"This is the place, right?" asked Bat-Mite, checking the parking lot of the malt shop with high-power binoculars. See, he and the team had been recruited by the Mystery Inc. gang to assist them in solving a case involving a series of puppet-related thefts.

"Of COURSE this is it!" replied Scrappy-Doo. "Durin' my time with the gang, they ALWAYS hung out at malt shops. Heck, on our first case, which involved The Blue Scarab, we went to that SAME malt shop! Ah, memories…"

"Uh, save the flashbacks for later!" Yang announced, taking the binoculars from Bat-Mite and pointing. "Looks like our guests have arrived!"

At the door of the malt shop, the Mystery Inc. gang was exiting and heading to their van.

Todd managed to vibrate his molecules fast enough to phase his hand through the door of the Mystery Machine, and then leaned on the horn and honked it loudly, getting their attention and leaving everyone's ears rattling.

"Todd, knock it off!" Riley chastised, pulling Todd's hand out. "We're trying to get their attention, not burst their eardrums."

"Hey, two birds, one stone." Todd retorted, as the Mystery Inc. gang came over to the Mystery Machine.

"Uncle Scooby!" Scrappy beamed. "It's real great seein' you and the gang again!"

"Rappy!" Scooby grinned, racing over to his nephew and scooping him up in a bear-hug.

"Like, hey guys," Shaggy said to the others. "I'm guessing you showed up to help us with this crazy puppet mystery?"

"Better believe it, beatnik!" Yang remarked, before Yin flicked him on the back of his head for that remark.

"Sounds good to me," Fred replied. "we could use all the help we can get this time around. We haven't had a puppet mystery since that one involving a violin case full of fake money."

"Well, you might wanna make some room in the back of your chariot," Adella commented. "We walked here."

"Rhariot?" asked Scooby, confused.

"Sorry," Bat-Mite said sheepishly. "She's not used to living on land. She, uh…used to be a mermaid."

"It's a long story," Jake added. "One we don't really have time to tell. We'd better get to…wherever it is this puppeteer ghost dude is gonna strike. DRAGON-UP!" he raised his arms into the air, and two fiery rings surrounded him as he transformed into his dragon form.

"I'll fly overhead and follow you guys." Jake explained.

"Sounds like a plan." Scrappy decided. "Now let's get a move on! On the way there, I can introduce some of you guys to my uncle and his friends!"

The team piled into the van, and drove off. It would be a long ride, but perhaps all together, it would be even more fun.

"It's so good to be back." Scrappy smiled to his favorite uncle.

"Yeah! Now we can have all sorts of mystery-solving hi-jinks!" Bat-Mite smirked, as they arrived at the construction site where the multiplex would be built.

"He's worrying me..." Velma said about Bat-Mite.

"Who, Bat-Mite?" asked Todd. "Ah, don't sweat it. He's pretty cool, if not kind of a comic geek."

"Hm... Quite..." Velma commented.

"It'll be okay, Velma, I promise you." Scrappy smiled.

"Yeah, what he said!" replied Bat-Mite. "Besides, we've arrived!"

"I'm up for adventure any day!" Jake agreed.

"Buddy, you ain't the only one!" Yang replied, as he opened the back of the van and leaped out onto the pavement. "Alright, let's get to it, we got us a puppet ghost to catch!"

"That sounds weird out of context." Riley commented.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Yang rolled his amethyst eyes, not caring.

"Okay, gang, here's the plan," Fred said. "We'll lure the ghost into a trap."

"As usual." commented Scrappy with a smile.

"And if I know how this sort of thing goes, then Shaggy and Scooby will probably end up having to be the bait for the trap." added Bat-Mite.

"Yep, pretty much." Scrappy nodded as that was true.

"Knew it," smirked Todd. "But we might as well go with them, just to speed things up."

"I don't see why not." Scrappy smiled back to the redheaded boy.

So they headed in, and the plan began.

"Like, don't be too scared, guys, there's nothing to be afraid of," Shaggy smiled to the group. "I mean, birthday clowns? Those things are totally scary."

"Reah!" Scooby agreed. "Rirthday rowns."

"At best, birthday clowns are just annoying. But MIMES? Mimes are REALLY creepy." Yang chimed in.

Shaggy and Scooby shivered as they didn't like birthday party clowns or mimes. There was then a ghostly moan heard, getting their attention.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy yelped. "It's the ghost!"

A wicked ghost with a marionette puppet soon came up to chase them.

"Ah, you're not so tough!" Scrappy snapped, getting into a fighting stance. "C'mon, I'll clip your strings! Bring it on, Pinocchio!"

"Rappy!" Scooby panicked for his nephew and picked him up by his collar before running with Shaggy.

