A/N: Hey guys, storyman123123 here. It's finally here: my second Phineas and Ferb story.

A couple quick notes: First off, the boys (and everyone in the story, I guess) are a bit older now. PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND. I imagine them to be around 14 years old, just because I'm not sure if 11-year-old Phineas and Ferb (or however old they are right now in the canon episodes) can emotionally take what happens in this story.

Which brings me to my second point: this story is much more "real," in that though it still has the traditional cool stuff the brothers build and figure out, I paint out Danville and its characters as more true-to-life and with real-life problems. So the tone is obviously darker (though it will have occasional situational humor); be warned.

Finally, this is not set in the same universe as "Where does it all go?". It is a completely different universe. Phineas and Ferb don't know about Perry (yet?); Isabella and Phineas are not a couple; and Doof never made that crazy mind-control device. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go check out the story. (Insert shameless plug here)

So without further ado, here is the story! Please enjoy. I think I thought this one out pretty well. And yes, everything will be explained to make sense. Eventually. Hopefully.

Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas and Ferb, nor do I own any of the characters from the show.

"How did we end up here, Ferb?" asked Phineas.

Ferb scratched his head. Or, he would have, if his wrists were not handcuffed behind his back, his arms tied with chains to a cement pillar behind him, and his mouth gagged. Phineas, sitting next to him, was similarly restrained, minus the cloth gag. Ironically, they had stuffed the cloth into his mouth to silence him, not Phineas. For some reason, they thought he looked "talkative."

So in response, he simply shrugged.

"And I don't mean here, in this place specifically," continued Phineas as he stared around him at the small, dimly-lit room, the dank, grimy walls, and the locked cement door. "I mean in this situation." His eyes finally rested on the menacing black sphere in front of him and his brother. A red digital display counted down, emitting a small beep with the passing of every second.

Shuddering as he struggled to accept the existence of the bomb ticking down in front of him, he asked, "Why did they do this to us?"

The hurt and confusion in his voice was almost too much for Ferb to bear. He wanted to say something, but the cloth gag prevented him from comforting his brother.

Their eyes traveled to the screen above the bomb, broadcasting a ceremony at City Hall. Thousands of people thronged on the streets; it seemed like all of Danville was there. Standing at the podium was Mayor Roger Doofenshmirtz. Situated below him, in handcuffs and surrounded by security personnel, were… Phineas and Ferb.

"…would have sent you to jail on multiple accounts of attempted murder, the subsequent cover-up, and trespassing," said Mayor Doofenshmirtz. "However, due to the gracious and persistent influence of Thaddeus and Thor, we have decided to reduce your punishment to a public exile from Danville by foot."

The mayor wiped his eyes briefly. The next words were obviously not easy for him to say.

"Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher," he said, his voice cracking with emotion, "on behalf of everyone who has been touched by the joy that your inventions once brought to this great community, I deeply regret this good-bye. I myself have known… had known you to be bright, upstanding, and good kids, on the path to change our world for the better. Instead, you have changed our world, but for the worse. You have brought shame to your family, to your friends, to me personally, and to all residents of this city. And for that, I must exile you from Danville."

He sucked in a breath as though to say more, but shook his head and instead tapped the boys on the back and turned away. The security personnel led the boys down the stairs.

"What did we do wrong?" the Phineas in the bomb room asked.

Ferb froze at his words.

The bomb beeped and beeped and beeped.