A/N: Hey guys. No particular notes here, except to say enjoy, if you can.

When Phineas and Ferb reached ground level, the scene unfolding before them seemed akin to a warzone.

Dozens of people were on cell phones, barking orders or crying for their loved ones. The bodies of Roger Doofenshmirtz, Adyson, Gretchen, Candace, and a handful of other people still lay where they were shot, while crowds of people foamed around them, surging back and forth between the victims, unsure of what to do.

The one exception being when he stranded his friends on the island and thought he would never return home – when everything was on the line and he thought he had almost lost summer – Phineas usually remained calm during setbacks. So he was surprised when he found himself almost completely inundated by a huge wave of guilt, sickness, and fear after he saw Vivian Garcia-Shaprio worriedly dashing and remembered that Isabella was present at the shooting scene too. He was surprised that a concern for one person, even one as important as Isabella, his best friend and constant supporter, could make him feel so helpless.

"We gotta find Isabella, Ferb!" he yelled, grabbing Ferb's arm.

"No, we have to find Candace!" Ferb countered harshly. He shook his arm free.

"Please listen to me, Ferb," Phineas begged. "Just thirty seconds. Okay? I don't know how and I don't know why, but I feel like I need, really need, to make sure she is okay."

Ferb glanced at his brother's face sick with worry, and an understanding seemed to dawn in Ferb's eyes. "Okay," he relented. "Let's go."

Phineas instantly took off, yelling "Isabella? Isabella!" into the crowd, promptly losing Ferb anyway. He scanned the ground as his head filled with a buzzing sensation with the fear of what he might find – a girl's motionless body with a cute, pink bow tucked into her hair…

So busy was he looking at the ground that he didn't see clearly in front of him as he ran through the mass of people. He fulfilled the imminent collision waiting to happen, and knocked over none other than Isabella herself. Tumbling into her, he nevertheless caught himself and hugged her as hard as he could. He was shocked again that he felt tears trickling down his face. Why am I crying? he thought.

"Isabella, oh god, am I glad you're alive," he breathed, holding her tight.

For a few moments, they stood like that. He felt her rest her head tenderly against his shoulder for a heartbeat. Suddenly, she pushed out of his embrace and, glaring at him, swiftly walked away. Phineas noticed that her eyes were red from crying too, and her desperate, sad look and abrupt dismissal created another different kind of sick feeling inside of him. But spotting Ferb not too far away, he pushed the observation aside. He had confirmed she was alive; he would talk to her later. Right now, he had bigger things to deal with.

"Seriously?! Has no one even called for an ambulance yet?" Phineas yelled towards his brother.

"A handful of people called 9-1-1 a few moments ago, son," a short man kindly told the boys as he knelt sorrowfully next to the Mayor's motionless body, trying to stop blood loss with a sleeve torn from his cotton shirt. His eyes narrowed with undisputable disgust, though, when he noticed whom he was addressing. "You're the boys who built this damn thing that shot all those people, aren't you?" he almost snarled.

Ferb stopped to argue that no, they could not turn light projections into real bullets, but Phineas wasn't paying any attention to either of them, as he caught sight of Candace a few yards, wan with blood loss.

"Candace!" he let out in a bloodcurdling scream. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. What have we done?"

"Phineas! Ferb! Are you boys alright?" Linda Flynn-Fletcher sobbed as she applied pressure to Candace's stomach. "Where's your dad? He was getting something from the car when… this… Have you seen your dad? Is he injured too?! Oh my goodness—"

"Linda, I just got your call, what's going on—" Lawrence Flynn-Fletcher caught sight of his stepdaughter's still body. "C-Candace?" he sputtered. "What…w-what…"

"She was one of the last ones to get shot," Linda cried.

"We gotta get her to a hospital," Phineas demanded. "Now." He pulled out his teleportation device.

"Ferb! I thought you said that this show was completely safe!" Lawrence shouted at his son.

"Wait. Phineas, what's that?" Linda asked, pointing at Phineas' device.

"It's a teleporter," Phineas said nonchalantly, pressing the glowing buttons. "Just a few more seconds to let it warm up, and then—"

"It's a what?!" Linda almost shrieked.

"I didn't mean for this to happen!" Ferb cried.

"Stop joking around, Phineas!" Linda shouted.

"But it did! And now my daughter could be dead…" Lawrence grieved, gazing with unfocused eyes at Candace.

