Ferb blinked as the trio rid along on their bikes.

"Phineas? Where are you taking us?" Isabella called to him. They were still riding their bikes. They have since left the more suburban part of the Tri State Area and were now riding through town. There weren't many cars in the street so it was safer than it could have been.

"I'm tracking the signal of Perry's locket." Phineas said, looking away from the road in front of him to look down at the tracker. "It says he's still in the Tri State Area and we're almost there. It's right down this-"

"PHINEAS LOOK OUT!" Isabella cried before the boy was knocked off his bike.

Phineas hit the pavement, and he felt some of his skin scrape off from the impact.

Isabella was at his side in a minute "Phineas! Phineas! Are you alright?"

"I-I think so…What happened?" Phineas asked, sitting up as he rubbed his aching muscles.

"Some maniac hit you with his car while you weren't looking!" Isabella said angrily "Ferb, call the police!" She commanded and Ferb ran to it as she muttered angrily "We'll get this guy if it's the last thing I-"

"There is no need to call the authorities. I am not a hit and run type of person. I am also not a maniac…At the least I do not see myself as uno…" Rodrigo said to the children as he stepped up to them.

Isabella stared him down "Who are you?"

Rodrigo gave her a sly smile and helped the girl up from kneeling. Isabella still stared at him before hoisting Phineas to his feet as they both stared at the Spanish teen in front of them.

"Please, let of me to introduce myself to you. I am Rodrigo and I am very much sorry for hitting you, no?"

"No?" Isabella questioned. "So you're not sorry for hitting him with your car?"

"Well no, not really" Rodrigo shrugged "But I thought it would be polite to lie and say that I was."

Isabella glared "You can't just-"

"WHAT IS TAKING SO LONG?!" The Regurgitator yelled in frustration, getting out of the car and slamming the door shut, breaking most of the windows of the car as he did. This allowed view to the other inhabitants of the car.

"He just hit a child with a car." Mitch said from inside the car "It could be dead or something like that."

"JUST SCRAPE IT OFF AND LET'S GO. WE ARE ALREADY LATE FOR OUR DATE." The Regurgitator said.

Rodrigo narrowed his eyes at the larger villain. "It is not a date. We are meeting someone for a special settlement. We are not meeting pretty senoritas, nor are we delivering them back to our apartments to-"

"Dude! Seriously, that's enough! I'm getting annoyed here!" Khaka Peü Peü exclaimed, also getting out of the small car. And the kids were starting to wonder how they could all fit in there without difficulty. "Can we just go? The brat is fine!"

Phineas gulped, shaking in place at the lame villain that vowed revenge on him last summer. He didn't understand though, why wasn't Khaka Peü Peü trying to destroy and/or get revenge on him? And Mitch too? Didn't they recognize him? Or any of them? And why were all these guys traveling together in such a small car? Where the heck were they going?

"We will leave. No problemo." Rodrigo shrugged and got back into the driver's seat of the car, closing the door and after a few seconds of nothing, honked the horn for the others to join him so they could leave before the police came.

Khaka Peü Peü rolled his eyes, not so much as taking a good look at the kids before he got back in the car. Although something in him stirred when he realized something was familiar. He just couldn't put his finger on it…

"STAY OUT OF THE ROAD OR NEXT TIME CARS WILL HIT YOU HARDER." The Regurgitator said before getting back in the car, and the door fell off, leaving him fully visible as the car of villains drove away, speeding down the street before it made a sharp turn around the corner, cutting off another car and angry curses and car horns sounded as they disappeared. The driver of the cut off car waving his fist at them.

"What creeps!" Isabella exclaimed, glaring in the direction they disappeared in. "Are you sure you're okay Phineas? Because I got their license plate and when Ferb comes back with the cops we'll-"

"No." Phineas groaned. "That's okay." He said and ran to get his bike.

"Okay?" Isabella looked at him like he was insane "You just got hit by a car! No one is THAT optimistic…"

"You must know him better than that." Ferb said, suddenly right behind them.

