My Mission
By TK Date

"Mission Accepted"

The words escaped my lips without another thought. It was all my mission. My mission to destroy OZ. Almost mechanically I took the buster rifle from Wufei.

'With this it will be over, all of it'

The endless missions. Finally done with, finally complete. Could I say that? Just to taste the sound of it. 'Mission Complete' one last time. A grin wanted to creep onto my face, I would not let it. I could not show emotions. Despite how much I wanted to live by the emotions that bubbled up inside me I could not. It was not my mission to do so.

Even though I had told Trowa that earlier, it was not true. How long ago was that? The time when I had told him to live by him emotions. I should have said sorry, I was wrong. A final mission.

I had thought the mission before that was the final mission, the mission to end my life. In a way, it had felt good. Being thrown from that fire that was my suit. Breaking upon the rough ground and letting the warm pool of blood spread beneath me. It was warm. So very warm. But in the end I had not done it to kill myself. I had done it to save the colonies, my mission.

Now I was confronted with a different mission. Save the earth. Maybe I could complete both missions at the same time. End my life and save the earth. I had tried it earlier, Zechs had stopped me. I wanted to curse him for it, but his actions were brave. I had even shouted at him to stop. He didn't listen, he didn't understand my mission. He said outer space needed me.

That was a lie. Outer space didn't need me, no one did. I was alone. Forever drifting until I complete that final mission. The piece of Libra is approaching earth now, I'll stop it. I'll end the war, and my life. Both missions, complete.

But something's tugging at my soul, my heart. Why? This feeling. I've felt it before. Usually Zero blotted it out but why did I feel it now. I was as if I was being tugged at by an unknown force.

"What?" I whispered, almost audible.

What Zechs had said came back to me. I had a heart that can empathize with the people. I was kind? I was...pure? It all made sense now. Heero Yuy, the kind and gentle leader who had united the earth and colonies. I was him. I understood now.

My mission had changed. I had to live. All of a sudden the pain came washing over me. Until now I had been ignoring it, just gritting my teeth and letting it pass. The chunk of Libra was on my screen but the instability of the atmosphere at this level wouldn't let me get a good fix on it. Zero was breaking, the sparks flew over the screens as small pieces of shrapnel embedded themselves in my skin. It was time.

"I will..." I have to live, for the good of outer space.

"I will..." For those I cared about, my friends.

"I will..." For the ones who trusted me, and those I loved.

"I will survive!" My shot went out.

I would live, right to the bitter end. Zechs had said that about himself. I would to. I would survive for all of them, Zechs, Duo, Quatre, Wufei, Trowa, Sally, Noin, Howard, and Relena. Relena, I would survive for her. My shot had hit. Directly through the center of it. I watched as the piece exploded into a brilliant white light. It grew closer. I didn't fear it, I knew I would live.

I let my eyes fall shut as it encased Zero. On its own will the Gundam shifted to its bird mode. I let it. My arms were far too weary to pilot the suit myself. I was going to let Zero guide me.

The light faded and I heard the cheers of my friends. They rejoiced at my survival. Duo, Wufei, Trowa, and Quatre. They all sounded so happy. Part of me wanted to be happy with them. To outwardly express my joy. But I could not. It just didn't seem right. I smiled on the inside, let the light hearted and fancy free thoughts fill my soul.

But not even a slight smile escaped onto my face, the only thing that did was those words. Those words of such power and force. I was elated to utter them one last time before Zero carried me off to where we had to go.

"Mission Complete."