Chapter 9

"Well well well! Who's ready to become human pancakes?" Bill gruesomely asked, floating above the temple. Everyone assumed their defensive positions. "I don't plan on sticking around; I have the power to control reality at will; and I have more plans, so I'll make this quick." Bill snapped his fingers to simply erase everyone from existence, but instead they all sparked up briefly. Bill then figured they had a spell of protection around them, and immediately frowned. "So you want to do this the hard way? Fine. It'll only make your enternal suffering longer."

Bill's hands lit aflame and he spun around, shooting a blue scorch all over the temple; but to no avail. The temple was protected as well. "Wow! You guys are no fun." He thought for a second. "But I doubt you have the power to protect the rest of the world." Bill tried going up to a more destructive position, but found himself trapped again in a dome of runes. He wasn't new to this situation, but it took him a moment to remember. He saw a bird fly right into the dome and crash into it.

"Why aren't we attacking?" Isabella asked Strange.

"He'll eventually realize it's hopeless to fight us, and he can't retreat anymore. We'll press an attack on him; and when he's cornered, he'll reveal his only asset." Strange answered.

"Asset?"

"Phineas." Strange clarified.

The reminder that they don't know where Phineas is made Isabella's heart drop. If they got rid of Bill, then Phineas would be lost forever.

Bill slowly turned around and faced everyone. "So it seems I'm trapped." He said with faux submission. "What do you plan on doing? I have your friend."

"That's what I'm here for." America spoke up.

'Oh yeah.' Isabella thought.

However everyone else was not pleased that America revealed her importance out loud.

'Ah ha!' Bill thought. He quickly swooped down and scooped America into the air. He held her mid air by the head, then started creating fire in his hands, testing the endurance of the protecting spell, while eyeing everyone carefully.

Isabella saw the concern on Strange's face and asked him "Were you bluffing when you told us the protective spell would last?"

"I didn't say it was forever." Strange said. "Attack!" He announced. They just needed to get America back before it was too late.

America was panicking. Se tried opening a portal, but Bill grew more arms and held her hands shut.

The wizards lept into the air, stepping on magic stairs they conjured, to bring themselves to Bill's level.

Bill conjured a shield around himself right before the wizards reached him. "I've become aware that this one is important to you. She can find your accomplice, right? Why don't I help you out?" Bill said, only making everyone suspicious. He stopped killing America's protecting spell to tell her, "Go on. Find him."

America heard him and stopped panicking, all while trying to plan her escape. She focused on finding Phineas, but there was definitely something wrong. "He's. . . here?"

Strange's brow furrowed. "Here in Kamar Taj?" He asked.

"Kinda? He's, like. . . right here in the court yard. But I don't see him." America specified.

Strange and Phineas's friends looked around, but didn't see him either.

"He's here, but nowhere to be found." Bill said with a menacingly pleased tone. "So you better be careful." He said. "One wrong move and he's gone forever."

Isabella was upset, to say the least; but Ferb was downright pissed. Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, and Perry saw it and slowly moved over to him to calm him down.

"Oh, touch a nerve?" Bill asked. He was getting caught up in their despair, that he accidentally let his guard down.

America broke free, using her legs to yank herself away, ripping some of Bill's arms out of his body. She used a portal to put herself out of Bill's shield and back on the ground.

A surprise attack from behind, Captain Marvel flew up and delivered a hard punch, sending Bill knocking around the shielded place like a pinball machine.

Wong opened a portal above Bill, and Emil Blonsky (as the Abomination) dropped down and ground punded the shield as hard as he could. The effects were devastating to Bill; the shield was faltering.

Carol flew above and shot laser after laser at Bill, and Abomination kept pounding away at the shield.

"We could use a little help, eh?" Abomination suggested, looking at everyone else.

America charged in with her powered fists and helped Blonsky at destroying the shield.

Bill, with the knowledge that their shields won't last forever, broke his shield by repulsing it, pushing everyone away.

Bill then transformed into his giant red, demonic form with multiple arms and giant teeth. Bill played their game and shot all manner of energy all around to weaken the place's shields. The longer Bill was there, the more powerful he got and the faster the shields were weakening.

"The shields are weakening. We need to get him down now!" Wong said aloud from behind a conjured shield. Everyone kept conjuring shields in front of themselves, and added a new one whenever one was destroyed.

"What about Phineas?" Isabella asked.

"He's the only leverage this creature has against us, so attacking so recklessly like this has only revealed his bluff."

"But I sensed the kid here!" America said.

"Enough talk!" Strange shouted.

Blonsky, having his amazing endurance and healing abilities, was able to maneuver through the fire to get close to Bill until he was right under him. He jumped and grabbed Bill's leg and swung him around and smashed him on the ground.

Bill tried getting up, but was pushed back down by Carol again. She landed on his back and beat him down a few times before lasering him again.

