HUGE thanks to Lilac-Kat for her help and proof reading of this chapter!

Chapter 9

As soon as they got back to headquarters, Otis disappeared. Olympia dragged Shapeshifter to the interrogation room and did not notice until afterwards that her friend was gone. She wanted to go after him and find him, but she realized that he probably wanted to be alone after what Shapeshifter had said. She just wished she knew how to help him.

"Odd Squad might say that they trust you, but they don't, and they can't, because even though you think you've changed, you can't. Once a villain, always a villain."

Otis could not get Shapeshifter's words out of his head. "Once a villain, always a villain."

But, he had changed, right? He joined Odd Squad and fought against what he used to be. Odd Squad trusted him….

No, they didn't. They couldn't trust him after Dementia found his way into headquarters. They thought he must have been a spy and he hadn't really changed.

But that just was it. He didn't do it! And no matter what he tried to tell them, they wouldn't listen.

Olympia was the only one who believed him….

Olympia, he hadn't even told her who he was, and when she found out, she still believed in him.

Maybe she shouldn't have….

Then, he was thrown out into the world, by himself, for five years, no longer trusting anyone. If he couldn't trust Odd Squad, the one place he thought he could start over, who could he trust?

And then, they wanted him back? Once they realized he didn't rat them out and Dementia was causing oddness again, they thought they could just call him back for an 'apology' and everything would be ok again?

At least they sent Olympia…he did miss her-

Ugh! This was just too confusing!

"Otis?"

Otis lifted his head from his hands and looked up to the voice who called his name. "Ms. O?"

She smiled. "We can drop the formalities. I'm Olive to you."

Otis gave a brief nod before looking away.

Olive was silent for a moment as she looked around. "So, the park room?" she asked as she sat down on the grass beside Otis and looked out at the sun.

"Yeah," Otis replied. "It helps me think."

Olive chuckled. "This is where I used to come to think, too."

"Is that why you're here?"

"More or less." It was quiet for a moment before Olive asked, "What about you?"

Otis shrugged. "I-I'm just confused."

"About what?" Olive asked, truly sounding curious.

Otis sighed. "About something Shapeshifter said. She said that Odd Squad couldn't trust me. That because I was a villain once, I'd always be a villain."

Olive put a hand to her chin. "Is that all?"

"Not all. I just don't understand. I thought Odd Squad was the place where I could forget about my past, but it just seems like it won't or can't leave me alone. Everything fell apart the day Ms. O threw me out…"

"OTIS! IN MY OFFICE! NOW!" yelled a furious Ms. O from her office.

"Wow," Olympia remarked. "Why does Ms. O sound so mad?"

Otis shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she ran out of juice?"

"Seems unlikely," Olympia said. "She doesn't usually let it run out."

"Guess the only thing to do is go up there and find out." Otis reasoned.

As he turned to leave, Olympia quickly grabbed his arm, "Wait a second, Otis. Why did she just call you? I thought she always called both of us, you know, considering we are partners and everything."

"I have no idea, but I can't find out until you let me go." Otis told her.

Olympia realized what she was doing and giggled sheepishly. "Right, well, don't let me stop you. You go on up and figure out what's up."

Otis nodded and headed up to the office.

As soon as he stepped inside, however, he realized this wasn't a normal meeting.

Ms. O, Owen, four security officers, and the Big O himself were all there staring at him.

Suddenly finding himself apprehensive, Otis took a deep breath and walked up to the desk. "You wanted to see me, Ms. O?"

Ms. O's face was straight, no emotion but anger and a bit of disappointment showed. "Agent Otis. Tell me again how you got onto Odd Squad."

Otis didn't understand. This was top secret information only select kids knew about. "Ms. O, what do you-?"

"Odd Squad Member Charter, Section 692, Paragraph 43, Stipulation OS. V.1.," Ms. O stated. "'Any villain who renounces all oddness and proves themselves no longer a villain may become part of Odd Squad and gain all the rights and privileges thereof.'"

Otis was startled. "Ms. O, you promised not to tell anyone."

"I won't have if you hadn't betrayed us." Ms. O told him.

"Betrayed you? What-?"

"Agent Otis," said the small voice of the Big O. "The villain Dementia, your father, has broken into an Odd Squad headquarters three miles from here."

