Busting of Regret Chapter 4
By Lolitafreak88
Stacy's thoughts were pretty much on target, Perry was in Hirano. Still garbed like a noble samurai, he had been looking all over Hirano for Dr. Doofensmirtz. But after at least half an hour and a musical number length's of time he was getting tired. He sat down on a rooftop and wiped his sweat off with the sleeve of his robe. This town was a lot bigger than Perry or probably anybody else had anticipated. It was the size of a small city with various districts, shops, and buildings. Maybe I should call for back-up, Perry considered. Though the threat of being exposed would loom over every agent since there were a lot of people here. Except for Peter the Panda who would probably be considered part of Hirano. But Perry knew he could handle it once he got to Dr. Doofensmirtz, he was only struggling with finding him. Perry was exceptional at stealth, arguably one of the best, so he needed to take this solo. Finally he heard a very familiar cry,
"I'm causing a lot of destruction! You can hear screaming! There's an Inator on the loose! Show up already Perry!" It was definitely Dr. Heinz Doofensmirtz and by his tone and choice of words it seemed like he was trying to get Perry to come to him. But knowing his penchant for traps, it was clear that he was trying to lure Perry like a pitcher plant with nectar. Still, Perry was not fazed by Dr. Doofensmirtz traps for long. So with the agility and grace of a ninja, he leapt off the rooftop and landed in rather empty district called 'Empty District'. However, when he landed, he felt the familiar texture of rope and was lifted into the air. But Perry was equipped with his long katana and with a precise swing, he cut the rope that was above where it caught his foot and Perry was freed. He landed and assumed a traditional samurai stance, his sword not finished with its duties yet.
"Oh COME ON! If I knew there was so little materials in Inaba to make traps, I would've also brought my own trap! Ah well, my Inator is much deadlier when the target is making random movements. It… wait a minute." Dr. Doofensmirtz had walked forward and started talking but then he thought of something and pulled out a brochure. It seemed to be a brochure for Hirano and after examining it he said,
"Oh… Hirano. Not Inaba. That Trick-or-Treater was completely wrong! Now for the main point! Perry the Platypus! I see you took the bait and followed me here! Didn't your mother tell you not to listen in on other people's conversations?" He never changes, Perry thought with a pleasant smile. Ever since Stacy made that promise he had been feeling a lot more optimistic and even satisfied with his missions. Even before then, Dr. Doofensmirtz was someone who was caring and who also needed a lot of care. It was a perfect nemesis relationship. But Perry was still a secret agent and Dr. Doofensmirtz was still someone who would try to cause chaos so he could not let his guard down. As though to support this, Dr. Doofensmirtz pulled out a remote control and pushed a button.
"BEHOLD! The CombatInator! This mighty fighter will trump your secret agent skills with a mix of machinery, weaponry, and hand-to-hand combat skills!" He announced with the same vigor as a game show host. A garage on the left side of Dr. Doofensmirtz lifted up and once it was high enough, a straw dummy emerged. But it was moving like an android or a person and even with a crudely drawn picture of Perry taped onto it, it seemed quite suspicious. Dr. Doofensmirtz smiled and then said,
"Take him down!" The CombatInator suddenly sprouted long metallic arms from where it's hands would be, straw flying promptly from these spots, and with impressive speed and accuracy, they picked up two nearby crates and hurled them at Perry. The fact it could elongate it's arms could prove a bit tricky. Especially if it did decided to engage him in hand-to-hand combat. Then it could use sneaky tactics and attacks to engage Perry with. Still, with expert precision and speed, Perry sliced through the crates but as he sliced the second one, he saw the metal fist about to punch him. Perry managed to regain momentum and smacked the fist away with his tail. Dr. Doofensmirtz watched from afar, laughing to himself until he said,
"Wait! I forgot to give a back-story! Ah well, Asia has enough back-stories as it is." The CombatInator attempted to strike Perry with a punch but Perry calmly and effectively pushed the fist away from him where it instead hit the ground. Then the CombatInator used its other arm to smash through a building's wall and pull out a fan. He then hurled it at Perry…
"FANSERVICE!" Phineas's cheery voice called out.
"Huh?" Candace questioned with puzzlement.
"We have fan-service here. It is a very hot day today." Phineas held out a fan in front of Candace's face. It was a simply lovely fan with a gorgeous purple pattern.
