Right Hand Man (King Dice x Devil)

Chapter 26 : Not The Same

Cuphead's POV

I ran upstairs, with the others following behind. Mug's awake! Mug's awake!
"Wait a second, Cup!" The Devil chased after me. "How do you know he's okay?"
"I saw him! I went to check on him, and then he opened his eyes and blinked. He has to be alive!" I answered.
"Are you sure?" King Dice asked.
He got his answer. When we made it to our room, Mug was sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze. There were cracks along his body and face. His handle was broken, and there was a scar across his eye. However, the most noticeable injury was a gapping hole where his stomach should be. He looked up at us and he smiled.
I ran up and hugged Mug. He flinched. Suddenly, the others were pulling me away from him.
"Cup! Let go! You're hurting him!" The Devil snapped when I refused to budge.
I did what I was told and stepped away. He relaxed with a small sigh.
"Sorry, Mug. You okay?" I asked him.
He nodded.
I grinned, tearing up,"I'm just happy you're alive..."
He smiled back, wiping his tears. I hugged him, gently this time, and he hugged back. I've never felt happier. Mug's alive...

But, something was wrong.

While King Dice and the Devil were holding back tears of joy, Mike asked,"Kid, how'd you survive?"
Mug opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. That's when we realized it.
I chuckled nervously,"Mug...can you tell us what happened?"
Nothing. He tried to speak but said nothing. A feeling crawled up my spine like a spider on a web. Fear.
I took both of his hands, my smile vanished,"Mug? Do you know who I am?"
He nodded.
"Who am I?"
Nothing.
"Cup-" King Dice began.
"Who am I, Mug? Who am I?" I ignored them. Mug gave me a fretful look. I was scaring him.
I let go of his hands, staring at my brother. I didn't want to admit it. My brother's mute, and it's my fault.
For the next two weeks, I never admitted the sad truth that has been bestowed upon my brother. Instead, I have been trying to fix my mistakes by teaching him how to talk again.
"Okay, Mug. You can understand me, right?" I asked him.
He nodded, patiently.
"And you do know who I am, right?"
Nod.
"Can you tell me who I am?" Here it comes...
Every time we do this, the same thing happens. He'll open his mouth to speak, his lips forming soundless words. Then, he'll try to force his vocal chords to make a sound, the struggle visible on his face, but nothing.
I sighed,"Easy, Mug. We can try again tomorrow."
He breathed out, but then he kept going anyways.
Mike walked in,"Cuphead. Are you still trying? The doctor told us everything, and this isn't going to work!"
It's true. How could I forget? After Mug woke up, Elder Kettle called a doctor. When the doctor arrived, and examined Mug, he told us that as long as he eats a  P. Sugar cube once in the morning and once at night, he'll heal. However, his vocal chords will be permanently damaged, and no amounts of P. Sugar can fix it. That night, I couldn't stop crying. I even woke up Mug, and he snuck into my bed to keep me company.
I clenched my fists and looked back at Mike,"It will work! Even doctors make mistakes!"
"Cup, please. If this is helping you move on, then maybe I'll allow it. But so far, all it's done is put Mug through more pain, preventing his injuries from healing," Mike told me.
I was about to protest, when a miracle happened.
"Ah-!" I heard Mug squeak. It was faint, but I heard it. Mike heard it too.
I grinned triumphantly,"Ha! I knew he could do it! He just needed to try hard enough!"
I laughed happily, giving my little brother a noogie. He grinned sheepishly.
Mike sighed,"Alright, I'll let you continue but do not push him over his limits. Understand?"
I nodded,"Yes, sir!"
He shook his head, chuckling. He rubbed my head playfully,"You knucklehead!"
I giggled.
With that, he walked off. I turned to my brother,"You know, Mike's right. You need a break! And I know just the thing! C'mon!"
I took his hand and the two of us left the house.

