Chapter Text
And then again, the sound of the train's metal wheels hitting the rails. From the train window, they could see the Gardenview building they'd hastily left just minutes earlier. Everyone was disheveled and tired, which wasn't surprising given the horror they'd barely escaped. Just when Mugman thought they'd be able to recover a bit by reaching Gardenview, everyone went crazy... turned into soul-hunting monsters.
One plus: the sight of his brother in good health was comforting; he no longer had to hold the headless corpse of his last loved one. But he'll never forget that feeling, and he'll never forget the one who didn't regret it. The one who thinks their lives aren't worth a dime. How ironic that he saved this very demon just today, even at the cost of his own life.
Mugman's gaze carefully examined everyone sitting with him in the carriage: Cuphead talking to their new acquaintance Shelly, Boris sitting in the corner of the carriage looking with a shocked look, and... Him... Demon. Mugman's gaze lingered on the latter for a long moment. A recent memory of pushing Bendy out of harm's way, a monster that had once been an ordinary cartoon, swirled in his mind. He glanced at his own arm, where the blow had landed. Cracks ran all over it, and they would take some time to heal, but his attention was mainly drawn to the golden glow of the currently phantom chain. Mugman glanced at the demon again, trying to discern anything on his face other than irritation at the situation and arrogance, but there was nothing else. His hands clenched, as did his teeth, and his eyes seemed ready to burn a hole through the demon for thinking too highly of himself.
He wanted to kill him with his own hands, punch him in the face, beat him to death, wrap that damn chain that bound them around his throat and break his neck with it. He could already hear the crunch of his neck in his head and feel his skin under his hands, and before his eyes he had the image of him breathing his last. And how that picture brought him pleasure. The thought of leaving him to die in the forest never left him for a day. He regretted not shooting him on the spot, because now it was his own fault that he and Cuphead were like lapdogs again.
The contract held him on a leash; he couldn't close his hands around his throat without hurting himself and his brother. So he did something else. He observed, analyzed, memorized... everything about him, his habits, weaknesses, reactions... and exploited them whenever he could. Once, this almost triggered an attack of his illness. Mugman doesn't know why, but then he stopped, holding an invisible card in his hands, intending to escape, and when Bendy tried to tug on the "almighty leash," he made it clear that this same leash worked both ways. He remembers how his heartbeat quickened when he heard the thud of the sick demon falling, and the triumph he felt when he saw his shocked and terrified face. Finally, everything was under his control. And he stopped.
There's a hole in the contract... The illness is with this demon from the start, if he dies because of his illness, it's not part of their contract to save him.
There it is, the exit, literally in front of you, Mugman... So why aren't you using it?
This question had echoed in his thoughts more than once. He knew this selfish demon inside and out, he'd found fears he could exploit, he could kill him without laying a finger on him, so why, every time he was about to finally finish him off, did he suddenly change his mind, continuing to cherish the feeling of hatred in his soul and absorbing his facial features, etching them into his memory. There were always reasons, then he didn't know the loophole of the contract and was forced to protect his pathetic soul, then he was focused on healing his brother, and now... now Bendy is the only one who can control the train. Mugman convinced himself of that.
And yet. The demon haunted his thoughts. He'd become so immersed in him during the process of probing his very being that the only thing he could think of now was wanting to feel his skin under his hand again, just like that moment when he'd pushed him out of harm's way. He wanted to prolong this moment; he wanted this demon's life.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice how Cuphead sat down next to him.
Only a light blow to his uninjured shoulder brought him out of his reverie.
“Whatcha thinking about, Mugsy?” Cuphead smiled as always, but his big eyes scanned every crack on his brother's hand.
“That if someone hadn't made a contract with a demon, AGAIN, then nothing would have happened!” Mugman did not hold back in expressing his own thoughts and emotions and literally spat out this phrase.
“jeez… thought we were already over this conversation.” Cuphead muttered irritably, but his face didn't hide his guilt. Instead of snapping further, he pulled out the leftover band-aids that had been used to cover his broken head and, carefully taking his brother's hand, began to seal the cracks on his arm.
Mugman was too tired after all this crap to resist or express his opinion any further, and Cuphead understood the meaning perfectly well. The only thing he continued to do was watch the demon, whose silhouette was visible from the train's control car.
He didn't even notice how he'd passed out sitting in one of the train seats. He woke up in the night, the train still rolling along the tracks, the view of Gardenview and any familiar towns long gone from the windows. The car was dimly lit by a fluorescent bulb built into the ceiling. Everyone was asleep: Boris in his corner, Shelley lying on two seats, Pebble on the floor, and Cuphead… Mugman glanced to the side, trying to see where his brother was, and found him, sitting next to him, also asleep.