"I'm not joking!" Phineas replied, his voice rising. "Why would I joke when something like this happened?"

"The ambulance isn't getting here fast enough," said Ferb as he kneeled next to Linda. He checked Candace's pulse. "She's losing her grip."

"A teleporter. A teleporter?!" Linda was getting hysterical. "But… that's dangerous! That's incredibly dangerous!"

"Oh, let him use the bloody teleportation device!" Lawrence bellowed. "They've used it before."

"Wait, Lawrence! You knew about this thing they built?" Linda asked in shock.

"Get away from her, Ferb!" Lawrence shouted again, ignoring his wife's question as he waved his hands at Ferb threateningly. "She doesn't need her killer smothering her."

"I am not a killer, let alone her killer!" Ferb yelled, enraged.

"Mom! It's okay! The molecules rearrange correctly with a 99.999% probability! It's foolproof," Phineas tried to reassure his mother, who was stupefied with horror by Phineas' explanation.

"This was your fault!" Lawrence was now standing nose to nose with Ferb as they screamed at each other.

"Plus, this isn't nearly as dangerous as all the other stuff we've invented before," Phineas continued. "Hey, it's ready! We gotta go—"

"Give me that!" Linda snatched the teleporter from Phineas' grasp.

"It wasn't my fault! I swear, I didn't do anything wrong!" Ferb yelled angrily, but there were tears in his eyes.

"Hey! Mom, what're you doing? Candace needs that!" Phineas tried to wrestle it from his mom's iron fist.

"Phineas, I am so disappointed in you! I've told you time and time again to be safe this summer, and now you might have killed people and want to scramble my daughter's molecules? Are you insane?" Linda berated Phineas harshly.

"You shot my daughter!" Lawrence cried wildly at Ferb. "Your invention shot your own sister! EVERYTHING is wrong about that!" Ferb froze at his words.

"And you just knew about the potential danger of all of the… the stuff they built?!" Linda shouted at Lawrence. "And you never once thought of telling me?!"

The Flynn-Fletcher family was locked in such a ferocious argument that they didn't even notice the police and emergency team arrive on the scene. "Excuse me, folks," a policeman rasped as the paramedics went to work with prepping Candace to be brought back to the emergency room, taking less a minute to quickly and efficiently bandage Candace's side. Linda and Lawrence retreated away from their kids, still arguing fiercely, while Phineas and Ferb stood nearby. Feeling helpless, they watched the medics work.

As the victims were being given the necessary care, an athletic and smooth policeman stepped onto the podium. "Hello folks, my name is Inspector Emerson," he began. The people of what remained of the audience turned listlessly to face him. "I would like to offer my sincere regret for your losses on this historic and once-beautiful day. The police are doing everything in their power to restore order and understand this incident."

He cleared his throat. "To that end, we would like to place a warrant on Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, as they are possible suspects of involuntary manslaughter, depending on the… ahem, future conditions of those injured."

"What?" Phineas asked in absolute shock. Ferb gave the policeman a quizzical, unbelieving look, as Inspector Emerson signaled to the other cops on the outskirts of the Park to approach and restrain the brothers.

"No, no, guys, c'mon! That wasn't us!" Phineas laughed weakly. Unfazed, the cops continued their advance towards the boys.

"We need to see our sister," Ferb pleaded. "She was injured!"

"Yeah, because of your invention, geniuses," the short man who had attempted to save the mayor's life snidely put in.

"I can't believe it," a woman shook her head, breaking down into tears. "It was their invention that shot my grandfather."

"I never want to see them build anything ever again!" shouted another woman angrily.

"They shot the mayor!" one of the officials cried.

"And their sister!" Lawrence thundered. "Everyone is in danger!"

"Dad!" Phineas and Ferb cried.

"Who knows what other monstrosity they could build?" a person from the back yelled.

The next moment, the crowd seemed to burst to life as they hurled insults and accusations at Phineas and Ferb. Yet others started a chant of "Down with Phineas and Ferb! Down with Phineas and Ferb!" All the while, they moved in closer and closer, entrapping the brothers with their cries. And the police, though hindered by the mob around them, continued their march to arrest the boys.

Phineas looked around at the crowd and did not see a single supportive face. Strangely, none of the faces elicited the same sick feeling Isabella's face had instigated; instead, he felt an odd sense of defiance and determination. He was not the killer. He could not have been responsible. He would find out who did this.

