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cuptalecupheadxundertale · 2 years

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Chapter 3: Baby Bro :P

With smiles (the former relaxed and the latter with genuine happiness), Cuphead and Mugman were clapping their hands together at a near snail’s pace in a pattern while they recited together:

“Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker’s men! Bake me a cake as fast as you can! Roll it!” They rolled their fists in the air as if they were turning a bicycle pedal with their hands. “And pat it!” They patted their laps. “And mark it with a B!” They drew a B in the air in front of them. “And put it in the oven for baby and me!”

Cuphead started to smile more confidently. They clapped at a faster pace.

“Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake, baker’s-men! Bake me a cake as fast as you can! Roll it!” They rolled their hands. “And pat it!” They patted their laps. “And mark it with a-!”

“C!” Cuphead’s beaming smile stretched as he punched the sky.

“Hey!” Mugman’s smile surprised opened wide.

Cuphead giggled as he continued clapping. “And put it in the oven for-!”

“Cuppy and Me!” Mugman’s voice changed to toddler-like.

“Heey!” Cuphead said pretend-annoyed as his eyebrows scrunched.

They both giggled, and their claps got faster, harder, and overall more intense.

“Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake, Baker’s-men! Bake-me-a-cake-as-fast-as-you-can! Roll-it! And-pat-it! And-mark-with-a-!”

“M!” Beaming Mugman raised his fist, and Cuphead laughed at the same time.

“And put it in the oven for-!”

“Mugman, yeah him.” Cuphead rolled his eyes as he said with a dull voice.

“He-hey!” Mugman’s eyebags squeezed up his eyes as he giggled.

They clapped really fast and their voices were close to shouting. “Patacakepatacake!! Baker’smen!! Bakemeacake, as, fastasyoucan!! Rollit!!” They rolled their hands. “Andpatit!!” They patted each other’s laps. “Andmarkitwitha-!!”

“Uhh…” Cuphead looked at the corner of his eyes, and Mugman burst laughing.

“Andputintheovenfor-!”

Mugman gasped and his eyes widened. “FLOWEY!”

“And-!” Cuphead gasped and his head snapped looking at the direction behind him.

Looking across the long long pink hallway, Cuphead saw nothing else but the pillar closest to them and the occasional vines on the right-side wall. His eyebrows scrunched and his eyes paced left and right as he found it strange... and then he blinked in realization.

“Wait a minute…” Cuphead smirked and slowly turned his head to Mugman.

Mugman squeaked in fright and his eyes widened. “Really, I swear… I thought Flowey was…” His eyes searched the room but no one was in sight.

Cuphead placed his fists on his hips and kept his smirk. “What… ‘stalk’ing?” He raised an eyebrow.

Mugman’s eyes widened and he stared in surprise at Cuphead for a good few minutes… and then his mouth squiggled as he let out a snicker, and finally he unleashed a loud holler of bubbly laughter that echoed across the halls.

Covering his ears and shutting his eyes, Cuphead giggled from the sudden reaction of Mugman. He peeked an eye open. “Geez, you were really tickled by that pun.”

Mugman’s laugh calmed down into a snorty fit of laughter and he wiped a tear in his eye. “S-sorry! It was really…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “Blooming!”

Squeezing his eyes shut, Cuphead snickered into a loud gentle laugh, and soon after Mugman followed laughing in sync with his brother.

When they were done, the both of them sighed and looked at each other.

Mugman frowned and touched his index fingers together shyly. “B-but seriously, I thought I saw Flowey behind ya.”

Cuphead hummed with a smile on his face. “Well, if we’ve got each other it ain’t a problem.”

“Hey!” Mugman looked with concern. “We barely made it out clean back there. He… it was kinda strong.”

Cuphead snickered, noticing he changed ‘he’ to an ‘it’. “Hey, we beat the Devil, remember? If we face that pansy again we’d definitely beat that guy… thing.” Mugman snickered at this. “No matter how much we get our butts kicked.”

Mugman smiled and sighed in relief. “Okay. If ya say so.”

Cuphead tsked. “’If I say so.’” He said in a mock imitation of Mugman’s deep voice. “Ya gotta have more faith than that bro. Stop being such as baby bro.”

“Hey!” Mugman scrunched his eyes annoyed. “I’m the older bro now not you.” He folded his arms.

Cuphead giggled menacingly. “Weally? Zen wai r u whining wike one.”

With puffy cheeks, Mugman pouted and folded his arms, and Cuphead giggled. Suddenly, the phone was ringing from Mugman’s pocket and the boys’ eyes lit up attentively. Mugman picked up the phone, clicked a button that beeped as he did, and placed it on his ‘ear’.

“Hello?” Mugman answered.

“Hello Mugman! This is Toriel!” Her gentle happy voice answered.

Mugman smiled at Cuphead, and in reaction the latter smiled back and crawled closer to the phone on his brother’s ear.

“Hey Toriel! How are ya?” Mugman asked with a beaming smile.

“I’m well. Your kind question is appreciated my child! I called to tell you that I’m running a little late for my errands. You’re going to have to wait for five more minutes.”

“Oh!” Mugman’s smile faded a little. “Um, okay, we’ll wait!”

“Thank you my child! Be safe!” She said endearingly.

*BEEP!*

Mugman put back the phone in his pocket.

Cuphead yawned while patting his open mouth repeatedly. “Welp, now I’m bored.”

He laid on his back on the floor with his hands on the back of his head inside the loop of his cup handle. With a smile, Mugman laid beside Cuphead.

“Well, let’s keep playin’ pat-a-cake then!” Mugman raised his hands to his chest.

“Pfft! No way!” Cuphead rolled his bored eyes as he flicked his hand down. “That game’s for babies. Like you Muggy!” With a teasing smirk, he booped Mugman’s big nose, and the latter’s goofy intersecting pupils looked at it.

“Hey!” Annoyed, Mugman swatted away Cuphead’s wrist and the latter giggled in reaction. “Why’d ya play it with me then huh?” He folded his arms.

“Well duh, I like makin’ my baby bro happy. Boop!” With a wink, Cuphead pressed Mugman’s noise.

Still folding his arms, Mugman grunted and turned away from Cuphead. “I’m not a baby!”

Cuphead giggled. “Yeah you are.” He pulled his brother by the shoulder bringing him close that their heads clinked. “I mean come on! I give ya the big bro card and all the fun ya could think of was Pat-a-cake?”

“Hey!” Mugman glared a little offended. “It’s a fun game!”

“H-yeah… for sippy cups.” Cuphead rolled his eyes. “Ya coulda thought about ‘Mercy’” With a villainous smile he clawed his hand, as if he were holding Mugman’s hand and painfully squeezing it until he cried for ‘Mercy’.

Mugman gritted his teeth in worried fright. “Too painful.”

Cuphead tsked. “Thumb Wrestling?” Cuphead closed his fist and pressed his thumb in the air as if he were trying to pin down an opposing thumb.

Mugman cringed. “Pretty much the same.”

Cuphead snickered. “Wimp.”

Mugman grunted and tightened his fists.

“Tag?” Cuphead raised an eyebrow as he pushed his brother’s shoulder a little roughly.

Mugman looked around mumbling nervously. “There’s not much room here to run to.” He touched his index fingers together.

Cuphead sighed. “Welp, at least I got one fun game that we can play.”

Mugman smiled and his eyes brightened. “What is it what is it?”

“Boop!” With a big goofy smile Cuphead booped the center of Mugman’s big nose and the latter’s goofy pupils looked at it.

Cuphead laughed while Mugman grumbled and tightened his fists annoyed. Mugman picked up the phone from his pocket, dialed it, and put it on his non-existential ear.

RING… RING… RI-

“Hello! This is Toriel!” Her sweet voice answered.

“Hey Toriel. Are ya comin back yet?” He asked eagerly.

“Just a few more minutes my child. Are you bored?” Toriel with happy casual concern.

Mugman groaned. “Cuphead has turned my nose itno a push button.”

With a mischievous and happy smile on his face as he laid cuphead-rim-to-mughead-rim next to Mugman, Cuphead pushed his brother’s nose using his index finger while playfully saying “Boop!” and again “Boop!” and again “Boop!” all while Mugman watched with an annoyed stare without doing anything to stop it.

Toriel giggled. “I’ll be back before he makes blueberry puree of your nose my child. Oh-!”

*BEEP!*

Mugman squeaked, his mouth scrunched, and his cheeks blushed red. Eyes popping, He looked furiously at the phone. “MY NOSE IS NOT A BLUEBERRY!!”

Pupils shrunk. Teeth biting his lower lip while snickering. Tummy trembling as he snickered. Cuphead unleashed a large holler of laughter from his Pacman-like open wide mouth towards Mugman’s face; his uvula was visibly wagging. Head shivering due to the tremoring shockwave vibrations of Cuphead’s holler of cackling, Mugman on other hand was twitching his eyes in annoyance. Cuphead’s laughter turned into a big heave of air.

Mugman looked at Cuphead with the former’s watery eyes trembling, his milk boiling, and his breath heaving. “CUPHEEEAAAAAD!!”

Cuphead laughed pointing his finger at Mugman. “SHE CALLED YA A BLUEBERRY NOSE!!” He kept cackling while hugging his stomach.

Milk steaming from his head, Mugman grunted and gripped both his fists very tightly as he glared angrily with tear-flowing eyes back at Cuphead. “Sssstoooop!...” His face flushed redder.

Cuphead wiped a tear. “Ya know why-!” He snickered. “Yer nose is called ‘Blueberry’?”

Mugman’s eye twitched in annoyance. “Cuphead no!”

“Aw come on!” With a sly and confident smile, Cuphead wrapped his arm around Mugman’s shoulders while clinking his head on Mugman. “I know how much you love punny puns.”

A few seconds of pausing happened with happy Cuphead and irritated Mugman staring at each other... until Mugman’s mouth broke into a few giggles but more tears came out of his eyes.

