Melvin and Candace dropped Joe off at the police station and waited around for the real Fred to be released from jail.
“How can I ever thank you two?” Fred said once he was free.
“No problem, baby,” Candace said.
Melvin elbowed her and whispered, “Wrong code.”
“I mean, just doing our job, sir.” She looked at her partner in uncrime and he nodded.
She was finally learning the superhero lingo.
“Well, thanks again,” Fred said. “I’m grateful.”
“Yes,” Melvin said. “You are The Grateful Fred.”
Melvin saw Candace safely home, then returned to his tree house. His pet rat Hugo was there waiting for him.
“Squeaker squeakity?” Hugo said.
“Squeaker squeakity is right,” Melvin replied. He had no idea what he had said, but at the moment he didn’t care. He was just glad his favorite rock-and-roll band was still able to play music, thanks to him and Candace.
* * *
A few weeks later, The Grateful Fred put out a new song. “Melvin, Yeah, Baby” went straight to the top of the charts.
Fred had written it in honor of his favorite superheroes. He named it after Melvin but it was about both of them—the partners in uncrime. And Melvin Beederman listened to it again and again. Standing in his tree house, looking out over the city of Los Angeles, he was glad to be a superhero. He didn’t know when his next adventure would come … but he knew he and Candace would be ready.
As for the Freds, it was soon discovered that the Clone-o-Matic had a goodness and niceness switch as well as a devious and sinister one. It was simply a matter of using the proper switch setting and re-zapping them. All over town the Freds were doing good deeds. They helped old ladies cross the street, picked up trash along the highway, and helped first-graders learn to read.
Yep, things were looking pretty good in Los Angeles. At least for the time being. And the city had Melvin Beederman and Candace Brinkwater to thank for it.
