AUTHOR'S NOTE: For all those who have come this far, I say unto you, well done.
You have endured The Vengeance (or cheated and read the summary) and reached
what I consider to be the good part of the story. If you have not read Parts One
and Two of The Picture yet I strongly recommend that you read them before
reading this part because it will not make sense. Anyway, here's the story.
The Picture: Part Three-The Training
Chapter 1: Everyone's Next Steps
WOW. Ferb thought. When he'd come to Red River Bridge he'd expected
to find, you know, a bridge. What he found was a pile of rubble strewn across
the big river. On the bank he was on (the city side) and on the opposite bank
he saw the shells of bombed-out vehicles, alien corpses, ruined barricades and
random weapons scattered about. The street that led into the city from the
bridge was little more than a few million craters with tiny chunks of pavement
and the occasional alien body part remaining. The huge buildings on either
side of the street were scarred black from explosions.
"This must've been some battle," Ferb observed.
Perry chattered.
"I have to wonder if Candace even survived it."
They weren't the only ones there. All around them were relatively
small, red, dinosaur creatures that looked a lot like Candace, cleaning up the
mess. Ferb figured that they must've been the conquered race-Tkpxzv were
standing guard over them, beating anyone who attempted to escape or who slowed
their working pace. Not surprisingly, the enslaved dinosaurs looked a little
less than happy.
"I wonder if Phineas understands what he did by helping the Tkpxzv
conquer this planet," Ferb asked.
Perry chattered again.
Ferb sighed. Conversation between the world's most quiet inventor and
a secret agent platypus was kind of... one-sided, to say the least.
Coming into space had given him a lot more questions than it had
answered. He had jumped into a world he knew nothing about, with politics,
history and creatures he'd never heard of, who were somehow connected to his
missing sister, who he had no idea how to find.
He looked around at the oppressed creatures. He wanted to help them,
but he knew he had to find Candace first. He wasn't here to save the
universe, he was there to save his sister.
"Well Perry, let's get started shall we?" Ferb said.
Perry growled in agreement.
Ferb pulled out a homemade DNA tracker (notice how with almost any
other character I'd have to explain how they'd gotten it), turned it on, and
set it to home in on Candace's DNA structure.
"If Candace left any trace of herself here, this will show us where
it's at."
They waited a few seconds, then the tracker started beeping. Ferb and
Perry followed the tracker to the back of a smashed barricade on the river
bank. The two searched the area until Perry found what the tracker was homing
in on. From the rubble he pulled one, long strand of red hair.
Perry chattered.
Ferb turned and looked at what Perry had found. Perry handed him the
strand.
Ferb held it in front of his face and studied it, "Well Perry," he
said, "We know one thing. Candace was definitely here."
Perry gurgled in agreement.
A shadow peered out from under the lid of a trash can, watching Perry
and Ferb.
"What are they doing?" it muttered under it's breath. It's eyes swept
the battlefield.
"If Candace was here, shouldn't they, like, ask people if they saw her
or something?" it whispered. The shadow was focused on Ferb and Perry and
didn't notice a red dinosaur coming toward the trash can with a bag about
ready to burst with garbage.
"What's Ferb hold-" the shadow felt the lid lift off it's head. It
looked up and screamed as the dinosaur held the huge bag over it's head.
The dinosaur leapt back and shrieked as well, dropping it's bag and
smashing it all over the pavement.
"KTGBH YTHX!" a Tkpxzv roared. It barreled toward the dinosaur,
raising a weapon that looked like a whip.
The poor dinosaur ran for it's backside, while the shadow sank back
into the trash. The shadow watched as the dinosaur ran down the bombed-out
street and down an alleyway, chased by the Tkpxzv guard. The shadow was
intrigued, so, after making sure no one was looking, it quickly got out of the
trash and dashed over to the alleyway, slinking into the shadows near the
alleyway and glancing around the corner.
The dinosaur was attempting to climb the fence at the back of the
alley to escape. The Tkpxzv caught up and caught its leg with its whip,
bringing it crashing down on it's back. The dinosaur attempted to rise, but
was felled by the Tkpxzv's whip. It cried out as the Tkpxzv began torturing
it, beating it with it's weapon.
