Hello everyone! I've the new chapter here! This one – just to be sure it won't be confusing – takes place more than less when Beaks arrives to the building where he's hiding Huey. I'll be honest, while writing the story, an idea came to my mind that I really wanted to write, and this idea appears in this chapter. Anyways, I hope I'll like the chapter

As always, I'd like to thank Empro-8 for helping me editing this story. Honestly, without her help this wouldn't be as good as it is, so thank you very much Empro-8 you're amazing!

Welp, I'll stop talking and let you read the chapter, enjoy it!

24.- What is real?

Huey had been trying to sleep. To be honest, he couldn't tell if he had slept a little or not at all. His head ached terribly. Although he didn't want to say anything to Graves, because he knew that the hawk would ignore him. More likely he would make fun of him if he told him.

"You are really pathetic."

"I don't wonder if nobody can stand you."

Surely, he'd say something like that. Lying on the hard ground, the older triplet raised his hands to his head, the chains connected in his hands clinking in the process.

"If you thought that someone in your family loved you, then you are the naivest duck in the world."

He knew it was Graves who said those things. But at this point he couldn't stop thinking that, somehow, what the hawk said was what his family really thought. Could it be that they didn't love him? Why? Had he done something wrong? Tears began to form in his eyes, and he knew they would soon be free without him being able to stop them.

"You're just a cry-baby."

Huey hurriedly rubbed his eyes.

"Nobody likes people who don't know how to contain their tears."

Of all the things Graves told him, those were some that he could try to avoid hearing from him again.

"Nobody cares about you."

"You don't deserve to waste time with you."

Huey sighed shakily. That… seemed to be true because, if it wasn't, he couldn't understand why his family hadn't found him yet.

"No one wants you by their side."

"Everyone is better without you."

Huey squeezed his eyes, was he so despicable? He knew that many times his brothers had been pretending when they "showed" interest in something that the older triplet told them, especially when it was about the Junior Woodchucks, but that didn't mean they didn't want to be with him... Why did Graves tell him those things? Agh, his headache was making it so hard to think clearly.

Suddenly the duckling heard the sound of the door lock opening. Oh no… it was Graves again, he was sure. Who would he be disguised as this time? What horrible words was he going to say to him? Just thinking about it made Huey tremble.

The door finally opened, and the older triplet couldn't deny that he was confused when he saw Beaks appear through the door. Actually, he was relieved to see the Waddle's CEO. He profusely thanked the parrot, especially when Beaks took off the chains Graves had put on him right after burning his cap.

His cap... Huey felt... naked now without his cap. He didn't understand why the hawk would do something like that to him. What was he trying to achieve with that?

"I'm going to teach you a lesson."

That was what Graves had told him. But the boy still didn't understand what kind of lesson was involved in burning his precious garment.

Everything Graves had told him... everything he had done to him, all the pain and anguish he had felt since Beaks disappeared the last time, made the boy feel the need to throw himself into Mark's arms when he finally released him. The poor duckling desperately needed comfort, and believed only Beaks could provide it.

Mark brought him to the room where he slept the last time Beaks was there with him, after the CEO let him clean up and feed him, just like the last time. Once there, Beaks tried to get Huey to tell him what had happened. But... Huey... he didn't... he didn't consider himself important enough for Beaks to take care of his problems.

Actually, he didn't want to say anything to Beaks because, although the duckling tried hard to ignore his words, he couldn't help but begin to... believe in what Graves was saying. He was starting to think it was true, that he... was useless, and that his his family knew it and for that reason... they didn't want him. But, on the other hand, they were his family, how could they not love him? It was all... very confusing for the duckling, and every visit from Graves to his cell had only made matters worse.

After a little insistence from Beaks, Huey finally agreed to tell him what had happened, but in doing so, that only brought him more confusion. For some reason, it almost seemed that Beaks considered that it was his family who had done that to him and not Graves. In fact, the parrot insisted so much that it even made him doubt that Graves was really to blame for his suffering in recent days.

