Revenge of the Lawbots

**"Revenge of the Lawbots"**is the seventh episode of *Contact* and the 42nd episode overall.

The episode was published on January 26, 2020.

In the episode, the Lawbots make their return and with it comes their revenge. The Toons are forced to face a situation bleaker than before Exodus.

## The Episode

---Polar Place---

-Present Day-

“Holy…”

Constance Miller could only stare in awe and horror at the scene on Polar Place. An unstoppable and ever-growing wave of grey was sliding along the street, melting the snow and turning the ground to metal. The origin was Lawbot HQ, and the sky was swarming with Lawbots. Residents were fleeing their homes, taking nothing but their loved ones. Toon Patrol officers were aiding in the escape, but Constance plunged into the crowds with Aleck on her tail. They had to reach the Shovel Hovel.

“Madam Mayor!” someone called. “It’s not safe!”

Constance whirled around to Aleck.

“Teleport to Kilo and Hyla!” she called over the cries of scrambling Toons. “We need a way to protect our laff!”

Aleck disappeared into his transport hole.

“Use your transports!” Toon Patrol officers began shouting. But for many, Constance included, running often seemed the faster option. Transport holes were not as easy as jumping. The user had to concentrate on their destination. It was difficult to concentrate in moments of severe stress.

Constance helped a sad Toon off the grey sidewalk and into the snowy parts yet untouched. An unsad Toon neighbor took over and Constance continued on toward the middle of the street.

The buildings were the same shape and size as Toon buildings, but were now the color and texture of a Cog building. This is what the Lawbots had been preparing all this time. A way to bring Cogness to Toontown without giving Toons the option to destroy it. Constance tried lobbing a pie at the nearest building, but it merely slid off.

What were they going to do? If all of Polar Place turned grey, it would become uninhabitable. Would the grayness reach the Playground? Other streets? If it’s unoccupied by Cogs, how could a building be taken back? The standard methods of Cog fighting were suddenly and uncontrollably changing, leaving Constance hopeless.

Several Lawbots began landing on the street, and Constance dove down an alleyway. Now, all the buildings around her were grey. The sun had already set, and darkness became ubiquitous. She tried to keep her spirits up, but laff was rapidly draining. She needed Kilo and Hyla to get here soon.

The Shovel Hovel was greyed out, and a shadow upstairs was blocking the window. It moved as soon as Constance approached. The upstairs door was thrown open, and the black silhouette of Evelyn Quin appeared.

“Constance!” she cried. “Help!”

At that moment, Kilo and Hyla emerged from their transport holes with Aleck in tow.

“Here,” Hyla breathed, handing Constance a yellow patch. “Place this over your laff. It’ll stop it from dropping, but it doesn’t last long. We have to get Slate and Paul and get out.”

Aleck already had his on, and was racing up the stairs. Constance followed.

Evelyn was frantically hurrying around the apartment. Both Paul and Slate were slumped next to each other on the couch facing the television. Evelyn had a first aid bag dangling from her arm.

“Nothing is working! What’s wrong with them? What’s wrong with the street? I don’t know what’s going on!”

Constance didn’t feel like explaining, so she ignored her. She grabbed Slate, and Aleck took Paul. Kilo and Hyla gently held onto Evelyn’s arm.

“Let’s go,” Constance said.

“Oh no,” Evelyn gasped. “Not the hole.”

Before the patches could wear off, the Toons transported back to safety.

---The Brrrgh---

Once Slate and Paul were tooned up, they told the others about the sudden grey wave, and how they were instantly rendered sad. Evelyn was holding her arms in the corner of the gag shop, staring incredulously.

“What do we do?” Aleck asked to no one in particular. “How can we fight this?”

“I don’t know,” Kilo answered. “Could we throw gags at the walls?”

“I tried that,” Constance lamented. “The pie rolled off.”

Hyla shook her head.

