Authors Note: Merry Christmas guys!

Irving flew backwards, his body scraping painfully against the concrete as he landed, tumbling. He stopped himself from rolling finally, the blow being that powerful. He look up, a contraption of gray, blue, black and orange, glared down at him out of its one brown eye. They eye was cold, and unfeeling. The fan-boy recognized him instantly, haven pestered all that had seen him- mainly Phineas, Ferb, Dr. D and Perry of the 1st Dimension- until they finally gave him a description good enough for a sketch artist.

The boy hesitantly reached into his pocket, pulling out a Ziploc bag and reaching inside of it to bring out the folded piece of paper from it. Irving unfolded the hand-drawn picture, holding it so it lined up right next to the thing staring down at him. He made the conclusion instantly "Platyborg?"

Cyborg snarled at him. How did this idiot know that name? That horrid name that another prisoner pleads to him with. He hated the way it sounded, coming from the man it was his job to torture and from this boy as well. He must be an enemy, someone that was once affiliated with the one eyed man. Doofenshmirtz, that's what his master called the prisoner…

Irving didn't get up, not knowing if he should or not. "Platyborg, it is you!" He smiled at the thing, but it didn't seem to be listening as the cyborg snatched the piece of paper away from him with a groan. "Hey!" He narrowed his eyes behind his glasses as he watched the thing rip his drawing of it in half. "That took a long time to draw, you know! I had to stalk my friends for weeks just to- What's that?" He asked, taking the piece of ripped paper that was being given to him. "Doofenshmirtz?"

The cyborg nodded, pointing to the boy questioningly.

"Do I know him?"

Again the thing gave a nod and the boy answered him.

"Of course I know him!" Irving responded, a little offended "Anybody who is anybody knows him! Jeez, where have you been?"

That was all Cyborg needed to hear. He growled, regaining his threatening exterior and he grabbed the boy by the back of the shirt.

Irving was hoisted up, off the ground by the back of his shirt collar. He choked, the grip slightly choking him. Before the fan-boy knew it, he was screaming as the thing took off with him. The air rushed past them as they flew over Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated, flying past it and towards another building, smaller in size but twice as intimidating…

"Phineas!" The scientist called after the boy, running as fast as he could to catch up to him. He didn't know why the kid was running, or where he was running to, but he found himself skidding to a stop on his heel when he realized just where Phineas was running to. The man stopped, right in front of the DEI of this dimension. He watched the boy disappear around it but he didn't move, he just stared, watching, and waiting, at the building in front of him. He was told that the top part buckled, but he couldn't have imagined anything like this. It looked like his building now in the 1st Dimension. Doof cautiously made his way around the corner, looking out at the wreckage and ruins of the 2nd extension. He looked down at a piece of metal that he accidentally stepped on and picked it up, slowly examining it in his hand, flipping it over to see red, charred, wallpaper. The walls were made of metal? Why would the building be constructed out of-

As he pocketed the piece of metal wall, he strolled around, taking in every piece of metal, plaster and other unidentified pieces of housing materials there was. There was nothing he could identify as haven seen intact before, everything was too mangled and burned and smashed to do so. He willed himself to look up at the gigantic, gaping, hole in the side of the building where the addition once connected to the original. He squinted up, recognizing the room instantly.

Half of the other him's office stared back at him, the half that had made it through the shaking and explosions. He swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly becoming dry and a knot hardening in his chest as he placed his hand over his chest, closing his eyes. He dug down, taking in as much as he could, holding his breath just in case that interfered in some way…but again, nothing.

Again, in the past 11 months since he'd last seen his counterpart, he felt absolutely nothing. Not a beat, not a imp or so much as a glimpse of a feeling. No connections. The line was dead, and now, that he's seen this and felt nothing, he knows the truth. The other him and Platyborg were dead, and no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried to feel or connect, there was nothing. No hope, no life, no feelings, no anything. There was nothing, and he felt the nothing deep down inside of him. He now felt it, like a part of him was missing and the worst part was, he knew he couldn't get it back…

"NO!" Phineas' nearby scream made the doctor snap back, turning his head every way to locate the boy.

"Phineas? Where are you?! Say something!"

The boy didn't respond verbally but his sobs echoed enough through the fog and dust that the doctor soon found him on his knees in front of a large pile of rubble, head down and clutching his arms in front of him. Doof knelt down behind him turning him around to sit in his lap. Glass pierced his knees but he could care less, more concerned about the young inventor. "Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?" The scientist glared "Why did you run off like that?"

