It had been a week into their vacation. Gabriel had spent the past two days reading through battle strategies and practicing handling his weapons. He always had to maintain his weapon, but he was spending more time learning more things about his weapon and had started dismantling it again. He only spent the first few hours of the day learning, then after lunch, it was free time for him, where he regularly met with Sokka and sometimes Suki at the arcade. Siu sometimes joined him at the arcade as well, but he regularly saw her at the gym and shooting range, where they frequently trained together.

Afternoons at the arcade were what he looked forward to the most. He always looked forward to how the story would continue, and he enjoyed the gameplay mechanics, from combat, to making decisions, and upgrading abilities. He also liked the ability to customize his character and he made his character look similar to himself. The game was a bit physically demanding, as it was VR, though not as vigorous as real exercise. The only movement he was doing was swinging his arms around to make the character walk and there were special arm movements that he had to do for combat.

He had eaten lunch alone, sitting at a table near a few strangers. After brushing his teeth, he walked over to the arcade, where he briefly talked with Sokka before jumping into their games.

Gabriel and Sokka walked down the hallways together, briefly discussing their experiences with the game.

"I enjoy sword fighting," said Sokka. "My character's a warrior and I'm currently focusing on upgrading his offensive abilities. I've been able to complete a more advanced set of armor. Had to do quite some looting for all the pieces."

"The cool thing about playing as a mage is the ability to unlock different spells," said Gabriel. "You can also upgrade them as the game progresses."

This time, the pair spent a bit of time walking through the hallways, though there wasn't much to explore, and over the past few days, they had seen all the public places in the colony. Gabriel had a bit of a routine on his vacation, but he wanted to do something different every day as well.

Then came dinner with his squad and Suki. He learned more about Sokka and Suki's space cadet program, and found himself admiring them, as they went to a science and technology high school, where smarter teens studied. Gabriel remembered that his cousin Ashley went to one.

He had vaguely admitted to Sokka that he wouldn't consider himself book smart, but not in a self-deprecating way. Gabriel wasn't too bright when it came to science, though he didn't envy those who understood it better than he did. Of course, Gabriel knew he was smart in many areas, like math and classes that were hands-on and practical. By now, he could clearly say that he had some brains, having the mental aptitude to qualify for Myrmidon training.

The next day, Gabriel was eating lunch alone. He had finished his meal and was drinking water to wash it down. He walked out of the cafeteria when everything turned to black and there was quiet for a second, before there was some chatter that sounded slightly panicked, though no one was freaking out and Gabriel thought most of the people were composed.

Gabriel grabbed his phone and turned on its flashlight while others were doing the same. In the distance, he saw many other lights and it looked like he was in outer space, and everyone's flashlight was a bright star. With his flashlight, he could see multiple other people around him.

Everyone froze when a sound rang out seconds later to notify them that an announcement was coming.

"The power generators have malfunctioned," the announcement said. It was a male voice that sounded stoic and clear. "The city has 8 hours of oxygen left. Please calmly grab your spacesuits and wait until power is restored."

Everyone walked slowly, but Gabriel heard hundreds of simultaneous footsteps. Although everyone did their best to stay calm, he could tell that they were slightly panicking. Gabriel's heartbeat increased for a few seconds before rational thinking took over.

The hallways were a bit more confusing now that there was less light, and Gabriel had to watch out in case he bumped into someone. He only needed the helmet, though, and he had to find his locker. He remembered that he stored some of his equipment in a locker near the cafeteria where he ate, but he just had to navigate the confusing hallways.

It took a few minutes, but Gabriel wasn't counting the time. Oxygen was going to be depleted from the colony if there wasn't any electricity powering the filters necessary for the gas to be generated.

He had found his locked and put his mask on, feeling more comfort now that he was wearing an oxygen mask, though he would need to keep it on until power was restored and air was flowing through the city. Turning off his flashlight, he adjusted his visor for night vision.

Gabriel used the communicator attached to his wrist. It was different from his phone because it didn't rely on any cell towers the colony had that may have been cut. He wasn't sure how long the range was because he didn't think that any communication devices were tampered with.

Kipmi had dialed in.

"I was in a cafeteria before grabbing my helmet," said Gabriel.