“Our laff won’t last in that environment. If the Cogness continues to seep into the Playground and the other streets…”

“Don’t say that,” Aleck begged. “Please…we have to believe it will contain to Polar Place.”

“How?” Constance demanded. “How can we ensure that? There’s no telling what the Lawbots have planned.”

Evelyn stood and held out her flippers, her eyes closed.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I have held my tongue for an hour now.” She opened her eyes. “Gags? Cogness? Lawbots? What the *hell* is going on? What happened to you two? What’s been going on in this town? Why won’t you tell us?”

Instinctively, Constance turned to Slate. He was her sponsor, after all. And one of Toontown’s wisest citizens. He saved the Brrrgh once before during the climate shift in the time before Exodus. Could he save it now?

“Our town is overrun with evil robots,” Slate explained in a monotone. “They’re called Cogs and they seek to destroy our happiness. They’ve been dormant for many months now, and this is their revenge. I’m sorry, but you have not arrived in paradise. Far from it.”

Evelyn composed herself.

“How can I help?”

“Hmm,” Slate slid off his crate and stalked over to her. “Paul and I went sad at once. But Evelyn did not. She stayed in her usual state. Why? Is it a difference in her biology? How was her laff unaffected?”

Evelyn scrunched up her face.

“I don’t think I would have laughed. The way you two just fell over…”

“No, no,” Kilo said. “Your *laff*.” He patted his heart.

Nothing registered on Evelyn’s face.

“You…have laff right?” Hyla asked. Evelyn shrugged.

“Ha ha?”

Constance turned to Slate.

“Take Evelyn to Dr. Artery. Aleck, can you get the other four as well? He’ll want to analyze all of them. If they don’t have laff…we may be able to use that to fight the Cogs. After all, they can only kill us through sadness. If they can’t go sad…”

“They’d be an invaluable weapon,” Kilo finished.

Evelyn shivered, and not due to the cold.

---Walrus Way---

Doctor, Piggy Pie, and Hog Pie went house-to-house, imploring all residents to flee. The grey tide had reached the Playground, and was slowly moving its way toward the other streets. All Walrus Way inhabitants had enough time to pack necessary belongings before leaving. Deputy Aleck Harding assembled a pair of refuge camps in Melodyland and the Docks to help relocate displaced Toons. Of course, the hope was that the Cog Streets were temporary, and that the Toons would only be away from their homes for no more than a week.

But Piggy Pie could not imagine how they would be able to find a solution that quickly. The buildings seemed impervious to their gags. She and Doctor tried every track, and nothing had worked.

Hog frantically turned to his sister.

“What if all of Toontown turns grey?”

Piggy didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Deep in her heart, she knew that was their future if the Lawbots were not stopped.

Within the hour, a full evacuation of the Brrrgh was ordered.

---Loopy Lane---

Dr. Abe Artery was, as usual, more than happy to help when it came to the government’s random demands of him. The tall, red dog was in his office when Slate Oldman called and said he was bringing in five of the Cartonians for study.

Dr. Artery was shocked when he saw the news that a ship from Scuridiae had landed in the Docks. He was even more shocked to learn that there were no chipmunks aboard at all, but rather six refugees seeking asylum from Cartonia. He had not the privilege of meeting any of them yet, and only knew what he knew from their interview with Declan Antlin.

The Cartonians arrived after the radio announced the evacuation of the Brrrgh, and Dr. Artery was bent over his desk, remembering the very similar broadcast before Exodus. Then, the Toons had been told to gather their belongings and prepare for a long march north, out of Toontown, to find another home.

They were not fighters then. They had not been broken by the Cogs. They were scared, and no one was brave enough to stand up and defend the town.

Until Eileen Irenic.

Dr. Artery was honored to be in her presence now, flanked by the Cartonians, Kilo Byte, and Hyla Sensitive. Slate Oldman had come as well, standing close to the black duck named Evelyn Quin.

“Hi,” Dr. Artery said. “How can I assist you today?”

