1934

11:38 p.m.

Ice Creek Mountains

Mugman

Snow.

Over the hills, on the tree tops, down on the ground and covering nearly every inch of every surface, white glistening snow covered the land in vast countless amounts. He had never seen snow in this quantity before. Inkwell Island rarely had snow, even in winter months it had more rain falling from the sky than it did with frozen crystals.

The view was breathtaking. Nature was a beautiful thing to behold.

When it wasn't trying to kill you and shatter you into a million pieces.

But still very beautiful.

He was glad he came along. He wasn't sure at first about coming here, but everything changed when he saw for himself why this place was well known. Ice Creek, or known by its other name Crystal Island, was certainly an eye catcher. A whole island surrounded by wilderness with breathtaking scenery, far from the busy life style of everyday home. No wonder Herby wanted to have a party here. It was simply the best view.

Down below him, he could hear the pulsing beat of the party in high swing. Bouts of laughter echoed in the lodge, the cheeriness and warmth signaled that everyone was having a good time. It gave him some comfort knowing that everyone was having a good time down there. He wasn't sure at first when he first caught sight of this place that anyone could possibly enjoy themselves since a few over his friends complained about the cold.

Cold that he was not used too. Even in the chill of the winds on winter months, he had never experienced cold like this before. It was so strange and foreign to him. So new and yet very familiar. While he was slightly cautious of this, his brother on the other hand fully embraced it with a smile and enjoyed it immensely.

He could never understand how his twin could be so carefree, confident, and nonchalant in almost everything they saw or been in, but he found great joy in participating with him on such adventures. It helped him to enjoy things more and to feel courage growing within him. Though he still kept a wary eye out for both of their sake. He knew his brother could be slightly reckless at times when he wasn't thinking.

A great example of that was almost four years ago. He'd never forget that day. The day his twin blindly betted their souls away for the temptation of wealth. Back then he couldn't stop his brother from such reckless move as a young child, but now he could persuade him from things that he saw were too rash and dangerous for them to handle.

He jumped, feeling someone come up behind him and lifting him a few good inches off the ground. He shouted in surprise, failing his legs a bit. He was spun around a couple times before being placed back on the ground, turning around to see his attacker. To some of his relief it was only just his brother, Cuphead, who was smiling widely and letting lose a bit of laughter.

"Golly Mugs! You should see your face right now! It was priceless!" Cuphead snorted, trying to hide his grin behind his fingers.

"Well I'm sure it was after almost giving me a heart attack."

"Ah come on. Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it."

"I didn't enjoy it. More so you should really think about your actions before you do anything. There might be consequences if you don't think about what you're doing."

"Oh please! When have my actions… okay never mind." Cuphead chuckled nervously, seeing the glare he was giving him. Even after that incident years ago, he never really let the go so swiftly. He didn't like bringing it up nor did Cuphead enjoy being reminded of that certain day. But, if it kept his twin from doing anything rash, then he would still bring it up now and then. "Anyway, what are you doing up here? The party's downstairs! Don't you want to join in?"

At the comment of the party, he bit his lip, looking to the ground with uneasiness pooling in his gut. "Uh, no thank you. I rather stay up here and enjoy the view."

His brother's grin turned into a frown. "What? You can't be serious. Mugman don't tell me you're nervous about joining our friends at a small get together?"

"Small? Brother, have you seen how many people are down there? That's more than just a small group down there. And let's not forget that we fought with almost all of them. So yes, I am just… slightly nervous about joining them down there. Especially since most of them have been drinking the moment we got here."

"Mugs you worry too much." Cuphead grinned, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "There's nothin' to fear down there. You're just over reacting a bit and thinking 'bout things too seriously. Sure we fought with most of them but we're all cool now. You don't have to be afraid." His twin smiled brightly, placing his hands on his shoulders. "Besides, if things get out of hand, I'll be there for ya."

He looked to the ground. "I… I-I don't know Cups."

"Hey, I'll be by your side the whole time! And if you still feel uncomfortable, we can split at any time you need."

He stayed silent a moment, thinking over his brother's offer. He knew his brother meant well, and almost always kept his word when it came to him. Cuphead always had his back in many various situations and hardly every left his side when he knew he felt scared or timid. "Well, alright. But if things get even a little out of hand, I'm runnin' back up here."