"Ferb!" Phineas exclaimed to his step-brother "Did you call the police?"

Ferb nodded.

"Well cancel that order. We're leaving!" Phineas told them and picked his bike off of the ground. It was dented and bent, now useless for transportation.

"Leaving?" Isabella asked "Where are we going?"

"The same place we were going before." Phineas picked up the tracker. It was a little banged up but it still worked. "It's only up that hill." He said and started to walk up. It obvious he was having trouble.

Ferb halted him and gave his step-brother his bike while he hopped on Isabella's, patting the back of the seat where he left room for her. "Hope you don't mind."

"No…of course not…" Isabella told him and hopped on.

Phineas was already pedaling with much strain up hill. So Ferb pedaled as hard as he could to bring them both up hill. They went about two feet before they pedaled backwards uncontrollably into trashcans with a crash. Isabella landed on Ferb who blinked up at her.

Isabella blinked as well. "Let's ditch the bikes and walk."

Ferb nodded.

"How do you do it?"

Dennis turned, and looked at the panda curiously. "How do I do what?"

"Be the way you are."

"I'm not following you dude." Dennis shook his head and placed the icicle back against his head. "And my head hurts for some reason…"

"Maybe it's because you're hung over from drinking."

"What are you talking about? I don't drink. I'm a clean rabbit."

"Whatever. This isn't what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Then what? And make it quick. I think that wolf over there has the hots for me…" The rabbit winked in the pack of wolves' direction although most of them just growled at him.

"That one?" Peter asked, pointing to the most muscular and manly of the wolves.

Dennis scowled. "Very funny. I meant that one!" He pointed to the only girl wolf with a tint of purple in her coat. She looked at them curiously before walking out of the cage silently.

The denial drinking rabbit and the half good-willed panda watched her go.

Peter seemed more concerned about it. "I wonder what that was all about."

"Eh. Who cares? She's probably not my type and def not yours… Aye! Where are you going tubby?"

"I'm going to go check on her to see if she's okay."

"I thought you wanted to talk to me!" Dennis called after him with his hands cupped around his mouth. The panda was already gone but distantly answered.

"We'll talk later!"

Dennis rolled his eyes and put his hands down so his arms limply hung at his sides, muttering to himself. "Stupid panda …" Then looked up at the pack of wolves that just stood there at the ready for anything. He stared at the most muscular and manly wolf in the pack "Hmm…say, you wouldn't happen to be single, would you?"

The wolf blew air out of its nose at him and it looked like smoke when it came out.

Dennis put his hands up defensively "Okay…Okay…It was just a question…Sheesh…I'm getting mixed signals here, that's all. No need to get feisty..." The rabbit said then smirked. "Buuuut….I DO like that in a wo- …man? Wolf?" He looked down at himself in revulsion "Oh dude…what has my life come to?"

Dr. Doofenshmirtz ducked behind a tree, standing stalk still against it and heaving. He tried to keep quiet just in case. He was pretty sure he lost those wolves though when he plummeted off of that ledge and rebounded off of multiple branches on his way down.

Wolves were smart and probably wouldn't go through that much pain to go after him. At least that was what he thought. If he wasn't close to death before then he was definitely close to it now. His pain got the better of him and he allowed them to let him sink down to sit in the snow. He didn't care about the coldness of it. It soothed his achiness in a way, he didn't really know. He felt dizzy.

He lost some blood, that he knew and applied pressure to the claw mark across his collarbone to his shoulder. It burned and stung, badly and he let out a whimper, finally registering the amount of pain it gave him.

The back of his head laid back against the tree bark, the dirt from the tree probably got in his hair but it really didn't matter at this point.

The corner of his lab coat was ripped off and shoulder soaked red, dripping and gushing. The cuts were deep into his flesh and ripped some out. He bled slowly and out as he sat there in the silence and whispers of the blowing wind and snow. The howls and barks faded some time ago. He was starting to confuse seconds with hours and minutes with seconds. Everything slowed and morphed together.