"I'm at the base," said Ghuvi.

"Me too," said Choi.

"I'm in the hallways," said Siu.

"I'm at one of the hallways with a lot of lockers," said Larsen.

"I'm at the base," said Kipmi. "We're grabbing weapons. Meet us at the west entrance."

Gabriel walked over to one of the wider hallways where there were two sets of doors at the end. A few minutes passed when the doors slid open, and Kipmi passed out assault rifles to everyone.

"I think there's an attack," said Kipmi. "Marines are patrolling the hallways. Hoodman, go with me. Siu, go with Choi, and Larsen, go with Ghuvi. We must go in separate direction when the hallway splits."

Gabriel walked silently with Kipmi, taking slow, soft steps, pointing their rifles downward. Kipmi and the other Myrmidons who were at the base were in full armor, but the others weren't. Gabriel was wearing civilian clothing that also functioned as a spacesuit if you had the helmet and a garment that covered your neck and hair. He wasn't carrying as much weight, but he was a bit more nervous.

They passed a few Marines who were walking in the opposite direction as them. They turned a corner. Gabriel was wondering what caused the power outage, and he was sure everyone else was thinking the same thing. It made sense for the soldiers to be on alert in case there was an attack, as now they were vulnerable and there was a short window of time before the generators could be fixed.

Gabriel and Kipmi passed multiple civilians, and most of them were gathered silently at the many areas scattered around the halls. They were mostly quiet, while others were more restless. He spotted a few people nervously tapping their feet or moving around a bit.

Gabriel thought about Sokka and Suki and he was slightly worried about them. He had only known them for a few days, but they started hanging out regularly. They hadn't shared a lot about themselves, though it was mostly about Sokka and Suki's school and Gabriel shared what he was allowed to share about being in the military. He had a feeling that there was going to be a friendship between them soon, but he had low expectations. He would be surprised if he became close to them in the future. He was always more surprised if something good happened to him than if something bad did.

Gabriel remained sharp and focused on the mission. He sometimes raised his rifle, but he wasn't turning the corners like how he trained. They were scouting, and they didn't know if there was an invasion, so they weren't standing guard at an angle where they could get a good shot while minimizing the risk of them getting shot in return.

If there was a fork in the hallways, Gabriel and Kipmi always went straight. Their squad was in charge of watching the first floor. The rest of the squad was closer to the middle.

Most of the hallways were empty as the civilians liked to gather in the many big rooms.

The two of them just kept walking even though it seemed like they were going in circles. The city was quite large, having the ability to easily sustain everyone there and there were also a lot of public spaces for their entertainment. Gabriel didn't know how much of the city they had explored or how much time had passed. He wasn't paying attention, though he wasn't sure why repairs hadn't been done by now. He was no electrician, though, and he didn't understand the kind of power generators used by the city. He knew that multiple generators needed to be fixed, as there was a citywide blackout.

A bright flash came as the lights were turned back on. Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut and turned off the night vision on his visor. He kept his eyes closed as he waited for them to adjust to the sudden change in brightness. He stood still for a few seconds, when he felt a slight breeze that let him know that oxygen was flowing again.

"Electricity has been restored," the announcement said. The voice sounded more human because there was more emotion and a variety of tones when the woman spoke. "We currently do not know what caused it, though our electricians say that a lot of devices needed to be fixed and some parts had to be replaced. They say that all the generators must have malfunctioned at the same time if the power was out for most of the colony. Anyway, it's safe, and you may relax now and carry on with the rest of your day."

Gabriel was frozen in place for a bit, still feeling shaken from the power outage. He realized that it lasted just over an hour, though it felt longer than that. He wanted to find Sokka to check if he was fine. Kipmi was still standing beside him, just looking around the hallways. He had dialed the squad and told them to meet at one of the lounges.

Larsen was the first to come. She was then followed by Choi, and lastly, Siu. Siu had a worried expression on her face.

Kipmi noticed Siu's quick breaths. "What's wrong, Siu?"

"Choi and I, we found Ghuvi's dead body in one of the halls near the stairs leading down to the lower levels," she said.

