Phineas and Ferb 1. The White Room

**Here we are! It took me a day, but I have got the first chapter ready for you! I've been wondering how this ninth installment will go, so let me know how this goes! -AJ ThaPlatypus**

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Perry

White. Everything was white. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, the bedspread, the nightstand, the door. All white. And not a warm, soft, off-white, either. They were a stark white that reminded Perry of a hospital. Even the lights—they were white, too. He was the sole splash of color in the room.

Perry stared up at the ceiling with heavy eyes. There was no clock for him to watch. There was no action. At some point, an employee would slide one of his meals through a guarded hole in the wall. Without windows, it was impossible to tell what time it was. Without a clock, he couldn't see what hours had passed. Without any changing elements, Perry was outside of time and reality, it felt.

He was locked in one of the lowest levels of the Organization Without a Cool Acronym's prisons. The O.W.C.A.-TRAZ was not only a building with a secret location, but it was also one of the hardest buildings to escape. It was home to many persons and animals that were deemed too dangerous even for their own good. Dennis, a rouge rabbit agent, was locked on one of the top levels. Naturally, danger level went with level in the building. Compared to Perry, Dennis was a minimal threat.

What exactly had Perry done? Well, to answer that, one has to look several years into the past. He had been transformed unwillingly into the host of a soul by the name of Semi X when he was just ten years old. Semi had killed several thousands of people across the Alterverse, and no thanks to this bloodthirsty assassin living deep in his mind, Perry had been locked up with an indefinite sentence some time ago. He'd been informed, shortly after being imprisoned, that unless someone bailed him out, he was looking at a life sentence. What was this bail? Well, too much, let's just leave it at that.

Sitting up, Perry swung his tiny legs over the side of the bed and stared down at the too-white floor. He could see his reflection in the tiles. One hand traced the lines running under his eyes. Upon finding yet another grey fur, he went to pluck it, but stopped. By now, the grey furs were speckled with white ones throughout his fur in a salt and pepper fashion. If he tried to remove them all, it would take hours. He had hours—days, even. It was still tedious and an undesirable course of action.

He slowly pushed himself off of the bed and into a standing position. Standing straighter, Perry groaned as he felt his back pop. Pain flared down his spine. He took one step and winced. His joints disagreed with the movement. Sighing, he found himself wishing for a hot bath to soothe his aching bones. He didn't even want to move when he heard the door swish open.

"Perry."

Slowly turning to face the man, Perry looked up at his ex-superior with tired eyes. He was surprised to see Francis Monogram, the head of the O.W.C.A. since a slight debacle with the League of Villainous Evildoers Maniacally United For Frightening Investments In Naughtiness, or L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N., about the Earth and an ice age. The Major, who looked equally tired, was actually standing in the room with him. No one had entered this cell since the day he'd been first locked in here. The man looked on the ex-agent with an expression that hinted at shock. Perry didn't have any words. What could he say?

"I…you don't look well," the Major said slowly. Perry frowned. He knew it was true. Despite his dead wife, Xhirxhti's, attempts to use her immortal blood to give him a longer life, it couldn't change the fact that, being mortal, Perry could still age. The platypus didn't say anything. "Well…I can say that you actually look good for how long you've been in here, you…well you should have died a long time ago."

"Well before I was put in here…" Perry grumbled.

"Uh, yes," the Major said uneasily. "I, uh, hope you're comfortable."

"You put me in solitary and ask if I'm _comfortable_?" Perry laughed sarcastically. The Major shifted his feet. Perry slowly took a few steps towards the man, trying to hide his pain as he went. "That's just not a fair question. I haven't seen my family in forever. I have no one to talk to that's alive. I can't remember things that I used to. No taste of food, no feel of water, no sound of wind, no memory of tree or grass or flower, no image of moon or star are left of me."

"Yet your memory of _The Return of the King_ seems intact," the Major returned. Perry waved one hand and turned his back on the human.

"Bah!" Perry growled. "You miss my point. I've been down here so long I feel like this white room is all I know. And I'm even beginning to try and blend in with my environment."

"Now you're just being ridiculous," the Major sighed. "You can't stay young forever, you have been in here for fifteen years."

Perry straightened up. Had the man just said he'd been in prison for _fifteen years_? It wasn't possible. His body started shaking. Fifteen years was a long time. His kids had grown up. They'd possibly had kids of their own. Phineas and Ferb would be almost in their forties. And Doof—what had become of him? The words stuck in Perry's throat like peanut butter. He couldn't bring himself to believe it.

"You're lying," Perry whispered.

"I wouldn't lie about the time," he said slowly. "Not when you're about to be put back into the world. Of course, I'm not exactly sure where you'll be put."

"I'm sorry?" Perry blinked. "What?"

"Someone has paid your bail," the Major explained, "but the deal wasn't exactly for your explicit freedom. The one who bailed you out is allowed to determine your fate."

"What do you mean?" Perry raised his brow. "Someone has bailed me out?"

"Yes, someone has," the Major nodded. Perry turned back around and narrowed his eyes at the man. His expression was sincere. "A government official of another state agreed to pay your bail in trade for the rights to take your consequences into their hands. It was a considerable amount of money, all funds that this organization needs to continue running."

"Wait, wait, you're _selling_ me?" Perry blinked. "That's…you can't do that!"

"No, no, I'm not _selling_ you!" the Major waved his hands. Perry crossed his arms. "It's a government exchange. They're taking custody of you. It has come to light that Semi had several charges of terrorism within this nation and they wanted the right to punish you as they see fit."

"You're kidding me?" Perry's mouth remained open. Monogram reached down and clamped handcuffs on the ex-agent's wrists. The man didn't respond. "Please, if you would just allow me some time to explain the Semi situation—"

"I told you fifteen years ago that there was nothing you could explain," the man said gruffly. He leaned down and whispered into Perry's ear. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to. She's threatened to kill my son…"

"What?" Perry gasped. "Who?"

"I can't say, but you'll know soon enough," Monogram said, keeping his voice low. "I apologize for ever having doubted you. I know what I've done to you is practically unforgivable, but I hope that at least you now understand my motives and accept in part my apology."

"Of course," Perry whispered back. The man stood tall once again and waved for Perry to exit the cell. Taking a deep breath, Perry made his way outside of the room for the first time in fifteen years. This time, he was able to see the dark grey corridor with white doors lined up on one side. There was no burlap sack over his head to block his view of the elevator at the end of the hallway. The Major urged him to walk into it.

Perry noted the eerie silence of the lowest level of the O.W.C.A.-TRAZ. He'd heard once upon a time that those locked in solitary confinement typically went made from the lack of human interaction. Yet there were no screams. Perhaps they were all like him. Level-headed, just misunderstood.

They boarded the elevator and the brushed steel doors slid closed silently. The Major hit a button to go back up to the ground floor. A slight bounce of the elevator signaled their ascent. Perry leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. His aching bones didn't like his movement. Monogram looked down at the platypus with a grim expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked flatly.

"Define alright…" Perry grumbled. The Major straightened up and looked forward. Huffing, the ex-agent rolled his eyes and waited for the elevator to reach its destination. Once the familiar ding was heard, the doors slid open once more and the man led the monotreme out onto the first floor. It was filled with armed personnel. The Major edged him to walk out through doors to his left, where a black vehicle was sitting, already ready to go.

The car didn't seem like a government vehicle of any sort. It was a sleek sports car, perhaps a Ferrari. The windows were tinted so that the person or persons inside couldn't be seen. Perry looked the car up and down, and that was when he saw it. The hood was decorated with a white ring. His heart stopped.

"Sir, that's—" Perry started, but the driver's side door opened. A woman, a rather tall woman, stepped out and walked around. As Perry scanned her from the ground up to her head, which stood at around eight feet high, he could feel his entire soul shaking violently. Her ash white skin. Her noir hair. Her slender body. Her pointed ears. And, most strikingly of all, her piercing violet eyes. She stooped down next to him. Black clothing covered her arms and legs. Her eyes glared into Perry's. Her icy cold breath chilled his neck.