He looked over at Ferb who, though pale with apprehension, also had the same determined look. They exchanged a swift glance, and Phineas grabbed his arm and quickly pushed the button on the teleportation device. In a second, they were gone.

Meanwhile…

From the back of the crowd. Isabella watched the flash of light, heard the crackle, and knew that Phineas was gone.

That was it. Just like that. He was gone.

She fingered the letter in her pocket, a bitter taste growing in her mouth. The light cloud cover from just a few minutes ago had condensed into puffy rainclouds, beginning to weep on her, and everyone else's, behalf.

I know it has been a long time coming, but I think I've finally figured it out.

No he hadn't.

I'm sorry it took so long.

No he wasn't.

I promise to never lie to you in that way ever again.

But he did.

He had left her.

"Isabella! Isabella, oh thank god," Ginger appeared next to Isabella, tears streaming down her face. She snapped Isabella out of her trance when she grabbed her hand. "C'mon. We gotta go to the hospital to see Gretchen and Adyson."

"Gretchen and Adyson?" Isabella asked, her stomach turning at what she would hear next.

Terrified, Ginger realized that she hadn't heard what had happened to her two best friends. "They, um… We gotta go," she repeated numbly.

"What about Candace?" asked Isabella. She wanted to press a pause button and have a moment to sit down and take everything in.

"What about Candace?" Ginger repeated. Her face contorted. "Candace… did she…? Is that why I can't find Stacy?"

At that moment, Stacy came up and gave her little sister a comforting hug from behind. "The medics say she's strong, so her chances are good," she said, her voice hoarse from crying. "And from what I can tell, no one has died. Yet. But we should still go to the hospital. We'll take my car."

Isabella gasped with horror. "Candace… she was a victim?!"

Just then, Buford showed up too. His typical burly countenance remained unchanged, but eyes were hollow and glazed over, as though he was trying to hold back tears. "I'm comin' with," he growled.

"Sure, Buford, but don't you want to see your family first?" Ginger rasped, concerned. Buford stared her silently.

"She, um… Adyson. Make sure," he mumbled, toeing the ground. Isabella came to his rescue; she understood how he felt. She had known his crush on her for the past year, and admired the intense desire to make sure a loved one was okay. Even Buford, she silently seethed. Even Buford could care more than Phineas.

But out loud, she said, "I think we should all go." Buford stared at Isabella, and as he did, his eyes sparked with a glint of gratitude. Then they returned back to their dead state.

"It's okay, Buford, we have plenty of room," Stacy replied. She tried to chuckle, but it sounded more like a pathetic wheeze. "We can take anyone who wants to go. But we need to go now."

"So, what just happened?" asked Baljeet through the videochat on Ginger's phone, trying to make sense of the blubbering, sullen mess that were Buford, Ginger, and Katie.

The three kids were all gathered around the small screen, squished into the back of Stacy's Honda, trying to explain the situation to him. Isabella sat up front with Stacy. She didn't feel like talking to Baljeet, or to anyone for that matter. Somehow, she didn't feel the overwhelming desire to break down in tears, like Stacy next to her or her friends in the back. Instead, a constant buzzing sensation filled all of her senses because she could not stop thinking about Phineas. But it wasn't anger with which she regarded him. It was more like…clarity.

"…Phineas and Ferb…" blubbered Katie in the back.

"…Shootings…" Buford muttered, staring outside.

"…Candace…" Ginger said with a quavering voice.

"…and Gretchen and Adyson…" added Katie mournfully.

Baljeet put up his hands and shook his head. "Wait. Slow down. Back up. What about shootings? Is Phineas and Ferb okay? Who shot at everyone?"

The kids in the car exchanged glances, and finally Buford replied hollowly, "Phineas and Ferb. Their invention. Shot everyone."

Much to their consternation, Baljeet laughed. Noticing their expressions, he quickly sobered. "Their invention is made of holograms," he stated skeptically. "It is not possible."

"Tell that to Adyson and Gretchen," said Ginger defiantly, immediately breaking down at the thought of her dead friends.

"Yeah. And to their dead sister," muttered Buford in a low voice.

Isabella whirled around to face Buford, who stared at her in shock. "Don't say that!" she scolded harshly. She was surprised at the amount of steadiness in her voice. "We don't know that she's dead."

"She got shot point-blank in the stomach, Isabella," Katie said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Truth is…"

"The medics said the bullet broke Adyson's rib," Buford intoned dully.

