The Revenge of the McNasty Brothers
Page 4
“Deactivate schmactivate.” She walked over and one-punched the time bomb. It shattered into pieces, and the ticking stopped.
“Way to schmactivate,” Melvin said. “Let’s go get the bad guys.”
Once outside, they unwrapped themselves and took off.
Or at least Candace did.
“Be with you in a minute,” Melvin said. “Up, up, and away.”
Crash!
Splat!
Thud!
Kabonk!
Melvin Beederman joined Candace Brinkwater in the air on the fifth try, and they zoomed off together. Right then he realized something. He only got off the ground on the first try when his partner in uncrime was in trouble. That was okay by him. It wasn’t part of the code, but Melvin knew it was a good idea to always look out for your partner.
19
THE McNASTYS MAKE THEIR GETAWAY … OR DO THEY?
“Where’s the McNastys’ hideout?” Melvin asked. They zoomed between the tall buildings of the city. Now that Candace was safe, Melvin stopped to flex at his reflection in the many windows.
“Follow me,” Candace said. “But it’s not a hideout—it’s a lair.”
The McNasty lair was built into the side of the hill below the Hollywood sign. Nice lair, Melvin thought as he kicked in the door. Ever since his rescue attempt at the Acme Bologna Company he had been wanting to do that. And it felt good.
“That felt good,” he said to Candace.
“I get the next one.” Candace loved kicking in doors, too. It was a job perk.
They made their way to the living area of the lair and found it empty. No McNastys.
“Smells like vittles,” Melvin said (not food—vittles).
“And tea,” Candace said.
“They haven’t been gone long, though. I can still smell something nasty.”
Melvin and Candace heard a car start outside. They ran to the doorway. A minivan was speeding down the winding road beneath the Hollywood sign.
“The McNastys!”
Candace launched herself immediately. “No time to lose, Melvin.”
“I’m not flying on this one. Get that minivan. I’ll meet you there.” Melvin wasn’t faster than a speeding bullet for nothing. He was pretty sure he could run as fast as Candace could fly. And he did. She flew and he ran.
They plopped themselves in front of the minivan and stopped it dead in its tracks. “Come out with your hands up,” Candace said.
Melvin elbowed her and whispered something.
“I mean, not so fast!” Then she looked at Melvin and smiled. “Better?”
“Exceedingly.”
The doors to the minivan flew open. Filthy and Grunge took off in one direction; Mudball and Puke took off in the other.
“I can get the sisters. You get the brothers,” Candace said.
“Just help me with the brothers. I don’t care about the sisters.”
“But they’re getting away.”
“Trust me, Candace.”
“Oh, I get it. They might come back in another book?”
“Shhh.” Melvin held a finger to his lips. Then he winked. “Let’s get those McNasty Brothers. They have a prison cell waiting for them.”
Candace flew.
Melvin ran.
“Not so fast!” At last Candace had gotten the lingo right. She grabbed Filthy McNasty while Melvin took care of the ringleader, Grunge McNasty … and sent those notorious bank robbers and all-around bad guys back to prison where they belonged.
Later that day, the two superheroes were flying high over the city, discussing their adventure—the McNastys, the Acme Bologna Company, the lair (not hideout—lair).
They were so busy talking that they weren’t paying attention to anything else.
Things were quiet, which of course meant trouble was brewing.
Far below them, Johnny Fink was in his bedroom with his best friend, Knucklehead Wilson. They chanted, “We hate Brinkwater, yes, we do. We hate Brinkwater. How about you?”
Candace Brinkwater didn’t hear this.
She made it home for dinner, where her proud family listened while she told them of her adventures. It was nice to have a daughter who saved the world on a regular basis.
* * *
After seeing Candace home, Melvin returned to his tree house. His pet rat Hugo was there waiting for him.
“Squeakily squeak squeak squeak,” Melvin said with just the right amount of eyebrow wiggle. He thought he’d just said, “Would you care to watch The Adventures of Thunderman?” Or possibly it was “Do my feet stink?”
They did, but that’s another story.
THE MCNASTY CRIME SYNDICATE
FILTHY MCNASTY
• What he loves: Loot (not money—loot)
• Fun fact: Has a pet turtle named Geraldine
• Favorite hobby: Collecting rubber bands in his spare time
• What he fears most: Bathing
GRUNGE MCNASTY
• What he loves: Smelling bad
• What he hates: All superheroes, especially Melvin Beederman
• Favorite hobby: Cat juggling
• Claim to unfame: Was once awarded Worst-Smelling Bad Guy of the Year
MUDBALL MCNASTY
• Fun fact: Left school in third grade
• Favorite hobby: Singing Grateful Fred songs in the shower
• What she hates: Taking orders from her sister Puke
• Claim to unfame: Got honorable mention in Worst-Smelling Bad Guy of the Year contest
PUKE MCNASTY
• What she loves: Giving orders to her sister
• What she hates: Vegetables and superheroes
• Favorite hobby: Telling her sister to stop singing in the shower
• Claim to unfame: Made it past the third grade
THE DELETED SCENES
“Hey, Filthy, what’s this doohickey with the clock?”
“Way to schmactivate!”
“Look, up in the sky, it’s a … Buick?”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Greg Trine is the author of the Melvin Beederman, Superhero books, which he creates with his illustrator sidekick, Rhode Montijo. He is also the author of the young adult book, The Second Base Club. He lives with his family in his Southern California hideout. You can sign up for email updates here.
Rhode Montijo is the illustrator of the Melvin Beederman Superhero series. He lives in Oakland, California. He believes that creating children’s books is super! His weakness: red licorice. You can sign up for email updates here.
MELVIN BEEDERMAN SUPERHERO
BOOK 1: THE CURSE OF THE BOLOGNA SANDWICH
In which superhero Melvin Beederman and third-grader Candace Brinkwater team up to stop bad guys in Los Angeles.
BOOK 2: THE REVENGE OF THE McNASTY BROTHERS
In which the McNasty Brothers escape from prison to get revenge on Melvin and his partner in uncrime, Candace.
BOOK 3: THE GRATEFUL FRED
In which Melvin and Candace must find who is out to get rock star Fred of The Grateful Fred.
Coming Soon:
BOOK 4: DOOM WITH A VIEW
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
1. The Intruder
2. Two Against One
3. I Hate Beederman. How About You?
4. Meanwhile …
5. Partners in Uncrime
6. The Family Plot
7. Candace Cracks the Code … Sort Of
8. Six Bullies and a Superhero
<
br /> 9. Holy Couch Potatoes!
10. The Bad Guys’ Lair
11. Dog Pile on Brinkwater!
12. Things Get Sinister
13. Meanwhile …
14. Those Devious McNastys
15. Beederman to the Rescue
16. Six Thousand Pounds of Bologna
17. Mission Impossible
18. Bologna Problems
19. The McNastys Make Their Getaway … or Do They?
The McNasty Crime Syndicate
About the Authors
Melvin Beederman Superhero
Copyright
Henry Holt and Company, LLC
Publishers since 1866
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010
www.henryholtchildrensbooks.com
Henry Holt® is a registered trademark of Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
Text copyright © 2006 by Greg Trine
Illustrations copyright © 2006 by Rhode Montijo
All rights reserved.
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
First Edition—2006
Hand-lettering by David Gatti
eISBN 9781250104717
First eBook edition: October 2015