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The Devil's Son

Chapter 3: The Beast Beneath the Casino

Deep within the castle, far from the throne room and its endless tension, stood a massive set of black double doors marked with twisted, ink-like symbols.

Bendy's room. Or more accurately, his territory.

Most demons avoided it entirely unless summoned — not because Bendy ordered them to stay away, but because nobody ever knew what mood he'd be in. Sometimes he ignored visitors completely. Sometimes he mocked them for three straight hours. Sometimes the shadows chased people screaming down the hallway. It varied.

Tonight, though, the room was unusually quiet.

Bendy lounged upside down across an enormous velvet chair, one leg hanging over the side. Soft jazz crackled from an old record player nearby while shadows drifted lazily across the ceiling like living smoke.

His room looked nothing like the rest of Hell. No torture devices, no rivers of lava, no piles of skulls — instead, a bizarre mixture of luxury and theatrical chaos. Velvet curtains. Vintage lamps. Stacks of old records. Black roses growing straight out of the walls. Paintings that occasionally moved when nobody looked at them directly.

In one corner sat the giant ink creature from the forest, curled up like an oversized monstrous cat, several glowing eyes blinking sleepily as Bendy tossed popcorn lazily into one of its mouths.

"Excellent performance today," he hummed. "Very murderous. Very dramatic."

The creature rumbled, pleased.

Then — knock knock knock.

Bendy blinked upside down toward the door. "…How bold."

Another nervous knock followed. "L-Lord Bendy?"

Ah. The forest demons.

Bendy sighed and snapped his fingers. The doors creaked open on their own, and a small group of low-class demons shuffled in nervously, carrying trays, pots, and what looked suspiciously like burnt bread. The moment they entered, they all bowed at once.

"Good evening, sir!"

"We brought food!"

"A-and dessert!"

One demon nearly dropped an entire tray in his panic.

Bendy stared at them silently for a long moment before slowly sitting upright. "…Why?"

The demons exchanged nervous glances. Finally, one spoke up. "You protected us earlier."

Another nodded quickly. "Lord Devil would've punished all of us if we'd stayed. You didn't let that happen."

Bendy blinked once, then looked immediately disgusted. "Oh, no," he groaned. "You're developing emotions about me. This is exactly how tragedies begin."

The demons looked embarrassed. "S-sorry, sir…"

Bendy pressed a hand to his forehead. "Stop apologizing every four seconds. You sound like malfunctioning alarm clocks."

Despite the insult, the demons relaxed a little — that tone meant he wasn't actually angry. One of them stepped forward carrying a plate. "We, uh… tried making dinner for you."

Bendy looked down at the food. Silence. A very long silence.

"…What is it?"

The demons froze. "It's stew, sir," one offered nervously.

Bendy stared harder. "It appears to be suffering."

The demons immediately panicked. "WE CAN FIX IT—"

"Oh, calm down," Bendy sighed. "I'm insulting your cooking, not declaring war."

The giant ink creature wandered over curiously and sniffed the tray. One demon squeaked in terror as it blinked all its glowing eyes at him — then gently licked his face. The demon nearly fainted.

Bendy watched, snorting softly. "Oh, wonderful. Now it likes you. You'll never escape."

The demon looked strangely honored instead of afraid.

Another pointed toward the kitchen. "We also made cake…"

Bendy looked horrified. "You attempted baking?"

"…Yes?"

"That explains the smell of violence."

The demons wilted. Then, after a pause, Bendy rose from his chair and walked to the table, the room quieting as everyone watched him inspect the food like a nobleman judging peasant offerings. Finally, he picked up a spoonful of stew.

One demon whispered, "Do you think he'll hate it?"

Bendy took a bite. Silence. The demons collectively stopped breathing.

He lowered the spoon slowly. "…Hm." Another bite. "…Well." Another. "…This is aggressively mediocre."

The demons lit up anyway.

"He likes it!"

"We survived!"

"THE STEW PLEASED HIM!"

Bendy winced at the volume. "Oh, dear lord, stop shouting."

The ink creature grumbled loudly in agreement, and the demons quieted at once. Bendy sighed and sat down at the table. "You're all painfully needy," he muttered — and kept eating anyway.

The demons traded excited looks. Because despite the endless insults, he was eating the food.

One of the smaller demons finally worked up the courage to ask, "…Sir?"

Bendy didn't look up from the bowl. "What."

"…Why didn't you let Lord Devil punish us?"

The room went quieter. Even the ink creature lifted its head slightly. Bendy paused mid-bite, then leaned back in his chair. For once, his grin faded into something smaller. Less theatrical. Less fake.

"Because," he said lightly, "watching him scream at idiots for two hours is unbearably dull."

The demons looked uncertain. One asked quietly, "That's… the only reason?"

Bendy stared at him. Then his grin returned, sharp and mischievous. "Oh, don't look so hopeful," he purred. "I'm still a monster."

The demons laughed nervously — but not in fear, not this time. And as Bendy continued criticizing their cooking while somehow working through three bowls of it anyway, the room slowly filled with quiet chatter and awkward laughter. Far from the Devil's throne. Far from Hell's cruelty.

For the first time that night, Bendy genuinely looked relaxed.

--------

The next morning began loudly. Mostly because something had escaped.

Deep beneath the Devil's castle sat massive underground holding cells, where failed demons, violent creatures, and unstable monstrosities were locked away once they became too dangerous to control. Most never escaped.

This one did.

Alarms blared through the palace while demons ran screaming through the halls. Somewhere below the building, iron doors had been torn clean off their hinges, and a trail of destruction — broken chains, scorch marks, blood — carved through the underground corridors.

And now the creature was gone.

In the throne room, the Devil looked furious enough to melt stone. "You let it escape?" he roared. Several demons looked like they were about to collapse on the spot from fear alone.

King Dice however adjusted his gloves, trying to stay composed. "The beast went unstable again after yesterday's incident," he explained carefully. "It attacked the guards and tore through the lower cells before anyone could stop it."

The Devil's tail lashed violently. "And where is it now?"

A trembling demon answered. "It escaped to the surface, sire…"

Silence. Then the Devil snarled loud enough to shake the throne room, and the nearest demons scattered in terror.

Dice, however, glanced sideways thoughtfully — and slowly smiled. "Well," he mused, "there is someone who could handle it."

The Devil narrowed his eyes. Dice's grin widened. "And since Bendy failed to eliminate the cup brothers yesterday…"

Understanding crossed the Devil's face. Then a grin — a cruel one.

"Yes," the Devil rumbled. "Fetch him."

Meanwhile, Bendy was asleep. Or at least pretending to be.

He sprawled dramatically across his enormous bed while soft jazz played somewhere in the room, one arm hanging lazily off the side. The giant ink creature slept curled nearby.

Then — BANG BANG BANG.

The bedroom doors shook.

"LORD BENDY!"

Bendy's eye twitched. The knocking continued.

"YOUR FATHER DEMANDS—"

The doors flew open on their own. The poor messenger demon froze instantly as Bendy sat up in bed, his head tilting slightly, his grin looking deeply murderous.

"…If this interruption is not entertaining," he said, his falsetto terrifyingly calm, "I will fold your skeleton into modern art."

The messenger squeaked. "T-the prison beast escaped!"

Silence. Bendy blinked. "…That's it?"

The demon looked confused. "The Devil ordered you to retrieve it immediately."

Bendy stared blankly for another moment, then sighed and flopped backward onto the bed. "Oh, thank heavens. I thought this was going to be important."

The messenger hesitated. "…Sir?"

Bendy waved a hand lazily. "Leave. Shoo. I need to become visually appealing before dealing with trauma."

The demon fled instantly.

A few minutes later, Bendy emerged fully dressed in a different outfit — dark gloves, black suspenders, a sleek vest over a rolled-up dress shirt. Far too stylish for demon hunting.

The ink creature watched him curiously from the doorway.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," he sighed, adjusting his sleeves. "If I must perform manual labor today, I'm at least doing it fashionably." The creature grumbled. Bendy smiled slightly. "And honestly? I wanted an excuse to leave the castle anyway. This place's becoming repetitive again."

And with that, he vanished into the shadows.

Inkwell Isle was already in chaos.

The escaped demon moved through the streets the way weather does — indifferent to what stood in its way. A building's second story caved as it shouldered past. A cart splintered under one dragging claw. People ran in every direction that wasn't toward it, which in a town this size meant running in circles

The creature itself was horrifying — massive, bulky, its body volcanic rock veined with glowing cracks of lava, jagged bone armoring its shoulders, spine, and arms like natural plating. Giant curved horns jutted from its skull, and smoke poured steadily from its mouth.

It was furious. Completely uncontrollable.

"MOVE!" someone screamed as it smashed through another building, the ground shaking beneath every step.

Not far away, Cuphead shot up from the couch the moment the chaos reached the house. "…Tell me that's not another demon."

Mugman looked out the window and immediately paled. "Oh, no."

Ellie hurried over nervously. Outside, smoke rose over part of town, and people were running everywhere.

Cuphead grabbed his gloves. "We gotta go."

"Cuphead, we're still injured!" Mugman said, horrified.

"So what?!"

"That thing could kill us!"

Cuphead pointed toward the destruction. "Well if we don't stop it, it'll kill everyone else!"

Mugman clenched his jaw, because as reckless as that was — he wasn't wrong.

Ellie grabbed her cardigan.

"Ellie, absolutely not," Mugman said.

"I'm coming."

"Ellie—"

"I'm not staying here alone while you fight whatever this is!"

Cuphead grinned. "That's the spirit!"

Mugman groaned. "You're both impossible."

By the time the trio reached the ruined section of town, things had gotten worse.

The demon roared as it smashed through another wagon, sending people fleeing.

Cuphead fired first — a clean volley that struck the creature square in the chest and did nothing but draw its attention. It turned toward him unhurried, smoke curling from both nostrils, and Mugman's stronger follow-up shots fared no better, scattering harmlessly off bone plating that didn't so much as chip.

Cuphead blinked. "…Uh."

The creature roared and charged.

"MOVE!" Mugman shouted, and the brothers barely dodged as its horns tore through the street like plows.

Ellie flattened herself behind a collapsed rubble, watching between her fingers.

"Why isn't this thing taking damage?!" Cuphead gritted out.

"I think the bone armor's protecting it!" Mugman shouted back.

The demon ripped a chunk of earth free and hurled it toward them. The explosion sent debris flying everywhere. Cuphead coughed through the smoke, then spotted a pile of boulders on a nearby cliffside.

"Help me push those over!"

Together the brothers blasted the stone supports beneath the pile, and the rocks came crashing down directly on the demon. Dust exploded outward. For one brief moment — nothing moved.

Then the pile exploded outward from the inside, and the demon rose from the rubble angrier than before, one horn cracked at the tip, blood — or something close enough — running into one eye.

"Oh, COME ON!" Cuphead yelled, as its roar sent a nearby shopfront's windows rattling loose in their frames.

Then suddenly — the shadows behind it stretched unnaturally. The temperature dropped. And a familiar voice sighed nearby.

"Oh, dear."

Cuphead froze. "…You."

Bendy stepped out of the dark like he'd simply walked through a door nobody else could see, adjusting one glove, entirely unbothered by the chaos around him. Mugman tensed. Ellie's stomach dropped somewhere near her shoes.

