Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Crossover With Non-anime Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Yuy Twins: Episode Zero ❯ Duo Maxwell ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I want to make this known now. I own nothing here. A lot of what you read may be from Gundam wing: Episode Zero. But I have made changes where it was needed for my story. A lot of the dialogue comes from the original manga.

Duo Maxwell

A.C. 192

“Let Go! Lemme Go ya oafs!”

The small youth squirmed and thrashed in the holds of his captors as the two older men held his arms in bruising grips.

“I said lemme go!”

One of the men growled and jerked the boys arm sharply.

“You got some nerve sneaking aboard a sweepers ship you little punk!”

The youth only growled and continued to thrash; ignoring anything that was said to him. He shouldn't have been caught; but he had been hungry; it had been awhile since he had eaten last.

“What's going on here?”

The youth continued to jerk and said nothing for a moment as he took the chance to observe this new possible threat. The man was old; his grey hair cut in such a way that it made him look rather like a mushroom. The long pointed nose that stuck out through a part in the grey hair. Next to those two features the long scar on the man's cheek was the most distinguishing feature.

“A stowaway; sir. He was raiding the food storages; the little thief.”

The youth growled at that and finally looked up; his violet eyes practically radiating anger; most of it directed at the two men holding him hostage.

“Hey; even I need real food sometimes ya know! Leggo!”

Professor G watched silently; contemplating the boy as he struggled against the two men holding him. He was small and thin; most likely malnourished. Dressed in the clothes of a priest with a black hat on his head he would have been unnoticeable in a normal environment. Had it not been for the meter long braid of chestnut hair running down his back. As the boys head jerked up he felt his eyebrows rose as he caught sight of the angry violet eyes set with in the pale delicate face. This boy would have had to get past his security system to get here. And they had left port a good number of days ago. To remain hidden for that long…

“Let him go.”

The youth stopped struggling at that; watching the old man wearily.

“But sir.”

Professor G shook his head.

“Just let him go.”

Duo smiled and leaned forward in the arms of the men who still held him.

“Heh.”

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A.C. 187

“Hey! Get back here ya damn brats!”

A violet eyed child with long, tangled chestnut hair turned back with an apple in his hand and laughed.

“Heh heh. Ya can send the bill ta the Alliance.”

The child ignored the threats and yells behind him as he and the others ran away from the sight of their latest heist. So busy running away, the child failed to see the man coming around the corner.

“Ow.”

Shaking his head the child looked up at the man he had knocked to the ground with him. An old priest was on his knees in front of him. The child looked up for a moment and me the kind eyes of the priest.

“Oh, I'm sorry.”

“Hold it!!”

The child looked back over his shoulder nervously before jumping to his feet and jumping over the mans head.

“Sorry!”

He never looked behind him again as he continued to flee with the rest of his gang.

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“They did it again.”

Father Maxwell looked up from his position on the ground at the group who had been chasing the children.

“Ya do have ta feel sorry for them war orphans, but they're always doing this…”

Father Maxwell looked back at where the children had run and smiled. And idea coming to mind.

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“That went well; huh Duo?”

The violet eyed child; Duo; smirked around his apple.

“Yeah. And tomorrow we'll hit the military warehouse.”

The other children looked up with wide eyes.

“What?! Isn't that a little…”

“If they catch us that's it; we're toast.”

Duo glared as he stood from his spot and made his way out of their latest `home'.

“Heh, it's only a fluke that we've lasted this long. Might as well go all the way.”

None of the others said anything as they watched their leader leave the room. There was nothing they could say; they knew it was true.

“We should have died with Solo and the others during the plague. Why did the medicine I stole only work on some of us.”

There was no one to answer him as he stood out in the blackness that was the L-2 colonies version of night. “Solo should have been here doing this, not me.”

Violet eyes dimmed slightly as the child sat on the hard colony ground.

“I wonder what earth is like. Is it as bad as it is here? Or is it better? Wish I could find out.”