There was only one other person awake in this car. His eyes automatically caught the light in the control cabin, as well as the silhouette of Demon visible within.
This is your chance... one on one. No one can stop you. Mugman followed the instructions of the inner voice that kept repeating about the possibility... what exactly he would find out in the process.
Despite his best efforts to approach as quietly as possible, the faint echo of his footsteps echoed throughout the silent train cabin. He crossed the entrance to the control car and hurried to close the door. The click of the lock caught Bendy's attention. He turned sharply and stared wide-eyed at the newcomer, immediately taking in the tense atmosphere in the room. His tail curled around his leg, and his breathing quickened slightly. His eyes scanned Mugman from head to toe, taking in his tired eyes, his furrowed brows, his hand covered in band-aids, and the gaze that watched him closely, scrutinizing him in return.
Before he could express his indignation at Mugman's strange behavior, he suddenly closed the distance between them and, towering over him, pinned his hands to the control panel. Bendy hissed as he hit the metal panel painfully and looked into Mugman's eyes with anger and poorly hidden fear. The train accelerated sharply and an unpleasant screeching sound of the rails could be heard.
“Have you gone mad? forgot about the contract already?! you cannot..!” Bendy wasn't destined to finish as he was interrupted by the cold tone of Mugman, who was currently gripping his wrists tightly. The familiar golden shackles appeared on their wrists, illuminating the arrogant demon's face with a golden glow, drawing even more attention to him.
“I don’t care about this darn contract.” Bendy's confident expression vanished, replaced by anger. His tail latched onto the hand holding his twitching wrist, trying to break free, but to no avail. His arms began to go numb, and the stiffness he couldn't shake forced him to look Mugman in the face as he loomed over him. And Mugman watched. His expression was blank except for a cold, calculating expression so unusual for him; malice was palpable only in the strength of his grip.
“Tell me…” A pause, made specifically to enjoy the reaction of the powerless Demon, into whose head the thought finally penetrated that he had no control over the situation.
“Do you still think that… we… deserve to die”
The question caught Bendy off guard. The unhealthy glint in the tired eyes looming over him and the stroking motion of the fingers on his wrists left him slightly confused. As soon as the cabin shook sharply, Bendy realized they were about to hurtle forward at full speed, potentially going off the rails. Mugman, also swaying slightly, was now leaning closer to Bendy's face, their faces separated by a mere few inches. However, he continued to hold Bendy's wrists tightly pinned to the control panel.
“LET GO, the train will go off the rails!!” Bendy tried again to break free from under Mugman, who was hanging over him, but he was much weaker than him, his hands didn’t even lift a millimeter from the control panel.
“Answer the question” Their gazes scorched each other. Mugman was forcing him to make a choice, a choice that was obvious to both of them. Bendy knew Mugman well enough to know he wouldn't let go until he got an answer, and Mugman, in turn, knew full well how tightly the demon clung to his own life.
Bendy was filled with anger at his powerlessness, his vulnerability. Anger at Mugman that hung over him, forcing him to confront the fact of his own powerlessness once again, while the glow of the golden shackles became a mockery once he realized the shackles worked both ways. Their contract was equal, and that contract was driving him to his grave right now.
Gritting his teeth, he forced a sneering grin. He wouldn't let him enjoy the power he held. His hand, beginning to go numb, involuntarily gripped one of the levers, but didn't pull it.
“There are things I’ve wished on you I won’t bother repeating.” The grin on his face grew more mocking and evil as he felt the hands holding his wrists tighten a little for a second.
“You already have your answer. Don’t make me cheapen it by saying it twice.” The numb hand that had recently been tightly gripping one of the levers relaxed, releasing it. This gesture didn't escape Mugman's notice; he'd noticed the lever clutched in his hand from the very beginning. He received an answer to his question.
Mugman's face looked even more indifferent. His blue eyes, with a barely noticeable spark of obsession, stared into the amber eyes below him and he finally spoke.
“Whatever harm comes your way... I will deal with, and if needed get rid off” Bendy felt a chill run through his body, causing a herd of goosebumps, the previous mask of arrogance was replaced by an irritated one, but he did not break eye contact, drowning in the blue eyes in front of him.
“Your life can be taken only by my hand… Don’t forget that” With those last words, Mugman let go of him just as abruptly as he had initially grabbed him and headed towards the locked door, while Bendy, quickly coming to his senses, worked on the control panel, gradually slowing the train down.
The door opened with a soft click, but Mugman didn't leave the control cabin. Instead, he sat down on the floor in the corner and closed his eyes. Bendy glared angrily at the man sitting in the same cabin with him, while rubbing his sore wrists.
However, both were ready to admit that they believed each other.