen up just like Mugman would. A large fist raised into the air above the cup child's head. The young mug heard the red straw rattle against his sibling's brim. It was then that Mug realized that Cuphead would not move. Brown boots pounded against the cavern floor as fast as they could go. Mugman ran and dove toward the young cup.
"You gotta move now!" The little mug cried out as he pushed him safely away from the fist that was crashing down. Cuphead landed on his bottom as he watched the hand crush down on his brother.
"Mugs!" He now gasped in shock. The large white mitt completely covered the little mug. Cuphead's eyes followed the hand as it started to lift up. Red pupils glowed from beneath the hand. Clawed hands lifted the balled-up fist high over its head. The young cup watched as his brother emerged from under the boxing glove as his alter ego. The mutated child panted heavily for a couple seconds before heaving the body up and over his mug. The purple body came crashing down into the cavern wall. Cup noticed a crack traveling down the right side of his brother's mug. It started at the brim and reached down next to the pointed end of the upper jaw. The other two devils still had their attention locked onto the red cup. Taking no notice of the transformed mug, they launched themselves toward the smaller child. Mugman charged a large roundabout shot at his pointed fingertips. This one was thick and dark blue. Blades formed around its outer edge, making it look like a sawblade.
You won't hurt my brother!
He tossed the magical weapon forward with both hands. It spun nearly a hundred times per second as it sped toward the purple bodies. The large-tailed creature caught sight of the object when it was in mid-air. With nowhere to go, the blue sawblade sliced it in half. Cuphead watched as the upper half separated from the lower part. Fake blood exploded over the cavern floor. The two cups watched as the powered-up shot started to turn back. It sliced through the other devil's neck. A bloodied and decapitated head fell to the ground with its enlarged jaws still open wide. The creature never knew what hit it. His attack quickly dissolved after taking out the two enemies.
Mug abruptly turned around when he heard the large-fisted fellow loudly pull its body out of the wall. He noticed that the creature's gaze was still on his brother. The mutated mug protectively stood in front of the smaller cup. Red pupils glowed brightly as the devil charged his way. Mugman summoned blue magic to his hands before running forward himself. His sleek body jumped between the two large fists. Coming head level with the creature, Mug's claws sliced through the devil's small neck. The agile mug landed on the other side of the monster with one knee bent up to his chest and the other leg stretched out behind him. His arms extended horizontally from his body with hands still glowing a dark blue. Yellow eyes shifted to look over its shoulder. As predicted, the purple creature immediately stopped. It stood there for a second with all three family members watching it carefully. The mini devil's head then rocketed high into the air, propelled by a geyser of its fake blood. It hit the ground the same time its body did. All three sliced up opponents transformed back into the liquid and retreated into the bottle that Kettle held. Elder Kettle had to tighten his grip on the bottle when they forcefully retreated from the mutated mug once again.
Phew...
Okay, thanks for the help. You can go back to your hiding spot now.
Mugman tried to talk to the demon as he stood up and the blue magic at his hands dissolved. He wanted to get across that it had served its purpose in protecting Cuphead, but now it was time to stop the rampage. The young mug felt its gaze lock onto Elder Kettle. A snarl bellowed between his tightly closed teeth.
What?! No! I said go back!
Mug panicked when he felt his body start to move toward his beloved grandfather.
S-Stop!
He forced his body to a stop. Cuphead and Elder Kettle watched as Mugman roared and seized its head with its hands. It was clear that the young mug's body was at war with itself.
I wish you could just tell me what you want!
Blooooooddd.....! A voice rang out in the little mug's head. It was dark and other-worldly. Like the voice that emitted from Cuphead's mutated body when it had possessed him.
So you can talk! Mug realized. That means you can understand me when I tell you to stop! ....but that's obviously not what you want.
I crave blood. It stated.
I think you've made that clear. But you can't destroy these two! Mugman silently yelled at the voice inside his head. For his brother and grandpa could not hear anything that was going on. All they knew was that Mug's body was thrashing around and making screeching noises. Cuphead rushed himself in between his sibling and the elderly kettle. The large glass body calmed down a bit when its yellow eyes locked onto the young cup.
I don't hurt Cuphead. The demon explained.
That's good. Mugman praised it. And I think I understand why. Cuphead is our friend.
What is a....friend? The dark voice asked, completely oblivious to what that word meant.
A friend is someone that you don't hurt. And they don't hurt you. They care for one another. He casually explained to the foreign species.
Care? I....don't understand. It admitted.
I can teach you how to care for others. Mug offered. His now calm body shifted its gaze back toward Elder Kettle. Mugman knew the demon felt hostility toward his guardian. He could feel the hate festering within him. Yet it was not his own hate.