"Ah, thank you." Candace stated and began to fan herself as the setting began to reveal itself. Candace, Jenny, Stacy, Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, and Irving were back in the Japanese garden at the picnic area that was in the musical number. The Fireside Girls were serving them but from their expressions it was clear they were glad to do this. Interestingly, Stacy was still cosplaying while Jenny and Candace were now back in their normal dress. Jenny asked Stacy,
"Why are you still dressed like that?"
"I've never gotten so many compliments before in my life! Besides, even if this wasn't a cosplay costume, it's still super stylish in the real world's status quo. So, what are here for Phineas?" She asked, taking a fan and starting to fan herself.
"Yeah, it better involve lunch or I'll be crabby." Buford muttered. All the people had FINALLY been attended to and he just got to Hirano for himself along with all the others who had been working. They were just as amazed as everyone else with the scale and imagery that Hirano painted. Buford would never admit it but he found the Japanese culture quite… above average. Baljeet was happy as can be and Irving was just thrilled to be a part of another one of Phineas and Ferb's inventions. As Gretchen appeared holding a jar of fortune cookies, Phineas said,
"Well everyone, we decided to host a fortune-telling reading. So grab a fortune cookie, eat it, and read your fortune."
"Ooh I love fortune cookie fortunes! I like to try to get one every week so that way I know how my week is going to turn out." Jenny said, delighted. Candace seemed surprised.
"Really? I always took you as the type to read tea leaves."
"Nope. I prefer a more fun method. Besides, Django likes fortune cookies too. Also, I've tried shaking the tea leaves properly but they always just fall out." Jenny admitted, sounding slightly spacey. She was definitely coming into her own more now that she had started hanging out with Candace and Stacy again. Jenny had been rather mysterious before any of this happened but now she was starting to be more herself and less what people expected her to be. So everyone took a fortune cookie, broke it in half, and took out a fortune.
"Now, men first and ladies last please, for a change of pace." Phineas said. Candace looked slightly miffed and Stacy's face even lost it's smile briefly though Jenny didn't seem to mind at all. She knew from Django that Phineas and Ferb were incredibly nice so she had no qualms about what they thought. Irving read his first,
"You will play no major role in whatever comes next.' It's not talking about Phineas and Ferb is it? IS IT?" He started panicking. Stacy looked puzzled.
"That's not a normal fortune you'd find in a fortune cookie… did you make these yourselves?" She asked.
"You betcha!" Ferb replied with surprising enthusiasm. Jenny giggled at this. Baljeet tried to comfort Irving.
"Probably not. Fortunes can be interpreted in over 145,982 and more ways. The accuracy depends on the fortune received." He said.
"Not helping." Irving muttered. He cared mostly for Phineas and Ferb and had no definitive opinion or view of their other friends. He's definitely a tough nut to crack, Candace thought. Irving had once flirted with her and Stacy (Possibly) and also worked to foil her attempt to bust her brothers but the more she thought about it, the more she didn't really get Irving. Still there were more important boys in her laugh. Candace was now getting impatient and tapped her foot to express this. Buford went next.
"You will find a great deal on noodles'. You bet I will! Where's the nearest food court?" He asked roughly. He was very hungry as well from all that the job required him to do.
"Around the corner and two streets down." Phineas said.
"Then that's where I'll be for next half-hour." Buford replied, already taking off as soon as Phineas replied. Baljeet went next.
"Your intellect won't define who you are.' I question the credibility of this fortune." Baljeet said, pointing at the fortune. That was good point. Fortunes never did have a sure credibility, or it was at the very least hard to determine if they would come to pass or not.
"Well these are mostly for fun fortunes but we made them with the help of the local fortune-teller. We don't know who he is but he seems to know about us and was of big help." Phineas pointed out. Candace's tapping stopped and her eyes widened a bit. Could that fortune-teller possibly be… nah, he's part of the Fan-Fiction Fantasizer. Plus everyone knows Phineas and Ferb. She was clearly thinking of the Narrator. Nobody else noticed Candace's reaction and Phineas then read his fortune.
"Someone close to you will finally be able to make their own choice.' Wait, huh?" Phineas asked a bit confused. Stacy's mouth dropped wide open. There was only one person she knew who lived a life that limited them, restrained them from being who they wanted to be. Perry the Platypus. Everyone else was able to be themselves but not Perry. Perry had to keep his true identity a secret and if her growing concern that the 'memory erasing' had happened before was true, he knew the pain well and it was continuing to plague him. He was clearly grateful that for one moment, someone was able to remember him as Perry. But if this fortune meant what Stacy thought it meant, then it would be even better than that. She playfully smiled and said,
"Sounds like someone gets to stay past their curfew in my book." Candace chuckled though Jenny looked bothered. She had been examining Stacy closely ever since her hesitance and unusual reactions in the 'intellectual conversation'. Plus Stacy seemed to be avoiding discussing about Perry directly. Also they never did get Stacy's response to when asked if she knew anything about the events shown on the camera. It was all very unusual.