"That's the spirit!" Cuphead beamed with delight, patting him on the back. "Come on! Let's make this a night we won't forget!" He smiled at his twin as he led them out the room to the party below.

2:45 a.m.

Running.

Running was something he had gotten used to doing for most of his life. From his time as a small child chasing after his brother in a game of tag to hunting butterflies with nets, running for his life from a mountain cyclops to running away in humiliation.

"Stupid! Stupid stupid stupid stupid!" Tree limbs brushed by him, everything was in a blur from the falling snow to the tears that ran down his face. His felt hot from sorrow, running deeper into the thick woods. He didn't know where he was going, or even cared at the matter. All he cared was getting away from the lodge as fast and far away as he could.

"Stupid!" He jumped over a fallen tree, stumbling to the ground before regaining his senses and continuing on. He kept running for a while longer before his legs slipped and he crashed to the ground. He didn't get up, he was too tired to move and being on the cold snow covered ground soothed his warm face like a pillow. His body shook as sobs took over him.

He didn't know how it came down to this. One moment the party was going great and everyone was having a swell time. All laughs and games and cheeriness with a bit a booze. And then the next…

Tears came down harder. It was only a small prank. Only a harmless action that shouldn't have meant any harm. Yet being laughed at, all those faces sneering at him and the eyes looking down on him. He just couldn't take it! For crying out loud! He was a teenager and yet he brawled like a little kid and ran! He was supposed to be a grown man and yet he couldn't take a little joke!

"Stupid. S-stupid. You're s-so… stupid." The cold was slowly seeping into him, forcing him to slowly get to his knees. "How could you be s-such a big ba—"

"Mugman!" His eyes widen, glancing behind him.

"C-cups!" He held his arms out, almost being thrown to the ground as his brother barreled into him, wrapping his strong arms around him in a tight hug. He openly wept on his twin's shoulder, holding him close for comfort.

"Thank goodness I found you!" Cuphead pulled away from their embrace. "What are you doing out here? Don't you know how dangerous it is to go out in the woods this late?"

"M' sorry." He mumbled weakly. If he had the energy, he would have chuckled by the irony of how easy their roles switched at the moment. A cold gust of wind passed by, suddenly sending a shiver down his spine.

"Golly Mugs! Where's your coat?!" His brother exclaimed, taking his own coat off and wrapped it around him. He moved to take off his scarf as well but he shook his head. His twin need some protection from the elements too. "When I find out who did this to you, I'm gonna knock the senses out of 'em!" He held out one hand, positioning it like a pistol and fired a small shot at a tree.

"Don't!" He cried, grabbing his twin's arms. "I-It wasn't their fault. It was just a stupid prank."

"If it made you cry, then they should pay!" Cuphead helped him to his feet, looking him dead in the eye. "No one should pick on my little brother."

"I'm only younger by a few minutes."

"Still counts. Come on. Let's get back to… to…" Cuphead frowned, gazing left and right. His expression dropped into a troubled look. "Uh… Mugs? Where are we?"

The question threw him off. He gazed around their surroundings, finding views of looming tall trees surrounding all sides of them. There was nowhere he could tell which direction he came from, even if it was only just moments ago. Or had it been only moments ago? He couldn't tell. And the ground didn't give any indication as the snow came down in heavy loads, covering their tracks almost immediately to blend in with the surroundings.

He couldn't see which way to go to head back to the lodge, or even how far away they were from it. They were lost. "I… I-I don't know." He gazed around frantically, trying to find any sign of which direction to go. "Oh golly, this is bad!"

"Hey, don't worry. We just, we just need to walk around a bit. Maybe we can find something that can help us find our way back to the lodge." Cuphead reassured him, taking his hand and started heading down a path.

He kept his grip tight on his twin's hand, never wanting to let go of the reassurance and safety that he felt around Cuphead. His twin always kept his cool in bad situations and always made sure they got out of there.

"How did you find me out here?" He asked, wanting to get out of the silence and hear his twin talk just so he could feel a tad bit braver than he had been before.

"Eh, followed after ya when I saw you running away outside. Hilda told me you ran into the woods and I just took off after ya. I didn't want to lose your tracks before the snow covered them up."