“Ahh! You giggled bro.” Cuphead winked and pointed his finger while he pressed his cheek against his giggling brother’s.

“I-hi did! I did!” Mugman giggled, and then grunted in regret. “And I hate it when ya do that when I’m still mad.”

“Bro, she was just teasin’ ya!” Cuphead splayed his hand in explanation. “Don’t be mad if she likes havin’ fun with ya and yer chic magnet asset.” He booped Mugman’s nose.

Mugman gave a few seconds to look at the finger that booped his blue nose, his so-called chic magnet asset, and then looked at Cuphead. “Okay, what were ya talkin’ about?”

Cuphead giggled. “Ya know why yer nose…” He booped Mugman’s nose. “Is called a blue-” he booped again. “Berry?” And again.

Mugman bubbly giggled. “Wh-hat?”

“Because it’s Blue!” With a big beaming smile, Cuphead booped Mugman’s nose. “Berry much!” He playfully pushed and wiggled the center of Mugman’s nose.

Mugman and Cuphead broke into their respective snorty and hiccupy laughters.

The phone rang from Mugman’s pocket again, and Mugman answered.

“Hello?”

‘BARK! BARK!’ A puppy squeaked over the phone.

In a surprised and confused frown, Mugman glared at the phone.

Noticing Mugman’s reaction, Cuphead snickered. “What’s up?”

With a confused eye twitch, Mugman looked at Cuphead while pointing at the phone. “There’s a…” Suddenly, an idea popped into his head and his eyes widened as it did. Then, he smirked. “I… think it’s for you.” Mugman reached the phone to Cuphead.

Cuphead smiled while raising an eyebrow in suspicion. He took the phone and placed it on his ‘ear’.

‘BARK! BARK!’ The same puppy squeaked again.

“What!” Cuphead yelled with his head leaning away from the phone, eye pupils shrunken and looking at the phone, and his smile beaming.

Mugman let out a holler of snorty laughter.

Cuphead splayed his hands, one of them holding the phone. “What happened?!” His voice squeaked as if he was going to laugh.

“I literally just answered it and that puppy was on the other end!” Mugman pointed his finger at the phone.

Cuphead snickered. “Did Toriel become a dog??”

“Stop, please!” The phone trembled as the gentle but demanding voice of Toriel spoke.

The brothers gasped and then brought their heads closer to the phone.

“Come back here with my CELLHPONE!!” Toriel yelled.

The phone beeped, ending the phone call altogether.

Looking at the phone, Cuphead and Mugman cringed; the former had a slight smile while the latter was biting his lower lip worried.

“Should we help her?” Mugman looked at Cuphead.

“Nah!” With a confident smile, Cuphead flicked his hand downwards. “She’ll be fi-!!” His eyes widened, his mouth formed an ‘o’, his bendy red-striped straw straightened and an imaginary lightbulb popped out with a ‘ding!’ at the top like it was an idea. Slowly, his smile turned into a wide mischievous grin.

In confusion and worry about Cuphead’s idea (knowing it wasn’t a good one), Mugman raised an eyebrow.

Cuphead’s straw turned back to normal. “Ya know…” He looked at the corner of his eyes and tabbed his tinking chin three times. “Now that I think about it, I think that’s a grrrrreat idea bro!” He swung his fist in front of his chest and winked. “We definitely sssshould help her!”

Mugman’s cheeks cringed up and his shoulders tensed as he got the natural ‘Cuphead’s got a bad idea’ sense. “Okay… I still don’t see what you see innit, but yeah!” He smiled brightly. “We should definitely get out there and-!” His eyes shot wide open, and his pupils shrunk at the same time. “Get out there… And… get… out… Ohhhhh…” He frowned.

Lower lip biting, grin stretching even wider, Cuphead snickered into a noticeably loud giggle as he enjoyed Mugman’s entire reaction.

One end of Mugman’s lip twitched, and he nervously chuckled. “A-actually… I think yer right…” Sweat dropped beside Mugman’s eye. “Sh-she’s probably-! I-I mean I’m sure sh-she’s just fine, l-like ya said!”

Looking at the upper corner of his eyes, Cuphead hummed in thought. “I dunnnooo broo…” He tilted his head down towards Mugman while looking at him, and the latter’s mouth squiggled and backed off a bit in nervous reaction. “She sounds like she’s in trouuubuhhhhle!” He sang a tune in ‘trouuubuhhle’.

Mugman shivered. “Th-then we should go find her and-!” As he noticed what he said, he shrieked and grasped the rims of his own nerve-wrecked trembling head.

Cuphead cackled. “But Mugs! You remember what Toriel-!”

Mugman growled and grabbed his nerve-wrecked trembling head. “I KNOW I KNOW!!” He grabbed Cuphead’s shoulders and pulled him nose-to-nose. “YOU’RE NOT HELPING!!” His furious bloodshot eyes stared into laughing Cuphead’s shrunken pupils trembling with thrill; Mugman’s nose was towering over Cuphead’s tiny nose mimicking how Mugman is towering over bending-back Cuphead.

Cuphead giggled. “Yes I am. I’m-!”

“YOU’RE-!” Mugman furiously squished his nose against Mugman’s nose and pushed his face so his bloodshot eyes closer to Cuphead’s eyes.

“Helping you get in trouble!” Cuphead said at the same time.

“HELPING ME GET IN TROUBLE!” Mugman said at the same time.

As they continued staring into each other’s eyes and squishing their noses against each other, Mugman’s eyes paled and he frowned in shock, while Cuphead bubbly giggled.

“Jinx!” Cuphead leaned his head back and booped Mugman’s nose with his finger. “You owe me a hotdog bro.” He winked.

Furiously growling, Mugman let his bubbly brother fall to the floor and then folded his arms grunting. Then his head straw straightened with an imaginary lightbulb popping out of it, he smiled, and he snapped his right finger as he dashed it across his chest. He pointed his finger at Cuphead. “You talk to it!!”

“Wh-hat?!” Cuphead raised an eyebrow and giggled.

“Yeah!” Mugman picked up the phone from his pocket and brought it closer to Cuphead. “I mean ya basically know how to bark like a dog, especially since you love hotdogs!”

Cuphead snickered. “Uhh, not sure if you were trying to make a pun…” He giggled. “Or you’re serious and ya dunno how that works.”

“Come on bro!” Smiling, Mugman splayed his hands, one of them holding the phone. “Just bark at the puppy! It’ll probably get distracted and Toriel can get his phone back!” Mugman beamed.

After listening to the idea, Cuphead stretched his beaming smile even more, and his cheeks were squinting his eyes. He giggled and then snatched the phone from Muman “Gimme that!”

Cuphead and Mugman giggled together.

Cuphead dialed on the phone and put it on his ear. They both waited in giggly excitement as the phone rang.

The phone was answered to the sound of a puppy that was snoring and humming sweetly over the phone.

“Hellooo?” A distant voice of a motherly woman called. “Little puppy…? Where are you…? I will give you a nice pat on the head!”

As she said this, the puppy stopped snoring.

“… if you return my CELLPHONE!” She yelled at the ending word.

As she said that, the puppy continued to snore.

Cuphead took a big inhale… and BARKED LIKE A PUPPY SEVERAL TIMES!

On the other end, the white puppy jumped up in fright, and then barked back at the phone on the floor repeatedly.

Cuphead laughed. “It barked back!” He pointed to the phone as he happily looked at Mugman.

“Ooooohhh!!” Mugman shook his fists in excitement. “Let’s bark at it together!”

In sync, Cuphead and Mugman were puppy barking at the phone, and the puppy was barking back with equal intensity.

“Ah! There you are!” Toriel’s close voice said from the phone.

Over the phone, the puppy began to bark even faster as if it were towards Toriel.

“OH MY GOODNESS! BAD DOG! YOU DO NOT BARK AT A WOMAN WHO IS TRYING TO GET HER PHONE BA-!” Toriel gasped. “NO!! COME BACK HERE WITH MY Cell…” Her voice was getting farther away.

Both their eyes on the phone, Mugman stared in horror while Cuphead just cheekily, beamingly, and mischievously smiled at the former.

“Well… looks like your plan went… ‘arf’ of hand buddy.” Cuphead’s smile stretched even wider.

Furious blood-stricken eyes with shrunken pupils. Milk boiling. Gripped fists trembling. Mugman glared and growled at Cuphead. His furious eyes turned to the exit of the room in front of them and they melted into watery worry, his fists released, and his lips pursed while he whimpered.

Still with a big beaming smile on his face, Cuphead teasingly and mischievously scooted closer to the sad Mugman and buddy hugged him. Mugman glared back, his milk starting to boil again.

Cuphead sighed and pretend frowned. “I dunno buddy. It looks like you and I are gonna be spending the rest of your lives….” His eyes rolled to one corner. “Waiting for Toriel…” He moved them to another corner. “Eating vine leaves… for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…” His eyes fixated back at Mugman. “But hey!” He smiled.

Mugman flared out an exhale. “Bro, stop that!”

“At least we’ve got each other!” With a big smile, Cuphead clinked their heads together.

“Bro, stop stealing my lines I get it!” Mugman’s milk boiled and he was gripping his fists.

“We can keep playing that game you like baby bro!” Cuphead pinched Mugman’s cheek.

“Cupheaaad!” Mugman growled as his face started to puff like a pufferfish and blush.

“And best of all, I can keep booping your nose whenevah I want.” Cuphead positioned his index finger in front of Mugman’s big blue nose while the latter’s furious eyes focused on it. “Boop!!” Cuphead pressed his brother’s nose and Mugman squeezed his eyes shut as he received it.

Fists trembling, eyes twitching with fury, body trembling, mouth scrunching, milk boiling, Mugman stared at the exit across him.

