Hello everyone. So, I know it's been a few months since the last time I updated this story, but I never abandoned this story. I had planning this for months since the trailer of the first film. Speaking of that, it was announced that The Bad Guys 2 will be released next Summer, August 1, 2025. And since I had been planning a lot of stories for The Bad Guys since its first film's release, I decided to put my other stories to a halt and focus just The Bad Guys. I was delayed a couple of times, so I wanted to speed up my Bad Guys stories before the second film would come out.

So, here is chapter 7, finally! Enjoy and please read! There was a song coming!

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"Daniel, give me a beat."

As Doug requested, he turned his turntables on and started scratching. Rocki and Ellen started strumming their guitars, getting warm-up.

"We are headed for the big time. And I got a big-time song to take us there," Doug pointed the spotlight towards Piranha, who was nearly blinded by the bright light there. Doug then jumped in front of Piranha, and ruffled his hair fin, "Follow my lead, kid."

Doug: I can't help myself
I'm addicted to a...

Doug, Rocki & Dolly: Life of material

Doug: It's some kind of joke
I'm obsessively...

Doug, Ellen & Daniel: Opposed to the typical

Doug: All we care about is runway models
Cadillacs and liquor bottles
Give me something I wanna be
Retro glamor Hollywood, yes, we live for the

Harmony Notes: Fame, doin' it for the fame
'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous
Fame, doin' it for the fame
'Cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune

At the chorus, an illusion of thousands of audience and fans made very loud cheers and cameras flashed at them. They were on the stage, performing with their dance moves, and Piranha could see what they saw as well.

Harmony Notes: Fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame
We live for the fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame
Isn't it a shame, shame, baby A shame, shame
In it for the fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame

Doug: I can see myself in the movies
With my...

Doug, Rocki & Ellen: Picture in the city lights

Doug: Photograph, oh my mind and whatever else
You'd like to shoot

Doug, Dolly & Daniel: You decide

Doug: All we care about is...

Before he could finish while the music was still playing, Doug leaned towards Piranha, and whispered, "We don't wanna sing that part. It's inappropriate."

Piranha understood with a nod and shrug as Doug continued the song.

Doug: Give me something I wanna see

Harmony Notes: Television and hot blonds in odd positions

Fame, doin' it for the fame
'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous
Fame, doin' it for the fame
'Cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune

The illusion changed when Doug and Piranha walked down the red carpet, then stood on top of a float along with the rest of the Harmony Notes and fans throwing them a parade with confetti falling down on them.

Harmony Notes: Fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame
We live for the fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame
Isn't it a shame, shame, baby? A shame, shame
In it for the fame, fame, baby, the fame, fame

Another illusion scene changed when Doug sang at a party, then changed to himself and Piranha wearing shades and getting greeted by a lot of fans at the airport.

Doug: Don't ask me how or why
But I'm gonna make it happen this time
My teenage dream tonight
Yeah, I'm gonna make it happen this time

When everything changed back to reality, and Doug and Piranha took another stroll as part of their daydream, the latter noticed the advertisement at the street light pole about the fireworks happening tonight. Piranha couldn't check the time, but he could tell time when the sun was already set. It was almost dark.

"Oh, Doug. I'm supposed to meet my friends soon for the..." Piranha wanted to tell Doug about his promise to his friends about meeting them at Hollenbeck Park for the fireworks.

But Doug retreated to retrieve Piranha and gave him a piggyback ride at the back of his shoulders, "Whoa, whoa. We can't let anybody hold us back. This is all about our fame and fortune for the future, remember?"

Wolf, Snake, Shark, Tarantula, and Hornet witnessed this while standing by beside a streetlight, and noticed how Piranha was still having fun with Doug, especially how the little fish chuckled after the dog retrieved him.

Doug: Fame, doin' it for the fame
'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous
Fame, doin' it for the fame
'Cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune

During the montage, Doug and Piranha daydreamed of themselves and the band being famous and in magazines and receiving a trophy. But in real life, they bought a bag of burritos. Doug flipped one from the bag, and Piranha caught it, taking a bite from it.

Doug: Fame, doin' it for the fame
'Cause we wanna live the life of the rich and famous
Fame, doin' it for the fame
'Cause we gotta taste for champagne and endless fortune
Fame

And just like that. The Harmony Notes and Piranha made it to Hollenbeck Park, just in time for the fireworks. Outside the park and in their car, the rest of the Bad Guys sadly witnessed Piranha spending time with Doug and the rest of the band and watching fireworks together. Piranha watched the fireworks without his real friends, which made the Bad Guys so upset, thinking their little fish had already forgotten all about them. Ever since he joined the band, Piranha had less time with them, just like they doubted in the beginning.

They couldn't enjoy watching the fireworks with their little fish enjoying himself with his new bandmates. Wolf quietly but slowly drove the car away from the park while the rest of the team just watched the fireworks with Piranha and his new "friends" sadly.

