Phineas awoke late in the evening, just long enough to greet his father when he came home from a long day at work. He was asleep again within the hour. He was exhausted, and now he was finally free from the duties which had kept him awake for so long; sleep came easy to him.

With his brother having relocated back to his own bed, Ferb found himself alone on top of the lavender sheets that once made him feel at ease, his head pounding in time with a ticking clock out in the hall. The only thing he could possibly do was attempt to sleep. Otherwise the night would stretch on and on and on into infinity, and in the morning he would be lethargic and weak and no happier than before.

Unconsciousness crept up on him like the tendrils of blackness which had dragged him down into death. The room went dark as the orb shut off, and for a time the house was still and quiet as the whole family tried to sleep.

But in time the darkness gave way... and when it did, Ferb saw himself in his mind, saw what he could not possibly see. His own body strewn out on the grass... bones jutting up through flesh, muscle and tendons visible in lacerations and gaping wounds... his right arm mutilated, completely separated at the shoulder...

The horrific vision zoomed in on his face, on the long piece of metal jutting up from a bloody wound that had once been his eye. Except it was more than just his eye... it went all the way through, poked out on the other side covered in brain matter and a sickly, pus-like liquid which quickly faded into blood.

It had pierced his brain.

From his eye to the back of his head.

It went through his fucking brain.

Ferb awoke in hysterics. Phineas stirred on his bed, confused; Perry, who had been guarding the bedroom door, immediately jumped up in alarm.

He couldn't stop screaming. Sobbing. Pulling at his was a shaved patch he'd missed, crude stitches holding his flesh closed over the hole in his skull which was covered by a metal plate. He felt it under his scalp. He felt it, and he cried harder.

The door flew open in moments and he was quickly engulfed in a soothing embrace accompanied by gentle shushing and soft words meant to chase the fear away.

"There there, son, it's alright, there's nothing to cry about."

But it couldn't go away. It was reality.

Phineas was talking, his voice filled with concern, but Ferb found that his words just slipped right out of his mind. Maybe it was his damaged brain. Maybe he was too scared to hear.

"Dad, I'm dead," he whispered.

"Nonsense," Lawrence replied, his voice as jovial as it had always been.

That's all it really was, wasn't it? Nonsense.

Phineas joined in the hug, but even his gentle touches couldn't stop the flow of tears... or the trickle of motor oil leaking from the orb's socket.

The rain lightened up during the night, and by morning it had stopped. Within just a few hours the sun had pierced through the sodden clouds and turned Danville back into the picture of a happy town it had always been... though much of that joyous spirit had been sapped out in the wake of the accident. There were many who hoped the next summer would bring some of the happiness back; until the time came, they could only wait and struggle to remain optimistic.

Of course, Phineas was happy already, but... well, he was Phineas.

Ferb watched his excited sibling race across the yard, an over-sized yellow turtleneck billowing around his frame like a cape. He was like his old self - childlike and rambunctious, eager to seize the day and show off his imagination. Ferb would have found it more endearing were it not that he was the product of said imagination.

Still... to see Phineas so happy... it never failed to make him happy, too. At least a little.

"What about a song? You think we should sing a song?" Phineas asked in delight as he peered into the shed. "I bet your right hand could make some wicked sounds on a guitar!" He vanished into the shadows, then reemerged with a jug filled with dark liquid.

"What is that?" Ferb asked, preferring to avoid the topic of musical numbers.

"It's motor oil," Phineas replied as he beckoned Ferb towards the tree. "Keeps you running smoothly. This and a little electricity now and then should make you function great!"

"Oh, great," said Ferb with a sigh. "Am I supposed to drink it?"

"Nah, that'd just be messed up." Phineas laughed, seemingly unaware of the irony. "I put a tank in you. Turn around."

"Thanks for the reassurance," Ferb said with a groan as he turned his back to his brother. "I put a tank in you is certainly better than what I was thinking."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"Yes, Phineas, it's sarcasm."