He surveyed the wreckage with the flat disappointment of someone finding their apartment trashed after a party they hadn't been invited to. "Honestly. I step out for five minutes and everyone loses their minds."

"What are YOU doing here?!" Cuphead demanded.

"Working," Bendy said lazily.

"Since when do you work?!"

"Since Devil decided punishment builds character apparently."

Then his gaze slid past them to the creature, and his expression flattened into something closer to tired. "…Oh, marvelous. It's this idiot."

The demon noticed him and froze — for one split second, genuine fear crossed its monstrous face. Then it roared and charged straight at him, the ground cracking beneath its weight.

"LOOK OUT!" Cuphead shouted.

Bendy didn't move.

The demon lowered its horns and lunged with enough force to level a building — The horns hit his open palms and simply stopped — not slowed, not absorbed, stopped. The impact shattered the street beneath his feet. The shockwave lifted Cuphead off his feet and stumbled back. Ellie's ears (or head) hurt. Somewhere down the block, a window cracked clean across its width.

Everyone stared. The demon strained against his grip and Bendy's arm hadn't bent a single degree.

He glanced at his own hand like it had done something faintly inconvenient without asking permission.

"…Rude greeting."

Then He suddenly turned his wrist, and ten thousand pounds of demon went with the motion like it weighed nothing at all, flipping over his shoulder and slamming into the street hard enough that the impact threw loose debris a full block away. A crater bloomed beneath it,

Nobody spoke. Cuphead's jaw dropped. Mugman looked horrified. Ellie stared, wide-eyed.

The creature lurched to its feet anyway, dazed, blood running freely from one nostril now, and charged again — too stupid or too desperate to know better. Bendy exhaled, faintly put out.

"Oh, honestly, must we repeat ourselves?"

The creature opened its jaws and unleashed an earth-shaking roar directly into his face. The force rattled buildings, smoke and heat blasting down the street. Cuphead instinctively covered himself.

But Bendy just looked unimpressed. In fact — annoyed. His grin thinned. The shadows pooling around him crept outward across the broken street, swallowing the last of the firelight, and he breathed in once before answering.

The sound wasn't natural. It wasn't even fully a voice. It sounded like Hell itself screaming — deep and monstrous. every loose stone in the street jumped an inch and dropped again at once. The whole town shook. What is left of the windows completely shattered. The sky above somehow darkened briefly.

Cuphead felt his knees give out as his ears were left ringing. Mugman sat down hard, gracelessly, without meaning to. Ellie yet again, clapped both hands over her ears, though it didn't help this time— whatever that sound was, it wasn't only traveling through the air anymore. She could feel it in her teeth.

And the giant demon whimpered. Actually whimpered — The demon's legs buckled first, then the rest of it, folding down onto the ruined street, smoke stuttering weakly from its jaws, one massive clawed hand pawing uselessly at the ground like it was trying to make itself smaller than it physically could.

The quiet that followed was more deafening than the roar had.

Bendy straightened his sleeves and sighed. "There. Now stop embarrassing yourself in public."

Nobody moved. Everyone was still staring at him in shock.

The demon stayed lowered to the ground, trembling slightly beneath Bendy's gaze. Smoke still curled weakly from its nostrils, but the rage from moments ago was snuffed out. Now it just looked terrified.

The street stayed silent, burning debris crackling nearby while the citizens of Inkwell peeked out from hiding spots, windows, and alleyways. Nobody understood what they'd just witnessed.

Cuphead pushed himself upright first, unsteady, staring at Bendy with something caught between fury and disbelief — because the thing they hadn't been able to scratch, Bendy had put down the way a man might correct a badly behaved dog. And already the boredom was creeping back into his face.

The darkness around him receded as he rolled his shoulders lazily. Then his cheerful grin snapped back into place.

"Oh, honestly," he chirped, "you throw one little tantrum and suddenly everybody starts panicking." He looked down at the demon. "You smashed three buildings. That's not a tantrum. That's property damage with commitment issues."

The creature lowered its head further into the dirt.

Cuphead finally found his voice. "…How did you do that?"

Bendy glanced sideways, smiling wider. "My sparkling personality."

Cuphead gave him a deadpanned expression. Mugman, meanwhile, still looked very pale and disturbed. Something about that roar had gone through him wrong, in a way he didn't have the words for yet.

Ellie stood a little apart, watching Bendy with open nerves. Naturally, he noticed.

"Well, hello again, strawberry darling." His eyes flicked over her. "More traumatized than yesterday. Lovely progress."

She stiffened. Cuphead stepped in front of her on reflex. "Quit freaking her out."

Bendy gasped, mock-offended. "Me? I'm being delightful."

"The demon just tried to level the whole town!" Mugman snapped.

Bendy blinked, glanced down at the creature as if only just remembering. "…Ah. Yes. You did do that." It whined. He sighed. "Now I look irresponsible."

Before anyone could respond, shadows gathered around his hand like living ink — twisting, coiling, solidifying into a long black leash attached to a heavy collar that snapped around the demon's neck. It didn't resist. If anything, it looked relieved.

Cuphead stared. "You can just… DO that?!"

Bendy tugged the leash once. The demon sat down immediately, the impact of its own weight cracking the cobblestones beneath it.

"Oh, good," he said, pleased. "Basic obedience. We're evolving."

Nearby, a citizen whispered, "Is… is he controlling it?"

"Don't ask questions if you like being alive," came the reply.

Fair enough. Nobody else wanted to ask either.

Bendy began walking, dragging the demon along behind him like an oversized misbehaving pet, its head low and tail tucked.

Cuphead pointed at him. "Hold it!"

Bendy stopped, looking back over his shoulder. "Yes, tiny cup?"

"You can't just WALK OFF after all this!"

"…I absolutely can."

"Who ARE you?!" Cuphead growled.

The street went quieter around them. Mugman tensed again. Even Ellie leaned in slightly, despite herself.

Bendy stared at them for a moment, then smiled brightly. "We already did introductions yesterday."

"That's not what I mean and you know it!"

He sighed theatrically. "You ask very complicated questions for someone with a handle attached to his head."

Cuphead looked ready to throw hands despite his injuries. Mugman grabbed his arm. "Cuphead."

"No! This creep keeps showing up, beating everything, and talking like he owns the place!"

Bendy's grin widened. "To be fair, I do own this leash."

The demon whimpered again. He patted its head absently. "There, there, volcanic darling. We're all having difficult emotions today."

It was only now, with the creature no longer thrashing, that Ellie noticed the scars — old ones, pale ridges where chains had worn grooves into stone-hard skin over what must have been years, cracks in the bone plating that had healed wrong, or not healed at all. Something had hurt this thing for a long time before it ever hurt anyone else.

Bendy noticed her staring. His eyes flicked toward the scars too, just for half a second, his expression going unreadable. Then, immediately, the cheerful grin returned.

"Well!" he announced. "This has been educational, violent, and emotionally exhausting." He tugged the leash again, and the demon stood at once.

"You're taking that thing back?" Cuphead demanded.

"Mm-hm."

"So it can wreck another town later?!"

Bendy looked genuinely offended. "Oh, please. Do you know how much paperwork another escape causes?"

Cuphead stared. "…Paperwork?"

"Yes. Endless reports. Endless screaming. Endless meetings." He shuddered dramatically. "Frankly, mass destruction is less painful."

Mugman narrowed his eyes. "You really don't care about any of this, do you?"

For a brief second, Bendy went quiet. The wind shifted softly around him. Then he smiled again. "Oh, blueboy," he purred, "caring is such a dangerous habit."

The answer settled somewhere uncomfortable in Mugman's chest, somewhere he didn't have time to examine before Bendy's attention drifted to Ellie again, his grin turning teasing instead of sharp. than he expected.

"You really should stop following these two into disaster, darling. One of these days they'll get you eaten."

"Like YOU'RE any safer?!" Cuphead snapped.

Bendy laughed, bright and easy. "No. I'm significantly worse."

Somehow the fact that he admitted it so casually made it worse.

Behind him, the shadows began twisting into a portal, darkness swirling with flickers of hellfire deep inside. The demon tensed at the sight of it.

Bendy sighed. "Oh, stop trembling. Nobody's skinning you today." The creature relaxed slightly, which only made Mugman's stomach twist tighter. Even monsters seemed calmer around Bendy than they did around their own kind.

He tugged the leash and stepped toward the portal, then paused halfway through and looked back one last time.

Cuphead glared. Mugman looked wary. Ellie looked nervous.

Bendy smiled at all three — bright, cheerful, dangerous. "Try not to get yourselves killed before I get bored again."

Then the portal swallowed him whole, the demon vanishing after him. The street went quiet — just wreckage now, and cooling ash, and a silence that took a long time to break.

Cuphead stared at the spot where he'd disappeared, then groaned loudly. "I STILL hate that guy."

Mugman didn't answer right away, because hate wasn't quite the shape of what he felt anymore. What he felt now didn't have a clean name, and that bothered him more than the anger would have.more.

The walk back through town felt surreal.

Citizens crept back into the open now that the danger had passed, though none of them looked relieved for long — not after what they'd seen. Knots of people whispered on street corners, staring at the wreckage.

"The black demon controlled it…"

"No, the monster obeyed him…"

"Did you hear that roar?!"

"I thought my soul was leaving my body!"

Cuphead walked ahead with his hands jammed in his pockets, saying nothing. Mugman limped along beside him. Ellie trailed a little behind, still turning the last hour over in her mind and finding no version of it that made sense.

Because none of it fit. Yesterday, a demon strong enough to beat both brothers without much effort. Today, that same demon subduing something that had shrugged off every attack they'd thrown at it — and doing it, as far as Cuphead could tell, without trying particularly hard.

Cuphead stopped walking.

"…Cuphead?" Mugman blinked.

Without warning, he punched the nearest tree hard enough to shake leaves loose. Ellie jumped. He hit it again.

"Cuphead!" Mugman grabbed his arm. "What are you DOING?!"

Cuphead yanked away and hit the tree once more. "I HATE THIS!" The bark cracked under his knuckles.

Ellie watched, unsettled. Cuphead got annoyed constantly, angry daily, reckless without fail. Helpless was new, and it didn't sit right on him.

He pressed both hands over his face with a frustrated groan. "We couldn't even TOUCH that thing," he snapped, "and he just—" He gestured wildly. "—picked it up like it was nothin'!"

Mugman stayed quiet, because he couldn't deny it. Bendy's strength didn't make sense.

Cuphead hit the tree again. "What's the point of us bein' heroes if some freak demon can just show up and make us look useless?!"

Ellie flinched at the bitterness in his voice. Mugman finally stepped closer. "Cuphead."

"No, seriously! Yesterday he nearly killed us. Today he scares a monster into rolling over like a puppy. What are we supposed to do against something like that?"

The forest fell quiet. Cuphead breathed heavily, glaring at the damaged tree. Mugman just looked exhausted — not physically this time, but mentally. Because deep down, he'd been wondering the exact same thing.

Ellie spoke up carefully. "…Maybe we shouldn't fight him."

Both of them turned. She shrank slightly under the attention but kept going. "He could've hurt a lot more people today. He didn't."

