Authors note: Some Character inspiration for Perry provided by TakingOverMidnight on A03

Perry The Platypus

OWCA Agent

FEARLESS

That's what it said on his business card. Perry had nerves of steel. It was even in his theme song. He had received intense training in his rookie years to withstand all sorts of psychological trauma on the field, but that was just it on the field. Perry had a way of kinda of switching his brain to agent mode. Strictly professional when on the job, It was a facade that cracked rarely, and it was always when his family was in trouble.

When that laser had gone off at D.E.I. and Doof just happened to casually say it could have hit someone participating in extreme sports it had cracked that facade. Perry thought it was stupid, Heinz had no way of knowing where the beam would hit. Perry knew the odds of the beam hitting someone he cared about in Danville were minuscule. Yet, experience had taught him that his dual lives had a way of colliding, especially where his boys were concerned. So, in that moment, fear took hold.

Perry hadn't even thought about what he was going to tell Major Monogram about abandoning his post. That was something that could come later. The whole flight home Perrys' heart pounded. It was nothing. It had to be nothing. If his boys were hurt because of his work…

As he soared homeward, Perry couldn't help but worry. What were the odds that the Trip-And-Fall-Inator's beam had actually hit someone he knew in the sprawling city of Danville? Infinitesimal, surely. But Perry's life had a way of intersecting with his boys' adventures in unpredictable ways. The fear grew with every mile he flew.

Approaching his home, he couldn't be careless. He took a discreet lap overhead, ensuring his presence remained unnoticed. Once satisfied, he landed in the yard and stashed his jetpack securely. The unsettling quiet that welcomed him wasn't typical for his lively household. Concern growing, Perry meticulously combed through each room.

One room after another, Perry checked, each empty room increasing his anxiety. He even ventured into Linda and Lawrence's room, but it was empty too. Panic settled in as he realized—they were all gone.

Perry halted. They were gone. Maybe they had ventured out for ice cream? Perhaps the skate park had been moved or teleported, the boys riding it into a different dimension. It wouldn't be the first time. Why assume the worst-case scenario?

Bzzzzt Bzzzt

The vibrating emanated from his hat, alerting him to a message on his burner phone. Perry was, without a doubt, the top OWCA agent. Anyone outside his close circle of friends would be astonished to learn that Perry the Platypus possessed a burner phone. Perry never broke the rules.

His contact list remained modest. Perry entrusted only a select few with the knowledge that he even possessed a communicator beyond the ones supplied by OWCA. There was Pinky, Isabella's dog. Their families shared a close bond, and the agents had quickly become friends beyond work. They'd occasionally convene to discuss the ever-elusive prospect of Phineas "getting a clue." Peter the Panda was another, someone Perry didn't engage with frequently, yet trusted implicitly after everything they'd endured. Then, there was Heinz. That choice would surely raise eyebrows, as giving his nemesis his phone number seemed like a recipe for disaster. However, since Heinz had turned over a new leaf, he found it difficult to sever his ties with L.O.V.E.M.U.F.F.I.N. It ran counter to OWCA protocol for agents to intervene in each other's missions unless absolutely necessary, but Heinz needed assistance, and Perry genuinely placed his trust in him. Lastly, there was Stacy Harino, Candace's closest friend, who had stumbled upon Perry's secret identity.

When Stacy had initially discovered the truth, Perry had attempted to downplay it as if it were a trivial matter. Allowing her to retain her memories had been a last-minute decision. For weeks, Perry fretted over the possibility of OWCA uncovering his secret, contemplating confessing to Major Monogram on several occasions. He hoped that by revealing the truth, he might avoid being separated from his family. However, over time, Stacy had proven herself both trustworthy and resilient. They had developed a genuine friendship, providing Perry with a confidante with whom he could share both sides of his life.

Perry removed his phone from his hat. No one was supposed to contact him while on duty; it had to be an emergency. Even before reading the sender's name, Perry had a sinking feeling he knew who it might be.

When Stacy saw Candace's name appear on her caller ID on the first day of summer, she rolled her eyes, anticipating another frantic account of her friend's brothers embarking on some outrageous endeavor. Throughout the school year, Candace had exhibited relatively normal behavior, still prone to occasional bouts of anxiety and stress, but nothing out of the ordinary for a teenager. Nevertheless, she prided herself on being the go-to person for anyone in need.