"It's been a very long time," she smiled, revealing two sharp fangs. One of her fingers stroked his neck. Perry wanted to run, but he knew that was no use. She was faster. He'd tried that trick with her years ago. Her cold touch made his sore joints feel even worse. "Age hasn't been kind to you, has it, Perry Flynn?"

"I trust that our agreement stands?" the Major cleared his throat. Perry looked to the man that had once been his superior and gave him a mournful stare. The man swallowed. The Major wasn't seriously doing this, was he?

"Indeed," the woman smiled. "Don't worry; he's…hmm…safe…with me."

She picked Perry up and placed him in the car. Eclipse had him. Again.

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**What on Earth will happen to Perry? And what has changed in 15 years? Why did no one come for him earlier? So many, many questions to answer! **

**Next Chapter...Phineas**


	2. Search Party

**At last! Chapter the second! -AJ **

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Phineas

The water felt solid as his face was slammed into it. Phineas held his breath. The hands on the back of his head were keeping him from coming up for air. His temperature started to rise, and the water started to boil. Someone dumped ice into the bucket, trying to counter his heat. From his left, a needle was slipped into his arm. He felt his temperature drop. They must have been drugging him with Imobu, a drug that rendered one's Hej temporarily unusable. The hands grasped his collar and pulled him out of the bucket of water. Phineas gasped for air.

"You don't listen well, do you?" his interrogator lifted an eyebrow. The man before him, a young fellow in his early twenties, had come to him from the future. He had time traveled using something called the Time Serum, which, according to the man, had been developed from Perry's DNA. Was that where the platypus had disappeared to? He hadn't been seen in fifteen years. Lochlan, which was the man's name, bent down and stared hard at Phineas. "You're going to tell me, and you're going to tell me now, great-great grandfather."

Phineas coughed up some water that had been forced through his nostrils. The hands that had forced him into the bucket let him go, and he fell to the floor sopping wet. His hair was plastered across his face. He shivered. He silently cursed the idiot who had discovered Imobu. Lochlan waited for him. After a second bout of coughing, Phineas managed to say something.

"I won't tell you where he is," he said, his voice wavering. He slowly lifted his head and stared up at his descendant. What had happened that four generations later, Phineas' own blood had returned to the Mytax? Lochlan took Phineas' chin in his hands and locked eyes with him. It was creepy how similar the two were. Lochlan had Phineas' facial structure. He had his blue eyes. His hair was black, possibly from Isabella's genes. His skin, though, was slightly darker than Phineas'.

"Tell me, or I will have no qualms about killing your wife," the man said. Phineas looked to the side to see Isabella being held to the wall by Lochlan's partner, a woman from the planet Feagenous. Her species was called the Shimo-kasumi. Called Ceres, she had ice powers and had frozen Isabella's limbs to the wall. "Since my grandfather has already been born, I doubt her death will change much."

"Please, Lochlan!" Phineas pleaded with the man. He jumped up and ran to get his wife, but Ceres froze his feet to the floor. "I will do anything!"

"Tell me where Ferb Fletcher is, then!" Lochlan raged. He approached his ancestor and glared at him. Phineas felt his heart turn to lead and sink into his stomach. The man was forcing him to choose. Ferb, the brother who had always had his back, or Isabella, the wife who was connected to him in a way that no one else could ever be. He swallowed.

"Alright, alright!" Phineas threw his hands up in defeat. "I'll tell you where Ferb is."

"Excellent," Lochlan grinned. He glanced at Ceres with a smile. "Make sure she stays put until I confirm that Ferb Fletcher is precisely where he tells me. If not, feel free to destroy her in a cruel fashion."

Phineas swallowed. He hated to betray Ferb, but he couldn't just let his wife die. She was his world. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and formed the words on his lips, "Ferb is currently with B—"

As soon as the name started to leave his mouth, a door to the left burst open and something knocked Ceres to the floor. The ice on Isabella's arms and legs melted away and she dropped to the floor. Two figures ran in the room. One looked like a younger version of Isabella; the other looked like Phineas, but had Isabella's jet black hair. Phineas looked at Ceres—she was being pinned by another Phineas look-alike with red hair.

"Let my parents go!" the girl, Danielle Flynn, shouted. She clenched her fists, lighting them on fire. She wore a skin-tight red suit. Her brothers had on similar suits, but they were both a darker red than hers. They were fireproof suits—all of his children had inherited his powers, but only Devin, the boy with red hair, had Isabella's invisibility powers, and Jacob had her ability to use forcefields. Lochlan straightened up and stared at her with a frown. "Now."

"Or what?" Lochlan frowned.

"Devin, you know what to do," Dani flipped her hair over her shoulder. It was put up in a ponytail. Her brother started to apply heat to Ceres' arms. The ice-lady shrieked in pain. Lochlan's eyes widened. "You wanna test us any further? Let them go."

"Lochlan!" the woman's British-sounding accent yelped. "Make him let me go! He's trying to kill me!"

With the man distracted, Jacob rolled forward and melted the ice around his father's feet. Phineas scooped up Isabella and held her to his chest. He waved for his kids to follow. Dani and Jacob were right behind him, but Devin took a moment to create a ring of fire around Ceres before disappearing and catching up to his family. Phineas wished he could go faster, but none of his children had his speed.

"I got the Retropelet, Dad!" Dani smiled. She turned it on and tossed the disk in front of them. The portal opened and the family jumped through. Devin snatched up the device behind them and they all fell onto a hard surface. Phineas looked up and glanced around.

"Is you, Uncle Phineas?" a voice asked. Phineas noticed that he was in his own living room. It was dark. A small hand reached out and grasped his nose. His instantly knew who was there. "Oh! Oh yes…yes…Uncle Phineas."

"Almost a sentence, Lexi," Phineas said, somewhat congratulating her. He felt bad for the girl. She was an unfortunate creature in his mind. Neither of her parents were present for most of her life. At the age of sixteen, she'd been only a year old when her mother, Jamie, had died and her father, Perry, had mysteriously disappeared. Due to the fact that Jamie was _also_ Perry's daughter (a fact that never ceased to disturb all who heard it), Lexi was unlike the rest of Perry's kids. Because her creation involved Hej, she was left with numerous problems.

To fully understand Lexi, it is important to note how she is different. For starters, Lexi was blind. She'd never seen a thing in her entire life. Her anxiety levels were extremely high—she tended to jump at sudden noises, panic when familiar persons weren't present, and was often terrified of her waking dreams. Her patience was thin, but she was better at not having outbursts in her teen years. She was extremely slow to trust. (Phineas lamented the fact that she still wouldn't talk to or accept affection from Ferb, who also took a role as her uncle). Lexi was a slow learner, though her English had gotten considerably better. She wouldn't speak in complex or long sentences.

The true problem, as most saw it, that Lexi had was her lack of natural sex drive. It was a blunt way to put it, but how else to say it? She felt no attraction to either sex and was equally unable to reproduce. Phineas found her rather lonely. Too anxious to make friends and too mellow to pursue a romantic interest, it was hard to give her any necessary social time.

"Where you been?" she frowned at him, turning her head about. Phineas had picked up that she was using sound and smell to determine who and what else was there. He sat up and took one of her hands in his. "You gone long."

"I know, I know," Phineas said softly. "I'm here now. Where's Zoe?"

"I not know," Lexi shook her head. She ran her hands along Phineas' fingers and grasped his hand. Pulling it to her face, she let out a distressed series of gasps and buried her sightless eyes in his palm. "No leave me."

"I won't leave for a long time, okay?" Phineas reassured her. She nodded and stopped panicking. Isabella placed a hand on her husband's shoulder and bit her lip. They had been the ones that had raised Lexi after her parents left the scene. Lexi had taken a special liking to Phineas and Isabella, and was most social around them and their own children. The assumption had been that either Matthew, Jamie's husband, or Zoe, her sister, would have taken in the girl. Matthew expressed no interest in Lexi, probably still hurt that she was not his daughter. Lexi wouldn't take to Zoe—the Hidari was too touchy for her likes.