Meanwhile, Cuphead hugged Mugman with a clink, and breathed in as he felt a sudden warmth. “Aaaah! A warm hug, deserves a warm mug. Or wait… was it the other way around? Awarmmugdeservesawarmhug… hmmm, I dunno.” He shrugged his shoulders carefree.

Mugman’s cheeks puffed, he closed-mouth screamed, his milk boiled faster, and his face turned completely red… until he paused… and then made a long exhale which brought his entire self back to normal.

“Alright!” Mugman held his head up and placed his fists on his hips. “Come on buddy!” Mugman grabbed Cuphead’s hand, stood up, and started walking towards the exit.

“Hey!” Cuphead said with a pretend-surprised smile. “Where’re ya goin buddy?” He raised an eyebrow.

“What’s it look like?” Mugman looked at Cuphead with determined eyes. “We’re goin’ tuh find Toriel and help huh (her)” He pointed towards the exit as they walked towards it.

“But Bro!” Cuphead squeaked as he rooted his heels to the ground that started to screech as they slid while Mugman kept walking. “Toriel said that should stay put! Wouldn’t ya…” With a mischievous grin, he leaned his head forward. “Get us in trroouble?”

Mugman’s mouth squiggled as he listened, and he started to sweat as he looked back at his brother. Then he turned his head to the direction of the exit, and found that he was one-step away from exiting the room.

Closing his eyes, Mugman took a big inhale. “We’re not going into trouble.”

Cuphead’s eyes widened a bit as he felt a certain familiarity in that line.

Mugman turned his head around and smiled with confidence at Cuphead. “We’re goin’ to adventuh!”

Cuphead’s sparkled and he gasped very very slowly at Mugman, and the latter just grinned at his brother’s reaction. Mugman looked to the exit, took a step forward, and…

RING! RING!

From his right pocket, Mugman picked up the CELLPHONE and answered it.

“Hello?” Mugman greeted with concern.

“Hello?! Hello?!” Toriel sighed in relief. “Thank goodness you’re alright.”

“Hey Toriel!” Mugman smiled. “Are you alright? What happened?”

“Well, a strange white puppy kidnapped my phone… but before that, it also took my bag of flour.” Toriel said.

“Wh-hat?!” Mugman smiled and raised an eyebrow.

“What’s she sayin?” Smiling, Cuphead went over to Mugman’s side close to the phone.

With a smile, Mugman moved the phone closer to Cuphead. “She said some small white puppy stole her phone AND a bag of flour.”

“OHHH!” Cuphead giggled and yanked the phone closer to him, which Mugman didn’t mind. “We were barking at it!”

“Ahh! That explains the puppy barking at the phone earlier.” Toriel chuckled and then sighed wishfully. “If only I had been quicker I would’ve properly snatched it right back.”

“Ehh.” Cuphead shrugged his shoulders. “Ya win some ya lose some.”

Mugman hummed in confusion. “Why does she have a bag of flour?”

On Toriel’s side, she is staring into space in silence, shocked at Mugman’s suspicion. Then to shrug it off, she smiled at the phone. “I see you are sharing the CELLPHONE I gave you.”

“Oh yes!” Cuphead and Mugman said in sync; on their side they are both leaning their non-existent ears close to the phone.

“And you are both well-behaved!” Her voice spoke from the phone.

“Yeah!” The boys said in sync again with big smiles.

“I guess…” Cuphead interjected while slyly looking away.

Mugman snickered at Cuphead’s reaction.

“And you are both still in the same room!” Toriel said sprightly.

“Still in the same room… room… room…” The words echoed into Mugman’s head for a bit… and then his eyes bugged out, and his frown opened slowly as he started to gasp very slowly. Meanwhile, Cuphead’s smile gradually grew even bigger up to his cheeks as his eyes watching Mugman’s reaction gradually narrowed.

“Hello?” Toriel called. “Are you still there my children?”

Cuphead yoinked the phone out of pale-eyed jaw-dropped Mugman. “Yeah Toriel, we’re still in the room!”

Unmoving, Mugman’s eyes slid to his right staring in horror at Cuphead and squeaked in shock noticing his lie.

Toriel sighed. “That’s a relief. You are such good children!!”

“Good children! Good children! Good children!” Toriel’s voice echoed through Mugman’s thoughts and his squeaky gasping turned into dreadful moaning, while Cuphead’s snickering turned into giggling.

“So good, that you deserve three stars!... If I can give you that is.” Toriel sighed wishfully. “Especially you Mugman, I know how much you love puzzles, but they would be too dangerous to solve them by yourself.”

Cuphead giggled and patted Mugman’s shoulder. “Yeah! They would be too dangerous for ya… baby bro.” He clinked his head against Mugman’s.

Glaring at his brother, Mugman growled, tightening his fists while his milk boiled.

“Thank you so much for being so very patient my dear children. Just wait a bit longer. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Be good, alright?” Toriel said.

“Okay! Bye Toriel!” Cuphead ended the call with a beep and put the phone in his pcoekt. Then he squealed in excitement while looking at horrified Mugman and hugged him.

“I…” Mugman’s squeaky voice spoke in horror. “I did a bad thing…”

“I know!!!” Cuphead cuddled Mugman’s face. “You make so proud bro I love you!” He beamed.

Moaning, groaning, Mugman just slowly curled himself into a ball on the floor and cried while smiley “wheeee!” cheering Cuphead kept hugging as he was brought along to the floor.

Cuphead leaned closer to Mugman’s non-existent ear. “Welcome to the dark side buddy.”

Mugman curled even further into his ball just cried, and Cuphead just cuddled him. In the midst of his crying, Mugman roared and roughly pushed Cuphead away.

“Hey!” Cuphead glared at Mugman and then rolled his eyes. “Fine. Be that way.”

Cuphead stood up, looked forward, and then gasped. About five feet away across the exit, a bed row of red leaves laid and glimmered in golden sparkles to the eyes of Cuphead. As he looked at them, his eyes glimmered with golden sparkles too. In such beaming excitement he jumped to the air, ran midair pedaling his feet in place three times and then dashed diving to the bed of red leaves. He bubbly laughed as he rolled around, spread his arms and legs and waved them on the leaves as if he were making a leaf angel.

Meanwhile, Mugman was still sobbing miserably trying to curl deeper into his ball; he made a puddle of tears next to him.

Cuphead popped his head out of the leaves like a party popper with leaves for confetti and looked at the miserable Mugman next to the tear puddle. “Come on bro! Adventaaaaahhhh!!” He whispered the last word loudly as he made threw a rainbow curve of red leaves above his head.

Mugman moaned and cried even louder.

With a goofy giggle, Cuphead scooped up a pile of leaves into his arms, and stretched his arms like a cartoon about three feet longer over to Mugman. “Adventah!” He whispered loudly as he dumped the pile of leaves onto Mugman’s head.

Mugman groaned irritated and his blue eyes visibly glared through the gaps between the leaves back at Cuphead. Cuphead’s hands, which were still stretched out, picked up a handful of leaves from the leaf pile on Mugman’s head and loudly whispered “Adventuhhhh!!!” while he sprinkled leaves three times on the floor making a trail that led to himself.

With a blank stare at his brother, Mugman pushed himself up a little, letting the remaining bundle of leaves fall off his face and some on his head milk.

Cuphead scooped up a bundle of leaves into his arms and then threw them up while spreading his arms to make rainbow shaped leaves and opening his mouth wide letting them fall into his throat, which he choked on and coughed out by punching his chest. He stared awkwardly at Mugman, and then suddenly spread his arms while smiling confidently and said “Adventuh!!”

Stubbornly, a smile crept up to Mugman’s face, and he couldn’t help but snicker into a giggle. Cuphead smiled more mischievously as he caught Mugman smiling.

Mugman pushed himself up and ran towards Cuphead tackling him down as they both bubbly laughed in the rustling leaves.

Mugman sighed. “Well, no going back now I guess…” He scratched the back of his head.

“A-hand miss out on all the fun?” Cuphead raised an eyebrow and folded his arms with a snarky smile.

Mugman brought out a shy but happy smile. “N-nah.” He giggled sheepishly.

“Then raise your right hand and accept your initiation.” Cuphead raised his right hand and knelt properly.

Mugman raised an eyebrow. “Initiation?”

“Yeah!” Cuphead beamed. “I mean, no matter what, yer stickin with me!” He pointed his thumb to himself. “And ya might as well take in the spirit of adventah with ya and not be some stick in the mud!”

“Hey!” Mugman glared and smiled at this conclusion. “I’m just-!”

“Yeah I know, I know Mugs.” Cuphead pushed his ‘chill out’ hands. “It’s how ya bail us out every time, but ya also gotta enjoy life tuh the fullest, ya know what I mean bud?”

With a shy smile, Mugman looked at the corner of his eyes understanding Cuphead’s point of view, and then nodded with a big smile.

“Then, raise yer right hand!” Cuphead said raising his voice as he raised his right hand.

With a beaming and giggling smile, Mugman raised his right hand.

“I, (state your full name)”. Cuphead held his head proud.

Mugman chuckled. “I, Mugman…” His eyes shifted left and right while his right cheek gradually cringed up in confusion. “Kettle?”

Cuphead’s eyes widened, his smiley mouth gaped open, and then he let out a snickering laugh.

Mugman giggled and blushed a little. “Th-that was a guess…” He began to touch his fingers shyly.

Cuphead heaved. “Are ya sayin’ grandpa’s first name was Elder?” He, and Mugman, laughed out loud. “Like when he was a baby people called him ‘Baby Elder’?”

Cuphead and Mugman hollered in laughter.

“Well…” Mugman looked at the corner of his eyes. “Didn’t people used to call me baby MugMan?” He smiled with his right cheek cringed as he thought it was a bad pun.

“Ahhh, good point good point.” Cuphead nodded. “But which one are you??”

Mugman just raised his shoulders smiling shyly and they both just laughed.