"Yo, Candace, how's the first day of busting going?" Stacy quipped, her tone lightheartedly sarcastic.

"I can't even think about busting right now, Stacy. Phineas is hurt," Candace replied. Stacy felt like her heart skipped. Phineas? Hurt? It was inconceivable. Phineas and Ferb didn't get hurt. At least, not seriously.

"Oh my god, what happened?"

"I don't know. They were building a skatepark this morning. I came home, and Phineas was crying. I think he broke his arm. We're at the hospital now."

There was a momentary silence as Stacy struggled to find the right words. Candace spoke again before Stacy could gather her thoughts.

"I feel like this is my fault, Stace. I should have been home. I'm supposed to watch them." Candace's voice was laden with guilt.

"Slow down there, Candace," Stacy interjected. "There's no way this is your fault. Even if you were home, accidents happen." She still had no idea about the details of the accident, but she wanted to reassure her friend.

"I appreciate that, Stacy. It's just... I don't know what I'm gonna tell Mom. I told them Phineas was hurt, and they're on their way home, but I haven't given them the details yet."

"Are you going to tell her about the park?"

"She wouldn't believe me if I did. Besides, I'm not really in the 'busting' mood anymore." Candace's sigh was audible over the phone.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well, actually, ever since the doctor left us alone, the boys have been worried about Perry. Can you go check on him? He's usually home by now."

Stacy froze for a moment. Perry! He would be so anxious returning to an empty house, searching everywhere for his family. "I'll do you one better; I'll bring him over to the hospital. I'm sure the boys would feel a lot better with him there."

"Thanks, Stace, you're the best. Honestly, having you here might help calm me down too." Candace chuckled nervously. "I gotta go; the doctor wants to talk to me. See you soon."

Stacy couldn't help but speed up a little, eager to reach the Flynn-Fletcher house as quickly as possible. Knowing the risks, she hesitated for a moment before grabbing her phone and scrolling through her contacts. She couldn't label Perry's number in an obvious way, especially since Candace borrowed her phone occasionally. Instead, she'd saved him under the simple alias 'P', a term of endearment she privately used for him.

She dialed the number, her heart pounding with worry. Perry couldn't talk, so their communication usually consisted of text messages, but this was an emergency.

"Perry, thank goodness you answered. Are you in the backyard?" Stacy spoke rapidly, her nervousness evident.

Perry emitted a low chirp through the line. Stacy couldn't understand platypus, but she hoped that meant yes.

"I'm on my way to get you. Phineas got hurt. I'll explain when I'm there," she said before hanging up the call, focusing her attention on the road. She felt a twinge of guilt for ending the call so abruptly, but there wasn't much else she could do. Perry couldn't respond verbally. As she placed her phone on the passenger seat, she noticed it vibrating. Was Perry trying to send her a text? She couldn't risk checking it while driving. "Sorry, P," she muttered, keeping her eyes on the road, determined to reach their destination as quickly as possible.

After the phone call with Stacy, Perry anxiously tried to text her for more details. He waited a few moments, but there was no response. Realizing that Stacy was probably on her way, he knew he had no choice but to wait for her to arrive. Although he could have jetpacked to the hospital faster than she could drive, too many questions would arise about how he got there. As much as he wanted to rush off, he couldn't. So he found himself pacing nervously around the backyard, his worry growing by the minute.

Perry's anxious pacing was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming down the driveway toward the house. Had Stacy arrived already? He was ready to rush over and get into her car as soon as possible. However, as he glanced over the fence, he noticed a pink bow, not a blue one. It was Isabella!

Quickly stashing his hat away and shifting into pet mode, Perry watched as the fence door swung open. "Hey Phineas! Sorry I didn't bring the other girls, they didn't believe -" Isabella began to speak but then stopped abruptly. She scanned the empty backyard and spotted him. Perry chirped at her, wishing he could convey what had happened.

"Hey, Perry, do you know where Phineas and Ferb are?" Isabella knelt down and petted him. Perry chirped in response. Of course, he knew, and he felt a heavy sense of responsibility. "You okay, Perry? You're a little stiff."

