Meanwhile, back at Commissioner Gordon's office, Batman was using the Commissioner's phone to make a very important long-distance call.

"You will? Excellent. I'll see you shortly." He hung up. "Thank you, Commissioner. I'll reimburse your department."

"Oh, there's no need for that, Batman," Commissioner Gordon assured him. "It... is appreciated, though..."

"But Batman," Chief O'Hara asked earnestly. "Who were ye callin'?"

"It's very simple, Chief O'Hara. The Joker's using children as part of his new diabolical scheme..."

Robin's face lit up in sudden realization. "So we're going to fight fire with fire!"

The Commissioner puzzled. "Fire with...?"

"Mother MaCree, Batman! Certainly you're not sending innocent children against that monster!"

"Not exactly, Commissioner. Children, true. But children experienced in the workings of the criminal Odd Todd and adept in foiling his plots!"

"Of course!" Commissioner Gordon snapped his fingers. "The Odd Squad!"

On cue, Otto and Olive rose from behind the divan at the far side of the office. Batman turned to greet them while Chief O'Hara peered behind the divan.

"How did they... Were they hidin' there the whole time or...?"

"Thank you for coming, Odd Squad," the masked manhunter said warmly.

"Any time, sir," Olive replied, shaking the caped crusader's hand.

The Commissioner rushed to greet the two young agents. "Odd Squad! My grandchildren have told me all about you! I only hope you can help us crack this case."

Olive nodded. "We'll do our best, sir."

Otto just stared, almost vibrating with excitement. "Batman. And Robin. And we're helping them on a case!" He bounced up and down. "This is too cool for words! BOOM-Hero-Lotta!"

Batman patted Otto on the shoulder. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, son. But remember, this is a serious matter. The Joker is a dangerous felon and not to be taken lightly."

"Neither is Odd Todd," Ms. O emerged from behind the divan, startling Chief O'Hara. "Don't worry, Batman, Commissioner, Chief O'Hara. Odd Squad is on the case!" Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara stared in quiet bewilderment at the juice box slurping little girl taking complete charge of the situation. "Our forensics team has been sent to the park to analyze the scene of the crime and look for clues."

"Excellent, Ms. O," Batman smiled. He went to pat Ms. O's head. She snarled and he thought better of it. "If I may, I'd suggest joining them. Perhaps with our combined forces we might be able to find something the police overlooked!"

Batman, Robin, and the two Odd Squad agents raced out the door. Ms. O turned, ducked back behind the divan, and disappeared.

"Commissioner," the police chief looked desperately at his superior officer. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Commissioner Gordon set his jaw. "If Batman thinks so," he intoned. "That's good enough for me. He knows what he's doing."

There was a crash down the hall, then Otto's voice. "Sorry!"

"I'm... almost certain he knows what he's doing."

Another crash. "Oh gosh, sorry! I'll clean it up!"

"Oh Batman, I hope you know what you're doing..."

#

Meanwhile at the Gotham Public Library, librarian Barbara Gordon was also meeting with a distinguished trio of visitors.

"Thank you for coming, Odd Squad," she shook Agent Oren's hand. "To be honest, I didn't expect a personal visit. I only saw him for a moment and I'm still not certain it was the real Odd Todd. If it weren't for the way the children at the library are always talking about you, I might not have recognized him."

"Every report is important, ma'am," Oren responded a bit pompously. "Especially if it concerns Odd Todd."

"Yeah," Agent Owen shrugged. "And we were in the neighborhood anyway." Oren elbowed him. "We were at a birthday party." Oren elbowed him harder. "Then things got kinda dull and we needed an excuse to..." Again, harder. "What do you WANT?"

Agent Olaf just stood, smiling peacefully. "Potato!"

Ms. Gordon smiled. "It's all right, guys. Just so long as you're here. So, whose birthday is it?"

Owen pointed to Olaf. "His cousin's."

An exact double of Olaf in a plaid shirt and overalls looked over from the magazine rack. "Tater!"