Phineas shook his head, burying his face into the lab coat, clutching it and crying.

Dr. Doofenshmirtz wrapped his arms around the boy. "Why're you-" And froze, staring out in front of him.

Phineas found the bodies.

Irving shielded his face as they crashed through the wall of the medium sized building. It was big yes, but definitely smaller than DEI in comparison. The cyborg landed with ease on his feet, the wings retracting and the boosters powering down.

"Cyborg! What have I told you about crashing through my walls? Have I not trained you well enough? Do you want me to try again?"

Cyborg whimpered, shaking his head no. It dropped the boy to the ground without a second thought and bowed down to the man, showing its extravagant loyalty. The man nodded to it, finally noticing the small boy on the floor.

"What have you brought me?"

Irving lifted his head up from the floor, rubbing his cranium and glaring the cyborg down. He stood up, dusting himself off as he addressed the bald man. "Rodney, is it?" The boy scowled.

"Cyborg, what is the meaning of this?" He demanded "Why have you brought me this pathetic imp of life?"

Cyborg made a 'D' with his fingers.

"What about Doofenshmirtz?"

The thing pointed to Irving.

"The boy?" Rodney questioned "How does this child have any connections to our prisoner?"

Cyborg chattered, gesturing to the boy and stepping back, in a 'see for yourself' manner as he brought out a backpack, opening it up and handing his master the papers.

"Hey!" Irving shouted, trying to get them back but the cyborg held his face back with a webbed foot, so the boy mumbled against the webbed toes "Those are private!"

Roddenstein looked over the drawings and occasional notes, blinking as he flipped through them, looks of bewilderment, amusement and finally an evil smirk. "Take him to the interrogation room. We're going to have to ask this criminal a few questions…"

Irving's head shot up after he was shoved down again. "Criminal?"

"We- We have to go Phineas." Was the urgent sentence that escaped him. They had to leave, if not for his sake then for the boy's. They weren't safe here, no one was safe here, he realized it now. Doofenshmirtz got to his feet and began to turn but the boy kicked out of his arms, landing on the debris and dust-stricken ground.

"We can't just leave them!" Phineas told him, turning his head back.

"It isn't safe here! We have to get to the 12th Dimension and get those knots, and then we're going back to our dimension! It's too late for them and there's nothing we can do!" He was always protective over the boy, and right now he wanted to spare him from this, all of this.

"You don't care! You never cared about them! You never liked the other you! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" The red head screamed. "We didn't go to visit them the week before they were killed because you didn't want to! IF WE HAD JUST VISITED THEM LIKE I PLANNED THEN THEY'D PROBABLY STILL BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW! IT'S YOUR FAULT THEY'RE DEAD, DR. D!" Phineas sobbed hysterically, his sight being blinded by the rushing tears.

Doofenshmirtz picked Phineas back up, not saying a word as he wrapped the boy with his arms. He walked away the same way the two bodies laid together.

The bigger one protecting the little one.

"Criminal?" Irving looked up just in time to see a metal hand reach out for him. The boy jumped out of the way and to his feet, backing away from the cyborg that was now in pursue of him.

"Get him!" Roddenstein commanded and the thing leapt to it.

The fan-boy jumped and dodged and twisted and threw himself out of the way of oncoming projectiles, blasts, fists and feet, a spiked tail, and other things coming at him. He was almost at the door when he was grabbed by the ankle and hoisted in the air where he hung upside down. Irving tried to shake and kick the grasp lose but the death grip around his ankle tightened and he was pretty sure he heard a non-painful crack emit from it. He winced, thinking of what would happen if he heard another crack, this time, agonizing. He didn't want to risk it and surrendered.

Rodney looked staisfied "Now, take him to the-"

"Uh, sir?" Interrupted a familiar voice and all pairs and half pairs of eyes looked to the doorway where a blond teenager stood, looking nervous and uncertain.

"Jeremy?" Irving wondered aloud and he was responded by the cyborg slamming his head against the floor, glaring at him. It was basically the thing's way of telling him to be quiet when his boss was doing something.

"What is it, lackey?" Roddenstein asked harshly.

The Johnson boy shrunk back, highly intimidated by his 'boss'. "Well…you see, about the whole 'lackey' thing…" Jeremy gulped "I- I don't think I want to do it anymore and I was wondering if I could…you know, ….quit?" He risked his whole life on the last word.

"Quit?" The madman asked "Why on earth would you want to do that?"

"My, uh, neck hurts…" The blond teen removed his hand to reveal four, red, hole, marks.