“So…” Mugman raised an eyebrow and looked to his right. “Am I gonna repeat everythin’ ya just said or are ya?... ya know.” He shyly pointed a finger at Cuphead as if he was hinting ‘say something else’.

Cuphead’s mouth ‘o’ed in realization and then grinned mischievously with his eyes narrowed at Mugman.

Smiling and widening his eyes, Mugman moaned while his arms shivered in fluster. “Cupheeaaaaadd!” He sighed. “Me and my big wit.” He said while looking at the lower corner of his eyes.

Cuphead laughed, and then raised his right hand. “I, Cuphead Kettle.” He winked twice.

They both giggled.

“I, Mugman Kettle.” Mugman raised his right hand.

“Promise to risk my life, including gambling my soul, facing meanies and monsters, and getting my butt kicked all for the sake of fun and adventuah!” He looked back at Mugman with a big smile on his face.

Eyes twitching in tension, shoulders shuddering, and frowning, Mugman looked back at Cuphead quite scared. “Nnnnoooo?”

“Uh-uh Mugs.” Cuphead shook his head. “The spirit of ‘Adventahh!’” He said ‘Adventahh’ in a loud whispering voice while sprinkling leaves on himself. “Compels ya to say yes without hesitation.”

“Bro, I’m pretty sure that if we didn’t fall to the underground we would’a went flyin’ in space with Hilda and Djimmi.” Mugman shrugged his shoulders.

Cuphead hummed and tapped his tinking chin. “Yyyeahhh… but we wouldn’ have met Toriel.”

Mugman groaned. “True but…” He sighed and splayed his explaining hands. “Look, I just got a better reason, can ya just hear me out?” He smiled sheepishly.

With a smile, Cuphead huffed and folded his arms. “Alright, but I don’t see what’s bettah.”

“Well…” Mugman touched his index fingers together. “I’d do it ‘cause… I’d be with my bro.”

Cuphead’s eyes widened and he felt a warm hug wrap around the little heart in his chest.

Mugman raised an eyebrow. “What? It’s always an adventah with my best buddy around.” He blushed a little and touched his index fingers together.

Cuphead smiled endearingly and then rolled his eyes. “Why do ya always have tuh make things icky?”

Starting with a hum, Mugman giggled while his eyes looked down.

Cuphead sighed. “Alright alright.” He cleared his throat. “I, Mugman Kettle, promise to… whatever icky thing ya said.”

Mugman laughed. “Be a true bro to my bro.”

Cuphead’s smile squiggled and his eyes started to water. He inhaled. “All for the sake of fun and adventah.” He scooped up a bunch of leaves and raised it above Mugman’s head.

Mugman giggled. “All for the sake of fun and adventah.” He closed his eyes as he let the leaves sprinkle into his head milk like cereal. He then opened his eyes to Cuphead. “And…” He held out his hand. “Our cupbrohood.”

Cuphead’s squiggly smile widened to the point the ends of his mouth almost touched his squinting eyes. Tears started to pour down from his face. “And…” He sniffled. “Our cupbrohood…” He took Mugman’s hand.

All of a sudden, a yellow star between their hands sparkled only for an instant and the brothers gasped as they noticed.

“Whoa! What was that?!” Mugman’s mouth ‘o’ed in surprise.

“It’s…” Still with his squiggly smile, Cuphead sniffled and his eyes watered even more. “It’s the power of our cupbrohood.”

Mugman gasped and his eyes started to water, his shiny affectionate slightly shivering pupils started to enlarge, and he locked eyes with Cuphead who was looking back with the same matching enlarged shiny affectionate slightly shivering pupils. They looked at each other, their mouths started to tremble, and so did their arms wanting a hug.

“AUUUGGH!!” Cuphead grabbed the rims of his cup head. “I CAN’T TAKE IT C’MERE!” He spread his arms wide inviting a hug.

They both tackled each other into a growly bear hug like ‘MMMMMMMMRRRRRRMMMmmmm!!” and they roughly cradled each other.

“Just… don’t. Say. The L-word.” Cuphead said while squeezing his eyes shut.

Mugman squeezed his eyes shut too and tightened his hug. “I love you bro.”

“EAUHEAUGHEAUGHEAUGHEAGH!!!” Cuphead yelled.

Mugman snorted into bubbly laughter, keeping his chin stable on Cuphead’s shoulder while Cuphead just kept on making funny vomiting noises.

Suddenly a frog-like monster hopped close, and Cuphead and Mugman gasped while they flinched away from the frog while looking at it side-by-side, without breaking their hug.

*RIBBIT!* The frog-like monster stared at the two with all of its four eyes; two on its head, and two on its abdomen which kept rolling its pupils around.

The hearts on Cuphead and Mugman’s chests started to visibly glow from within, and the boys gasped as they noticed.

“Whoa! Okay uhh, heyya fella!” Cuphead waved a hand at the frog-like monster and then looked at Mugman. “Say hi bro.” He shook Mugman’s shoulder.

Mugman chuckled nervously and waved a hand. “Hey uh… Ribbey and Croaks’ cuzin lookalike… sir.”

The frog-like monster squeaked in alarm, then scrunched its eyebrows in anger, and then hopped towards the boys, who then screamed and scrambled out of the way. On opposite sides, Mugman and Cuphead turned around to see the frog monster standing and sticking onto the wall. It looked to its left eyeing at Mugman, who shivered as he was noticed. The frog leapt to Mugman and the latter screamed and trembled while his straw turned into an exclamation point. Then, Mugman dashed to the right where Cuphead was, leaving behind a white dust cloud that the frog monster leapt through.

Mugman scrambled to a stand by Cuphead who watched him in worry. After landing on the spot where Mugman left a dust cloud, the frog monster hop-turned towards the boys and croaked his mouth open, unleashing a small swarm of four or five flies flying towards the boys. The boys screamed in alarm with their bodies shivering and their straws turning into exclamation points. They ducked the flies to the point that their chins almost touched the ground, but the flies stopped, and then flew back towards the boys’ behinds.

“YEOW!” Cuphead and Mugman leapt to the air covering their bitten bums.

“ALRIGHT THAT’S IT!” Cuphead hastily landed on his feet, dashed to the frog monster and pointed his finger right in front of frog monster towards his face and it squeaked in shock. “YA TRY THAT AGAIN AND I’LL BLOW YOUR FACE UP!!” Cuphead looked at the frog monster furiously.

The frog was trembling, its mouth more squiggled, and its eyes was quickly shifting between Cuphead and his glowing blue finger gun.

At first, Mugman’s eyes were stern and angry, but then they creased into concern. “Whoa, whoa!” He ran over to Cuphead’s side and gently pushed Cuphead’s finger gun down, and then stepped towards the frog with open arms. “Heya chum, ya look kinda shaken there. You okay?”

Trembling, the frog looked at Mugman’s hands, then at his kind smile, then switched back and forth.

Watching his brother, Cuphead released his glowing finger gun and smiled.

“C’mere froggy buddy.” Mugman wiggled his ‘come here’ fingers twice.

The frog croaked and scrunched its eyebrows. “I am not a froggy buddy!” Its rough and croaky voice spoke.

Cuphead and Mugman’s eyes widened, and they leaned their heads back.

“Oh-kay?” Mugman slid his eyes at Cuphead who snickered. “That was anti-climactic.”

He leaned in next to Mugman’s shoulder, cupped his left hand like a megaphone to his mouth, and said “Shut down!”

Mugman grumbled as he glared annoyed at Cuphead who giggled back in reaction.

“And I-!” The frog placed one of its webbed feet on its chest and it made a croak. “Am not a Ribbey or a Croak! I am a Froggit!” The Froggit slammed down its foot to the floor and made a croak again. “Don’t you humans know it’s rude to call people names when-!” It made a croak again. “You haven’t even asked?!” It croaked again.

“Oh…” Mugman covered his mouth in realization, but then he lowered his hand and smiled. “Sorry there Mr. Froggit.”

“Hey!” Cuphead put his fists on his hips. “That ain’t an excuse to be attackin’ us like that. That kinda hurt.” He rubbed his bottom a bit.

From an angry glare, The Froggit’s eyes creased and it croaked gently. “I am terribly sorry boys. There’s some candy beyond that door over there.” It nudged its head to its upper left towards the dark tall doorway a few distance behind itself. “As a token of my apologies.”

Cuphead and Mugman gasped with starry eyes staring at the doorway. “CANDY?!” Their salivating tongues stuck out splattering spit in random circular directions.

Mugman’s stomach grumbled very loudly, and both of them looked at it in surprise.

Looking at Mugman, Cuphead giggled. “C’mon!!” He took the hand of happy Mugman and they ran through the doorway together.

Inside, between two rivers flowing next to the ends of the side walls, stood a short Greek pillar that had a gray bowl of glossy sparkly rainbow-colorful jellybeans. The boys’ pupils glimmered and reflected the bowl of rainbow jellybeans. They licked their lips with their giant ‘Scooby-Doo’ tongues, and then dashed to the bowl leaving two white clouds of smoke.

They eached grabbed two fistfuls of candy and began munching on them with loud “AMMNAMNAMNAM!” noises; Mugman was alternating his munches between the candy on his left and right hands, while Cuphead was shooting balls of candy into his open-wide mouth like they were basketballs and clamped his mouth shut whenever he shot one in.

With closed eyes and a big closed-mouth smile, Cuphead rubbed his belly and licked his lips at the taste of the delicious candy. He poised his hands to grab more, when suddenly Mugman swiped the bowl for himself.

“Hey!” With scrunched eyebrows, Cuphead glared at Mugman.

Like a ‘cha-ching’ chiming cash register, Mugman’s jaw dropped three-times-lower than a human mouth possibly could, and began to pour the entire bowl of candy to his open mouth.

Cuphead’s shocked open-mouth gradually smiled in amazement and he laughed out loud. “Waitwait, Imma help ya with that!”