Phineas snorted and pulled Ferb's shirt up to expose his back. "Gosh, I thought you'd be thankful. Would you prefer I left you rotting in the ground?"

The sudden revulsion brought on by the comment conflicted with the pleasant tingle of Phineas's fingers on his skin, and Ferb chose to remain silent, unsure of how he could even respond.

"Not like I would," Phineas went on, his voice much quieter. "I can hardly handle a week without you. A lifetime... I couldn't do it, dude." He let out a soft chuckle, then changed the subject as though it were nothing: "Now, about that song..."

There was something oddly erotic about being unlatched and opened; the realization made Ferb feel sick in an all new kind of way. He thanked the high heavens that his silence wouldn't be noticed or questioned. Phineas was free to ramble on, and Ferb could struggle to keep himself from throwing up or blowing a load in his pants.

You should have stayed dead, you twisted freak, he thought in his frustration.

It wasn't like he meant to do this. Hell, as a child, Ferb only ever found himself infatuated with tall, shapely girls who could sing like angels! He went into puberty fully prepared for a wild sex drive and more attractions - but that was supposed to apply to girls. Though had he liked boys, too, that would have been fine. But he didn't like boys.

He liked Phineas.

Ferb blamed the summer of Phineas's fifteenth birthday. It was the first summer they ever spent apart, and it wasn't all that bad until the day Ferb flew back home from England and came face-to-face with a deep-voiced, lanky teenager claiming to be his brother.

He certainly wasn't feminine. He looked nothing like the models in the magazines hidden under Ferb's bed. Even so, Ferb's enraged hormones latched onto Phineas, onto the way he spoke and the way he moved and every other stupid detail Isabella had been chirping about for years. He was hooked.

Death, it seemed, had done nothing to change this.

"I think I could start it off, then you come out with the guitar," Phineas said as he shook the last of the oil into the exposed tank. "I want to explain what's going on before the big reveal. And then - "

"How about we don't do a song?" Ferb cut in. "It's not really... appropriate." He just barely managed to maintain his composure as the panel on his back was pushed shut. Phineas, predictably, didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

"You think so?" he asked , his voice almost dejected "I figured it would make things easier. Lessen the impact, I guess. But if you don't think it's a good idea..." He trailed off, uncertain, then pulled Ferb's shirt back down and gently smoothed the fabric with shaking fingers.

Nothing could lessen the blow of this news. Ferb knew that, was absolutely certain of it. This was not the typical shenanigans of the boys in the backyard. This was... this was beyond that. If their friends came to accept it, it wouldn't be because of a poppy tune.

As Phineas moved to put the jug back in the shed, Perry emerged from the house and began to make his way across the back lawn. He looked tired and beaten... nothing like the wall-eyed creature Ferb was accustomed to. Still, as the years had gone by, Perry seemed to become less and less domestic, and more... human. Just a little bit. Phineas had speculated that it was because of constant exposure to their inventions. Maybe that was it - maybe they'd inadvertently granted him some form of higher intelligence.

"Hey Perry," Ferb said as the lethargic platypus approached him. He was offered a chatter in reply, and then Perry curled up at the base of the tree and let out a heavy sigh. Ferb couldn't help but smile; it appeared their beloved pet just wanted to be close to them for the day.

Phineas returned from the shed with a cell phone in his hand. "I'm gonna go ahead and call Isabella now," he said with a wide grin. "Just wait until everyone sees you again! I bet they'll be just as happy as Dad was!"

Ferb rubbed the back of his neck and looked away as his brother dialed the familiar number he'd typed in a thousand times before.

The voice on the other end was shocked and ecstatic all at once. Phineas laughed at the greeting, then offered his own: "Hey, Isabella! How are you?"

She was fine, but how was he? Where had he been, what had he done? He sounded happy - why? That was great, of course, him being happy, but... after what happened...