Irving gasped, holding his own neck in fear. Was that what they did to prisoners? Stabbed them with forks until they talked?! Well he wouldn't succumb to their torture methods! …Okay, maybe he'd succumb a little….but if they so much as tried to get any info about Phineas and Ferb then he'd give his life to protect them! No one could make him talk! NEVER!

"You're worried about those little marks?" Rodney scoffed "I know many men who have once worked for me and have lost their lives doing my bidding, not one had once asked me to quit. Well…all except one." Rodney narrowed his eyes "Sadly he's still alive…" Then he smiled, giving a pity laugh. "But not for long. As soon as he gives me what I want…it'll all be over for him, and maybe…just maybe, an arranged marriage should be in order. His daughter is quite…" He frowned. "No. She will be my maid. I have a much better 'bride to be' in mind. Doofenshmirtz does have his lovely fiancé. I told him not to worry about her. The girl will be in good hands…"

"Fiancé?!" Irving cried. Okay, he may have only been here for fifteen minutes and he didn't really know what the heck was going on…but he definitely knew that something was horribly wrong here. The boy's mind was in a frenzy as he screamed out in both shock and obliviousness to the more important stuff that was previously mentioned. Paying no attention to the fact that someone's daughter was going to be forced into slavery and they apparently had a prisoner of war somewhere, he screamed in shock and revulsion "Doofenshmirtz has a fiancé?!"

"Yes…,sir." Jeremy agreed to his boss, being like everyone else and ignoring the flailing boy. It was all he could do. He could only agree to everything the man said, and he hated that. He hated what this organization was trying to accomplish. It was all just wrong, I mean, destroy a man and take everything from him because he's the smartest? The most powerful? Strong? Loved? The former dictator was all these things and to think he had once resented the man for taking over. Now, he hoped Doofenshmirtz could escape. He hoped the man could escape his white prison, his antagonists and everything else that would soon kill him. That's only the beginning of what the group had planned. They wanted much more than the Pizzazium Infinionite, the man's life and his suffering. They wanted way more… And as he listened to Roddenstein's mad cackling over what he planned to do to his old companion's daughter and fiance, he felt sick to his stomach. He needed to get out of here, he really did but he waited, waited until the man stopped laughing, but would it ever stop? Would anything ever stop? The world needed to stop, someone needed to interfere, to do something. He couldn't do anything, he was a lackey to protect the ones he loved. That was the deal, that was always the first deal and pledge to the organization…

Jeremy had learned a lot, about a horrible organization and their plans, about his own feelings and the evil in the world, but mostly about Doofenshmirtz. The former dictator- when he started out- the deal didn't apply to him, strictly because he had no one to love or protect. But when he did get that, a lot of that, that was when the first deal applied to him, only then. The moment his first born daughter came into the world was the moment of the worlds end. Then another imp of life that he loved was created, Platyborg, second born and son. Jeremy just hoped and prayed that there wouldn't be a third…

The world depended on it.

"Only one has tried to quit on me…" Rodney continued "But of course I couldn't very well let that happen… So, no. No, you may not quit. You may be demoted but that is all I grant you."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." The blond teen nodded, dismissing himself from the room and out of the doorway where he pressed himself back against the wall. He gave an exasperated sighed.

Doofenshmirtz-2 had to get out and stop it, stop everything. The man was clever and incredible, he was sure the former dictator would be able to save himself, and the rest of the world around him. He had to, there were no other words to fill the urgency of it. The man just had to.

The world depended on a lot, but right now…It depended on a man.

A man that just had to.

The 1st Dimension Doofenshmirtz didn't stop walking or even let the boy walk on his own. He just activated the portal remote and stepped into the 3rd Dimension. He ignored the giant creature that was there and it pretty much ignored him also. The scientist walked through all of the dimensions in silence, Phineas was silent and he had thought/hoped the boy had just fallen asleep in his arms. The crying had ceased once they passed the 5th Dimension and they were now entering the 7th.