"My fortune says that I'll speak again in the future. An accurate fortune." Ferb said, following Phineas. Isabella looked a bit bummed. She found these fortunes rather silly and Phineas's had nothing to do with her. Isabella knew that she had the power to make her own choices already so it wasn't talking about her.
"Me next." She said and read her fortune.
"The story started by your own hands will end soon.' That's something positive right?" Isabella asked. Candace was now on alert, thinking that the fortune was talking about 'Fireside Princess'. But the story's already ended, Candace thought. This fortune was clearly more confusing in its meaning than the other fortunes.
"It probably is referring to Fireside Princess. I mean that's the only story you've written yes?" Jenny offered.
"Perhaps… but it's already finished. So why is the fortune talking about it ending soon? It's very unusual." Isabella mentioned.
"Maybe the adventure of making it? Maybe you'll send it to a publisher and have it published and thus the adventure of making the story known will come to an end? Far-fetched I know but I try." Phineas suggested. Adventure… Jenny and Candace gave a hopeful smile at one another, having figured out what the fortune was talking about. This whole adventure of discovering the mysteries of the camera had been started by Candace venturing into Isabella's story. So this fortune meant that the adventure Isabella caused would end soon. Hopefully that also meant that they would find the answers they were looking for in the end.
"I don't think it's good enough to be published but I guess I could submit it a publisher who specializes in… children's books perhaps?" Isabella suggested.
"Older." Candace muttered.
"Middle-School level?"
"Exactly." Candace said. Stacy kept herself from giggling. Naturally Candace, who had Perry of all people being her Mysterious Lover, would consider the story to be not fit for children. While she had liked it, there were parts that mortified her and weren't exactly elementary-school material.
"Anyways, I guess I'll go next." Candace continued, taking a look at her fortune. Stacy and Jenny held their breath. These fortunes seemed to have great consistency and were frighteningly accurate. Now that the three leading ladies, at least in their minds, were getting their fortunes, it would mean something very shocking.
"Your future actions will be harsh and justified.' YES! I knew it!" Candace stood straight up and started to happy dance after exclaiming happily. Jenny and Stacy literally stood gaping at her, completely confused.
"Uh, what?" Stacy said.
"It's clearly talking about my busting! I mean, I've been going at it forever and now I know it's justified! I'm in the right, no, was always in the right! Though harsh is not really how I would describe it…" Candace said putting a finger to her chin as she pondered it.
"Oh silly. It says 'future actions'. The busting thing has been going on for this whole summer. That's a 'present action' if anything." Stacy pointed out, smiling broadly.
"D'OH!" Candace muttered. She was never going to let her busting attempts go and it had been taking a toll on her sanity, or so it seemed. It would've been nice to have justification for her busting from an outside source or point of view but it seemed like it would have to wait. At least until this whole 'adventure' was over.
"But then what could it-? No, there's no point in asking something no one has the answers to. Stacy, your turn." Candace stopped herself from asking a question as blatant and risky as 'how can thing get any worse?' Stacy was slightly nervous. She basically had a double agenda and this fortune thing was kind of making her tense. Please don't let it be something that will spoil Perry's identity, Stacy silently prayed to herself.
"… 'You will keep your promises no matter what happens." She read it with a voice that was slightly above a whisper. That sentence was as if the Mysterious Force had felt her concerns and anxiety and comforted her. This sentence was saying that no matter what happens, Stacy would not sell out Perry's secret agent status. The promise they made would survive and Stacy would still be there for Perry and help keep his cover hidden. No memory erasing of any sort. Or at least that's what the fortune was describing. A fortune-telling shoebox had more consistency than the basic fortunes you'd find in a fortune cookie. Still the idea made Stacy feel incredibly helpful and a weight was lifted off her chest. A tear came to her left eye.
"Stacy-san?" Jenny inquired. Those who were there looked at Jenny with an odd expression besides Stacy who was sucked into the reality of the situation and wiped away her tear embarrassed.
"Why are you using honorifics?" Isabella asked.
