WHEN JACKALS DROWN
Chapter Two: Fox and Freddy?

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DISCLAIMER:

MDTAS belongs to Disney! Everything else... like Senior Martinez, Quincy Fox... and Fester... belong to me. Well, not Egypt, but ya know what I mean, right? ;)

A/N:

Ya, I wrote this YEARS ago and really should'a editted more. Ah well. I was young and... nah, I'm still foolish. BTW, ya, I know his name's Ernie - but read on and see what I'm doing. :) PLEASE REVIEW!!!! Thanks very much. Later days! ^_^

It was Falcone.

Nosedive was the first to find his voice after a very long, shocked silence: "No way! Fal? You look SO different! 10 years younger! New style screams volumes now too…" He trailed off, seeing the horrible, horrible glares everyone (save Duke) was giving him. Melting into silence, he a mumbled an unintelligible apology.

Duke, absolutely floored, finally snapped out of it - "Falcone? How?"

"Duke. Charmed. How ever have you been?"

Duke, unexpectedly, with alarming speed, cracked. Three shades red, he roared, lunging forward, ready to strangle his former best friend.

Martinez, with shocking speed himself, actually blocked his path. Knowing he couldn't take his rage out on the kind, helpless older man… Duke halted suddenly, very surprised.

"I cannot allow you to harm my Fredrico." was the cold explanation.

Duke nearly screamed into his throat, frustrated. Instead, he forced himself to calm down and to think rationally. "Will someone… please tell me… what the HELL is going on here!?" he managed after a moment through gritted teeth. He HAD to be dreaming. This was just CRAZY!

Wing considered stepping in, but saw the extreme and hatred that was bubbling just below the gray surface… ready to burst at any given moment and thought better of it. It wasn't his place.

"Why aren't you in jail?!" Duke demanded when he got no answer.

This question surprised Falcone. "Don't you know? I was paroled."

"Who in their right mind would let you out of prison?" Mallory came to Duke's aid when she saw he was too shocked and angry to speak.

"Actually…" the falcon admitted, sounding a little embarrassed. "I behaved myself for a few years… and B&E isn't the end of the world on this planet… so I was paroled easily."

Duke found his voice and was surprised by how calm it came out. "Why is it we were never informed of your parole?"

"I say he's lying. He-" Mallory started to accused.

"I'm shocked you never heard, old boy." Fal admitted honestly. "The Media had an absolute field day, even more so than when I was originally arrested."

"What?" the entire team found this hard to believe.

Duke noticed Phil behind them, edging away, looking very uneasy.

"Phil…" he growled, without looking back.

The manager froze. There was silence for a moment before the man's conscience got him and he confessed. "OK! OK! I'm sorry, Duke! While you were in outer space playing that space hockey with the Wombats-"

"Don't tell me this whole thing went down those few days we were off that planet?" Duke found it hard to believe.

Phil nodded, actually looking ashamed. "I didn't mention it because…"

"Because…" Duke prompted, trying not to lose his temper all over again.

Phil blurted the truth out quickly. "I knew you'd be so distracted with issues about your past that you wouldn't have your mind on the game… and the play-offs were coming up fast and…"

"Phil! How could you NOT tell me this?! This is huge!" Duke snapped.

Phil was about to answer, but Duke turned away, returning his attention to his rival. "You? Good behavior? What's your angle?"

Fal sighed, "It's a really long story, old friend…"

"Don't call me FRIEND." Duke spat, his tone venom. "EVER."

"Don't call him OLD either. He's very sensitive about his age." Dive added. Duke glared at him, and the teen shriveled into the backdrop again.

Duke continued, "It's a long story you're going to tell me. NOW."

Fal smiled cheerfully, "Actually, Duke, we have much to do and little daylight left. Can it wait an hour, please?"

"Please? PLEASE?" Mallory spat, surprised.

At the mention of the word 'WORK' - the only English word Martinez' men understood - they all started to gather around and await instructions.

"You're actually working on this dig?" Wing had been silent long enough.

"Senior Martinez." Duke turned to their host. "This alien has been lying to you. His name isn't Fred-"

"Oh. I am aware of his past sins, Senior L'orange. He truly repents and has started afresh with a new name." Martinez replied.

"HOW can you trust this guy!?"

"Can't you see he's faking, Senior?" Mallory added, frustrated. "He's pretending to by loyal to you, when really, he's just out to snatch whatever precious artifacts you should happen to find here!"

Martinez frowned at the accusations. "Excuse me, but my Fredrico has worked among us for 5 years now and-"

"He's playing you." Duke warned.

"I trust him." Martinez replied, stubborn, firm.

"It's a mistake, pal. A dangerous one. He'll stab you in the back every time. I was his best friend and look what he's done to me!" Duke continued, frustrated.

"I trust him!" Martinez repeated.

A handsome young man with aqua hair and dark eyes slipped out of a nearby tent and approached quickly with an ice pack held to the back of his skull. "What's the problem?" he demanded.

"Quince!" the falcon was startled to see the other up and about.