"Yikes!" Shaggy yelped. "You guys, I take back everything I said about birthday clowns! Nothing is scarier than-"

"Oh, come on, Shaggy and Uncle Scooby, I can handle him!" Scrappy told them.

"Yeah! This guy's a puppet, remember?" asked Bat-Mite. "Made of wood! And nuthin' gets rid of wood like TERMITES!"

"Go for it, Bat-Mite!" Scrappy cheered.

Bat-Mite snapped his fingers, and conjured up a jar of termites, which he dumped onto the puppet.

"Like, why are Scoob and I running off from the monster and no one else?!" Shaggy cried out.

"It's pretty much default behavior at this point," Velma said as she answered from her tablet before looking to the others who were working on the trap. "How's it coming, Fred?"

"Almost done," Fred replied. "Counter weighed pulleys, titanium weave mesh, and now, my most escape-proof trap yet. I call her: 'The Marion Net'."

"Y'know, if I wasn't such a nice guy, I'd smack you for making that lame pun." Yang groaned.

Suddenly, Shaggy and Scooby were rushing over.

"It's not ready yet, Shaggy!" Fred panicked.

"No problem, we'll just ask the killer puppet to take a time-out!" Shaggy replied as he ran with Scooby

"Uncle Scooby, it's gonna be okay," Scrappy said. "Bat-Mite can handle the puppet."

"Darn tootin' I can!" Bat-Mite smirked, getting the puppet's strings all tangled up, before unleashing the termites on it.

Suddenly, a certain weapon was shown and there was an explosion with bright lights.

"Ooh, I think we should get out of here." Riley suggested.

Two figures were shown on the roof of the theater before appearing in the theater.

"Hey, who's that?" asked Yin.

"Jinkies!" Velma gasped. "The world's greatest detective!"

The Dark Knight soon appeared with a girl who appeared to be a gothic teenage superhero.

"All-right, Batman!" Bat-Mite smirked, then got confused. "Along with...somebody else?"

"We go wherever puppet-related crime rears its ugly head." Batman replied.

"Who exactly is we?" Bat-Mite asked.

"This is my little helper..." Batman introduced. "Lady Gothika."

"Who's the pest?" Lady Gothika glanced towards Bat-Mite, unimpressed.

"Pest?!" Bat-Mite snapped, insulted. "Why, I'm no pest! I am Bat-Mite!"

"If you say so..." Lady Gothika smirked.

"Well, thanks for the assist." Daphne said to the Dark Knight.

"You should be hanging out in Malt Shops, not loitering in condemned buildings." Batman advised Mystery Inc.

"Like, Batman just told us to get a milkshake," Shaggy replied. "I think we should listen."

"Yeah!" Scooby chuckled. "To the Malt Shop!"

"Hold it, you two," Bat-Mite snorted, looking irritated. "I'm NOT gonna let some hotshot insult ME and get away with it! I've been on plenty of Batman adventures, and while I goofed sometimes, I always fixed my mistakes!"

"Sure thing, Bat-Pint." Lady Gothika smirked.'

"Do you wanna go?!" Bat-Mite glared. "I'll take you on!"

Lady Gothika soon made funny faces just to mess with him.

"Oh, yeah?" Bat-Mite snarled, his face turning red. "Any more smart remarks from you, and I'll turn you into a koala!"

"Y'know, when two people argue, it means they REALLY like each other!" Riley commented, and Todd and Yang made goofy kissy-faces at the both of them as they laughed.

"WHAT?!" Lady Gothika and Bat-Mite yelped.

"Anyway, leave the sleuthing to the professional mystery-solvers," Batman told the others. "It's not safe here for you kids."

"Hey, no one calls us kids!" Daphne pouted.

"Actually, a lot of people call us kids," Shaggy clarified. "Most commonly paired with the word 'meddling'."

"Anyway, I'm outta here..." Lady Gothika muttered before walking off.

"Hm... That girl seems familiar somehow..." Scrappy said to himself, but wasn't sure where.

"Really?" asked Jake.

"Me? Like HER?" Bat-Mite snorted, his face turning red in embarrassment. "Yeah, right."

"Denial is the first sign." Riley smirked.

"Shut up!" Bat-Mite snapped. "She's just an immature brat! I can't see why Batman would wanna hang around her!"

The ghost appeared right behind the gang.

"Oh, great, just what we need..." Jake rolled his eyes. "Woody's back."

"Leave it to me." Bat-Mite replied, conjuring a ball of fire in his hand. "If we can't termite the puppet ghost away, then I'll just charbroil him!"

The puppet came closer. Bat-Mite soon threw the fireball, but for some reason, it phased right through the puppet.

"What the Foo was that?!" Yang snapped.

"Zoinks!" Shaggy yelped. "He's a ghost!"

