Chapter 1
"Please, let me go! I swear I don't carry my wallet with me when I walk down spooky alleyways in the middle of the night! I have nothing of value, so please release me!" The man was bound from shoulders to ankles with an absurd amount of rope, but the abundance of coils and knots certainly did their job. He couldn't move a muscle.
"Oh, you know what? Now that I think about it, maybe I really should let you go. I totally expected to kidnap somebody who was loaded with money so that I could take it all and use it to take over the Tri-State Area. But if that's not the case, I guess I have no choice but to release you."
"Really?"
"No! Of course not! What kind of dummkopf do you think I am? Because I am definitely not the kind that would take somebody prisoner just to release them after taking like an hour to tie them up!"
The prisoner was still trying to get his bearings. He seemed to be in a large room full of strange electronic equipment. As he struggled against his bindings, he realized that in addition to the rope, he was also duck taped to a wooden chair that was apparently super-glued to the floor. Overkill, peculiar, even; but there was no chance of escape. It was dim, yet there was enough light for him to see the outline of his captor. The tall man had a slouch and spoke with a distinct German accent. He wore a lab coat that was bright white, making him stand out slightly in front of the dark background.
"Who are you?" he asked, trying to find answers.
"Oh, don't worry, Mr. President, my identity will become clear soon enough. In fact, the day will soon come when everyone will know the name Heinz Doofenshmirtz!"
Confused that this odd man had apparently tried to dodge his question and then ended up answering it anyways, the captive didn't know what to say, other than, "You know, I'm not the President, so I don't know why you're calling me that. And hey, Doofenshmirtz is it? Are you by any chance related to the mayor, Roger Doofenshmirtz?"
"Silence! You will not speak that name on these premises until he has been shamefully removed from his position. Which, by my calculations, will be in approximately twenty-four hours. And I will rise to take his place, as ruler of the Tri-State Area! That is why I need you out of the way. Then, my plan will go forward, positioning me into checkmate! Oh wait, not me, I mean by brother. I won't be the one in checkmate, he will—oh, nevermind, the moment's gone. Ah, forget it, you won't be around much longer anyway, so I don't mind at all telling you my brilliant plan."
By the time the evil scientist had finished elaborating, the prisoner could only think of one thing to say. "You're mad!"
"No, I am not mad, I'm evil! Why do people always call us 'mad' scientists? I'm not angry or anything! Well, I guess I do hate a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I'm mad at anybody. I don't blame you or the innocent people of the Tri-State Area for all the terrible things that happened to me; I just happen to be evil, so I'm going to take over your country. It's, it's just what I do. Nothing personal."
Apparently finished, the evil scientist reached into his lab coat and pulled it out. He aimed it at the prisoner's head, finger on the trigger. The prisoner had never been so scared in his life. He didn't even hear a BANG! before everything went dark.
Phineas Flynn and his step-brother, Ferb Fletcher, were stretched out in their usual place in the backyard. Here they could prepare for the day by enjoying the beautiful blue sky above contrast against the green grass below. Equally green were the leaves of the one large tree they were currently resting under. It had become their custom to come out to this comfortable spot every morning and decide what they should do for the day. But this day was different. They already knew what they were going to do, they were just waiting for their friends to arrive before getting started.
"Bittersweet. That's what today feels like," Phineas said aloud. In no hurry, he took a long pause before continuing. He knew his brother and best friend wouldn't interrupt him. "I still can't believe this is the end. This is it. Today is finally the day." He felt Ferb nod in agreement beside him. "I know we should have seen this coming, but it just seems so… sudden."
A minute of silence passed as the sun climbed slowly in the eastern sky. It wasn't hot, but it would be soon. As if aware of the significance today held, all nature seemed to be moving more slowly. The shadows cast by the rising sun imperceptibly shifted; the wind was still; the streets were empty; and the birds were unusually quiet this morning. Everything had combined in anticipation of just what it all meant: school starts tomorrow. Today would be the last day of summer vacation.