Rushing over to Mugman, Cuphead held the base of the bowl and kept pouring the seemingly infinite waterfall of candy to Mugman’s inflating and bloating mouth. While pouring, Cuphead interjected his open mouth into the stream of candy, and after gathering a regular mouthful he went out of the way to chew and pour some more candy to Mugman. Finally, the bowl was empty, and Cuphead shook the bowl making sure none was left. Then, he tapped Mugman’s jaw, and it shut like a cash register with a ‘CHING!’

Mugman chewed the candy in his jumbo chipmunk-filled mouth’ his smile was showing with his saliva and the disgustingly masticated candy rolling around his mouth and being crushed by his teeth. After a few good rounds of chomping, with closed eyes, they both gulped down their giant lumps of candy down their throats, rubbed their giant bellies, and exhaled in satisfaction with a loud whispering “Ahhhhh!”

Cuphead’s belly was only as big as a ball, while Mugman’s body was as big as a giant pumpkin’s.

“Still hungry buddy?” Cuphead opened his eyes to Mugman.

With a big smile, Mugman shook his face and then licked his lips with his giant ‘Scooby-Doo’ tongue while drumming his belly.

Cuphead laughed. He winked and pointed his finger at Mugman. “Now all we gotta do is stick ya on a stick, put ya over a spit, and turn ya ‘til yer roasted!”

“Hey!” Mugman smiled with a raised eyebrow and put his fists on his hips. “What do I look like, a pig?” Then he snorted like a pig, and he gasped. “Uh oh.”

For a few seconds Cuphead tried to hold back his laugh behind his squiggly smile and teary eyes, until he unleashed a large holler of cackling laughter that echoed through the halls. In reaction, Mugman blushed, smiled sheepishly, touched his index fingers repeatedly and instead looked away towards the pillar that held the bowl.

At the frieze of the pillar, right below the cornice, was a stone placard with a carved text in it.

“Take One.” Mugman narrowed his eyes as he read it a second time, then nodded at it with a smile, and then looked away casually…. Then, in shock, his body jolted to a stand and his eyes widened at the same time, and he snapped his eyes back at the plate.

‘TAKE’… ‘ONE’. Mugman’s eyes looked at each individual word.

Mugman heaved a very slow gasp as if he was out of air while he stared at the text with his pale-white eyes.

Cuphead approached Mugman, looked at his brother with a raised eyebrow, and then at the placard his brother was staring at. For a moment, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the placard, until he gasped with a big smile, and cackled so villainously (the kind that lightning would follow) as he slowly turned his gaze at Mugman.

A tear dropped from Mugman’s right eye. “Wh-what… what have I done…” His body chubby body trembled and then shrunk back to its regular size.

Two hands clasped to Mugman’s shoulders making him squeak in fright, but then those hands massaged those shoulders. “You have done well…” From the shadows, villainously laughing Cuphead’s face emerged and he positioned his mouth closer to Mugman’s ear. “My apprentice.” His voice was cunning and creaky like the door of a haunted house.

Mugman took a deep inhale and closed his eyes while teardrops flowed out of them. “I’m sorry Elder Kettle.” He whispered.

In the surface far far away, he could hear Elder Kettle’s scream echo to the air. “YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE!”

More tears streamed down Mugman’s face, his slimy cold ran down his nose, and he sobbed with such dread at what he had become, while Cuphead, with now his normal body, just bubbly laughed at Mugman’s priceless face.

Cuphead buddy-hugged Mugman. “Bro, it’s no big deal, you were hungry and you had no brekkie this mornin’.”

Mugman sniffled. “Brekkie?...”

“Yeah ya know…” Cuphead looked at the corner of his eyes in thought. “Pancakie for brekkie cuz you were hungry!” He looked at Mugman with a big grin.

With the same gloomy eyes, Mugman stared at Cuphead in silence, and suddenly a snicker broke out from his squiggly mouth. “Stop that I still feel awful right now!” Mugman pushed cackling Cuphead away and folded his arms as he resumed his sobbing. “And that’s not even a word!” He snapped back at Cuphead.

“Uhh, yeah it is!” Cuphead placed his fists on his hips and tilted his head on one side.

“No it’s not!” Mugman punched his fists down.

“Uhh, yeah it is!” Cuphead tilted his head again. “It’s said by those people from the down under.” He gasped, his eyes widened, and he smiled wider. “Or…” His eyes slyly looked towards Mugman.

“Noooohuhooo!” Mugman stomped his feet.

Cuphead snickered. “The underground!”

Mugman growled and stomped his feet repetitively.

Cuphead giggled just pulled his brother for a clink. “Bro, if it makes ya feel any bettah, I helped ya do it, so ya never did it on yer own.”

Mugman gasped. “I-I didn’t?” He smiled.

Humming an ‘uh-uh’, Cuphead shook his head and shook his brother’s shoulder. “You were starving, I wouldn’t let that happen to ya.”

“Aww.” Mugman wiped a tear. “Thanks bro.”

Suddenly, they both gasped, their straws extended vertically straight accompanied with a ‘DING!’ bell sound. “Ohhh…” They smiled at each other. “So that’s what it feels like!”

“Jinx!” Cuphead booped Mugman’s nose again for a moment. “Ha! Ya owe me two hotdogs!” He held two fingers.

Mugman gasped. “Heeey!” He smiled and folded his arms. “No fair, you ruined the moment!”

“Uh-uh!” Cuphead wagged his finger. “Jinxing is non-biased and is unmerciful. No bro moment can be your saving grace here bro.”

Mugman rolled his eyes. “Fine, ya win.”

“Yes!” With closed eyes, Cuphead pumped his fist.

They both turned around and walked towards the doorway behind them.

“I like my hotdogs hot and spicy.” Cuphead formed a pinch using his thumb and index finger.

Mugman smirked. “Ya like anythin’ spicy.”

“Duh, cuz they’re hot. Like me.” He pointed his thumb to himself while smiling with his million-dollar smile.

Mugman licked his finger and touched Cuphead’s right cheek.

“Tsss!” They both said as if imitating the sound of steam.

“Jinx!” Mugman yelled.

Cuphead widened his eyes and his mouth o’ed in surprise, and then he shut his eyes, covered his face, and shouted at the thrill of losing.

Mugman giggled. “Karma.” His voice bounced on the walls as they passed through the doorway.

“Yeah yeah.” Cuphead lightly punched on Mugman’s arm and the latter giggled.

Suddenly, the Froggit croaked, waiting by the right of the doorway. “Did you boys like the candy? You look pretty stuffed after taking one each.”

The boys’ pupils shrunk. Mugman’s mouth started to scrunch and he started to tremble and sweat.

“Y-yeah!” Cuphead’s trembling right hand made a thumbs-up and then he held it in place with his left hand to stop it from shaking. “It was really sweeeet!”

The Froggit croaked. “I hope it makes up for our awkward incident awhile back.”

“Aww.” Mugman smiled sweetly.

Cuphead giggled. “No probby Froggy.” He placed his fists on his hips.

“And…” The Froggit croaked and all four of its eyes looked at their lower corners in a moment’s thought. “I’d like to have that hug now.”

Mugman gasped while he covered his big open mouth while Cuphead just smiled. Slightly uncovering his mouth, Mugman grinned at Cuphead and the latter just nudged his elbow with his own elbow and nodded his head at the former.

Bubbly giggling, Mugman circled behind the frog with open arms. “Come here froggy buddy.” He picked up the frog in a hug.

The Froggit squeaked in surprise as he was squeezed, and with all four eyes, he looked at Mugman above. Eventually, the Froggit’s eyes half closed, its crooked mouth smiled, and it closed all four eyes.

With his head tilted slightly to the right, Cuphead smiled proudly at Mugman with his fists on his hips. He sighed regretfully, wanting to keep watching. “Come on bro. We’ve gotta find Toriel.”

Mugman put down the Froggit and then ran over to Cuphead.

The Froggit croaked twice. “Before you leave…” Its four eyes opened looking at the boys. “I have some advice about the rest of the monsters.”

After a brief look at each other, the boys leaned closer, hands on knees, to the frog and smiled at it attentively.

“If you act a certain way, or fight them until they are almost defeated… then they may not want to fight you anymore. And if they do, please…” The Froggit closed all his four eyes. “Have some mercy on them, boys.” The Froggit ended with a croak.

“Ohh!” Mugman’s eyes widened in realization.

“Uhh… What did he say?” With a raised eyebrow, Cuphead scratched his cheek.

“He doesn’t want us to hurt the other monsters here.” Mugman splayed his explaining hand.

The Froggit croaked and hopped closer to the boys. “Can you do that, please?”

The boys smiled at each other, and then at the Froggit. “Okay.” They nodded.

The Froggit raised its closed right webbed foot, which was like a fist, reached for Mugman’s hand (which Mugman generously lent) with the other foot/hand, and dropped a clinking thing onto it (a clink which made Cuphead’s eyes widen). When the Froggit pulled back his hand, two gold coins were left on Mugman’s palm.

Mugman and Cuphead gasped, though for Cuphead it was a very lengthy gasp of surprise with his pupils reflecting the shiny coins, and Mugman eyed Cuphead’s reaction with cringed up worried cheeks.

“Take care boys.” The Froggit croaked.

“Oh we will! C’mon Mugs!” Cuphead grabbed Mugman’s hand and ran off.

“Whoa! B-bye Mr. Froggit!” Mugman waved as he was pulled to the direction behind them.

The Froggit croaked and waved goodbye.

The boys ran past a pile of read leaves on their right.

“C’mon Mugs! We gotta earn more coooooiiinnss!!” Cuphead’s pupils changed into gold coins.

“Whoa, whoa!” Mugman raised an eyebrow as he ran with Cuphead. “Being nice doesn’t always get us paid bro.”

“Oh? Watcha call that?” Cuphead smirked as he pointed at the gold coins Mugman was holding.

