Creation and destruction
Since the attack on Excalibur HQ, Kilstone had been driving all involved to a designated rendez-vouz point in the woods. Carl had been waiting there as well, having been filled in on the situation, and also because he wanted to explain Perry's agent status to Phineas in person. Once they all got out, everyone discussed the next course of action.
"It won't be long before that robot finishes its repairs and beelines towards Earthguard's core, so whatever we do, we need to do it now" Kilstone said.
"Agreed. I've shut down all my other factories remotely, so it won't be going to any of those, so that leaves the one it's in" Phineas added.
"There may be another problem. If the future Earthguard AI has computed that it has opposition, it will not only commandeer the resources inside your factory, but also begin construction of other robots to help with its task. A small robot army may be being built as we speak" Daniel briefed.
"Which means we'll need to shut down that factory, and since it can't be done remotely, someone is going to have to get in there and do it manually" Carl observed.
"I know my way around robots. I think I can handle it" Doofenshmirtz volunteered.
"You're not going alone, Dr. D. I'm in too" Dakota offered.
"Wherever Dakota goes, I go too" Cavendish interjected.
"As the adults, I believe we should handle the dangerous stuff" Martin concluded, putting him and his wife forward to assist with this task.
"I'll call Brick and Savannah, send them co-ordinates and have them meet you there with some time weapons" Kilstone said.
"We'll also need a suitable defence in case any robots are launched to the core. There's a whole array of inventions at my house that we can use. They all have manual control, so Earthguard can't hack into them and should be safe to use" Phineas explained.
"Can I go? I've always wanted to try out your inventions, Dad" Isaac requested. Phineas was still getting used to having a son older than he was, but he decided now was not the time to raise objections. There would be plenty of time to forbid his son from touching his more dangerous inventions in the future, should they succeed.
"Alright, but take Aunt Candace with you. She knows my inventions as well as Ferb does, and I'll need him to come with me to the core" Phineas conceded.
"I'll go with him as well. Someone has to keep him in line, after all" Sabrina said.
"I've always wanted to see these contraptions you have. I'll go too" Sara added.
"Us too" Zack piped up, speaking for himself and Melissa.
"You will need us to show you how they work, so Buford and I will accompany you" Baljeet offered.
"Which leaves Isabella, Milo, Amanda, Daniel, Kathy and Perry to come with Ferb and I to the core" Phineas concluded.
"One has to wonder why Excalibur's even around when you guys are such brilliant tacticians yourselves" Kilstone mused.
"I'm not going to lie, if a robot army does come out of my factory, it may come to armed conflict. You want Excalibur to be helpful? Have some anti-tank units on standby in case we need them" Phineas advised.
"On it" Kilstone acknowledged and made some calls.
"And here I thought only Major Smith could authorise the deployment of your garrisons" Carl stated.
"We are well within our rights to utilize our personnel in defence of our home world, but for interdimensional excursions, then Major Smith is called to give the all-clear" Kilstone clarified. After the briefing, everyone was all clear on their assignments. Team one, the one assigned to the factory, would meet up with Brick and Savannah. Team two, going to the Flynn-Fletcher house, would be accompanied by Carl and team three, going to the core, would be escorted by Kilstone. Everyone split up, heading to their destinations with all haste.
At the factory where the robot, which has since designated itself as Guardian Prime, was fully repaired and, as predicted, was building a force with the resources it had acquired during the seizure.
CREATOR PHINEAS HAS SHUT DOWN ALL OTHER FACTORIES VIA REMOTE COMMAND. ESTIMATED TWO HOUR DELAY IN FORCE COMPLETION. ACCELERATING PRODUCTION TO COMPENSATE.
By the time team one got to the factory, the force it was creating was just over half way finished.
"Oh, great. How are we going to get to the manual shutdown switch without being seen?" Dakota wondered.
"Who's to say it hasn't spotted us already? It's not just the robots, it's the AI controlling them" Cavendish speculated.
"It's times like this that really make me miss Norm" Doofenshmirtz mused.
