Perry tried to concentrate on his work but he just couldn't. Eventually, he headed home early. He sat down on the sofa with Priya, Phineas, and Ferb, and told them about what had happened.
"So LOVEMUFFIN used a biological weapon that reopens old wounds," Ferb summed up.
"That's pretty much the gist of it," Perry said. "Our poor doctor's rushed off his feet trying to deal with it. Not to mention the patients. I saw Pinky earlier. He broke his ribs a while back, and now that came back to bite him. Almost literally. He's in quite a bit of pain, but that's one of the milder cases." He addressed Priya: "You know Cassie?"
"Yes," Priya said slowly. "Cassie the Cat."
"Broke nearly all the bones in her body."
Priya gasped. Phineas and Ferb exchanged a shocked look.
"That's how bad the worst is," Perry sighed. "I just feel like I need to find LOVEMUFFIN and hit the-the…" Perry stopped before he said a swear word. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I understand." Priya put her hand on her mate's shoulder.
"But where are they?" Phineas asked. "I mean, you said LOVEMUFFIN don't have a defined headquarters, right?"
"Right," Perry answered. "That'll make it tough to track them down but at least there's always someone I can start with."
…
Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!
Perry wondered how the Slacks knew when to play the jingle. It always played as soon as Perry approached, but unless they were staring out the window during every hour of every day just in case he was coming, they had no way of knowing, especially today, because he was coming into the building from the bottom.
The doorman didn't even blink when Perry entered. He supposed it was a mark of how often he came to visit his nemesis.
He knocked on the door and received the usual, "It's open!" call from Doof.
He entered warily, expecting some kind of trap to scoop him up. But nothing happened so he went further into the room. Doof came out of the bedroom, dressed in his usual pharmacist garb. "Perry the Platypus? I wasn't expecting you today. I thought we'd given up the whole "daily scheme" thing."
"We have," Perry said regretfully. He would never admit it to anybody but he often missed the regular schemes. "I just need to know something. Are you a member of LOVEMUFFIN?"
"Uh, why?"
Doof looked uncomfortable, confirming Perry's fears. "You are, aren't you?"
"Fine. Yes I am. What of it?"
"What of it?" Perry repeated. "I mean that today, LOVEMUFFIN sent a biological weapon into our HQ!"
"What of it?" Doof said again.
Perry began to get angry. He took a step towards Doof, who automatically took a step backwards. "I've seen that look," he said nervously. "It's your "I'm going to kill the first thing I see even if it's a puppy" look."
"Your biological weapon caused intense pain and suffering to ninety-five percent of our agents!"
"Wh-what?" Doof looked confused, which threw Perry off guard. "Rodney said…he swore it wouldn't…I thought it was a scare tactic…!"
"Well it wasn't!" Perry snapped. "It actually caused a lot of pain! You honestly had no idea?"
"N-no! Believe me, Perry the Platypus, I threaten but I don't actually hurt. C'mon, you've known me for years."
Perry began to relax. He knew it was true; in all the years he had known Doof, the evil scientist hadn't ever maliciously hurt anyone. "So what did Rodney say to you?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Heinz Doofenshmirtz-!"
"I'm serious!" Doof backed up another step. "I may not have been aware of the biological weapon plot but I'm still a member of LOVEMUFFIN. I can't just give away all their secrets."
Perry glared at his nemesis but he knew there was nothing he could do. Doof was right; Perry couldn't make him tell the platypus agent anything. With one final I'm watching you gesture, Perry left the room.