"That's not all," Larsen added in. Some parts of her clothing had tears, though not deep enough to expose whatever was underneath. "We had stumbled upon multiple bodies of Marines. I fought off an attacker, but they managed to stun me and ran off."

"Were you all close to each other?" Kipmi asked. "There's no way Hoodman or me had anything to do with it. We were just patrolling the hallways near the outside of the place, nowhere near any elevators or staircases."

"There was an attack," said Choi. "Fire Nation soldiers. Siu and I had been forced to split up. When we were reunited, we found Ghuvi, and Larsen wasn't far behind."

"It all happened so quickly," said Siu. "There was no way you could've arrived in time. I had noticed that Larsen was in trouble because there were enemy soldiers coming her way, and Choi had her hands full with enemies as well."

"We saw nothing," said Gabriel. "This place is quite big, and strangely, we didn't see any of the soldiers you were talking about."

"Were there any civilians in danger?" Kipmi asked.

"No," said Larsen. "Most of them had left and went to any of the big rooms."

"I wish we were there to help," said Gabriel.

"There's nothing we could've done, Hoodman," said Kipmi. "We were guarding the area that we needed to guard."

They sat silently for a few moments.

"We must remove Ghuvi's body," said Kipmi.

Gabriel and Kipmi followed the three women to the area they were patrolling. There were groups of Marines walking nearby as well. They walked through the tunnels to the center of the main city, where there was a wide building with multiple levels.

They saw Marines removing dead bodies. A few dead Fire Nation soldiers were scattered around the floor of the hallway as well. They turned to one hallway, and they saw Ghuvi laying motionless at the end of the hallway, where there was a corner and the hall continued on the right. Upon closer inspection, they saw that she had been shot multiple times in both the front and the back, as her vest was full of holes. There was also a bullet hole in her neck.

The Myrmidons said nothing as they dragged her body away to be cremated. Gabriel didn't know what to think. It was clear that the Fire Nation had infiltrated the base during the power outage, but he had no idea how they found the colony. He was now guessing that there would be a bigger attack in the near future.

The squad returned after the cremation, and they all concluded that Ghuvi was killed in battle. Larsen, the eyewitness, had explained that Ghuvi had been killed using a rifle. Larsen explained that she had also been attacked and hit with an incapacitating device before the enemy retreated.

They all went their separate ways. Gabriel went to meet up with Sokka and Suki. They had chosen a section of the central building to meet.

Gabriel felt excited when he spotted Sokka and Suki. "I'm so glad you guys are okay."

"Yeah, I'm glad you're fine too," said Sokka.

"Where were you guys?" Gabriel asked.

"We were at one of the big lounges," said Suki. "Everyone went to either the hallways or the big gathering places. For some reason, we all avoided the middle of the city."

"Yeah, this place is quite big," said Gabriel. "I was at the outskirts. I had to walk through a long tunnel to get here. There's another thing."

"What is it?" Sokka asked.

"There was an attack," said Gabriel.

"What do you mean?" asked Suki.

"Fire Nation soldiers fought Marines and some members of my squad while it was dark," Gabriel explained. "I have a feeling the enemy deliberately cut the power, but it must've been a clever infiltration. I mean, how else would Fire Nation soldiers get past the security?"

The announcements spoke again. "There was an attack on the colony during the power outage, but thankfully, there were no civilian casualties and the enemy had been dealt with swiftly. Make sure you're always in a place that's guarded, and don't be alone. I hope your evening is safe."

Gabriel felt a bit nervous. There was a chance that there were still enemies, and if they were out there, they would probably be disguised as civilians. The city was big and exploring every place would be exhausting, but every zone and building was connected through bridges and tunnels.

It was then time for dinner. The mealtime was silent, and Gabriel could tell by the looks on everyone's faces that they were quite exhausted. Even Sokka just wanted peace and quiet.

Gabriel was then called with the rest of the squad back to the base. He had changed to his sleepwear and was now sitting at the edge of his bed.

Kipmi walked into the room and sat on his bed. "It's possible there was an infiltration. A very clever one, though. There could've been someone on the inside who intentionally cut the power to enable the enemy to slip through the colony's defenses. We would probably be summoned by Lieutenant Williams again. I'm thinking that we're more fit to launch an offensive and a search for missing people now that we've received reinforcements."