"Ellie, he's still dangerous," Cuphead said.

"I know! I know that." Her hands twisted together. "But every time we've seen him, he's had the chance to really hurt someone. And he keeps not taking it." Yesterday, in the forest — he could have finished them both and hadn't. Today, he'd stepped in at all, when he clearly hadn't wanted to, and complained the entire time like helping was an inconvenience rather than a choice he'd rather not admit to making.

Cuphead crossed his arms. "That doesn't make him good."

"No," Mugman admitted quietly. "But it doesn't make him simple, either."

That was the real problem. Villains were supposed to be simple. The Devil made sense — cruelty in a straight line, easy to predict, easy to hate cleanly.

Bendy mocked the things he protected. Threatened people and then let them walk away. Was cruel in one breath and almost fair in the next, and somehow his own demons seemed to like him rather than merely fear him, which fit nowhere in either boy's understanding of how Hell was supposed to work.

Cuphead dropped down at the base of the battered tree, some of the fight going out of him. "I can't stand that stupid grin."

Ellie sat beside him. "…I think it's worse when he stops smiling."

The words landed heavier than she meant them to. Because they all remembered it — that moment in the forest when the performance had dropped and something else had looked out at them instead, low-voiced and unhurried and entirely unimpressed by their existence.

Mugman looked toward the horizon, already going dim at the edges. "…Yeah," he admitted. "That part scares me too." ....

The portal shut behind them in a fold of shadow, and the demon's feet had barely touched the scorched ground of the underworld before it stiffened all over again, smoke stuttering nervously from its jaws, eyes darting.

Bendy noticed instantly. Of course he did.

He walked calmly beside it through the dark halls, one hand holding the leash. "Oh, honestly," he sighed, "stop shaking like a wet chihuahua. You're making me look unstable."

It growled, low and uncertain.

"They're not putting you back in the cells today." A pause. "Probably." It didn't look convinced. "Well. I'm not letting them."

That seemed to help, marginally — it lowered its head closer to his shoulder as they walked, and the demons they passed scattered well out of the way, less out of fear of the creature than sheer discomfort at the sight of Bendy walking a prison monster like a pet.

"Why's it acting calm around him?" one whispered.

"Don't ask questions you don't want answered," another replied.

Bendy kept talking to the creature the whole way, the way one might talk to a mildly troublesome dog. "You really embarrassed yourself up there, darling. Screaming, smashing buildings, trying to gore people — honestly, have some dignity." The demon gave a low, ashamed rumble. "Oh, don't pout," he added, more gently. "You were tortured in a basement for years. I'd develop behavioral issues too."

Several nearby demons looked away at that. Nobody liked discussing what happened beneath the casino. Not openly.

Eventually the massive throne room doors came into view, and the demon slowed again, nervous. Bendy rolled his eyes. "You're the size of a cathedral and somehow still emotionally fragile."

Inside, the Devil sat waiting, Dice at his side with arms folded and an expression that suggested he'd already decided how this would go.

The Devil's eyes narrowed. "…That was fast."

Bendy walked forward casually, the demon trailing close behind instead of rampaging as before. Dice looked instantly irritated — mostly because Bendy didn't look injured, or tired, or punished in any meaningful way.

Bendy stopped before the throne and gave a dramatic bow. "Good news. Your oversized lava lizard has officially stopped committing public acts of terrorism."

Dice eyed the creature. "…Why is it sitting?"

"Manners," Bendy said, innocent.

The Devil's tail lashed once. "You were told to retrieve it. Not befriend it."

"And yet I managed both. Overachiever, really."

"Y"You were supposed to drag it back," Dice cut in, "not parade it through the streets like a circus act."

Bendy turned toward him slowly. "Darling, you wear a giant bowtie while throwing magical cards for a living."

"You know what I mean."

"Oh, I truly don't."

"Enough," the Devil said, and the room went still at once — the demon flinching so hard its leash pulled taut. Something in Bendy's face tightened, just briefly, before smoothing back over.

The Devil leaned forward, studying the creature. "It broke because it's unstable again."

The demon lowered its head fearfully.

Dice smirked. "Needs more conditioning, probably."

At that, the demon's trembling worsened — and something behind Bendy's eyes sharpened into focus. He set one hand flat against its skull.

"Actually," he said, sweet as poison, "I'll be keeping it."

Silence.

Dice blinked. "…What?"

"You clearly aren't using it properly," Bendy went on, casual as weather talk. "Every time Father gets bored, you drag the poor thing into another experiment until it loses its mind and breaks loose again. And frankly, the basement smells appaling."

"You want to keep it?" Dice looked genuinely baffled.

Bendy glanced down. The creature looked back up at him, uncertain, hopeful in a way that had no business belonging to something this size.

"Yes," he said simply. "I've decided it's mine now."

The throne room went dead silent. Several nearby demons looked outright horrified — nobody casually claimed things from the Devil. Especially not living weapons.

The Devil's voice rumbled dangerously. "You don't get to make demands."

"I'm not demanding." Bendy's voice stayed light, cheerful even — but underneath it, just for a moment, something else moved through the shadows at his feet. "I'm informing you."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees . Dice went rigid. The demons found reasons to be somewhere else entirely. Even the creature held perfectly still.

The Devil studied him for a long moment, then scoffed, breaking first. "You're becoming irritating again."

Bendy gasped, delighted. "Again? Darling, I never stopped."

Dice pressed two fingers to his temple. "How is this an argument you're willing to have over a prison monster?"

"Excuse you," Bendy said, offended. "It has feelings."

The demon gave a small, hopeful rumble.

Dice stared at it, then at Bendy. "…You named it already, didn't you?"

"Hm." Bendy patted the creature's skull thoughtfully. "Bones."

Silence.

"That's what you picked?"

"It has bones," Bendy said, shrugging. "I appreciate honesty in branding."

The Devil groaned from the throne, sounding, for the first time in the entire conversation, genuinely exhausted. "…Take the creature and leave my sight."

Bendy's grin brightened triumphantly. "Oh, marvelous."

Bones looked, unmistakably, relieved. Bendy turned on his heel with a flourish, giving the leash a light tug. "Come along, darling. Apparently you live with me now."

Bones followed without hesitation.

Dice watched them go, still in disbelief. "You just gave him the prison beast?"

The Devil rubbed his temples. "At least if the creature stays near him, it stops destroying my cells."

Dice still looked disturbed. Because somehow, against all logic, the monster genuinely seemed safer around Bendy than it ever had down in the dark.

And that thought unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.

[cartoonscraze-2]

Where's Bendy ( Very old comic)

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Diana Little Miss Devil!

Belongs to @catgirl41

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Art trade: Peter Spellweave belongs to @midnightchanneljuststatic

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The Devil's Son

Chapter 2: The Warning in Inkwell

The house was eerily quiet.

Only the soft crackle of the fireplace and the occasional clink of glass bottles broke the silence as Elder Kettle finished tending to his grandchildren's wounds. The comforting scent of crushed herbs and antiseptic filled the room, mingling with the familiar aroma of freshly brewed tea — his favorite remedy for nearly every ailment.

"As I always say," the old kettle muttered, tightening the final bandage around Mugman's arm, "a good cup of tea fixes anything short of death."

Cuphead wrinkled his nose at the steaming mug waiting on the table. Normally he'd have complained that it tasted like boiled grass. Today, he didn't have the energy.

Mugman barely seemed aware of it at all.

Across the room, Ellie sat quietly at the edge of the couch, hands clasped so tightly in her lap that her knuckles had gone pale beneath her gloves. Her eyes stayed fixed on the wooden floor, as if it might suddenly explain everything that had happened in the forest.

Her thoughts refused to leave it.

Not the grotesque demons. Not the terrifying creature Bendy had summoned. Not even the fight itself.

She kept remembering his smile — calm, amused, shrewd.

Elder Kettle stepped back and gave his handiwork one last inspection before letting out a weary sigh. "There," he said firmly. "You'll live. Barely."

Cuphead groaned, raising a thumbs-up sarcastically. "Encouraging."

"You're welcome."

Without another word, Elder Kettle grabbed his coat and hat from the wall hook.

Mugman blinked slowly. "Where are you going?"

The old kettle paused at the door, his expression suddenly serious. "To make sure this doesn't become a disaster."

Cuphead pushed himself upright a little too quickly. Pain shot through his cracked body, forcing a wince, but stubbornness kept him talking. "I already told you — we're fine! We can totally handle this!"

Elder Kettle gave him a long, tired look. "That 'handle it' attitude is why you're covered in cracks right now."

Cuphead opened his mouth, then shut it again, grumbling.

Mugman lowered his gaze. Ellie said nothing.

With one last glance at the three of them, Elder Kettle stepped outside and quietly shut the door behind him.

By the time he reached the center of Inkwell Isle One, word had already started spreading. Rumors always traveled fast here — especially the bad ones.

A few townsfolk had gathered near the market square, whispering among themselves. Shopkeepers leaned over their counters to trade worried gossip, while children who'd caught only fragments of the story stared toward the distant forest with wide, anxious eyes.

The moment Elder Kettle entered the square, conversations died away. He didn't waste time, climbing onto the small wooden platform beside the town's notice board and raising a hand for silence.

"I need everyone's attention," he called out.

The crowd turned toward him. The usual cheerful chatter of Inkwell faded into uneasy silence.

Elder Kettle took a slow breath. "There is a dangerous demon operating in the forest near the edge of the isle."

That alone made people shift nervously.

"A… demon?" someone whispered.

"I thought the Devil was gone…" said another.

Elder Kettle raised a hand again. "This is not the Devil. But whatever it is, it's extremely dangerous."

An uneasy murmur spread through the gathering. He continued. "My boys — Cuphead and Mugman — crossed paths with it earlier today. They were overpowered."

Silence. Then the square erupted.

"What?!"

"The cup brothers lost?"

"That can't be right!"

"They defeated the Devil himself!"

"They saved the whole isle!"

Elder Kettle's expression hardened slightly. "I know what they're capable of. That's exactly why I'm telling you this now. Do not underestimate this threat."

The excitement quickly gave way to something heavier.

Fear.

If Cuphead and Mugman — the heroes who'd once beaten the Devil — had been beaten themselves, what chance did ordinary townsfolk have?

Someone shouted from the back of the crowd. "Where is it now?!"

Elder Kettle shook his head. "Gone. But it will return — or something like it will."

That didn't calm anyone. If anything, it made things worse. Because "gone" didn't mean safe. It only meant waiting.

Back at the house, Cuphead was pacing — or trying to. His injuries turned it into more of an irritated limp-storm around the room than his usual confident stride.

"This is ridiculous," he burst out. "We let one weird demon beat us and now the whole isle's gonna panic?"

Mugman sat at the kitchen table, Elder Kettle's untouched tea resting between his hands. Steam still curled from the cup, but he hadn't taken a single sip.

"It wasn't just 'one weird demon,' Cuphead," Mugman said quietly.

"That's exactly what it was!" Cuphead shot back. "A punk with horns and a bad attitude!"

Ellie flinched slightly.

Mugman looked at his brother. "He stopped one of your strongest attacks without even trying."