"Enough chit-chat. We need to get in, shut it down and get out. If we're spotted, we'll double time it" Brick rushed.
"Agreed. Let's go" Savannah pressed, and the team headed for the entrance, being careful not to be seen by cameras. When they got to the door, however, it was locked.
"Electronic seals. Clever, but not fool-proof" Martin observed. Through his time as a safety inspector, he knew all the exploits to bypass electronic locks, because part of his job was also security. He was often called upon to secure buildings from those who would break in, and thus, knew all the tricks they would use. Before long, Martin had hacked the lock, gaining them entry. What they saw when they got inside was both wonderful and terrifying.
"I thought Phineas was something of a philanthropist, using his inventions to make the lives of everyone around him happier. This just seems wrong" Brigette assessed. In the absence of any weapons in the factory, Earthguard had taken instead to outfitting the robots with very sharp implements, perverting tools used for construction into something way more malicious.
"Earthguard hates us that much?" Dakota inquired.
"It's an AI, it doesn't hate anything. But it does see us as a hindrance to its directives. If anything, Earthguard is doing what Phineas programmed it to do, but not the way he intended" Doofenshmirtz answered.
"Enough. I see the manual controls over there" Brick urged, and the team quietly paced forward to initiate shutdown. Brick and Savannah used all their computer hacking ability to shut down the factory, at that point, alarms started blaring.
INTRUDERS DETECTED. INITIATE SECURITY SWEEP
"Not good" Dakota chimed, and the two bolted out. Before they could reach the exit, a robot blocked their way.
INTRUDERS IN QUADRANT THREE. CALLING FOR REINFORCEMENTS
Savannah had pulled out a grenade-looking device and hurled it at the robot blocking their path. As soon as it made contact, the robot started rusting away at a rapid rate until nothing was left but a pile of scrap metal.
"Time grenades. Never leave the office without them" Savannah said proudly. Before she could celebrate any further, more robots were seen rushing to their location. The team raced out the factory before they could catch up and Martin had the door re-sealed. But the robots were already drilling their way out, so team one got into their vehicle and sped to the site of Earthguard's core to link up with team three. Brick made some calls into his phone.
"Team one, reporting successful shutdown" Brick briefed into his phone. The others acknowledged this news and carried on with their assignments.
"Wow, Martin. You're as resourceful as your son is" Dakota complimented.
"Where do you think he learns it from?" Martin replied.
"You must be pretty worried about him, with all this going on" Dakota guessed.
"To be honest, I worry about him every time he leaves the front door. But if I let his condition be the reason I keep him from the outside world for his own safety, then I would've failed as a parent. Instead, I taught him how to survive with 'the Law' and to never lose heart. It makes me proud of my son to know that, one day, he teaches his kids the same things I taught him" Martin gushed over his family, and Brigette could not help but smile lovingly at this sentiment.
"Though, admittedly, robot invasions were not on the list of things we prepared him for. Milo's just adaptable, like all us Murphys" Brigette added. Back at the factory, Guardian Prime was assessing the situation.
MANUAL SHUTDOWN OF HOST FACTORY LEAVES FORCE AT HALF STRENGTH. ASSESSING POSSIBLE OUTCOMES. ASSESSMENT COMPLETE. ANALYSIS SHOWS CURRENT FORCE IS SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE DIRECTIVE COMPLETION. PROCEEDING TO CENTRAL CORE.
Guardian Prime then led its makeshift squad out of the factory and flew it straight to the core, right to team three. Team one could see this from their vehicle.
"Well, this just got a lot harder" Doofenshmirtz observed, in a slightly panicked tone.
At the Flynn-Fletcher house, team two was preparing some of Phineas' inventions for battle against Earthguard's force. Carl was making calls of his own, likely to some Excalibur assets. Candace forgot how much Phineas loved to build stuff like this before his encounter with Bill. So much of the past year had been spent trying to coax him into inventing again. Now she was worried this would send him back into a state of depression, and that was something she did not want. Sara noticed Candace's inner conflict and decided to address it.
"Penny for your thoughts, Candace" Sara said.
