He slowly opened the window to the bedroom, not making a sound. He crawled through the window and soundlessly crept toward the bed. He stood at the foot of the large canopy bed, watching the lone figure sleeping. He smirked as he watched the young woman turn on her side, sighing in her sleep. She looks so innocent when she’s sleeping, he mused silently. She looks as if there were no reason for her to die. Light brown hair covered the girl’s face, but the young man at the foot of her bed didn’t need to see her face. He knew it was her he was looking for. He knew it was her he had come to kill.

The young man brushed his brown bangs out of his face, gazing at his target. It was safe to show his face now; no one was there to see. Except her. She had seen. And now she had to die for it. He kept his face blank as he reached behind his back and silently produced a gun. He had taken the time to put on a silencer before he came, and all that was left was to shoot and leave; to complete his mission. He aimed the gun and the girl and put his finger on the trigger. He did not pull it.

Why is this happening? He screamed in his mind. He had killed many people fighting in the wars between the space colonies and Earth. Was this girl any different? Yes, she’s innocent. That single thought coursed through his mind, and he couldn’t get it out. She has not killed or oppressed anyone like those you have killed in the wars. The voice was right. She was not like those he had killed in the wars. She was pure and her soul was untainted. Even so, she had interfered.

She had found him on the beach, washed ashore by the waves. She had removed his safety helmet and had gazed down at the youth not much older than herself. "He’s only a boy." She had whispered. It was then that he had woken up. His eyes widened when he saw her and he scrambled up, covering his face with his hands. "Did you see?" He asked, his voice hoarse. He saw from behind his hand the look of confusion she wore. She didn’t know that anyone who looked upon the face of the Perfect Soldier would not live to tell about it.

How could she have known? You are the only one who knows why you are here on Earth. Your are to free the space colonies by destroying the oppressors on Earth. The girl could never have known that. No one could have known about this mission except you and the one man who assigned you it. She couldn’t have known that your mobile suit malfunctioned and crashed into the ocean. She found you, unconscious, washed up onshore. She just did what she thought was right. She does not deserve to die.

The voice spoke again. The young man lowered the gun slightly, his hand trembling. The Perfect Soldier inside of him, who lived only to complete his missions, was screaming to shoot the gun and be done with it. But there was a small part of him that said no. It was the small part of him that was still human. The part of him that had not been consumed by his training, the endless, rigorous training that he had undergone since he was a child. After years of combat training and suicide missions, there was still humanity left within him. The Perfect Solider inside him could not deal with it. It would only interfere with the missions, just like it was doing now. Humanity could not exist within him if he was to be the savior of the space colonies. They needed the Perfect Soldier to fight for them, a being with no emotions to conflict with the decisions of war.

There could only exist one: Perfect Soldier or 15 year old boy. One had to go. The Perfect Soldier made a decision. "The freedom of the space colonies must be achieved at any cost." His mentor had told him. Two words echoed in the Perfect Soldier’s mind, "…any cost." Mission Accepted.

The young man closed his eyes for a moment, shutting out the sounds of the sheets rustling as the girl turned over again. He took one deep long breath and opened his eyes. His prussian blue eyes sparkled with the tears that he would not let fall. He knew what had to happen. This mission would be the end of two lives. He raised the gun to the girl again. His eyes cold and his features blank, he shot one bullet.

The Perfect Soldier walked away from the large estate without looking back. Mission Complete.