Oren sighed. "He's... from the South..."

Olaf bounced on his heels. "I'm Olaf!"

Olaf's cousin glared at him. "I'm Olaf!"

Olaf glared back. "I'm Olaf!"

"I'm Olaf!"

"I'M Olaf!"

"GUYS!" Owen intervened. "You're both named Olaf! Okay?"

They looked at him. "Both Olaf?" They contemplated this. "Mind blown."

Oren sighed, harder this time. "How did this become my life? I had such dreams..."

Another Olaf, this one in a suit with a bowler hat and a monocle entered. "Potahto." He collected Southern Olaf and they went back to the party, leaving the three agents to their business.

An epic sigh from Agent Oren. "So, getting back to the case, any idea what Odd Todd might be after?"

"HEEHAHAHAHAHAHOOOHOOOHO!"

The kids jumped in surprise as The Joker and his minions burst in, circling them.

"Never mind what Odd Todd might want, kiddies! The real question is what the Joker might want!"

"The Joker!" Barbara Gordon put on her serious face. "What are you doing here, you hateful harlequin? Your library card was revoked years ago!"

"Oh, but that's merely a technicality! I'm here to check out a book! A very special edition, in fact, newly arrived at your establishment!" He smiled. "I've some young friends who I'm sure would find it most instructive! So if you don't mind..."

Quietly, Barbara pressed the alarm button hidden under her desk. "If you and your goons aren't out of here in one minute, I will call the police!"

The Joker grimaced. "Oh, that would never do! Let's leave your fatuous father out of this!"

Her attention focused on The Clown Prince of Crime, Barbara failed to notice one of the Joker's henchmen raising a pea-shooter to his lips. He blew a pellet which struck the young librarian. She gasped, then froze in place like a statue.

"HOOHAHAHAHAH! Excellent, excellent! That should keep the Commissioner's daughter quiet! Now to the rare book shelf!" He ran around the desk to the storage shelves where 'RARE BOOK SHELF' was clearly marked and went through the volumes. "The Necronomicon... The Book of Dzyan... The Last Dangerous Visions... Ah, here it is! The Secret Spellbook of Marie LeVeau! HEEHAHAHAHA! Come on, boys! Let's abscond with this treasure before the flatfoots arrive!"

The Odd Squad agents were looking at one another, trying to figure out what to do.

"You stop them! You're the Security Chief!"

"Are you kidding? You're the field agent! You stop them!"

"But he's... That's The Joker!"

"Yeah, but we can't just let them..."

"But... He's got a pea-shooter..."

Olaf howled, shocking the villains. "WHAT in the...?"

Oren nodded. "You're right. We have to try."

Plucking up their courage, they stepped out in front of the fleeing villains.

"H-Hey!" Owen did his best to sound tough. "You-You can't do that!"

Oren produced a gadget from his pocket, aiming it at the felon. "Put the book down and step away from the desk!"

Olaf snarled.

"What..." The Joker puzzled at the trio of boys blocking his escape. "Who are these pipsqueak paladins?"

"I know, Joker!" Delilah waved her hand in the air. "I'll bet they're from that Odd Squad thingie Todd keeps talking about!"

"Oh, they are, are they?" The Joker grinned. "And these must be three of the little Oddballs themselves!"

"That's right!" Oren kept his bead on the Clown Prince of Crime. "So if you don't... OW!"

Oren slapped his neck, then froze like a statue. Owen and Olaf likewise winced, slapped, and froze helplessly in place. The Joker's henchmen lowered their pea-shooters.

"Nice shooting, boys," The Joker emerged from behind the desk to remove the gadget from Owen's motionless hand as Odd Todd and his gang joined them. "Now what should we do with the little buttinskies?"

"Gosh, Joker!" Delilah gasped. "If they tell the cops we was here..."

"Oh, don't worry about that! Once the paralyzing drug in those darts will reach their hearts, they won't be telling anyone anything!" He nodded. "But the question remains, how can we dispose of them in a way that won't attract attention..." He pondered a moment. "Ah! Of course!" He gestured to his men. "Bring the boys to the next room! I believe I saw the perfect place for them earlier!"

