In AC 192, a young boy was caught as a stow-away onboard a space shuttle belonging to a man named Professor G. Professor G orders the boy to be let go so he can question him better.
The story skips back to AC 187. A young orphan boy with long hair is the ringleader for a group of orphens, and lives by his wits by stealing food on the streets. After one of these stealing raids, he bumps into a priest and then runs away. The vendor whom he stole from declares the orphens are getting out of hand, and the priest picks himself up and says he feels sorry for them.
Back in their small safe hiding spot, the orphens ask Duo what they'll steal next, and Duo decides they should steal from the Alliance Military Warehouse. When they say he's crazy, Duo merely replies that they're only alive through luck anyways, and they might as well go for the big things. But before they can go, military machine guns fire at their small bombed out hide-away. After the action is over and their home destroyed, a man tells them the Maxwell Church has agreed to take the orphens in. Duo is surprised a church wants them.
At the church, Sister Helen tries her best to cut Duo's long hair, but he fights to keep it and Father Maxwell asks her not to cut it, so she braids it instead. Duo loves it that way, because it's out of his way and he can steal better. Father Maxwell reminds Duo that there's no reason to steal at a church, and Duo remembers and says that it isn't stealing now, it's begging. When they ask him what he means, Duo replies that a church is kept up by the people's donations. The Father and Nun are surprised at his logic for so young a child, but they agree he's right and Duo orders them not to get high and mighty.
However, Duo is not adopted like the other orphens. He keeps getting sent back to the church. Father Maxwell decides to send Duo to school, so he can get a decent education, and the church adopts him. However, Duo constantly comes back after getting in fights because the other kids tease him about his hair, his clothes and his smell. Sister Helen begs him not to fight and send other kids to the hospital, but Duo says he can't help and she realizes his feelings are hurt. So she gives him a hug and tells him he doesn't smell bad. Then she asks him to please ignore other people.
Later, Duo tells the Priest and Nun that he doesn't believe in God. His reasoning is that if there was a God, he would make it so there was no more war and no more orphens. Father Maxwell kindly informs him that wars are started by humans and God does not interfere. Duo then asks if it doesn't matter that God exists, and Sister Helen tells him that isn't true. But Duo holds his ground and says the only God he has seen is the God of Death, because he hasn't seen any miracles, but a lot of dead people. But despite Duo's logic, there was laughter at the Maxwell church after his arrival.
But one day the terrorists started acting again, and they took the church as a base of operations. They want a mobile suit to act against the Alliance. Father Maxwell advocates peace and asks them not to fight. The terrorists get mad and strike him, as well as Sister Helen. Duo, infuriated by this action against his new friends, agrees to get a mobile suit if the terrorists won't harm the church anymore. Angry and hurt, he breaks into the Alliance Base and steals a suit. He decides that war should stop so there won't be anymore orphens, and if someone has to do the dirty work, it should be him because he's only alive through luck anyways.
Unfortunately, when Duo arrives back at the church, the entire place has been destroyed. He finds Sister Helen mortally wounded in the rubble, and she says she's glad he's okay. She tells him that Father Maxwell preached peace until the end and he was worried for Duo, but the Alliance attacked. However, they would not leave the church even under the battle. Duo feels this is his fault, because he stole the mobile suit. Sister Helen wishes he has God's blessing, and dies. Duo lets out a painful scream and is the only survivor.
Thrown in jail, Duo was said to have cut a deal with Death to escape the horror. Later, in AC 192, he's found aboard Professor G's ship.
When Professor G asks how he snuck aboard when the security system was flawless, Duo merely replies "That's a trade secret, but if it helps your pride any, it was tough". Impressed, Professor G says Duo is an interesting kid. Duo denounces this and yells that he's not a kid, and his name is Duo Maxwell. Professor G asks if that's like "Maxwell's Little Demon", and Duo smirks and says, "Nope, not just a demon. I'm the God of Death".