Welcome Back, Scrap Pile

After wrapping up some business in Atlantis, the team headed back to Beta City. Torpedo decided to swim and then take a train home while Landshark and Disco flew in their recently repaired submarine jet thing. Worried about the ominous threat delivered by Mr. Chompers, Disco called his sister to make sure she was okay. He also remotely reprogrammed the security system to chase Pork Chop and Grave Grizzly out.

Flying over Free Buffalo, an independent city-state ever since the Lake Mohawk catastrophe, Disco and Landshark spotted a brightly lit club that looked interesting. It turned out to have a superhero theme and drinks that would not be legal anywhere else. Torpedo also stopped by for some clothes and money. They got rooms in town on Caravel's team credit card and partied. Torpedo got a distress text from Morgana and swam off to the rescue before the follow-up "LOL" came through.

Torpedo found the debris of a porch party outside his aquarium shop just before a thunderous explosion sent Fire of Saturn flying backwards out through the roof. Blastaar then launched himself out into the street from the same hole, ranted, and then blast-flew himself off towards Beta City proper. Torpedo went to check on Fire of Saturn while Disco and Landshark arrived and they all went inside to see the damage to their headquarters.

Fire of Saturn said Blastaar had come out of a hidden door in Magi's old basement laboratory, where she had been playing with the partially-constructed gadgets he left behind. Further investigation led them to a security tape of Mister Chompers trotting into the room while Fire was occupied, poking at the controls with his little paws, then leaving. A flashing red indicator briefly said, "Negative Zone Lock Disengaged" and then Blastaar came through.

Disco flew off after Blastaar. Not wanting to tear up the neighborhood with his tunneling power, Landshark went on foot. Torpedo went to find the mystic, Doctor Philosophy, to figure out how to deal with the evil pug. Disco fought Blastaar in the streets of Beta City, by himself at first. Landshark eventually joined in, once the ferry arrived. Torpedo and Philosophy headed back to HQ.

Blastaar went down after a hard fight and lots of determination points. As he lost consciousness, there was a weird kind of Kirby crackle around him that spread out across town. Back on Lightfoot Island, Chompers' eyes flashed red. Street lights exploded. Machines all around them came to life and a booming voice from speakers everywhere announced that Doctor Kronus was free at last.