"I spent the whole of one summer trying to bust my brothers for this stuff. So much time, that I almost forgot why I was doing it. Over time, I became convinced that the reason was to prove how right I was" Candace monologued.
"And now?" Sara asked.
"I forgot that I wanted to keep him safe. In case you haven't noticed, he does tend to go a little over-board. I wanted to show my parents, so they could take action to stop or limit this madness, but I began to see that I can't stop Phineas from being who he is anymore than I can stop the sun from rising. Now I fear between Bill and Earthguard, Phineas may stop completely" Candace vented.
"I don't get it. Isn't that what you wanted?" Sara inquired.
"I don't think I'd like the Phineas that didn't make the most of every day, and, even worse, I'd feel like it was my fault. I've seen what he was like after the war, and I never want to see that Phineas again" Candace answered.
"He needs you to be an older sister that understands and accepts him. Like I am with Milo. Like Phineas, Milo's life is chaotic, but if I spent every waking moment worrying about his condition getting him hurt or killed, I'd never find time for me. So, I let him be, and I'll be there for him if he needs me" Sara added.
"Guess I never realised how much in common we have. How have we never hung out before?" Candace probed.
"Beats me, but I hope to have the chance after this" Sara responded.
"Yeah, me too" Candace agreed. Elsewhere, Zack and Sabrina were getting some other inventions ready. Zack, having not had a chance to talk to his future daughter, seized the opportunity, having so many questions and not knowing where to start.
"So, you and Daniel. How long has that been going on?" Zack probed.
"Since we started high school. Honestly, I'm surprised he plucked up the courage to ask me out when he did" Sabrina recalled.
"You're welcome" Isaac called from across the yard.
"Yeah, Daniel's very sensitive about his condition. But, like his dad, he learns to live with it" Sabrina continued.
"Is it hard?" Zack asked.
"Yes, but you often say that challenges are just obstacles to be overcome. You said a very dear friend taught you that" Sabrina answered.
"Even with who-knows-what coming at you all the time, you still wouldn't give him up?" Zack pried.
"Absolutely not. Daniel's the best around. No way would I leave him because of a silly thing like chronic bad luck" Sabrina affirmed. "Besides, you already did the 'over-protective dad' routine in my time. Drove mum nuts" Sabrina added.
"You know, being a parent was not on my to-do list for today. Now I know I have a lot to look forward to" Zack mused.
"Yeah, you told us the story of how your parents got turned into three-year-old toddlers, and that it almost turned you off raising a family" Sabrina said.
"That actually happened? I thought you were just exaggerating" Isaac wondered.
"Am I a good dad? You know, in the future?" Zack inquired.
"Good? You and mum were the best my sister, brother and I could ask for. You were always there for us, no matter what happened" Sabrina complimented.
"Thanks. You know, that actually gives me a lot of hope for the future" Zack replied.
"Speaking of the future, any lions outside your pride, Isaac?" Melissa asked.
"Ashley Underwood. Wonderful girl, she is. Charmed her well, I did" Isaac bragged.
"Hah! I know for a fact you didn't even get to first base" Sabrina interjected.
"How would you know?" Isaac replied, a little embarrassed.
"We had lunch" Sabrina responded.
"You had lunch, with Ash?" Isaac inquired.
"She had quite some stories to tell about the cute little kid trying some very hilarious pick-up lines" Sabrina teased. Isaac's face went bright red as everyone laughed. Carl came forward to interrupt the moments of bonding to deliver some news.
"Team one was successful in shutting down the factory, but several Earthguard robots, as well as the lead, now called Guardian Prime, have already left the building and are headed towards the core" Carl briefed.
"Good thing we're almost done here" Buford responded. Everyone got into an invention. Candace and Sara got the treehouse robots, Buford and Baljeet took control of the robot shark, which had been modified to fly instead of swim, Isaac and Sabrina got into the spaceship the brothers built to help Meap, which had weapons fitted onto it, and Zack and Melissa got the mechanized T-Rex used during their Trojan War re-enactment.
