EDIT: holy crud... i took a look at it this morning and saw it was in one whole paragraph. SORRY ABOUT THAT. but was being weird last night, sooo... ^^;
HEYHEYHEYYYYYYY sorry for the long wait... I was working on other stuff. ^^ Buuuuttt, here is the long awaited second chapter for TWISTED GAMES! 8DDDDD Hope it's good enough for ya! I worked hard on it. c: BTW, i couldn't find the bar that lets you make things bold and in italics and shtuff... Oh well. xD
They had called the police. They had called the mayor... They had called everyone they knew in a desperate attempt to gather any information about them. Their sons... Their lost sons who might have just disappeared off the face of the earth.
But no one had heard anything, and everyone was very worried. It was unusual for someone - no, two people - to just vanish without a trace. No villain was that clever... There was always a clue somewhere to be found, but this was not the case.
There was nothing.
Linda would constantly cry herself to bed, hoping her children were alright. The police had no trail whatsoever that could lead them anywhere. Lawrence would comfort her more times than he could count each day, trying to keep calm himself. He was very worried about their boys, the children always being obedient with letting their parents know when they were going to leave for somewhere.
But Candace was a different story. SHe couldn't stand to lie around and wait for the police to find her brothers. No, she was too determined for that. The teenager was asking every person she knew if they had seen the boys. It had been at least four weeks since they had gone missing, and there was no way she would be giving up soon. Phineas and Ferb never gave up, so she wouldn't either.
Candace had started creating a search party, made up of her friends, relatives, and people who just wanted to help. They would go out every night and morning, looking in every nook and cranny, hoping that the lights of Danville would be able to be found. And everyday they would turn up empty handed, but not drained of hope.
If she couldn't find her brothers, at least she could say she tried.
Perry was also secretly doing what he could. He was getting the help of the other agents and friends, secretly aiding Candace in her desperate search for her brothers. The platypus couldn't imagine life without his owners... He wouldn't even try. It was too much of a nightmare to bear. Major Monogram had even given him a special gadget in which the device would mark the places that had already been searched so that they weren't going in circles.
Isabella, Baljeet, and Buford were just a determined to find their friend as Candace and Perry were. Phineas and Ferb meant too much to them to be left in the hands of wherever they were and whoever had them. The two boys had done nothing to deserve this, so why was it happening?
Isabella had used the school newspaper as a lookout for Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher. Anyone who had any trace of them since they had disappeared was to report to her and she would write it down and turn it in to the police.
Buford and Baljeet became her go-to people when she needed help. They became the official searching brigade for the two brothers, but so far, they had come up empty handed. It was a nightmare for the three friends. Their two best friends were missing without a trace and it seemed like with every hour that passed there was less and less hope that they would ever find them. But they would never give up. Phineas and Ferb had never given up on anything, and they had always been there for the three of them. So now, it was their turn to be there for the two boys.
It was like something out of a movie. People disappearing without a trace... There had to be something to indicate a kidnapping or a...
No. They would never let themselves believe that their friends were dead. It was impossible. It just was. Even though it could have happened, it couldn't have. Phineas and ferb were much too clever to be murdered. It just couldn't happen. It had to have been a kidnapping.
But their friends and family would never stop searching for them even if it wasn't a kidnapping.
Ferb was clever. Oh, he was very clever. He would find his Phineas and get out of this torture hole once and for all. He had asked many questions so far, but there were still quite a few left. He had to think harder. What were things that only his Phineas would know? What secrets had he shared with his redhead that only he would know?
Ferb scanned the crowd of clones before him. There were at least five hundred - if not more - clones left to get rid of. The rest were behind him where he wouldn't get them confused with the ones he had to eliminate.
"My favorite book is Moby Dick, true or false?"
There were at least fifty hands that were not raised. Ferb motioned for those clones to come and stand behind him. Fifty more down, four hundred and fifty more to go. It was taking a while, but it was worth it. Ferb would do anything just to have his little brother back again.
Many people would judge that because of the fact the Ferb didn't talk and that he barely showed any emotion, that he had no heart. Well, maybe that was a little harsh. They probably just thought he didn't care. But Ferb was so much more than that. He was afraid to show his true colors. He had been called so many names back in England, that he had created a shell, devoid of any emotion.
He only smiled when Phineas was around. Usually when it was just the two of them. Because Phineas understood. Phineas always understood. No matter what the problem, the redhead would always smile and hug Ferb tight, reassuring him with sweet words. He would always find the bright side of things. Whenever Ferb was haunted by the bullies back in England, Phineas would always crack a joke and make him laugh. Every time.
Ferb was so much more on the inside of the colorless shell. He was a person. With feelings. But only Phineas knew of Ferb's real, true colors. Phineas had always wanted to be more like Ferb. The Brit had no idea why, though. It was silly, really, Ferb had always wanted to be more like his little brother, instead. They had always depended on each other for comfort and help. And now, Phineas was depending on Ferb more than ever to get the two of them out of the place they were in now.