The scientist sighed, recollecting and sorting out his own thoughts. He had done the right thing, getting Phineas away from there. Why did he ever convince the kid to go in the first place? Oh yeah, it was because he couldn't feel and he felt bad about it. Was the trip worth it? He really couldn't say. It was worth it for him because he now had some closure, he knew what the fate of the two counterparts were. Just like the 2nd banshee screaming girl had said, they were caught and crushed in the collapse. He couldn't get the images out of his head because now he now knew exactly how they had died. He was now picturing how the events played out and he couldn't stop himself from seeing it. He couldn't stop himself from picturing the video in his mind. The building started to shake and things started to fall, with nothing they could do to stop it, the other him started pulling the cyborg towards the exit. A beam fell, something fell in the way and they were trapped. The extension started to tip backwards and they were thrown back. It disconnected completely and in a final attempt to save one of them, the other him had thrown himself over the tiny cyborg, shielding him from anything and everything as the whole half of the building plummeted, their bodies being thrown and tossed around inside like nothing. Slamming against walls and furniture and glass, the other him squeezing the cyborg tighter to protect him as much as he could. Finally, there was the impact and the other him's love just wasn't enough to protect them. The love could not withstand broken and shattered bones, concussions and blunt force trauma. It could not survive snapped spinal cords or the heaviness of metal walls and other possible falling objects that could easily crush life forms. It just wasn't enough of a cushion to break the fall.

And now the bodies lay together along with the ruins of the home of which they once lived, the larger body covering the smaller one, both clutching each other either if the reason was for dear life, or farewell, perhaps no one would ever know…

Doofenshmirtz walked through the last portal, they were now in the 12th Dimension. I know that there were a lot of dimensions through that 'Brand New Reality' sample but even though I have to take extra math classes because I fail the exams all too easily, I am pretty sure I counted correctly and have the right dimension…

The 12th dimension was like all the other dimensions throughout the multi-verse, it was different than the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th and other continuing worlds in the cycle. They all had their own character. He looked down at the limp body in his arms. Phineas wasn't unconscious or hurt or dead or anything, turns out, the boy wasn't even really asleep.

"Phineas, we're here." The doctor told him and the boy turned his head from facing the lab coat to stare directly out in front of him.

Phineas got out of the man's arms and the man kneeled on one leg to place him to his feet. Everything was quiet in the 12th Dimension, not so much as a sign of any life form of any kind. They were alone in the dim place. Multiple black squares, put together like a mixture of high stairs lay in front of them and around them.

"Aw, dude, how are we going to find knots in this place? Are you sure this is the 12th dimension?"

"I'm a scientist who does quantum physics and changes molecular structure almost every day, I THINK I know how to count to twelve…"

Phineas rolled his eyes and stepped forward to a square, it was almost as tall as him so he climbed up on it, landing on his side when he reached the top of the first square. The second his body touched the square, it changed into a bright red color, lighting up underneath him. He stood and looked down at it weird before hopping up to another square, this one turned green on contact. He jumped on another and it turned a blue color. "Woah! Dr. D, you have to try this!" The boy exclaimed as he jumped on more, each one turning a different color with each slap of sneakers. Phineas left a trail of colors as he continued hopping along the squares.

Doofenshmirtz shrugged and- with caution –stepped on a square. He jumped back from it in slight shock as it turned red on contact. He stared at it, unconvinced and unsure.

Phineas urged him onward as he hopped on another square with one foot, actually laughing. "Come on! They don't bite!"

The doctor hesitantly stepped on the same square, this time it turned purple. He half smiled and stepped on another, this time it turned red, then again, and it turned green. He got into it quickly, hopping from square to square as they each turned a different color with every step. He made his own trail of colors, swerved and not a straight line like Phineas'.

Speaking of the young inventor, he changed his path of colors and was now playing around with the squares, going in different directions, making zig zags with the sideways diamonds. Silence was had, except for the sound of sneaker pats and hops.

The scientist stopped hopping, and half smiled in the optimistic boy's direction. The boy smiling himself as he hopped from square to square as they both took in this moment of life. Doofenshmirtz knew, and so did Phineas that life was short and could easily be taken from anyone, even those that loved it most. Fun loving people, without a care in the world, could be easily removed, like Platyborg. He was a kid at heart, it was easy to spot even if you didn't know him. He was small, and innocent, eyes that could melt even the most horrid of evil away. Maybe that's what happened to the other him, but then again, no one knew about what happened. The doctor didn't feel like he knew his counterpart, they always had a distant relationship, basically because the other him hated his guts. He remembered the day that the other him admitted that he wasn't 'all that bad'. It wasn't an 'I love you' but he accepted and appreciated it the same way.

Phineas hopped again, his smile gleaming with amusement, that is, until he stepped on another square. He stopped on it, staring down and he watched a frown form on his own face in his reflection. The orange squared glowed back at him, mocking. The boy growled, stomping on the orange square in anger and frustration until it cracked. He drove his fists down into it, glass shattering and grazing his knuckles. He shattered the square, not paying attention to Doof's frantic screams until it was too late. He was grabbed from behind just as glass came crashing down, shattering in the place where he once was.