Bill turned his body around like a Rubiks cube, grew enough arms to hold down Blonsky, then grew his mouth and ate Blonsky whole.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

"We need to pin him down. Get all his arms." Strange said. "Go!"

Carol heard and stanced herself firmly in the ground and grabbed some of Bill's arms. Strange conjured magic ropes and tied more of Bill's arms together. The kids followed Strange's example and soon had Bill down.

Another wizard took Strange's ropes so Strange could get up close to Bill. "Now, if you know what's good for you. Reveal the kid to us." He ordered.

Bill frowned, but then chuckled. "You heard him!"

Phineas appeared out of the blue in the middle of the temple's courtyard. Only a couple of people got a brief look at the significantly changed boy before Phineas created a giant magic grenade-like weapon and threw it on the ground. It exploded and knocked everyone out, as well as the place's shields.

Bill was unphased. "Well done, kid. I might keep you around more." He was approaching Phineas, but suddenly felt uneasy. In his third dimensional form, his pyramid shape had three sections. The bottom one -which consumed Blonsky- began gagging. Bill grabbed himself like he was choking, and then his mouth was pried open. Inside was Blonsky, trying to get himself regurgitated. Bill was about to reach in and push Blonsky back down, but Blonsky got himself into a position where he could kick down hard enough to dislocate Bill's lower section entirely from the rest of his form. "I call that move 'The Jawbreaker.' "

Bill frowned. "I'm honestly more mad about that cheesy cinematic-universe-style pun than what you just did to me. But no matter, now I can reduce this place to rubble!"

Bill was creating a monster-sized energy ball of destruction to decimate Kamar Taj; but right before he could, America sneaked up behind him and delivered a massive punch. Taken by surprise, Bill was pushed forward onto his face. America opened a portal and punched Bill again until he was through, then closed it.

Blonsky was almost speechless. He just looked where the portal was, then back at America, then gave her a thumbs up. "Nice move." He said supportively.

"Thanks." She replied, nearly out of breath. "Uh, who are you? I've, never seen you here before."

"Emil Blonsky, also known as the Abomination. I was in prison for over a decade, then Wong took me under his wing."

"Huh." America nodded, then noticed Phineas still standing there still. "Oh my!" She exclaimed.

Blonsky and America saw something was definitely not right. Phineas's eyes were completely blacked out. Everyone else recovered and got up. Ferb and friends saw Phineas and ran over to him.

"Phineas!" "Phineas?" "Phineas, what's wrong?" Was all that was heard for a solid minute.

After a moment of no response, Phineas said, "He promised me an eternal summer." in a deeper, more messed up voice. "And, you took it away." Phineas began lifting himself into the air. "I will finish what was started."

"Phineas! You don't have to do this!" Isabella yelled into the air to make sure Phineas heard her.

"That's not Phineas." Ferb said in a gravely saddened tone. "In no universe would my brother ever go down this path. There has to be something else going on."

"It's very possible." Strange told him. "He's not Bill, so we can more easily do something about this. Get him down."

The sky began to blacken, and lightning came from nowhere and targeted the temple.

"Stop him before he destroys the temple!" Wong shouted amidst the lightning and thunder.

Strange cast a spell to save everyone's ears from going deaf due to the consistent sound of thunder ringing in their ears.

"I'll go in behind him to figure out what's wrong with him. You two face him and keep him occupied." Strange said to Ferb and Isabella, who looked at each other and nodded. They used magic to boost themselves up to get to Phineas's level. Strange went in behind Phineas to begin working.

Isabella went first. "Phineas, I know you can hear me. I know you miss summer. I know last summer felt like an eternity and you feel like it can never be like that again. You're scared that things will never be one hundred and ten percent fun again, so you want to take every chance to prolong the fun of summer. Well, things won't be the same, but it's up to you how fun it will be. It's up to all of us. We'll be here right beside you the whole time." Isabella embraced Phineas, crying onto his shoulder. "Come back to me." She said quietly. Phineas remained unmoving. He was like a statue.

Strange looked at Ferb and mouthed the words 'keep it going.'

"Phineas," Ferb started. "Even though I felt as though I was in your shadow when it came to our projects, I never disliked it. Because I loved our projects, our summers. They made us happy, they made our friends happy; and most importantly, they kept us together. It wasn't what we did that counted; it was you, Phineas. You are the heart, the center. The inventions are fun, but they're nothing without the one who conceived the ideas and gave it all meaning."

"We love you, Phineas." Isabella continued as Ferb hugged Phineas too. Those words seemed to slightly get through to Phineas. Though he was focusing on three of those words. (wink face)

"Besides, whatever that demon promised you, we would not have been a part of it. You'd be alone."

That thought worked Phineas a little bit.

Perry had an idea; he decided to join Ferb and Isabella. He swallowed the pain he was feeling and growled his signature purr.

"Perry?" And the final domino fell. Phineas lowered his defenses enough so Strange could find the problem.