Huey lowered his head, the poor boy felt very puzzled. He was more lost than before and his headache wasn't helping at all. Could it be true? Could it be that his family had actually hurt him? No! That was absurd, it couldn't be them! Beaks was wrong! It had been-

"Huey... I think there is a way to... prevent this from happening again." said the parrot suddenly. At those words, Huey looked up at Mark, was what he had just heard true?

"R-Really?" he asked with a touch of emotion. Beaks looked at him and with a soft smile replied:

"Yes."

Huey couldn't help but smile hopefully. If what Beaks was saying was true, that could mean the end of his suffering. The duckling was willing to accept anything in order to avoid being tortured by Graves. He asked:

"How? How could you prevent this from happening again?"

"We can avoid it if you do something for me." replied the Waddle's CEO. Huey was surprised by that answer. But the idea of being finally free from pain, urged him to continue, so he asked Beaks:

"What... what do I have to do?"

Beaks smiled even more than before and reaching into a bag he was carrying he began to say:

"You just have to..." Then he took out a document and concluded:

"Sign this contract."

Huey's eyes widened with fear as he saw that document that Beaks had just left on the table. It was the same as last time. The one that refused to sign, which caused fury in Mark's eyes and is what made him to be locked in that room in the first place.

The duck dressed in red could feel that his heart rate increased as well as his breathing, would signing this contract really free him from his suffering? What price would he have to pay if he signed that paper? Not knowing what else to do, Huey took the pen Beaks held out to him and slowly and shakily brought it to the paper. What should he do? If he signed the pain would end, Beaks seemed convinced of it... the duckling stopped the tip of the pen a few inches from the paper. He could see the utensil move in his trembling hand. Why was it taking so long to decide?

"Come on, just a signature," said the parrot with a touch of anxiety in his voice.

At those words, Huey approached the pen to that paper, the tip almost making contact with it. If he signed it, everything would end, the pain, the torture... suddenly, an image of his uncle Donald's worried face appeared in his mind. An image of his true uncle, the one he had known for all these years since he hatched.

That image made Huey realize that signing that paper would be treason. He would be betraying his uncle Donald. Someone who had gone out of his way to raise him and his brothers. Realizing the kind of mistake he had been about to make, Huey closed his eyes saying:

"I... I c-can't-" and he was going to explain to Beaks the reason why he couldn't do it, but he couldn't explain anything because suddenly the gray parrot screamed:

"Why not?!"

Huey suddenly widened his eyes in terror, memories of the last time he refused to sign that document appeared in his mind. Beaks' maddened gaze, his threatening voice, his expression of pure hatred... fearing facing all of that a second time, Huey tried to explain quickly saying:

"I-I'm sorry... b-but legally only Uncle Donald could sign it."

Beaks straightened up and after closing his eyes, took several deep breaths, which for Huey was relieved, as that seemed to indicate that Beaks wouldn't proceed the same way as the other time. Opening his eyes again, Beaks looked at him sadly? It seemed as if the Waddle's CEO sympathized with him. Almost instantly, the parrot spoke ruefully:

"I'm sorry to have yelled at you Huey. I have... had a stressful day, and what you've told me about what they have done to you has left me... very puzzled. I just wanted... to free you, to get you out of this situation forever."

Huey's eyes widened in surprise, why was Beaks speaking in such a confusing way? Why did he speak in plural? If he had told him it was Graves who hurt him. Only him. Why was the parrot trying to make him believe that there was more than one culprit behind his suffering?

Huey gulped. He didn't want to say anything wrong that would make Beaks mad again, so, speaking in a slightly shaky voice, Huey tried again to explain the reasoning behind his decision:

"I know but-"

Unfortunately, the explanation never left his beak since at that moment a loud alarm started to sound. The sudden noise startled the duckling. He didn't understand what was going on. What was that alarm?