Horror filled Otis's face. "When?" he asked.

"That's not important!" Ms. O yelled. "What is important is when did you tell your father how to get in?"

"What?" Otis could not believe his ears. Ms. O thought he told Dementia how to get in? "Ms. O, I would never-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Otis!" Ms. O yelled. "We know you did it!"

"Ms. O," Otis tried. "Don't you know me better than this?"

"I thought I did," Ms. O told him. "But what you did is unforgivable."

"But he didn't do it!" yelled another voice.

Otis looked to the door to see Olympia run in.

"Olympia, you shouldn't be here." Ms. O said in a stern voice.

"But, Otis is my partner and one of my best friends and I know he wouldn't do something like this." Olympia told her.

"Even for his father?" Owen, who had miraculously been silent up till now, said.

Olympia turned to Otis. "Your father is Dementia?"

Otis sighed. He had never wanted Olympia to find out. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Olympia asked.

"Be-because I didn't want anyone to know I was a villain. I thought you all wouldn't trust me."

Olympia looked at him with compassion. "Otis, I don't care if you were a villain once. You aren't one now. I've been your partner for almost a year and I like to think I know you better than anyone. You wouldn't do this." She then turned to Ms. O. "You have to believe me, Otis wouldn't do this."

"He has," The Big O said. "And because of that, he will be kicked out of Odd Squad."

Owen grabbed Otis's arm. "Let's go."

Olympia was not going to take this. "Ms. O, please! You can't really think Otis could have done this can you?"

Otis, though, didn't have any fight left in him. "Olympia-"

Olympia turned around and wrapped her arms around her partner. "Otis, I know you didn't do it, I-I'm so sorry." She sobbed.

Otis, for the first time, hugged her back. "It's ok, Olympia. I'll be ok."

Owen took Otis again and they walked toward the exit. "When you're gone, can I have your desk?" Owen asked him. "It's really nice."

As Owen led Otis away, Olympia felt the hot tears roll down her cheeks and off her face. Ms. O, trying to sound impassive, looked at Olympia and tried to assure her. "Olympia, we'll find you another partner."

"I don't want another partner," Olympia said in tears. "I want Otis."

Otis wiped away the stray tear he felt rolling down his face.

"Otis?" Olive reached over and put a hand to his shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Otis said a bit hoarsely. "I'm fine."

Olive took a deep breath. "Otis, can I be honest with you?"

Otis took a moment, but nodded.

"The day Todd released the pienado, I thought that was the worst day of my life, but now, I realize it actually was the best."

Otis looked at her, confusion obviously on his face.

"Because it turned me into the person I am today. Without it, I'd still be little old 'Scribbles' who followed Todd around as he did all the work. Now, I'm a Ms. O, in charge of my own Odd Squad, and none of that would have happened if Todd hadn't turned odd." Olive stopped for a second and smiled. "I may still have a little trouble with pies, but I'm getting over it."

Otis understood what she was saying, but he did not seem to understand what she was getting at.

"You may have been a villain before, Otis, but it has shaped you into the person you are today and that definitely doesn't mean you are still a villain," Olive told him. "I mean, just look at everything you've done for Odd Squad."

"You don't think I did it?" Otis asked.

Olive shook her head. "No, Otis, I'm sure you didn't. We were just too blind to see it because we were too focused on what Dementia had done."

Otis nodded.

"I know I haven't tried to tell you this before, Otis, but I am so sorry for what happened."

Otis quickly stood up. "I-thanks," he said quickly. "I-I should go."

As he left, Olive sighed. She just hoped she got through to him, at least a little.

When Otis met back up with Olympia, his mind felt a little clearer than it did before his talk with Olive. Olympia was sitting at her desk, gathering up some files. Otis sat down at his desk and looked to her.

Once Olympia realized Otis was back, she immediately looked worried. "Otis, are you ok? Is everything all right? What happened-?"

Otis cut her off. "I'm all right, Olympia."

"Are you sure?" Olympia asked, not totally convinced.

Otis gave her a little smile. "Yeah. I'm not completely sure of everything, but at least I'm sure I'm not the villain."

Olympia smiled wide. "Good. You ready for another case?"

Otis nodded. "Let's go."