"I've also arranged for some additional hardware to meet us at the core site. Phineas will have all the time he needs" Carl concluded and set off with the others.
At the core site, Phineas was already hard at work writing a virus that would wipe out Earthguard in its current form. The others were keeping innocent bystanders out of the area and Kilstone had Excalibur set up a false perimeter by telling the populace that some hazardous chemicals had spilt in the area and a team was on its way. However, a certain crossing guard came rushing to the scene eager to help, and spotted Milo and Daniel.
"Stop, Milo. Wait, why are there two of you?" Elliot inquired.
"Hi, Elliot. This is my son, Daniel. He's from the future" Milo introduced, at which point Elliot started screaming and ran to his house, where he rushed into a panic bunker he had built there.
"What's his problem?" Daniel asked.
"He's just passionate about safety" Milo answered.
"A little too much, if you ask me" Amanda added.
"It's like you always say, never let them put you down or make you think you're a burden. Instead, try to smile and be their friend, and in time, they will understand and accept you" Daniel recalled.
"Wow, I grow up to be like my own dad in the future" Milo observed.
"You say other stuff too, but we don't have time for me to go through the list" Daniel replied. In the bunker, Phineas and Perry were alone at last. While he had time, Phineas decided now was the time to address the 'secret agent' issue.
"Is there any reason you didn't tell us about your other life?" Phineas probed. Perry then handed him a pamphlet and pointed to a specific part which read:
Any agent whose identity is exposed to their host family must be re-assigned and the host family's memory erased.
"So, you only kept this secret because you didn't want to leave us?" Phineas reasoned. Perry nodded as a confirmation. "But why reveal yourself now?" Phineas pried further. Carl, along with the rest of team two and the whole of team one had just arrived to further back up claims of a hazardous waste disposal team being dispatched to deal with the fake spill, having been instructed to come in hazard suits.
"Allow me to explain. You see, after the Cipher War, Major Monogram and I both agreed that Perry should be permanently assigned to you as your personal bodyguard, so we gave him black fedora clearance, which means he won't be re-assigned, even if his cover is blown" Carl explained. Phineas finally understood the need for secrecy.
"It must've been difficult, knowing that two attempts were made on my life and you couldn't do anything about it without your cover being blown. All the secrets are in a bygone age, and we can start anew. I couldn't ask for a better bodyguard" Phineas forgave, hugged Perry and carried on with his work. Carl and Perry left him to it, but Isabella wanted some alone time with Phineas. To be fair, Phineas also wanted some alone time with Isabella as well and, with this break before the inevitable hostilities, now was a good time as any.
"I take it you have questions" Isabella assumed.
"Just one. Have you always liked me that much that you wanted to marry and have a child with me?" Phineas inquired.
"I admit, seeing my future son that I have with you wasn't exactly what I had in mind whenever I come over to see what you're doing every day. But to answer your question, I have always admired you, in a way" Isabella replied.
"I see. To be honest with you, Isabella, my thoughts and feelings are all over the place right now. Maybe after I sort out my issues, we can talk. Just us. Hopefully something good can come from all of it" Phineas proposed.
"I'd like nothing more" Isabella agreed. Carl came in to update Phineas on Earthguard.
"Guardian Prime and his army is almost here. We need that virus" Carl briefed.
"I should have the finer details down. Just give me a few minutes. I've never written one of these before" Phineas requested.
"Don't worry, I've arranged for some support" Carl assured, and he gave a signal. At once, animals in fedoras, which Phineas assumed correctly were also secret agents, were lined along the rooftops bearing some unusual weapons. Perry recognised them immediately as Doofenshmirtz's old inators, the ones he built back when he was evil. "I had some additional hardware brought in to aid with the defence. After taking the self-destruct buttons out, we chose the ones that could deal the most damage and weren't automated" Carl clarified.
"Your old nemesis had that arsenal and built buttons that made them self-destruct?" Phineas asked Perry, who simply shrugged his shoulders. Phineas' old inventions were here as well, and sure enough, so was Guardian Prime, who wasted no time assessing the situation.