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“Aaahh! Run! Run!”

Children screamed and ran as the soldiers fired on them without care or remorse. As the children continued to run, Duo hung back making sure no one was left behind in the chaos.

“Soldiers don't care about women and kids. Dammit!”

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“What are you doing?!”

The men glared down at the children huddled into a corner. Before focusing on the brat that had spoken. They said nothing to him as they continued to tear down the building that had been the childrens shelter for so long.

“Stop it; what did we ever do ta ya?”

One of the men glared and finally deemed to answer.

“Don't give us that crap! I can't believe that you were fool enough to actually go after the Alliances food stores.”

Duo glared at the men defiantly as he stood in front of the other children. He wouldn't show it; not to the men who were destroying their home or the children who looked to him to protect and provide for them as their previous leader Solo once had; but he was scared. This was really all he had known since Solo had picked him up on the streets as a baby and raised him.

“But…But if you tear it down…where are we supposed to go?”

One of the man sneered down at the children who had stolen from numerous people and businesses over the years.

“The Maxwell Church has offered to take you brats in. Be grateful!”

Duo's eyes widened as he stood firm in front of his group.

“A…Church?”

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After the destruction of their home the children had no choice but to go to the church, although most were wary. They were greeted by the two who ran the Orphanage and church; Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. The children were welcomed and given decent clothes to wear. Duo hung back and watched, making sure that none of the children he had been entrusted with by Solo were harmed and went generally unnoticed until all of the children went to bed.

Or so he thought.

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Sister Helen watched sadly as the child the others had pointed out as the leader and their `caretaker' stood off to the side watching everything. She had seen the child but left him be after she had heard about him from some of the other children.

According to the children his name was Duo; a child found and raised by their previous leader Solo. The child was younger than a good number of the other war orphans but according to the others he was the best thief; easily getting out of what often seemed to impossible situations. He had been left in charge of the others after the death of their last leader; Solo and had done his best by them ever since.

When she had again asked why they trusted him so much they had said that it had been Duo who had saved a good number of them from the plague that had been administered into the slums of L-2. He had stolen enough of the cure to help the entire gang; but the cure had worked for some and not for others. Diminishing their numbers to half of what they had been before.

Looking at the child hidden in his little corner she smiled sadly. He blamed himself for that; she could see it in his pain filled eyes. Eyes that were too old to belong to the child within whose face they rested in. She waited until all of the other children were fed clothed and asleep; instinctively knowing that he wouldn't let her near him otherwise; before she made her way over to him with a fresh set of clothes.

“You are Duo; correct?”

The child looked up, his face set and his eyes hard.

“Yeah. So what?'

She smiled calmingly down at the boy and handed him the clothing she had for him.

“I thought you would like something new to change into. There is food for you as well.”

Duo watched the woman for a moment before he took the clothes from her hand and disappeared to put them on. A while later he came back and sat down to eat; still silently keeping watch over the othr children. He would trust these people to an extent because he knew that they at least had a better chance of perhaps helping his gang than he did at the moment.

He stayed like that; sitting in that chair at the table long into the night. Watching over all those his mentor; his brother; and his former caretaker had left in his care. He sat through the night; watching over those entrusted to him.

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“Don't; I said quit it!”

Father Maxwell came into the room with a smile. Already guessing who he would find in the room.

“What's going on?”

Sister Helen looked up as she struggled with the small violet eyed child.

“This boy…just won't let me cut his hair.”

Duo growled as he eyed the brush held in the sisters hand.

 

“Well a course I won't let ya cut my hair. It's bad enough I gotta wear the weird clothes, I aint gonna let ya cut my hair too.”

The sister frowned at him as she released the child.

“But it's all tangled and dirty, it's unhygienic.”

Duo growled at her again, holding his length of hair protectively.

“So what? I like it like this! Solo liked it like this and the last thing he asked of me was that I grow it long. He liked my long hair and I'm gonna keep it.”