Maybe he wouldn't have to die here, like this, on this day. Maybe he'd be saved…Maybe….

Maybe…

….

…..

…

….

Something bright was in front of him, calling to him and when he smiled to it, he smiled back, even though his mind was leaving. He whispered weakly to it as it took his hand.

"Perry the Platypus I knew you'd find me…" His hand fell to the ground and his chest stopped moving.

Pinky hit the cage again, throwing his body and full weight against it. He'd been doing this for a while and he kept getting the exact same results. It wasn't opening, and it didn't look like it was going to open any time soon.

But the chihuahua wouldn't give up! He'd keep trying to escape until forever! He didn't care what they did to him! So he kept going at the cage, over and over again and he really wasn't getting anywhere. He had to warn the others! It didn't matter if he didn't know what the plans were, he had to let everyone know that Carl was evil! …Again!

"I'd stop that if I were you."

"Well you're not me." Pinky retorted "And I don't plan on stopping any time soon!" He said and kept going at the cage.

"Why don't you just give up and join us? Wouldn't it be simpler…?" Dennis asked and flinched when the chihuahua rammed head first into the cage door. The he added "…And less painful…"

Pinky was too busy on the cage floor rubbing his aching head "…Ouch that smarts!...Ow…"

"Pinky."

"…Aw man, I hope I'm not bleeding…"

"Pinky!"

"…I should have brought extra of Isabella's dresses as headgear or somethin'…"

Dennis sighed. "There really is no getting through to you, is there Pink?"

"Don't call me that!" Pinky growled.

"Did I strike a nerve there? Huh, Pink?"

Pinky snarled at him "Knock it off!"

"Is that what your old nemesis use to call you? ….You know, before he died?"

"I mean it Dennis! If you don't shut up I'll-"

"Do WHAT, Pinky? You are trapped in a cage. I'm out here. There are a DOZEN wolves at my whim and you are HELPLESS."

"They aren't at your whim…" Pinky pouted "They're at Carl's…"

"But I'm second in command! And you could easily be third…if you like…"

"What about Peter?"

"He's just there. He doesn't have an official title. He's still in denial about being evil and stuff. Once he stops moping about good morals, MAYBE he'll become a REAL part of this. But YOU Pinky have so much potential! I could see you RUNNING this operation. You'll be known throughout the ENTIRE Tri State Area!"

"Won't that blow my cover?"

"You won't HAVE a cover anymore! You'll work for yourself and ANSWER to yourself. No big boss telling you what to do or controlling what you do with your life. You'll be FREE with NO ONE else but you."

"What about my friends?"

"They'll all look up to you for having the guts to do what none of them can or ever could!"

"They will?"

"Of course!"

"I don't know…"

"There's nothing to be afraid of Pink- I mean Pinky! I got you! Don't you trust me?"

"I used to…"

"Don't you want to be able to trust me again? Just like old times?" Dennis asked, fake hopefully.

"I guess it WOULD be nice for a change…" Pinky admitted.

"And it's for Isabella' best interest as well."

Pinky looked up at that. "Isabella? How?" He didn't realize how close he and Dennis was, so when a white furry hand closed around his throat, the chihuahua was surprised as it was pulled to be face to face with the bunny.

"Because if you DON'T join us and when we do go through with our unknown plan, a group of wolves will PERSONALLY be sent to DISPOSE of her."

"No! You can't do that!" Pinky cried.

"Then you BETTER do EVERYTHING I tell you from this point on. Is that a deal…? Pinky?"

Pinky the Chihuahua whimpered and slowly nodded "Yes Dennis…"

"NO! NO! NO! That tower is all wrong! It's supposed to have a ROUNDISH structure, NOT OVALISH. Tear it down and start over! I want my fortress to be absolutely perfect!"