"Okay," Lexi nodded. Phineas picked her up and carried her into her bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, he tucked her in, turned off the lights, and shut the door. He wasn't sure why the lights had even been on in the first place. He walked back out into the living area, where his family members were still situating themselves.

"Guys, that was a close call," he whistled. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Next time we go to retrieve information pertaining to Perry, let's not have to nearly kill someone, okay?"

"They would kill us in a heartbeat!" Devin threw his hands up. "Besides, I saved both of your lives from that creep and his girlfriend."

"That creep," Phineas narrowed his eyes, "is Jacob's great grandson."

"Whoa!" Jacob put his hands up. "I'm only seventeen. I didn't need to know that I end up having kids."

"That's beside the point," Phineas rolled his eyes. "The point is that I've run into this Lochlan figure every time I try to find out what happened to Perry. What if the two are connected?"

"Uncle Ferb would know," Dani stated flatly.

"He's not here," Phineas frowned. "He's currently away working with the Shujinko to try and take down Eclipse's ever-growing empire with his wife. No, we have to work with what we know. Lochlan has appeared every time we've gone out in search of Perry. That has to mean something!"

"Phineas, it's been fifteen years," Isabella frowned. She placed a hand on her husband's shoulder and frowned. He sighed. "I think if Perry were to be found, it would have happened by now. The last he went missing, it was only for two years. Face it—Perry's gone for good this time."

"No!" Phineas exclaimed. "I won't believe it!"

Just as he said this, Doofenshmirtz, as a platypus, still, ran into the room holding a wireless house phone in one hand. He waved it at the family. Their blank stares urged him to speak. "I think someone found Perry the platypus! You'll wanna hear this!"

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**Who's calling Doofy? And thoughts on the Flynn family dynamic here?**

**Next Chapter...Ferb**


	3. A Sighting

**I had a bit of writer's block...no matter, problem solved! Here we go! -AJ **

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Ferb

"Duck!"

Ferb's body hit the floor and he took a deep breath as the missile zipped over his back. It was a close call, but whoever had fired had missed. Looking to his side, Ferb saw his wife, Lyla, and his friends Buford and Baljeet also lying flat against the ground. The missile made contact with the ground and the explosion shook the group. Ferb wrapped one hand around Lyla's wrist and they sat up. Dust clouded their vision.

"That was close!" Baljeet exclaimed. Buford sat up and went into a fit of coughing. The Indian man elbowed him gently. The bully returned the gesture with a punch to the gut. "Buford, now is not the time!"

"We have to keep moving," Lyla said, giving them a wary glance. "We're most likely to find them if we keep moving, eh? Kenneth and Grace could be in serious danger! Oh, what would Vanessa and Monty say?"

"You are right," Baljeet nodded. Buford stood and took Baljeet's hand, yanking him into an upright position. Edging away from the bully ever so slightly, he waved his hands in the air and made a glowing, nearly digital-looking, compass appear. He frowned as it swiveled to point northeast of their current position. "They are about two miles off, or so says my Hej reading. I knew that we should have never invited Mortales on a mission with us!"

"We can't take it back now," Ferb said, standing up. He helped Lyla up and looked in the direction that the makeshift compass was directing them. By some odd chance, Vanessa had asked Ferb to look after her twins Kenneth and Grace while she and Monty were away at some urgent O.W.C.A. meeting in Seattle. Little had Ferb suspected that he'd have to end up chasing down information for Cressella, the twin sister of Eclipse and her most formidable opponent. Now, the twins had been separated from the group and they'd had to abort their mission to save them.

"Ferb is right," Lyla brushed off her coat. She gave Baljeet a sharp glare. He cowered a little, remembering that she was a Mortale as well. "We can't fix any mistakes we're made this far. We just have to get those kids out of here, eh? If they don't make it out of here alive, Monty and Vanessa will never forgive us."

They started in a northeast direction. Their current location was a desert called Ma'aluk on the planet Namela'as. The capital, Ta'ala'aka, was about ten miles to the southwest of their position. The Ta'ala'amuk people, its denizens, had intercepted information that Eclipse's forces were to stop in Ta'ala'aka after they'd retrieved someone from a high-security prison on Earth. Ferb's mission, with Baljeet and Buford, was to discover who the prisoner was. Rumor had it that it was either Benjimi Yu, the Shujinko who had been missing for several years after rebelling from both parties in the war, or was none other than Perry, who had been missing for fifteen years with no explanation.

After walking for a few minutes, Baljeet pointed directly in front of them and shouted in terror. Without having to say anything, he'd indicated that he could not only see Kenneth and Grace Monogram running towards them in a hurry, but also that they were being pursued by someone that looked vaguely like Phineas. Ferb motioned for Buford to prepare himself for a scuffle. He himself used his powers to pick up surrounding scraps and fashion a frost ray.

"Is that Dinner Bell?" Buford frowned, flexing his muscles to warm them up for pounding the attackers.

"It can't be," Ferb narrowed his eyes. "He looks too…young."

"Then he'll be more fun to pound," Buford grinned. He let out a deep bellow. Ferb rolled his eyes and let him have the moment. Baljeet stood beside them, whispering unimaginable equations that would allow him to attack the man from a distance without harming Kenneth and Grace. He chuckled with delight as he was able to knock the man over and give the twins some distance. "When's it gonna be my turn?"

"Very soon, my friend!" Baljeet cried triumphantly. Ferb shook his head. Those two had way too much fun saving lives (even if Buford's reason was just to get to bully people). The twins ran behind Ferb and stayed put behind him. The Phineas look-alike caught up and set his hands ablaze with fire.

"My turn!" Buford shouted. He jumped forward and planted his fists into the man's face. The opponent was then buried in the sand. The bully went to pound him a second time, but Ferb put up his hand and stepped forward. He knelt down next to the man and hummed.

"You filthy Eiyu-tachi!" the man spat. Definitely not Phineas' voice. Ferb watched the sand around the buried Mytax's body start to melt into glass. He placed the frost ray to the man's nose and narrowed his eyes. "Alright, I get the picture! What is it that you want?"

"Your name," Ferb frowned. It wasn't Devin. It wasn't Jacob. Could it be a clone? Or did Phineas and Isabella have a child that they hadn't told anyone about? No, that didn't make any sense—Phineas couldn't have kids anymore. He'd been infertile for over fifteen years. The clone idea was still possible. Or maybe a doppelganger?

"Lochlan," the man replied. Weird, he didn't have the accent to match that name. Looking up at Ferb, the man called Lochlan set his jaw. "Lochlan Flynn. Not that you should know me. Nor should I know you. Though you look familiar."

"You resemble my stepbrother, Phineas Flynn," Ferb said, humming.

"He does have a striking resemblance to your brother," Baljeet nodded. He also knelt down. "He has fire Hej. He has Phineas' eyes. Phineas' nose. Isabella's hair. But the skin color is not right for either of them."

"Ah, so you must be Ferb," Lochlan hummed in return, gazing at the green-haired man with curiosity. His eyes sparkled like Phineas' did when his interest was piqued. Ferb observed the man, who seemed more like a boy now that he had a longer time to look at him. He could be no older than twenty years of age. He showed no anxiety or fear. "I had been told that you were a quiet man. Naturally, without the Time Serum I would have never met you."

"Time Serum?" Lyla frowned, placing one hand on her hip.

"Yes, hmm," Lochlan licked his lips a little. "I'm a descendant of Phineas Flynn, that's true. I was born a hundred years after he had his second son and am a direct descendant of Jacob Flynn. The Time Serum was created from the DNA of someone called Perry Flynn."

"Perry?" Ferb's eyebrows knit together.

"Oh, you know this…indestructible character?" Lochlan lifted one eyebrow. He shifted a little, causing the sand to trickle around him. Ferb kept the ray pointed at Lochlan.