Cuphead froze for half a second, then forced a laugh. "So what? Maybe I wasn't warmed up."

"That thing he summoned almost killed us."

Cuphead stopped pacing. The room went quiet.

Ellie finally found her voice, barely above a whisper. "I don't think… he was using all of his strength."

Cuphead turned sharply. "What?"

Mugman slowly set his cup down, because deep down, he'd been thinking exactly the same thing.

Cuphead's expression tightened. "No way. No way. Nobody just plays around like that and beats us. We were tired, that's all."

Even he could hear the uncertainty creeping into his own voice.

Ellie hugged herself tighter. "The demons were scared of him too."

"So what?" Cuphead snapped. "Demons are always scared of something!"

Mugman shook his head slowly. "Not like that."

That made Cuphead pause again, because Mugman wasn't exaggerating. He never did. Cuphead had long since learned that when Mugman believed something, he was usually right.

The silence stretched. Finally, Cuphead punched the wall lightly out of frustration. The impact sent a sharp jolt through his cracked hand.

"Great," he muttered, rubbing his knuckles. "Just great. Now we've got some mystery demon running around and nobody even knows what he is."

Mugman looked down. "We should train."

Cuphead blinked. "Huh?"

"If he comes back," Mugman said carefully, "we need to be better prepared. We can't fight him the same way twice."

Cuphead opened his mouth to argue — and didn't. For once, he didn't have a comeback.

Ellie looked between the brothers. "I want to help too."

Cuphead stared. "Ellie, no offense, but you were hiding the whole fight."

"I know," she said softly. "But I still want to understand him."

Cuphead blinked, baffled. "Understand that guy?"

Ellie hesitated, then nodded. She didn't know why, but Bendy hadn't felt like the Devil from the stories, even though he'd scared her. Not entirely.

From what she'd heard — more times than she cared to count — her cousins' past foes had always been driven to fight by their contracts. But today's fight had felt controlled, and yet not. Bendy genuinely seemed to have complete free will.

Mugman looked toward the window, where the distant forest disappeared beneath the evening sky. "Yeah. That's the problem. We don't understand his true intentions. And that's exactly what makes him dangerous."

Cuphead crossed his arms. "Psh. I understand him fine. He's a jerk."

Mugman gave him a look.

Cuphead grumbled. "Fine. A really strong jerk."

Despite everything, Ellie almost smiled. Almost. Then her expression grew thoughtful again.

"He could've killed us." Both brothers looked at her. "He had every chance…" Her voice softened. "…but he didn't."

Cuphead frowned deeply. "That doesn't exactly make me feel any better."

"I know." Ellie nodded quickly. "I just—" She struggled to find the words for the feeling that had lingered since they'd escaped the forest. "It didn't feel like mercy. It felt like…" She looked down at her hands. "…we simply weren't important enough for him to take seriously."

It was indifference. That possibility was even more frightening. Hatred could be understood — hatred had purpose. Indifference didn't.

Cuphead clenched his fists. "Then next time we won't be 'not important.'" He smirked, forcing his usual energy back into his voice. "We'll make sure he remembers us."

No one answered. None of them felt reassured.

Outside, life on Inkwell continued as though nothing had happened. Shopkeepers welcomed customers. Children chased one another through the streets. The sea breeze carried the cries of gulls overhead.

But deep within the forest, the shadows seemed just a little darker — as though something was listening.

Far beneath Inkwell Isle, below the roots of ancient mountains, below rivers of molten rock and caverns where the cries of tormented souls echoed without end, massive dark gates slowly groaned open.

The towering doors, forged from black iron and engraved with countless writhing faces, parted just enough for a procession of demons to hurry inside.

The lesser demons stumbled over one another in their haste. Some clutched sacks of stolen supplies to their chests; others had returned empty-handed, too shaken to care. Their horns drooped, their tails twitched nervously, and every pair of eyes darted anxiously toward the castle looming ahead.

No one wanted to be the bearer of bad news.

Behind them, Bendy walked at an unhurried pace, his polished shoes clicking softly against the obsidian floor.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Unlike the frantic demons surrounding him, he looked perfectly relaxed, hands folded neatly behind his back, as though he were enjoying a leisurely stroll through a garden rather than the heart of the Underworld.

The castle itself seemed alive. Veins pulsed faintly beneath walls of black stone, as though some enormous creature slumbered within its foundations. Crimson flames danced atop towering braziers, casting grotesque shadows that twisted unnaturally across the corridors. Somewhere deep within the palace, a distant scream echoed through the halls before ending as abruptly as it had begun.

The smaller demons visibly shuddered.

One finally broke the silence. "S-sir… Lord Devil is going to be furious."

Another swallowed hard. "We failed."

"We lost the supplies."

"And the heroes escaped."

Bendy came to a graceful stop, the clicking of his footsteps ceasing. Slowly, he turned to face them. Every demon fell silent immediately.

His golden eyes swept lazily across the group before he pressed a gloved hand to his chest and released an exaggerated gasp. "Oh, my. Listen to you all, spiraling into despair. It's like watching the world's most dreadful opera."

Not a single demon laughed.

Bendy sighed. "Tough crowd." Then his grin softened. "Well — run along now."

The demons blinked. "…Sir?"

He waved a hand lazily. "Shoo. Scatter. Vanish. Pretend you have dignity somewhere else."

The demons stared, confused. One cautiously cleared his throat. "But… Lord Devil wanted a report."

Bendy's smile sharpened. "And I'm giving it."

Silence. The demons understood at once. If they stayed around when the Devil learned Cuphead and Mugman had survived, they'd absolutely suffer for it. The Devil punished failure viciously. Bendy rarely did.

One young demon looked so relieved he nearly cried. "T-thank you, Lord Bendy."

Bendy gagged dramatically. "Oh, don't get sentimental. It's revolting."

But despite the insult, the demons scrambled away gratefully. One even bowed on his way out. "Good luck, Lord Bendy!"

Bendy stared at him blankly, then deadpanned, "I hope you trip into lava."

The demon looked delighted anyway and hurried off.

Soon the great hallway fell silent again. Only Bendy remained, his grin slowly fading into something more unreadable.

Then, the castle trembled. A deep voice echoed from somewhere beyond the massive throne room doors.

"BENDY."

The walls vibrated with the force of it. Dust drifted from the vaulted ceiling. Far away, the lesser demons flinched and scattered for cover.

Bendy rolled his eyes. "Oh, good. Father's awake."

The enormous doors opened by themselves.

The throne room was gigantic. Heat rolled across the vast chamber in relentless waves, distorting the air above rivers of molten lava. Massive chains disappeared into darkness far overhead, while colossal statues of forgotten demons stood like silent sentinels, empty eyes fixed on the throne.

And upon that throne sat the ruler of the Lower Realm.

The Devil towered over everything around him, one clawed hand resting on the armrest of his obsidian seat. His dark fur seemed to glow in the light of the lava below, and the single great horn curling from his head cast a long shadow across his face. His burning eyes never left Bendy the moment he entered.

The temperature seemed to climb another degree.

Bendy strolled forward with the easy confidence of someone arriving fashionably late to a dinner party, his footsteps echoing lazily through the cavernous chamber.

The Devil narrowed his eyes. "You're late."

"Am I?" Bendy gasped softly in mock horror. "Oh dear. Did time continue moving without my permission?"

The Devil's tail slammed against the floor behind the throne, the crack echoing through the chamber. "Do not test my patience."

Bendy smiled pleasantly. "Oh, darling. If I truly tested your patience, this castle would be on fire."

A dangerous silence followed. The Devil glared. Bendy smiled back innocently. The tension between them felt older than either cared to admit — not like father and son, but like two predators tolerating each other.

Finally, the Devil spoke. "The forest operation failed."

Bendy shrugged lightly. "Depends on your definition of failure."

"The supplies were lost."

"They were ugly supplies."

"The cup brothers survived."

Bendy's grin widened. "Well, yes. I noticed."

The Devil's eyes narrowed further. Neither spoke for a moment. Then he growled, "You had the chance to kill them."

The throne room darkened with his anger. Infernal flames crackled violently around the throne.

Bendy simply stared up at him, calm — and then laughed. It began as a soft chuckle before blooming into an airy, theatrical laugh that echoed strangely through the chamber.

"Oh, Father." He wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye. "You always make murder sound so mandatory."

The Devil's patience snapped. He slammed one claw against the armrest hard enough to crack the stone. "ANSWER ME." The roar shook the palace. Lava surged. The chains overhead rattled violently, and beyond the throne room, the lower-class demons dropped to their knees on instinct.

Bendy didn't flinch. He blinked slowly.

Then something changed. The smile remained, but it no longer reached his eyes. When he spoke again, the cheerful falsetto was gone, his voice dropping lower — deeper — as though another presence had taken control.

"They entertained me."

The impossible happened: despite the heat surrounding them, the temperature dropped. Even the flames in the braziers flickered uncertainly.

The Devil's expression darkened further. "That is not a valid reason."

Bendy tilted his head slowly, the grin on his face no longer playful. It looked crooked. "It was for me."

Silence answered him — heavy and suffocating. Then, just as quickly as it had vanished, Bendy's cheerful demeanor returned. He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked lightly on his heels. "Besides," he chirped, "if I killed every amusing thing immediately, this place would be dreadfully boring."

The Devil rose slowly from his throne, stone groaning beneath his weight. Each step down the staircase echoed like distant thunder. He stopped directly before Bendy, staring him down.

Bendy simply looked up, still smiling. "You grow careless."

Bendy's smile twitched. "No," he replied softly. "I grow bored."

The words hung in the air as the Devil's eyes narrowed in warning. "You forget your purpose."

Bendy's smile faltered, the cheerful expression fading again. Then the monstrous voice returned — low, cold. "No. I remember it perfectly."

Something slithered through the darkness surrounding the throne. The lava dimmed. The walls seemed to breathe. For the briefest instant, the Devil's expression changed. It wasn't anger, or even annoyance. It was something far rarer: caution.

Then Bendy smiled brightly again, as though nothing had happened. "Oh, but enough family tension," he hummed, brushing imaginary dust from his gloves. "You'll wrinkle."

The Devil's expression hardened again. "You mock everything."

"Frequently."

"You disobey orders."

"Aha."

"You allowed the heroes to live."

Bendy smiled wider. "Yep."

The Devil's tail lashed sharply. "And yet…"

Bendy's grin widened. "…here I still stand."

The throne room fell utterly silent, because hidden beneath those six words lay a truth no one in the Lower Realm dared speak aloud. The Devil could command armies, control demons, rule the underworld itself. But Bendy obeyed nobody completely — not even him.

The silence stretched, until Bendy sighed dramatically. "Oh, honestly, can we discuss something more interesting now?" His grin turned almost boyish. "The cup brothers were delightful."

The Devil frowned. "Delightful?"

"Oh, absolutely." Bendy began pacing leisurely across the polished obsidian floor. "One rushes into danger before thinking." He raised a finger. "The other thinks so much he nearly forgets to act." A second finger. "And then…" He smiled to himself. "…there was the little strawberry girl."

The Devil watched him carefully. "A girl?"

Bendy glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, don't sound so interested. It's unbecoming."

"You've taken an interest in mortals now?"