The scientists groaned in annoyance, some of them speaking up for themselves and on their own behalf.

Dr. Bloodpudding folded his arms at the major. "The snow is slippery, we don't have ladders to get up high, we've had casualties already, we're missing members and we are terribly worried about them, these working conditions are HORRIBLE and how do a circle and an oval differ to each other in any way?! Much sense is lacking from you!"

The major blinked. "There is a huge difference between ovals and circles. If you were smarter, you'd know that."

"If you weren't going CRAZY, we wouldn't be having this discussion! Just because that child is gone is no reason to act a fool."

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you. You have no idea what these trained animals are capable of."

"Of course I know what they're capable of! I fight one every day! And I don't much CARE anymore of what you can make them do! I'm not doing anything you say from this point on!" Dr. Bloodpudding said and sat crisscross on the ground, which for some reason had less snow than when he started talking.

The other scientists murmured in agreement and did the same, sitting on the ground in a protest, wonder why the ground was warm when it had snow on it.

The animals stared, nervous of what might happen next. If they were ordered to attack, well….they didn't know what they'd do. Should they do it? They had to listen to their boss right? But it wouldn't be right if they did. Aren't they supposed to do what's right? Live by goodness? They couldn't believe they were even thinking about siding with the scientists. They weren't really wrong here… And they were never supposed to think their boss was wrong. Their boss was always right…right?

Terry was concerned already about other things. Not only was his nemesis standing up to Major Monogram and the other internally conflicted agents, but Pinky was still gone. So were Peter and Perry and his nemesis Doofenshmirtz. Pinky's nemesis Poofenplotz was nowhere to be found as well. Carl of course was missing and Dennis and that devil female rabbit. He wished the couple rabbits were happy together in hell. There wasn't a doubt in him that they didn't die when they both fell. But there were always possibilities for everything.

He hoped Pinky, Perry, Doofenshmirtz and he guessed Poofenplotz and Peter as well were safe, hopefully together and out of harm. But hope wasn't much. So while the argument went on, he crept away. This didn't go unnoticed by other agents around him. They saw him sneaking away, but didn't interfere. They just let him go. It didn't really matter that he left. They all wished they could disappear at this moment like he took the opportunity to. Maybe he'd find the others, most hopefully Carl and all of this madness could be settled. Or if he found some of the missing agents or maybe some scientists would be good too. Heck, it'd be outstanding if he found help elsewhere, per say the ski lodge. There were many outcomes to this new event, so they let the orange turtle sneak away, only unnoticed my Major Monogram and a few scientists, the others didn't really care.

"That's enough!" Major Monogram shouted "If you will not answer to me, then you will answer to my agents."

All the animals looked between each other. Crap, this is what they were afraid of. They dreaded what was to come next.

"Punish them!"

Almost as if the command was for them, the wolves jumped out and started surrounding and snarling at the agents, scientists and major. Then just like that they attacked and in a flash of claws and teeth and bushy fur, the fight began.

Peter raced out of the cave, now standing in the opening. He looked left and right and directly in front of him at the snow falling down. Actually, for some reason it stopped snowing. It was warmer out here. That was for sure. It was now more livable, which wasn't good on their part. That meant that the vacationers of LOVEMUFFIN and the OWCA wouldn't freeze to death before they were able to get to them and dispose of them once and for all. That also meant that the fight would take more effort, and they really couldn't lose this.

Look at him. He thought about himself. He was some type of plan and logic expert now. He wasn't like this before. Maybe Dennis and all this evil were having an effect on him. Maybe he was turning evil like everyone else. And he didn't know if it was good or bad. He didn't know what he was or what he wanted. He was torn, between good and evil and evil and good. Somehow they swirled together and he didn't know which was which anymore! His head was starting to hurt, and there weren't any painkillers on this stupid mountain.

But of course there was plenty of alcohol…

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas!"

And it sounded like Dennis just found some more.

