Disclaimer: I don't own anything copywrited

From here on I might be using references ie. The anime and the manga Episode Zero and Endless Waltz

Also I'm looking for a beta reader. Review if you're interested.

Gundam Pilots in Hiding- Chapter Two

Duo Maxwell's current room with stacked with Gundam memorabilia and quite a few bits of Death Scythe. It had been 41 years since he had destroyed his Gundam with the others and it had been the same of them. And now there were three boys also in his room staring at him like landed fish. Richard was his "nephew" and worked in his garage. Elliot was Richard's little brother and had brought a friend Matt. In light of their total ignorance when it came to the real story of the Gundam pilots and the war, Duo had come out of hiding to the three boys standing in front of him, he had informed them that his name was not Max Duwello but instead he was the Gundam pilot 02, Duo Maxwell.

At first the three boys just stared at him then they all bombarded him with questions or statements formed like questions.

"YOU'RE pilot 02!"

"02 was Gundam Death Scythe, right?"

"How many people did you kill?"

"What do you mean you stopped Operation Meteor?"

Duo sighed he really wasn't prepared for this. He really didn't want to relive the war again. So much had happened so much had been lost.

"Shut up munchkins." He said ignoring the fact they were all taller then him. "It's my story I'll tell it however I damn please." He paced for a moment in order to gather his thoughts, "I guess I'll start out by saying I never knew my parents, I never knew a birthday. It was almost as if the streets some how had an illicit affair with a dumpster maybe and I was born, a true child of the streets. I have no memories of a home or anything of the sort for the first 7 years of my life. I was found extremely young by a boy who called himself Solo. I had no name; I was merely 'Kid'. As I recall we were quite the dynamic duo.

"Solo taught me everything he knew of pick pocketing, thievery, The Undeniable Puppy Eyes of Doom and a few other things I don't need to dirty your minds with. Together we ran a gang of children only known as 'The Damned Brats' of course the name was given to us by rival gangs and the street vendors who were our main victims.

"I guess I should say that the L2 you see now is no where in the near vicinity of the horror that was L2 before the war. On every street corner were whores and drug dealers, sometimes they worked together but more often it was the pimps you had to watch for, their whores (as long as you weren't poaching their clients) were generally nice. The pimps didn't care how old you were or your gender, if you were pretty enough, well let's just say first come first serve. The vendors we stole from were nearly as bad off as us street kids. To sum it up L2 was a pit of vipers, a den of sin, and the only place where children could be just as dangerous as the soldiers. We were fighters, demons, I suppose you could say. It was barely an existence, but it was the only thing we knew so we were content as long as we had enough to survive. Childhood was a thing only vaguely heard about.

"In AC 187 AN: got this from wikipedia Solo was killed by an epidemic bordering on a plague," Duo paused, thinking for a moment. "No they do call it a plague now… it swept through L2 killing anyone, mostly street people. Only the rich and military could get the antidote, it was actually spread by the alliance to weed out the urchins and socially unacceptable. Many of us died. I managed to steal the antidote but it was too late for Solo. In honor of him and since he promised to be with me always I said that we'd be Duo now. I also never received the antidote. It seems I have one mean immune system, I can't remember ever being sick.

"By the time the plague had finally spent its fury on those unable to pay for the antidote my gang was depleted to six counting myself. We did anything to survive. Once we raided the Military Supplies. Soon after, the condemned house we were 'living' in was torn down. We were caught and put into an orphanage. Maxwell Church-"

Here Duo was interrupted by three gasps. "But there weren't any survivors!" all three exclaimed. Duo smiled with ironic grin. "Even with the Alliance and OZ gone they still rule history…I thought the victors were supposed to do that." Duo sat cross legged on his bed.

"Don't interrupt you punks, this is hard enough. The rest of the orphans were quickly adopted. I was constantly returned. I had been on my own too long. I was too vicious, to wild, and too independent. I had the tendency to beat up other children in the school I was in for a year. Father Maxwell and Sister Helen were always there for me and we often had theological discussions. Believe it or not boyos but I have a ridiculously high I.Q. Then tragedy struck, some rebels had taken sanctuary in the church and all of us were pitching in to the care of the injured. Father Maxwell was preaching peace with no more fighting when the rebels started smacking him about. Sister Helen tried to stop them but that earned her only some slaps for herself. In a fit of anger I told them that I would get them the mobile suit they so desired if they left and never came back.

"Needless to say I was successful but when I returned, all I came back to was a pile of smoking rubble and the barely alive Sister Helen. Her blond hair was spread around her dirt smudged face, blood was everywhere and when she said her last words she reached up and touched my face gently." He demonstrated on Richard, almost cupping his cheek but weakly like he had not the strength. "Till the day I die I will never forget what she told me, 'Don't make us worry like that. Father was… worried about you… even to the end. Father was so noble. H-He kept… preaching peace…Duo… M-May you… have God's Blessing.' I will never forget. I was captured by the alliance before the dust had settled. The church disaster was in AC 188. I escaped the prison in AC 191. For a year I lived any way I could. Those years in the prison and the year afterward can remain lost, but I will tell you that the first kills Shinigami made were on that base. You know where it is, you've all seen the rubble? Well I did that when I was about 11, right after I busted out."

For a moment Duo could only stare into space, eyes so haunted it made the boys glad he didn't share his prisoner stories or the story of the year afterward. What he didn't mention was the physical torment he went through in that cell, the beatings, molestations, and rapes he had witnessed and experienced. The year after he had been an assassin, thief or whore depending on what job he could get. Finally Duo Shuddered and said, "After that year in AC 192 I decided I needed to get off this god forsaken colony and stowed away on a Sweeper ship. Depending on your point of view it was the best and worst decision of my life. It was also when the name Shinigami was first said out loud and the deaths of many were sealed."