“They don’t have laff,” Slate said, gesturing to the Cartonians. “Evelyn didn’t go sad in the Brrrgh.”

“Oh,” Dr. Artery muttered. He beckoned to Evelyn, and she approached. Dr. Artery lifted his stethoscope to her heart and listened. Her steady heartbeat emanated forth, but the distinct buzzing of laff was absent. He repeated this study on each of the other four, and the results were the same. There wasn’t truly a way to detect laff, as it was invisible. It was like an aura surrounding the heart, encasing the emotions within. He explained as much to the Toons and Cartonians alike. The latter were confused, staring at him as if he were speaking a foreign language.

“Laff,” Dr. Artery continued, “is the epitome of toonity and is what makes us who we are. It provides us with a biological compulsory need to be happy. That is why the Cogs offer such a stark contrast to our lives before their arrival. That’s why laff has become such a commonplace term in the modern vernacular. Many patients prior to Exodus had forgotten learning about it in school, as it was just a throwaway lesson.”

Eileen stepped forward, but not much. The office was very small and the vast amount of people cramped the space.

“Dr. Artery,” she beseeched, “do they have laff or not?”

The doctor frowned, not fully certain. But he wondered…

“Laffology is not exactly a recent study, but only after the first century did analysis of laff in Toons begin to appear in scholarly texts. There are theories…”

Dr. Artery went to his desk and removed a tattered copy of the Diary of War. It was his university copy, heavily annotated. Several pages had even fallen out. He flipped to the index, posthumously added after its initial publication, and showed the “L” section to Eileen, Kilo, Hyla, and Slate.

“There’s no mention of laff.”

Eileen stared. Dr. Artery saw the chicken crane his neck in order to read the page.

“So…?” Eileen trailed off.

“Many laffologists, myself included, believe that laff was not an inherent part of Cartonian anatomy. Some theorize that Toons evolved, and laff is a direct result of that evolution. This town was always a haven from the atrocities of war, and every Mayor and Council saw a moral obligation to keep the spirit and morale of this town at constant highs. With the exception of the terrible stories contained within the Diary of War, very few causes for despair existed here. Being happy was a requirement, and laff evolved into the body in order to accommodate for that need. Therefore, laff may be unique to the Toons of Toontown, and would not be present in any Cartonians.”

Kilo drew in his breath. Hyla shook her head in disbelief.

“What do we do, then?” Eileen asked. “Do we re-incarcerate them?”

Tick Hunter gasped.

“What! Why?”

Evelyn looked genuinely hurt.

“They’re not like us at all!” Eileen exclaimed. “They’re…”

“They’re impervious to Cog attacks,” Slate finished, standing between Eileen and the Cartonians. Dr. Artery saw Eileen’s face change, perhaps rethinking her words.

“That’s what Constance said,” Kilo said. “They could be very useful.”

“Maybe…” Hyla thought aloud, “if we study them closely we can determine how to extend that immunity to the Toons. Then the Cogs could never hurt us again.”

“I don’t see how that matters,” Eileen said in disagreement. “The Cogs are already on the rocks. We only have the Lawbots left to worry about, and they lack the ability to produce more Cogs unless they’ve designed a new factory. Let’s just kill them. We don’t need to figure out why the Cartonians are physiologically different.”

Evelyn puffed out her chest.

“Pardon, but I want to help. Those creatures…the ones in the sky. The ones that hurt Paul and Slate. I want to fight them.”

“Me too,” Rook said. “We did not know that you were engaged in battle with these robots. They are our enemy now too. This will be our home, and we want to help defend it.”

“Hear hear!” Jerockle gobbled.

“Blind me,” Cale gasped. “I’ll help too.”

Tick nodded gruffly.

Dr. Artery suddenly smiled. He actually liked the Cartonians. They were certainly not like the monsters outlined in the Diary. But then again, that was over 300 years ago.

“Thank you, Dr. Artery,” Eileen said graciously. “You have been wonderful.”

“Any time,” Dr. Artery beamed.