"You came after me?"

Cuphead turned his head, smiling at him. "Of course! You're my brother after all. And I was worried…" He stopped in his tracks, halting him as well. "What did they do to you Mugs?"

"It was only a harmless prank."

"Harmless? You ran out crying into the woods! That's hardly anything to call harmless."

"I'll talk about it later, okay? I just… I don't want to talk about it right now."

His twin stared at him a moment before nodding in understanding, resuming their search for a way back to the lodge.

"Were… were you the only one that came after me?"

"No. At least. I don't think so. I kinda left before anyone could stop me. Though, I'm sure Hilda and Werner are looking are looking for you. And Ashley!"

"That's nice."

"Yeah. At least some people care."

"Cuphead."

"I'm just sayin'."

They walked for a couple moments in silence until they spotted a sign not far ahead of them. They picked up their pace a bit, sighing in relief as the sign came in clear view.

"Alright. Now we're getting somewhere." His twin looked over the map that was carved into the wood. "So, we're here. And the path we need to take is… ah ha!" His gazed fixed on the trail that led to the carved replica of the lodge they were staying at. "We just need to head down this way and take a right in the split path. Sounds easy enough!"

"Easy if you remember which way to go."

"Hey! It was just one time, okay? We were little and my sense of direction wasn't strong back then."

"Whatever you say brother." He rolled his eyes in good nature, smiling as his twin pulled them along the path. As they continued to walk, he suddenly felt… unease. He frowned, looking around.

"What's the matter?" Cuphead asked, noticing his lagging.

"I… I feel like there's someone watching us."

"Could be one of our no good so called friends." His twin growled, shooting a glare into the woods.

"No. I don't think it is."

Cuphead frowned, looking around their surrounds. Outwardly, he seemed composed and calm, but he could feel his twin's grip on his hand tighten. He felt it too.

"… Let's keep going." He nodded, picking his pace up. The uneasiness was still there, and the more they walked, the more he felt eyes watching their every move. It was then he realized how dark the woods around him were. How the trees towered over them that they seemed to reach the sky. A shiver went down his spine, and it was not from the cold.

He and his twin jumped at the sound of a twig snapping in the distance, halting their movement. They stood still, waiting for something to move. It was still. Silent. Too silent.

Something was following them.

"… Run."

They took off in a sprint, kicking up the snow as they ran. Cuphead's grip in his hand was tight and for once it did not give him the reassurance or bravery that it usually gave him. The wind whipped around them, blowing the red scarf around Cuphead's shoulder in a frenzy.

The sounds of branches breaking behind them reached his ears, adding adrenaline to his fear and energy to his legs to run. When the split path came in sight, his hopes soared high to the sky as the thought of safety entered his mind. His hopes suddenly crashed as he and Cuphead skidded to a halt and looked in horror to see the path they needed to take was blocked by a large fallen tree.

"No. Oh no." The tree was too big to jump over, and there was no way they could climb over that without any leverage to get away in time.

"Come on!" Cuphead pulled him along as they took the path to the left.

Sounds of inhuman screams sounded behind them as they ran. Never in his life did he ever want to run away so badly before.

"Cuphead!"

"Just keep running Mugs! Don't look back! Don't ever look back!"

Tears pricked at his eyes. There was fear in his brother's voice. He was scared too. They both knew they were in deep danger of an unknown force.

He was suddenly on the ground, face planting in the snow. He must have slipped on ice or something. His brother tugged him to get up and the screams, that inhuman empty sounded scream, was almost right behind him. Cuphead hoisted him up and they took off running again.

Their path lead to an old bridge. Its planks were rotting and falling apart, missing in small or large pieces in various places. A clear sign that it was unsafe for anyone to walk across as evident by the danger sign poking out from the ground next to it. This was enough for him to hesitate, stopping them in their tracks.

"It's a dead end Cuphead!"

"No! It's not! We just have to cross over to the other side."

"But Cup—!"

The scream sounded again, louder than ever before. He looked behind him back to the woods then to the old bridge. His brother's hand squeezed his, and glancing at each other, they nodded and carefully took a step on the bridge. It gave a low moaned creak as they placed their weight on it, but otherwise held them up. This gave them the confidence to keep going, taking cautious steps while still hurrying.