Picking the frozen Odd Squad agents up like manikins, the criminals carried them off.

#

"What's that thing?"

"Don't touch that."

"Okay... Wow, what's that?"

"Don't touch that."

"Ah, man... Hey, can I..."

"No." Robin sighed. "Look, y'wanna listen to the radio?"

The Batmobile wended its way through Gotham City traffic, Otto and Olive scrunched in between the Caped Crusaders. Olive shot a 'Knock it off!' death-glare at her partner, who was twisting around in his seat trying to take in every detail of the ride.

"The radio's not on? Where's that music coming from?"

Robin was genuinely perplexed. "What music?"

"That dundundundundun music." Otto looked at him, then at the others. "Don't you hear it?"

Batman shrugged. "The Batmobile makes all sorts of odd sounds, Otto. I suppose sometimes it can sound like music..."

Otto shrugged and looked at Olive, who indicated she heard it too so he wouldn't feel completely crazy. The awkward silence was broken by the beeping of the mobile hotline. Robin answered it.

"What's up, Commissioner?"

"Catastrophic news, boy wonder. We just received an emergency signal from the alarm button I had installed at the Gotham Library for my daughter!"

"Gosh," Robin exclaimed. "Do you think it's The Joker?"

"We've received reports he's been spotted in the area," The Commissioner responded. "Oh, I suppose it's probably nothing but she's an only child, just home from college and I can't help worrying about her. She's one of those carefree bachelor girls and I..."

Otto and Olive looked at one another. "Wait a minute. Didn't you say you had grandchildren? How's that possible?"

The Commissioner was thunderstruck. "Good heavens. I never thought of that." There was a pause. "What? Oh..." There was the sound of papers rustling. "We've just received word of a group of children gathered just outside the library. They're reportedly peering through the windows and writing in notebooks. One of them matches the description of this Odd Todd fellow."

Batman considered. "We can't take any chances. Initiate Emergency Bat-Turn."

"Roger." Robin checked his seatbelt. "Hold tight, kids. This can be tricky."

He pulled the Emergency Bat-Turn lever over their heads. The Batmobile skidded, then spun as if on a giant turntable. Olive clung to the dashboard for dear life, looking at the two heroes in utter shock. Parachutes erupted from the fuselage to cushion the sudden stop, then snapped off, lying coiled in the street as the Batmobile took off in another direction. From the rear view mirror, Otto and Olive could see a white van labeled 'Bat-Chute Emergency Retrieval Service' speeding to the scene.

Olive slowly regained control of her breathing as the color returned to her face. Otto was grinning from ear to ear.

"That was SO AWESOME!"

Olive glared at him. Nobody else seemed to notice.

#

The Joker and his minions raced down the library steps to meet Odd Todd and his gang gathered outside in the bushes.

"Very good, class! I hope you all took notes. There will be a quiz at the end of the semester! HEEHAHAHAHAHA!"

Odd Todd closed his notebook. "You got it?"

"Naturally," He handed the book to Odd Todd, who leafed through it. "And the spell in question is...?"

Skimming over the pages, Odd Todd found what he was looking for. "Right here." He handed the book back to The Joker. "Looks like we're gonna be busy getting the ingredients together."

The Joker scanned the page. "Egret's feathers... Lapis Lazuli... Oooh, this calls for a crime spree!" He handed the book back to Odd Todd. "Come along, my compatriots in chicanery! We've got some plotting to do!"

The villains left, all but Odd Todd, who lagged behind a moment, flipping through the Spellbook of Marie LeVeau. He found another page, different from the one he'd shown the Joker, and read over it, a malevolent grin spreading across his face. Snapping the book shut, he looked over the doodlings he'd just done in his notebook. Tearing off the paper he'd written on, he crumpled it, tossed it to the ground, and ran to catch up with the others.

#