"Well...talk about your plot twists," shrugged Bat-Mite. "But what then?"

"Not possible, there's always a rational explanation." Velma replied.

"Uh, any hopes on that trap?" Yin smiled nervously to Fred.

"Trap, right!" Fred replied.

The ghost tried to grab them all and they ran off.

"Great...no way he can grab us if we all split up!" Bat-Mite grinned.

"Hey, great idea." Fred smiled.

Like in all of Mystery Inc's adventures, the group soon split up to stall the puppet.

Lady Gothika seemed to be in the shadows and soon crawled around to find a way out of this. "Okay, I just need to be smart about this... And not mess up..." she then said to herself. "What's the worst that could happen to me?"

"Well, for starters, somebody could sneak up on you from the darkness, like...ME!" Boomed a deep, scary voice...which was actually Bat-Mite, who laughed and laughed.

"Wah!" Lady Gothika yelped and then glared. "Oh, it's you, you maggot."

"Aw, did I scare The Princess of Darkness?" Bat-Mite mocked while laughing.

"Please, my teacher in school is scarier than you." Lady Gothika scoffed as she continued to crawl off, working on a plan.

"Big hairy deal," Bat-Mite retorted. "Besides, it's clear that there's somebody else behind these puppet crimes. No puppet is complete without someone to hold the strings."

"I see you have a brain inside of that worm head of yours..." Lady Gothika muttered.

Fred was soon seen on a bulldozer.

"Fred Jones, I don't know what's going on down there, but you better stop!" Lady Gothika cried out.

"Oh, hardy-har-har. Think you're SO funny," Bat-Mite snapped. "Well, let's see you make jokes when I zap ya into a puddle of protoplasmic slime!"

"I'm doing the best I can!" Fred yelled up.

"I'm surrounded by morons..." Lady Gothika muttered drearily.

The ghost and the puppet soon ran out of the theater, but were then blinded by the lights of the bulldozer. Fred smirked as he then drove up against the theater to make the roof crumble down and crush them. The ghost and puppet was tangled up by the ropes.

"Well, gang, it seems like we've finally gotten to the bottom of this mystery." Fred told the others.

"See? Could morons do THAT? Nope!" Bat-Mite smirked.

"I'm gonna make you meet my left foot in a second." Lady Gothika glared in annoyance.

Bat-Mite just laughed and came down and she soon joined him, though looked bored. "There's no need for jealousy, Emo Hero~" he then said.

"I'M A PERKY GOTH!" Lady Gothika yelled with a vicious growl, hating be called an 'emo'.

"Really?" Bat-Mite asked. "You seem less 'perky' and more 'irritable'."

"Bat-Mite and Gothika, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Yang and Todd laughed.

"I WILL TURN YOU BOTH INTO BOOTS!"' Lady Gothika threatened.

"Maybe Gothika needs a break..." Batman said to her.

"Please don't make me go back home," Lady Gothika whispered to him nervously. "I'm not ready for my report in you-know-what!"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry for startling you earlier. Besides, I feel like we got off on the wrong foot." Bat-Mite sighed, embarrassed.

"Psh." Lady Gothika rolled her eyes.

"Hey, he's trying to apologize to you." Yin said.

"Yeah, well, I ain't havin' it." Lady Gothika defended.

"Jeez, Louise! I tried jokin' around, nuthin. I try being nice, NOTHING!" Bat-Mite groaned. "F-Fine then! If you wanna be like that, then FINE! BE ALONE AND MISERABLE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! With an attitude like THAT, I doubt you have any actual friends!"

Lady Gothika sharply narrowed her eyes before suddenly storming off.

"Yeah, you better walk away!" Bat-Mite glared.

Lady Gothika looked over before removing her mask to show a certain perky goth from out-of-town. "Still don't wanna go home..." she then said to herself. "Can it get any worse?"

"Jeez, what crawled up HER butt hole?" Bat-Mite growled, steam rising from his head.

"She's probably just having a bad day," Riley shrugged. "So, um, anyone know how this mystery came to be?"

"It all started when we got an anonymous email asking for our help with a rash of bizarre thefts, all committed, using puppets." Velma replied.

"This could only mean the abandoned theater, Pepeto the Puppeteer," Fred added. "Locals claim his ghost began terrorizing them when they voted to tear it down."

"Then I noticed Fredo using his hands and feet to steal jewels." Velma continued.

Bat-Mite nodded. "Interesting. But how could a puppet do that?"

"Well, there was something else at the scene of the crime," Velma said. "Banana peels."

"And Pepeto was a match, but the real Pepeto was a trained fire-eater." Fred added.

"He also phased right through Batman's hand." Daphne added.

"That can only mean Fredo and Pepeto are real..." Velma began before unmasking the puppet and the ghost.