It felt like forever ago that Mug and I played together as brothers. For the rest of the afternoon, he and I caught up on our missed brother bonding time. We did everything we loved to do: climb trees to pick the apples at the top, skip rocks across the creek, and roll down hills until we got too dizzy to stand.
Finally, our day was coming to an end as the sun began to set on the horizon. Mug and I were in the middle of playing Go Fish.
"So, do you have any... 3's?" I asked.
He shook his head, and I took a card.
Mug put down his cards and displayed a number using his fingers.
"You're asking for... an 8?" I asked him.
He nodded again, picking up his cards.
He grinned,"You got me again! Seriously? How do you always beat me at cards?"
He smiled, making a small "e" sound for a giggle. Then he looked at the sky, and then to me. I nodded,"We should head home, it is getting late."
We put away the cards, I helped Mug off the grass, and our brotherly duo was off again. I couldn't stop smiling, Even if he is mute, he's still the best brother ever!
SNAP!
We gasped and turned around.
Nothing.
We kept walking, this time I put a hand behind Mug's back, in case I'd need to pull him to safety.
SWOOSH.
We looked.
Nothing.
My heartbeat sped up. My breathing slowed. Mug's grip on my hand tightened.
I whispered,"Keep walking. Faster."
THUMP.
We stopped again. We didn't turn around or give it a second thought. The moment we heard the noise, we ran for it. Twigs slapped against our faces, rocks and pine pinched our feet. It was getting dark, which made things even harder than they already were.
Then I heard a CRACK but I knew what this meant. I whipped my head around to find Mug had tripped and broke open an old wound. He stared at me with scared, watery eyes. Crap! I thought, panicking. Mug can't run! He's too fragile like this!
Without thinking, I picked my brother off of the ground and carried him to a nearby tree. The roots were lifting above the ground, making a small hole beneath the tree, perfect for a hiding spot. I forced Mug to slip inside and I whispered,"I'll be back, just stay hidden!"
He nodded fretfully. For extra measure, I grabbed a pile of fallen leaves and covered the hole's entrance with them. After the hole was completely hidden, I climbed to the highest branch I can reach. I made it just in time too; footsteps could be heard close behind.
It was him. The Stranger.
He looked around with a cool gaze. He smirked, viciously,"Oh, boys~? Where are you hiding~?"
He laughed in a way that made your skin crawl. "I know you're here, you can't get very far. Not after what happened to Mug. You know, I'm surprised he's alive. I thought crushing a 7 year old with a chandelier would've done more damage," He mocked.
My hands were shaking with fury. If Mug could see me-and still had a voice-he'd be telling me to calm down. But since he's not here, I couldn't control myself. I jumped from the tree, landing on my feet. The Stranger stared at me, blankly.
I growled,"Don't talk about my brother like that, you psychopath."
His smirk grew,"Oh? Well, I can do whatever I want. And what I want to do is kill you."
"So do I..."
We circled around each other, like outlaws waiting for high noon to chime. He followed my every movement, as if he was predicting what I'd do next. It was oddly intimidating so I kept my eyes on him, hoping it would have the same effect. It didn't as far as I can tell. No one dared to attack. The air was so thick, it was choking me. Then he stopped. I stopped too. The silence was deafening.
The Stranger snickered,"You know, I wish I was beating that 7 year old instead."
I spat,"Why do you want Mug to fight you?"
"Because he was actually a challenge."
I glared.
"Unlike you."
Suddenly, without warning, he vanished for a second. In the next, I was being kicked in the stomach. My back crashed against a tree, knocking the air out of me. I fell to the ground, getting back on my feet before feeling a fist swipe at my jaw. I was sent sprawling into the ground. I coughed up milk, noticing the Stranger teleport in front of me. Before he could kick me again, I shot his knee.
He stumbled back, not far but far enough to jump out of his hitting range.
He narrowed his eyes before teleporting away. I waited. When he didn't come back, I went to the hole in the tree,"Okay, Mug. You can come out now." Except, when I looked, he wasn't there. "Mug?"
"Gotcha!" I heard a voice. Before I could react, the Stranger grabbed me by the throat, and held me above his head.

Mugman's POV

I hid in a bush, watching in horror as my brother was being choked to death in my honor. I can't just sit here! I have to do something! But what?
"C-c-!" I tried to call out 'Cuphead' but my voice wouldn't permit me to. I have to speak! I need the Stranger to find me!
I tried again,"C-cu-!"
I was out of breath from struggling too much. C'mon, Mug! You can do it! Cup said you could!
I took a deep breath and fought with all my might to scream. My body was shaking, and my throat was aching like it could burst. Scream! Save your brother! Just, SCREAM!
I yelled,"CUPHEAD!"
The Stranger stopped. He heard me. He smirked and dropped Cuphead, who was coughing and gasping for air. The Stranger knelt down by the bush I was hiding in.
"Where'd you go...you pesky little 7 year old?" He smirked.
I growled,"I'm 8!"
Before he could react, I jumped out of the bush and fired two shots at once. The Stranger howled in pain as I ran past him.
Cuphead got to his feet,"Mug! You can talk!"
I grabbed his hand,"We have to leave!"
"YOU LITTLE SHITS!" The Stranger screamed.
Cup quickly picked me up again and ran, knowing I'm still too fragile to run. I looked back, fearing that the Stranger would follow. But, he wasn't. Instead, he was covering his eyes, but once he removed his hands, I knew why.

He couldn't see.

1/25/18