Gabriel looked out of the plane, and he saw that he was about to land in Manila. The sky was grey and hazy, but it was hot. He felt it right when the plane landed.

"We have now landed," the pilot said. "Please put on an oxygen mask. The air outside is dangerous, and the mask must stay on unless you're inside a place with an oxygen filter."

Gabriel grabbed his mask from the overhead compartment. The mask was transparent and showed his entire face. Once he turned it on, the mask started to filter oxygen, making a wheezing sound.

He walked into the hallways where his parents were going to pick him up. The airport was crowded. Some people were tourists, but in the waiting area, most of the people seated had old and dirty clothes, and it seemed like they haven't had any shelter in a long time. A lot of people also slept in the hallways on jackets, blankets, or whatever clothing was available.

As he walked towards the exit, he saw more people sitting next to the walls. There were people of all ages huddled together. They also all had different skin tones, from dark, and some had lighter skin. A lot of them had better days and some were thin from starvation. The area had a high ceiling and a sea of people walking.

He was going to be picked up by his parents outside. He walked over to where there were cars to pick people up. He felt the heat touch him and he also felt some of the humidity. It felt like there were small particles of water sticking to his skin and clothes. There was a road where multiple cars were parked. Other cars drove through.

Gabriel waited for a bit. His mom just texted that they were on their way, and she told him that she guessed that they would be there in 20 minutes. It had been three years since he left the Philippines after being reassigned to a base in the United States. The rest of the city was in the distance, and he had a great view of it. He couldn't see a lot of details.

He had to admit that he was missing the Philippines a little bit. Part of the reason he enlisted was to escape from the hard times he experienced in his youth. He had enlisted soon after graduating from high school. Joining the army was like entering a new world. But this time, he only remembered the fun parts of growing up. The pain wasn't as bad as it used to be, and he admitted to himself that he had enjoyed the process of getting hurt and working through it, even though he felt like there were lots of situations where he felt like there was no way out.

Gabriel was now just remembering the time he spent at school. Fortunately for him, he grew up during a more peaceful time, when there were fewer conflicts and people could relax more. He didn't have a big social circle and there were only a handful of people he was still in contact with. He had no friends in the Philippines that would miss him. The friends he had eventually moved to other countries as well.

The atmosphere had changed. There were more battles in Southeast Asia and the threat of conflict was rising. Gabriel was a little worried that the country would no longer be safe. He could sense the tension in the atmosphere, and that there was going to be less security. It looked as though the Philippines was the last Earth Kingdom stronghold in Southeast Asia.

The wait was over when Gabriel saw the car that he was expecting. It was a green jeep, and he recognized his parents' car after seeing the license plate.

Once he was in the car, he took off his oxygen mask. Inside, there was the sound of air flowing and the cool breeze of the air conditioning.

"How have you been?" his mom, Jessie asked.

"I've been great," said Gabriel, purposely omitting the part about him going to space. "I just completed Myrmidon training and I get a vacation. That's all I can say."

"That must've been tough," his dad, Noah commented.

He was allowed to break the news of him going to space. He had to wait to get home and break the news to his family. They were on their way to the outskirts of Manila, away from most of the skyscrapers and the big businesses and facilities.

The car entered the city through a wide bridge. The city was mostly comprised of grey buildings. Some of them had plants growing on them. The sky was hazy, and the sun was just a small orange dot. Visibility was quite low, but he could still see a lot of the city. Once he reached the bottom, he saw how crowded it was. Some parts were dark with the occasional white light of a store. Crowds of people filled the sidewalks. Most parts of it were narrow and made of cracked rock. Most of the buildings were made of stone. There were multiple lights of different colors, yet something about the city was unsettling. The people here all wore torn and old clothes, yet anyone, rich or poor, had an oxygen mask.

Restaurants and stores were piled onto each other. The car moved slowly through the masked highway. The sidewalk was separated from the highway by a fence, but Gabriel could see what the city was like. Dark and narrow alleys snaked through the tall buildings. It seemed like the perfect place for lowlife. There would be a lot of gangs and gamblers on the streets. Anyone could disappear once they walked in.

They eventually reached the outskirts of the city. The buildings were much shorter. There were a lot of balconies. Each building was wider than it was tall, even though they took up 20 floors or more.

The streets were also narrow. Children played in alleys and the sidewalks. Piles of rock rested on the sidewalk as well. There was also a lot of garbage and traces of chemicals oozing from barrels. As the car rolled, Gabriel saw groups of soldiers carrying their wounded on litters toward a covered basketball court that was used as a camp.