Ferb heard all of this despite his distance from the phone. He wasn't sure if it was because Isabella was loud, or his ears had somehow been improved. And yet... he found that the words she said, and their meaning, quickly left his mind if he didn't focus on them.

"I'll explain everything later," Phineas assured. "For now, I want you to get Buford and Baljeet and meet me in the backyard. I've got something really important to show you." Again, her voice came through the speaker, hurried and confused - but he didn't give her time to speak. "No time, Iz. I've got preparations to make. See you in a few!"

"Preparations?" Ferb asked, nervousness bubbling up in his gut.

Phineas shut his phone and slipped it into his pocket before turning to his brother with a smile. "It's nothing much, I just didn't want her asking too many questions. I've never really liked explaining things over the phone." He seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then he took a step forward and reached up to the wires that went from Ferb's chest to his throat.

"So far, everything seems to be in working order," Phineas said as he gave the wires a light squeeze.

"Do you have to touch me so much?" Ferb asked, his voice shaking.

The hands at his throat moved up to cup his face, and without looking, Ferb knew he was being given one of those cocky smirks his brother had become rather adept at.

"Dude, I'm the only one who knows how most of your systems work," Phineas said with a chuckle. "And even once I've taught you, you'll need me to do most of the handiwork since you're not quite as flexible as you used to be."

"Good to know."

Phineas laughed and patted Ferb's cheek before stepping back and allowing the sleeves of his sweater to cover his hands again. "Don't worry, plenty of modifications are on their way. You're like a new game on release day. Great, but a little buggy, and all the expansion packs aren't out yet."

Ah, yes, gaming metaphors. Ferb rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Phineas. The DLC better be worth the ten bucks I have to pay for it."

"That's the spirit," Phineas said, grinning again. "Now get inside the shed! I don't want to reveal you right away."

Going back inside was more uncomfortable than Ferb thought it would be. He was sure that the worst experience was waking up in that horrible place...but seeing it all again after a day of deep thought was somehow even more traumatic, perhaps because of how much he noticed this time around. The day before he had been too scared and angry to really take a look around. He'd missed the preservation tank in the corner, filled with green goop; he'd missed the surgical instruments under the table, some still stained with blood; and perhaps worst of all, he'd missed the red wagon backed into the shadows, still caked with dirt. The shovel alongside it gave no room for doubt over its use.

This was reality. In the night, there was the dream; now, there was the shed. Ferb knew he was looking at the evidence of his unholy resurrection even as he struggled to push it out of his mind. It was easier to just let it be, to focus on the cyborg part and not the zombie part. Yet here it was. The dirt, the blood, the tank. He was dead.

Ferb sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Alright, no need to panic; that would certainly make this meet-up harder than it needed to be. All he had to do was turn around and peer outside through the slightly-cracked doorway. Watching Phineas and Perry was much easier than looking at all of... that.

It only took a few minutes for Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet to show up. They all seemed worried, and upon seeing Phineas, Isabella broke into a run and embraced him with all the strength she could muster. Ferb hoped she might do the same for him, but he wasn't counting on it.

"Oh god, Phineas, you look awful!" she cried after she'd pulled away. "Look at you! Have you been eating? Or sleeping? And when was the last time you got a haircut?"

Phineas laughed and took Isabella's hands in his own. Ferb felt his stomach churn in an unpleasant sort of way, but he forced it away, knew it wasn't the issue at hand.

"I've seen better days, I guess," Phineas said. "Thanks for coming."

Buford was the next to speak up, and he spoke in a tone that was surprisingly gentle for him, but understandable because of the circumstances. "How are ya, pal?"

"Never been better," Phineas replied with a smile. "Ever since the funeral I've been working on making life as good as it used to be, and I definitely succeeded."

The trio shared some uncomfortable looks, and Ferb sympathized with them. Hearing that sort of thing from such a crazy little genius wasn't exactly uplifting. Oh, but they had no idea what it meant yet...

