Gypsy the Cat sat next to her friend Perry the Platypus. "So... What do you want to do?" she asked awkwardly.
Perry grinned. "Sleep until we're called in. That's what happens every summer."
Gypsy chuckled. "I'm not really tired..."
Perry shrugged. "There's always seeing what Phineas and Ferb are doi-."
Perry's watch began to beep.
Gypsy giggled. "That didn't take very long."
Perry sighed heavily. "Not surprised." He turned on his watch.
"What did he say?" Gypsy asked when Perry turned it off.
"Doof," Perry replied. "We need to go stop him."
Gypsy grinned. "Is it ever not him?" she asked.
Perry paused in thought. "Well… A couple of times."
"So what's he up to?" Gypsy asked.
"Not sure. We need to go find out."
Gypsy smiled excitedly. "This is going to be good! This is my first proper mission."
"Then let's get going," Perry grinned.
Gypsy hesitated. "Are you...taking the hovercar?"
"Do you want me to use it?"
"I'd...rather keep my paws on the floor." Gypsy whipped out her fedora and placed it on her head. "I don't like flying."
Perry nodded. "Okay. Then I won't take it."
"You can," urged Gypsy. "I will be fine running. The earth gives me strength."
Perry raised an eyebrow. "O-kay...?"
Gypsy quickly shut her mouth, and cowered slightly. She'd forgotten that Perry didn't know...
"I-I have a lot of stamina," she covered lamely.
Perry chuckled. "You're one of a kind, Gypsy."
Gypsy smiled shyly, feeling her heartrate increase. "Th-Thanks..."
"Let's get going."
Gypsy gave a sheepish smile. "You get going. I'll meet you there."
Perry nodded, smiling. "Sure thing." He raced off.
Gypsy turned away, cursing herself. Idiot! You can't reveal your powers to Perry, idiot! What if he finds out and hates you?! Then...there'll be absolutely NO chance of anything to happen between you...
Gypsy sighed. "You need to go," she said aloud. "Stop wasting time."
She headed outside and felt her feet connect with the soil. It sent a tingle of energy up her entire body. She felt like she could run to England. The cat immediately sped off after Perry's rocketcar, which she found speeding through the sky. She grinned. She might even make it to D.E.I. BEFORE Perry. THAT would be cool. AND a first. Gypsy grinned, thinking about it. Maybe earth would beat flying for once.
Unfortunately, it didn't. Perry made it to their destination only seconds before Gypsy.
Gypsy growled in frustration. "Aww man!"
Perry laughed. "Keep trying. You're getting better." He patted her on the back. "I still don't get how you can run as fast as a hovercar."
Gypsy shrugged. "Maybe it's just in my blood."
"I guess you ARE a cat..."
Gypsy smiled. "Yeah. Now where's Doofenshmirtz?"
"Let's go see."
Gypsy clutched Perry's arm as they slunk into the lab. "Is it...is it always this dark?" she asked softly.
"Maybe he's not here…"
"I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed..."
"We'll find him," Perry said firmly.
Gypsy hesitated. "What exactly did Major Monogram say about the situation?"
"He didn't give any specifics," Perry replied warily. "Just that Doof was doing something evil."
"And...did he specifically mention that he's in his building?"
"No…" Perry sighed. "But he almost always is."
"Maybe he really isn't here, then." Gypsy hesitated. "Where else could he be?"
Perry paused. "Let me check and see if the Major knows."
As he did that, Gypsy checked the small date diary she kept on her. "Perry...!"
"Yeah?"
Gypsy turned the diary round, showing Perry the entry for today: L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. BIG MEETING.
Perry grinned sheepishly. "Hey... What do you know?"
Gypsy laughed sheepishly. "Yeah... Guess it's lucky we remembered sooner rather than later."
"It's a good thing you've got that book. Come on, we'd better go. I have a feeling where this'll be."
Gypsy nodded. "Okay."
…
Luckily, THIS time, they were right. They found the abandoned, drafty warehouse full of evil scientists milling about. "Does Major Monogram really expect us to take down all of them by ourselves?" Gypsy asked, quietly and nervously.
"Nope," Perry replied, pointing across the rafter they were sitting on.
Gypsy saw several other animal agents, including a couple she recognised, like Perry's friend Pinky. She exhaled. "Oh, thank goodness."
"Each agent is here for their nemesis," Perry explained. "Like Pinky for Poofenplotz and Terry for Rodney."
"Is Doofenshmirtz here?" Gypsy asked.
"He must be," Perry replied.
They both scrutinised the meeting below.
"Yep, there he is," Perry said finally.
Gypsy followed his gaze and caught sight of their nemesis. "What do we do?" she asked quietly.
"Do what the others do," Perry answered. "Wait for a good moment to attack."
Gypsy hesitated. "I don't do well in large crowds. If everyone attacks at once..."
Perry hesitated as well, unsure of what to say. "Maybe we can wait," he said eventually. "If everyone attacks at once, we'll hold back until we see Doof."
Gypsy bit her lip. "I guess..."
All of a sudden, a dog agent leapt down from the roof and landed on an evil scientist's head.