"You saw the pool of blood form next to Gretchen after Phineas and Ferb shot her—" Ginger started, but Isabella cut her off.

"Stop it! Just stop, all of you!" she exclaimed, shaking Katie's hand off her shoulder. "Candace, Gretchen, and Adyson are not gone from our lives. They wouldn't just leave us; they're strong. They know they need to survive. And they'll be here for us. We'll meet them on the other side. I promise."

With that, Isabella folded her arms and stared at the highway through the fat lazy raindrops hitting the car window faster and faster. The car was silent for a few moments after Isabella's tirade. Stacy put a comforting hand on her arm and gave her a sober smile, but Isabella did not shift her gaze.

Baljeet broke the uneasy calm with a cough that made everyone jump in his or her seat. "I am… sorry," he said apprehensively. "I am glad none of you are hurt." No one acknowledged him.

"And Phineas and Ferb are not killers," Isabella declared.

"Isabella… I know it's hard to face the truth, but the truth is, their invention created a person that shot the mayor and a bunch of people we know." Katie couldn't help keep a note of bitterness out of her voice as she addressed her friend.

"And Katie, it should be easy to face the truth! Phineas and Ferb are not killers!" she repeated, turning around to face Katie with jaw set and fists clenched.

"Get your head out of Phineas-land, Isabella," Ginger demanded. "Gretchen and Adyson aren't a joke."

"Neither is pinning a crime on innocent people! It shouldn't be possible for bullets to magically materialize out of thin air!" Isabella countered. "And I am not in Phineas-land!"

"The technicality does seem to strengthen her case," Baljeet added helpfully.

"Baljeet!" Ginger barked. He put his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Just saying," he said meekly.

"Listen. I know this sounds crazy. But Phineas can't be guilty of doing this," Isabella implored, overlooking that she had subconsciously left out Ferb's name.

She had no idea why she was trying to defend his case. Every aspect of the situation should have pointed her to hatefully blaming him with a passion: the invention was his; he broke her heart; her friends were dying. But a small voice spoke out against all of the evidence. Unintelligible and almost inaudible, she nevertheless felt the conviction of that voice more compelling than any reasoning available.

"Isabella, we're not having this conversation right now," Stacy said, breathing out heavily. She peered out the window. The rain was steadily growing heavier.

"But he needs out help!" she protested.

"No! You know who needs our help? Candace needs our help. Gretchen needs out help. Adyson needs our help. Our families. Mayor Doofenshmirtz. They're the ones who need help right now." Stacy took a deep breath, letting out all of her steam. "Look, Isabella. Whatever dream-priorities you might have right now, no matter how innocent you think Phineas is – you need to drop those thoughts right now. Because they're not in danger of dying right now, but our friends are."

"And even if they are in danger, maybe they can just conjure up some more holographic assassins to protect them," Katie said sarcastically.

Ginger gave Katie a disapproving look, but did not contradict her. "We need to care about the innocent before we care about the guilty," she said simply.

Buford remained silent, but nodded. His eyes were still blank.

For a heartbeat, Isabella stared at them all in bewilderment. Then, with a constricted voice, she said, "Let me out."

"What?"

"Let me out of the car. Now."

"Isabella, we're on a highway and almost at the hospital. Don't be stupid—"

"YOU'RE BEING STUPID!" she shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. "LET ME OUT!"

Stacy abruptly pulled over and unlocked the door. "Okay, here. Get out."

Isabella quickly flung open the door and jumped out into the rain. Before she rushed away, Stacy cranked open the window and, leaning over, yelled, "You know, maybe you should stop being so selfish and start thinking about others! I'm losing my best friend as we speak and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. Do you know how that feels?!"

The window rolled up and the car sped away, leaving Isabella in the rain. She watched the car leave, basking in the bitter irony of Stacy's last question. But no one else understood it; no one else knew. The only people whom she had texted about Phineas' letter and knew about his subsequent fake charade of love - Gretchen and Adyson - were unconscious and dying. She collapsed on the damp asphalt, her head wracked with guilt, self-disgust, and anguish. Her fingers pulled out the letter, which was now soaked with rainwater, and Isabella found herself crying as she watched the paper dissolve into nothing.

Wow. Even I'll admit that chapter was dark. But it isn't called "the Fall" for nothing, I guess. Go on, send in that review of what's on your mind. You know you want to do it.