Perry hadn't even noticed how tense his body had become until now, and he tried to relax a bit. "I guess you're worried since they're not here, huh? Don't worry; I'm sure they're fine." Isabella's voice revealed her own concerns. It wasn't common for her to show up at the Flynn-Fletcher house only to find it empty, at least without prior knowledge of their whereabouts.

Perry felt incredibly awkward and helpless in this situation. He couldn't do anything for either Phineas or Isabella. Isabella scooped him into her arms and patted him gently on the head. "Why don't we wait for them together?" She held him close, offering him some comfort. Perry appreciated her presence, even if she couldn't understand the depth of his worry.

They didn't have to wait long. Perry could hear Stacy pull up and quickly slam her car door. He stiffened as she called out to him, her voice getting closer as she approached the backyard. "Yo, Perry, I'm here!" Stacy yelled out, her voice filled with urgency. "Come on, we gotta g-."

Stacy stopped abruptly as she stepped into the backyard and saw Isabella there. Perry knew this would be tricky to explain. "Oh hey, Isabella. Didn't uh... Didn't expect you here."

Isabella raised an eyebrow, clearly curious. "Why were you calling out for Perry?"

Stacy's mind raced as she tried to come up with a plausible excuse. She felt guilty about it before even saying anything, but she knew it might divert Isabella's attention from Perry. "Isabella, Phineas is hurt. I'm here to take Perry to the hospital," she blurted out quickly, her voice tinged with regret.

Isabella's face twisted with worry. "Hurt? How hurt is he? Is he going to be okay? And what about Ferb?"

Stacy felt terrible about her ruse and quickly regretted it. "Sounds like he broke an arm, but I don't think Ferb is hurt. Anyway, Candace asked me to bring Perry to help cheer the boys up. Think I can take him from you?" She shifted her gaze between Perry and Isabella, and she could see Perry looking at her with concerned eyes.

"I..." Isabella seemed on the verge of panicking.

Stacy, without thinking, added, "You know, I'm sure seeing you would cheer up Phineas too... and Ferb." She included Ferb as an afterthought, as everyone pretended not to notice Isabella's crush on Phineas, and besides, Ferb was her friend too. Isabella's crush may have been intense, but she cared about all her friends.

"As if I wasn't going to go come on!"

Stacy stuttered, realizing she hadn't thought this through, and she hadn't expected Isabella to jump at the opportunity to go so quickly, or the sass for that matter. Isabella had parents at home who would wonder where their daughter was if she didn't go home, and they didn't know how long they'd be at the hospital. "I'd be happy to take you, but you should probably ask your parents first. I wouldn't want to get a reputation as a kidnapper or something."

"Fine, I'll be right back. Here." Isabella quickly placed Perry into Stacy's arms and then dashed off. Stacy watched her run off with surprising speed for a tween. Once Isabella was out of sight, Stacy turned her attention to Perry.

"Sorry about that, P. I should've been more careful." Perry didn't seem to mind at the moment, but he probably wanted more details. "Right, you probably want details. Candace told me Phineas might have broken his arm. Not sure how it happened, but they think he should be fine."

Perry's tension remained, and he began signing to her. Stacy struggled for a moment, as she was not proficient in sign language. She had only started learning it recently, as a surprise for Perry, thinking she could pick up a few basic phrases for fun. However, she found it satisfying and kept learning, which made it easier to communicate with him. "It's your problem?... Fault? It's your fault? Perry, how could it be your fault?" He squirmed slightly in her arms. "Nemesis? Your nemesis did this? But how?"

Perry continued trying to sign, but Stacy could see he was struggling to find the right words... or signs. She gently took his hands in hers to stop him from signing. "Dude, you and Candace are so alike I swear, always wanting to blame yourselves when something goes wrong. Come on, P, you of all people should understand that sometimes things just happen." She offered him a reassuring smile

Before Perry could respond, they heard Isabella running back. "My mom said I could go. Come on, come on." She began tugging Stacy and Perry toward the car. "She's going to come pick me up later, so you just need to get me there."

Having to shelve the conversation about guilt for now, Stacy carefully placed Perry in the back seat, while Isabella took the front. They drove off to the hospital.