August 3rd, 2184 - Three years after the Emergence.
A ravine, somewhere in North America.
BOOM
Debris rained down from the sky as beams of light and electricity ripped through the upper rock walls of the ravine. Each attack came from dreadful scaly creatures the size of dogs with insect-like wings and six legs.
Striders.
These monsters came in droves, firing flesh-rending rays at anything living they came across. The gray and sickly-yellow beasts raged as they tried to escape the ravine, only to be stopped by a massive forcefield covering the gorge. The striders then flew down, intent on seeking a way through, if not out. They were met with deadly force by soldiers clad in thick black armor. They looked like knights, obsidian-toned armor glistening in the light of the enemy's fire. If it had not been for Global Defense Battalion's force field over the top of the ravine, the creatures would have long since escaped to the sky and wreaked havoc upon the earth. The GDB had sent units to destroy the striders currently emerging from the cracks in the ground. The soldiers ducked and ran through falling boulders, some aided by rocket boosts, others by grappling hooks and various odd contraptions. Most of these soldiers were primarily on foot, as the constant fire made it unsafe to fly through. Despite this, one soldier flew high above the others.
A crimson missile tore through the air, destroying any striders that passed it by. Many exploded as the soldier-comet crashed into them with armor-shattering force. The beams fired from the flying bastards had almost no effect on the soldier as she continued barreling through the horde. She flew toward a particularly dense collection of the beasts, grabbing a palm-sized capsule from her waist and pressed a small button on top. Without hesitation, she flew arm first into the mass of striders, grabbed one of them and shoved the capsule into its stomach. Swiftly she flew out of the collection, and an explosion blew monster blood and viscera onto the walls and floor of the ravine. Flying over to a small rock ledge, she took a moment to stop and admire the grenade's work.
"Thanks, Sage." She sighed.
She wiped strider remains off of her armor, revealing a deep red coat of paint on the black metal. Ryder Red was one of the most powerful soldiers in the entire GDB. She wore her codename with pride, as she had earned it almost three years prior, and held it closely. Like all the other Spectrum Divers, she was a cut above the average soldier, and quite unique. Unlike the infantry below, she had no gun in her hand. Instead, her gauntlets were slightly larger than standard issue, equipped with miniature thrusters on the knuckles. Each punch she delivered would carry extra weight and power, enough to crush bones and turn organs to a pulpy mush. She adjusted her gauntlets, making sure everything was still in place after the onslaught of blows she'd dealt to the droves.
"Red, watch out!" A voice called out to her.
She whipped her head around to see another monster, not like the striders. This one was a wraith. It stood—hovered, really—just before her. It towered over her figure by several feet, with a spear poised to kill. But before she could react, and before the wraith could deliver the blow, a beam of white energy pierced the skull of the monster, causing its corpse to fall into the battlefield below.
Her savior made himself known by radio.
"Hey Red. You should watch your back."
Realizing who the voice was, she looked around until she found another soldier on a rock ledge some distance away, long rifle in hand.
"Thanks, Green." She said, giving a small salute.
"It's Viridian. Vincent Viridian. How many times do I have to tell you?" He replied, holding one hand to his temple in annoyance.
Vincent Viridian's armor was just as unique as Ryder Red's. While Red's armor was sleek, Viridian's suit was the epitome of form fitting and smooth. It was as though the suit was a second skin, black lines tracing the green armor like veins. He adjusted his helmet, a deep green mask, slightly translucent with odd glyphs moving in the glass.
"Yeah whatever." Red replied.
The two watched the carnage below them, and looked deeper into the back of the ravine, where the monsters emerged from a cave.
"Wraiths are coming out now. Only a matter of time before the summoners show up with a Leviathan." Viridian said.
"I miss when they were just robots." Red huffed.
The two of them jumped from their ledges and began to fly toward the cave entrance where the monsters were coming from. None of the standard infantry had made it that far yet, but if the monsters were not stopped at the source, the GDB would be overwhelmed in time. The two rushed past the entire GDB force, killing monsters on their way. Viridian had switched from his rifle to a dagger, and Red continued to pummel the opposition. They came to a stop near the entrance, when a thrown spear destroyed one of Red's boot thrusters. She began to spiral down to the ground, prompting Viridian to fly down and grab her, slowing their fall. When they reached the cave floor, a swathe of wraiths and striders surrounded them, weapons at the ready and beams charging.
Red and Viridian quickly glanced at each other and nodded. Then with perfect synchronization, the two jumped into action. Red dodged through incoming spears, grabbing the weapons and breaking them as they came. Viridian took the disarmed wraiths by surprise, slashing and stabbing as they were relieved of their implements. The monsters that were out of Viridian's reach were beaten and thrown by Red, bludgeoning the creatures until nothing remained. One by one, each wraith fell. After 10 minutes of continuous fighting and killing, the wraiths did not relent. More and more arrived, and behind them, the resounding DINGGGG of the summoners call could be heard.
"Goddammit Sapphire. Where the hell are you?" Red said, impatience coating her tone.
Another voice chimed in on the radio. This voice was gruffer than Viridian's, but was warm and melodic like a childhood song from a broken stereo.
"Just radioed him. Said he's five minutes out. He was handlin' another emergence some miles west of here"
"By himself?" Red asked.
"Of course! This is Sapphire we're talking about. I'm a little surprised he didn't handle it quicker."
Red gave a weak chuckle. "Well, he better get here soon."
"Sulfur! It's good to hear your voice." Viridian chimed. "But Red is right. Five minutes is a long time. We need assistance asap."
As if on cue, a large yellow suit of armor crashed into the grouping of wraiths in front of Red and Viridian. With one arm, it held a cannon, firing large spheres of white-hot plasma at the monsters. In the other arm, it held a giant shield, blocking spear attacks and blasts from rogue striders.
A hearty laugh bellowed from the golden armor as it blasted and bashed monsters left and right.
"Well damn, how many times do I have to save y'all" Salem Sulfur said.
The other two joined the third Spectrum Diver, and they continued the assault. More of the monsters fell, wraiths and striders alike, but the bellowing sound of the Summoners only got louder and louder as time went on. Then, when the raucous bell-tone reached its peak, three giant humanoid figures with six arms each crashed through the cave walls, shaking the foundation of the ravine. Behind them, a gigantic black lizard-like beast with white fur and red eyes slowly began to claw its way out of the hole created. The three Spectrum Divers were blown back by the force of the destruction.
Before them, the three Summoners towered, standing guard against the roaring Leviathan. The monsters lifted their arms in preparation to fire a beam that would not only destroy the divers, but collapse the cave and the ravine within itself. But then, like a shooting star, a flash of light flew through the center of the Summoners, creating a gaping hole where its heart should have been. The divers gazed at the source of the attack, all smiling beneath their masks as they realized who it was.
A bright blue and white suit of armor hovered in front of the three Summoners, bearing a glistening golden trident. He glared at the monsters and the Leviathan, ready to attack.
Ryder Red connected to headquarters, relaying a message.
"Backup received, HQ. It's gonna be alright. Saint Sapphire has arrived."