The panda sighed. It didn't look like he was going back in THAT cave anytime soon. Not until the rabbit calmed down at least. Dennis was…different when intoxicated. The same face and normal behavior was still there, but something was…well, off about him once tipsy.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas!" Came Dennis' voice again.

Peter just wished it all could STOP! He could barely think. Couldn't everything at least slow down? Was that too much to ask?

"You seem bothered." Said the female wolf. There was a hint of a French accent in her voice. It completed her splendor in a way.

Peter turned, looking up on a ledge she rested on. She laid there casually, her purplish colored fur bright in the sun. Surprisingly the sun was high up in the sky, but most of the heat seemed to come from the ground. In fact, now that he looked around the hideout/cave, the snow was almost completely gone from it. The cave was more visible than just a few days ago. That actually could start to be a problem.

Now the panda didn't think he should even be out here. What if someone saw him? He didn't want them to get the wrong idea! …Although it was actually the right idea, he didn't want anyone to be disappointed in him with the rumor that he was a traitor.

…And he wasn't one! He hasn't picked sides yet! Honest he hasn't! He was neutral. Yup, totally neutral!

He was about to forget this whole coming out here business and walk back inside, maybe to talk to Carl about the safety of their hideout and if possible, their new location.

"Stay out a bit." The female wolf told him. "The sun brings out the fur and makes it shine bright. I don't know if it's just because I'm a girl and I think it's important but beauty can be a useful virtue. No matter the gender." She saw that she got through to him and he sat down on the rock floor. She was satisfied with these results…for now…

"I'm sorry about my friend." Peter finally said.

"Friend?" The female wolf questioned "Who is this friend you speak?"

"Dennis."

"Who?"

"Dennis" Peter repeated. "You know, white bunny rabbit, long ears, loves carrots, deceitful and cunning…" The panda listed and when he saw that she wasn't understanding who he was talking about, he changed his approach. "Can't choose ethnicities while intoxicated?"

"Oh. Yes, the native fellow."

"He's not native." Peter told her, shaking his head "He's just an idiot."

"I do not understand. If you claim to be his friend, why call him such things the way you do?"

"Our friendship is…complicated…"

"How so?"

"Well, he's bent set on me being evil with him, or I guess me just being evil in general."

"And you're not?"

"I don't know…I'm still thinking."

"You must think slow then."

Peter looked at her weird "What do you mean?"

"You only have two choices. I wouldn't think it would be so hard to choose."

"It is!" Peter defended, then looked off "…I think…"

"You are unsure."

The panda felt offended at this point. "Yeah…well…What's your problem?" Peter jumped into the question.

The female wolf looked at him for a moment, confused. "Problem?"

"Yeah. Why'd you run off when Dennis hit on you?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"He's not that bad a guy once you get to know him."

"Now you are defending him?"

"I guess."

"You are still unsure."

"Yeah, so? What's it to you?"

"Not anything. But it is something to you." The female wolf said and he didn't know how to answer so she went ahead "Do you not understand what is right and what is wrong?"

"Of course I do! I'm not an idiot!" He swore she was getting on his nerves on purpose!

"Then you must know what is wrong isn't right and what's right isn't wrong, no matter how much you believe or think that one is the other."

"Are you trying to screw with my mind or something, lady?"

"If that is what is necessary, then I will gladly do it."

"What about you? What side are YOU on?"

"I'm on the one that isn't wrong." The female wolf told him, hopping down from the above ledge, landing in front of him.

"So you're on the good side?"

"I'm also on the one that isn't right…"

Peter stared at her as she started walking into the cave. The chick was a total mind fuck…

"Leah." The female wolf said.

"What?"

"My name is Leah." She repeated the name with pride "It was rude of you not to ask, so I had to correct what you didn't…." Leah told him, almost disappearing into the rock opening. "And tell your friend I'm not interested. But his native tongue is fairly interesting to hear. He must get shitfaced again some time. I would love to hear his lingo once more."

