~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Once Perry had Peter bandaged, he helped the panda sneak around Danville, using the most unlikely pathways where Dr. Tecton wouldn't think to have secret agents prowling about, until they got to an underground panic facility that O.W.C.A. had installed for code alpha red emergencies. The space wasn't very impressive, but it was stocked with food to last a couple years, and plenty of blankets to keep warm. But most helpful of all, it had a huge medical supply.
Perry helped Peter to the ground and grabbed an emergency medical kit. The panda hissed in pain as the platypus cleaned the wound and wrapped it up tighter.
"Can you walk?"
Peter cringed, but allowed himself to be helped up by the agent.
"Thank you." Peter sighed, grabbing a water bottle from the supply storage and taking a long sip. "You wouldn't believe how many agents are outside of Danville. All of O.W.C.A., C.O.W.C.A. and the FBI are trying to get this under control."
"And yet, none of them can help because my evil bastard has the whole city taken hostage." Perry growled.
"The FBI sent in a few covert agents. They managed to get a sample of one of the victim's DNA and are working on a cure. But it's going to take time. The agencies have been instructed to keep the enemy busy."
"And let me guess, you volunteered?" Perry raised an eyebrow.
"Dr. Tecton is my nemesis, if you remember." Peter grinned goofily. "Plus, Lyla Lolliberry is worried about you and convinced C.O.W.C.A. to let her down too. There's no way I wasn't going."
"Lyla is here?"
"The girl can handle herself, P. She has back up."
"Well, I can't just stay here."
"Look," Peter sighed, "I know it's tough, but there's really nothing we can do-"
Perry grabbed the panda's shoulders. "Phineas and Ferb are still out there. And so are Heinz and Vanessa. I have to help them."
"How? Do you even know how you got free of that monster's-"
"I have to try. Please Peter."
Peter looked as if he wanted to argue, but mentally swallowed whatever point he would try to make. "You really care about Heinz, don't you?" Peter finally murmured, looking right into his companion's eyes.
The platypus blushed. Was it really so obvious?
"I know it's forbidden-"
Peter held up his hand, stopping Perry's excuse. "Honestly, I think he loves you, too. So we'll go. And take this." Peter pulled out a communicator from his pocket, and handed one to Perry. "Lyla and I are both connected to the line. She can help if we need her."
Perry took the device with gratitude, and set the piece around his ear. The two continued to examine Peter's wound, until he was sure the pain medicine was kicking in, and he could walk again.
Perry didn't notice he was frowning until Peter frowned back at him. "Are you okay, Perry?"
He'd just killed someone. Yeah, it wasn't willingly, but still..
But Perry pushed Dr. Gevaarlijk's bloody, lifeless face out of his mind. "I'm fine."
Once Peter was sure he was ready to travel again, they slipped back out to the surface world, peeking around to see if any danger was near. Thankfully, after waiting out a few agents who passed through, the coast was clear.
Perry wasn't sure where exactly he'd find any of his family, but decided to start with the Flynn-Fletcher household, in the hopes of learning some clues about Phineas and Ferb's whereabouts. It might have seemed selfish to conduct a personal rescue mission for his own family, but Perry knew his evil self was likely to use them as bait or blackmail if he knew spies had entered Danville. And despite his overwhelming panic for Heinz's safety, his boys would always take top priority.
The house was burnt to a crisp, unveiling the secret lair underneath. Perry's heart raced when he strode through the rubble, but upon finding nobody at the house, he calmed a bit. Where could Dr. Tecton have taken them?
Suddenly, there was a loud thud. Both Perry and Peter swung around, weapons drawn.
It was Lyla.
"Sorry to scare you, eh." Lyla sighed. "I just figured you'd both be here."
In a burst of enthusiasm, Perry ran up and grabbed the female in a hug. Shocked, she froze for a second as his arms wrapped around her, but she soon realized what was happening and returned the sentiment.
"Wow, I didn't know you'd missed me that much." Lyla laughed.
"Where's your backup?" Peter asked.
"We were attacked." She sighed. "One of the agents was badly injured. He was transported back to the city line."
"You should have gone with them." The platypus crossed his arms.
"And leave you with all the fun?" She grinned. "Like hell."
Perry shook his head. "Have you seen Phineas and Ferb?"
"I saw them once, down by the other side of town. Looks like that monster has them working on some kind of huge.. device? They're with a bunch of other scientists."
"Device?" Peter raised an eyebrow.
"Yes." She breathed heavily. "C.O.W.C.A. still has no idea what it is, but we are working on getting answers. Who is that guy, anyway? I thought there was a whole team of evil scientists who constructed this nefarious plot-"
"I'm not entirely sure." Perry lied through his teeth. "Listen, I need to get to Phineas and Ferb and bring them to safety."
