I want to start off the series with the Shane Gang because heroes also need to do some mundane tasks. I want to believe that Slugterra has an identification centre, a bank, a post office, a hospital, etc. After all, a functioning society needs some crucial institutions and services.

Of course Eli has to use a forged birth certificate to hide that he's from the Surface.

The gang is in the central region of the 99 Caverns, where Security Cavern, Healthcare Cavern, Communication Cavern, Treasury Cavern, Postal Cavern and Scouts Cavern are located. These are fanmade caverns for the 99 Caverns.

This chapter takes place between "The World Beneath Our Feet Part 2" and "The Trade", and it lasts for a month.


Chapter 1: The Gang's Getting Started

It was midday. The Shane Gang was in the central region of the 99 Caverns.

"Okay, gang. I finally got my identity card, opened a bank account and provided info for medical purposes," Eli told his friends as he mounted onto his mecha beast. "Electricity, gas and water are now resumed for the hideout. Though we need to pay the arrears accumulated after my father disappeared."

"Bah, don't worry about the arrears!" Pronto scoffed. "What's more important is that the toilet is still working fine."

"We don't have to worry about that," Kord said. "I know some plumbing so I can fix that if there's a problem."

"Hey, Eli. Do you remember to re-establish communication and Internet service for the hideout?" Trixie questioned him.

"Yup," Eli replied. "Now we can receive distress signals easier and faster."

"And I can upload my videos on the Slugnet. So more people will know that the Shane has returned," she added.

"And don't forget to resume the mailing service for the hideout," Kord reminded Eli. "We gonna need a few upgrades to keep up with Dr. Blakk, and I know where to order those babies from."

"Yeah, I did," Eli responded with a smile. "Now we should clean up the hideout so you guys can move your stuffs in."

"Yes, yes, yes. Of course, because Pronto has many valuable items needed to move in," Pronto said proudly.

"Say, I don't wanna say this but, how do you guys earn for a living?" Eli questioned.

"Well, I am the advanced field tester for the Beast Forge, which means I get to test out new parts for the mecha beasts before sending them to the buyers. I can request new parts to ship out to me automatically so we can upgrade our mecha beasts. Besides that, I also take on odd jobs like plumbing, repairing electrical power and fixing other people's mecha beasts," Kord stated.

"Yes, yes, yes. I, however, tell stories of my adventures as Pronto the Magnificent on the street and get paid in tips. Sometimes I get paid to tell stories in bars and clubs," Pronto chimed in.

"Most of my videos are monetized, which helps to keep me afloat as long as I upload videos on the Slugnet," Trixie explained. "I am planning on making slugisodes so we can earn more money."

"Wow, you all sure get a hang on of it!" Eli exclaimed. "My dad doesn't leave a fortune for me, so I have to work hard to earn some money."

"Well, since you are a natural slugslinger, you could put on shows during pit-stops in between patrols," Kord suggested. "You could do some trick shots or exhibition duels with us."

"You can also teach kids about slugslinging in the Scouts Cavern. I am sure the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts would love to have a Shane as their teacher," Trixie added.

"Ah, yes, and they would also love to hear the adventures of Pronto the Magnificent!" Pronto exclaimed with pride.

"And we should set up a budget. We need to allocate our money for groceries, utilities, repairs, entertainment, and some for emergencies," Trixie suggested.

"Yeah, that could work. But for now, we should get back to the hideout. We need to do some spring-cleaning," Eli said.

The gang rode off on their mecha beasts. Unbeknown to them, a few Blakk Guards were spying on them.


I want to thank a few friends on the Slugterra discord server for giving me ideas of how the Shane Gang earn their money.

I wrote a few Blakk Guards spying on the gang to explain how they know where the hideout is and later thrashed it in "The Trade".