---Melodyland---

Alice Carver was running an errand when she heard from rallying Toons outside that the Lawbots had finally struck again. In the central hub of Melodyland, she saw the first images of Polar Place disseminated.

Grey.

Everywhere.

The skies were darkening, and with it the buildings. Checkering the sky were the Cogs themselves, landing victorious among the ruins of the Brrrgh.

Alice’s breathing fell out of rhythm, and she began to hyperventilate. Her life in captivity was like that street—devoid of life and color.

As long as the Cogs remained in Toontown, she would never truly recover from her trauma. Each Cog was a painstaking reminder of Molecule’s evil, and the horrors he was capable of. She had been anxious for the inevitable Lawbot return, but had hoped that once they reared their heads, defeat would be swift.

But this…

How could they recover?

---Lawbot Headquarters---

With the restrictive flying zones around Lawbot HQ finally disabled, Flippy landed in Lawbot Square. In the period of only a few months, the Lawbots had cleared away the rubble of Tower Two. Nothing had replaced it, and the courtyard was just much bigger now. But Tower One still loomed over the courtyard, its spire visible from not just here but also the Brrrgh and even Melodyland on clear days.

This was the closest part of Toontown to the Kinnar Mountains that separated the town from Liberty Fields. Beyond that, Lake Liberty, and the Unforgiving Mountains, the Expanse, and the Vixen Cliffs. But with all the pollution in Lawbot HQ, it was warmer than the surrounding areas. There was no snow here, and if it fell, it melted immediately on the warm metal ground.

Flippy, encased in his Big Cheese suit, ascended the steps to the lobby of Tower One. He always hated it here, even when he was the Clerk. The Tower was a grand achievement of Cog might, and starkly contradicted what Flippy valued. He hated anything Cog, and revered all things Toon.

He strode across the atrium, ignoring the stares of the Lawbots. Of the four elevators against the far wall, the one on the far right would take him directly to the penthouse, to the District Attorney. Toons were never allowed inside that elevator, but thankfully he was not a Toon. At least, not on the outside. Only the inside, where the Cogs couldn’t see.

The elevator operator wordlessly allowed him into the elevator, and pressed the express button to rocket them into the skyscraper. The elevator was made of glass, and moved along the side of the building. Below, past Lawbot Square, was the grayness of the Brrrgh. The sun had set, and only the streetlamps illuminated the horrifying truth. The sight made Flippy seethe with anger.

The doors opened, and Flippy stepped into the District Attorney’s office. The last time he was here was before Clarabelle’s trial. There was a different DA then. Now, he was dead.

At the window was the Big Wig now calling himself the District Attorney. It was a true surprise that he didn’t attempt to claim a higher title.

“They said you’d be coming up,” the District Attorney said monotonously. He was glaring at Flippy with ire. “You are not welcome here.”

“Forgive me,” Flippy said tritely, “but I thought it was the Creator’s wish to have free movement in Cog Nation?”

The District Attorney scowled.

“The Cashbots are weak,” he spat. “And you are their weak leader. We heard of the battle on Pajama Place. Pathetic, pitiful. You should be ashamed.”

Flippy was actually quite proud of that skirmish. It had helped the Toons immensely.

“You should be ashamed,” Flippy fired back. “What do you call that display on Polar Place?”

“Victory,” the District Attorney said in relish. “We have conquered their land. And we aren’t stopping. Soon, every building will be Cog.”

“How?” Flippy asked, stepping forward. “How are you achieving this?”

“Ah,” the District Attorney said, pressing a finger to his lips, “I shan’t say. Lawbots don’t concern themselves with the curiosity of Cashbots.”

“I am a Bossbot.”

“Only in title,” the District Attorney taunted. “You are an exceptionally inept leader, and I do believe there is something wrong with your wiring.”

Flippy scoffed, an odd sound effect.

“Reverse this strike. It is useless in our quest for Cog Nation domination. We need the Toons subjugated, not forced out.”