“Uhh…” Mugman looked at his coins with a sweat drop on his head and a raised eyebrow. "Ummm…” He bit his lower lip.

“Yeah, exactly. C’mon, if we keep being nice to them we can get rich in no time!” Cuphead ran faster as they turned left to the next room, away from another leaf pile on the right.

Mugman snorted. “That’s just silly, that’s not how things work. WHOA!!!”

The boys stepped on soft sandy ground which crumbled and gave way, and the boys screamed (so loud that their uvulas trembled) hugging each other for dear life as they fell.

“UGH!” They grunted as they landed onto a soft crackling pile of something.

Quickly, they both rose to a sit and they looked around to see some red leaves falling from their face to the rectangular bed of red leaves that they are sitting on and rustled as they moved their hands.

With a big smile at Mugman, Cuphead sprung his open hands up in the air. “Adventuh!!”

Mugman giggled and playfully pushed Cuphead that it knocked him over with an “Oof!” lying back onto the leaf pile, and they both shared a moment of laughter.

*RIBBIT*

The boys gasped, Cuphead sat up, and they looked to the right (Cuphead’s left) where the croak came from.

Suddenly, another Froggit pounced onto Mugman, who was screaming in panic while Cuphead shivered in fright with his hands spread and his straw forming an exclamation point. Cuphead yanked Mugman away from the Froggit, while the Froggit tripped onto the leaf pile.

Cuphead points his glowing blue gun at the Froggit. “DON’T TOUCH MY BROTHER!”

The Froggit squeaked in fright and it began to shiver.

After calming down from his huffing, Mugman smiled. “Aww, it just probably wanted a hug.”

The Froggit looked at Mugman and then started to blush. It dropped something clinking and then hopped away to reveal two more gold coins.

The boys gasped, and Cuphead smirked at Mugman while the latter just glared confused at the gold coins.

“Oh-kay…” Mugman raised an eyebrow.

With a big greedy smile, Cuphead picked up the coins, and then opened his hand showing them to Mugman. “Huh? Huh?” He said teasingly.

“If only you could get paid every time you were nice to someone back at home…” Mugman folded his arms as he smiled at his brother’s accomplishments, and then sighed. “Third time, then I’ll admit I’m wrong.”

Cuphead laughed and then pulled Mugman to the right-side door to a running and laughing start. Through the door, they climbed up a set of spiral steps leading up to a small window that they fit themselves through their feet and they landed onto the floor which had the soft ground they fell from (which apparently did not have holes), and they ran towards the next room on the right.

Slightly to the right before them was a single rock standing in the middle of the room, a square metal plate close to the rock, and a few inches after was a row of tall metal spikes that stretched to the walls of the room barring a passage through.

Mugman huffed, smiled, and folded his arms. “This puzzle’s easy.”

Cuphead snickered. “Ya call this a puzzle?” He smirked as he pointed his thumb at the rock.

They stepped forward, when suddenly-!

*RING!* *RING!* The CELLPHONE buzzed from Cuphead’s pocket.

Cuphead picked it up, clicked a button and brought it closer to Mugman who brought his head closer.

“Hello?” They both said.

“Hello? This is Toriel.” Her voice spoke from the phone.

“Hey Toriel!” They both beamed.

“For no reason in particular, which do you prefer? Cinnamon or Butterscotch?” She asked politely.

Cuphead and Mugman licked their lips.

“Cinnamon!” Cuphead said at the same time.

“Butterscotch!” Mugman said at the same time.

The brothers gasped and looked at each other as they realized they said different things, and then smiled at each other. “Cinnamon AND butterscotch! Jinx!” They pointed their finger guns at each other.

“Ahh! I see!” Toriel hummed in thought. “Thank you very much!”

The phone call ended with a beep. Cuphead put the phone back in his pocket and they both stepped forward until-

*RING!* *RING!* The phone rang again, surprising both the boys, and Cuphead, after a groan, picked the phone, answered it, and brought it closer to Mugman who looked at it confused.

“Hello?” They asked, more confused; Cuphead had a fist on his hip, while Mugman just brought his non-existent ear closer.

“Hello! This is Toriel! Umm…” She paused. “Are you sure you boys… wouldn’t mind sharing the two flavors?”

“No, we wouldn’t.” They said a little annoyed.

“Well, I had to make sure because… I know you’re brothers and… It would be awful if you would fight over it and then turn up your nose if ever you found it on your plate.” She hummed in thought.

“Watcha makin Toriel?” Mugman asked with a smile, which Cuphead smiled at too after listening.

Toriel paused for a good long seconds. “Oh! That’s... nothing special. Thank you for being patient by the way!”

The call ended with a beep.

Mugman got the phone and put it in his pocket.

“Watcha think she’s makin?” Cuphead smirked.

“Hmm, bag of flour…” Mugman unfolded his index finger as he counted. “Cinnamon…” He unfolded his ring finger (no middle finger). “Butterscotch…” He unfolded his pinky. “Hmmm…” He tapped his tinking chin. “I think she’s bakin’.” He looked at Cuphead.

Cuphead slurpily licked his lips.

Mugman giggled. “I know. Thanks.” He started walking to the rock.

Cuphead glared at Mugman as he started to walk too. “Hey, I didn’t say anythin’.”

Mugman shrugged his shoulders. “Well, deep down you’re grateful.”

Cuphead playfully pushed Mugman and the latter just giggled.

Together they pushed the rock forward, not that they needed to, but it was out of habit of doing something together, and they didn’t mind. Once the rock reached the square metal plate, the spikes loudly sheathed themselves below the floor. Then, something fluttered near them.

It had a ghost-shaped body, two transparent insect wings flapping on its back, two dropping antennae, slits for eyes, an upside down triangular mouth, and two thin arms and feet. “Oh… my…” It whimpered.

Cuphead beamed and waved at the flying monster. “Hiya-!”

“OHH!” Flinching backwards, the insect monster covered its mouth with its arms. “OHHHHHH!!!!” It flew away sobbing and leaving a trail of tears.

Cuphead creased his eyebrows and reached his hand for the monster. “Heeeey! Wha-!” He sighed.

“Aww.” Mugman looked at it pitifully as it flew out of the room. “It’s so sensitive!”

Cuphead’s dilated and trembled. “My… money…”

Eyes narrowing half-closed, Mugman glared at Cuphead with an open mouth. “Seriously?”

A tear dropped from Cuphead’s eye, and he sniffled.

Mugman snickered. “Aww, baby bro…”

Realizing what he said, Mugman’s eyes widened and his smile opened wide in realization, while Cuphead’s eyes widened, his jaw slowly dropped opened in surprise, and his head slowly turned to Mugman. Holding back his laughter inside his mouth, Mugman bit his lower lip, covered his mouth with his giddy knuckles, and started to tear up of such fun.

Cuphead’s open mouth started to smirk, and his upper eyelids closed into a sly stare. “What did’ja call me?” He rolled up his black sleeves, revealing his white arms.

Mugman started to titter, tears poured down his eyes, his entire body trembled of laughter, and he bit his lower lip more trying not to laugh. “Y-you…” Mugman said as Cuphead stepped towards him, and Mugman lowered his knuckles to his chin while he shrank. “You have a soft spot…” He closed his eyes for a moment and bit his lower lip more, then opened to see Cuphead towering over him and wiggling his claw fingers. “… Baby bro!” He booped Cuphead’s tiny nose.

With a big open mouth mischievous smile, Cuphead growled in a “RRRAGH!” and he attempted to pounce Mugman to the ground but the latter, after a shivering with such thrill, ducked below Cuphead, and the former instead landed onto the ground.

With a bubbly, hysterical, and loud cackle, tears flying out of his eyes, and arms forward, Mugman sprinted for the exit over the spikes, but not before smiley and loud growling Cuphead tried to grab for Mugman’s legs only for Mugman to jump over Cuphead and make it over the spikes.

“C’MERE!!!” Cuphead pushed himself up and chased after Mugman with a war shout of his own.

Teary-eyed flailing-arms Mugman screamed and laughed for dear life (with some pig-snorting in between) as he ran through the narrow hallway away from smiling, snarling, and war shouting Cuphead. He turned to the right where the path was two-times wider, but he stepped into a spot of floor that immediately gave way and his scream of giddy laughter turned into terror as he fell flailing his arms around trying to grab something. Meanwhile, as Cuphead approached, he saw the hole that Mugman fell in, and then dove in headfirst with a big confident smile on his face.

Mugman landed on his bum on a bed of crinkling red leaves with an “Ugh!” He looked up, and screamed in a “WAAAGHAHA!” with his straw turning into an exclamation point as he saw war-shouting smiling Cuphead diving after Mugman with arms held out ready to catch him. Scream of terror turning into giddy teary-eyed laughter, Mugman jumped up, pedaled the air three times with his legs, and then dashed out of the way before Cuphead landed with an “Ooof!” face-front onto the bed of leaves.

Bubbly and hysterically laughing, Mugman stepped onto a thin bed of red leaves in the middle and then proceeded to run further, but then he saw a sign on the left and looked at it as his laughter calmed down into giggles. He read the sign “Please don’t step on-! JIMINY CRICKET!!!” As he looked to his left, he saw Cuphead sprinting after Mugman and he ran away towards the wall ahead, but also towards a couple of Froggits that noticed the boys.

Mugman jumped over the first Froggit while he ducked the second which attempted to pounce on him. “CUTE FROGGITS! NICE FROGGITS!” He said as if he was trying to convince himself they were harmless.

The Froggits squeaked and blushed as they looked at Mugman.

“MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGS!” Cuphead war-shouted with his big smile as jump-tumbled over the Froggits who threw a total of five coins above them, and Cuphead snatched them with the straw-hand in the air as he tumbled. “THANK YOU!”

The wall ahead was a dead end, and hysterically screaming and laughing Mugman turned around with his hands clinging to the wall to see Cuphead charging after him. Mugman ran to the left corner of the wall where the leaf bed was, picked up two fistfuls of leaves and threw them at Cuphead, but the latter just swatted them away.

