(A/N: Whoever hated the last chapter is probably going to like this one...enjoy!)

The walk back seemed to take longer then expected. Across the grass, to the lake bank, all the while flanked by robots. Looking back, Isabella could see their castle, teleported here by some feat of magic. How picturesque.

All three of them went through the lake bottom entrance again. The robots left them to go through another secret entrance, as Hazelton knew. But humans cant go in there. There's a deathtrap waiting for them there...They came into the atrium, joined by the robots, materializing out of some unseen entrance.

Isabella was taken back to her prison. Ferb, meanwhile, got special treatment.

Hazelton led her away from Isabella and ushered him into a meeting room. It was typical of any office meeting room, with a huge table in the middle and swivel chairs around it.Who is this guy expecting? Ferb thought.

Focus. Don't get sidetracked.

Hazelton dismissed the robots. Ferb was surprised, but he held his emotions in check.

Apparantly he's chosen this place for privacy. It'll work for me.

"So, Ferb. Well, you've proven your worth for me. But now..."

Ferb held his breath, fingering the object in his pocket.

"...now I want you to be my assistant."

For a second, Ferb was not sure if he had heard correctly. His assistant?

Hazelton's face made it clear that there was no mistake.

"You see, Ferb, I was thinking how much more useful you'd be as an ally. Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends with them? So, I decided to take you in. After all, you've just done me a massive favour. I need you to do me another one."

He's good. I'll give him due credit and consider it.

"Would you?" Hazelton was staring at Ferb intently.

He fingered the object in his pocket again. He needed to keep a tight grip on it.

He looked straight at Hazeton, so he could see there was no ambiguity in his answer. He had always known the answer since he shot Phineas, always aware the answer was-

"Never."

Then he whipped out a taser from his pocket and shot Hazelton with it.

"That's for Phineas. And that", he said, kicking Hazelton in the face, "Is for Isabella."

Then, cool as ice, he walked out, leaving Hazelton on the floor.

Ferb burst through the doors of the meeting room and ran straight into Hazelton's robotic assistant. Hazelton had, as always, left the key in the lock. Ferb turned it inconspicuously. There were a bunch of other robots surrounding it. Too many to fight. So-

"The master wishes Isabella and me to go to the other side of this complex,alone!" His tone rang of authority. If the robot had human eyes, it would have been stared down.

The robot did not move. "For safety reasons, you shall stay here while go in and ask for directions."

"He says if he is disturbed he will rip out your circuitboards and sell them as scrap metal." Ferb forced himself to remain calm, to hold his nerve. To his credit,nothing betrayed the lie.

"I have my orders."The robotic assistant was resolute.

After saying that, the robot bypassed Ferb and made to go in-

"Stop!"

It was Ferb.

There was something in his voice that made the robot stop.

"You dare disobey a direct order from your master?" Ferb's voice was dangerously even.

Maybe it was the stare Ferb was giving him, but the robot seemed to falter. Or it could be the program Hazelton installed to make them more human-like.

"Well..."

"Do you want to know why you can't go in?" Ferb hurried on, not waiting for an answer."He's planning to be ruler of the Tri-State Area, and you robots are interfering!"

"Now, look here-" the robot began.

"You look here! I've told him something he needs to know, and he trusts me! Now let me pass!" With that he walked towards the door.

"Stop!" cried the robot. "Take one step more and you'll be cut down!"

And this made Ferb break stride. He turned and looked square at the robots. Perhaps it was the humanoid program installed on it, but the robot felt a little intimidated.

"Then cut me down."

And he walked straight out. He knew the robots were completely fooled, but not for long.

So he hurried to Isabella's room.

Fantastic! Hazelton's a creature of habit! And of course this means his robots are too!

Indeed, there was the key, left in the lock. He wouldn't have to waste time picking the lock.

He turned the key in the lock-

-and saw Isabella weeping in the corner.

"Isabella?" he said softly.

She turned, and when she saw who it was, she rushed to him, fury in her eyes.

Smack!

Ferb reeled from the slap. She seemed to be coming back for more.

"You murderer! How could you?"

Smack!

"Why I oughta-"She raised her hand.

Smack!

"tear out your-" She raised her hand again.

Ferb yelled,"Isabella, stop!'

Somehow, there was something in his eyes that stopped her for a moment.

It was all Ferb needed. He grabbed her arm and practically dragged her out of the room.

She struggled."Let me go, you murderer!"But Ferb kept a tight grip on her.

Her voice was laced with fear now. "Where are you taking me?"

"Right now, all you need to know is that Phineas is alive, and that we're going to see him."

They reached the atrium in which all three of them had first entered the complex. There was a robotic guard there, and he raised his arm to fire-

"Stop!"

Ferb's voice had the same effect on this particular robot as it did on the others.

"We're not come on orders from the master. Go and check. If I'm wrong, you can do whatever you want with us." Ferb held up his hands, wisely leaving the taser in his pocket.

The robot still looked uncertain, but he keyed his wrist mike and spoke into it. "Do these two have permission to exit?" he said, digitally scanning Ferb's and Isabella's face.

There was an agonizing silence, and then-

"Yes, and without escort."

The robot let them pass. They donned the diving suits by the exit and headed out, the door automatically opening, and the whole process reversing itself.

We've made it!

They swam up to the lake bank and ripped off their suits, confident they wouldn't need them anymore.

Around the same time, robots were talking among themselves outside the meeting room.

"-should we enter?"one asked.

The personal assistant of Hazelton decided.

"Let's give it five minutes. If nothing happens, then we'll enter.

The clock was ticking for Phineas, Ferb and Isabella...