The Sister and Father faltered at this as they watched the frowning boy. They had heard of the one the other children called Solo numerous times before. And everything they had heard was enough to show them that Solo had really cared for all of the others but that Duo had been the one to always stand by him and give the older boy the companionship that he needed. The older boy had needed an equal and he had apparently found it in young Duo according to a few of the older kids.

“Sister Helen let Duo have his way.”

 

Sister Helen nodded her understanding; feeling slightly guilty for having tried to cut off something so important to the boy.

“Lets just try to make it a bit neater alright; I won't be cutting any of it off.”

Duo said nothing, afraid that if he moved the Sister might accidently cut off his precious hair.

“There, no complaints right?”

Duo jumped from the chair after the Sister was done and swing his head around; grinning as he saw the thick rope of hair swing out behind him.

“Cool; this makes it easier to move. Now I don't have to worry about it getting in the way when I steal.”

The Sister frowned as she watched the boy.

“Oh Duo are you still talking like that? You don't need to steal anymore.”

Father Maxwell nodded.

“That's right Duo; there is no need to steal; you're here now and we will provide for you until you can find a family of your own to take care of you.”

Duo frowned as he thought. He wasn't exactly keen on ending up with some random family. He was not that trusting; especially when it came to adults. And about the stealing…

“Oh that's right I'm supposed to beg now right? Isn't that how it works? A church is kept up by peoples donations right?”

Sister Helen gasped lightly as she watched the boy with his hands casually folded behind his head. For a child to think like that was a sad thing. Father Maxwell smiled lightly at the boy. He knew that that was the only way a child who had grown up as young Duo had would ever understand it.

“Your right Duo.”

Duo frowned at them both as he turned to leave the room.

“That's right so don't get all high and mighty.”

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Time passed and one by one the other children found homes of their own with caring and loving families; Duo made sure. The only one left at the church was Duo; who kept getting sent back with no explanation. The Father and Sister watched sadly as the boy went off to school everyday and did their best to console the child when the other children were teasing him or scold him when he sent the other kids to the hospital.

Throughout that time there was one incident that would stick with Duo forever.

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“You don't believe there's a god?”

Duo nodded from his place on Father Maxwell's lap.

“Yeah! If there was a god then wouldn't he make it so there were no more wars and no more war orphans?”

Father Maxwell sighed sadly as he looked down at the child.

“Duo. Wars are started by people and they must be finished by people as well. God does not start wars.”

“So it doesn't matter if there is a god or not.”

Sister Helen gasped; slightly flustered that the child could come to such a conclusion.

“That's not so.”

Duo looked up at the two people who had given him a home and found homes for those he had cared for by himself. He had come to trust and care for them and he really didn't want to disappoint them but…

“The only God I believe in is the God of Death.”

Both adults stared down at the child confused.

“Duo; you don't believe in God yet you believe in the God of Death?”

Duo leaned forward with a grin.

“Yeah; I've never seen any miracles, but I've seen a whole lot of dead people.”

Both adults stared at the child before laughing; something that seemed to have been happening a lot since the child had come to the Church. You just couldn't argue with Duo's logic.

After Duo arrived there was always laughter at the Maxwell Church. However…

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One day; the smiles disappeared from everyone's faces...

Explosions rocked the colony and gun fire sounded through the street injuring both fighters and civilians alike as rebels took it upon themselves to attack the resident Alliance forces. Duo watched all of this; and all it did was further cement his belief in the Shinigami. He watched as the Father and Sister did their best to help those injured and provide a safe haven to those who needed it. He watched and did nothing; until the rebels took it too far.

“Just one mobile suit! If we can get that, then our freedom will be secure.”

Duo frowned from where he watched; hidden in the shadows of the pews. He hated the Alliance as much as the next person; they had caused to much pain and trouble for him not to hate them. But these people were accomplishing nothing.