Isabella squeezed Phineas's hands and looked into his eyes. Ferb couldn't see his brother's face from the angle he was at, but he knew the look well: blank happiness. No surprise, no anxiety, no embarrassment or fear; just that same old smile under those dark blue eyes.

"Phineas, we're worried about you," Isabella stressed as she searched his gaze for any sort of understanding. "It's been... at least a month. And we don't know where you've been, what you've been doing... please tell me you haven't done anything drastic. Please. This was the worst thing any of us have ever been through, and it still hurts, but... I just want us to try and be normal again. Is there any chance we can do that?"

Baljeet and Buford were stationed right behind her as though they expected the worst. Ferb admired that, admired them; over the years, as they grew closer to one another, they also seemed to gravitate towards Isabella. They listened when she talked and followed her when the amazing P 'n' F were busy with their own thing. She was strong and smart and always capable of helping herself... but now, in the wake of the tragedy, they stood behind her like protective brothers. Buford, a great brick wall of a young man, looked the part; it was Baljeet, short and skinny as he was, who seemed out of place. Yet there was no denying the fire in his eyes. If something happened... if her emotions got too strong, if Phineas did something awful... he would be there. They would both be there.

Ferb could see the grin on Phineas's face well enough as he spoke. "Oh, going back to normal is exactly what I was going for. Status quo is God, Iz, we all know that. I wasn't going to let all of this happen without trying to fix it."

He let go of her hands and backed away towards the shed. When he stopped, he was still far enough away for Ferb to be able to see around him, and he noticed that the formerly sleeping platypus at the base of the tree was now watching the group with an intent look in his eyes.

"We've done some amazing things in the past, things that defy the very logic of nature," Phineas went on, his voice taking on a more sinister tone that he probably didn't even notice. "I realized a long time ago that I could do anything I set my mind to if I tried hard enough - anything at all."

It was Baljeet who cut in this time. "Um, Phineas... just so we are clear... You have not built something like a robot of your brother, have you?" He worry seemed genuine, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot as he spoke. "Not that it would not be an amazing invention... but replacing him is no better than having lost him."

Phineas laughed.

It wasn't the happy sound that make Ferb's heart soar; it was the laugh from the previous day, the terrifying chortle of someone who was not entirely there. All three of their friends seemed to flinch back in response, and Ferb had done the same. Only Perry remained stationary. He almost acted as though he were used to it.

"Oh, it's better than that, Baljeet. So much better."

The shed door was flung wide open, creaking on its aging hinges before coming to a stop. The sunlight which pierced the damp clouds cast a sickly light upon the object of interest, who shielded his eyes for a moment before lowering his arms back down to his sides.

They looked at him much the same way Candace had. There was horror, and disgust, and confusion... it seemed almost impossible to even process such a thing. They could, though. This was just the sort of thing within Phineas's power. This was just the sort of thing he'd be willing to do. It was, in a way, the worst case scenario they had feared - they never knew quite what said scenario would be, but they knew it would be drastic.

And now... here they were.

"Everyone, for the second time, I would like you to meet Ferb Fletcher," Phineas said. Ferb stood still as his brother moved closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "His brain has been repaired with computer technology the likes of which most people can only dream of. All robot limbs are fully functional, if a bit... well, robotic. But I'm working on synthetic skin covers. All the organs are working properly, his trachea has been mostly repaired... show 'em, Ferb!"

They were still staring. Isabella looked like she might scream at any moment; Baljeet seemed unsteady and nauseous. Buford, of course, was trying to put on some kind of brave face, but it was obvious that he was just as upset by this turn of events.

"Hello," Ferb said with a small wave of his metal hand.

They were all silent, still absorbing the news, taking in the sight before them; Ferb was sure one of them would soon begin to scream.

But then Isabella smiled.