"So…he can really travel in time," Baljeet whispered. "And this is what was done with his powers…"

"Yes, and you know what else?" Lochlan smirked. "I can use them, too!"

The mysterious man of the future then dissolved before their very eyes, both escaping his trap and escaping any more questions. Ferb rubbed his eyes. Anything and everything involving Perry got uncomfortably complicated. If this Lochlan was to be believed, the Mytax had used Perry's DNA to find a way to travel through time and space. This could mean that they were tampering with events across the timeline of the world and could change things drastically.

"We now have to assume that Eclipse's prisoner is Agent P," Lyla said, holding up a pair of binoculars and gazing to the southwest.

"And where do you get that information?" Buford crossed his arms.

"That is not information that is an assumption!" Baljeet exclaimed. He groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"I see them," Lyla said absent-mindedly. Ferb quickly snatched the binoculars out of her hands and stared through them to where she had been looking a moment before. He could make out the undeniable form of Eclipse and a few of her Mytax. Squinting, he was able to barely make out a tiny figure in shackles. The teal color of his fur was unmistakable. But the way that the platypus held himself seemed unlike Perry. Ferb focused the binoculars a little more. "Is something wrong?"

"That's definitely Perry," Ferb sighed, "but he got _old_."

"No kidding," Lyla chuckled.

"Give me your phone, Buford," Ferb said, reaching out a hand. The bully almost denied him, but Ferb gave a quick glance to Buford's shoulder and the bully instantly handed over the device. Taking it in his hand, Ferb rearranged the parts inside so that the phone could call anywhere in the known Alterverse. He dialed Phineas' number and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Doofenshmirtz?" Ferb frowned.

"Yes, it's me," Doof replied flatly. "Is that a problem? You know I live here, too. It's not like your stepbrother can pick up the phone every time it rings. Someday, someone's gonna call and I'm gonna answer and they'll actually be happy that I picked it up."

"I need to talk to Phineas," Ferb demanded. "About Perry."

"This is gonna be a backstory someday, Ferb Fletcher!" Doof returned grouchily. The receiver let out a high pitched tone as Doof dropped the phone on a table or the floor. An echoed exclamation of 'Whoopsy-daisy!' was heard, then a clicking as the phone was picked back up, and finally, ""I think someone found Perry the platypus! You'll wanna hear this!"

"It's Ferb, I'm Ferb…" the man moaned.

"Since Doctor D was _so_ kind not to tell me who this was…hi and with whom am I speaking?" Phineas' voice asked.

"Your brother," Ferb sighed. "And he knew it was me."

"Ferb?" Phineas gasped. What was that all about? "We were just discussing you. Do you really know where Perry is? We just went out looking for him, and all we did was run into trouble…"

"Yes, I know where he is," Ferb swallowed. "No, you're not gonna like this."

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**What's up with the recurring appearance of Lochlan? Will Ferb and the gang take action, or will they be returning Kenneth and Grace to Earth? Will Doof ever get that call? **

**Next Chapter...Venus (you'll know soon enough xD)**


	4. The Agent Goddess

**Yes! I got another chapter out today! Whoo! I will be gone for a while...at least from my Word Document. :/ Oh well. Also, excuse a rather morbid moment in the text below; it was a dare by my friend. Just so you're warned. -AJ **

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Venus

Named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty, trained for the purpose of fighting those pesky Ankunin, and born for adventure, Venus was the platypus for almost any job her superior, Major Monogram, could throw at her. Once the Mortale-run O.W.C.A. had openly accepted the presence of the Hej-wielding world, the agency had hired a handful of Eiyu-tachi and Niji agents. Venus was one of them. Her mother had been a regular Korobu-chisai platypus, but her father had been an Eiyu-tachi with the power to control nature and plants.

This, though, this was a new level of distressing. She struggled at her bonds and cursed under her breath. Those dreaded Mytax had drugged her with Imobu, restrained her every limb, and left her all alone. It had been several hours without contact. If she could have moved her arms, she would have searched her body for weapons or tools. Since she couldn't, Venus simply stared at the ceiling with a grim expression on her face.

Her father had once told her that she'd had a choice. Either she could fight evil and follow in his footsteps, or she could find a mate and settle down to the quiet life of raising a family like her mother. At the time, staying at home and laying eggs for a male that had four other females to mind hadn't been a wish in her mind at all. Now, it looked as if half of her troubles wouldn't be present if she'd had just done that. Still, platypus mating didn't appeal to her Eiyu-tachi side.

Off to her left, footsteps could be heard entering the room. They reminded her of the Mytax that had kidnapped her—a scrawny fellow named Lochlan and his icy friend Ceres. Taking in a deep breath, she analyzed the scents of those approaching her. Yes, she was right, as usual. The two walked in front of her and smiled down at her.

"Name?" Lochlan hummed.

"Why should I tell you?" Venus sniffed. Her Australian accent was faint, as she'd been working with Americans for most of her mature life. "You probably already know who I am, why I was following that craft, and who I work for. Why bother getting the information from me?"

"I like a captive that's open," Lochlan hummed. For a man with an Irish name, he certainly didn't sound Irish. He paced about in front of her. "Well, I guess we'll play it _your_ way, then. You are Venus Mitchell, you were following the craft because it carried a recently acquired prisoner from the O.W.C.A.-TRAZ, and you work for the afore mentioned agency. And trust me when I say that you will end up meeting this prisoner soon enough."

"He or she is not for your taking," Venus growled. "Whatever crimes the prisoner committed placed him in one of the most high-security prisons known to the O.W.C.A.; I am certain that the punishment there is well enough without the intervention of your heartless sect."

"I believe that your superior has taken a step too far," Ceres cackled. She sounded to British to be from another planet. What was with these odd characters? Venus didn't like them one bit. "The deal was that if he handed over Perry Flynn, we wouldn't lay a finger to his beloved son, Monty."

"Monty's at a conference in Seattle," Venus narrowed her eyes, "with his father. If you tried to harm him now, you'd have to bring in an army."

"Nonsense, we have him here," Lochlan grinned. He waved for Ceres to bring him in, and she brought the man in the room, tied up with ropes. Venus gasped and struggled a little at her bonds. Monty's eyes widened, seeing Venus trapped as well. Ceres placed him against the wall and used her ice powers to freeze him in place.

"He didn't send me, I came on my own!" Venus lied, not willing to be the reason that Monty Monogram died.

"I never said he would die," Lochlan gritted his teeth a little. "And quit your lying!"

"Don't you lay a finger on him!" Venus cried.

"I do what I like, and I will prove it," Lochlan narrowed his eyes. He leaned back, looking down the hallway. "Hey, Bobbilou! Come in here!"

A man in the Mytax robes walked in, with a confused expression on his face. Lochlan faced Venus and pulled out a scimitar. He used his powers to heat up the sword until it was glowing red. Bobbilou stopped a few steps behind him. Lochlan quickly flicked the scimitar out of his hand and it went whirling through the air. Before the shocked Bobbilou could respond, the scorching hot blade ripped through his neck, separating his head from his body. It planted itself in the wall behind him as the Mytax's surprised face fell to the floor. Both Monty and Venus stiffened.

"Do I make myself clear, Miss Mitchell?" Lochlan's lip curled up into a rather devilish grin. She swallowed hard and nodded. Laughter erupted from his throat. "No, I have a better place to put you two. You'll make excellent entertainment for Empress Eclipse."

"Entertainment?" Venus frowned. "I really don't entertain."

"You will if your life depends on it," Lochlan hummed. He folded his hands behind his back and took a deep breath. "Let me tell you a little about myself, Miss Mitchell. You see, when I was a small boy, my father, David Flynn, was killed by Cressella's future zealot group, the Coryax, simply for being a Niji. I was just five years old. I was taken in by Mytax, since my grandfather, Nicholas, had died fighting Eclipse's forces, and the rest of my family would not take me. In my time, which is indeed the future, the struggle for reform was terrible.