"A monkey and a space alien?" Shaggy looked confused.

"Or should I say, Detective Chimp and the Martian Manhunter!" Bat-Mite added.

Then, it hit Scrappy. "That Gothika lady acted a lot like...Cherry!"

"Who?" Scrappy's group of friends asked him.

"She was this girl who went on some adventures with the Mystery Inc. team, and she was really grouchy and sarcastic," Scrappy explained. "Like a grown-up before they have their morning coffee."

"Well, I was just trying to apologize," Bat-Mite replied. "It's bad enough she can't take a joke, but does she HAVE to put everyone down all the time? I swear, that girl can't be nice to ANYBODY! Perky goth? More like 'JERKY goth'!"

"She's pretty strange, but she's not so bad once you get used to her," Scrappy advised. "It takes a while to warm up to her, and for her to warm up to others. Anyway, does anyone know why two superheros would steal?"

"Well, for once, I have no idea," Velma shrugged. "Unless..."

There was light clapping heard and everyone turned to see it had been Batman.

"Congratulations, you passed the test." The Dark Knight smirked before jumping down.

"A Bat-Test? AWESOME!" Bat-Mite grinned, before he became confused. "Wait...what test?"

"To see if you were ready to join our organization." Martian Manhunter said before coming down with Detective Chimp.

"Bravo!" Detective Chimp smiled as he put his cap on before tossing them cards with his foot. "Good show, and all that!"

"Mystery Incorporated, welcome to the Mystery Analysts of Gotham." Batman also smiled.

"Yay, I get to join a club!" Yin cheered as she felt socially accepted.

"All RIGHT! We're IN!" Yang grinned.

"Why'd you choose us?" Riley asked.

"Who cares? It's totally sweet!" Todd cheered.

"We've been aware of your team schemes for quite some time," Batman explained. "This, was your initiation."

"And we passed!" Bat-Mite grinned. "SO AWESOME!"

"Hats off, my friends." Detective Chimp told the group.

"Our next meeting is in a week," Batman told Mystery Inc. "Our team could use your help on a few cases. I've made all the arrangements. If you'll follow me..."

"Jinkies!" Velma's eyes widened. "Batman needs our help?!"

"So EPIC!" Yang grinned.

"Should we wait for Gothika?" Batman asked.

"She'll catch up." Bat-Mite scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"We gotta get back to Gotham City," Batman told the others. "We'll meet you there, let's go."

Martian Manhunter and Detective Chimp followed the Dark Knight. And so the others piled into the Mystery Machine and drove off.

"She'll catch up, eh?" asked Todd. "You LIKE her, don't you?"

"Don't YOU start, Todd!" Bat-Mite snapped, blushing furiously. "Besides, she's too damned grouchy...even if she IS kinda impressive...and a little attractive...and kinda cool..."

The others soon got ready to go to Gotham City.

"Stupid pest..." Cherry muttered as she was alone, storming down the streets. "You'd think he think I wasn't a hero..." she then sighed. "He might be right though... Maybe I should just go home..." she then brought out her phone to get a ride back home.

But then...a sinister laugh echoed in the distance...only to fade...

"Who's there?" Cherry demanded.

No one seemed to show up.

"Great, Cherry, you're hearing things..." Cherry muttered to herself before her phone seemed die. "Oh, great, just my luck... Now all I need is to get yelled at and get compared to Atticus, and another day in the life of Cherry will be complete," With a sigh, she continued on her way. "Though I WILL give the little snot THIS much-the floating WAS kinda cool...maybe..." But she quickly shook her head. "You're letting those dumb kids' chanting get to you..."

Suddenly, a car sped by, splashing a puddle on her.

"Thanks, my life wasn't crappy enough already." Cherry deadpanned.

A boy and his dog were shown as the window rolled down.

"Heh... Sorry, Cherry..." The boy smiled sheepishly.

"Just shut up and take me home." Cherry told him, sounding more bitter than usual.

"Right." the boy smiled nervously, opening the door.

But as Cherry entered the vehicle, she found herself to be completely dry-as if she'd never gotten splashed to begin with.

"Consider this an olive branch..." Bat-Mite's voice echoed on the wind. "While I respect your intentions, I only hope your attitude will improve..."

"I think you're enjoying this too much." Jake said to him.

"Maybe," Bat-Mite shrugged. "I respect her, but I can't stand her attitude. It's a wonder she has any friends at all, acting like that."

"You're starting to obsess with her now..." Jake hid a small smirk. "Kind of a lot of attention on someone you claim to hate."

"Don't start with me," Bat-Mite warned. "I might bug some people sometimes, but at my core I'm a genuinely good person!"

"Alright, dude, I'm just sayin'." Jake shrugged innocently, though he had a small smirk.

Bat-Mite rolled his eyes.