"I'll tell him…" Peter assured her and watched the female wolf disappear.

Yep, the chick wasa nut job. But she was a good nut job. One with class and punctuality…

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AS!"

Unlike SOME people he knew…

Peter's smirk turned into a frown of nervousness and fear. He saw a glint of something shining down below the cave entrance. And he thought he saw a movement, or maybe it was a pair of eyes. He didn't stick around to find out and quickly ran inside the cave, straight to where he thought Carl was. Something wasn't right, he could feel it.

From outside the cavern, down below, Terry the Turtle glared his furious eyes up towards the cave. "Oh Peter…you've made a horrible decision, because now you deal with ME…" The turtle said to himself in a promise and hopped over the rock he was hiding behind. He ran through the cave entrance, perfectly prepared for a fight.

Doofenshmirtz cried in stinging, burning pain as he felt his skin be tortured right before his eyes. It was too much! And he cried out again in a scream.

"Krrrkrrkrrr! Perry scolded him not to move. He was almost done. The man didn't have to be such a baby about it. He rolled his eyes and chattered again as he dabbed more medicine on the scientist's chest wound.

"I'm not being a baby! It's just that-OWWWWWWW!"

"KrrrKrrKrrr…"

"Suck it up like a man? Pardon me for saying this Perry the Platypus but I'm more man than you could EVER hope to be! …I'm a human! And that's already fifty percent man. But I get the other fifty percent because I have a very LARGE-"

"KRRRKRRKRRR!"

"-human body. What? That's what I was going to say. You have a small platypus body that isn't human. I'm just pointing out that I'm more man than you are. And you can't censor me Perry the Platypus. I have a right to be heard. I have a voice and will gladly use it when wanted…yeah. I'll use my voice both when needed and not needed and even more when it's not needed because I can and I have a RIGHT to talk. Do you have rights Perry the Platypus? Because I don't think so!" Doofenshmirtz gloated and then whimpered at the pain driven through him.

"KrrrKrrKrrr."

"I can't help it! That medicine or whatever you're using feels like acid! …And the one you put on my back is burning the absolute worse. It feels like my skin is on fire!"

The platypus stopped and stepped back, giving the scientist a confused look. He didn't apply anything to the man's back.

"But…if you didn't put anything back there then why is it-" Doof hissed, the pain now unbearable as he threw himself from leaning up against the cave wall he was apparently dragged into again. It was a different cave, and actually looked newly formed and smooth, but back to the burning pain. Doofenshmirtz could have sworn he heard sizzling as he scrambled away from the rock wall. He was now facing it, blinking at what he was seeing.

The part of the wall his back had been leaning against was a hot red and turning even more of a shade of it.

"What the heck is that?" Dr. Doofenshmirtz exclaimed, and the two enemies stared at it before the scientist felt a furry hand touch his back, rubbing in a circular motion. He winced and turned to the platypus glaring, smacking the animal's hand away from his back. "Will you please go take your remedies somewhere else?! I don't need them! I said I was fine and I am!"

Perry rolled his eyes and put it away, shrugging at the man as if to say 'now what'.

"I don't know." Doof shrugged back and with some struggle got to his feet. He accidentally put his hand on a wall as leverage and the sizzling sound was back again. He yelped and blew on his smoking hand. Turned out that the other walls were hot too. The cave was also kind of stuffy now that he thought about it. After his hand felt better some he picked up the container of the last of the soup. "This is indestructible right?"

The platypus nodded, not really understanding where it was going.

Doofenshmirtz nodded a thanks before lifting the canister high above his head and driving it into the red wall. It cracked and Perry watched in awe as the scientist brought it down again. More cracks registered in the rock. He kept bringing it down, again and again until a part of it gave way and a red liquid started to come out. The heat emanating from it was great and there was only one likelihood. "Lava? Why would there be lava on a snow mountain? That doesn't make any-"

All of a sudden, the crack spread down to the floor and multiples small cracks broke out in every which direction. It stopped for a second before the cave started to shake.