"Eclipse's faith in her human followers was wearing thin. Her top Mytax then introduced to her the Time Serum, a drug that never leaves the bloodstream. It was derived from the DNA of a Korobu-chisai named Perry Flynn. Now, she could send her trusted followers throughout time and space and clean up the messes that had been made of her work. But she had to deal with people who knew how to spot easily changed points in time. Ceres and I were perfect for the job."

"And what is your job, Lochlan?" Venus said, keeping her breathing as steady as she could with the knowledge that this man was unafraid to kill her at a moment's notice.

"My job is to right wrongs, Miss Mitchell," Lochlan lifted his chin. He turned and stroked the edge of her bill. "I don't want those Coryax to ruin everyone's lives."

"They don't exist in this time," Venus narrowed her eyes.

"No, no they don't," Lochlan shook his head. He smiled down at her. "They're not my _only_ wrong that needs righting. But none of that matters to you, as you're a dead woman."

"How so?" Venus asked, setting her jaw. The man played too many games. He needed to get to the point.

"Like I said—for entertainment," he chuckled.

* * *

**What could Lochlan possibly mean? (And apologies for anyone that is disturbed by that beheading moment!)**

**Next Chapter...Perry**


	5. Eclipse's Wishes

**Prepare yourself to be disturbed. -AJ **

* * *

Perry

The fluid felt like shards of glass running through his veins. Perry glanced down at the needles in his arms and held his breath. He couldn't show pain in front of Eclipse, even if he wanted so desperately to cry. The Vampri woman came beside him and stroked his cheek. Her cold touch was almost a comfort to the burning, stinging sensation of the serum she was placing inside of his body. His eyes locked with hers. Those vibrant violet eyes pierced into his soul.

"We don't sit and talk anymore, Perry Flynn," Eclipse frowned. She kept her finger against his cheek. He didn't have the energy to fight this. The tip of her nail tapped at his right temple. "I can see it in your eyes—my boy's still in there. He never left. He's just contained."

"Semi doesn't want you," Perry squinted. The lower lip of Eclipse's mouth puckered a little.

"That voice…so worn by time…" she clicked her tongue. She glanced over her shoulder at the bag containing the fluid. "I should have waited out your death. You're so near it as it is. But that's no fun, is it? What good is an enemy if they can't engage in the battles anymore?"

Perry watched her with curiosity. Something was different about this confrontation. She treated him as if he were valuable this time. It wasn't his loyalty she was after, as the Semi comment hadn't bothered her. She almost seemed to respect his fragile state. It unnerved him. The Vampri could have anything up her sleeve.

"But I didn't bring you here just for a battle, uooayi," she said coolly. He'd never heard that word before. It must have been some sort of Vampri slang. Perry blinked as he watched her form meld into the familiar body of his wife as a platypus. The Vampri crawled up on the table he was on and clamped her hands onto his shoulders. He went to jerk away, but found his head was swimming. "You owe me something."

"What do I owe you that involves you posing as my dead wife?" Perry frowned. He placed one foot on her stomach and kept her body as far away from his as he could. Pain shot through his joints. "This is inappropriate on many levels."

"You made me a promise so long ago," Eclipse said softly. Perry found it hard to focus on her as a mortal enemy while she looked like Xhirxhti. His fragile soul wanted to reach out and reclaim his bride. The pain was still too much for him to bear. She kept talking. "Anything for me in return for her life. I saved her life, now you have to keep your end of the bargain."

"Wasn't Semi's creation enough to satisfy that promise?" Perry swallowed. She pressed herself closer to him, her breath on his cheek. He could detect the obvious scent of blood in her throat. Perry grimaced. "We're enemies, this is really improper. And your breath is _repulsive_."

"Anything doesn't have a limit, Perry Flynn," she said, taking his jawbone in her hand and holding it so that he had to look directly at her if his eyes were open. He was tempted to hold his breath. "I stoop low to accomplish some things. That's how Janelle came to be. Your DNA could make the ultimate living zealot for me. No matter how disgusting of a creature you are, your unique powers are what's keeping me from killing you right here and now."

"Firstly, I don't have _any_ powers," Perry said gruffly. His eyes opened and glared into hers. "And secondly, I am way too old for this kind of foolish behavior. I have no attraction to you, therefore I have no desire to have intercourse with you. Now, I've stated my mind. Get off."

"You're not in control of this situation Perry Flynn," Eclipse narrowed her eyes. "You would be smart to do as I say."

"I don't give a crap, _get off_," Perry said firmly. What else could he do? He didn't have the energy to kick her off or shove her off. She hadn't bound him, though. Perry tried to pull himself away, but her grip was too strong. He placed his other foot to her breast and groaned.

"You can't keep me off forever, fragile one," Eclipse laughed quietly. To Perry's utter disgust, the Vampri actually had the nerve to extend her tongue and run it across his bill and cheek. For that, he found enough energy to slap her. She didn't seem bothered.

"I said get off!" Perry shouted. He shoved her back with his hands, not caring that he wasn't strong enough anymore. For a moment, he thought he'd managed to move her, only to find that they were falling to the floor still locked together. Once they landed on the floor, she sank her teeth into his jugular. Perry shut his eyes and yelped a little, unable to ignore the feeling of his veins being emptied. The Vampri pulled her fangs out of his neck and stared into his eyes.

"Oh, Time tastes good," she said, almost seductively. Perry's eyes opened to slits. He could see his blood dripping from her mouth. Her eyes had returned to their violet state, but seemed tinged with scarlet. He watched as her tongue worked its way around her mouth, cleaning the gore from her teeth and gums. "Time tastes _real_ good."

"You…are making…little sense…" Perry breathed.

"You assume you don't have powers," Eclipse took one finger and stroked his temple. She chuckled a little. Her eyes glowed with desire. "You've got a power that even I have never come across before. And I want it."

"If I had powers, I'd know about it," Perry narrowed his eyes even more.

"You do, you just don't realize you do," she laughed. Perry winced. Her laughter sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Her finger stroked his cheekbone. "Those dreams aren't dreams, Perry Flynn. You have a small gland in your brain, in the anterior temporal lobe, that no other creature has. And I don't mean you as in platypuses—I mean you as in _specifically you_.

"This gland, which my top Mytax scientists are now calling the Eiennojikan Gland, contains about a teaspoon of partial Hej that has never been found in Ankunin or Eiyu-tachi; its existence, of course, is uncanny, as not even Pure Hej can do what your Hej can do."

"And...what can my Hej do?" Perry breathed.

"Travel through time and space," Eclipse whispered. Perry blinked. She couldn't be serious. "Why are those events so realistic? Because you're there. Think about it. It's only fuzzy because you can't control it and you're fighting it. Don't fight it."

"I can't give you my brain," Perry frowned, returning to the prior topic.

"That's why you have two choices," Eclipse grinned. "Either give me a child with your powers, or die and give me your brain."

"You're a real freak," Perry breathed. "But you can have any DNA of mine except my brain, and you sure as heck can't have my child."

"Well, by choices I mean tasks," she frowned. "And by or, I mean _and__._"

* * *

**Perry's rating his distaste for Eclipse at a 12 on a scale of 1-10. What about you? **

**Next Chapter...Phineas**


	6. Commitment

**It has been TOO long, mes amis! After those dreaded midterms hit, the college life was SO much of a struggle! But I am done with all of my papers and have time to write something other than ancient China, the Underworld, liberal arts, and Jean-Luc Godard! Finals won't keep me down! Now, FINALLY, a new chapter! -AJ **

* * *

Phineas

With a loud shout, he threw the phone through the nearest window. As he stared at the molten glass bubbling around the gaping hole he'd just created, Phineas felt his body shaking with frustration. There had to be a positive side to this. He couldn't find it, though. Eclipse holding Perry captive had no good turnout. The last time she'd successfully held him, _Semi_ had happened.