Bendy stopped walking, looking genuinely offended. He pressed a hand dramatically to his chest. "My dear Father. What a scandalous accusation." A pause. "Interest is such a strong word. I would say… curiosity, perhaps."

The Devil said nothing. That alone was unusual.

Bendy rarely remembered anyone's face after a single encounter. Mortals bored him. Heroes bored him. Demons bored him. Yet something about those three had lingered.

The Devil turned away. "You are not to interfere further until instructed."

Bendy blinked once, then burst into laughter — a discordant rattle that seemed to vibrate through the walls. "Oh, that was precious," he giggled. "You almost sounded like you believed I listen to instructions."

The Devil's voice dropped dangerously low. "Bendy."

Bendy's grin stretched wider, and slowly, his eyes glowed faintly within the darkness. When he answered this time, both voices overlapped — one cheerful, one dark.

"I'll do…" The grin widened. "…whatever I want."

The palace corridors had grown quiet. Word of the Devil's temper had spread fast, and most demons had long since learned to disappear whenever the throne room shook. Tonight was no different. The air still carried the suffocating pressure from earlier.

The halls were nearly deserted, but Bendy walked through them completely unbothered.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

His hands rested comfortably behind his back as he hummed a distorted little tune that sounded almost cheerful — if one ignored the unsettling way it echoed through the empty halls. The castle shadows stretched around him almost affectionately.

Then: "Well, well."

Bendy's grin twitched with irritation. A tall figure leaned casually against one of the marble pillars ahead.

King Dice. Elegant as ever, sharp suit, perfect gloves, smug expression — his calculating eyes followed Bendy with poorly hidden disdain. Unlike the lower demons, Dice wasn't afraid of him. Nervous, sure. But fear and arrogance made a dangerous combination.

Bendy stopped walking. Neither spoke for a few seconds. Then he sighed. "Oh, look. Father's favorite disappointment."

Dice's smile sharpened. "And there's the mutt."

Bendy gasped in fake offense. "Mutt? Darling, if you're going to insult me, at least put some imagination into it. I've heard imps come up with crueler nicknames," he added, whispering conspiratorially.

Dice pushed off the pillar. "You sure talk big for someone who failed a simple mission."

Bendy blinked, then smiled wider. "Ahh. So that's what this is. You're upset because the Devil yelled at somebody and it wasn't you."

Dice's eye twitched. "I'm upset because you keep making problems everyone else has to clean up."

Bendy laughed quietly, the sound echoing down the corridor. "Oh, please. You adore cleaning up after Father." His smile sharpened. "You practically wag your tail whenever he whistles."

Dice's expression darkened. "And you act like you're above all this."

Bendy tilted his head. "I am." The answer came without hesitation — no arrogance, no humor, just fact. The shadows nearby shifted slightly.

Dice's jaw tightened. "There's the ego."

"Nope," Bendy corrected sweetly. "That's observation."

Dice crossed his arms. "You should've killed the cup brats when you had the chance."

Bendy's grin widened. "But then who would entertain me?"

"They defeated the Devil once."

Bendy sighed dramatically. "I'd almost forgotten." His grin turned wicked. "And somehow — " he looked Dice up and down, "— you managed to survive that embarrassment. Miraculous."

Dice's smile vanished. He remembered that defeat very personally; the humiliation still clung to him like smoke. Bendy noticed immediately, and naturally, pressed harder.

"You know," he mused, circling Dice slowly, "for someone constantly attached to Father's side, you'd think you'd have developed actual competence by now."

Dice glared. "At least I'm loyal."

Bendy stopped behind him. The cheerful expression melted away. A low chuckle escaped him — deep, and distinctly demonic. "Loyalty," he said, voice dropping into that monstrous growl, "is merely obedience wearing perfume."

Dice slowly turned to face him again. For a moment, neither moved. The tension between them was razor sharp, because unlike the lower demons, Dice understood something important about Bendy: he didn't fear punishment. At all. That made him unpredictable — dangerous in ways even the Devil hated.

Dice finally scoffed and adjusted his gloves. "You think you're special."

Bendy smiled brightly again, instantly. "Oh, no. I know I am."

Dice rolled his eyes. "One day that attitude's gonna get you destroyed."

Bendy stared at him silently for a second, then leaned closer — way too close, grin widening unnaturally. "And yet," he whispered sweetly, "I'm still here."

Dice stiffened. There it was again — that implication. The Devil punished failure. He punished insolence. He punished disrespect. Others had died for far less than what Bendy had just said in the throne room. Yet Bendy still walked these halls, still mocked the most evil being in existence right to his face, still did as he pleased.

Nobody truly understood why.

Bendy stepped back suddenly, the tension evaporating as fast as it had appeared. He looked Dice up and down with exaggerated scrutiny. "Oh, goodness. You're still standing here." He pinched the bridge of his nonexistent nose. "I was rather hoping Father would remember you had paperwork."

Dice finally lost patience. "Why do you even stay here? You clearly hate taking orders. Why don't you just leave?"

Bendy paused mid-step, his grin fading — not completely, but enough. The hallway seemed to grow quieter.

Then he answered softly. "Where else would this pit keep its favorite monster?"

Dice stared at him. Bendy smiled again almost immediately, cheerful and theatrical once more. "But enough existential misery! I'm exhausted, you're irritating, and I desperately need a moment away from your cologne. It smells like desperation and gambling addiction."

Dice looked offended. "This suit costs more than your entire wardrobe."

Bendy glanced down at his own clothes. "…I only own like three outfits."

"Exactly."

Bendy nodded thoughtfully. "Fair point."

Dice looked annoyed that the insult somehow hadn't landed. Bendy turned and started walking away, deeper into the halls.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Then, without turning around, he called back brightly, "Oh — and Dice?"

Dice frowned. "What?"

The torches flickered. The shadows along the walls began to writhe unnaturally.

Bendy's grin sharpened. "If you ever decide to start giving my demons orders again…"

Something enormous smiled from within the darkness — too large, too many teeth, gone almost as quickly as it appeared. Bendy's demonic voice rumbled beneath his cheerful tone.

"…I'll wear your spine as a necktie."

Silence. Then the darkness settled, and Bendy waved casually over his shoulder. "Kisses!"

And just like that, he disappeared deeper into the castle, humming cheerfully to himself.

King Dice remained alone in the corridor, his expression never changing — not while Bendy was still within earshot. Only after the echoes of those footsteps finally faded did he release the breath he'd been holding.

He adjusted his gloves with measured precision. "…Insufferable mutt."

The words came easily. The unease did not.

Because for just a moment, when the shadows had smiled, even King Dice had wondered what, exactly, Bendy truly was.

[cartoonscraze-2]

Fanfiction (The Devil's Son)

(Have this chapter because I had some ideas! Feel free to tell me your opinion! Also, Bendy's powers here are a bit different.)

Chapter 1: The Horned stranger

The world of Inkwell had finally known peace.

For the first time in years, nobody feared contracts, soul deals, or hearing the Devil's laughter echo through the night. The casinos had gone quiet. The old debtors returned home. Even the skies over the Isles seemed brighter now that the Devil had been defeated by the two heroes everyone admired:

Cuphead and Mugman.

The brothers had become legends across Inkwell. Children copied their old fighting stances with sticks. Shopkeepers offered them free pies. Entire towns celebrated the day they defeated the Devil and shattered his contracts.

And after a whole year without disasters?

Things had become almost… normal.

Too normal for Cuphead.

"This is borin'," Cuphead groaned dramatically as he flopped backward over the couch in Elder Kettle's house. "No monsters. No fights. No evil schemes. Nothin'!"

"You said the same thing yesterday," Mugman sighed while reading a newspaper.

"Because it's STILL true!"

Across the room, Ellie giggled quietly into her teacup.

Unlike her energetic cousins, Ellie was softer spoken and more cautious. She was a pink cup filled with strawberry-colored liquid, and she had come to stay with the brothers for the summer. At first she expected heroic adventures every day.

Instead?

Most days involved Cuphead trying to swordfight broomsticks.

"You should be grateful things are peaceful," Ellie said politely.

Cuphead pointed dramatically at her. "That's exactly what a person says before somethin' exciting happens."

Mugman lowered his newspaper. "Please don't jinx us."

Too late.

A loud knock suddenly rattled the front door.

Cuphead immediately sat upright. "SEE?!"

Elder Kettle opened the door to reveal several nervous townsfolk standing outside. Their faces looked pale.

One of them adjusted his hat shakily.

"Mister Cuphead… Mister Mugman… we got a problem."

Cuphead grinned.

Mugman looked tired already.

———

About an hour later, the trio walked through the forest near the edge of Inkwell Isle One.

The deeper they traveled, the quieter things became.

No birds.

No insects.

Just the sound of branches creaking overhead.

Ellie stayed close behind her cousins while nervously glancing around.

"So what exactly happened here?" she asked.

Mugman checked the notes the townsfolk gave him. "People reported missing supplies, strange noises at night, claw marks on houses…"

"And weird little creatures stealing food," Cuphead added. "Probably some weak monsters."

Then—

A shrill screech echoed through the trees.

Ellie jumped.

Cuphead immediately grinned. "FINALLY!"

Several small demons burst out from the bushes.

They were short, ugly little things with crooked horns, sharp teeth, and glowing eyes. They hissed wildly while holding stolen bags of food and random junk.

"There they are!" Mugman shouted.

The demons charged.

Cuphead and Mugman instantly fired projectiles at them while dodging between trees. Ellie watched excitedly from behind a rock.

It honestly looked amazing.

Cuphead kicked one demon directly into another.

Mugman blasted two more with energy shots.

The low-class demons quickly panicked.

"Retreat! RETREAT!"

"They're too strong!"

"Where's HE?!"

Cuphead blinked.

"He?"

Then the forest suddenly became still.

Every demon froze.

Not scared of the cup brothers.

Scared of something else.

A strange sound echoed nearby.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Like dress shoes against stone.

Out from the shadows stepped a small black figure.

At first glance, he honestly didn't look threatening.

He was at the cupbros'height.

Slim.

Dressed in dark clothes with a bowtie and gloves. His ink-black body almost blended into the darkness itself. Two curved horns sat atop his head, and his grin stretched far too wide to be friendly.

Cuphead stared.

"That's it?"

The stranger tilted his head slowly.

The surrounding demons visibly recoiled.

One accidentally dropped the stolen supplies and scrambled to pick them back up.

The horned figure sighed dramatically.

"Oh dear," he said smoothly, voice dripping with mock disappointment. "And here I thought the famous heroes of Inkwell would be at least mildly intimidating."

His voice had a theatrical rhythm to it.

Almost playful.

But somehow wrong.

Very wrong.

Ellie immediately felt uneasy.

Cuphead crossed his arms. "You work for the Devil or somethin'?"

The figure smiled wider.

"My, my. Straight to business." He placed a gloved hand against his chest and bowed sarcastically. "Yes. Unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?" Mugman repeated cautiously.

The stranger ignored him and glanced at the cowering demons nearby.

One of them accidentally made eye contact with him.

The demon nearly fainted.

"Oh stop trembling," the horned figure sighed. "If I wanted to tear your spine out, darling, I would've done it already."

The demon nodded frantically.

