✿ the pattern is EVIL EVIL EVIL✿

“Hold this, Baljeet,” The kind Doofenshmirtz instructed, unaware of the murder-machine-he-confused-for-a-man’s thoughts. “I need to pry this loose, it looks painful.” He tugged at something, and with a disturbing wet sound, a crude machine part was pried out of Perry’s flesh. Instantly, Perry realised that yes, that had been hurting. And now it didn’t. How was that possible? He tried to stop himself, but couldn’t. Despite his best efforts, he whined and whimpered like a kicked dog.

Horrified with himself, Perry closed his eye. That was all he was at this point, wasn’t he? They could take him apart completely if they wanted to, but they wouldn’t be able to fix him. Not anymore.

“Hey,” A soft rasp murmured beside him. A warm hand kindly clutched his shoulder. “Hey,” Heinz repeated. Perry opened his eye and watched. “It’s going to be okay,” He said with a warm glow in those blue eyes. Something he’d never seen before. “I’ve got you now.” Despite everything, he believed it.

—-

Pov 1D Perry

“He’s a lot younger than you, did you see?” 

Perry Fletcher, successful OWCA agent and interdimension traveler (against his will!) looked up from the pile of papers in front of him. Heinz was at the sink, washing his hands with utmost care. His doctorate might be fake, but his medical knowledge was impressive. A man doesn’t design and build himself animatronic arms without figuring out how the human body works first.

He had watched for a few minutes as Heinz attempted to disassemble the crude modifications made to his alternative dimension self, but he had to quickly retreat. Watching Heinz pull an entire leg of someone who looks just like yourself is deeply concerning and not at all enjoyable.

Heinz wiggled his hands to air-dry them quicker. 

“He’s like ten years younger than you.” Heinz pointed out.

With a sigh, Perry put down his pen. He tried to recall their last fight, but between the glowing animatronic eye and the tube sticking out of his neck, he hadn’t had much time to observe the lack of wrinkles.

“I wonder if that anomaly was the reason the alternate me managed to defeat him.” Heinz had no issue separating himself from his interdimensional form. Perry not so much.

[You’re kind.] Perry signed, and he watched as Heinz sank into the seat across from him; he looked exhausted. He took one look at this dimension’s Perry and announced that he wouldn’t be going home until he’d helped fix him.

“I disagree,” Wearily, he rubbed at his hair. “But compared to the other me, I feel like an angel.” With a soft bonk, he placed his forehead on the table. Like many things in this world, it was cold and metal. 

Perry reached across and rubbed one shoulder. Heinz's shoulders were always tense on account of his poor posture, but today they were straight-up stiff with tension.

Patiently, he sat and waited for the other man to regain himself. It took hours to take that poor kid apart and put him back together in a shape that vaguely resembled a person. He refused Phineas and Ferb’s help. Perry was thankful. But, it had taken hours.

“He was awake the entire time,” Heinz told the table. “I couldn’t figure out how to put him under. I could tell he didn’t trust me in the beginning. Maybe that’s be better, since we’ll be leaving in a little bit.” 

Since Heinz was still conversing with the tabletop instead of him, Perry put his elbows on the table and waited. He hadn’t even been very busy, and yet he was tired. He couldn’t imagine how Heinz felt.

“He looked at me. Just the one eye, of course.” Heinz sat up as if it took herculean effort. “He had that look in his eyes, just like yours.” Their eyeline met. There was a profound sadness in Heinz’s baby blues. “Like he couldn’t help himself. He was so much like you.” 

In a rush, Perry abandoned his uncomfortable chair. By the time he cornered the table and reached Heinz’s side, he was ready to receive him; he wrapped his arms around Perry’s waist and buried his nose against his shirt. 

“I can’t believe I- HE would do such a thing to a kid.” Heinz whimpered into Perry’s chest as the insistent pounding of his heart lulled his panic.