Strange conjured a circle behind Phineas's head, which turned into a magical X-ray. He was looking for abnormalities; and when Phineas let down his defenses, he spotted it. There was a magic, organic parasite. It wasn't of the physical world. "Wong!" He shouted. Wong rushed up. "I need you to keep this X-ray stable."

"You know what that is. How are you going to get it out?"

"I'll improvise." He said, touching a quick spell to make Phineas unconscious. They slowly descended to the ground.

Such a dangerous proposition made Isabella stop her crying and glare Strange dead in the eye. The look she was giving him said 'You mess up and I'll kill you.'

Strange closed his eyes to focus, telling himself, "Think! Think! It's like a surgery. but magical." That thought stayed with him. "Could it be that simple?" He asked himself.

Strange created a different kind of portal that rested directly above Phineas's head. From the view of the portal, it looked like Phineas's head was surgically cut open, and his brain was in the open. Strange used magic again to sanitize himself before going into it. The portal had a similar effect to the Mirror Dimension; when Strange reached through, his arms disappeared on the other side.

'Careful.' Wong thought.

Strange's arms appeared a mist. He reached into Phineas's head slowly and carefully. Since this was more a spiritual form, Strange's injuries were non existent and he could be as still as needed. Wong kept the X-ray nearby so Strange could reference it.

Cut to the chase, Strange slowly and precisely reached in and -with two fingers- grabbed ahold of the parasite. He tried gently pulling it off, but it was resistant. Strange then muttered a spell to weaken the parasite and gently ease it off. He slowly pulled back until he was out of Phineas's head.

The second it was clear, Strange pulled it out and immediately trapped it in a small cage; one that kept it visible. "Here, take this." He told Wong.

Phineas's irises were gone while he was under; no one could tell until the black disappeared, and then Phineas regained his true self.

"Phineas!" Isabella exclaimed, hugging him tighter.

It took a moment for Phineas's mind to come back together, then he fully realized what was going on and what had happened. He quickly looked around to scope the damage he might've done; but he didn't see any. That told him the plot was stopped just after the protection spells were taken out. He sighed, then his mind went back to Isabella squeezing the air out of his lungs. Ferb and Perry were sitting right by, smiling at him.

This was definitely not a normal hug, Phineas thought. And these were not normal feelings he had, he realized. After a moment, he returned the hug.

Meanwhile, Strange approached America and asked her, "Did you send that thing into another dimension?"

"He was about to disintegrate everything; it was the only thing I thought to do!" She shouted, putting her hands up defensively.

Strange hummed. "Well, if events transpire the same, he won't have any power where he's going. We'll need to get on him quickly, and be sure to dispose of him properly and return before we cause an incursion."

Blonsky regrouped with the crowd, to which Buford took notice. "How are you okay?" He asked.

"It was nothing." Blonsky shrugged. "He just bit off more than he could chew."

"I saw what happened; it was rather impressive." Carol complemented.

"Indeed." Strange said, joining the group. "The Avengers could use someone as quick-witted as you.

"I'm flattered, but I feel that my involvement would again tie them up in more political litigation."

Wong returned after containing the parasite's cage, and he heard the last bit of the conversation. "If serving as an Avenger could be considered an option for community service, I'm sure Miss Walters would be open to helping you out."

Buford and Baljeet joined Ferb, Isabella, and Perry by Phineas. "Are you okay?" Baljeet asked.

"Yeah." Phineas said. "I, I think I'm fine."

Isabella finally pulled away to look at him with such a smile. "And it's good to have you back."

"We're going to have such a summer when we get back home." Ferb said.

"Yes, you will." Wong said as the others finished their business and all gathered near the kids. "Your work is done, but Bill Cipher is in another universe. We have business with the multiverse."

"Allow me to escort you kids home." Strange insisted. He opened a portal to the Flynn-Fletcher backyard, and the kids poured out to greet the soft grassy field. "Now we are going to need those wizard uniforms back."

"Oh, yes, of course." Phineas said.

The kids went to their individual houses to change, and they returned. They gave the uniforms back and said their goodbyes.

Strange stepped back through the portal; but before he could close it, Carol called him to keep it open. "It'll be easier to get home from here. I'll see you around." She told Strange, who nodded in return and closed the portal. "Isabella, was it?" She turned to Isabella.

"Yeah?" Isabella responded.

Carol kneeled down to her eye level. "I saw what you did; it was pretty sweet." She said with the clever double meaning; she held up a fist. Isabella was inwardly hyped to be noticed by a female Avenger; it took all she had not to act so, but she collected herself and more calmly fist bumped Carol.

"I'll see you kids around. You have some real potential in you." Carol said before she flew off.

Phineas turned towards the backyard tree, and let out a relieved sigh with a smile. He went over to sit under it, stretched his limbs, and basked in the summer sunlight; Ferb joined him.

"So what are we gonna do today?" Isabella asked.

Phineas was about to answer, but remembered something. "What do you want to do, Ferb?"

". . . Something fun."

"Awesome."

TO BE CONTINUED...