"Brother."

"We're almost there Mugs. Just keep goin'."

"But Cuphead! What is that thing?"

"I don't know! Just, just keep runnin'!"

"Shouldn't we be able to take it on?"

"Mugman, I don't think that's possible with this one."

"But we should try!"

"Mugman!" His brother looked back at him, eyes filled with fear as he glared at him. The glare didn't last long. His gaze went past him and his face contorted into terror. Something he had never seen on his twin's face. "Go. GO!"

Cuphead tugged at his hand, pulling him to run. He wanted to ask why, but the bridge gave a jolt and the inhuman scream came again.

Almost right behind them.

Right on the bridge.

Terror took hold, and every bit in his body told him to run. He didn't pay any attention to where he stepped, just as long as it got him away from the danger that they were in. He kept his eyes in front of him, seeing the end of the bridge in the distance.

They could still make it. They could still have the chance to get away. He didn't care if they could manage to fight it. He wanted to get away and live. For both of them to live and see another day. To see Elder Kettle again everyone back one Inkwell Island. To live—

His right foot stepped on a rotten plank. Breaking through it.

"Mugs!"

He fell, his body dangling in the air as his hands held for dear life on the planks that saved him from falling.

"Oh gosh! Mugs! Hang on!"

"What's it look like I'm doing?!" He kicked his legs about, suddenly very aware to the danger he was in.

"Don't look down!"

He looked down. A scream tore through his mouth, echoing in the night air to the misty bottomless ground. He didn't realize how high up they were, and he was suddenly very terrified of heights despite being and falling from a plane before.

"I TOLD NOT TO LOOK DOWN!"

"REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY!"

"Just Calm Down! I'll—" The bridge gave another jolt.

He looked up, gazing at his twin through the hole. Cuphead wasn't looking at him. But at something that made his eyes wide with deep fear. To what, he did not know, but he guessed it was whatever was chasing them. It only got confirmed when he heard the scream, right there above him.

"Brother?" His voice sounded small and weak, and for a brief moment, he feared for his twin's life. His brother gazed down at him, locking their eyes together. They didn't say a word, but they didn't need too. They both knew they were in danger and had no way to escape.

They were trapped, and more than likely going to die.

But fate had other plans.

A blast of fire went over his brother's head, shocking them both. His bother ducked away from the heat that threatened to burn him if he didn't move. The screams that hunted them turned to screams of agony, shaking the whole bridge. Cuphead grabbed hold of his arms, making sure he didn't fall as the bridge gave a violent shudder. Out from the corner of his eye, a large mass of something burning toppled over the edge of the bridge, falling over and into the mist far below. The only sign of its decent was its fading pains of screams and the dimming shrinking light that slowly vanished into the sea of fog and haze.

The moment of the danger from whatever it was that was chasing them was short lived as the bridge jolted, giving a loud moan as planks of rotting wood started to crumble, coming undone and breaking at its joints. His brother, sensing the danger that they were still in, tugged and tried to pull him up. Suddenly, they were lifted into the air and tossed, landing on the bridge in a rough landing.

"GO! RUN! RUN!" He heard someone shout. His mind was boggled as he tried clearing it. He looked up, seeing the end of the bridge just feet away from them. A loud cracking snap resonated behind him, catching his attention to look behind and only catch a glimpse of someone toppling over with a large chunk of the bridge coming undone and breaking off, falling to the mist far below.

He didn't have time to feel sorry for the person as the bit of bridge they were on was slowly dipping down, reminding him that he and his twin needed to get out of there fast. Glancing at each other, they quickly stumbled to their feet and ran. The broken bridge creaked and moan, dipping down more and more. The end to their safety was only a few steps away.

The fear for survival pounded in their hearts, ringing in their ears. They were so close. So very near to safety.

And the bridge gave one final groan before breaking, swinging down and taking the brothers with it. A scream came out of him, his arms failing till his hand caught on a plank that stuck out, halting his fall. He could feel Cuphead grab into the rim of his head, stopping his fall as well. He tried to gaze down at him, trying to see his twin and pray that he was unharmed.

"CUPHEAD!"

"MUGMAN!"