Clenching his flaming fists, Phineas took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He'd been told by several people that although his anger was rarely seen, it was ugly when it did show. His breathing was heavy. His eyes wandered over to the freezer. Biting his lip, he wrung his hands to put out the fires, yanked the door open, and thrust his hands into a bag of ice at the bottom. The sensation was so violent that he screamed. Both ice and bag began to melt.

"Phineas, _what_ are you doing?!" Isabella's voice demanded. She came over to him and placed one hand on his forehead. Jerking her hand away, she drew in a sharp breath and frowned at her husband. "Thirty-seven years old and you _still_ can't control this? I hate to re-recommend this to you, baby, but you should seriously consider Hej removal."

"It's a part of me, though!" Phineas retorted. "It's like if you asked Ferb and me to stop inventing. It's just not natural."

"Look, it was dangerous enough when we had small children," Isabella crossed her arms, "but it only seems to be getting worse. You're a Level Three Partial Hej user…that's bad."

"Only because the scale is a one to three scale," Phineas huffed.

"Yes, which makes you a danger to yourself and others!" Isabella threw her hands out to her sides. Phineas pulled his dry hands from the freezer and held them a few inches from his face. Steam was still present from the ice he'd touched. "Lately, I have barely been able to touch you. Isn't that a problem? Sleeping in the same bed as you gets too hot even in the winter!"

"What can I do about that?" Phineas swallowed. He sighed and gazed into her furious blue eyes. "If I lose my Hej, I lose my chances of rescuing Perry."

"Would you give it up about the platypus?" Isabella groaned. Phineas tensed up. "For fifteen years, that's all I've heard. 'We need to find Perry, where has Perry gone, I will stop at nothing to find Perry, if we don't find Perry soon…' blah, blah, blah! You have a family of your own to look after! You don't need him. So, he got up and left his family—that's not _your_ problem, now is it?"

"He didn't leave his family!" Phineas defended. He crossed his arms. "You should know Perry better than that. He loves his family way too much to leave them. And I now know where he is. So I am obligated to go and save him."

"What do you owe him that makes you so loyal to him?" Isabella cried.

"I REFUSE TO ALLOW A FAMILY TO BE SEPARATED!" Phineas shouted, stomping one foot. The motion and the adrenaline caused Phineas' entire body to transform into flames. Gasping, the familiar action sent fear deep into Phineas' heart. He backed up and glanced at the floor. The linoleum surface was melting under his bare foot. "Not again…no!"

His temperature continued to rise. Regardless of how he waved his arms and focused on quelling the reaction. Isabella quickly threw her hands up and surrounded Phineas with a forcefield to contain the outburst. He felt the energy release from his body and fell to the floor after it was done. His wife let him free. He lay on the floor panting.

"Phineas…" Isabella sighed. She knelt down and stroked his scorching hot forehead. He weakly reached out one hand and touched her wrist. "Well, you've cooled down a little."

"I…I need my powers…to save him…" he stammered. Isabella helped him to his feet and ran her thumb across his cheek. He swallowed. "Remember when he disappeared the first time and I was a doubter?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"I've regretted doubting ever since," his eyes slipped closed.

"You promised Lexi you wouldn't leave for a long time," Isabella said softly. He nodded and took a deep breath. "Ferb knows where Perry is and is probably going to go after him. Don't worry about it, okay?"

She gently squeezed one of his hands and walked out of the kitchen. Opening his eyes again, he watched her as she left. Isabella had a point, but finding Perry seemed so important. Ferb was most likely on a mission and couldn't drop everything to go after the platypus. Why did it feel like this was Phineas' responsibility? Perry wasn't his blood. He was just a friend that was as close as a brother.

"Isabella's…right…right?" Phineas whispered to himself. He bit his lip. Shaking his head, he made a dash for the hall closet. He reached inside and pulled out his old Mytax robe. Beating a little bit of dust out of it, he slipped the robe off of the coat hanger and onto his own shoulders. The silky fabric was slightly cool on his warm skin. This would keep him from burning his clothes off. He could only prevent them from burning so well. What he was wearing now was singed.

He hated telling himself this, but Isabella was not right. Yes, he had promised Lexi, but wouldn't finding her father make it up to her? That's what this was all about, after all. His honorary nieces and nephews needed their father. One parent was already dead—he couldn't let that happen to the other.

Tiptoeing into his bedroom he made for the closet to remove his shoes. They were close to the door, so he scooped them up with one grab and looked over at his wife. She wasn't asleep, to his knowledge. He walked over to her, bent down, and kissed her brow. She hummed.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He turned and swiftly ran to the living area. Tying on his shoes, he couldn't help but feel guilty about what he was going to do. A tap on his shoulder made him look up. His three children were staring at him with blank expressions. Doof was at Dani's knee. "What?"

"Are you going to save Uncle Perry?" Dani asked, twirling the end of her ponytail. He nodded. "Then count us in."

"I can't bring you three," Phineas frowned.

"Four!" Doof exclaimed grouchily.

"Whatever, four," Phineas blinked. "Your mother doesn't want this to happen. She's already going to be mad at me for leaving after she tried to guilt trip me about Lexi."

"Dad, this is something you can't stop," Dani smiled, hugging her two brothers to her sides. Doof hugged her leg for emphasis. "We're going together—as a family."

* * *

**Exactly how much trouble is Phineas is? **

**Next Chapter...Ferb**


	7. A Rescue Mission

**A short bit of Ferb. -AJ **

* * *

Ferb

"Get the engines started, we're following that ship," Ferb ordered. Baljeet saluted him jokingly and headed for the cockpit. He was the third best pilot on board, so he wouldn't actually be doing the driving, but Ferb needed a moment to talk with Kenneth and Grace Monogram. Walking into the cabin, Ferb looked down at the twins with a frown. They were seventeen, Kenneth being only about thirty minutes older than his sister. Their hair was the same color, closer to Monty's brown than Vanessa's, but they had their mother's face.

"They're a bit shaken up, eh?" Lyla said, offering Ferb a small smile. He raised his brow and sat down across from the kids. They wouldn't look at him. Ferb understood. Seeing a battlefield was harsh enough on the mind, but a battle between supernatural beings? That was even harder on the soul of a Mortale.

"Look, I know this was…quite the experience," Ferb started. He bit his lip, thought a moment, and then continued, "But I can't erase it from your minds. Remember, you wanted to come with us. This is what we do for a living. We can drop you off back home if you like."

"It's not that," Kenneth shook his head. Grace shook her head as well.

"It's our father," she added.

"What about him?" Ferb lifted one eyebrow in confusion. Both children frowned. "What's wrong with your father?"

"He's…he's not at that conference," Grace swallowed. She started to tear up. Her brother wrapped one arm around her and held her close. "He…he was kidnapped…by an evil woman with jet black hair and violet eyes…"

"Supposedly, she was holding him for ransom," Kenneth continued for her, as she broke down into a fit of blubbering. "She wanted the O.W.C.A.'s most dangerous prisoner in exchange for his life."

"Wait," Lyla interjected. She sat down next to Ferb and frowned. "Are you meaning to say that Agent P was O.W.C.A.'s most dangerous prisoner? That doesn't make any sense. P would never do anything to get on O.W.C.A.'s bad side. His issues were few and far between."

The twins didn't offer anything else. Ferb assumed they must not have known who the prisoner was or what he'd done. Lyla's statement had connected dots, though. Eclipse's ships had been here on Namela'as with Perry. She had just made a trade for Monty's ransom. Perry had been missing for fifteen years. Could it be true that the secret agent had been in prison for that time-span? Lyla hummed in thought. Ferb decided he should fill in the blank.

"It makes sense in a sense," he said, standing and heading for the cockpit. Baljeet brushed past him, most likely on his way to find Buford. Lyla hopped up to follow him. He sat down in the pilot's chair, and she in the co-pilot's chair. She was giving him a look that implied he needed to explain. He didn't respond.

