A/N: I hope you like this story, but just so you know I changed a bit of Duo's past, and unfortunately Endless Waltz never happened. This part starts when Duo is a kid, but trust we we'll get to the present I promise in part 3 I believe. I hope you take the time to read and review. This isn't my first fic, and if you notice any problems at all notify me in a review and I'll change it ASAP.
Disclaimer: We already know it, and as much as I hate to admit it :( I don't own Gundam Wing, but my ideas would just be wasted if I did, so i guess we have to rejoice over that.
Part 1"Another failure!" He screamed in anger looking toward the figure of a boy, no more than 10 years old. His face softened when he saw the boy smile and wave at him. "I guess we'll just have to try again."
For some reason he couldn't give up on the boy, he had to keep trying. Maybe one of these times he would pass the test, but that was very unlikely. The boy showed no natural talent for wielding such a powerful weapon.
"Duo." He said softly. "I want to try that one again."
Duo nodded, trying not to show how annoyed he was. They'd done this 100 times already! 72 to be exact, but Duo liked to exaggerate, it made him feel powerful. Again he climbed into the small pocket of the simple mobile doll in front him that he had just climbed out of 2 minutes ago.
"Ready?" The man asked.
Duo nodded and gave him the thumbs up sign. Soon he found himself fighting simulated enemies that he had seen 72 times before. Their strategies never changed they always had the same battle plan, but Duo didn't realize that. He stared at the screen and fought as hard as could, improving his tactics only slightly against his numerous opponents. He was outnumbered by 200 to 1, but still after this long he should be able to defeat such simple opponents.
"I think that's enough for today." The man said making another tally on his chart.
73 times! 73 times, and Duo could still not defeat his opponents! The priest would be disappointed, but the man had promised he would not give up...yet. Duo trudged home through the searing heat in deep concentration. He'd been doing simulated battles since he was 6, why was he still so bad at fighting? As Duo rushed angrily into his house and slammed the door as hard as he could, his brother Corey appeared out of nowhere.
"What are you looking at, Corey?" Duo snarled at his younger brother.
"Hey, hey, calm down. I have feelings too you know. After all I am eight years." Corey smiled heroically.
"And that means something to me?" Duo asked.
"Now that's not very nice!" Corey exclaimed. "It's apparent to everyone that you're failing that scientist's tests. Looks like priest's gonna be very disappointed when that old man finally decides to give up on you. Have you ever considered throwing in the towel?" Corey asked.
"What?" Duo stared at him.
"You know throwing in the towel, giving up, admitting defeat." Corey smiled again. "I know it sounds pretty lame but now it's beginning to seem like you're only option."
"What are you talking about?" Duo asked. "I'm not failing, besides who cares what he thinks? He's an odd priest, I mean what kind of religious figure would want their foster son to go to battle training?"
"Of course you're not, but we do look awfully alike and..." Corey stopped right there, "Well I suppose you're not interested after all you're doing quite well with that scientist."
"Of course I'm not interested...wait interested in what." Duo asked.
"Nothing really I just had an idea of how I could get you that job you seem to want so much. And it would hardly cost you at all...well money anyway. But you're gonna get it all on your own you're doing so well so I guess you're not interested." And Corey walked away, even though his brother kept calling him back, laughing all the way to his room.
Duo stared at the spot where his brother had just been with a shrug. He's right I can pass all on my own! I'll get that job, I'll be that pilot!" He screamed in his mind.
It was already getting late, but there was no need to go to bed. Duo didn't go to school anymore. His father was too intent on him getting that job. The church was fairly rich and his foster dad had even bought him a mobile suit battle simulator so that Duo could practice whenever he felt like it. Which seemed like a good idea after that little discussion with Corey a few hours earlier. He stuffed himself inside and started the simulation on level 200 difficulty. He had to beat this level! He had to get better! Otherwise Corey would be right and he couldn't stand the thought of that little kid being right when HE wasn't! Failure. Failure. Failure. Over and over again he kept getting the signal above his head telling him that he had been destroyed.
"If only this were a real battle, if I were in REAL danger maybe I could win!" He pounded his fist on the machine making the dent even deeper. Every time he failed he pounded that same spot with a slight hope that he could alter the machine somehow by doing it. But every time he failed once more, and eventually he got tired of it.