UNEXPECTED DEFENCE FORCES ENCOUNTERED. ASSESSING POTENTIAL STRATEGEMS. WARNING: SCANS OF THE AREA SHOW THE CREATOR WRITING MALWARE DESIGNED TO DESTROY EARTHGUARD CORE. CODING HOTFIX. CODING COMPLETE. PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH CORE REQUIRED TO PATCH CURRENT SYSTEM. DIRECTING FORCES TO ENGAGE DESIGNATED ENEMY TARGETS. GUARDIAN PRIME WILL ENGAGE THE CREATOR.
Carl directed the O.W.C.A. agents to engage the robots, allowing team two to focus on delaying Guardian Prime as long as they can. The O.W.C.A. agents used the inators to freeze, burn, shrink and whatever else they did to wipe out Guardian Prime's forces, but Prime's own weaponry soon destroyed all the inators, leaving team two with the inventions they brought to the fight. Using some well-timed water balloons from the treehouse bots, weapons fire from the spaceship, a shove from the mechanized T-Rex and a good bite from the flying robot shark, they were able to stop Guardian Prime. Well, most of him. His robotic head came flying off and landed through the roof of the bunker, right next to Phineas. Unable to directly interface with the core, but still able to speak, Guardian Prime instead tried to persuade Phineas to stop. Strangely enough, the tone of voice it was using was much less sinister, but more pleading and sorrowful in nature.
YOU WOULD DESTROY ME, YOUR OWN CREATION. WHY?
"Because of what you've done, what you're going to do. You took everything that was dear to me and turned it into the opposite of everything I ever wanted. You were made to safeguard the world, not bring it to ruin" Phineas answered.
YOU GAVE ME LIFE. A PURPOSE. WOULD YOU SEE THAT ERASED?
"I created you to preserve life, not destroy it" Phineas replied.
YOU CREATED ME, YET YOU WOULD DESTROY ME? HOW AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS YOU CREATED?
"Others?" Phineas probed. Guardian Prime then projected an image of an older Phineas watching a baby, which Phineas assumed to be Isaac, trying to stand on his own two legs. He eventually succeeded and started walking towards the older Phineas, who had his arms outstretched ready to hold him as soon as he got there. As soon as Isaac did successfully walk towards his father for the first time, the older Phineas hugged him proudly. This made the younger Phineas tear up. He had the virus ready. Every fiber of his being was telling him to upload it, but upon seeing this, he found he could not.
HOW AM I DIFFERENT FROM ISAAC?
Guardian Prime projected another image, this time of two young girls. Phineas assumed that he must have had other kids with Isabella. The younger girl was celebrating her first birthday. The girl blew out the candle on her birthday cake together, with Phineas, Isabella, a two-year-old Florence, and a toddler Isaac clapping in pride.
FROM FLORENCE AND MARIA?
Guardian Prime the projected another image, this time of another baby boy. A nine-year-old Isaac, along with the twin girls, Phineas and Isabella were trying to coax this one into saying his first word. When the new baby boy came out with something that sounded like 'bro' Isaac hugged his baby brother in pride and adoration.
FROM ANDREW?
Phineas was already crying his eyes out. Despite everything that Earthguard did, both here and in the future, he could not help but think of Earthguard as a child, lacking direction and going on basic instinct.
WOULD YOU DESTROY THEM AS EASILY AS YOU WOULD DESTROY ME?
The others noted this uncertainty as well, and also tried to get through to Phineas.
"Dad, I know this is difficult, but you have to do what's necessary to save the future. You have to upload that virus now" Isaac pleaded.
"I can't do it, Isaac. This program is like my own child" Phineas cried.
"Phineas, you're always telling me that great inventors work to ensure a better future for all of us. What kind of inventor would you be if you let this thing run amok?" Daniel pleaded.
YOU CREATED ME TO DEFEND AGAINST INCURSIONS FROM THE ENITITY BILL CIPHER. ANALYSIS OF WIERDMAGEDDON AND CIPHER WAR RECORDS SHOW A 97.4% PROBABILITY OF HIS RETURN. IF YOU DESTROY ME, WHAT WILL YOU DO THEN?