"Um, I just thought it'd be cute to try… and polite." Jenny said shyly. She's very well-mannered, Ferb thought. Usually a silent observer, he was closely watching the reactions of everyone reading their fortunes. It was clear Stacy was shaken up most by these fortunes and that Candace and Jenny seemed to be turning to each other when certain fortunes were read. He decided though that it was something going on between them and that he and Phineas had no right to interfere.
"I'm sorry. It's just... it's ju-just… such a nice fortune." Stacy admitted. She put a hand to her heart in a graceful yet proud motion. Still doing my job and doing it well Perry, she thought. Jenny then looked at her fortune. She gasped and looked distraught after reading it thoroughly.
"Jenny?" Phineas asked concerned. As everyone stared at her, Jenny abruptly got up and rushed out of the garden. She wasn't crying but it seemed that her fortune must've been something serious or spooky. She took it with her so someone would have to go after her.
"I'll go after her! Jen come back! We're your friends!" Stacy volunteered and went after her at great speed. Oddly enough, Jenny had stopped right outside the entrance to the garden and looked as though she was expecting someone to appear at any minute. She scowled when she saw Stacy show up. Stacy didn't notice the scowl at first and approached with concern.
"What's the matter Jenny? Was the fortune you got that bad?" She asked. Jenny tensed and marched straight towards Stacy, looking her straight in the eye. It was clear she was very angry about something and it was with Stacy. Stacy gulped as Jenny began to speak,
"Why do it?"
"Why do what?"
"Why are you lying like a miserable criminal? I think it's been made obvious you are hiding something from me and Candace. Something about Perry. I swear to Gaia that I will have this information from you or you'll forever be considered dishonest to me!" Jenny spoke severely to Stacy. Stacy couldn't really blame Jenny for acting like this. Jenny had shown surprising perceptiveness and a loyalty to Candace and 'dishonest' was currently an accurate definition for Stacy's behavior towards Candace and Jenny, regardless of whether her intentions were noble or not. Though Stacy had to admit she didn't think this was very smart or noble of Jenny to confront her like this. If it was Candace confronting her she'd get it but Jenny forgot that she had not been with Candace or Stacy as much as they had. In fact Candace and Stacy had been through way more together than with Jenny alongside them. Even though she knew she should've responded positively, Stacy instead argued back.
"What about you?! You spend one day with Candace and then act like her personal guard. I wasn't even there yesterday and had a logical reason to not be there. So I don't know anything! You are just jumping to conclusions because you don't get me like Candace does."
"But when Candace told me about your reaction when she first brought up Perry in her request as well as your nervous expressions and reactions today whenever we talked about Perry, it all adds up to you knowing something!" Jenny pointed out.
"Well when my best friends are interrogating me it's not exactly comforting is it? Of course I would be surprised! You are starting to really irritate me with your high and mighty attitude Jen." Stacy said. She knew she was getting a bit worked up but the combination of stress and annoyance at Jenny suspecting her was getting to her. Perry would defend his integrity to the very end and Stacy would too.
"I have reason to! Candace entrusted me to help her find out what the Narrator was talking about! Besides, it wouldn't kill you to at least respond to our questions instead of ignoring it altogether or acting suspicious when you answer! If Phineas hadn't shown up earlier you would've been forced to respond. Me and Candace would've made sure of it. She's worried. She took it upon herself as the responsible big sister so that Phineas and Ferb wouldn't have to get involved. What if the truth changes the dynamic in Danville or some dark secret? We could be in danger. If everyone pitches in and we figure it out soon enough, we can prepare ourselves." Jenny explained. Dang, she makes a good argument, Stacy thought. Stacy wasn't sure what to do. She could blurt out the truth and Perry would likely be doomed. She could lie and incur Jenny's frustration. She could run off which would confirm she knew something and then she would have to go into hiding. But she didn't want to play hide-and-seek and she didn't want to betray Perry. Betrayal was a worse sin than lying. At least that's what she assumed from social media. Suddenly, something clicked in her head.
"… ah."
"Hmm? Stace?" Jenny softened a bit as she heard Stacy's near inaudible gasp.
"I… I've seen…" A way to provide evidence without it being direct.
"Yes?"
"I have seen that fedora Perry was wearing in the pictures before. I dismissed it because I was with my mom and…" Stacy wasn't sure how to follow up the statement. It'd be better if Candace was here to listen but she was still inside the garden. She needed to stall for time or at least so she would know how to explain it in the most effective way possible.
"The fedora? Really?" Jenny didn't consider the hat severe evidence though it was curious how Perry had a fedora in both Candace's description of the 'Fireside Princess' and in these pictures. It could be a trend or a sign of a change or at least different Perry than they were used to. Plus there was something odd about the fedora in general. It was a sophisticated, mysterious garment but yet there was something uniform about it's design. Of course it could just be a designer label or something mass-produced to give it that 'uniform' quality but.