"Okay." She sighed. "Maybe I can get a lead on that machine at the same time. But Perry," She cut in as the platypus was about to move, "the whole place is covered in compromised agents. There's no way we are going to be able to sneak in, grab your boys, and get out alive."
The agents hesitated for a second. She was right. But surely there was some detail that his evil self would have missed.. And then, it suddenly hit him.
"Follow me." He grinned. "I have an idea."
The three agents scurried back into Danville, crossing over to the other side of town.
It took forever to reach the familiar purple building with all the mind-controlled civilians crawling amidst the streets, but the agents took underground back ways, built and constructed by O.W.C.A. themselves, to move about the city. They ended up at their destination completely undetected.
The platypus didn't wait for the elevator, climbing onto the roof of the building and cutting through, creating himself an entrance. Both Lyla and Peter followed, still looking confused, but allowing themselves to continue without questions.
Perry landed in Doofenshmirtz's lair, but bypassed the empty apartment, and opened a closet door in the very back of the hallway. It seemed Heinz and Vanessa were gone, but Perry sighed in jubilation when he saw Norm, curled in the back of the closet, silent as can be. It seemed someone had damaged his controls.
"Norm? Is that you?" Perry asked hesitantly.
The robot looked up, his metal eyes blank for a second, but his programming finally kicked in. "Perry the Non-Platypus. Nice to see you. Are you here to hurt me, like my father and sister?"
Perry shook his head. "No, we are the good guys again. We need your help to rescue your father and sister."
"My help?"
"Yes. You have more power than Dr. D. gave you credit, Norm. We need to sneak into Danville and make it out alive with our family."
Norm's robotic frown turned 180 degrees, and the robot attempted to stand, hitting his head against the ceiling and applying what looked like a dent similar to the hundred more that surrounded it. "Okay! But I need you to fix me first, before I can go on a rescue."
Perry dragged Norm into the open, where Peter and Lyla stood, eyebrows raised in awe. "No problem!" The platypus smiled. "We'll get you back to your old self. Where does Heinz keep his tools?"
The three agents sat Norm in the living room, and began fixing and reconnecting his wiring. Soon, the robot was able to move his arms and head as normal, and his combative weapons system came back online.
"Whoo!" Lyla cried. "Now let's go kick some evil scientist ass!"
Perry chuckled. It was always so strange when the normally polite woman used inappropriate words. The two agents hopped into Norm's body and powered off into the quickly approaching evening, hoping they would make it in and out alright.
When Norm arrived about a block away from where Lyla reported she'd last seen the boys, the agents hid Norm around a corner and began scouting the area. Compromised citizens and agents were swarming from every corner; getting in undetected was going to be no easy feat.
"Do you think that bad guy is around?" Lyla asked hesitantly.
Perry shook his head. "I don't think it matters. He may not be here, but he is definitely watching."
"Here's the plan." He continued. "Norm, you are going to walk in and cause a distraction. Once the compromised people begin to follow you, we will sneak in through that air vent. It's likely Dr. Tecton has every area of the place monitored, so we have to move fast. Once we slip inside, we lure Phineas and Ferb and Candace out the back entrance. We should get all of the agent's attention, enough to get them away from Norm, and headed towards us. That gives you, Norm, time to swing back and meet us at this spot, where we will make our escape into the sky."
"There are many possibilities for failure in that plan, Perry the Platypus." Norm replied.
"Hey, when I have I ever failed against Dr. Doofenshmirtz?"
"Good point."
Peter placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm in. Let's go."
As the three agents prepared for their infiltration, Norm stomped out of the hiding spot, and made his way down Danville, stepping on anything in his pathway. The immense ruckus of his heavy stomping caused every single person to look up, practically growl, and begin running after Norm. The robot began to flee in the opposite direction, still smiling.
Once the coast was clear, the three agents jumped out and made their way up the air vent. They climbed up and over, following the path, until they came across movement from below them.
"There!" Perry whispered harshly. "He peered out of the air vent, watching Phineas and Ferb, plus Candace and their friends, Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet, working on some sort of rocket-like device. They weren't the only ones, but it seemed they were alone on this specific floor. The room was absolutely huge. How on earth were they going to get in without being completely overtaken?
Lyla suddenly pointed forwards, to where the air vent wrapped around to the other side of the room, right above an emergency exit door. Perfect.
Perry shimmied that way, watching the boys from the corner of his eyes. It was strange, seeing them working on a project, but looking so lifeless and serious. He would get the old Phineas back. He would get everyone back.
The agents waited for a moment, then hopped out of the air vent, weapons drawn. Immediately, every single face in the room turned to look at them, including the boys and their friends. For a moment, there was dead silence as suppressed tension washed over the room.
And then everything was in complete chaos.