“Why not?” the District Attorney asked, sliding from behind his desk and moving to face Flippy. “The Creator forced an evacuation years ago, an evacuation that drove every Toon from Toontown and left Cog Nation in its place. A haven for the Creator and his Friends.”

Flippy shivered, though his metal suit hardly moved. The friends mentioned were Alice Carver and Bradley Wolfe, the two Toons who likely had suffered the most.

The District Attorney sat in an armchair and swiveled.

“Cog Nation will not be defeated. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. All of Toontown will turn grey, and they will die. We will extinguish their race, and replace their inferior dwelling with the superior might of our realm. The Creator’s vision will finally be accomplished. With or without the assistance of the Cashbots and their charlatan leader.”

Flippy turned his head slightly, officially ticked off.

“The Toons will merely seek shelter in their Playgrounds. You will lose.”

The DA rose.

“This is not the first time we’ve heard of you speaking of the Playgrounds. They have eluded us for years, and they do not appear on our maps. We seem…incapable of finding them. Why do you think that is?”

“They’re hidden?” Flippy feigned a guess. He knew that Kilo Byte had wiped their maps in the Etiquette Algorithm so they could never find the Playgrounds. Hidden in plain sight.

The DA frowned, his eyes boring into Flippy.

“Do you know what we need right now?” the DA asked, spinning to gaze out the window. The stars were twinkling over the Kinnar Mountains.

“Unity,” Flippy said. “A house divided cannot stand.”

“No,” the DA interjected. “We need guidance. We need…vision. Mission, purpose, passion. We had that once before. Do you remember when?”

“The Chairman?”

“No. The Creator.”

Flippy’s heart flipped. Surely…

“Dr. Molecule is dead.”

The DA laughed—Cog laughter had never ceased to make Flippy uneasy.

“He is, but who’s to say he is the only one who can be a Creator?”

Flippy wasn’t following, but the conversation had taken a turn for sure. They needed a Creator? Was part of the plan with the grey tide to somehow birth a new Creator? Resurrect Molecule? He had never been so relieved to know that Alice had ripped out his heart after his death.

“I don’t understand. Are you going to revive the Creator?”

“Not his body, but only his vision. We will find a new Creator. In fact, I should say we have found one.”

Flippy held his ground, though he wanted to scream. A new Creator? That they already found? He already knew it wasn’t a Cog. That would be easy, to bring the Cog in from wherever they lived and sit them on an imaginary throne. The DA could do that. Flippy could do that. No…the Creator had been a Toon, and so the next one would have to be a Toon too.

“Who is this new Creator?” Flippy asked as calmly as he could muster.

The District Attorney inclined his head.

“Clarabelle Cow.”

Flippy couldn’t help but laugh. What a ridiculous proposition. What a ludicrous idea. Clarabelle? The most vapid woman in Toontown? She couldn’t even betray Toontown correctly. As if the Cogs could provide her with baby calves. Her only hope for that pipe dream was to escape Toontown and walk on foot north to Bovo. And no one would ever allow that.

“Clarabelle is imprisoned.”

The District Attorney smiled, and Flippy knew.

“Not for long.”

Flippy turned to run, but two Cogs waiting in the shadows grabbed him. He was forced to the ground. Struggling against their grip, he protested fervently. But the District Attorney came to stand over him, and scowled.

“We knew there was something wrong with your wiring. Scan him.”

An Ambulance Chaser emerged from a covert corridor and shone lights in Flippy’s eyes. He tried to keep his mind perfectly still, knowing that his Toon knowledge would seal his and Toontown’s fate if it were revealed.

“There are deficiencies,” the Ambulance Chaser reported, scanning various parts of Flippy’s suit. “Wiring malfunctions…rapid promotions…uncharted brain activity. And…”

The Ambulance Chaser peered closer. The District Attorney watched, arms crossed.

“His map is different.”

Flippy panicked.

“Different…how?” the District Attorney pressed.