And Ferb would not fail.
Little did the Brit know, Phineas was watching from inside the crowd. Among more than four hundred copies of himself. He wanted so desperately to cry out and run up to Ferb. He wanted to just hug his brother right then and there. He wanted to talk again. But, thanks to the Madman, that wasn't possible anymore. Phineas would have just sprinted up to his brother, but he had been given specific instructions himself, as well. He could still hear the awful, insane voice of the gamemaker.
"You had better stay hidden," he had said. "I want a good show. And if you don't, well... Let's just say your maggot of a brother won't come out in one piece, that's for sure. Besides, it'll be fun shocking the optimism out of you, anyways. Heh heh..."
Oh, Phineas had felt the shocks. They had been excruciating. But Ferb wasn't making the clones disappear, anymore. Whether that was for his sake or for a different reason, Phineas wasn't sure. But he was grateful. There were a million things wrong with the redhead at that moment. He was sick, his head was raging with pain, his chest felt like it was about to implode. His legs ached with the cuts and bruises he had been given from the time he was there; his arms felt just the same. His wrists and and neck were decorated with invisible gashes that had been hidden out of sight.
The madman had cleaned him, but not without the little bit of fun he had to have. Phineas was ready to just collapse right then and there, but he didn't. The only reason he wasn't was because he believed in his brother. He knew Ferb would find him. He had everlasting faith in his best friend.
It would all end soon. After all, it was always darkest before the dawn. Phineas had heard that in a song, and it had stuck with him ever since. Because it was true. And, battered and beaten as he was, his spirit was still brighter than the sun. No one would ever be able to put out his flame of hope and joy; his furnace of love and kindness. They would push through, no matter what it took. They had both had enough and it was over now. They were going to find that madman and get out.
Phineas watched as Ferb asked another question.
The redhead raised his hand to this one. He knew the answer quite well. He knew many things about Ferb. Although Ferb said the child knew everything about him, Phineas was sure there was more to discover about his older brother. His mind was connected to the Brit's. When he felt pain, physical or emotional, Phineas felt it too. He knew just how Ferb dealt with things when he was scared, angry, or whatever. And Ferb knew how Phineas solved his problems as well.
They were like one mind in two bodies. They understood each other completely. No matter how many looks people would give them when Phineas would take one glance at his brother and say exactly what the green-haired boy was thinking. No matter how much they were bullied because of their flaws, the shapes of their heads, their height or how short they were, how they talked, how they looked... It didn't matter to them. They had stopped caring a long time ago. They had stopped caring about physical appearances, how they sounded, or other things, because they knew it was useless. They both didn't care what was on the outside.
It was the hero on the inside that mattered.
Phineas felt tears well up in his eyes. No, he wouldn't cry. He couldn't. But the lump in his throat made his neck hurt. The scar that gave a way the location where the madman had reached in and tore out his voice box. He still remembered. He had pleaded so much for him to stop. The redhead had felt the knife cut deep into his skin, his voice crying out in pain. The Madman had the proceeded to actually reach in and rip the piece out of the boy's throat. Phineas had remembered that moment. The moment when his cries turned silent.
When his voice was gone. For good.
What would Ferb say? Did he already know?
No matter how hard the little redhead tried, he couldn't stop one little tear from escaping.
Ferb looked at the crowd of clones before him as twenty more went to go stand behind him. He scanned the large group for any signs of his brother. The bright smile he had always knew, the familiar eyes that sparkled with creativity... But there was none. None at all. Of course, Ferb knew it wasn't Phineas' fault. He had probably been told to stay hidden.
There were still many clones left to be eliminated. Ferb would have to think harder if he was going to get his brother out of the suffocating hord of copies. The Brit wondered what it was like, having one thousand copies of yourself, and then being stuck in the middle of all of them. You might forget who you really are, seeing as there are more copies of yourself than you can count.
Ferb put his hand to his chin in thought. He was going to think of tough questions.
"I taught you how to play guitar. True or false?"
The Brit watched as the clones of his brother either raised their hands, or didn't. He told the ones who kept their hands down to come and stand over where the other clones were; they obeyed. Ferb wasn't sure as to how long they had been in the madman's lair, but he was positive that it was more than a day. Ferb was now more determined than ever to get his brother out. Nobody deserved to live in this place.
"I have a secret stash of cookies I keep under my bed; true or false?"
Ferb grinned at this one. Nobody knew that he had a stash. Only Phineas knew, because the redhead was the one who kept stealing from it. The child thought he was going unnoticed, but oh. Ferb was noticing. He always counted his cookies when he was finished with his portion. So when he did come back, he would know how many cookies Phineas had taken. He knew quite well that Phineas had a very large sweet tooth. The redhead would devour any kind of candy, cookie, pie, cake, ice cream, etc..