"Yes sir— sorry sir— thank you sir—"

Cuphead frowned.

That was… strange.

The demons weren't acting like loyal minions.

They were terrified.

Yet oddly respectful toward him.

The horned stranger suddenly noticed Ellie staring at him.

His grin sharpened.

"Well now," he purred. "Who's the strawberry sweetheart?"

Ellie instantly hid slightly behind Mugman.

Cuphead stepped forward protectively. "Back off."

The horned figure gasped dramatically.

"Oh, how heroic! I may swoon."

Cuphead's eye twitched.

Mugman narrowed his eyes carefully. "Who are you?"

For the first time, the stranger became quiet.

The forest itself seemed colder.

Then he smiled again.

"You may call me…"

He tipped his head slightly.

"Bendy."

The demons behind him visibly stiffened at the name.

Cuphead cracked his knuckles confidently.

"Well Bendy, you and your little gremlins are done causing trouble around here."

Bendy looked down at himself.

Then slowly looked back up.

"You know," he said thoughtfully, "you're awfully confident for someone approximately the size of a soup thermos."

Ellie accidentally snorted.

Cuphead looked offended. "HEY!"

Bendy's grin widened maliciously.

"Oh this is adorable. The little hero thinks he's dangerous."

Cuphead immediately fired a shot at him.

The blast flew straight toward Bendy's face—

—and stopped.

Midair.

The entire forest went silent.

The energy projectile trembled in front of Bendy's smile before slowly turning black with ink.

Then it vanished. Completely.

Cuphead's confidence cracked instantly.

Mugman froze.

Ellie stared in shock.

Bendy casually dusted imaginary dirt from his sleeve.

"How rude," he sighed.

The demons looked horrified.

One whispered:

"He's gonna kill them…"

But Bendy merely chuckled softly.

Then—

Without warning—

The shadows beneath the trees violently spread outward like liquid darkness.

Cuphead and Mugman immediately jumped back.

Ellie stumbled.

A giant grinning ink creature rose behind Bendy like a living nightmare.

Dozens of glowing eyes opened within it.

Cuphead's face paled.

The small demon beside Bendy quietly muttered:

"…That's why Lord Devil can't control him."

Bendy heard him.

"Oh hush," he said lazily. "You make me sound so unpleasant."

The demon immediately apologized.

Bendy turned back toward the trio.

Still smiling.

Still relaxed.

But now the air itself felt wrong around him.

Oppressive.

Dangerous.

Ancient.

"You three really should run along now," Bendy said pleasantly. "I'm in an excellent mood today."

Cuphead tried not to show fear.

"Tch. Why would we run from you?"

Bendy's grin somehow widened further.

"Because," he said softly,

"I haven't decided whether I like you yet."

Mugman immediately grabbed Ellie by the wrist.

"Ellie, hide! NOW!"

She didn't argue.

The sheer pressure coming from the creature behind Bendy made her instincts scream at her to run. Ellie quickly ducked behind a cluster of rocks and fallen logs while peeking through the gaps nervously.

Cuphead kept his eyes locked on the massive ink beast.

"What IS that thing?!"

The monster answered with a horrifying shriek before lunging forward.

"MOVE!" Mugman shouted.

The brothers barely dodged as enormous claws slammed into the ground hard enough to crack the earth. Black ink splattered across nearby trees like tar.

Cuphead fired several shots rapidly.

They barely slowed it down.

Meanwhile—

Bendy casually leapt onto one of the tree branches overhead and sat down comfortably like he was attending a theater show.

One leg swung lazily in the air.

"Oh, this is already entertaining," he mused.

The giant ink creature charged again.

Cuphead rolled under its claws while Mugman blasted its face repeatedly.

"Little warning here?!" Cuphead yelled upward. "Your pet's got anger issues!"

Bendy rested his cheek against his palm.

"Well yes," he replied smoothly. "You shot at me. That generally affects morale."

The monster roared and slammed both fists downward.

The brothers split apart just before impact.

The surrounding low-class demons huddled together in terror nearby.

One covered his eyes.

"Oh no…"

"He summoned the big one…"

"We're all gonna die…"

Another demon glanced nervously toward Bendy sitting above them.

"He looks happy…"

Bendy looked delighted.

Every time the monster nearly hit the brothers, his grin widened further.

"Oh, excellent dodge," he commented casually. "Very athletic. Gold star for you."

Cuphead looked ready to explode.

"STOP COMMENTATING AND FIGHT US YOURSELF!"

Bendy gasped dramatically.

"And deprive myself of the show? Perish the thought!"

The monster suddenly opened its mouth unnaturally wide and unleashed a blast of black ink.

Mugman shoved Cuphead aside.

The attack tore through several trees behind them instead.

"Cuphead!" Mugman snapped. "Focus!"

"I AM focused!"

"No, you're angry!"

"Well excuse me if the creepy gremlin in the tree is gettin' on my nerves!"

Bendy placed a hand against his chest in mock offense.

"Gremlin?" he repeated. "My feelings are wounded."

Then he tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Actually no they aren't."

The giant creature attacked again with brutal force.

Cuphead attempted to parry one of its strikes but immediately realized his mistake when the creature's arm transformed into jagged spikes.

"Oh COME ON—"

He barely escaped getting skewered.

Ellie watched fearfully from hiding.

Cuphead and Mugman were strong—everyone in Inkwell knew that—but this thing felt different.

The monster wasn't fighting wildly.

It was hunting them.

And Bendy…

Bendy looked completely unconcerned.

One of the demons finally gathered enough courage to speak upward.

"S-Sir… should we help?"

Bendy slowly looked down at him.

The demon immediately regretted speaking.

"Help?" Bendy echoed softly.

The demon trembled violently.

"I-I just meant—"

Bendy smiled.

"If you value having organs," he said pleasantly, "you'll stay exactly where you are."

The demons immediately nodded in terrified agreement.

"Yes sir."

"Of course sir."

"Wonderful decision sir."

Bendy returned his attention to the fight just in time to see Cuphead land a powerful shot directly into the monster's chest.

The creature staggered backward with a roar.

Cuphead grinned proudly.

"HAH! Gotcha!"

Bendy clapped slowly from the tree branch.

"Well done, tiny cup. You almost inconvenienced it."

Cuphead growled.

Mugman, however, noticed something unsettling.

Bendy wasn't controlling the monster directly.

No gestures.

No commands. No threads.

The thing moved almost like it feared disappointing him.

Then the monster suddenly stopped moving.

Cuphead blinked.

"…Uh."

The creature slowly turned its many glowing eyes upward toward Bendy.

Like it was waiting.

Bendy sighed dramatically.

"Oh don't look at me like that," he said. "You're embarrassing yourself."

The creature whimpered.

Actually whimpered.

Mugman's eyes widened.

The monster was scared of him too.

Bendy lazily stretched before standing atop the branch.

"Well," he hummed, "playtime's almost over."

The entire forest suddenly darkened.

Even the demons began panicking.

"H-he's really serious now…"

"We should leave!"

Cuphead narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah? Then come down here and fight!"

Bendy looked at him for a long moment.

Then he smiled.

A slow.

Terrible.

Smile.

"Oh darling," he said sweetly,

"You have absolutely no idea what you're asking for."

The moment those words left Bendy's mouth—

He disappeared.

Cuphead's eyes widened.

"WHAT THE—"

A black blur suddenly dropped from the trees.

BOOM.

The ground exploded beneath them as Bendy landed smoothly between the brothers, one gloved hand pressed against the dirt while shadows rippled outward from his feet.

The giant ink monster immediately dissolved behind him like it had never existed.

Now it was just him.

Alone.

Cuphead smirked confidently again. "Finally."

Mugman wasn't as sure.

Something about this felt wrong.

Bendy slowly stood upright and dusted off his sleeves casually.

"Oh, I do hope you two can entertain me personally," he sighed. "Your little dance routine with the creature was getting repetitive."

Cuphead immediately threw a punch.

Fast.

Direct.

Bendy caught it effortlessly.

Cuphead froze.

Bendy stared down at the fist in his hand.

Then back at Cuphead.

"Oh dear," he murmured. "Was that the attack?"

Before Cuphead could react—

Bendy flicked him away.

Just flicked him.

Cuphead flew backward and crashed through a tree trunk.

Ellie gasped from hiding.

Mugman immediately fired multiple projectiles.

Bendy moved through them almost lazily.

Dodging wasn't the right word. He was Flowing.

His body twisted unnaturally as black ink briefly peeled away from him like smoke.

Then suddenly he was directly in front of Mugman.

Way too fast.

Mugman barely blocked Bendy's kick with both arms.

The impact launched him across the clearing.

The low-class demons stared in awe for half a second before erupting into cheers.

"GET THEM, BOSS!"

"THAT'S OUR LORD!"

"BREAK THE BLUE ONE!"

Bendy looked mildly disgusted.

"Oh honestly, don't shout," he said while casually sidestepping Cuphead's next attack. "You sound like dying chickens."

Yet despite insulting them—

the demons still looked at him with absolute admiration.

Because they know some things that others wouldn't. Unlike the Devil, Bendy never lashed out randomly at them.

Never tortured them for amusement.

Terrifying?

Absolutely.

Cruel?

Yes.

But fair in his own twisted way.

Cuphead dashed again with Mugman beside him this time.

The brothers attacked together perfectly from opposite sides.

One high. One low.

Fast combinations. Years of teamwork.

Bendy laughed.

Actually laughed.

"Oh this is FUN."

He blocked Cuphead's punch with his elbow while grabbing Mugman by the front of his shirt and spinning him into Cuphead.

The brothers crashed together.

Bendy clapped excitedly.

"Excellent coordination! Terrible outcome, but excellent coordination!"

Cuphead groaned while shoving Mugman off him.

"How is he this strong?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Bendy cracked "his neck" lazily.

His grin never disappeared.

Not once.

Not even when Mugman blasted him directly across the chest.

The attack struck. Ink splattered.

But Bendy simply looked down at the smoking hole in his torso.

"…Rude."

Then the hole slowly closed itself.

Cuphead's face dropped.

Bendy suddenly lunged forward physically this time.

No shadows.

No monster.

Just raw speed.

He slammed his fist into Cuphead's stomach hard enough to lift him off the ground.

Cuphead wheezed violently.

Then Bendy grabbed him by the face and tossed him aside like discarded trash.

Mugman attacked from behind—

Bendy ducked low.

Swept Mugman's legs.

Then kicked him directly into a boulder.

The clearing fell silent except for heavy breathing.

Bendy stood in the center calmly adjusting his gloves.

Not even tired.

Meanwhile Cuphead and Mugman looked exhausted already.

The demons began cheering louder now.

"He's unbeatable!"

"Destroy them!"

"Our boss is the strongest!"

Bendy grimaced.

"Oh for the love of—must you make everything so tacky?"

One demon immediately apologized.

"Sorry sir!"

Bendy sighed dramatically.

Then he looked back toward the brothers.

And smiled.

Cuphead slowly stood up, bruised and furious.

"What ARE you?!"

Bendy tilted his head innocently.

"A demon," he answered simply.

"That wasn't normal demon performance by any means!"

"Oh really?" Bendy placed a hand against his chest mockingly. "And here I was striving for normalcy."