“END OF THE LINE YA MUGHEAD!” Cuphead wiggled his fingers at the ready.

Cuphead attempted to catch Mugman in his arms, but Mugman ducked under the former’s legs (to which the former looked between his legs to see Mugman), bumped his butt against Cuphead’s knocking him over to the bed of leaves (to which Cuphead reacted in an “Ooof!”), and hysterically laughed with more snorts as he ran away. Taking a moment to smile in an ‘It’s on!’ way, Cuphead pushed himself up, turned around and continued the chase.

Mugman sprinted through the red leaves, ignoring a seemingly zigzag path around the leaves, turned right, and then left running towards the door in the right which led to a set of stairs to the upper floor.

On the upper floor, hysterically laughing Mugman popped out of a small window, landed onto the floor he fell from earlier, ran to his left to the spot on the floor where he saw a hole was, paused before the hole, and stepped onto the floor left of the hole, but it too gave way and he fell down bubbly screaming with a few bits of laughter towards the same red pile of leaves below. He popped his head above the leaves and saw that the room was empty.

“I’M COMING MUGS!!” Cuphead’s screaming voice echoed from the stairs on the door, followed by footsteps that were running up.

Mugman got up and hurried to read the sign he missed earlier (all while stepping on the crinkling leaves). “Please don’t step on the leaves. WHOA!” He looked around terrified to see the red leaves all around him.

From the ceiling, Cuphead was bubbly screaming and laughing as he fell down to the bed red crinkling leaves a bit distant from fearfully looking Mugman… but then the latter raised an eyebrow.

“Huh?” Mugman scratched his head in confusion.

Mugman recalled that they’ve fallen at least two times each on the red leaves, but nothing happened to them.

Meanwhile, Cuphead pushed himself off the bed of red leaves and playfully snarled as he ran towards Mugman, who then began to joyfully scream and run away to the wall again.

“Oh no! Oh no!” The same ghost-like monster suddenly appeared and was watching them nearby.

“RAGH!” Cuphead made a pounce for Mugman with a scary face that had his tongue out, but instead he had jumped over the monster.

“AAAAGH!” The ghost-like monster screamed and covered itself as it shivered, but also dozens of clones of the ghost-bug monster flew out of it and fluttered towards the boys. In echoing “AAAGH!” “AAAAGH!” screams.

Fluttering like butterflies, the ghost-bug monsters surrounded the boys both in a big circle, and Mugman stopped running before he could touch the ring. Cuphead looked around too noticing the ring, but smiled villainously as he noticed Mugman was trapped in the same ring as he was. Mugman screeched and shivered with the thrill of being trapped with the last person he wants to be. Cuphead ran towards Mugman and attempted to catch him with his arms, but the latter ducked it and ran away to the other side of the ring. Cuphead ran to catch Mugman, but the latter grabbed jumped over Cuphead, pushing his brother’s shoulders in the process for a boost, and Cuphead just gasped.

“HEY! COME BACK HERE!” Cuphead yelled as he chased.

Cuphead continued to swipe his arms at hysterically laughing Mugman who either ducked, jumped, or slid under his legs just to avoid getting caught by the former all while avoiding the fluttering ring of butterfly-like monsters surrounding them. At one point, Cuphead managed to catch Mugman in an arms-locked-tight hug from behind, which the latter reacted with an excited hysterical laugh and intense kicking to the air (meanwhile the butterfly-like monsters revolved around the boys faster accidentally complimenting the scene). However, using his trapped hands, Mugman poked Cuphead’s stomach and it caused the latter to laugh, and the tickles weakened Cuphead’s grip onto Mugman that it allowed the latter to jump out and run away again. Just then, the clones of butterfly-monsters flew back to the original monster, dissipating the ring in the process, and it allowed hysterically laughing Mugman to run away to the stairs.

“SAVE ME! SAVE ME!” Mugman said loudly and energetically to the ghost-bug monster as he ran past it.

“Ohhh! You’re playing!!...” The ghost-bug monster said as two coins fell from the monster to the floor. “P-please don’t hurt the other Whimsuns!” She said to Mugman.

Cuphead swiped the two coins off the floor as he ran and chased after hysterically laughing and crying Mugman.

Mugman looked around trying to memorize the path pattern that had no red leaves while he sprinted away from Cuphead and towards the stairs leading to the upper floor again. Arriving at the upper floor, Mugman sprinted until he neared the end of the wall (avoiding the two holes that were created), and then stopped to look at the floor. Massaging his head with both his hands, Mugman imagined the layout of beds of red leaves on the floor; on his right was a wide four-by-two rectangular bed of red leaves, and far ahead was a letter-p bed with a thin stem and a very large six-by-four rectangle. He looked back to see Cuphead popping out of the small opening on the wall, and then running after him.

His straw turning into an exclamation point, Mugman shrieked and then bubbly laughed and ran downwards the imaginary vertical clear path avoiding the four-by-two bed of red leaves, then turned right after passing the open corner of the left wall, then as soon as he reached the wall at the end of his run he turned left running to the closed right corner far ahead, avoiding the large letter P of red leaves on his left. Once he passed the rectangle, he turned left, saw Cuphead following his running direction at least, and ran straight ahead, but then suddenly remembered there was a vertical thin bed of red leaves and turned left.

“CUPHEAD STAAAHAHAHAHAP!!” Mugman yelled.

“I’M GONNA GET YA! I’M GONNA GET YA!” Cuphead said with a big grin as he pushed himself to try to sprint even faster than he was already going.

Hysterically laughing Mugman just continued running forward towards the exit ahead, without realizing that he stepped onto the floor beside a single square leaf bed and fell screaming again. Again, he landed on the leaf bed below, and again, Cuphead followed headfirst falling after Mugman with his screaming war shout. And again, hysterically laughing, but now coughing and then laughing again Mugman dashed out of the way, while Cuphead, after landing on the crinkling leaves, chased after him again.

Along the way to the stairs, they met with a few more Whimsuns, which Cuphead would scare with his warshout yelling and Mugman would just bubbly laugh while asking them to save him. The Whimsuns would recognize they were playing, but in involuntary response, they would drop a few coins, which Cuphead would catch midair with his three hands (the third being his straw).

All while escaping Cuphead, Mugman ran in the floor pattern he memorized: four squares down and five squares left both next to the four-by-two bed, down to the lower left corner of the room, seven squares right passing the P-bed on their left and turning before the thin vertical bed, five squares up next to the P-bed, four squares right towards the red square bed on his left where he imagined was the start of the L-shaped bed (three squares towards the wall on the right and five squares down), and finally three squares down, four squares right, and four squares up circumventing the L-shaped bed then turned right to the exit.

In the next room, three mounds of rocks stood, each with a path to a metal plate ahead, and beyond the plates was a wooden bridge standing over a river and spikes were sticking out of it. Weakly laughing Mugman ran behind the leftmost rock followed by weakly shouting Cuphead who just stopped standing on the opposite side of Mugman.

“P-PLEHEHEASE!” Mugman panted as he walked sideways trying to maintain his opposition of villainously laughing (and panting) Cuphead who was going around the rock to get to Mugman. “STAAHAHAHAHAHAP!”

“Uh-uh!” Cuphead giggled as he continued shifting around the rock. “You’re gonna get what ya deserve!”

“NO FAAHEHEHEAIR!” Mugman snorted. “THE ONLY TIME I GET TUH CALL YA BABY BRO AND YOUUHUHUHUHAHA!” He heaved.

“No, you’re the baby bro.” With a mischievous smile, Cuphead narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger at Mugman.

“NOO YOU!” With a smile, Mugman glared and pointed his finger at Cuphead.

“No you!” Cuphead’s smile stretched to his cheeks.

“NOO YOU!” Mugman pounded his fists onto the rock.

Cuphead giggled. “No… You!” Stepping on the rock with his left foot, he jumped over it and pounced on Mugman who screamed with such thrill and began laughing hysterically.

“NOO! NOOO!” Mugman laughed as he tried to push away Cuphead multiple times, but the latter kept on trapping the former in his hug.

“Who’s the baby bro?” Cuphead teased as he pulled Mugman up to his head-level.

“ME! MEEE! MEEEEHEHEHE!” Mugman squeezed his eyes shut.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Cuphead then giggled as he noogied Mugman’s opposite cheek squeezing the latter towards his own cheek.

Mugman moaned, frowning and squeezing his eyes shut as he was feeling a bit of discomfort in giggling Cuphead’s rough noogie.

Cuphead let go of Mugman, and looked around the room to get familiarized.

Mugman grumbled. “Iimmm waanninuh tickun.” He mumbled as he rubbed his left elbow while looking at it.

Cuphead’s eyes lit up, and he mischievously looked at Mugman. “What was that?”

Mugman grinned, his body stiffened, and a sweat dropped in his head. “N-Nothing! Nothing!”

Something made a bubbly jiggly ‘BLUB, BLUB’ sound, and the brothers looked to their left following the direction of the sound. Two green slimy jiggly jello-shaped monsters stood rolling its bodies top to bottom like swimming jellyfish.

“Woah!” Cuphead smiled. “Check out these guys!” He pointed his thumb towards the slime monsters.

Slightly behind, Mugman walked up by Cuphead’s side, rested his elbow on his shoulder, and smiled at the monsters. Cuphead began bending his knees, causing Mugman to wobble in surprise at the sudden gravity which the former giggled at, and then stood up again. Mugman began to imitate Cuphead by placing his hands on his hips, bending his knees and then standing, bending, standing, bending, and standing over and over.

The slime creatures started to roll faster and more intensely, and Cuphead and Mugman, after a looking at each other for a moment with a bubbly giggle, bended and stood faster and faster in sync with the slime monsters. Then, the slime creatures began squirting out slime balls out of its heads. The slime balls landed slowly towards the boys, as if gravity wasn’t affecting it.