Ferb had been annoyed at first with the problem of his cookies disappearing, but eventually made a game out of it. He would purposely leave the room and hide behind the door. He would try so hard not to chuckle when Phineas would giggle and crawl under the Brit's bed. He would hear the quiet munching. Of course, Phineas would always know he was there, he just liked to play along.
The little redhead would always chew as loudly as he could, trying his hardest not to laugh. But, after a few minutes, Ferb wouldn't be able to take it any more and eventually would crawly under his bed to join his little brother in his cookie fest.
So, as pretty much nobody knew, there were many clones who didn't raise their hands. Those were taken behind the Brit so that they were out of the way. Ferb looked back and his eyebrows raised in surprise. There were only about one hundred clones left. That question had taken care of many of them. The less, the better. He was getting closer to finding his brother. His REAL brother.
Things were starting to look up.
It was then that Ferb thought of something. He remembered that Phineas couldn't talk. The Brit got an idea. If there was one thing that would always bait the redhead into doing something, it was sweet things. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that before? Ferb grinned. Anyone who talked would be heading to the back of the room.
"Hey," the Brit cried. "Who wants candy?!"
There were cries of joy as many of the clones jumped in excitement. There were only a few that stayed silent. Ferb chuckled. Silly clones. He pretended to pull something out of his pockets and throw it over to where the other copies were standing. It was crazy. Like a stampede. Almost all the clones rushed over to the back of the room, all trying to grab at the pretend piece of food. Ferb watched them. He was glad there was only one Phineas in the world. The Brit looked back at the leftover copies. There were only five left.
That was it.
Five left out of the one thousand clones of his redhead.
Ferb stepped over to the five of them, switching his gaze to each and every one of them. This was where it would get hard. The clones that were most alike. Four were copies. One was real. He came as close as he could to the five until they were face to face. They all looked completely alike.
But that's the key, Ferb thought. Look. They only look the same. But they're not on the inside. Nobody can copy a human heart. Especially Phineas's. Phineas is the most innocent person I know.
He started at the end of the line and studied the first clone. All five pairs of eyes were on him, intensly watching him to see what would happen next. One redhead knew. He knew everything that was going on. The other four were clueless as to what the Brit was looking for. But Phineas knew.
The first clone looked up at Ferb and grinned, pearly-white teeth showing. The green-haired teenager stared deep into the eyes of the clone. Although the smile was convincing, the eyes were not. They were dull, lacking the shine the real Phineas always had. There was no spark, no happiness or love. Just a shell, programmed to fool him into thinking that it was something else.
The Brit shook his head and moved on to the second. This one clasped its hands together in hope, silently cocking its head to the side in curiosity. It didn't smile. Ferb furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. There was something off about this one, too. His gaze rested upon the third. There was no spark in that one, either. All three of them were merely shells.
Ferb then stood face to face with the fourth. The little clone blinked in anticipation. Another shell. Dull, void of any creativity or imagination. The Brit stared down at the ground. There was only one more clone to go. As he slowly stepped over to where the last Phineas was, he began to wonder if his brother was even there. He could have already eliminated him. What if he had been looking in a room that was only clones? What if the madman had done something horrible.
Ferb hoped with all of his mind, soul, and heart that he would see something different in the last child he would look at. The young teenager lifted his head. His eyes locked with the clone's. The little redhead said nothing, it just gazed deep into the eyes of the person before it. But there was something in those eyes that the Brit noticed. Although the body was weak and fragile, even though the face showed no emotion, the eyes were full of life. Ferb stared in wonder, never wanting his eyes to leave those of the clone before him. He saw so many things. he saw fear, pain, and compassion. He saw love, kindness, and generosity. He saw loyalty and faith. But most of all, he saw hope. He saw the joy that filled the eyes of the clone as his eyes met Ferb's.
The green-haired teenager stared into the eyes that held all of the creativity in the world. There was so much imagination that coursed through them, it seemed that they held an entire universe inside of them. Everlasting wonder that shot out among the very veins of the clone. No, these eyes were not dull. They were not void. Those eyes told a story. They were full of childlike innocence. This was no clone.
This was his brother.
His Phineas.
Ferb placed a shaky hand to the small child's cheek, a look of relief washing over his face. He watched as Phineas' unemotional face was replaced by a smile that outshined the light of one thousand suns. The two locked in an embrace that they did not ever want to leave. The feeling of being united once more shot through their bodies as they both released the tears they had been holding back. But they were not tears of grief, they were tears of joy.
Phineas hugged Ferb tight, never wanting to let go. Hot tears streamed down his face as he was overwhelmed by the situation being over. That Ferb had found him. The his brother and best friend had picked him out of one thousand copies of himself. His cries were silent, as he could not speak. But Ferb's showed how happy he truly was. The redhead had never heard his brother cry like that. But all he cared about in that moment was that the two of them were back together.
Phineas and Ferb were finally reunited again.
YEEEEEEE~ there's gonna be one more chapter. Or I could leave it like this, if that's good enough for you. c:
