Chapter 11

Olympia rushed from Ms. O's office and down the stairs. Otis had just grabbed a pile of papers from his desk- his old desk and was headed down the hall as Olympia caught up with him. She could hear him muttering something like, 'There has to be something I'm missing.' But Olympia knew she had to figure out what was the problem. "Otis, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing."

Olympia just rolled her eyes. "I know something's wrong. Something's been wrong ever since you got back. You've been different and distant, and something's happened to you. When Ms. O tried to apologize-."

"Olympia, can we just stop talking about this?" Otis interrupted, turning a corner in the halls, heading for the warehouse.

"No, Otis, we can't." Olympia said, trying to keep up with him. "This is obviously eating you up inside and you don't want to face it."

Otis just continued walking. "Olympia, I need to focus. I don't have time to think about all of Odd Squad's mistakes."

He was still stuck on Odd Squad blaming him for telling his father how to enter Odd Squad, something he did not do. "Otis, people make mistakes. It's just the way we are, and we feel horrible about it! We've tried countless times to tell you how sorry we are, but you keep blocking us out. Why do you keep blocking us out?!"

"BECAUSE YOU DON'T MEAN IT!" Otis yelled, turning to Olympia, and stopping in his tracks. There, he had said it. The reason was finally clear why he held such a grudge against Odd Squad; he did not think they were truly sorry about what they did, blaming him for betraying them, throwing him out, leaving him to be on his own for five years without anyone to turn to. That was why he was so angry with them.

"What?" Olympia asked, eyes flooded with confusion.

"I-." Otis tried, "I guess I never thought Odd Squad was really sorry for what they did. I just thought they only wanted me back because I was the only one who could find my father. So, when Ms. O tried to apologize, I shut her out, because I thought she didn't mean it."

"Otis," Olympia said, walking towards Otis and placing a hand on his shoulder, "I can't speak for all of Odd Squad, but I know Ms. O meant it when she tried to apologize. I've worked with her for the past five years, seeing, how bad she's felt and the guilt of falsely accusing you of showing a villain where headquarters was. I've worked here enough to know that everyone here hates themselves for not believing and standing by you. Talking with Olive and Otto tells me that so many others feel the injustice you've dealt with is terrible. You're not alone, Otis."

Otis looked into Olympia's eyes and saw the sincerity in them. She was telling the truth; everyone really did feel remorse in what had happened and they all really did want forgiveness, but he just pushed their pleas away. He felt like a fool.

His façade of being strong and unbreakable dissolved as he sat down on the hallway floor, followed by Olympia.

"Otis?"

"Ever since I came back, I've had this constant war in my head." He said. "It's told me constantly that Odd Squad didn't forgive me and that as soon as I found my father, I'd be all alone again. That, no matter what I did, or how I felt," he then looked away from Olympia quickly, a little blush forming on his face, "That'd I would always be a villain, and that'd I'd always be alone."

This was the first time Olympia could see straight through Otis. He always had shut himself off from the rest of the world, but now he was an open book. He was scared and vulnerable, something she never thought she would ever see.

Otis had been there for her so many times while they were partners, her first day when she thought she could not even solve her first case, when they were all fired from Odd Squad and Weird Team took over, when she was alone onstage at Orchid's Almost Half-hour-. Wait. That was it!

Olympia looked down the hall and up it. It was actually deserted.

She looked at Otis and knew what he needed.

"If you're alone onstage,

Then here's the good news,

Having nothing to show,

Means having nothing to lose."

Otis looked to her, tears in his eyes. Was that the song he sang to her when she was alone? All his troubles seemed to melt as he tried,

"So, now you like talent shows?" he asked, repeating what she had asked him that day.

Olympia smiled. "Nope," she sang, "Totally dying. But as long as we're toast there's nothing we won't be trying!"

They then sat in silence for a moment before Olympia talked, "You'll never be alone, Otis. All of Odd Squad will be there for you, I'll be there for you."

And for the first time ever, Otis was the one to hug Olympia.

Olympia, a little surprised at first, hugged him back.