Huey focused on Beaks, and saw that the parrot looked at his mobile and the instant he did, his face turned pale. What had Mark seen that had altered him that way? What was going on? The duckling felt that he was beginning to panic. If Beaks was scared that couldn't be good, could it? His suspicions were confirmed when Beaks looked at him with alarmed and said:

"We have to leave right now Huey. We are in danger!"

Opening his eyes even wider than before, the duckling felt his breathing accelerate, and speaking with slight panic, he asked:

"I-in danger?"

Beaks put his hand on his shoulder, pressing lightly on him, as if he wanted to convey to the boy the situation's urgency. Then with panic in his voice, he said:

"Yes. Come on, quickly! I'm going to get you out of here."

"Where will we go?" asked the duckling. He felt his body involuntarily begin to tremble with fear. What kind of danger were they facing?

The Waddle's CEO ignored his question, and instead ran to take the duckling's hand, urging him to stand up and follow him as soon as possible. Beaks seemed genuinely distressed by whatever was 'attacking' them. With the same alarmed tone, he practically yelled:

"Somewhere far from here!"

The urgency in Beaks' voice did nothing to quell Huey's growing anxiety, although that didn't stop him from letting Beaks take him away from there.

As they were walking at a fast pace to leave the room, the duckling gathered all the courage he could, and then asked the gray parrot:

"What's going on?"

Beaks stopped in front of the door and turned. He bent down to be at the boy's eye level and answered:

"Now I don't have time to explain it to you Huey! do you trust me?"

The older triplet looked at Beaks with his wide eyes. It was clear that the CEO was very nervous. Whatever was chasing them must be very dangerous. Just thinking about it, made Huey not want to leave Beaks' side. He wanted the gray parrot to protect him, so, with tremor of voice, caused by fear of the unknown, he replied:

"Y-yes"

Beaks nodded and simply said:

"Well then, come with me, quickly."

And so, the two began to run through the building, with Beaks holding Huey tightly by the hand, something the duck appreciated, since he feared what might happen if the parrot released him.

The hallways seemed to be unusually long, almost timeless. How could they be longer now than just a little while ago? It was the same hallway they had gone into the room, why did it seem eternal now?

Huey felt his heart pound, although he didn't know if that was due to his fear, physical exertion or the fact that he was already tired from the beginning. Yes, the duckling was aware that he was in a general exhaustion state caused by lack of sleep, incomplete diet, panic at the emotional abuse he had been suffering, all caused by-

The duckling abruptly interrupted his thoughts when suddenly hit face down on Beaks, who had stopped dead for no apparent reason. The boy rubbed his face with his free hand. Why had Beaks stopped?

Huey turned his gaze to the Waddle's CEO and saw that his face was ashen, as if he had seen a ghost. What was happening? The duckling decided to peer around Beaks' legs to see whatever had made him put on that expression and in doing so… he saw them. There, a few yards in front of him were Gizmoduck, his uncle Scrooge, and Webby, all with determined expressions on their faces. What were they doing there? How did they get there in first place?

As soon as he saw them, an emotional storm broke out in Huey's heart. Joy, fear, glee, hatred, gratitude, betrayal, fury, panic... the truth, the boy didn't know which of those emotions was more predominant. Honestly, he was afraid of which one was going to win. Why, if his family was there, did he feel such conflicting emotions towards them?

In his head, mixed images of everything he had experienced before he was kidnapped had been mixed with the videos Beaks had shown him. The dreams he sometimes had of his family coming to rescue him. Of all the times that Graves had visited him disguised as his loved ones, only this time, it was no longer Graves whom he saw in his memories. It was his family. He heard their voices insulting and belittling him... Huey even saw in that mixed scenes, the images of that dream he had of his brothers talking to him and explaining that Beaks wanted to brainwash him. All those memories and dreams were now distorted and confused.

Such was the mix of faces and situations that Huey had in his head that he could no longer distinguish which ones were real and which ones weren't. That fact... only aggravated the headache he had been feeling up to that moment, he felt as if it was increasing exponentially. So much so that on a scale of one to ten it would surely be close to the highest number.