Perry chucked. "Well, looks like Daniel started it."
Then a female fox agent did the same. Then Pinky and Terry. Soon, everyone except Perry and Gypsy had attacked, causing the room to erupt into chaos.
Gypsy winced. "How do we spot Doofenshmirtz in this?"
"Look for someone who isn't fighting anyone, I guess." Perry suddenly spotted him. "There! Come or stay, I don't mind."
With that, he leapt down into the fray. Gypsy hesitated and swallowed before following. She followed Perry as he ran after Doof.
All three of them stopped in a small room. The door swung shut, and Gypsy spotted the female fox agent again, going against Rodrigo. Perry and Doofenshmirtz began engaging in a lengthy fight, and as Gypsy was going to help, she realised that the fox agent seemed to need more help than him.
However, SHE didn't even seem to know. "What are you doing?!" the fox hissed as Gypsy came over to help.
Gypsy backed up immediately, looking scared. "I..."
Rodrigo seized this opportunity and fled out the door.
"Now look what you did!" the fox snarled, racing after him.
Gypsy hesitated. She didn't want to make things worse, but now, the fox agent COULD use some help, so she ran after the two of them.
Rodrigo had just batted the fox away when Gypsy caught up to them. She used some of her power to grow vines from through the cracks in the concrete floor, which wrapped round Rodrigo's foot.
He blinked. "What just happened?"
"You're trapped," Gypsy stated, more fiercely than she felt.
The fox shot Gypsy a glare. "Why, exactly, are you following?"
"To help you," replied Gypsy, wilting under the fox's glare. "I...felt bad..."
"Well, don't," the fox snapped, pulling out handcuffs.
Gypsy felt indignation overshadow her nervousness. "What is your problem?" she snapped. "I wanted to make up for almost messing you up!"
"Well, I can do this myself!"
"Congratulations for catching him!" Gypsy snapped sarcastically. "Oh, wait..."
The fox growled. "I WOULD have if you hadn't gotten in the way!"
"I had nothing to do with it! He kicked you away! If I hadn't-!"
She broke off quickly; the fox was giving her a strong glare.
"Enough, Kiki," came a familiar voice that helped Gypsy relax a little.
Gypsy exhaled in relief and backed up a step as Perry came over to them.
Kiki turned her glare to him. "What do YOU want, Perry?" she spat.
Gypsy sidled behind Perry for protection; Kiki looked ready to punch someone.
"Gypsy is my friend," Perry replied, not seeming at all fazed. "You should leave her alone."
"She interfered with MY mission!" snarled Kiki.
"We're all kind of sharing a mission," Perry retorted.
"Fine; she interfered with MY fight with MY nemesis!"
"Who is probably the hardest L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. scientist to fight," Perry answered, his gaze narrowing slightly.
"I'd say that's Rodney." Kiki clenched her fists. "The fact remains that she had NO right to stick her nose in where she wasn't wanted!"
"You're welcome!" Gypsy snapped.
"And another thing; those vines." Kiki turned her glare onto the cat. "Where did they come from?"
Gypsy bit her lip and immediately froze. "U-Umm..."
"You must have done something," accused Kiki, jabbing her finger at Gypsy. "They couldn't have just grown from the concrete on their own. What did you do?"
"I-I-I j-j-just..."
"Leave her alone, Kiki!" snarled Perry. "And focus on the fact that Rodrigo got away!"
"W-What?!" Kiki gasped.
She spun round and saw the dead vines on the ground. Rodrigo was gone.
Kiki whirled around again and gave Gypsy a death glare. "Stay. Away. From me. And my missions. Understood?"
Gypsy's shoulders slumped. "I-I'm sorry..."
As the fox stormed off, Perry gave her a one-shouldered hug. "Don't worry about Kiki. Okay?"
Gypsy nodded slowly.
Perry frowned. "But why didn't you say it wasn't your fault? It was all of our fault that he got away, because none of us were paying attention to him."
"I just...didn't want to make things worse."
Perry smiled softly. "Alright."
Gypsy sighed. "I just...wanted to help." She miserably kicked the dead vine.
"I understand," Perry said. "It was the same with me. I always wanted to help Kiki and some other agents, but... They never let me, and always got angry with me."
"I'm never going to fit in..."
"I felt the same way," Perry reassured. "This'll get easier, don't worry."
Gypsy sighed heavily and kicked the vine again.
"Stupid thing," she mumbled.
Perry hesitated. "Gyp...where DID that vine come from?"
Gypsy froze, eventually deciding on, "I don't...know..."
"Kiki was right about one thing: they couldn't have grown there on their own."
Gypsy shrugged weakly. "No accounting for nature?"
Perry snorted. "Come on, Gyp. Nature's not THAT random."
Gypsy bit her lip. She had run out of excuses. "I... Uh..."
Perry shook his head. "Alright, I won't force you to say anything you don't want to."
"Th-Thanks." She hesitated and looked down. "Now what?"
Perry shrugged. "Back home. I don't think there's anything else we need to worry about here."
Gypsy nodded slowly. "Alright."
"Let's get going."