"What's going on?" the young man repeated, agitated. "What-"

"We're the Mighty Ducks and this liar is deceiving you." Duke replied.

"I know who you are, I know your story with Fred - but, know this - Ernie Falcone is dead. Fredico Martinez is a great guy. The best of guys. The past is just that - past. If you've got a problem-"

"LOOK, kid, don't you walk on the scene and try and tell ME shit!" Duke was pissed. "Don't you DARE just show up and think you know ANYTHING - let alone, EVERYTHING - about this guy, about our past, about-"

"DON'T-" Both were advancing, seething.

"Quince! Duke!" Fal stepped forward. He turned to the youth, annoyed and concerned. "You can barely walk. You in no condition to be-"

"HE comes HERE and starts stuff and you-"

"Quin."

You did your time-"

"QUIN."

"You did your time, Freddy! Past is past! He has no right to show up-"

"You don't know him the way I do!" Duke snapped. "Don't you DARE pretend to be his best friend or whatever the HELL-"

"Enough!" Senior Martinez stepped between the two parties.

"I agree." Wing joined him in the center. "Let's talk-"

"No talking." Martinez interrupted. "Due to this irrational argument we have lost a good quarter of an hour. We must use our remaining sun to complete today's work. WORK." The men all nodded and started to gather their equipment again.

"Senior…" Quincy started to protest.

Martinez gave a hard, silent hand gesture - its meaning unmistakable. His ears were off, his word was final. Enough. The Spaniard slipped into his tent and that was the last the ducks saw of him for the evening. This was a sign to all, save the strangers, that Freddy was in charge.

Quincy gave a short screech of frustration and slammed some stuff, leaving. He hated being dismissed. He hated it.

Watching the young man storm off, fuming, Falcone turned back to the ducks and gave a sheepish chuckle. "Excuse me for a moment, will you?"

Jogging after Fox, he caught him by the arm and started to whisper, at first friendly, then stern hissing when the boy snapped. Pulling him back when he tried to huff off again, the falcon was clearly telling Quincy Fox off. The ducks exchanged a glance wondering if he was angry or… disciplinary. It was probably a combination, but surprisingly seemed more the latter.

Duke, unlike the others, with his honed skills, could hear every word. It had started with Falcone's friendly attempt to put out the forest fire and instantly crossed into further disagreement over Duke and eventually their very excavation…

"Freddy, L'orange has no right to hunt you down, barge on the scene and start a fight. He lunged at you, damn it! I saw the look, Fred - he was going straight for the jugular. He wanted to choke you dead."

"I don't blame him. Stuff happened."

"That was then, this is now. You never bothered him. You've changed. You didn't go after him for revenge. You didn't try to - I mean, HE started this with you. HE-"

"Foxy, please-"

"Forget it, forget it. Just whatever, alright. Just as long as they leave…" He trailed off, silent for a moment. Very unexpectedly, he slammed more stuff, "DAMN IT! I hate it when Marty does that! He just blows me off!"

The falcon said nothing. What could he say?

Another sound of frustration. Fox started towards the dig. "Come on, you heard the man, we-"

"I don't think it best to return to work. We should call in an inspector. Enough is enough. How many people have to die?"

The other didn't reply right away. He didn't even glance back. He just stood there, his back having stiffened. His expression softening, he studied the clearly nervous and unhappy workers for a moment as they carried out their tasks of preparation.

"Marty said-"

"Marty's off. I'm on."

"Go to He-"

Fred caught his arm again, tighter, stopping him from huffing off again. "My gestures are just as powerful as his, Quince. I'm skipper now. This isn't a democracy. We shut this thing down before it shuts this entire project down. Shuts US down. Is that clear?"

Quincy hesitated, pissed. Finally - "FINE."

Clapping his hands to get the men's attention he signaled it was time to call 'er a day…

Falcone pulled away and with a simple motion of his head, a young boy, of no more than 16, standing with a dog of some sort, understood the given command and started speaking to the workers in their native tongue.

"Tell them we're going to rest a few days to solve this problem."

With that, Fredrico Martinez, after exchanging one more hard expression with Quincy Fox, who was standing with the men, turned and stormed away himself.

Duke wasn't going to let him off that easy. He sprinted after, catching up, annoyed. "Now… can we talk?"

Fal, now known as Fred, forced a smile, though he was still peeved with his work. "Of course, Duke."

Duke started to follow Freddy to his tent, but glanced back at his friends, "I'll see you in a bit." Was all his could think to say.

Wing frowned. "I don't like this."

"Duke just wants the story." Dive reassured him.

"No, no." Wing muttered. "I trust Duke. I just DON'T trust Falcone."

"No one does." Mallory agreed, her voice wobbling with anger. "I don't know what that fight way about… or why they stopped work, but-"

"What's he doing here anyway?" Tanya interrupted. "I mean, what are the odds?"

"And what's with the sudden change in attitude and appearance?" Nosedive was still amazed. "Could he really-"

"Don't even think it." Mallory snarled. "He's more the same than ever. This is just a ploy to raid this site once they hit treasure."

"A five year ploy?" Wildwing wasn't so sure.

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