Mugman narrowed his eyes carefully.

Something wasn't adding up.

Even the Devil's old minions weren't supposed to be this powerful.

And Bendy didn't act like someone taking orders.

He acted like someone humoring them.

Like this entire battle was just entertainment.

Bendy noticed Mugman staring.

"Oh, blueboy's thinking," he mused. "That's usually dangerous."

Cuphead wiped blood from his mouth and got back into stance.

"You think you're funny?"

Bendy's grin widened.

"No."

He slowly spread his arms.

"I think I'm terrifying."

The forest suddenly darkened again.

And this time—

Even the demons stepped back nervously from him. The cheering slowly died.

Not because the demons wanted to stop.

Because the atmosphere itself suddenly became unbearable and harder to breather.

The shadows around Bendy stretched unnaturally across the forest floor. Trees creaked softly as if something enormous was pressing down on the entire clearing.

And Bendy…

Stopped smiling.

Not completely.

But enough.

His grin no longer looked playful.

Now it looked predatory.

Cuphead felt his confidence falter for the first time.

Bendy rolled his shoulders slowly.

"Well," he said quietly, "this was amusing for a while."

His voice no longer carried that dramatic, teasing rhythm.

It dropped lower.

Rougher.

Something ancient and inhuman rumbled beneath every word now.

The low-class demons immediately backed away in fear.

One whispered shakily:

"…Oh no."

Another covered his mouth. "They are dead."

Even Ellie felt frozen in place behind the rocks.

Bendy lifted his eyes toward the brothers again.

The darkness around his body pulsed.

"I suppose," he growled softly, "playtime ends eventually."

Cuphead gritted his teeth.

"We're not losin' to you!"

Bendy stared at him silently for a moment.

Then—

He vanished.

A shockwave exploded through the clearing.

Cuphead barely raised his guard before Bendy's fist slammed into it with horrifying force.

CRACK.

Cuphead was launched through multiple trees.

Mugman immediately fired his strongest spread attack directly at Bendy's back.

The blasts hit.

Ink exploded outward.

For half a second Mugman thought it worked—

Then a black hand suddenly grabbed his face.

Bendy stood there completely unharmed.

His voice came out as a low demonic snarl near Mugman's ear.

"You really should stop disappointing me."

He slammed Mugman into the ground hard enough to crater the earth beneath him.

Ellie gasped.

"Mugman!"

Cuphead charged from the side with a powerful super attack glowing around him.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Bendy didn't even turn fully.

One hand intercepted the attack.

The energy twisted violently against his palm before collapsing into black ink.

Cuphead froze in horror.

Bendy slowly looked at the glowing remnants in his hand.

"…Cute."

Then he punched Cuphead directly in the chest.

The impact blasted the air out of him completely.

Cuphead hit the ground and rolled violently through dirt and broken branches before finally stopping.

The demons stared with wide terrified eyes.

Nobody spoke now.

Nobody cheered.

Because this didn't look like a fight anymore.

It looked like survival.

Mugman forced himself back up shakily.

"Cuphead—!"

Bendy grabbed him by the throat before he could move further.

His claws slightly pierced the ceramic.

The shadows around him writhed violently now.

Mugman could feel heat radiating off his body.

Not normal heat.

Hellfire.

Bendy stared at him with glowing eyes.

No sarcasm.

No jokes.

Only something cold.

"You know what your problem is?" he growled.

Mugman struggled against his grip.

"You still think strength matters."

Then Bendy threw him.

Mugman crashed beside Cuphead hard enough to leave another crater in the dirt.

The brothers struggled to stand again.

Bruised.

Breathing heavily.

Terrified.

Meanwhile Bendy slowly approached them through the darkness.

Calm.

Steady.

Almost disappointed.

His deep growling voice echoed through the clearing.

"I expected more from the heroes who defeated the Devil."

Cuphead forced himself upright despite shaking legs.

"We… beat him once…"

Bendy stopped walking.

Then finally—

He laughed softly.

But now the sound was wrong.

Deep.

Distorted.

Almost monstrous.

"Oh yes," he murmured.

"I know."

The clearing remained silent.

Cuphead could barely breathe.

Mugman struggled to push himself up from the dirt, his arms trembling violently from exhaustion. Cracks ran along parts of his ceramic body.

And standing before them—

Bendy looked completely untouched.

The darkness around him slowly receded back into the forest shadows as though even it obeyed him willingly.

For a few long seconds, nobody moved.

Then suddenly—

Bendy sighed. Just sighed.

Like he'd gotten bored halfway through a conversation.

And almost instantly, the terrifying pressure vanished.

The glowing eyes faded.

The monstrous growl disappeared.

His posture relaxed again.

Then his grin returned fully.

Bright.

Sharp.

Mocking.

"Oh dear," he chirped in a high theatrical tone, "look at you two!"

Cuphead glared weakly from the ground.

Bendy clasped his hands together dramatically.

"You're all cracked and bruised! I feel positively dreadful."

His voice had completely changed again.

Light.

Playful.

Almost musical.

Like the horrifying creature from moments ago had never existed.

The demons behind him immediately started cheering again now that the tension had lifted.

"BOSS WON!"

"THEY NEVER STOOD A CHANCE!"

"LORD BENDY IS THE STRONGEST!"

Bendy winced again.

"Must we yell?" he sighed. "I already know I'm magnificent."

One demon immediately nodded eagerly.

"Yes sir!"

Bendy stepped closer to the cup brothers again.

Cuphead tried to stand.

Bendy gently pushed him back down using one finger against his forehead.

"Mm-mm. Stay down, hero. You earned your nap."

Cuphead swatted his hand away angrily.

"Tch…"

Bendy laughed softly.

Then his eyes drifted toward Mugman.

"Oh, and blueboy?" he hummed sweetly. "Next time you attempt that little energy attack… try putting your back into it."

Mugman looked furious.

Bendy looked delighted by that reaction.

Then slowly—

His gaze shifted toward the rocks where Ellie hid.

She froze instantly.

Bendy smiled wider.

"Well now," he purred. "There's the little strawberry spectator."

Ellie's whole body stiffened.

For a moment she genuinely thought he would attack her too.

Instead, Bendy simply tipped an imaginary hat politely.

"You scream internally very loudly, darling. It's adorable."

Ellie shrank back immediately.

Cuphead snapped angrily:

"Leave her out of this!"

Bendy glanced back at him lazily.

"Oh relax. If I wanted to hurt her, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

That answer somehow made things worse.

The demons began gathering behind Bendy as black ink slowly spread across the air itself behind him.

A portal.

Dark swirling shadows twisted into a massive circular opening.

Hellfire flickered inside it.

The lower-class demons immediately rushed toward it while still loudly praising him.

"Our boss crushed them!"

"The Devil's gonna love hearing this!"

"He was AMAZING!"

At that, Bendy's smile twitched slightly.

Not happily.

Almost annoyed.

But it vanished quickly.

He stepped backward toward the portal while facing the battered brothers.

Then he spread his arms theatrically.

"Oh, this was delightful," he sang cheerfully. "We simply must do it again sometime."

Cuphead growled through clenched teeth.

Mugman stayed silent.

Because neither of them knew what to say anymore.

Nothing about Bendy made sense.

They fought demons before. A demon shouldn't have that kind of power.

Shouldn't frighten other demons that badly.

Shouldn't be able to overpower both of them so effortlessly.

Bendy's grin sharpened one last time.

"Do send my regards to Inkwell."

Then he tilted his head slightly.

"And tell them to be afraid."

The portal swallowed him whole.

The darkness vanished instantly.

Silence crashed over the forest.

The demons were gone.

Bendy was gone.

Only destruction remained.

Broken trees.

Cracked earth.

Burn marks.

Cuphead groaned painfully.

"…I hate that guy."

Mugman weakly nodded.

Ellie finally ran from hiding.

Her hands were shaking badly.

"Cuphead! Mugman!"

She dropped beside them immediately, panic filling her voice as she tried helping Mugman sit up first.

"A-Are you okay?!"

"Define okay," Cuphead wheezed from the dirt.

Ellie carefully helped Mugman onto his feet, though he winced painfully.

Her whole body still trembled.

She couldn't stop hearing that deep demonic growl in her head.

Couldn't stop remembering the way even the monsters feared him.

Mugman noticed how pale she looked.

"…Ellie?"

She looked at them with frightened eyes.

"That was scary.." she whispered shakily.

Neither brother answered.

Because deep down—

They knew she was right.

By the time they reached home, the sun had already begun to set.

The walk back to Elder Kettle's cottage had been painfully slow.

Cuphead limped the entire way while muttering insults under his breath every few minutes.

Mugman looked even worse.

One of his sleeves had been torn completely, and several visible cracks lined his arms and legs and even his head. Every step made him in more pain.

And Ellie…

Ellie barely spoke at all.

She stayed close between them the entire walk home, still visibly shaken from what happened in the forest. Every strange noise made her flinch.

The image of Bendy smiling while overpowering the brothers replayed endlessly in her mind.

Especially the moment his voice changed.

That awful growl.

The front door finally came into view.

Cuphead weakly pushed it open.

"We're back—"

Elder Kettle turned around from the kitchen.

And froze.

His expression immediately drained of color.

The old kettle nearly dropped the mug in his hands.

"GOOD GRAVY!"

He rushed toward them instantly.

"Mugman?! Cuphead?!"

His horrified eyes scanned over the brothers' injuries before landing on Ellie.

She looked terrified.

Actually terrified.

Her hands still shook slightly.

"W-What happened to you three?!"

Cuphead tried to shrug casually.

"Eh… rough day."

Elder Kettle smacked the back of his head immediately.

"ROUGH DAY?!"

Cuphead groaned in pain.

"OW— okay maybe don't hit the injuries—!"

Mugman carefully sat down at the table while breathing heavily.

"It was… a demon."

Elder Kettle stiffened.

"A demon?"

Ellie quietly nodded.

But she still couldn't fully explain it.

How could she?

Nothing about Bendy felt real.

Cuphead finally dropped heavily into a chair.

"He was our size."

Mugman stared at him.

"That's your first description?"

"I'm serious!" Cuphead snapped. "He looked weak!"

Elder Kettle crossed his arms impatiently.

"Start from the beginning."

And so they did.

The strange activities in the forest.

The low-class demons.

The horned stranger.

Bendy.

As they described the fight, Elder Kettle's expression became increasingly disturbed.

But the moment Mugman explained how Bendy casually stopped one of Cuphead's attacks with his bare hand—

The old kettle went silent.

"And the other demons were afraid of him," Mugman added quietly. "Really afraid."

Cuphead frowned deeply.

"But they also kind of respected him. Like… they actually respect him."

"That's the weird part," Mugman muttered.

Ellie hugged her arms tightly.

"I never saw what the Devil looked like but he seems… different….?"

The room became still.

Elder Kettle looked toward her carefully.

"What do you mean, child?"

Ellie hesitated.

Then spoke softly.

"From the stories you told me about the casino…The other demons looked terrified around him… but not miserable."

Cuphead blinked.

She was right.

The demons feared Bendy deeply.

Even during the fight, Bendy mocked them more than harmed them. But strangely enough, he never hurt them.