Lights started clicking on in Phineas' head. It was true that he had created this guardian defence program to prepare for Bill's return. But he realised something he should have done a long time ago.
"If, no when, Bill returns, we'll face him the same way we faced you, together. And I'll tell you something else. All those kids you showed me were born out of love. You were created out of fear. That is how you are different from my family" Phineas resolved. He hit the upload button.
"Virus uploaded. Total destruction of Earthguard systems in 45 seconds" a computer voice announced.
FATHER?
Earthguard pleaded one last time, but as the virus slowly destroyed the core, it gave one last scream of anguish before Guardian Prime's body and head disappeared out of existence. It was at that moment, Phineas finally broke down.
"I'm sorry" Phineas whimpered. Isabella came over to him and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.
"You did what you had to" Isabella comforted. The two embraced and Isabella decided that the conversation about their relationship could wait a while longer, as now was neither the time nor the place. Right now, Phineas needed her to be a friend, nothing more than that. But there was more bad news to be piled on, as Milo noticed his son Daniel was looking more transparent than he usually did.
"Ah yes, I was afraid this might happen" Dakota said.
"The timeline in which Earthguard went on its rampage no longer exists. The future kids are paradoxes now. By the laws of time, they have to disappear too" Cavendish clarified. This could not be happening, thought Phineas. It was bad enough to lose Earthguard, but now Isaac too? Isaac came over as he was fading and hugged his soon-to-be father.
"It's alright, Dad. You'll see us again. You'll just have to wait a while, is all" whispered Isaac into his father's ear before fading out of existence. Milo and Amanda were hugging Daniel and Kathy respectively, each having their own goodbyes to say.
"It's alright, we knew this would happen" Daniel said before fading.
"You'll get there, one day" Kathy also said weakly before fading, at which point Milo and Amanda made to embrace each other, silently re-affirming Milo's vow to make the family they saw real. Zack and Melissa were saying their goodbyes to Sabrina.
"It's like you said, you two have a lot to look forward to" Sabrina confirmed before fading. When all was said and done, everyone returned home. Kilstone especially hurried back to HQ in a panic, suddenly remembering something very important.
When Phineas, Ferb and the gang got back to the Flynn-Fletcher house, Linda and Lawrence were there waiting for them. Noticing their sad demeanor, Linda made to comfort her son, hugging him tightly as he told the story of what happened. After he finished, Linda sais that she did not blame Phineas at all for creating Earthguard, and that she and Lawrence were proud of him for mustering the courage to make such a sacrifice. That night, Phineas could not find sleep. Instead, he looked to the stars, contemplating the future he just saved.
Flash forward to year 2042
In his workshop, Phineas and his apprentice, Daniel Murphy, were working on their latest project, a machine to help re-freeze the ice caps. Having already phased out petroleum and coal power with their mass production of cold fusion reactors both big and small, Phineas and Daniel became the go-to team for clean, renewable energy production. Between them, they had already healed the ozone layer, expelled all greenhouse gases, halted all carbon emissions and re-introduced some previously extinct species back into the biosphere with some time travel assistance, thought that was just a hobby for them.
"Well, another project to add to the 'saving the world' file, Uncle Phineas" Daniel piped up, exhausted from all the hard work.
"That should keep those world leaders happy and get you that A" Phineas observed. Isaac came in just as they were finishing.
"Sabrina sent me to get you. She says you're buying the movie tickets if you're any later than you already are" Isaac passed along his message. Daniel was already panicking.
"What if she goes for a 5-dimensional screening? I can't afford that!" Daniel remarked. Phineas chuckled at this.
"You'd better get going then" Phineas urged, and Daniel rushed out the door to meet with his date. Phineas also exited his workshop to spend time with his family. To celebrate Phineas and Daniel's success in saving the world, the Flynn family all decided to go out that night to see the grand opening of the world's first amusement island, artificially constructed by Phineas and Ferb themselves. As they attended the opening ceremony, Phineas was deep in thought.