Elder Kettle is also a friend. So you need to treat him like Cuphead and not hurt him! The young mug really stressed the "not hurt him" part.
But the kettle tries to hurt me! It hissed back. By your definition that is not a friend!
No! He doesn't hurt us. He's just trying to help us get along. Mug tried to shift the demon's point of view of his grandfather. But it was a stubborn creature that didn't take others' opinions well.
Fake enemies do not quench my thirst. The demon grumbled at its host.
Don't worry, I'm sure we can find some sort of solution for that. Mugman tried to be optimistic about this odd situation. The dark force moved the child's mug to look at its sibling once more. Cuphead stared at the tall mug standing before him. He and Kettle listened as the mug stood there making weird noises. They wondered what Mug and the demon were thinking. Was one bullying the other? Were they actually having a nice conversation? What did these sounds mean?
Can you help me show Cuphead that we're making progress? Mug politely asked his permanent guest.
How does that work?
Like this.The young mug then forced himself to smile. Cup flinched a little as the lower jaw separated from the upper jaw. The ends of his mouth curled upward. Mug tried to soften his eyes to get across that he was smiling.
What is this you're doing? It questioned.
I'm smiling. Came Mug's reply.
Smiling....?
Yeah. It's what you do when you're happy. He explained.
Oh! A metaphorical light bulb lit up for the demon. I smile all the time when I taste blood! Mugman wasn't sure how to respond to this comment. He stayed silent for a second before stuttering out some sort of positive feedback.
.....Yeah. That-that's good.
"Hey buddy!" Cuphead's voice beamed loudly. Mugman's eyes sparkled for real at the sound of his brother's voice. "Looks like you've calmed down by yourself. That's great! Can you make it the rest of the way?"
Cuphead's asking to have the regular me back. He told the darkness.
I know. Came its reply. He is....happy when it is just you. I can feel that.
With my help, you'll learn to feel a lot more.The little mug really hoped that he could teach the demon to be more than just a being of pure destruction. He talked to the foreign creature with much more confidence than he actually felt.
Ugh! I'm just going to put you back so I don't have to listen to all that nice talk anymore. The demon growled in annoyance.
Works for me. Mug replied.
With that, the cup child's body shrunk back to normal.
"You did it all by yourself, Mugs! I'm so proud of you!" Cup threw his arms around Mugman's neck. Mug simply met his embrace and put a humble smile on his face.
"If that's the case, then I think it's best that just Mugman and I come up here from now on." Kettle explained to the boys. The young cup immediately broke out of their tender moment and whipped back around.
"What?!" He gasped, not believing what he had just heard.
"If something like this happens again, you could get very hurt, Cuphead. You're lucky that your brother acted so quickly to save you." The elderly person pointed out.
"But-!" Cup started to argue. Kettle didn't let him get in any more words otherwise.
"It's for your own safety!" Elder Kettle snapped back. He had to be stern for the stubborn little cup to actually listen. Cuphead still wasn't buying that the absence of his presence was a good idea. He was desperate to get someone to see his side of the argument.
"H-how about a second opinion?" His cup whipped back around. "Mugman?"
"I'm sorry, Cup. But I have to agree with Elder Kettle on this one." Mug gave his honest answer. He watched as his sibling hung his head in sorrow. Kettle approached the boys as he made sure the lid was on the bottle good and tight.
"That's all for today." Their guardian concluded. "Mugs and I will start again tomorrow. Perhaps we can get the demon to trust me too." The young mug gave a silent gulp. For he knew exactly how the demon felt towards him. He just hoped that he would be able to control it well enough that the demon wouldn't lose its temper and take matters into its own hands. Because if that ever happened, Mugman would be helpless to do anything but watch as his guardian was shredded by his own hands.
"When we get home, we'll get that crack of yours taken care of." The kettle said to the mug.
"What crack?" Mug asked. He had been so hyped up on adrenaline that he didn't feel any pain from the wound.
"You've got a crack right here." Cuphead reached his gloved hand to his brother's mug. Two fingers ever so slightly touched the damaged chinaware.
"Ow!" Mugman winced and inched back from his brother's hand.
"Don't worry! I'll fix it for you, bro!" Cup assured him. The three of them shuffled their way down the mountain and towards their secluded home. All the while, Mugman hoped and prayed that the demon would take mercy on him that night. After all, they had just had a chat where it seemed it understood Mug's desire for peace among the family. Namely Cuphead, not so much the kettle just yet. It knew how to protect the young mug from external forces, so it only seemed fair to assume that it could keep a peaceful state of mind during the night. Why did it attack him in his dreams when they at least had an understanding of each other? This was a question that puzzled the young mug.