"Thank you, Olympia."

Olympia smiled. "No problem."

"So why have you been icing him out?" Olive asked.

Ms. O was silent for a moment before answering. "I guess I've just trying to cover up my guilt. Otis never let me tell him how sorry I was, so I've just been trying to ignore the guilt I've been feeling about kicking him out."

That is when Olympia and Otis returned to the office. "Ms. O, I need to talk to you."

"No," Ms. O shook her head, "I need to talk to you." She stood up from her chair and came around her desk. She looked up to Otis, who stood three heads taller than her. "Otis, I am really, really sorry about what happened. I know you may not be able to forgive me or Odd Squad for what has happened, but I just want you to know that it was all our fault and-."

"Ms. O." Otis interrupted, "I forgive you. I was too stupid not to realize it sooner, but I finally see that you all really do feel sorry for what happened, and I forgive you."

Ms. O smiled. "Thank you, Otis."

"And, please forgive me for not believing you."

"Of course."

With that, Owen popped his head in, "Guys!"

They all look at him. Ms. O's face lost its smile. "Owen, you better have a really good reason for barging in on our heartfelt moment!" She yelled.

"Oh, I do." Owen confirmed. "Noisemaker just told me Dementia was the one who told him to attack the library."

The whole room was shocked.

"Ya know," Olympia said, "For two seconds I forgot we had a Dementia problem."

"Dementia was behind the library attack?" Olive asked. "Why?"

"I'm not sure." Owen said. "He just said that Dementia told him to cause oddness there, and that somehow it helped Otis."

Otis took a seat on the sofa and put a hand to his chin.

"How does that help him?" Ms. O asked.

"Beats me." Owen said. "All I know is that I'm going on break." And he just left.

Olympia then sat next to her partner. "What is it, Otis?"

"He's done this before."

Olympia raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Dad, he's done this before."

"What has he done before?" Olive asked.

"Back ten years, when I was still working with him, Dementia had the plan of controlling the entire world by using his powers combined machine he was going to create."

"But what does that have to do with the other villains?" Olive asked.

"He thought that if he sent other villains out and making threats against people, he would distract Odd Squad from his real plan, and it worked, well, until he was caught while he was at the supermart." Olive and Olympia looked at him. "Yeah," he admitted, "Not one of his finest moments."

"So, you think he's doing it again?" Olympia asked.

Otis nodded. "It only makes sense. He was always mad he never finished that plan, and this is exactly the way he did it!" Otis stood up and growled. "If only I wasn't so focused on Odd Squad not forgiving me I would have seen this sooner."

"It's not all your fault, Otis." Ms. O said. "It didn't help that I was so cold to you, of course you would have thought we didn't feel sorry."

"That's not the problem right now." Olympia said. "We need to figure out where Dementia is and stop him before this goes any farther."

Otis thought for a second. "All villains run on a pattern. Dementia's pattern is to hit important places in town. Think about it: The Mayor's Office, the park, the arcade, Club 24, the cheese festival, Polly's, the community garden, the library, the bears stadium, they all are really important to this town. What other place is really important to the town?"

"The concert hall?" Olive guessed. They all turned to her. "What? Soundcheck's playing there tonight, and yes, I like them at the moment."

They all thought for a second, when Ms. O knew. "Odd Squad Academy."

Olympia and Olive gave a look of surprise.

"The Academy?!" Olympia exclaimed.

"That's where he was planing on building his machine ten years ago." Otis confirmed.

"Olive," Ms. O looked to her old 'employee', "I need you to call everyone to emergency alert. Have everyone get ready for an attack on the academy."

"Right away, Ms. O." Olive said. She quickly left they office.

"Otis, thank you for your help." Ms. O said to him. "Even after everything that has happened, you still were able to help us track down your father." She then turned toward Olympia, "Let's go, Olympia!"

"Wait." Otis stopped her, "What about me?"

Ms. O raised a brow. "You want to come?"

"He's my dad, Ms. O. He's hurt too many people already and I have to stop him."

Ms. O smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

We are almost to the endgame, people!