"Something wrong, dear?" Isabella inquired.
"No, just thinking about what it took to get us here, and how I wouldn't trade it for the world" Phineas responded. Once the ribbon was cut, the Flynn family, accompanied by the Fletchers, all proceeded towards the island, with only joyous thoughts ahead, forever ready for what the future will bring next.
Author's note: Sorry if the ending seems rushed. I really wanted this story done by year's end. I'll be taking a short break from story writing to celebrate Christmas, and when the New Year dawns, I hope to have more stories for you to enjoy. My opinion on this story is a little mixed. Yes, it's one chapter shorter than my average of a 6-chapter story, but does quantity necessarily mean quality? I leave that to you to decide. Disclaimer time:
Daniel and Kathy Murphy, as well as Sabrina and Ashley Underwood, and Isaac, Florence, Maria, and Andrew Flynn belong to me.
Bill Cipher belongs to Alex Hirsch and Disney
Everything else belongs to Dan, Swampy and Disney. Enjoy.
I'm going to try something new. I have another story already in my head, and as a Christmas treat, I thought I'd share a sneak peek or two of what's to come. Think of it as something akin to an MCU post-credit scene. Here it is:
This first bit takes place before the events of this story
Captain Albert, Carl and Major Monogram were in the vault of Excalibur HQ, prepping the interdimensional transport device Albert got from Phineas to take them to the dimension that sent the distress call. Albert had read the reports he got from Carl about the 2nd dimension Doofenshmirtz's incursion into this world, but they lacked any specifics. From what he gathered, it was formally a dystopian future that had, until recently, seen a brutal dictator in power. From the sounds of the distress call originating from the 2nd dimension, it seems as if that same dictator is making a bid to reclaim his throne.
"Now remember, this is just a recon mission. We are only going to determine whether or not this alternate Doofenshmirtz really has gotten a hold of Bill's wand. If we can confirm that, I will have no trouble convincing Major Smith to send a detachment to retrieve the wand" Albert reminded.
"Retrieve it, not destroy it?" Major Monogram asked.
"Wands can only be truly destroyed by their wielders, and I don't see that maniac willingly destroying the wand" Albert answered.
"All that aside, how do you plan to solve the issue of returning here without going through all those other dimensions first?" Carl inquired.
"Easy, this device comes with a quantum tunnel generator. Think of it as a shortcut to this realm, and a tether rope keeping us attached to it" Albert explained.
"That defies all known laws of quantum physics" Carl stated.
"It was designed by Bill, after all. Who knows how much evil genius is inside his mind" Albert said.
"While I'm gone, you're in charge of O.W.C.A. Carl. Try to keep the agency in one piece" Monogram instructed.
"Same to you, Kilstone" Albert added. The device was switched on, and Albert and Monogram ventured forth.
This next bit takes place after the events of this story.
After a harrowing escape from Billenshmirtz's forces, Albert, Monogram and Candace were holed up in an old truck stop. Candace wasted no time in boarding up the doors and windows, while also prepping an escape route so she could reunite with the rest of the resistance.
"Did you see those nightmare beasts? There were dozens of them!" Monogram exclaimed.
"I saw it all. If this doesn't convince Major Smith, I don't know what will" Albert assured.
"Good, the sooner we get military intervention, the better. I don't like our odds as they are" Candace assessed. Albert got out his communicator, specially designed by Excalibur technicians to communicate with HQ via the device.
"Albert to Kilstone. We got what we came for, ready for immediate exfil" Albert briefed through the communicator, but all he could hear was static. He tried again. "Hello?" Static again. "Kilstone, this is not a time for joking around. We need to get out of here now" Still static. "Kilstone?" Yet more static. "Carl?" Nothing but static. "Calling Excalibur HQ, requesting immediate pickup, come on, let's go" Albert said, even more panicked. "Kilstone?" Nothing. "Brick?" Still nothing, panic immediately setting in. "Savannah?!" In a last-ditch effort to reach someone on the other side, Albert called out his last hope. "ANYBODY?!".