In Gotham City, Batman, Robin and Batgirl were positioned next to the skylights of a large warehouse, looking down into the dimly lit meeting room of the Gotham Crime Conglomerate.
Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, Clayface and Electro were holding a meeting led by Electro.
"We've all tried to get at Batman and Robin and Batgirl, but nothing works," said the Penguin.
"We can't even impersonate them effectively," said Catwoman, "I tried impersonating Batgirl. I got the idea from the time I met a blond haired boy who looked so much like Robin that I was able to enlist his aid to impersonate Robin. But he had amnesia. When his memory returned, I lost his loyalty."
"I found a ringer for Robin at the circus and tried the same thing," said Clayface, "I even used my own power to look like Batman, but they won in the end."
"Ever since I stole a shrink ray gun that Brainiac lost in a fight with Superman, I have studied the technology and built my own shrinking guns," said Electro, "I propose to give each of you a shrink gun, and together we'll take Gotham's costumed crimefighters out of the big leagues and into a level somewhat compatible to the height of a blade of grass."
"We've got to stop them before Electro hands out those guns," said Batman, "Go now. I'll get Electro's gun first."
The three crime fighters, holding to their Batropes which they'd fastened to parts of the roof, jumped down through the skylights, shattering the glass and swung down further. Batman was on top of Electro, even as he was reaching for his shrink gun. Batman grabbed the gun as his legs knocked Electro aside. Batgirl went straight for Catwoman. Robin tangled with Penguin. Soon the Joker and Clayface stepped in to help Catwoman and Penguin, and then shrank down to tiny size, before they could act. Batman had used Electro's shrink gun.
Batman was unable to fire on Catwoman and Penguin for fear of shrinking Batgirl and Robin too.
Suddenly Bat-Mite popped into view, wearing the new pink and purple outfit he'd changed to in 1977 to distinguish his costume from Batman's.
"I'm smaller than a midget,
But larger than Dick Digit,
With science fiction powers,
From Ergo's shiny towers!" said Bat-mite.
"I didn't know you were a poet!" said Batgirl.
"I'll help you, Batgirl, my love!" he said, bumping Batman, causing the Caped Crusader to accidentally jolt the trigger and shrink Robin and Penguin at once.
"Bat-Mite, you have the coordination of a roto-scoped cartoon character!" said Batman, as Catwoman snatched up Robin and Batgirl snatched up Penguin.
"I'll fix things, Batman!" said Bat-Mite, "Clayface and Joker are still on the loose."
Bat-Mite zapped the two villains into an open metal container in the warehouse background and closed the lid on it.
"We can just leave Clayface in there until his transformation serum wears off and then get him out and restore Matt Hagan and Joker to normal size with the gun," said Bat-Mite.
"Let them out or I'll finish off the Boy Wonder!" said Catwoman.
"You forget that I've got the Penguin," said Batgirl.
"You can't bluff me. I know you Super Heroes don't do that sort of thing!" said Catwoman.
"This is your fault, Bat-Mite," whispered Batman in frustration, "When are you going to stay out of our crime fighting cases?"
Robin's hands were pressed tight against him by Catwoman's full sized fingers. He managed to activate the thermal control on his utility belt. He and Batman had once used them to thaw out of blocks of ice in an encounter with Mr Freeze. (Adventures of Batman: "The Cool, Cruel, Mr Freeze" (1968). The belt had been rigged to emit outward heat, enough to melt solid ice, without burning the owner of the belt.
Catwoman suddenly felt her fingers burning. She dropped Robin, who had anticipated this and already grabbed a cable gun from his belt. He managed to snare the leg of Catwoman's costume before he could fall too far, swung down and ducked under the meeting table. At last Batman had a clear shot at Catwoman.
"Surrender, Catwoman, or you'll be going down in the world," said Batman.
Catwoman put up her hands. Batgirl put the tiny Penguin on the table and restrained Catwoman. Eventually all the villains were in police custody, and Batman and Robin were driving home in the Batmobile with Bat-Mite. Batgirl had resumed her Barbara Gordon identity, in order to call on her father the Commissioner.