“Haven't we had enough of this? Heero Yuy once said…”

Duo's eyes widened as he finally located Father Maxwell. Anger took over and he never heard the rest of what was said as all of his attention focused on the rebels who proceded to attack the Father because they didn't like what he said. But he anger broke free into rage as he saw them strike Sister Helen for trying to protect Father Maxwell.

Deep inside him he felt something but there was too much rage for him to bother with it then. He never noticed how as he stepped out of his hiding place the shadows themselves seemed to follow and cling to him, giving him the appearance of the Demon he would later be named after.

But the people to see him sure did. They saw the way the shadows clung to the small boy and tow the darkness and rage caused the beautiful violet eyes to glow with a deadly light.

“All you want is one mobile suit right? I'll steal one for ya. But in return, you let everyone go. This is a church; a peaceful place.”

The men in front of the boy tried to gather their dignity but failed in the light of the boys anger.

“Fi-Fine. But what insurance do we have that you won't just give us away?”

Wrong thing to say. The demons eyes glowed brighter with rage and determination.

“I may run and hide but I never tell a lie.”

With that he left; desperately ignoring the Sisters cries to come back. Something he would regret later. He would regret not being there for the ones who cared for him in their time of need.

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This heist had been somehow easier than the rest, he knew some of the bullets hit him but he didn't seem to feel a thing. He used every trick he knew to get into the base and out with the mobile suit he needed. He was a child and no one had suspected that a child would be capable of such a feat. They would learn.

Now though; now he stood in front of the smoking wreckage of his once home. He could see the bodies partially hidden under the debriese but they were not the ones he was looking for. A flash of white amongst the rubul had him sprinting in to kneel down beside the broken and battered form of Sister Helen.

“Duo…I'm…Glad you're…safe.”

“Sister Helen!”

The woman smiled painfully at the child.

“Don't worry us…like that.”

“Hang on!”

“The…Alliance came and…attacked…we couldn't…leave the…church.”

Duo bent over the woman, again not noticing the shadows moving slowly and restlessly behind him.

“Was- Was it my fault?”

The woman smiled at him as she took a shaky and painful breath; she said something more; about how noble the Father had been preaching peace till the end. And Duo was sure he responded to it but he couldn't remember. There was a rushing in his ears that cleared just enough for him to hear the last thing he would ever hear from his beloved Sister.

“Duo…May you…have…God's blessing.”

Duo stared; eyes wide open and dead as the Sister breathed her last breath before throwing his head back and releasing and anguished cry. And with his cry the shadows finally moved up and became known to the child; twining caringly around his body as he grieved for those who were stolen from him. And the child embraced them; along with the names he was given and gave himself that day.

Maxwells Demon. And the God of Death…Shinigami.

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“Did you hear? Over 245 people were killed.”

“Yeah but the rebellion was brought under control by Alliance and OZ troops.”

Duo looked up from under his cap as he listened.

“Yeah! People are already calling the incident the “Maxwell Church Tragedy.”

Duo scoffed.

“No; It's not the Maxwell Church Tragedy. It's the Maxwell Church Massacre.”

“Hey did you know that kid is a Maxwell church survivor?”

“Wow; he must have cut a deal with death huh?”

Duo looked up; his eyes furious as the shadows he had finally noticed and acknowledged swirled around him angrily. Slowly standing from within the cell he had been placed in Duo made his way silently towards the laughing guards. They were close in their guess. But he didn't need to cut a deal with death. After all; he was death. He was Shinigami. The God of Death.

Stepping so that he was nearly up to the bars he allowed his instincts to guide him and silently commanded the slithering shadows through the bars. From there he lost control and the shadows quickly wrapped themselves around the mouths of the guards; silencing them as he wished. Using all of the skills he had; Duo quickly picked the lock on his cage and silently ran from the building; never once looking back to see what the shadows might have done to the guards.

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A.C. 192

Duo stood opposite the old man and watched as the man watched him as well. Professor G observed the youth that had gotten threw his security system and onto his ship.