"Quit playing this game with me," she smiled. Ferb didn't return it. Her smile vanished. "You and I both know P was a good, reputable agent. His major would never lock him up like that."

"Some crimes are unforgiveable," Ferb blinked. He set the ship to autopilot, but remained where he was. Lyla raised her brow in question. The man sighed. "Murder, Lyla. I believe Perry was jailed for being a serial killer."

* * *

**The big question here: who will get to Perry first? Or will they get to him at all?**

**Next Chapter...Venus**


	8. Caged

**Sorry for the short fillers, guys. I'm grasping for good filler details. Gah. -AJ **

* * *

Venus

She'd been shoved into a room with a handful of others and did not like it one bit. From what Lochlan had told her, he'd been inspired to put on a show for his Master after reading a dystopia trilogy that "had been popular in the 21st century." The man made no sense save for the fact that Venus was ninety-percent certain that he meant _The Hunger Games_. Because that was exactly what she needed in her life—a battle to the death with strangers that he and his Master hated. A woman with extremely cold skin bumped against her, disrupting her chain of thought.

"Oh! Oh, klaj!" the woman exclaimed, looking down at her. Venus blinked a few times. This lady was definitely alien. Her icy blue hair stood up at an angle and pointed behind her like icicles. Her skin was whiter than snow. Her eyes were teal, like tropical waters. Venus glanced at her feet. At the base of each leg, her appendages split in two, resembling table legs. The platypus shuddered.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Oh! English," the lady smiled. "I forget sometimes that the Alterverse Standard Languages are English and Kyeaclae. Much prefer my native Adagnu."

Adagnu. This woman was from Neptune. Or, as they called it, Adagnu. Their language, species, and planet were all the same word in their simple language. English and Kyeaclae must have been very difficult for her to learn. The only thing that truly connected the two beings was the fact that they were both prisoners of Eclipse, handcuffed and ready to be fed into a bloodbath.

"You are terrified of what is to come?" the Adagnu woman tilted her head.

"This isn't right," Venus nodded. It wasn't fear, but she'd let her have that. Venus was confident in her fighting skill. It was her ability to take a life that she worried about. Perhaps some of these "contestants" would point to the opposite end of her moral compass. They'd be easier to take down. She scanned the room and felt another bump to her back. "What now?"

She turned around to see Monty giving her an unamused glare. Quickly apologizing with her glance, she sighed and looked away.

"Only one of us can live before they let us out," he said softly.

"I can protect myself…" she closed her eyes. "But I cannot murder."

That silenced the man. There was no winning this situation. Two types of people filled this room- those who wouldn't kill and those who would. Venus could hope for those that had no heart to kill to outnumber those who didn't, but she wouldn't allow herself such. Her chances at survival were at a low. Protection was only so helpful if the person wouldn't relent until one or the other was dead. A nudge made her look back up at Monty.

"We'll find a way," he whispered. Before Venus could answer him, Mytax flooded into the room, each grabbing one prisoner by the shoulders and leading him or her away. Venus was grabbed by someone a few inches taller than herself. The Mytax member shoved her into a small room and slammed a door shut behind her. Darkness enveloped her. The handcuffs fell from around her wrists.

Venus dashed over to the door and started to feel around for a handle. There was none. She slammed her fists on the door and began to shout for them to release her when the wall behind her creaked. Jerking her head around, she watched as the wall slid away, revealing a blinding light. _So it begins._

* * *

**Again, apologies for the small chapters. **

**Next Chapter...Perry**


	9. The Girl and the Mouse

**Yay! My length has gotten better- though my timing has gotten worse. I apologize, guys. -AJ **

* * *

Perry

Perry had run until he couldn't run anymore. The area that Eclipse's Mytax had dumped them in was thick with vegetation. He fell to his hands and knees and tried to catch his breath. Running was something he hadn't done in fifteen years. The serum that Eclipse had injected in his veins was wearing off. It had temporarily boosted his energy to that of his youth, but that was nearly gone. Panting, he took a glance behind himself. None of the others seemed to have followed him. He wondered how long he would last.

The forest surrounding him was filled with an eerie silence. This was no feat of nature. Nature would be crawling with insect life and other creatures. It would be making sounds. Nothing but the soft sound of the air movement accompanied Perry's gasps for oxygen. He forced himself up to his feet.

If there was one thing he knew, it was that survival counted on not stopping. One break would leave him dead. Of course, he wasn't even sure what he was fighting for anymore. He most likely had no family left. All staying alive did for him was keep Eclipse's dirty paws off of his brain. He had to live to stop her. That was the only way.

Leaves rustled to his rear. Perry turned around and stared into the bushes. He couldn't see anyone. His old eyes weren't helping anything. Squinting, he leaned over and peered into the brush. Seeing nothing, he threw his hands up in distress, sighing loudly. That was when it hit him.

Pain screamed from his left wrist. He brought his arms down to shockingly discover the lack of a hand on his left arm. Shouting more from alarm than pain, he turned around to find another platypus staring at him, mouth half open. She, for it was clearly female, was holding a bloodied sword down low.

"Oh my gosh, you're…" she whispered.

"I'd prefer not to die by losing each appendage," Perry put his arms in the air, ignoring the pain and the blood on his left. He waited for her to push the sword through his heart, but it never happened. She simply stood there, transfixed by his presence. He shifted uneasily. "You came all this way just to turn me into Luke Skywalker?"

"I…you're…" she stammered. Perry narrowed his eyes, slowly lowering his arms. She cleared her throat. "You can't be Agent P…he hasn't been seen for years."

"How do you know that name?" Perry frowned.

"Your face is on all of the walls at the O.W.C.A., how could I _not_?" she gawked. Her eyes remained fixed on the damage she'd dealt. Perry himself was trying to ignore it. He focused on her claim. "Where have you been?"

"In the basement of O.W.C.A.-TRAZ for fifteen years!" he shot back, finding it somewhat insulting that agents would wonder where he was. So Monogram had never had the nerve to tell them. The female platypus stiffened and her breathing stopped a moment. "You know, it's one thing to condemn someone for murders they're not technically responsible for, but it's another to lie to your agency and tell them that your top agent just disappeared when you threw him into prison without a trial."

"Wait…you're my mission?" she blinked. The young agent dropped the sword in her hand. Perry wondered how many people she'd had to fight to get to that weapon. "He sent me to recover the most dangerous prisoner of our agency and it's a top agent from over a decade ago. This…this is…"

"You don't have to say anything, kid," Perry snorted. He sat down in the dirt and sighed. His eyes closed. They were hurting. His now handless arm was hurting. The female silently approached him and reached for his bloodied wrist. Perry's right hand snapped up and grasped her arm. "Why are you touching me?"

"You're injured and it's all my fault," she said softly. He could sense the guilt in her voice. She didn't want to have to harm anyone, but she was almost being forced to by the circumstances. This young agent simply wanted to help. He released her arm and opened his eyes. "Not much for a trusting person are you?"

"The only person one can trust is oneself," Perry returned curtly. He watched with curiosity as the girl reached one hand out and a vine of thick leaves emerged from the plant life around them. She took the leaves off of the vine and started to gently press them on the wound. "Wait…you're a Hej-wielder?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "Majikkuhausu of Shizen. I can control nature. I'm a Niji. You were recruited before the O.W.C.A. took recruits with Partial Hej, aren't you?"

"Yeah, the only Hej in this body is the Hej that's giving me a severe headache," Perry grumbled. She ignored his comment and continued to treat his unnecessary amputation with the leaves. "That…that actually feels kinda good. What…?"

"Don't question it," she shook her head. The leaves rustled again. Perry sat up, and the girl dove for her sword. She held one hand up, perhaps ready to call up more vines or some rocks to her aid. Human hands parted the branches and the girl used her powers to wrap the plants around the wrists. "Hold it, mate!"

"I'm not here to hurt anyone!" the human exclaimed. Perry sat up and frowned. He knew that voice. It had been a very long time since he'd heard it, but there was no mistaking that Japanese accent. The girl gave him a furious glance.