"Well, you gotta admit that it worked out OK," said Bat-Mite.
"It very nearly didn't. We spent ages tracking those villains, and had finally learned their plan with a listening device I'd taken a lot of trouble to plant on the Penguin's hat. Your crazy appearance almost caused even more shrinking pandemonium than we had," said Batman.
"I felt like Robin-Mite for a while," said Robin.
The next day in Metropolis, at the office of the Daily Planet, a new reporter turned up for his first day of work.
"Alright Jimmy. We're short staffed with Lois Lane and Clark Kent off on an overseas story. This is our new probationary reporter Boyd Baxter. He's had television news experience in Gotham City, and we're lucky to have him reporting news on the printed page."
In actual fact, it was Boyd Baxter who felt lucky. He had publicly criticized Batman and Robin on television news for failing to solve the Gotham oil robberies, as he put it, only hours before they actually did solve them. (New Adventures of Batman: "Curses! Oiled again", 1977). He had embarrassed the station with the need to make a public retraction on air. It had been the last of Boyd's stunts that the network was prepared to tolerate. He had been dismissed without references, making it hard for him to get another television news job anywhere, least of all in Gotham. Perry White had been a fan of Baxter's and hadn't seen any of his last few newscasts, having been snowed under with work at the Planet. He was glad to give Boyd a job.
"Boyd Baxter!" said Jimmy Olsen, the Daily Planet's cub reporter, "I've seen your report on whether or not metropolitan police officers should have moustaches."
"And I loved the one about-" began Beany the office boy.
"You two can tell fan stories at lunch time," said Perry, "Right now I want you both to show Boyd around the office and get him settled in. Beany, consider Boyd your supervisor and help him whenever he asks. Olsen, you can do camera work on his stories.
"Sure, Chief," said Jimmy.
"Great seasoned roast, Olsen!" thundered Perry, "I've had it! From now on, I'll dock you half an hour's salary every time you call me 'Chief'! Now get to work!"
Perry went back to his own office and left them to it.
"Mr White just doesn't appreciate me at all," said Jimmy despondently, "After all the Superman stories my adventures have brought this paper, I'm still nowhere near being a full fledged reporter and soon I'll be 20 years old."
"I know how you feel, Jimmy-boy!" came a voice, "Batman's never appreciated me either."
A caped midget-like figure in pink and purple tights popped into the room.
"Who's that?" asked Beany.
"Bat-Mite!" said Boyd, "What are you doing here?"
"I heard you were heading for Metropolis. Last night I landed in Batman's bad book. He seemed madder at me than he was at Electro. Batgirl and I are supposed to be dating, but she didn't stick up for me. So I thought I'd come here and see if you want a partner. Say, I've just had a better idea. How would you junior Daily Planeteers like to take a break from earth and come to my home world of Ergo in another dimension and have some real fun?" said Bat-Mite, turning to address Jimmy and Beany with his latest idea.
"You can take us to another dimension?" said Jimmy, "I hope the career opportunities are good."
"Sure, let's go now," said Bat-Mite, and snapped his fingers.
"I think you brought one too many of us," said Boyd Baxter a moment later.
All four were looking around at strange coloured sky and quaint somewhat futuristic looking buildings, and a population of people the size of Bat-Mite.
"Nobody's perfect," said Bat-Mite, "But how's this for a first day on the job?"
"Very interesting, I'm sure," said Boyd, "But we do stand out here, as much as you did in our office."
"No problems," said Bat-Mite and shrank the three earthlings to the size of himself.
Soon on Ergo, Bat-Mite was introducing the three Daily Planet staff members to the Commander, a law enforcement official of Ergo, who had much better control of his powers than Bat-mite.
"And you've come to report on our way of life then?" asked the Commander.
"No. It was just one of Bat-Mite's power control failures," said the Boyd, "I don't think we could ever convince anyone that photographs and stories of this place are real, if we tried to print them in the Daily Planet."
Bat-mite and his visiting friends enjoyed the sights and wonders of Ergo.