"Can I tell you this later? When Candace is here to witness it? I promise I'll tell you what I know but Candace needs to be here. Please?" Stacy asked kindly. Jenny nodded. It was a fair request and simply the fact that they would get more answers was definitely reassuring and sparked hope for the future of this case. Hoh, I sound like a detective. Jenny thought with a grin.
"By the way, what was your fortune? I think you just ran out so you get me to talk to you face to face but was the fortune also part of it?" Stacy asked.
"It was… 'Incredible confrontations may spell the end'. I don't think it's anything related to life or death of course but maybe its referring to the case or…" Jenny looked like she would do anything else but say what she intended to say next. Stacy had a sinking feeling she knew what it could be.
"Trust? Or friendship?" That was definitely talking about a worst case scenario. Candace and Jenny would flip out on her, call her a traitor, Perry would likely also be harshly reprimanded, and all trust between them would be lost. And if Phineas and Ferb got involved… it would definitely be 'the end'. No, Stacy told herself, my fortune said I would keep my promise. My promise was to keep Perry's secret and if I do keep it, that means they never find out. This has to be my mantra from now on.
"Y-yes… could you imagine something so bad happening between us that we would be unable to be friends again?" Jenny murmured. Stacy clenched her fist.
"It'll never happen. Besides when we work together there's nothing we can't do. Plus Phineas and Ferb could always build us a time machine so we could go back and fix everything again." Stacy teased playfully. This made Jenny laugh and cheer up instantly.
"Very true. Ok, let's go back then. I would like to apologize for my severity. In detective fiction, the main protagonist may often go to harsh ends to find the truth." She commented.
"Well you are definitely channeling detective chic so I say you are doing a good job. I'm sorry for being insecure and making you nervous." The two girls hugged one another and said simultaneously,
"Apology accepted." The two girls returned to the garden and shared both Stacy's promise and Jenny's fortune with the rest. Everyone was a bit concerned but Phineas and Stacy's optimism reassured everyone. Candace seemed inspired by this for she stood up and said,
"I think I know what we should try next." Of course, this was out of the blue and no one knew what she was referring to which led Stacy to question,
"What do you mean?"
"Well we got these scarily potent fortunes from a so-called fortune-teller around here right?"
"Right!" Everyone responded.
"So let's go find that fortune-teller ourselves and ask him to predict our future or get some answers to our questions."
"But we don't have any questions Candace." Isabella said referring to herself, Phineas, Ferb, Irving, and Baljeet. Stacy face-palmed and Jenny silently looked away embarrassed. Candace was clearly talking to Jenny and Stacy but had announced it so boldly it sounded like she was talking to everyone else. Candace realized her slip-up and recovered.
"Well then those who do have questions, I.E me, Stace, and Jen, will go seek the fortune-teller. Won't we?" Candace spoke as though she was in charge of a field trip though Stacy and Jenny obviously didn't mind. They glanced at her with approving smiles, pleased at her excellent recovery.
"Indeed we shall." Jenny replied.
"No doubt about it." Stacy said with her usual spunk.
"Do you want a map or instructions on where to find him?" Phineas offered.
"Tempting, but we are explorers so we'll split up and look for it ourselves." Candace said. It'll allow us to investigate further anyways, she concluded. The next stage of their mission was about to begin. It was time to seek help from beyond. Their fortunes were just the first step into guidance. True guidance from the person responsible for those fortunes would help them find the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Surely.
I would first like to start off by APOLOGIZING BIG TIME for how long this took _. It wasn't even writer's block or a lack of inspiration that took this so long, it was more that I couldn't find time to continue this but now I do. I will finish this storyline because I think it makes an incredible series and story to read and I know how it ends and I think it'll be remarkable. BTW, side note, I have started a DeviantArt account under the same name as Lolitafreak88 so if you are interested please check it out ^_^. So I shall keep this description quite simple for people to get used to this. Also hopefully there are more readers around to read my stories. So a quest for the fortune-teller begins with fortunes guiding Candace, Stacy, and Jenny along. But will these fortunes truly come true and will they be favorable? Also what will Stacy do when she meets face to face with Perry for the first time since all this began? Find out in Chapter 5! Even after a long while I take no ownership of copyright and all rights belong respectfully and eloquently to Disney and Phineas and Ferb. Thank you ^_^.