It wasn't a bright, cheery smile; it was shakier than that, with much less conviction behind it, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Oh, Phineas," said said as she stepped forward. "Oh... I can't believe it... You brought him back..." She reached a hand out, as if to touch one of them, then pulled it back and held it close to her chest. "How...?"

How indeed, Ferb though as Phineas moved closer to Isabella and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"With science and conviction," he said with a smile. "How else? I can share the details with you later, but for now, I just want you guys to know... This is it. This is where I've been." Phineas gestured to Ferb with pride, then shook Isabella a little. "What do you think?"

Anxiety tickled at the corners of Ferb's mind, and with it came hints of blackness, the shadows of his death come to haunt him. He shook his head and tried to focus on the matter at hand. He hated being on the spot...

"He seems very... Not human," said Baljeet.

"Can he talk?" asked Buford.

"He said hello, Buford."

"Yeah, but can he say more? Is he just programmed with words 'n' phrases? Is he still... Ferb?"

Phineas opened his mouth to answer, but it was Isabella who spoke, her voice soft but filled with sadness. "Oh, he can't even go out in public... He's Frankenstein's monster..."

Phineas frowned and removed his arm from her shoulders. "He's not a monster, Isabella. He's Ferb. And yes, he can talk. Everything is fine now! We can go back to normal, just like you guys wanted."

The blackness was relentless, and Ferb put a hand to his forehead and tried his best to drown it out. Why did they all have to focus on him? Why did Phineas want this so much? Couldn't they have kept it a secret until he didn't look like a monster?

"Phineas, don't you see?" Isabella took Phineas by the shoulders and gave him a shake. "It's wonderful that you did this... It's amazing! But you're not planning on actually taking him out, are you? The way people would react..."

"Maybe they'll just think it's a costume," Buford offered.

"That arm is too real," Isabella said. "And everyone in this town knows he's dead. How do you think they'll respond?"

"Like they've responded to anything else we've done. Happiness and joy." Phineas attempted to remove Isabella's hands, but she gripped him tighter and gave him another shake.

Stop, Ferb thought. His mouth didn't seem to want to move.

"This is different," Isabella said with urgency. "I'm proud of you, Phineas, I really am, but you have to keep this on the down-low. Who knows what kind of people or attention this will attract?"

Ferb closed his eyes and tried to take a few steadying breaths.

"He's fine, Isabella! I have this under control! Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

If he could just calm down... Maybe chime in to the conversation...

"Look at him, Phineas! Half his body is made of metal! Not to mention that he's - he's dead, Phineas! And people know that!"

Just calm down...

"Who cares what people know?! I fixed him! I said I would fix him! You're happy, aren't you? They will be too! I did what no one else could ever do! I made a miracle happen! I'm practically a God here!"

She was shaking him again - trying to speak sense to him, trying to make sense - but her words just went in and out, and Ferb couldn't hold onto them. The darkness surrounded him, fogged his brain... then it dragged him under, back into the nothingness.

The last thing Isabella wanted was to fight with Phineas. Normally, it wasn't something that had any chance of happening; he wasn't really a fighter. This was different, though, and he wasn't seeing things for what they were. Isabella had to admit he had done an amazing job, and it really was within his realm of power, but he was insane to think Ferb was fit for the outside world! Poor Ferb was barely even fit for this conversation, the way he was swaying and lowering his head.

This was nothing like how she'd expected they'd meet again. Isabella had thought about it many times, had finally assumed Phineas would just show up at school again someday; this was what she had resigned herself to. What she was seeing now... It was far more grand than her expectations. She was truly blown away by Phineas's abilities, especially without Ferb's help.

But speaking of Ferb's help... Why wasn't he saying anything? Didn't he agree with her? He was smart, and would surely feel the same way - his body wasn't ready for the public eye. People would never accept it. But maybe in a few months' time... They could always say he'd secretly been in a coma the whole time, or some other crazy conspiracy...

"I'm sure Ferb will agree -" she began to say, but that was when he began to move, and before Isabella could even let go of Phineas, she was face-to-face with metal knuckles drawing back to send her flying.

