Chapter 4 - Going Underground

We woke up the next day. It was 12 pm. I never knew that Weaselton could snore so loud (he did), no wonder he lives by himself.

We all got ready. I was wearing a black Trivium shirt and a pair of shorts. Revi was wearing a Rammstein shirt underneath her battle vest and Weaselton was wearing a Quillswitch Engage shirt from their most recent tour.

We went upstairs, Emmitt and Ashkii were wearing their normal clothes, Piper was wearing her usual soccer uniform, and Corey was wearing a black Otter to Prevail t-shirt he got when we all went to the Summer Otter Tour.

"So I had a weird dream last night," Emmitt said.

We all waited.

"It involved a Honey Badger. Not the doctor, a different one, and it was in some underground club."

"Alright," I said, "I've had weird dreams to. I once dreamed that the 'Shit Boat No Fans' music video happened to me in real life."

"And I once dreamed that I met Iron Marten," Weaselton said.

"But this was different," Emmitt said, "there was something about a 'rising', starting underground and going higher."

"Like Moose Springsteen?" Revi asked. (haha get it?)

"No this was completely different," Emmitt said.

"I'll take your word for it," Ashkii said, "It could possibly be a sign."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

Ashkii went over to open it. Standing right in the doorway was Dashley Mustelle, She had on a black Behemoth hoodie, a shiny pair of Volebeat pants, and an Alestorm prosthetic leg.

(Oh yeah and if you're gonna be ableist shut the fuck up. Dashley has always been an amputee since she was first introduced started so deal with it).

"Greetings," she said, "I have some news for all of you."

"Oh shit I recognize her," Revi said, "She is a regular at Tundratown shows."

"Yes I am," Dashley said, "and I am also Alister's favorite teacher."

"What the fuck is up my fucker," I said, "So great to see you again. These tame collars are a fucking pain in the neck."

"I've already been shocked an average of 10 times each day," she replied, "I'm almost even getting used to it."

"Ah, that's nothing," Weaselton said, "100 times a day for me."

"Even that can't break me," Revi said, "1,346 times last Tuesday. A record!"

"Alright Dashley," Ashkii said, "What is this news you have for all of us."

"Follow me," she said, as she walked down the steps.

We followed her. We locked the door and went down the street, she was shorter than all of us. Revi was the tallest in our group, but still only 3'2" (Nick Wilde is a whole 10" taller, while Palmer is 15 feet tall).

"So, I have a place to show all of you," Dashley said, "It just came to be after Aires took over. Many Zootopia residents don't even know it exists."

"Alrighty then," Corey said, "I would definitely like to see it."

We rounded the corner and walked up to a familiar-looking building.

"Wait a minute," Emmitt said, "This is Mystic Springs Oasis. I do naked yoga here."

"Wait," Weaselton said, "You do naked yoga?"

"Indeed," Emmitt said, "Helps relieve stress."

We walked into the entrance. There we saw the Owner, Yax completely asleep and naked.

"Sup motherfucker," Ashkii said.

Dashley then took us around a corner and into a secret hallway.

"Okay, I never knew this was here," Emmitt said.

Dashley then opened a door do an elevator.

"This will take you to the place."

"If you say so," Piper, "Are you sure this place is safe?"

"Oh stoatally," Dashley responded.

We got in the elevator and the doors closed.

"This was once a coal mine, used by Badgercraft Inc. It was abandoned more than 50 years ago and barely anyone in the city knows about it."

"This would make a cool concert venue" Revi said, "Wind Rose could stoatally play here. I AM A DWARF AND I'M DIGGING A HOLE!"

We reached the bottom.
"We are deep enough that the tame collars don't even work," Dashley said.

We all had happy looks on our faces upon hearing the news.

"Hello again, Dashley," said a black bear security guard, "Good to see you have new guests in The Basement."

"Indeed," she said, "this place will just keep growing.

The security guard let us inside and we rounded a corner. There, was a big, cavernous room. It had a dance floor, a stage, and a bar. On the stage was a Mink DJ, playing the dance remix of "Diggy Diggy Hole."

"DJ MINKLER IN THE MOTHERFUCKING HOUSE!" he shouted.