He settled back in his chair and sighed, "maybe some miracle will make me better."
Suddenly he turned to his left and glanced out the small circular window in the machines hull. Corey was standing there. Corey? How long had he been there? Had he seen every single one of Duo's failures? Duo sighed, now he's going to bother me...again.
"Hey, Duo, open up!" Corey pounded on the small hatch of the machine.
Duo obeyed, but he wasn't happy about it.
"Decided to throw in the towel yet? Isn't it pretty lame to get defeated 15 times in a row?" Corey grinned. "I mean for me it's about the lamest thing I can think of."
He had been there the whole time. But didn't he have school tomorrow?
"Go away." Duo growled.
"No, I wanna show you how it's done." Corey begged. "It's Saturday tomorrow bro." Corey laughed reading Duo's mind.
"Fine, you can try!" Duo snarled. "But it's not as easy as it looks."
"Really? I always thought it was. I've done a few of these simulations and you know the opponents aren't too bright. They're always using the same battle technique. Actually it's an old battle technique since there hasn't been a new one of these machines designed in 15 years." Corey smiled pushing the start button.
Duo gazed at him with his jaw open wider than seemed possible on his tiny mouth. Corey launched attack after attack on different areas of opponents and every time he came out with minor scratches to his mobile suit ready to attack the next oncoming wave of enemies until eventually none came.
Corey chuckled. "Not so easy huh? Now let's try it on level 400."
Duo could see sweat on his brother's forehead. This level was a little difficult for him. He was gritting his teeth as his opponent's missiles barely missed his mobile suit. Duo could tell Corey was enjoying himself. He was really comfortable in war. A missile struck him and he fell back against his chair as if he really felt the force of being hit. Unfortunately 1 too many missiles struck him, and he exploded.
"That's lame! I should have won!" Corey blurted out
"Wait I got it!" Corey screamed to his brother resetting the simulation. "I can't start with those mobile suits, they're less equipped than the ones to my right. I have to start there so I can take them out with my full energy and leave the weaker ones till the end. That's the only way to win!"
Duo stared at him. "What?"
"Sounded like plain English to me, let me try another language." Corey teased.
Duo's face suddenly turned sour. "You rigged this didn't you? You made it so that you would win!"
"Believe what you want but the God of Death didn't do anything." Corey said turning the machine back on.
Duo looked at him angrily. He knew Corey was telling the truth, that nickname said it all. He'd started calling himself that when he was 5, even before his first battle. At the time Duo and his parents had thought it was simply something he'd heard at school. Duo couldn't believe it, had Corey really known how good he was in these situations even before he was faced with one? Duo shook himself back to reality and watched with a soft smile as his brother did just what he said he would do. Win. Corey sat back in his chair with a soft smile on his face.
"You really are the God of Death." Duo said.
"What?" Corey stared at him.
"The reason the priest sent me to that scientist for that job. He must have seen some very high scores on this machine, and those scores were your's weren't they?" Duo sighed. "He thinks I'm the one with the gift, he thinks all the bad scores aren't mine. He thinks I have the talent, but it's you."
Corey bowed his head. "Maybe. But even if that's true we can't tell him. It would dishonor him if you weren't the talented boy he thought you were, that you're supposed to be."
"But what can we do?" Duo asked.
"I don't know. Maybe we should just give up and tell him, even though that'd be a really lame end to the story." Corey said.
Duo laughed, "Yeah it would be." He agreed. "But you'd get the recognition you deserve. You should be the one not me. Honesty is the best policy."
"I'm not so sure about that." Corey sighed as he exited the simulator. "Not in this situation anyway."
Duo nodded and whispered softly in agreement "I know."
A/N: Well that's part one, part 2 is coming shortly I promise not to keep you guys waiting. Hope you liked it so far, and if you find anything confusing it will all make sense as the fic progresses, but I'd be happy to answer questions (that I'm not answering in future parts) I had my friends read it as betas and they've been begging me to put it up on so now that I've finished writing all 21 parts it's up and running. Again I hope you enjoyed, but if you didn't please don't give up on my fic just yet ï