The shadow didn't watch long before it decided it should probably
help. It grabbed a knife from it's belt and snuck forward, careful not to
make a sound. When it was close, the shadow charged, leapt and stabbed down
into the back of the Tkpxzv's head.
The Tkpxzv froze, then it fell hard to the ground. It convulsed for a
few moments, attempted to rise, and then fell again and went still.
The cowering dinosaur sat up. It looked at the dead Tkpxzv, and then
looked around in confusion.
"H-hello?" it called uncertainly.
"You speak English?"
The dinosaur screeched and nearly jumped out of it's skin. It cowered
again as a tall, slim, figure with long, dark, hair stepped out of the
shadows. The figure wore a light blue blouse, skirt and bow. It also was
carrying a backpack and an array of improvised weapons. But what struck the
Candasaur most was it's headband.
The figure wore a bright red headband with a white "C" stamped in the
center.
"Wh-who are you?" the dinosaur asked.
"Stacy Hirano," the figure replied.
"Y-you're a human? Like Candace? Why do you wear her colors on your
head?"
Stacy nearly burst with delight, "You know Candace?"
"Not personally. She was here a couple days ago, trying to save us
from the Tkpxzv. Unfortunately, even she couldn't defeat them, it seems..."
"Did she survive the battle?"
"I don't know. She seems to have gone missing."
"Do you know anyone who would know?"
The dinosaur thought a moment, "Maybe," it replied, getting up and
climbing the fence, "Follow me, but be quiet, Tkpxzv are everywhere."
Stacy quickly followed the dinosaur over the fence, hoping beyond
hope that this was her first step toward finding her best friend.
In the meantime, Ferb and Perry were considering their next move.
They had had their backs turned and had missed the action.
"We know she was here... but how does that help us?" Ferb wondered.
Perry growled.
"Ah, welcome, Phineas of Earth!" the governor said, "And welcome to
you too, Isabella."
"Hey governor, what's up?" Phineas asked.
"As my messenger probably told you, I have a new assignment ready for
you."
"What is it?" Isabella asked.
"It is in the same system as your last assignment, with more or less
the same objective. I am sending you two to support our forces in the
invasion of Tizilidai, the planet of the Alions!"
Phineas looked surprised, "You're going to attack the Alions'
Home world? Isn't that like... suicide? Even for the Tkpxzv?"
"Before the Battle of Candasaurus City, it would have been. But now
we have you and your Discourager Ray. After I heard that your invention
turned the Alions to flight in your last battle with them, I knew that we
finally had what we needed to defeat them."
"When do we attack?" Phineas asked.
"In Sol time... about five days."
"That's quick!" Phineas exclaimed.
"Governor, sir, how are you going to gather enough troops to defeat
them in such a short time?" Isabella inquired.
"Yeah, most of the force you had attack Trisaria was wiped out!"
Phineas added.
"We are conscripting troops from all over the Alpha Centauri sector.
They will be poorly armed and poorly trained, but there will be many of them,
and with the help of your Discourager Ray, I'm sure they can prevail. It
doesn't really take any experience to defeat an opponent that's too afraid to
even fight back."
"That's true, but it still pays to be prepared," Isabella pointed out.
"Never you mind, you two. Making grand strategic decisions isn't your
job. If we succeed, it will be to our credit, and if we fail, I will be the
one who gets blamed. Trouble yourselves not with these matters."
"Okay..." Phineas agreed uncertainly.
"Good. Phineas, I want at least four more of those Discourager Rays
built by the time we attack. You will need to train a few of your men to
operate them. You may continue operating one of them."
"Sure."
"Isabella?"
"Yes?"
"Make sure he gets those rays done, and get together a few soldiers to
protect the rays and their operators on the battlefield."
"Will do."
"And be sure to train for combat, particularly with your gun, before
the attack. Phineas will need your protection."
"Aye aye."
"Aye aye. Now go get ready you two. Days are longer here, Sirius
will have only set twice before it is time for the battle. Make sure that you
are ready."
Phineas and Isabella agreed again, then turned and left the room.