Everyone in the room was a predator. They all had tame collars, but they didn't work. Many were dancing around to the music that the DJ was playing. There were also Coati strippers pole dancing (I later learned that they worked at mystic springs oasis).

I looked over at the bar. There I saw Finnick the Fennec Fox. He was wearing a black Carnifox shirt and a pair of Betraying the Otters sunglasses. Next to him was the former mayor Leodore Lionheart. He was wearing a black Obituary shirt and Deicide chin piercings.

"Hey ma boi Finnick," Lionheart said drunkenly, "try this whiskey, aged 5 whole years."

Finnick took the shot glass and poured the liquor down his throat, but immediately spat it out.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" shouted Finnick, "THIS SHIT IS FUCKING HORRIBLE!"

"Well what did you think?" said the former Mayor Lionheart, "It's the Trapt whiskey."

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"What the fuck is up motherfuckers," Travis Dookson said. He was wearing a Cattle Decapitation Hoodie and ripped jeans. Gideon Grey was also there and was wearing a Lorna Shear t-shirt and a pair of Weasel War ear piercings.

"We got a whole band going," Gideon Grey said in a thick southern accent that sounded like the pastor in the Nailwound video, "We just recorded our new song today, and plan to release it soon."

"You knew about this place?" I asked, "because I had no fucking idea."

"Fuck yes we did indeed," Travis said, "we've been coming here since it opened. All the way from Bunnyburrow."

"Oh yeah, you two have a slam metal band now," Dashley said. She went to college in Bunnyburrow but is originally from Canada (Saskatoon to be specific).

"Hemorrhoidal Malfunction is the name," Gideon Grey said, "And we are going to be the heaviest shit out of Bunnyburrow. Plus we just got a new band member. He's a marmot named James who does the bass."

"James McMarmot!" I said, "he was my childhood friend before I moved here. I'm from Muskegon by the way."

"Yes that is him," Travis said, "and we got his brother Kyle as a roadie."

"So we both got bands now," I said.

"Indeed you do."

"GET YOUR FUCKING PAWS UP!" said DJ Minkler as the beat dropped. A massive mosh pit formed on the floor, and I, of course, went right inside of it.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Piper said.

Once the music was done, the lights went dark, and everyone crowded around the stage.

"Now that I have warmed you up," said DJ Minkler, "it is time to introduce who everyone is here for, the one and only…"

We all waited in anticipation.

"HONEY BADGER!"

A honey badger walked out onstage, to the tune of "The Legend of Captain Yarrface" by Rumahoy. Everyone was cheering and she was hyping up the audience.

"Hello everyone again," she said loudly once the crowd calmed down, "It is great to see so many familiar faces, but even better to see all of these new faces."

Everyone looked at me, and all of the other new mammals in this club.

"Welcome to the basement, My name is Honey Badger, and I am leading the resistance!"

"Oh shit," Emmitt said, "This is just what I dreamed about last night."

"15 days ago," she said, "the evil wizard Aires took over and subverted Zootopia under his control."

"Yep indeed he did," I said.

"He turned the entire police force into an evil death squad," she said, "and forced us to wear tame collars."

Everyone who was able to give the middle finger did so.

"And now," she said, "he plans to go even further. Soon, all the insectivores will be wearing tame collars, and even the prey will be wearing tame collars one day. All that is left will be the sheep wizards."

"Oh shit," Ashkii said, "Is this actually real?"

"But we can no longer let this reign of terror control our great land!" she shouted, "The basement club will rise! And vanquish the wizard!"

Everyone cheered.

"Now that I have given my speech, it is time to sing!"

DJ Minkler started to play "The Void" by Barkway drive, and the whole room went fucking crazy. Honey Badger grabbed a microphone and started karaokeing the vocals (she was a kick-ass singer). A large, 10-foot-tall, 1,500-pound Polar Bear stage dove and nearly crushed part of the audience. Dashley was crowd-surfing and stage dove as well. I got into the mosh pit, but Revi was really going crazy. Put her in a mosh pit, and it's like she was hit by the Night Howlers as well.
The song finished and everyone left.

"hey," I said, "I want to know more, let's stay here a bit so we can hear what this is all about."

"Indeed," Ashkii replied.

We followed Honey Badger backstage into the dressing room.