The older triplet felt his vision become blurred, and a terrible dizziness took over his being, to this must be added the terrible state of exhaustion in which the duckling was. In fact, the boy felt like he was going to pass out at any moment. Why did he feel like this? Just because had he seen his family? Did that mean that seeing his family was a bad thing after all?

Huey blinked several times trying to stop seeing double. When he managed to stabilize his sight, just at that moment, Gizmoduck advanced a little forward. In doing so, involuntarily Huey's body stiffened, as if somehow, he didn't want the superhero near him. This was absurd! How could he not want to be with Gizmoduck? Huey admired him! He was his friend!

"You don't even deserve to be fed."

Huey froze when he remembered that phrase, it was something Graves said the first time he brought him food disguised as Gizmo. The hawk cruelly left the plate far enough away that Huey couldn't reach it. No matter how hard he tried. Huey closed his eyes. The phrase he had just remembered in his head had… sounded like Fenton. Why? Why was he only listening to his family's voices now instead of Graves'? The red-dressed duckling felt his body begin to tremble, causing Beaks to squeeze his hand slightly. He seemed to be trying to calm him. Honestly, Huey appreciated that the gray parrot did that.

"Let him go, Beaks!" Gizmoduck yelled suddenly causing Huey to immediately open his eyes to look at the robotic superhero.

"Sorry what?" Mark said in response to the superhero's words. The older triplet turned his gaze first to Beaks and then to Gizmoduck, he could see the superhero's features harden before he advanced a bit more:

"I said you to free Huey! Let the boy go!"

Releasing his hand, Beaks crossed his arms and calmly said to Gizmoduck:

"Oh, sorry Gizmoduck, I think you don't understand, I'm not holding the boy, he's with me because he wants to."

Huey jumped slightly when the next speaker wasn't Gizmoduck, but Webby. She said:

"That's a lie! Huey would never want to be with you!"

Then his uncle Scrooge added:

"What this parrot says is a lie, isn't it, lad?"

Huey stared at his great-uncle, he could feel his breathing increasing at times, what should he answer? He honestly didn't know, because right now, if he was true to himself, being with Beaks he felt... he felt... safe... and the boy doubted he could say the same about his family.

Huey took a couple of steps back when he saw everyone looking at him waiting for an answer. Swallowing hard, he tried to answer:

"I-I... I..."

But he couldn't, his breathing was abnormally fast, and a feeling of tightness was growing in his chest, preventing him from forming logical and meaningful sentences. The duckling put a hand to his head, as it felt like he had a drum there, beating against his skull relentlessly; and the other went to his chest trying to ease the pain he felt there too.

His state didn't go unnoticed by the others present, and true to her aware and outgoing nature, Webby was the first to voice what everyone probably wondered:

"Huey, what's wrong with you?"

The duckling heard his friend's voice, but it sounded like he was submerged underwater, what was happening to him? Suddenly he fell to his knees, causing everyone's immediate reaction:

"HUEY!"

The older triplet fell to the ground, his head facing the side of the hallway that he and Beaks had been running through. Just before the darkness consumed him, he thought he saw his uncle Donald approaching him.

Welp, I really wanted to explain this part of the story from Huey's POV, and what I really wanted to write, was Huey being about to sign the contract and what made him not sign it. I hope you all liked it. Also, poor boy, see those who he loves but be afraid of them and fear they'll hurt him. I think the worst part was Huey remembering what Graves said to him disguised as Gizmoduck but hearing Fenton's voice. I sure had to be heartbreaking for our loved red-boy. I think I'm making him suffer a lot. Poor boy. Well, did you like the chapter? If so, you can leave a review, I always love to know what you think about it!

Okay, after say that, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I also would like to thank you all those who've read this story, those who follow it or have it among their favorites and I'd like to especially thank: puppydogs68 and GiddyReflections for their reviews. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!

Puppydogs68: Yeah, me too, I think being the most unquiet triplet, he'd probably be the one to have more hunger. So yeah, it's funny to imagine Dewey being crazy if he's no food to eat.

See you in the next chapter