It was Buford who jumped in front of her and took the blow, and the both of them tumbled to the ground at Baljeet's feet. Isabella could barely get her bearings as everything became a flurry of motion. She pushed herself up to her knees as Buford was already on his feet, and for a moment she saw Ferb's face - blank and emotionless as always. But no... His eye, the one that was left, the one that had been filled with emotion a few minutes ago - it stared straight forward as though it saw nothing. Just like after Phineas had dragged him from the scrap.

And then there was blood. It was Buford's, gushing from his nose; and then Baljeet's as he tried to cut in, and Isabella could only scramble back across the grass - was that her screaming she was hearing? She looked to Phineas for guidance, just as she always did... but he blank, staring at the fight with nary a worry in his eyes. The boy she loved so dearly was nowhere in sight.

As quickly as it had begun, it was over; it was Perry who sprang into action, his back leg colliding with the center of Ferb's chest, sending the unexpected monstrosity down to the ground. Isabella didn't fully see what happened - she was still trying to keep herself away from those horrible metal limbs - but surely Phineas had seen. He knew what happened, yet stayed calm as he approached his brother and the shaking platypus on top of him.

"Buford!" Isabella cried as she scrambled to her feet. "Baljeet! Are you okay?"

They were not okay. They too had fallen, bleeding, and Baljeet could barely keep his eyes open. It was Candace who arrived outside in the aftermath of the chaos, her cellphone in hand and already calling 911. She asked if they were okay, too. Isabella was crying by then - she could hardly answer a thing.

In the time it took for Candace to arrive, Phineas had vanished along with Ferb and Perry. Isabella was certain this had to be some kind of dream. In what real world would Phineas leave his friends like this?

The sirens were deafening, he same as they had been a month before.

The clouds had finally left the sky, and the sun was free to shine down upon the earth with all its might. For once in his life, Phineas detested this, and he closed the curtains before setting about with his business.

Ferb had not let go of Perry since he'd become conscious again. He sat on the edge of his bed, legs pulled up to his chest, platypus nestled against his collarbones and held there by shaking hands. Perry didn't seem to mind; in fact, he seemed grateful for it. Phineas knew he wasn't going to be able to part them for the time being. He didn't blame them, either. A hug sounded really nice after all that had happened.

He approached his brother with a wet rag in hand. "Let me see your right arm," he said. "I need to get the blood off."

"What's wrong with me?" Ferb whispered as he held out his hand. "I... I didn't... I don't even remember what happened..."

"You know what the human brain is like, Ferb," Phineas replied as he began scrubbing the tainted metal. "I did my best, honestly, but even the best computer is bound to have some glitches. Looks like I need to work on your aggression a little..."

"I wasn't even mad. Just... the way she was shaking you... and then I just..."

"Shhh. It's alright. We'll get you fixed up."

Ferb fell silent, as he was known to do, and Phineas continued his task. So much fixing to be done... He had no idea that Ferb was so unstable. He honestly thought he'd perfected the brain's design, at least as much as he could. The only consolation was that the new arm worked perfectly. The way it had torn through their flesh, splintered their bones... amazing! Horrible, because Baljeet and Buford were his friends, but amazing nonetheless.

"I can fix you, and I'm sure they'll be fine," Phineas added after a moment. "And even if they aren't, we know I can fix them too, don't we? Everything will be fine, Ferb. This is just a momentary roadblock."

"And when the cops come for us, charge us with attempted murder?"

Phineas stopped what he was doing and looked up into his brother's eye. Ferb was near tears, filled to the brim with a million questions and a billion problems he dared not speak of. It hurt to see him so upset. So scared.

"We can't let that happen, now can we?"

When Ferb finally cried, Phineas wiped away the motor oil that leaked out of the orb's socket, mentally reminding himself to see if he could fix that. There were so many things to fix... so many changes to be made...

This was their reality now.