"Maybe we should lea-"

CRACKKKKKKKKKKKKBSHHHHHHHHHH TTTTTTTT!

"-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Dr. Doofenshmirtz screamed as the cave started to cave in, the ceiling and rocks falling in on top of them as he picked up his nemesis and tried to dodge every one. He ran to the opening of the cave and saw a final rock, the biggest yet start to fall. Knowing they both couldn't make it in time, he threw the platypus out of the way and out of the cave. Dust quickly engulfed everything as the last of the crumbling rock fell in.

It was silent now and Perry could barely see through the flying dirt. He called for the man, but there was no answer. Dangit! Why'd this keep happening? He'd find Doofenshmirtz just to lose him again and the cycle kept continuing. He was wondering if he should even search for the scientist. It seems as if he's the one doing all the work while Doof just messed things up and got himself lost!

If the man hadn't stopped him from fighting Dennis, then their ski lift wouldn't have been cut from the line. If the scientist hadn't thrown scolding hot soup on wolves then he wouldn't have had to flee them and he wouldn't have gotten scratched up the way he did. If Doofenshmirtz HADN'T tried to figure out why the rock was a glowing red then it WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED A STINKING CAVE IN!

"Uh…Perry the Platypus…I think you should see this…"

Idiot. The platypus thought and walked into the fogging dust to find the man. After just a few seconds he found the bumbling scientist looking down at something in a newly formed pit.

Perry walked over to him, not expecting much. The scientist probably found another rock that was oddly shaped to look like his head. He really didn't want to have to argue/explain to the doctor that there was no way whatsoever that it could be a fossil and that no one shaped it that way specifically to prank him. So when the platypus agent looked over the edge, he was pretty surprised at what he saw.

Molten lava, hot and boiling to the most extreme of temperatures, bubbled down in the pit. It was red and orange, steaming and giving off major waves of heat. They had to step back a bit to avoid getting burned by the heat.

"You know…this actually makes sense in a way." Doofenshmirtz proposed.

The platypus looked at him like he was crazy. Of course it would make sense to a person who made no sense.

"It would explain a lot. The unexpected climate changes, the snow melting, why the ground is so warm. This mountain is actually a dormant volcano." Doof said and jumped when lava spewed into the air in front of him, using his arms to shield himself in case any of it splashed in his direction. None did and he smiled a cheesy grin at his nemesis annoyed face. "Well…not dormant anymore I guess…but I don't think anyone knows about this but us. I mean, there's a whole resort on the top of this mountain and civilians and workers and just people in general. Would this place be approved by an inspector if it was known that it was a bomb just waiting to blow?"

Perry shrugged. He guessed that made sense.

"The only question is when…" Dr. Doofenshmirtz trailed off and stepped closer to the edge.

"Krrrkrrkrrr!"

"Relax. I saw this in a movie once" Doof reassured the platypus as he got on his knees and leaned over the edge of the pit.

Once again the platypus warned in horror at the scientist's actions.

"I can see when it's going to blow if I just count the lines and creases on the inside of it." Doofenshmirtz said and leaned over further to count the lines and characterize the texture of the pit's wall.

Perry could only watch him lean farther into the fit dangerously. He was too nervous at this point and urged the scientist to hurry up and be careful.

"Yup…" Doof squinted his eyes to get a better look. "Soon. This mountain- Well, I guess it's actually a whole volcano in itself-"

The platypus chattered angrily for him to get to the point.

"Soon." The scientist concluded, pulling his upper half from out of the pit. He nodded towards the mammal. "This volcano is going to erupt soon. And we're on it! Great! That's just great! Such bad luck for two good people!"

Perry looked at him.

"What? I don't see myself as a bad person. And you…are DEFINITELY not a bad person- er, platypus….Are you?"