They dangled in the air. Their only life line that was keeping them from falling was a single plank of old wood on a broken bridge that was dangling on its last limb. There wasn't much they could do. He couldn't reach for any of the planks above that were out from his reach and the weight from his brother holding onto the back of his head wasn't helping either. They were sitting ducks, doomed to fall.

"BOYS?!"

A familiar voice caught their attention. Looking to the side, a familiar flower and rat stood on the edge of the gap, not far from them.

"Cagney! Werner!"

"Help Us!" They cried out in desperation.

"Hang on!"

"Ve're Coming!"

The bridge gave a small creak, signaling that they didn't have enough time for rescue to come help them fast enough. Thinking quickly, he tried to think of a way out of this. "Cuphead! Do you think you can climb up and grab onto one of the planks?"

"No! I can barely hold on right now!"

He cursed, spotting Werner running as quickly as he could towards them. He was still too far away to save them. But… where was—

"Boys!" He looked up, spotting the large flower looming over them. Cagney reached out a hand, trying to grab them. "I can't reach!" His fingers were just there, almost grazing his hand. Just out of reach to safety.

He tried reaching up, hoping to grab the extended limb. But the bridge, on its final limb, gave one last shudder and broke off its limb. Everything felt like it was going in slow motion. His finger barely grazed Cagney's hand and the plank he had a hold on broke. He was slowly falling backwards. He could hear his brother scream behind him as his grip slipped.

Cagney jumped forward, his arm extended as Warner came around the edge. The rat grabbed Cagney's legs, stopping him from going over as Cagney grabbed him in one arm and reached for his brother with the other.

In a blink, it was all over. He was soon cradled in Cagney's arm, held tightly against him that his thorns poked and jabbed him through the coat Cuphead had given him. His mind was in shock, even as Werner pulled them up onto safety, dragging them away from the edge.

He was paralyzed. His body felt like dead weight. None of his limbs responded and he couldn't see anything. It took a very long while for him to even realize that someone was shaking him and calling out his name.

"Mugman? Mugman! Kome on little der Krug! Vake up!"

He blinked, looking up at Werner's worried face as the rat shook his shoulders.

"Hey! Be gentle with him! We don't need him going into shock!" A voice called out, most likely Cagney as it sounded gruff and grumpy. Though, why did he detect a large amount of fear in his voice?

"Um Himmels Willen! I'm tryink to be gentle! But little der Krug isn't respondink!" Warner snapped.

"K… krug?" His voice was shaky, just like the rest of his body as his senses slowly came back to him.

"Ah ha! Little der Krug is alive!" He was suddenly in a bone crushing hug, knocking his senses off again. But that was good. It was solid and strong. Something to anchor on to get his mind straight. "Güte! Vhat happened to you der Krug?!" Werner pulled away, looking at him all over, patting his arms and legs. "Are you hurt? Are you broken anywhere?"

"N-no. I'm fine." He pushed Warner's hands away. He appreciated the thought of concern but really didn't want hands all over him after that whole ordeal. "A little tired and weary, but I'm fine. I think me and Cuphead should get some rest after tonight."

Something flashed across Warner's face at the mention of his brother. Dark and unreadable. He frowned, taking a sudden notice that there was a large lacking presence of his twin. Cuphead always made sure to check up on him after big ordeals that were life threatening and dangerous… But…

There was no sign of his twin anywhere nearby. "Werner, where's Cuphead?"

Again that look flashed across his face, only this time, he could tell that it wasn't a good sign.

"Werner." He kept his voice steady, fingers digging into the snow covered ground. "Where's Cuphead?" The rat turned his head away. "Where's my brother Werner." It came out more like a demand. A silent despite cry that his hope wouldn't be shattered and the worry that was boiling in his gut would go away. "Where is he Werner?"

Werner stayed silent. His eyes stayed glued to the ground before he finally sighed and turned to Cagney, who was far from the pair, gazing over the edge. "Kagney." The flower flinched, slowly peering over to them. Werner beckoned him over.

Cagney was hesitant, but obeyed. He slowly rose and came closer, his movement slow and stiff. The worry boiled to new heights inside him as Cagney knelled in front of him and held out his hands. Cradled in his palms was a red scarf.

Cuphead's scarf.