The boys looked at the balls with raised eyebrows, Cuphead with more confident intrigue while Mugman had more confusion and concern. The slime balls exploded into twelve smaller sludge balls flying in a radial circle, some of which flew towards the boys, and Cuphead and Mugman gasped (the former excited while the latter scared).

Cuphead pulled Mugman’s hand as he ran towards the right, and the latter yelled with a ‘WOAH!’.

Watching the flying slime projectiles, bubbly laughing Cuphead kept running until they closed in.

“GET READY TUH JUMP BUDDY!” Cuphead shouted at Mugman.

“O-Okay!” Mugman replied.

The slime projectile closed in and they both jumped together in a front flip/somersault evading the crisscrossing slime projectiles (without spilling any milk from their cup heads). As they landed on their feet, Cuphead and Mugman looked at each other with big smiles.

The boys looked at the slime creatures noticing that they squiggled away from the scene leaving behind one gold coin each.

With a smiley gasp, Cuphead’s eyes glimmered with the reflection of gold coins and he ran towards the coins while Mugman watched with a smile, folded arms, and a head shake. Cuphead picked up the coins and ran back with both his open palms shown to Mugman.

“Huh?” With a confident smile, Cuphead brought his right hand forward showing the gold coin to giggling Mugman. “Huh?” He brought his left hand forward while pulling back his right hand. He pulled up more coins from his pocket and unfolded both his hands that were full of coins. “Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?” He brought his hands forward-backward-forward-backward-forward alternatively while showing the gold coins to Mugman who started to laugh. “Huuuuuuhh??” He sprinkled the gold coins from his right hand to the floor. Next, he made a waterfall of gold coins from his left hand by pushing them off by ones, twos, or threes with his right hand like some rich millionaire.

Mugman laughed and laughed, and a snort was inserted at the end. “Okay okay.” He pushed his ‘stop’ hands twice. “Ya get paid for bein’ nice. I’m proud of ya.”

On the floor picking up the coins, Cuphead snickered. “Whaddya mean yer proud of me? I’m a nice guy.” He pointed his thumb to himself.

Mugman giggled and knelt down to help him. “Nice?” He looked at the upper corner of his eyes while humming. “Nah.” With a teasing smile he shook his head.

“Heeey!” With a smile, Cuphead very weakly punched (which was like a push with a fist) Mugman on his right face and the latter giggled.

“Good?” Mugman’s smile stretched to his right. “Yeah!” He nodded as he put the coins in his pocket.

Cuphead snickered. “Ya mean good-lookin!” He winked as he put the coins in his pocket.

Mugman laughed. “Yeah!”

They both jumped up and shared a loud high-five.

“That co-homeback was so cool!” Mugman’s eyes glimmered with pride as he closed his fists in excitement.

“Pfft!” Cuphead rolled his eyes. “Aw come on, I know ya set that one up.”

Mugman gasped. “Oh yeah I did!” He covered his smile with his right hand.

Cuphead giggled while he rolled his eyes and shook his head at how slow Mugman can be. “Just go push that rock and let’s get outta here.” He pointed to the middle rock.

Happy Mugman went over to the middle rock and together Cuphead and Mugman pushed the leftmost and middle rocks respectively ‘til they landed on the metal plates and could not push them anymore.

Mugman looked at Cuphead with mischievous smile. “Ya know… ya could’ve challenged me into a rock race.”

Cuphead’s eyes widened and he face-palmed himself. “Argh! Damn it, why didn’t ya say somethin’!”

Mugman giggled as he ran over to the third rock. “I didn’t want ya cryin’ like a baby bro!” His giggle turned into a laugh.

“OH YOU’RE REALLY ASKIN FOR IT!” Cuphead ran to chase Mugman again.

Hysterically laughing Mugman hid behind the rock to attempt to juke Cuphead again until-

“WHOA there, pardners!” A male cowboy voice spoke.

The boys shook, stopped what they were doing and looked around.

“Down here boys!” The cowboy voice spoke again.

The boys looked down on the rock.

“Yeah! Now we see each othah.” The rock spoke, its mouth moved from the bottom.

Cuphead and Mugman screamed in fright and they hugged each other in a clink.

“WOAH there! Didn’t mean tuh scare the milk out of ya cups!” It chuckled. “But, if it stops ya from steppin’ over me, like what the red one did on one of my pardners over there, then a rock’s gotta do what rock’s gotta do.”

The brothers smiled at the rock and, after a surprised look at each other, let go of each other.

“Sorry ‘bout that, we were just… horsin’ around.” Mugman scratched his head, and he blushed a little.

Cuphead snickered and he pushed Mugman and the latter giggled and stumbled.

“Well, it does help tuh be polite. Whut can I do ya fer?” The rock tilted its mouth up, as if its face was looking at the boys.

“Ya got any coins?” Cuphead raised an eyebrow. Mugman surprise-glared at Cuphead, and the latter noticed. “Oh yeah!” He turned back to the rock. “Ya got any coins? Please?” He clapped his hands together.

With a nervous sweat on his face, Mugman chuckled as he scratched his cheek. “A-at least he got the polite part…”

“Oh, sorry pardner! It’s not like an old rock would need anythin’ about coins.” The rock said.

“How ‘bout just, m-move closer to that metal plate over there?” Cringe-eyed Mugman pointed his finger over to the metal plate.

The rock rotated itself to look at the metal plate. “Oh! Alright, since ya asked so kindly, let’s rock and roll pardner.”

Mugman and Cuphead chuckled.

“Rock…” Cuphead whispered with his right backhand curved on his lips like he was telling a secret, and his left thumb pointing at the other. “…and roll.” He snickered with his eyes closed.

“Technically, more like a rock and slide.” Mugman watched the rock casually.

The rock slid halfway closer to the metal plate and then stopped.

Mugman waved his ‘push to the side’ hand signal. “A little more.”

“Huh? Alrighty then.” The rock moved a quarter closer to the plate.

Mugman sighed and looked at it bored “A little more.” Meanwhile, Cuphead giggled at him.

The rock slid off track to its left. “How’s that?”

Mugman jolted in surprise at the rock’s unfollowing while Cuphead just laughed.

“How’s that closer??” Mugman splayed his ‘what the heck’ hands.

“Heh? You said ya wanted me closer to the metal plate, not standin’ over it kid.” The rock slid over to the metal plate. The metal spikes on the bridge sheathed down like resounding swords. “Did that help?”

Maintaining his ‘what the heck’ hands, Mugman glared at the rock while Cuphead kept his laugh shut in his hand-covered mouth.

“That is the cheekiest rock I’ve ever seen.” Cuphead whispered to Mugman.

Mugman groaned. “Ya know what, yeah.” He smiled and put both his thumbs up. “Ya did great pardner.”

“Yeah, rock on!” Cuphead winked as he rested his elbow on Mugman’s shoulder.

“Hmm, if I had a pebble for every time I heard that joke.” The rock commented.

With that, Mugman and Cuphead walked together towards the wooden bridge, but then suddenly, the spikes UNSHEATHED and the boys screamed in fright as they hugged each other.

Rotating their heads 180 degrees, the boys looked behind them. The rock was apparently a quarter-distance off the metal plate.

Cuphead and Mugman glared at the rock. “HEY!”

“Hmm?” The rock’s mouth turned towards them.

“Come on man!” Cuphead splayed out his hand but then retracted it to tap his tinking chin for a second. “Err-Rock!”

“Ya almost killed us!” Mugman splayed out his hand as well.

“Ohh, I see how it is.” The rock turned around and proceeded to slide back to its original start position.

“WAIT!” Cuphead and Mugman reached out their hands.

The rock paused and turned around. “Wha?”

“Where’re ya goin?” Cuphead raised an eyebrow.

The rock half-turned to the boys. “I give ya the help ya need and this is the thanks I get?” It faced back to the start position. “I’m goin’ back home.”

“Wait wait!” Mugman walked towards the rock and sighed. “We’re sorry, we just need ya to stand on the plate. Could ya do that? Please?” He put his hands together and shook them.

Meanwhile Cuphead just glared at the rock with confusion. “Its starting spot is its home???”

“Well, I gotta say kid, you’re givin’ me a real work out here. But… since you asked nicely.” The rock slid to the metal plate and just remained standing there.

“Thank you!” Mugman smiled, then turned around and buddy-hooked his brother’s arm. “Come on bro! Let’s cross before Mr. Rock changes its mind.”

“Woah!” Cuphead said as he was pulled and he began running backwards. “Wait up wait up!” He chuckled.

In the next room, on the right side, a round wooden table stood with a plate of cheese set on top of it. The boys approached the plate of cheese, sniffed it, and made some half disgusted and half amused smiles.

“What’s it for?” Cuphead raised its eyebrow.

Then, there was something squeaking behind them. They turned around, and saw a cute tiny mouse standing in the doorway of the mouse hole, but then suddenly walking shyly back to the darkness of it.

“Aww hey little guy!” Mugman said as he approached it.

The mouse just retreated back into the darkness.

Mugman bent down to the mouse hole. “Ya like some cheese buddy?” He ran back to the plate, took a piece, ran back to the mouse hole and offered some. “Here!”

“No!” Its tiny squeaky voice said. “Put it back! I… I wanna get it myself!”

Mugman gasped and he had a familiar flashback of what he said earlier. Cuphead approached Mugman with an endearing smile, picked up the cheese from his hand, went back to the plate, and replaced the piece of cheese back. Mugman approached Cuphead and together they watched the mouse hole.

“You know bro, I believe some day he’ll be brave enough to get the cheese.” Cuphead smiled at Mugman.

“Yeah… me too bro.” Mugman’s smile stretched. “Me too.”

They held their hands together, and unknowingly a yellow star glowed from between their hands.

-Progress Saved-

-End of Chapter 3-

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