He was scared that this was just some ruse to get him out of that cell, and leave Phineas and Annie defenseless. He was scared that Candace was going to snap, and try something stupid. He was scared that Ferb was going to get caught in the crossfire, too. And while those were his biggest fears, yes, he was scared for himself right now, too.

He tried to swallow it as it mixed with shame. How dare he?

Doofenshmritz didn't say a word as he opened the door to his office, went to his chair, and stretched out, propping his feet on the desk. He spread his hand out, indicating that he was free to take the stool on the other side of the desk.

He climbed up onto it, and sat there, rigidly.

Doofenshmritz stroked his chin for a long moment, then suddenly sprang to his feet.

He tried not to jump at the sudden movement, but he knew he flinched as the man came at him with a screwdriver.

"First things first, I've just got to check and make sure those weapons are still deactivated. I wouldn't want to get careless, and assume the resistance hasn't developed some sort of nanobot technology. Still offline? Good."

He waited for the man to give the wires a cruel tug, but he just put the panel back on, and screwed it down, then sauntered back to the chair. This time, he leaned forward. "You're wondering why you're here. Well, I'm wondering what I'm going to do with you. You, are an enigma, Perry the platyborg."

He blinked, wondering if Doofenshmritz had ever called him that. It was as close to acknowledging that he was still Perry as he'd ever come. It did very little to quell the uneasy feeling in his chest.

"I could reprogram you. That would be the smartest thing to do. But, I've just done that to death, don't you think?"

He pulled two cups of coffee from under the desk, and handed one over. He stirred his and sipped it thoughtfully. "If I'm not going to wipe your mind, then I really ought to get rid of you, but that didn't work so well last time. Don't think I wont in a heartbeat, but if you're being good, it'd really be a shame to shut you down permanently."

His mouth was dry, and his stomach turned, listening to Doofenshmritz calmly sort through his options like he was nothing more than a computer to be turned off. Suddenly, the man's eye settled on the cup in front if him.

The coffee was probably poisoned, but if there was a chance he could help Phineas…

"Oh. Here." Doofenshmritz tapped a button on his desk and a scanner popped up. "I installed this to test my food. So many enemies, you know. Isn't the office nice? It's an exact replica of the one in my old building. I thought that was a nice gesture from Charline, don't you?"

He wouldn't growl at the mention of that woman. The scan finished, and declared the beverage in front of him to be pure coffee and water. The dictator was watching him, so he took a sip, and swallowed the bitter beverage, surprised to find how used to cream and sugar Annie had gotten him.

Doofenshmirtz seemed appeased by his willingness to drink the beverage. "So, tell me, Perry the platyborg. Whatever should I do with you?"

How was he supposed to answer that? Literally?

The man nodded. "So you see my dilemma. You know the worst part? I want to use those two as hostages against you in the worst way. It'd be so easy. I wouldn't need the mind control, and you'd still have to do my bidding, knowing who you were the whole time. But I'm smarter that the Regurgitator, the back-shooting jerk. I know they'd get loose, or I'd ask you to do something so terrible, you'd have to let me kill them."

Please go back to talking about disposing of me!

"So that's not an option. I'm not interested in seeing how evil that sort of thing would make you. But there is another option. I'm going soft, perhaps, but it's so delicious… that's why I brought you up here."

He refused to let his gaze waver. Just spit it out, you sadistic freak.

The man smiled an evil grin, lowering his voice. "I'm going to let your friends go, and I'm going to guarantee that, wherever your family is, they won't be harmed."

What?! He blinked, despite himself. What's the catch?

Doofenshmirtz let out a delighted cackle. "But… you have to swear to me, on your honor, that you will do anything I say."

It was an uncomfortable position, sure, but did this creep honestly think his honor was more important than his family? He could make a deal like that, and all he'd have to do if things got bad was break his word to the evil dictator, and save the day…

"I'd put fail-safes in place, of course. And you couldn't know them. Nothing that would endanger your friends, if you continue to follow my orders."

Drat. That complicates things. Still… Wasn't it worth it? He could continue on, alone, while Phineas and Annie were free… He leveled a look at the dictator.

The man shrugged. "Quite simply, I'm trying to buy you, Perry the platyborg, and I only know of one thing I have that's valuable enough to make you consider it. You come back, and be my general again, instead of that bumbling Pandonic, and your family will be safe, and secure, and free to live their lives however they want. You could even see them every now and again. They would lose those privileges if you ever turn on me, and I would know that if I ever broke my word to you, all bets would be off."

Doofenshmirtz swigged the rest of his coffee, and threw the cup. It shattered behind him. "I'd ask if you'll consider this, but of course you're going to. I'm going to take you back to your cell now, and gie you some space to think it over. If you decide to join me, we can send your friends back to your family with their pardon papers. If not…" the man paused for a moment, "then I'm back to square one. I'll have to figure out what else to do with you." He shrugged. "Think about it."

They walked to the cell in silence, each step making his stomach churn more. He'd like to have blamed the coffee, but he knew better. Am I really going sell out the Tri-State-Area? Monogram? For his family. Guaranteed safety, for as long as he could stand to bow and scrape to the man who had turned the dimension into this mess in the first place.

He tried to hide the tremble as he was led through the prison door, back to the cell. Phineas was awake, looking terrified. Doofenshmirtz just locked him back in, and left. He walked to Phineas, and hugged his boy. A reassuring chatter wedged in his throat, and he couldn't force it out.

Annie watched from the corner of the cell, giving him a look that told him she knew something was wrong. Please don't say anything in front of Phin!

She nodded, silently, and turned towards the outer room to have a better view of the prison. And to hide her face.

He gave a sigh of relief as Phineas started to calm down. "I was afraid Doofenshmirtz was going to hurt you. He didn't hurt you, did he boy?"

He shook his head. He wasn't hurt.

But he wasn't so sure he hadn't just been defeated.

A/N: I hate myself so much right now, and I'm not even sure why. This wasn't as hard to write as THAT chapter in Platyborg's Agent Predicament, but still… it was a difficult.

Doof: "So don't write stuff like that. I mean, c'mon! First you make us read that, then you complain about how horrible it was? YOU came up with it. YOU'RE the one who should have to deal with it.

Anyway, it's quite the dilemma, and since the next chapter's not done, I'm still not sure how it's going to play out. The next scene might take over a bit, like the last one did, and change the whole direction of the story.

Thanks for reading!