Meanwhile Goofball, Max, and Calamity were traveling back in time. Then they came to a sudden stop with a clankity–whump–pow–thunk! Just as the directions warned, re-entry was a little rough. But the sound effects were very cool.
“Very cool, indeed!” Goofball said, untangling himself from his partners in crime. He had always loved good sound effects.
“Who do you think you are? The narrator?” Max asked.
“Sorry.”
The three of them looked around. They were standing on Lair Hill, but their lair was nowhere to be seen. This made sense. They’d gone back in time, but they hadn’t changed locations. Their lair wasn’t there because they hadn’t bought it yet.
The problem was, of course, they were still in Los Angeles, and the Superhero Academy was in Boston. They’d still have to travel across the country to get to the younger, less-powerful Melvin Beederman. There was only one way to get there, Goofball decided. Fly!
“Calamity Wayne, can you fly a plane?”
“Are you kidding?” Max said. “He’d love to make like an insect and fly.”
This was true. He really would. It was what he lived for. Calamity Wayne could operate any kind of contraption that carried passengers. Planes, trains, automobiles—you name it, he could make it go.
“We need a plane,” Goofball said. “And we need one now … sooner if possible!”
* * *
While Goofball and Company were looking for a plane to steal, Melvin and Candace had arrived at Big Al’s Rent-a-Lair. Big Al himself was busy showing off the latest lairs in his showroom. The store was currently having a half-off sale, and any bad guy with half a brain would act now—including ones who looked like pirates.
“Take this baby, for example,” Al said, slapping the side of a lair. “You won’t find a better—”
“What do you have in a time machine?” Candace said. She adjusted her eye patch and put on her serious bad guy look.
She’s good, Melvin thought, limping around on his peg leg. He loved the sound it made … click thud click thud. He had always appreciated good sound effects, too.
She was good. Good enough to fool Al anyway.
“Time machine, you say?” Al cracked his knuckles and smiled. This was good news. Time machines cost even more than lairs. He’d make a bundle off these two … pirates? He’d never seen pirates with capes before. But anyone with money to spend was okay by him. He was an equal opportunity greedy person.
“Would you like it gift wrapped?” Al asked. “We also offer free delivery.”
Melvin gave Candace a hand signal, since he was letting her do the talking.
“No, thanks,” she said to Al. “We’ll take it as is.”
“It’s pretty heavy,” Al said.
“I can handle it,” Candace said. With one arm she lifted the time machine over her head.
Al’s jaw dropped at this display of strength. “How on earth—?”
“Yoga,” Melvin said, and followed his partner in uncrime through the showroom and out the front door.
They found a deserted alley and shed their pirate clothes. Melvin would miss that peg leg, but there were things to do, bad guys to catch, a young Beederman to save.
They assembled the time machine quickly, then Melvin pulled out a piece of paper he’d taken from the bad guy lair. On it was written the date when he was still at the academy. He set the dials on the time machine.
“Ready, Candace?”
She nodded, then Melvin pressed the START button.