Okay, this has a itsy-bitsy, tiny-tiny bit of swearing at the end. It's from Candace and she has good reason to. So, just a warning! Also, nothing descriptive, but this does contain a naked person in this chapter. Just another warning for you. Hope you enjoy chapter 3! :)
Oh, and a shout out to randomfanfictioner01! It's her birthday today! (Technically where you are, it's in a few more hours, but I promised you I'd update if I was awake at 2AM… I'm awake at 2AM…) Happy thirteenth! Hope you like your gift– this chapter! ^^
Phineas POV
An hour and a half earlier…
"Oh, good! You've got the blueprints."
Ferb walked up to me with that familiar blue roll of parchment. Not for the first time, I wished we could do this every day, not just in the summer. The trill of creativity had been dulled down since the start of school. Eighth grade is pretty busy this year, but one good thing came out of it. Isabella. To be specific, Isabella and I. Don't ask me how we exactly came together; I'm honestly not quite sure. I just woke up one day (our one-year anniversay is nearly upon us) and when I saw Isabella… Well, according to Candace, we acted as if we've been together for a while already. Ferb had given us a knowing smile, but refused to say anything about it. Isabella and I decided to just go with it. And we've been together ever since.
"Hey Phineas. Whatcha doin'?"
Nothing different here… Until she kisses me on the check. My face explodes with new sensations. My checks tingle and burn at first, but then I can feel everything. My body's five senses are suddenly on high-alert. I can smell every flower, hear every bird, and feel even the slightest breeze of wind. No matter how many times she's done this, it never gets old. I wrap one arm around Isabella's waist.
"Just pretending its summer for the day," I smile.
"What's the special occasion? I thought you guys decided that no matter what, this year will be all about the homework. 'No fun projects for a while,' you said," Isabella giggles, no doubt remembering the first day of eighth grade just a few months ago. We had so much homework! On the first day! I didn't like it, but I knew that I wouldn't have time for any building projects –no matter how small– this year. Reluctantly, Ferb and I accepted that fact, telling everyone that there'd be no projects until we get a break.
I look toward the sliding glass doors. Perry is just slightly visible, but from what you can see, he's looks sick. I want to help him; I so desperately want him to be himself again. I will not rest until he's better. I cannot rest until he's better. And I have a plan to do just that… But will it work?
"It's Perry…" I begin slowly, unsure how to express all the unspoken worries I have for my pet.
Thankfully, Isabella nodded in full understanding. This is why she's my best friend (and girlfriend). "I've noticed he's been different this year. Not quite his energetic self. Well, as energetic as a platypus usually is."
"I'm really worried about him Isabella. We took him to that doctor a few months back, but the pills weren't working. Then the other doctor said something about depression, but how the heck can a platypus be depressed?"
"So what are you going to do about it?" Isabella smiled. She knew Ferb and I had already begun our plans.
"We're going to build a device that allows us to communicate with Perry." I started feeling excited again. Building and creativity. This was my element. I could help Perry in a way no one else can. And I know this way will work.
"See this device-" Ferb walked up and unrolled the blueprints, showing off a rough sketch of what we will build "-will give Perry, or any animal wearing it really, the temporary emotions, feeling, and words of a human being. We'd be able to communicate with him and figure out what's wrong. As long as he wears the helmet, he will almost be a human...except he'll still have a platypus body."
Isabella kissed my check once again. "Phineas, you are the kindest, most brilliant person I have ever met. What do you need help with?"
An hour later…
I adjusted the helmet on Perry, making sure it sat just right. I pained me to see him so…uncaring. Usually, if Ferb or I (or anything really) wake him up early from a nap, he gets a bit touchy and might even snap at his arouser. Lately, all he does is roll around and sigh. Well, platypus-sigh. Even now, as he's sitting in the chair, his eyes look dulled. It almost seems like he's constantly thinking of a terribly sad memory that refuses to leave his mind.
"Ready?" Ferb asks.
I put my own duplicate helmet on. Having two helmets provides the HMD (Human Mind Duplicator; not very creative, but that's what was on the blueprint and we didn't have time to think of a better name) a credible amount of human data needed to temporarily transform a platypus mind into a human one.
"Ready." I confirmed it with a nod.
Ferb flipped the switch. For a few tense seconds nothing happened. Then electricity pules throughout the wires, first on my line and then on Perry's. I heard him make that chatter noise, before the HMD exploded. Yes, you read right. It exploded. With a very loud BOOM.
Smoke was everywhere. I could hear Isabella and Ferb coughing. Then I heard a groan. It wasn't mine. It wasn't Ferb's. It was too masculine to be Isabella's or even Candace's or Vanessa's, even though they weren't even out it. I didn't know anyone who sounded like that; it was alien, yet sounded so familiar. Through the coughing, I heard the sliding glass door open and my sister's voice call out, "Phineas! Cough! Phineas, Ferb! What's- Cough! What's going on!?" I tried to answer, but there was too much smoke in my lungs. I suppose Isabella and Ferb found themselves in the same predicament because they didn't answer either, except for their coughing.
"Is everyone- Cough! Alright?" Vanessa called out. I heard someone whimper, the same tone as the groan. Now I know I didn't just hear things; someone was there that wasn't before! But who?
The smoke began to clear. In a matter of seconds, I was able to see my hand in front of my face. I could make out vague shapes in the smoke. There were four silhouettes. The two nearest me was defiantly Ferb and Isabella. The two silhouettes that where hugging the fence were most likely Candace and Vanessa. But I was missing something… What was I forgetting…?
Perry!
I quickly turned around and searched for my pet. How could you forget Perry? I mentally scolded myself.
Ugh! This stupid smoke! Can't see anything! It was irritatingly slow, the speed of the clearing smoke. I took off my helmet (which I forgot I was wearing until just now) and searched for my animal friend.
I stepped forward, only to back up quickly. There was another person here! From the outline, the person was definitely male. The smoke cleared a bit more. And definitely naked! What on earth!? Whoever he was, he was clearly struggling to sit up. Part of me told him to go help him (he looked like he was in pain) while the other part of me opted to run away screaming. (Seriously, how on earth did he get here!?) Since my brain couldn't decide which to do, I simply stood there, frozen in confusion, fear, and curiosity. I felt a presence by my side, but I knew it was Isabella (her coughing helped identify her too). She must've been worried when she saw me freeze. But now she, too, was frozen. No, I take that back. When she saw the man, she promptly gasped and turned around so her back was facing him. Still, she didn't leave my side.
Out of respect, I should've turned around too. (If not out of respect, for the sake of the naked guy's privacy at least.) But I couldn't. I was just too confused. Where had he come from? Where are his clothes? Wait a minute… Where's Perry!?
Before I could voice my thoughts aloud (how I would've gotten my mouth to open and actually form words, I don't know), the smoke finally cleared and I heard a gasp come from behind me. It sounded like Vanessa's tone.
The boy –or perhaps I should say young man because he was clearly seventeen or eighteen– looked up. A strong sense of Déjà Vu washed over me. I felt certain I've seen him before, but I couldn't think of where. Golden blonde hair, brown eyes, freckles… Then I noticed how screwed up his face looked. Not in the 'he's ugly' kind of way, but in the 'he's in serious pain' kind of way. I tried, but for some reason couldn't force myself to move. What was wrong with me? Candace broke the silent spell first.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?!"