The platypus didn't even dignify the man with an answer before turning around and starting further up the mountain. They had to warn people about the impending eruption. Hopefully if they traveled up far enough then they could get to the ski lodge at the very top or hopefully find someone they knew.

"Where are we going now? …Up the mountain? Why are we going there?" Doof asked but didn't receive an answering chatter. So he just started following his nemesis up the mountain. There was nothing else better to do anyway, right?

Phineas smiled as the tracker in his hand started to beep. He looked up at the large structure in front of him. It was remarkably tall and colored purple and green. It was also oddly shaped like an F. "Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated…" Phineas read the sign aloud. A twinge of his brain thought it sounded familiar. Then the thought got stronger and with it came a burning pain in his inner skull. "DANGIT! That SMARTS!"

"You okay?" Isabella asked.

"Yeah…I think so…"

"What happened?"

"I don't know. It was weird." Phineas tried to shake it off as quickly as possible. "We should get inside before anyone catches us." He said and pushed through the front doors.

Isabella and Ferb followed him inside and to the elevator. It dinged as it reached them and opened its door. They stepped inside and Phineas pressed the penthouse floor button.

"Why are we going up so high?" Isabella blinked.

"Because that's where the signal from the locket is coming from. It's on that floor in the biggest apartment."

"Oh…" Isabella said and it was then silent in the elevator until it dinged again and the doors separated.

Phineas ran through them and to a specific apartment door. He stood on his tip toes to be able to see the little plaque better. It was scratched out though so he could make out what the whole thing said. He was only able to make out the first five letter word. The first part of the plaque said Heinz, that's all he could make out. He shrugged. Okay then, and he jiggled the knob. Of course it was locked.

Isabella smiled and pushed her way forward. "I got this." And she reached into her hair, pulling out something thin and black. She jammed it in the keyhole and worked around with it. There was a click as it unlocked and she pushed the door open.

Phineas was very much impressed. "How'd you do that! What kind of mechanism is that, that it can bend locks so easily to its will?"

"It's a bobby pin." Isabella rolled her eyes "Don't get too excited."

But Phineas was already over it and stepped inside the ominous and dark apartment house.

"Wait Phineas." Isabella pulled his shoulder "I don't think this is such a good idea. We shouldn't be breaking into someone's house like this."

Phineas pulled his shoulder away from her "I've gotta find Perry."

And she didn't try to stop him after that, she let him go and he vanished into the dark.

"Dennis?"

"What is it now?" The rabbit had just closed his eyes for the night, not even a second before. "Shouldn't you be asleep? We have shit to screw up tomorrow and I need to be able to think if I want to kill people."

"Can we talk now?"

"About what?" Dennis groaned in annoyance. It was enough he had to share sleeping space with the panda, but not it wanted pillow talk or something!

"About you and me."

Dennis blinked and turned over. "I'm not into that kind of crap, so don't ask."

"What? No. I mean about good and evil and evil and good."

"What's the difference?"

"I'm the first one and you're the second."

"Again, what's the difference? They both have good and evil. They're both the same."

"They're not." Peter told the rabbit "I see myself as the first one, good and evil. I was always good first before this evil crept itself on to me. And you're evil and good because you are evil first and completely, you're also never good. There's a difference between us."

"Okay, so?"

"Well…I've come to think that…maybe…I don't want to be evil…?" Peter didn't hear another word or sound from the rabbit nor did Dennis move. He assumed he struck a nerve or sad twinge and sensed the rabbit's melancholy from the pressing silence. He frowned because he thought he hurt it somehow. "I know you really wanted me to be evil with you but I just can't handle it. I can't betray my friends that I've come to think of as family. Everyone is nice to me and trusts me now. It's like I went clean of all badness. It was a bad habit that I don't want to be dragged back into. You understand right? I just can't handle being evil like you can. I know we're on different sides and all but I promise we could still be friends if you-" Peter didn't say anything more. He couldn't with Dennis' paw wrapped around his throat.