Truth & Lie

Chapter 3

Huey's eyes widened when he heard his full name. "Who are you?" he asked, waving his hand through the hologram. "Don't do that," it instructed him. He set his arms to his sides. "How do you know my name?" he wondered. The dark image ignored his question. "Huey, you're a very smart kid, did you know that?" he said. Huey was still unsure about this thing.

"I want to hire you."

"Me? Why? For what?"

"Think of it as a spy mission," the hologram said.

Huey couldn't help but smile. "A spy? For what?"

"You ask too many questions."

Huey blushed. "Sorry," he said.

"I need you to take out the McDucks," the figure said. Huey was taken back.

"Heck no! They're my family. I'm done here," he said. He began to walk past the hologram.

"Oh, please, what has your family ever done for you?" he said.

Huey spun around, angry that this random stranger would take a shot at his family. "They love me," Huey said.

The figure shook his head. "No they don't. They put up with you. There's a difference."

Huey felt his blood boiling. "That's not true."

The figure raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it? They didn't care to stay and watch your competition for the woodchuck badge."

Huey thought a minute. "How do you know about that? They came," he defended.

"Only so they could get that map to Finch's journal," the hologram debated. Huey bit his lip in thought.

"You're lying!" Huey said finally. "Maybe I am. Keep in touch," the graphic image said before disappearing. Out of the robot that had been projecting it, a printed business card came out. Huey took the card and rubbed it in his hands. It read FOWL. He stared at the image.

Huey was shocked out of his thoughts. "Huey!" The boy jumped and turned around. There he saw Dewey. "Huey, we've been looking all over for you!" Dewey ran over to Huey. Huey took in a breath, trying to push his last conversation out of his mind. Dewey noticed his posture. "Huey? Are you alright?" Huey blinked a few times and shoved the business card in his pocket. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." "What happened to your hat?" "Nothing."

"Come on, the others will want to know I found you," Dewey said. He ran up ahead of him and Huey followed.

When they met up with the rest of the family, they were all happy to see Huey. No one seemed to notice the fact that no one apologized for sending him down there. Well, except for Huey. The figure's words still rang in his mind. They love me. No they don't. They put up with you. There's a difference.

When they were home after getting the artifact, Huey went into his room and put on a new cap. Huey hadn't really been paying attention to the details of what they had found. Something called the Possession Stone, or something like that. Huey tried to push the meeting with the hologram out of his mind.

Dewey came into their room. "Hey Hue? Scrooge wants us to help him move that gem thing to his museum," he said. Huey forced a smile. "I'll get it," he said. Dewey smiled at him and went on doing who knows what.

Huey walked downstairs. After seeing his uncle struggling with and small but deceptively heavy gem, he helped him hold it up. "Thanks, laddie," Scrooge said. Huey smiled. The doorbell rang and Scrooge left to go answer the door, leaving Huey with all the weight. Huey held his breath, trying to hold it up. His arms were burning. Huey bit his lip to keep himself from complaining about the weight.

"Huey, yer friend's here!" Scrooge called him. Huey waddled down the stairs, struggling to hold up the gem. Thankfully, Beakly passed by him and took it from him effortlessly. Huey let out his breath and thanked her. Then he ran to the door.

Opening the door, Huey smiled to his friend. "Hey, Vi," he greeted. The humming bird nodded in return. "Good day Hubert. I believe I might have left my notebook here earlier," she said. Huey let her in. They walked up to his room and she grabbed the book. She seemed content to just leave, but Huey wanted to talk.

"Hey, Violet," he began. "Yes, Hubert?" He chose his words carefully. "Do you ever feel..." She raised an expectant eyebrow. He bit his beak, thinking of the way to express himself. "Do you ever feel like people are just putting up with you?" Huey couldn't tell what she was thinking due to her emotionless face. "Sometimes. But not often. Why do you ask?" she wondered. "No reason. Another question," he said. "What would you do if you were offered a job but to get it, you had to do some, let's just say, not so great things." "Well, obviously I would not accept," she said.

Huey didn't want her asking any questions of him. "Well, I guess you got your notebook and I'm sure that if you take too long, Lena will get suspicious and come beat me up or something," he said. He showed Violet to the front door. When she was outside, she turned to face him. "Wait. Huey. I wanted to remind you that tomorrow is the monthly junior woodchuck meeting," she said. Huey nodded and closed the door, leaving her on the front porch.

Violet stared at the door a minute then turned to leave. Why had he asked her all those things?

...

Gandra knocked on the door. She glanced around nervously. A cop's house wasn't really the place you want to be when you're on a mission for FOWL. But before she could get to the red duckling, she had to go through Fenton.

The front door opened. A Latino duck with short curly hair stood in the doorway. She had an officer's badge tied around her neck and a plank black t shirt. "Can I help you?" she asked. Gandra flinched. She didn't do well with the law. "Uh, yeah I'm Gandra Dee and I'm here to see-" "Gandra Dee? The girl who broke my pollito's heart?" Gandra was taken back. The woman looked just about ready to clobber her when Fenton came to her rescue.

"Ma ma! Don't!" he said, coming from behind her. Then Fenton looked to Gandra. "Gandra! What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since our date," he said surprised. Fenton's mother went back inside. "Well, I just wanted to apologize for the whole thing. I'm sorry Fenton. Maybe we could start over?" she said hopeful. He grinned wide. "I'd love that! I mean, uh, sure whatever," he said playing it cool. She rolled her eyes.

Gandra walked past him without even being invited. "So, why don't you introduce me to your mother, suit?" she said. Deep down she smiled. She was in.