Mugman leaned forward slightly despite the pain.

"And he confirmed that he worked for the Devil."

Elder Kettle's face darkened immediately.

"That alone is bad enough."

Cuphead rubbed his bruised jaw angrily.

"He was enjoying the whole thing too. Like it was a game."

Ellie looked down at her shaking hands.

"…He smiled the entire time."

Nobody spoke after that.

Because none of them could forget that smile either.

Then Elder Kettle finally sighed heavily.

"You boys are not leaving this house tomorrow."

Cuphead immediately protested.

"What?!"

"You could barely walk through that door!"

"We can still fight!"

"You got tossed through three trees!"

Cuphead opened his mouth—

Then winced painfully because even talking hurt now.

Mugman honestly looked too exhausted to argue.

Elder Kettle gently placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder.

"You alright, child?"

Ellie tried to answer calmly.

But the moment she remembered Bendy looking directly at her from across the battlefield—

Her voice came out shaky.

"…No."

And for the first time since the brothers defeated the Devil—

Elder Kettle truly looked afraid.

[cartoonscraze-2]

Cupbucket and Binky

[cartoonscraze-2]

Egyptian Bendy (sketch)

Practising poses

[cartoonscraze-2]

Mafia Bendy: An inconvenience (OLD)

[cartoonscraze-2]

Egyptian Bendy Au Shenanigans:

(Fanfiction because I don't have the patience to draw it )

The Guardians’ Pyramid had never felt this still.

Its stone corridors, usually alive with distant footsteps and whispered commands, seemed to hold their breath as Cuphead and Mugman wandered through the upper halls. The air was cooler here, carrying the faint scent of incense and aged sandstone.

They were mid-conversation when they noticed the guards.

Rows of them stood along the walls in perfect silence, heads slightly bowed. Not tense, not alert—respectful. As if the entire pyramid had paused for something important that no one had thought to announce aloud.

Then came the procession.

A covered stretcher was being carried carefully down the corridor toward the lower chambers.

Cuphead stopped walking immediately. Mugman followed a beat later.

“Uh… what’s going on?” Cuphead asked, his voice lowering without him meaning to.

One of the guards stepped forward slightly, then dipped his head.

“A brother of ours passed away during the night,” he said quietly.

The words landed heavily.

“Oh…” Mugman murmured.

“That’s awful,” Cuphead added, softer now.

For once, even Bendy didn’t joke.

He stood nearby with his arms crossed, posture still and composed. His expression wasn’t cold—but it wasn’t playful either. Something steadier. More grounded.

“He served faithfully,” Bendy said simply.

The stretcher continued its slow descent into the depths of the pyramid.

Cuphead watched it go, curiosity replacing shock.

“Where are they taking him?”

“Preparation chamber,” Bendy replied.

Cuphead blinked. “Preparation for what?”

That was when something subtle shifted in Bendy’s expression.

It wasn’t obvious at first—just a small pause, a fraction of silence too long. Then a slow, almost imperceptible grin began to form at the corner of his mouth.

Because he realized something.

They had no idea.

Not even a hint. Of course they don't. They are from a different timeline.

Cuphead leaned forward. “Can we see?”

One of the nearby guards immediately turned toward Bendy. His stare was sharp, pleading without words:

Don’t.

Bendy met it. Understood it.

Ignored it.

“Of course,” he said, more eccentric than usual.

The guard visibly winced. “Guardian…”

“Yes?” Bendy answered innocently.

“Perhaps they should be warned.” The guard whispered.

“Warned about what?” Bendy tilted his head slightly.

The guard hesitated. He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

Bendy’s grin deepened just a little.

The decision was already made.

The descent into the pyramid felt longer than it should have.

The deeper they went, the quieter everything became. Even Cuphead and Mugman, usually full of questions, began speaking in shorter and shorter bursts.

“So… what happens in there?” Mugman asked.

“Preparation,” Bendy replied.

“Yes, but preparation for what?” Cuphead pressed.

“You’ll see.”

That answer alone should have been a warning.

Mugman glanced at him suspiciously. “Why are you smiling?”

“What? I’m not,” Bendy said.

He absolutely was.

Stone steps led them downward until the air grew cooler, heavier. Torches flickered along the walls, casting long, shifting shadows that made everything feel older than it already was.

The massive doors at the end of the corridor began to open.

Inside, the chamber was wide and orderly.

Workers moved with calm precision around stone platforms and carved tables. Everything had its place. Everything had its purpose.

Bendy stayed just behind the Cup Bros, arms still crossed.

Watching.

Waiting.

The scene itself was not immediately clear to them—only fragments. Covered forms. Ritual tools. Quiet, practiced movement.

Cuphead’s expression shifted first from curiosity… to confusion.

Mugman followed shortly after.

Then discomfort.

Then something worse.

“What…” Cuphead muttered.

Mugman took a small step back. “I don’t like this…”

The workers didn’t react to them at all. No one stopped what they were doing. No one explained anything. This was simply part of the pyramid’s rhythm—like sanding stone or lighting torches.

Cuphead’s face tightened. “Why are they—”

His voice cracked slightly as he saw more.

Mugman went pale. “W-Why are they doing that?”

Cuphead took a half-step forward, then froze. “What are they— what are they taking out?!”

Mugman shook his head quickly. “Why would they take anything out?!”

Their voices rose, overlapping, panicked and confused. But no one paid them attention. They were already used to the cups' theatrics by now and thought they are making an episode as usual.

And behind them, Bendy was very carefully trying not to laugh.

Not out loud.

Not yet.

Cuphead suddenly spun around. “WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!”

Bendy blinked his smirk already in place. “Say what?”

“You knew!” Mugman nearly shouted.

“Obviously,” Bendy replied calmly.

“THEN WHY DIDN’T YOU WARN US?!”

Bendy shrugged.

“Why would I? You asked to see.”

That was all.

And somehow, that made it worse.

Getting out was chaos.

Cuphead nearly slammed into a stone pillar on his way out. Mugman tripped over his own feet twice before managing to regain balance. Neither of them stopped moving until they were back in the upper corridor, gasping like they’d run a marathon. They tried so hard to keep their lunch inside. They failed obviously.

Bendy strolled out behind them at an unhurried pace.

Completely relaxed.

Cuphead turned on him immediately.

“You devil..!! You knew exactly what that was!”

Bendy tilted his head. “Yep.”

“And you let us walk in there!”

“Yep.”

“WHY?!”

Bendy considered that for a moment.

“Because if I had told you,” he said lightly, “you wouldn’t have gone in.”

Mugman stared at him in disbelief. “THAT’s your reason?!”

Bendy’s grin returned.

“It was a good reason.”

The rest of the day did not improve.

In fact, it got worse.

Every time Bendy passed them, that grin returned—small, sharp, impossible to ignore.

“Feeling better?” he asked at one point.

“No,” Cuphead answered immediately.

“Still?” Bendy mused.

Mugman refused to look at him.

Later, Bendy leaned against a wall as they passed.

“I didn’t know heroes got dizzy that easily.”

“I DIDN’T GET DIZZY!!” Mugman snapped.

“You almost fainted like a little girl earlier,” Bendy corrected. Mugman didn't have the energy to argue after that.

An hour after that:

“The workers said they've seen stronger stomachs on six-year-olds.”

“THAT'S A LIE!” Cuphead protested.

“Probably.” Bendy simply admitted.

That didn’t help either.

Dinner made everything worse.

Roasted food was served as usual, but the Cup Bros stared at their plates as if they've seen evil itself.

Neither touched anything.

Bendy noticed immediately.

His grin returned full force.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

Silence.

“Not hungry?”

Still silence.

“Thinking about the preparation chamber?”

Both of them pushed their plates away at the same time.

Bendy lost it.

He laughed so hard he nearly leaned off the bench, one hand bracing the table as he tried—and failed—to compose himself.

Later, Alice walked by and paused.

“So, What is this I hear about how 'the foreigners' visited the preparation chamber?” she asked, already expecting disaster.

Bendy was still chuckling. “You should’ve seen their faces.”

“Did you warn them?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Bendy gestured vaguely toward the corner where Cuphead and Mugman sat in silent recovery.

“Because then I wouldn’t have gotten that.”

Even Alice laughed after a moment.

.......

A week passed before things truly settled.

The Cup Bros slowly returned to normal routines, though certain meals still made them suspicious. Especially anything resembling roasted meat.

They were finally starting to relax again.

Finally.

Then Bendy sat down beside them.

“Feeling brave again?” he asked.

Cuphead hesitated. “Yeah.”

Mugman nodded cautiously. “We’re over it. I think..”

Bendy nodded like a teacher acknowledging a lesson learned.

“Excellent.”

They relaxed slightly.

Then Bendy added, almost casually:

“Tomorrow I’ll show you how the brain preparation is done.”

A long silence followed.

Cuphead stood up.

Mugman stood up.

At the exact same time.

“We’re leaving,” Cuphead said.

“Immediately,” Mugman added.

They walked away without looking back.

Bendy’s laughter echoed down the corridor long after they were gone, bouncing off the ancient stone walls of the pyramid.

Because in his mind, two fearless adventurers hadn’t been defeated by danger, monsters, or black magic.

They had been defeated by a lesson they never asked for… and a Guardian who absolutely loved to mess with them.

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Reference Sheet

Story:

Egyptian Bendy is one of the three legendary Guardians of the Homeland, a small but incredibly wealthy land blessed with peace, fertile lands, and abundant resources. Alongside Boris and Alice, he protects the people and ensures the prosperity of their nation.

Unlike the respected Boris or the admired Alice, Bendy is often misunderstood. He appears playful, carefree, and eccentric, leading many people to underestimate him. Children love him, animals follow him, and he spends much of his time joking, telling stories, and wandering among the people. Because of this, few realize that he is actually the strongest of the three guardians.

Bendy possesses ancient black magic and a deep connection to nature. He can command the elements, communicate with animals—especially snakes—and influence others through his voice and presence. Despite these frightening abilities, he is kind-hearted and prefers solving problems peacefully rather than through force. He hides his wisdom and power behind a smile, believing that true strength should protect rather than intimidate.

When a corrupt minister named Seranat-Hur poisoned the Homeland's waters, a deadly disease spread throughout the land, killing countless people. As the guardians failed to find a cure, the people gradually lost faith in them, splitting the nation into supporters and enemies of the guardians. During this turmoil, Seranat-Hur and foreign armies launched an invasion to seize the Homeland's riches.

In the final battle, Boris and Alice sacrificed themselves defending their people. Left alone, Bendy unleashed the full extent of his ancient power, destroying the invading forces with the last strength of his fallen friends. When the battle ended, both the enemy and Bendy had vanished, leaving only legends behind.

Many believe he died. Others believe he became one with the Homeland itself.

Years later, after Dr. Kahl accidentally creates an unstable time machine, Cuphead and Mugman are sent into the past. Determined to save the legendary guardians and prevent the tragedy that destroyed the Homeland, they set out to change history before Boris, Alice, and Bendy meet their fated end.

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Alice and Muggy:

Alice would be a good aunt model for the cupbros

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Sister privileges

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Bet: (Old)

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Egyptian Bendy Au sketch/

was in the mood to try some other attires