“There are other areas. Areas I can’t see. But they’re there. Look.”

The Ambulance Chaser printed a still of Flippy’s mental map. As it passed his eyes, he saw the reality of this night:

The Playgrounds were discovered.

---The Brrrgh---

As midnight approached, Eileen Irenic could only watch as grayness consumed the last of Walrus Way. Earlier in the evening, Sleet Street became affected. The Playground was going slowly as well. At this rate, all of Toontown would be grey by the end of the week.

Eileen and her Toon Resistance Rangers transported back to the Playground, taking care not to transport onto the existing grey areas. The Toon Council was waiting for them there.

“Any ideas?” Constance asked the group. They were silent. Eileen put her arm around Piggy Pie to comfort her, though it was more for Eileen’s own comfort. The Toon Council looked sullen. Even the Cartonians, standing with their sponsors, were saddened by the day’s events.

“Gags have to have some affect,” Hog Pie said hopefully. “They’ve just gotta.”

“Not that I’ve been able to discern,” Clara Clark said, her hands stuffed deep in her pockets.

“We could hide from the Cogs in the ruins of Sellbot Headquarters,” Tori suggested. “It’s better there now.”

“Who’s to say the Cogness won’t reach there too?” Horace growled. “Where will it end? It could reach Cartonia.”

The Cartonians winced at the mention of their old home.

“We’ll have to evacuate,” Ichabod Irving spoke. “This is as bad, if not worse, than conditions before Exodus. We have no choice. There isn’t enough time to experiment with solutions. The time to flee is now. While Toons can still pack what they can carry with them.”

Bradley Wolfe sighed.

“Is there even anything out there for us?”

“The Expanse,” Slate suggested. “It’s wide and open. We could build a new town there.”

Eileen shook her head.

“We’d be sandwiched between two forces seeking to destroy us: Cartonia and Cog Nation. No…evacuation will only work if we head south.”

The group stared.

“South?” Kilo and Hyla said simultaneously. “There’s nothing south.”

“Nothing that we know of,” Eileen sighed. “There may be another continent. Maybe a place better than this one.”

Vidalia bit her lip.

“This place is perfect,” she whispered.

“Was,” Doctor murmured.

Barnacle Barbara rubbed her forehead.

“There aren’t enough ships in the Docks to ferry all of Toontown’s residents plus supplies. Not even a fraction. And we won’t have time to build more.”

Piggy Pie turned around to watch the grey tide sink deeper into Sleet Street.

“Look at it,” she muttered. “It’s like right before Exodus. When all the buildings were grey.”

Doctor furrowed his eyebrows. Eileen saw his face spread in realization.

“The Emergency Portal…”

Constance groaned. “We used it, remember? It was a one-time roundtrip journey. We can’t go back to Fantasyland, not without Dr. Cumulo Nimbus to pave the way.”

Doctor smiled.

“We don’t have to go back. We just need it to rain.”

Eileen’s eyes widened.

“Rain!” she gasped. “Rain! Yes! Rain!”

She looked up at the sky, as if expectant of a deluge. Doctor was right! The last time, after the Exodus, and all the Toons were gone from Toontown…

“The rain destroyed all the Cog buildings,” Kilo uttered. “Almost immediately.”

“And,” Eileen continued, “if we infuse the rain with laff…”

“Gags,” Slate finished. “Like with the serum to restore the Togs.”

“We could destroy Cog Nation once and for all,” Eileen gasped.

Kilo and Hyla looked at each other, their eyes wide. Could it really be that simple?

“How much rain are we thinking?” Hyla asked.

“As much as we can muster,” Eileen said. “A hurricane.”

Evelyn jumped up and down.

“We can help! Cale and I! We can bring rain to Toontown.”

Eileen nodded, the plan now set in motion.

“We’ll need Pete Ingalls and Patrick Prepostera. They know what they did last time. And we’ll need to do it right. We don’t have long.”