The soldiers' heads were bowed their steps were slow. Some of them were lucky to be fit to fight another day. They had oxygen masks connected to their helmets. They wore fatigues with grey, white, and black in their camo pattern to blend in with the urban areas. They had grey boots and pads on their elbows and knees. They also wore a black vest. On their shoulders was a green flag with a yellow border and in the middle was a dark green coin with a square hole in the middle. The lines were yellow.

After a while, they reached their apartment. It was quite small. There was a narrow hallway with the living room on the right and the kitchen and dining room on the left.

A woman slightly younger than Gabriel and her parents emerged from the living room. The woman had black hair, had lighter skin than Gabriel and was short and skinny. Her parents looked similar, but her mother had brown hair. His uncle was a bit short and gripped two canes.

"Gabriel! It's so good to see you again!" the woman hugged him.

Gabriel returned the hug to his cousin. "It's great to see you too, Ashley!"

He also greeted his aunt Catherine and uncle Edwin. Gabriel then put his bag in the one and only bedroom in the apartment. There were two small bunkbeds that were on opposite walls. The sheets and pillows were clean and white. Gabriel placed his equipment under one of the beds. The room was small, with one white light on the ceiling. The walls were painted blue. He changed into sleepwear and lay down on the bed sprawled, as it was a bit hot. He stopped to think.

A while later, he was being called for dinner. The dining room was a bit crowded with Gabriel's presence and everyone talking and breathing near each other. Gabriel's parents made a simple soup with noodles and chicken. They then started eating.

"So, how are things here in the Philippines?" Gabriel asked. "I know the situation isn't bad enough that travel from other parts of the Earth Kingdom is unsafe. I wonder how things here have changed since I was last here three years ago."

"Well, Manila Bay is still heavily guarded," Jessie replied. "The Fire Nation has been driven out multiple times, but they will keep coming. It will be quite a challenge for them to land troops here and get them to stay. There have only been a few naval battles so far."

"There have also been multiple bombing raids and missile strikes, but damage to the capital is minimal. Most of our soldiers are in the city to protect it. They have multiple missile bases and anti-aircraft guns," said Noah.

"What would happen in the event of an invasion?" Gabriel asked. "If the Fire Nation could conquer Southeast Asia, that would cause a domino effect where they will be able to take Australia and New Zealand as well."

"Our apartment complex has fallout shelters deep underneath this place if the bombings start again," Ashley explained. "The Earth Kingdom will take defensive measures and reinforcements will come. It may be hard for the Fire Nation to take the Philippines, but they could be close to success should they strike again."

"Did you see those refugees at the airport?" Catherine asked.

Gabriel nodded.

"They came from Vietnam and Thailand. The Fire Nation began occupying those countries a year ago. Civilians are being evacuated to Manila in the hopes of protection and a better life. Those places have become a war zone, with pockets of resistance. It's the best option they have. They are quite far from the war zone and Manila is a big city with lots of defenses, but they still need to deal with pollution and crime. I just hope that the people of Manila could pull themselves together and take up arms if necessary to slow the advance of our enemies. With militia groups in the countryside, they could delay the invaders. It's much easier to defend than to attack."

"I was there for the last invasion," said Gabriel. "I was a new soldier in the army, and we had to defend Manila Bay when they attempted to land. Wave after wave or soldiers were coming and we held out valiantly. The city was not lost, though most parts were destroyed, and the defenders killed. The Fire Nation might be preparing to launch another attack."

"You're one of the lucky ones, Gabriel," said Edwin. "Obviously, most of the soldiers don't make it out alive. Some don't make it out in one piece."

Edwin pulled up one of his pant legs, revealing a metal rod in place of a leg, protected by some plating on both sides of the lower leg.

"I'm still getting used to feeling and walking with these legs and I still need these canes. It feels strange to use a pair of legs that you aren't born with, and it was a hassle at first to bend my knees. I'm thankful to have a desk job now in the military, but it feels like this battle never ends."

"It's been a while since the Fire Nation has last returned, but we know they won't stop," said Noah. "This war has been going on for too long. It's not only affecting the freedom of most people, but it's also damaging the environment further. You need to wear a mask if you're not inside a building with an oxygen filter. The Philippines may be technologically advanced, and I hope we can hold out against the Fire Nation."

