Ink City/Recap/S3/E1 Aftershocks

With the broken City finally fixed, most of its residents returned to their normal routines, thankful that the worst was over. But even as they celebrate various happy reunions and restorations, the Mayor frantically searches for Bass. Meanwhile, the Net Navi settles down to analyze the data he'd swiped with Get Ability... and doesn't like what he finds.

Rigby decides to hit Trevor where it hurts most: his beloved reputation. Using his communicator's Playback feature, he broadcasts a recording of Trevor's last major kidnapping attempt before the World Split, showing everyone who watches it exactly how the self-proclaimed savior operates. Among the viewers is Berri, a Mew who had very unpleasant experiences with Mad Scientists back home. His broadcast brings all those memories flooding back, and she immediately sets about plotting to put an end to Goodchild and all others who practice it...

Dot also catches Rigby's broadcast, and is outraged to see that her own brother was another one of Trevor's regular victims. Discreetly, she uses her comm to go on an Archive Binge, pulling up every video involving Yakko to see what else he hasn't bothered telling her or Wakko about. The more she sees, the angrier she gets... So the two younger Warners decide to stage an intervention.

...Unfortunately, hoping to ensure he sticks around for it, they decide to spring it on him via surprise mallet knockout and kidnapping. In the process, they accidentally bring Six along for the ride... and make their brother none too pleased. A painful argument ensues, with Yakko admitting he hadn't told them anything because he didn't WANT them to know... and that he's all too aware of how much he's changed, and isn't sure how or if he can go back to how he was. Still, the trio reconciles, with Dot promising that neither one will ever disappear on him again.

After stalking Trevor for several days, gradually worming past his compound's defenses, Berri makes her move. Using his own paralytic fluid, she renders him helpless, then tortures him before leaving him in a gruesome state. An anonymous video of the results is briefly broadcast to the City -- though thankfully, it doesn't automatically play for everyone -- followed by an equally anonymous text, proclaiming to have brought karmic retribution to the scientist.

"t

s"

The City's answer is a resounding, empathetic NO! Most who see her video respond with horror and disgust, calling out the unknown entity responsible for her extreme methods. Unable to cope with the thought of indirectly inspiring such torture, Rigby decides to save Trevor. Yakko agrees, and the two set out for his compound, meeting Crmsn along the way.

But not everyone was disturbed. Bass' only complaint was that Mew had left Trevor alive rather than finding some permanent way of ending his threat. Arriving at the compound himself, he confronts the would-be rescuers -- and is shocked upon recognizing Crmsn. Sadly, his recognition comes too late -- as he's in the middle of aiming an Earthbreaker at the interlopers. The misdirected blast levels the compound, killing everyone inside.

Overhearing the explosion, Berri immediately realizes what must have happened and decides to lay low, using her Transform ability to disguise herself as an ordinary young woman. Yakko is left to cope with his first death, as well as a very unhappy sister laying the mother of all guilt trips on him. The only upside is that an equally shaken Trevor accepts a truce...

Meanwhile, the Mayor manages to catch Bass as he's crawling out of the Well and confronts him, ordering he return what he stole. Instead, Bass demands answers -- who and what are the voices he's been hearing? As always, the Mayor avoids direct answers, stating only "THEY are what I was trying to keep everyone away from!" He seems to wear Bass down into accepting his help... but the Net Navi was just luring him in for a sneak attack. More startled than wounded, the Mayor retreats: "Keep suffering, you brought it upon yourself. Have fun."

This Event includes examples of:

 * And I Must Scream
 * Big Damn Heroes: Though it didn't work out so well this time...
 * Caught On Tape
 * Character Development: Spending a year alone in Ink City left Yakko changed in ways that his siblings notice... and don't appreciate. Their attempts to rerail him meet with mixed results.
 * Cute and Psycho: Berri's brokenness comes out in full force.
 * Engineered Public Confession
 * Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Trevor struggles to understand why two of his most irritating adversaries would risk their lives helping him.
 * Flat What: Legato's reaction when Crmsn explains what happened.
 * Four Is Death: Her anonymous video of Trevor's punishment happens to be Berri's fourth community post.
 * Hoist By His Own Petard: Wonder if Trevor even remembers how he used video to hurt Rigby before... He certainly didn't appreciate Berri's spin on things.
 * I Surrender Suckers: Bass pulls this on the Mayor rather than accept his help.
 * My God What Have I Done: While Berri feels Trevor deserved what he got, she's extremely unhappy upon seeing that some of the very same people she was trying to protect got killed trying to 'fix' what she'd done.
 * Nice Job Breaking It Hero: Poor Rigby didn't mean to inspire Mew's vengence; it just sort of happened...!
 * Berri wanted to ensure the safety of the rest of Ink City's non-Mad Scientist residents. Instead, her actions led to several others dying, including Trevor's two favorite victims.
 * No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
 * Not Helping Your Case: When the Mayor finally catches Bass, he outright refuses to explain what he's been suffering through and just demands to have what was stolen returned. This doesn't help.
 * The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: G La DOS informs Berri that Caroline is hers.
 * Science Is Bad: Being experimented upon tends to cement one's distrust of science.
 * They Killed Kenny: Due to his frequent deaths, Rigby takes what happens to them in Trevor's compound fairly well. He still needs a Vomit Discretion Shot immediately after respawning, but copes far better than Yakko.
 * Total Party Kill
 * What the Hell Hero: Most viewers weren't too pleased with Berri's solution to the Trevor problem. Her declaration that Caroline was next didn't help.
 * Well Intentioned Extremist