Suddenly, jarringly, Jerockle screamed. He pointed with his yellow wing toward the sky, and Eileen whirled around.

A Big Cheese was descending into the Playground. The Toons around her were displaying their gags, but Eileen knew this was Flippy.

“No!” she gasped. “Don’t. It’s…he’s on our side.”

“He’s *what*?!” Rook James cried. Eileen ignored her and ran toward Flippy. Sparks were flying from his neck and arm.

“Flippy,” she breathed, “are you alright?”

“Eileen,” he said earnestly. “They know about the Playgrounds. They…cracked the Etiquette Algorithm. The DA won’t back down. He wants to turn all of Toontown grey…”

“We’re going to flood it,” Eileen said as quickly as possible. “We…”

“Don’t tell me anything!” Flippy hissed. “My mind…isn’t safe. I only just escaped. They’re coming. They want Clarabelle. They’ve chosen her as the next Creator. You have to go. She’s…”

Constance’s phone rang, and with the blare came a sense of dread.

“Oh no,” Flippy gasped, and immediately lifted off the ground. Eileen ran back to the group. Constance was lowering the phone in shock.

“That was Aleck. Emergency in Toontown Central…”

“Everyone! Toontown Central! NOW!” Eileen barked. She was already gone down her hole.

---Toontown Central---

Eileen was running before both feet were on the ground. She tripped over herself and rolled into the brick facade of Toon HQ. Tearing open the door, she ran down the hall. Several Toons were behind her, but she wasn’t sure which ones. Tunnel vision activated, she descended into the jail.

Aleck was there, standing perfectly still. Half of the jail had been blown apart, and all the cells on the right side were vulnerable to the outside world. Eileen should have seen it from outside. She should have known, but she had been begging for Flippy to be wrong.

They had *just* determined a plan of attack to destroy the Cogs for good. Why was it that every time she was able to celebrate a victory, the Cogs would ruin it for her? Where was the justice?

“Clarabelle is gone,” Aleck said, and Eileen marched over to her cell. Indeed, it was empty, and the sky was glimmering through the hole the Cogs had blasted in the wall. The earth itself had been torn away as well. Remnants of sadness lingered in the air, where the Cog attacks had obliterated the jail cells.

“Where did she go?” Alice Carver asked, appearing behind Eileen. She glanced into another vacant cell. “Where’s Blair?”

Eileen fell to her knees.

“They took them.”

## Production

### Continuity and Story Arcs

The Lawbots finally carried out their long-coordinated attack by turning Polar Place entirely grey, leaving the Toons defenseless against their former homes.

During the attack on Polar Place, Evelyn Quin did not go sad; this led the Toons to conclude that Cartonians did not have laff. Dr. Artery explained a theory that due to the lack of references to laff in the Diary of War, Toons may have evolved into their laff. With the Cartonians impervious to Cog attacks, they resolved to help defeat them.

The planned evacuation of Toontown before Exodus was mentioned (“Doomsday”).

Flippy flew into Lawbot HQ to pay a visit to the District Attorney, who harbored disdain for Flippy’s leadership of the Cashbots. The DA forced Cogs to scan Flippy’s brain chip and wiring, revealing the existence of the Playgrounds.

Clarabelle Cow was identified as the next Creator of the Cogs. To achieve this mission, the Cogs sprung her from jail, along with Blair Fawkes.

The Toons realized that bringing another flood to Toontown like they did for the Emergency Portal in “Rain” could eliminate the Cogs for good.

### References

The line “Lawbots don’t concern themselves with the curiosity of Cashbots” is a play on the phrase “Lions don’t concern themselves with the opinions of sheep.” This is a quote from *A Game of Thrones* by George R.R. Martin.

## Trivia

* The title of this episode refers to the eponymous revenge and return of the Lawbots.
* This is the first time of Dr. Artery’s appearances that his first name was revealed: Abe.
* This is the only episode of the "Plight of the Cog" series that does not feature a Cog Headquarters in the title card.