“Kid; I'm impressed that you were able to sneak aboard and stay hidden for so long. My security system should have been perfect.”

Duo stood quietly; saying noting.

“How did you do it?”

Duo smirked; maybe he could have some fun with this guy. Besides; it's not like he was going to tell him that he had done it through a mix of old skills and unpredictable shadows.

“That is a trade secret; but I will tell ya it was pretty difficult; if that sooths yur pride any.”

G chuckled as he watched the boy.

“Heh heh. Your amusing kid.”

Duo scowled at the old man. He hated being called kid.

“My names not kid. It's Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide but I never tell a lie.”

G thought for a moment; he had heard that name somewhere before he knew it. He thought for a moment as he watched the kid…that was it; the only survivor…

“Maxwell...Maxwell's Demon eh?”

Duo smirked at the man. So he had heard of one of the names he had been given after that night.

“I'm not just a demon. I'm the God of Death!”

Professor G smirked at the boy. Oh he had heard of him alright; a brilliant thief everyone knew it was him whenever he stole. He made it rather obvious really. Though most believed it to be a legend come to life rather than an actual live human being.

From what he had heard while on L-2 and even on some other colonies. No one tended to survive a confrontation with this so called legend. He was never able to truly be identified; even on recordings, all anyone could ever see was a shadowy figure with glowing violet eyes and what often appeared to be a scythe; though no one was truly sure what it was. G smirked again as he looked the boy over again; noting what he hadn't before.

While the boy was small and thin; something he now had no doubt was from malnutrition; he also appeared to be decently strong and fast. He had the ability to hold his own. Looking closer at the long rope of hair G noted what appeared to be hair pins but if the boy had gotten on his sip and into those high security facilities as rumor had it then it was more likely that they were lock picks. Moving back up to look into the boys eyes he faltered slightly as the shadows behind the boy moved and seemed to caress the boy. Smirk growing he looked back into the jewel toned eyes which showed all of the pain he had gone through but also a need for a purpose again.

Oh yes. He had finally found what he was looking for.

“Very well then; Duo. How would you like a purpose?”

Duo faltered slightly as he watched the man. He did want a purpose; that much was true. Over the years there was always a purpose; be it protecting the gang or helping Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. But now; now he was simply doing whatever he could to take out those who had been responsible for the destruction he had seen. But could this man really give him a real purpose again?

“What da ya mean?”

Professor G smirked and motioned the two men who had originally caught Duo away; he knew the boy wouldn't talk with them around. Once they were gone he turned his attention back to the boy.

“Myself and four others were originally engineers in OZ before we defected. Now we are each trying to make our part of a plan come together.”

Duo had listened in silence up until this point but now he couldn't remain silent.

“What plan?”

G smirked.

“Operation Meteor. Though the one that I plan to go through is not the one the original creator of the plan would want; should he find out. The plan I am going through with is sending a pilot to earth in a specially designed mobile suit.”

Duo watched the man carefully; he had a pretty good idea where he was going with this.

“My offer is simple. You pilot the mobile suit I will create and fulfill any and all missions to the best of your ability. In return I will give you the training you'll need to fulfill your part and even teach you how to maybe gain better control over those shadows I see.”

Duo started; looking down in frustration to see that the shadows had once again decided to cling to him, turning a good portion of his body black where they clung. The offer sounded good. He really did need the help with the control and the shadows. And if worse came to worse he supposed he could simply sneak away. He had snuck in after all, he could easily sneak back out.

“Alright then I accept your offer. Ya got a name old man?”

G laughed as he led the boy down the hall.

“My name is Professor G. And I specialize in stealth technologies.”

Duo smirked as he followed the Professor.

“Well then I believe you and I will get along just fine.”

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Gundam Pilot 02 has been chosen.

A/N: I will say this until I am sure I will not hear it from anyone. Most of this comes from GUNDAM WING EPISODE ZERO. So therefore NONE OF THIS IS MINE!!!!! I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far and I hope it turns out like I want.