"Agent P, what are you doing?" she frowned.

"Relax, kid, I know him," Perry said, nodding for her to release him. She called back the plants slowly and watched as the man came into the small clearing. The smooth Asian skin, the messy black hair, the unusual blue eyes. Benjimi Yu was a hard character to miss. Less so as a human, but his unnatural eyes called him out nonetheless. "You haven't aged a day."

"And you, Perry Flynn, most certainly have," Benjimi laughed. He crouched down and frowned at Perry's missing hand. Pretending to ignore the detail, the Shujinko looked into the platypus' eyes and smiled a little. "They told me you must have died. Where have you been all these years?"

"I was locked up for murder," Perry sighed. This story was going to get old very fast. He blinked and pushed past it. "I see you're still human. Svinski's antidote must have worked well."

"Yes," the man nodded. "But something tells me you liked small me better."

"Didn't have to look up to you," Perry joked. Benjimi laughed a second time, more quietly. The girl sat down and started to fiddle with the leaves on his arm again. He made an effort not to jerk away. The Shujinko snapped his fingers and shapeshifted back into the form Perry had first met him in—the form that, at Invinci, had earned him the nickname "Pika Chuu" (though he would punch anyone for associating him with the widely known Pokémon). Perry gave him a blank look.

"Is this better?" Benjimi elbowed him. Perry winced a little, but rolled his eyes anyways. "Yeah, before Svinski found a cure for my situation, my wife Dina offered to take on this form as well. Of course, then she stayed like this…so I use my human form for diplomacy stuffs, and this form for the rest of my life."

"You're a laugh riot," Perry sighed.

"_Hai_," he nodded. "Now, don't you think it's about time we thought of a way to get out of here? We're trapped inside of this arena, but there has to be a way out."

"I was thinking the same," the girl added. She crossed her arms and raised her brow to the Shujinko. "The only problem is, Agent P will slow us down. He's old, weak, and currently missing a hand."

"No thanks to you!" Perry snorted.

"And…you are?" Benjimi frowned.

"Venus," she said sharply. "My name is Venus Mitchell. Alias, Special Agent V. I'm a specially trained O.W.C.A. operative with Shizen Hej. I typically perform off-planet missions dealing with Earth inhabitants who have gotten somehow tangled up with this Wynkynx War nonsense."

"I agree, this is all nonsense," Benjimi hummed. He grabbed his right ear and pulled it beneath his chin. Perry frowned and watched him wave the other ear back and forth like a lighter at a concert. "Eclipse has taken things to a very strange level. She's resorting to Mortale, or human, to you Perry, fiction as a means of creatively antagonizing anyone who doesn't submit to her claim as Empress of the Alterverse." Releasing his ear, he then grabbed the other one and began to do the same thing as before.

"What in the Alterverse are you doing?" Venus grumbled. "It's driving my attention span crazy trying to listen to you while you're doing that."

"Ear exercises," Benjimi said, as if this were normal. "It helps for expressing adorable emotions that involve ears."

"He takes a lot of getting used to," Perry whispered to her. She frowned. "Trust me, I met him when I was six. I am still not used to his level of weird. There comes a point when you simply accept that this is Benjimi, and Benjimi will always be Benjimi. Accept it and move on."

"I got another one that will help you platypuses out, too," he said, letting go of his left ear. Perry blinked, unamused. The Shujinko placed his head on the ground, lifted his rear end into the air, and proceeded to wave his tail around in circles. Venus looked as if she were about to faint. She was clearly unaccustomed to a lack of professionalism. Perry snatched Benjimi's tail and pulled him down to the ground on his back. "_A, ototo_, Perry! What was that for?"

"Quit fooling around, we need to think of a way to get out of here!" Perry growled. He thought for a moment to himself. Had he always been this grouchy? Shaking his head, he sighed. Benjimi sat up and bit his lip. "Look, I'm sorry, I just…"

"I get it, you've been away from people for a time and are not very patient," Benjimi shrugged. "I apologize for not being sensitive to your condition."

"What do you know about being in solitary confinement?" Perry snorted.

"More than you think or assume," Benjimi smiled, tapping the bridge of his nose. He waved one hand and set a forcefield up around us. "We can camp here for tonight. You two get your sleep, now. In the morning, we will blow this pop stand. Or however those silly English idioms go."

Perry sighed again and laid back on the ground. He would try to sleep, but tomorrow—tomorrow they fought.

* * *

**You know, I totally freaking forgot about Benjimi. So...he's back. For now. **

**Next Chapter...Phineas**


	10. The Rental

**I know, I was so happy about my length and this chapter length totally sucks. So sorry for the wait. I'm super busy at college and work alike, AND I might have been in the hospital getting an appendix removed. Super yuck. Dumb appendix. -AJ **

* * *

Phineas

"I really hate Retropelet!"

It was the first thing Phineas heard when he landed on a cold, metal surface. The comment had come from a very annoyed Doof. He brushed it off and ignored the statement. His job now was to determine where they had landed. They were inside of a building standing near a couple of metal detectors. A few guards in uniforms had their backs to Phineas, but not for long. Three turned and faced the Flynn family with smiles.

"Can we help you, sir?" said the first.

"Watashitachiha, sensei ga anata o tasukeru koto wa dekimasu ka?" the second tilted his head.

"Puix nux ayidhr-vux, Ankunin-daz?" the third asked.

"English, we speak English," Phineas told them. It was customary for any Gonarish workers to address new customers in the three main languages of Gonarede: Japanese, Kyeaclae, and English. They must have assumed that he spoke English due to his skin color and simply used the other two languages out of job requirement. The first guard smiled and waited. "We would like to take a ship to Jake'nna Kokoro."

"Of course, right this way," the guard nodded. He turned on his heel and walked slowly down the corridor behind him. Phineas waved for his children and Doof to follow swiftly. They were taken into a large hangar filled with small, single-family spacecraft. "I don't wish to argue your choice to fly a craft to Jake'nna Kokoro, but would it not be more effective to use a Retropelet, sir?"

"Empress Eclipse has raised her defenses, I'm afraid," Phineas sighed. It was true. About seven years prior, Eclipse had her top Mytax scientists develop barrier waves that blocked Retropelet from boarding her cities. One had to have a ship and proper identification to enter Jake'nna Kokoro or her sister cities. "It's a rough business, nowadays."

"Ah, I apologize," the guard offered a polite smile as he dropped a set of keys into Phineas' hand. "Times are hard, even for those in favor of the Empire."

"Indeed," Phineas hummed. He turned quickly and boarded the ship beside him. Danielle, Jacob, and Devin quickly slipped into the passenger seats. Doof took a moment to get himself oriented before finding his seat as well. Phineas took to the pilot's chair and began to run through pre-fight checks before inserting the key into the ignition and setting the autopilot for Jake'nna Kokoro's coordinates.

"What exactly are we supposed to do for a several hour trip to the capital of the empire of all heck?" Doof grumbled.

"Amuse yourself," Danielle smirked, tossing him a Rubik's cube. Doof frowned at the puzzle toy and flipped it around in his hands a few times before muttering something to himself as he tried to match up the colored tiles. She looked at her brothers, who instantly snickered and pulled out their cellphones.

Phineas watched as they enjoyed their last few minutes of Gonarish 4G. He would enjoy the complaints he'd receive once the ship left the atmosphere and they could no longer tweet about their boring lives on Twitter, like a duck face on Facebook, or make a rude comment on Yik Yak.

Being on his way to save Perry kept his mind calm. Even with three kids and a super-annoying evil scientist on board his rental spaceship, it was the one thought that gave him a small smile. It was hope. It was peace.

* * *

**Yes, that was short and dumb. I feel how dumb it was. I just...forgot where I was going with it. The last four paragraphs I just wrote and the rest was like...three months ago. If there is another space, I apologize in advance. **

**Next Chapter...Ferb**


End file.

Phineas and Ferb, Adventure