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Later, after the fireworks, the Harmony Notes made it back to their apartment building, talking about how fun their night was.

"Man, that was. Fun night. And I can't believe I would see fireworks so clear and bright!" Piranha exclaimed happily while flipping the last burritos into his mouth.

Yeah, and you like burritos, huh? I never thought you would bring your hometown vibe with you here," Doug chuckled, remembering how many burritos Piranha got. As the other band members got inside the lobby, Doug stopped by at the door, and turned back to the little fish, "All right. Meet you at our apartment room kid. We got a lot of work to do."

Meanwhile, the Bad Guys were on the sidewalk, right beside their car while polishing some string and percussion instruments, overhearing Doug and Piranha's conversation when they arrived, but couldn't do anything about it.

"You got it, Doug." Piranha replied to the dog while walking backward, not seeing where he was going when he approached his fellow Bad Guys, and bumped into a set of drums that alerted the gang, slowly dropping the instruments they polished, "Oh, sorry, hermanos."

But the Bad Guys weren't so happy to see him so close, not giving him a happy greeting either.

"Hi, Piranha. Having fun at Hollenbeck Park?" Shark asked sarcastically.

Piranha gasped as he remembered the thing the whole gang promised to watch together, "The fireworks! Ay Caramba, I forgot," He started to chuckle as he felt silly, "Doug and I were really busy with our performance for our next gig."

"Too busy for us? Your best friend?" Snake scowled before pointing his tail at Hornet, who was right beside him, "Your boyfriend?"

"It's not like that, amigos," Piranha reassured his friends, "Doug said I had to let everyone see me. Doug said it's good for the band. Doug said..."

"'Doug said! Doug said!' Who cares about Doug, huh?!" Hornet shouted angrily.

Piranha was surprised by Hornet's reaction as he arched a brow, and asked, "Hornet, what's wrong? Are you jealous?"

"Course not, you stinkin' fish," The little insect lied.

"Then what's eatin' you?!" Piranha snapped, leaning his face towards Hornet's face.

"I don't know. It's like you're not around anymore," Hornet answered sadly.

Piranha's face calmed as he looked at the rest of his friends. He saw Shark and Tarantula's sad. Faces as if they had the same feeling as Hornet. Piranha then turned to Wolf and Snake, who also hung their heads down sadly. Seeing all of his friends' faces, he could tell that they all agreed with Hornet that Piranha had less time with them ever since he joined the band.

Piranha looked down in shame, realizing that he made his friend think he forgot all about them, but he wanted to make it up to them, "Well, I'm around now. Let's do something together," He said before doubting his friends might not agree with him, "I mean, if you wanna."

The rest of the Bad Guys beamed up like there was hope for their friendship to last.

"Now? Really?" Tarantula asked excitingly.

"Yeah. Go bad?" Piranha held his fist up.

"Or go home," Wolf finished with his fist up.

Shark, Tarantula, and Hornet had their fists ready, while Snake decided to use his head. All of them ready for a fist-bump.

But the little beam of hope interrupted when they heard Doug's voice from the door, "Kid, I swear, you're slow like a snail. Come on. You're holding us up. Let's go," Doug ordered before going inside, "Rocki, would you get up?"

"Oh, come on, Doug!" Rocki's whine was heard from the inside.

"Let's get to work now!" The leader commanded.

While he was with his friends, Piranha wanted to hang out with them for a little while, but he was called by his boss, and he couldn't lose this opportunity by disobeying him. The other Bad Guys looked at Piranha, waiting to how he would respond to this.

Piranha sighed hopelessly as he started to walk towards the door, "I guess I gotta go."

"But... But Piranha..." Hornet called out while the rest of the gang watched helplessly.

"I'll see you guys later, okay?" Piranha reassured his friends before walking into the door.

The Bad Guys couldn't believe what just happened. Piranha chose his new career with his friends when they were supposed to hang out again. They couldn't help but feel that they had lost their "muscle" and friend because of his dream and his new career. Was really there anything more important than friendship?

While the other Bad Guys took this as a sad consequence, Hornet turned his mood to anger and he felt betrayed by his new boyfriend's doing as if their relationship was a waste from the start, "Yeah? Well maybe you will, and maybe you won't!" He shouted as he was about to leave, and the other Bad Guys followed him, just to find another place to mope. But Hornet flew back, and kicked a guitar that was slouched on the speaker to the ground.

Snake quickly but gently placed a tail on Hornet's shoulder, and dragged him away, "Okay, okay, Hornet! Calm down. Let's go."

Hornet couldn't fight it as he followed his friends.

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Song: "The Fame" by Lady Gaga

This was one of my favorite chapters yet. This was about how Piranha put a strain on his and his friends' relationship, especially his relationship with Hornet because Doug encouraged him to pursue his dreams and earn the fame they deserved.

Oh well, only I can say is that this scene was also referenced by one scene in "The Fox And The Hound 2". There was supposed to be another song in this chapter, but I scrapped that idea.

I hope you like the new chapter. Please leave a comment