"At least the war hasn't reached US soil," said Gabriel.

"You're lucky the Americas are protected by two oceans," said Ashley. "Even with all their flying ships, they haven't made any solid progress there. So far, the world is split evenly between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation."

"You don't need a mask over there," said Gabriel. "The cities are also nicer places to live in."

"Yeah, they have a cleaner society there," said Edwin. "The greenest countries are in Western Europe, mainly Germany."

"Anyways, enough about the war and the environment, I wanna hear from you, Ashley. How are you doing with school and other stuff?" Gabriel asked.

"School's going great. Everything here is normal, besides the occasional fear of being attacked or hearing about another invasion," said Ashley. "I need to wear the mask all the time. It's become a part of me now. It's been a while since the skies were clean. I still get to go out with friends, though I never leave the city."

"How about you tell us about how you're doing, Gabriel?" said Catherine.

Gabriel took a deep breath. He was finally given the opportunity to talk. He had processed the information that his relatives had given him. Sooner or later, the Fire Nation could successfully invade the Philippines. Vietnam and Thailand would either resist, or their governments will pledge their allegiance to their occupiers. They could go on about the war, but they didn't want to be stressed. Gabriel was tempted to keep bringing up the war, but it probably wouldn't comfort him. At least he was making a difference, though he was just a little soldier in a massive meat grinder.

"Well, I finished Myrmidon training and I've become a super soldier. I have more strength and speed than any human. The serum doesn't make you much bigger, though," said Gabriel. "Once I finished training, I was assigned to my new squad. I will then be going to space. I'll be going to the moon Polus in the Alpha Centauri system. You probably won't see me again, and if you do, I'll be 12 years younger. I'll be going into cryogenic sleep and each trip is 6 years long, where I won't age, and I won't experience anything. We haven't invented wormholes yet. The closest thing to that is messaging. At least that's instant even if there were lightyears between people. There must be some wormhole technology in there."

Everyone was silent for a bit.

"Yeah, that's all I'm allowed to say about the mission. I can't tell you any details or the purpose behind the mission. I came here to take one last visit because I will be leaving Earth behind. I have 20 days left before returning to the base. I'll probably spend all that time here unless there are warnings of an invasion. I hope I can catch the next plane home."

"Well, we must do something every day, then," said Edwin. "There are a few safe places outside the city that we could go to. The rest of the family lives on a farm. It's a bit more spacious than the city. There's a small forest you could walk in and most of nature is untouched. Some of it is returning ever since people have changed the way they farm. Some parts of the jungle are also home to resistance and army camps."

"If we get invaded again, then the countryside is another great place," said Catherine. "We'll be in a fallout shelter with the rest of our extended family. I just hope your other cousins could escape their cities and come with us. Some of them are out fighting, though. Your uncle Terry, the doctor has also been drafted due to his job. He treats wounded and ill soldiers in a field hospital."

"We will miss you, Gabriel," said Noah.

"I will too, Dad," said Gabriel.

"We'll stay here tomorrow," said Catherine. "After that, we're going to the countryside outside of here, where you can meet the rest of the family again and you can break the news to them."

"I'll make the most of my time here," said Gabriel. "Things are subject to change, though, as the peace might be interrupted again. If I can't get a flight back, then the military will escort me home."

"Don't think about an invasion," said Edwin. "Just enjoy the time here."

"I'm just hoping my other squad mates haven't gone anywhere too dangerous," said Gabriel.

The day had eventually turned to night. Nothing much changed besides the darkness outside. There wasn't much sunlight. Gabriel looked outside. There wasn't much to see in the dark. Some of the lights were ineffective in the haze.

The family walked into the cramped bedroom. Gabriel was used to sleeping in small bedrooms with other people. This was the house he grew up in. When he joined the military, he also had to sleep in bunkbeds in a room with a lot of other people. He was used to having no privacy and didn't feel crowded by the presence of people sitting and breathing around him. The only privacy he had was when he was home from school, the adults were still at work, and it was only him and his cousin in the house. He had a quiet environment to study.

"Good night, everyone," said Edwin.

Gabriel slept on a top bunk by himself while his parents were under him. He thought about how fortunate he was that he didn't have to worry about his life or his home every day. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond to that, though. He felt that a great way he could make a difference and help the world was to join the military. At the same time, he wasn't sure if he was helping prolong or shorten the war. The real problem wasn't the war, but the environmental consequences of it. People on each side would think they're on the right side.