Pale Blue

Deafening explosions and piercing gunfire drown the air as a small scale war takes place in a rural area of the city. First Lieutenant Viktor Qualls, the commanding officer leading the response to the invasion of some unknown beings. At first glance they appeared to be holding them back, but Lt. Qualls knew better, he was aware they were slowly and steadily being pushed back and completely outmatched. Should he order a retreat? Lt. Qualls thought to himself. Their back up wasn't going to arrive for another 5 minutes. Can they even retreat? He knew what would happen if they turned their backs to run. Lt. Qualls looked at the sky darkened by the smoke and ash despite being midday. When everything suddenly went quiet. Standing between the defenders and invaders were three teenagers all in some kind of armor of varying color.

"We'll cover your retreat and handle the Coffin Knights, hurry up and get to safety!" shouted the middle one in crimson.

"Who are these kids?" asked a Corporal officer.

As if happy to have been asked, the three begin some kind of practiced chant.

"Advocates to justice! Nightmares to evil! We'll defend the innocent from the clutches of darkness!

"Crimson!" shouts the boy in the middle.

"Navy!" shouts the older sounding boy to the left.

"Violet!" shouts the girl to the right.

"We are the Guardians!" they shout in unison as they finish.

"Fallback! We are going to rendezvous with the 4th Platoon, restock on ammo and be back here in six minutes! Move it soldiers! You gonna let a bunch of kids do the fighting for you!?" barks Lt. Qualls as he issues orders to his men. He's heard of these kids, these heroes. He wouldn't be surprised to see the fight finished before they even get back.

After the soldiers had fallen back and were out of danger Crimson pulled out a Rifle-like gun. He was experienced at mid-range combat and would provide support for his teammates. Navy pulled out an Admiral Sword and Violet simply raises her fists. They were both experienced in close combat. After taking aim to hit as many of the Coffin Knights as possible with the first shot, Crimson pulls the trigger and a new battle ensues...

After only two minutes the Guardians had managed to take out all but one Coffin Knight. This one was different, expertly dodging and evading, and not randomly attacking. "That scarfed one is rather different from the others isn't it?" commented Violet.

"It doesn't matter, it's backed into a corner. Violet, I'll pin it you then attack. Crimson how much longer until you can fire again?" asked Navy.

Crimson's rifle has a firing rate of once every 90 seconds, but can shoot off anywhere from one to 10 bursts at once. "About 70."

Upon hearing that Navy rushed the scarfed Coffin Knight. In response the scarfed Coffin Knight raises his gun to fire but is a split second too slow. Navy's sword pins the gun in an upright position unable to hit anything even if fired. After holding the pin for four seconds Navy jumps back and in his place Violet rushes forward and roundhouse kicks the scarfed Coffin Knight in the left arm. The Coffin Knight blocks but there are three audible snaps. Violet smiles knowing she broke the humerus, the radius, and the ulna bones in the it's left arm. The next second the scarfed Coffin Knight is sent flying into and partially through a collapsed wall to the right. An air of triumph begins to raise from the Guardians when something moving catches in the corner of Violet's eye. A green tail?

"Three heroes ganging up one one guy? That doesn't very fair." a girl's voice echoes through the area.

The Guardians put their guard scanning the area for her location but the very next second the voice comes again from behind them. They turn to see a young girl with her arms behind her back leaning over the collapsed Coffin Knight with a long tail waving back and forth slowly, "You still alive Frei? You got beat up pretty bad there."

"When did she?" asks Violet in disbelief when the girl interrupts.

"You're pretty slow aren't you? My name's Tammy, what's yours?" asks the girl innocently.

Navy and Violet don't waste any time and attack the girl whom introduced herself as Tammy. But she easily side steps both of them as if dancing around. "You heroes sure do like to fight with odds stacked in your favor don't you? Hm?" Tammy notices the crimson one pointing his rifle at her instinctively she knows that it wont be easy to dodge nor should she allow it to hit, if she did the Professor might get upset. But the suddenly something rushes toward Crimson and pins his rifle.

Crimson's and Frei's guns now locked trying to see who can get a shot at the other first when Crimson kicks Frei's foot making him momentarily lose balance. Crimson's rifle now pointed at his head from below, and pulls the trigger sending a large blast of energy upwards.

"FREI!", distracted by the possibility of Frei getting seriously hurt she turns to rush Crimson but is knocked down by Violet.

"You should really keep your eyes on the one your fighting if you want to survive." Violet boasts as she stands over Tammy.

Navy begins to approach from behind when he is suddenly knocks flying by a 3rd unknown enemy. As he rights himself and looks at his attacker he sees its another young girl with blue hair and three tails. She smiles at him and then begins to walk toward him as if she were a carefree child. But then stops and looks toward Crimson and Frie.

An audible thump is heard as the helmet of the Coffin Knight called Frei falls tot he ground ½ destroyed. He apparently barely evaded the blast at the cost of his helmet. Frei's eyes look down a bit and notices that his scarf is also singed a fair bit. His eye then meet Crimson's with a fire that looks as though something extremely important to him was threatened and fires his gun through Crimson's chest, leaving a gaping hole.

Seconds pass as Crimson's body crumples to the ground in a heap.

"CHRIS!" Violet shouts turning to run to her fallen friend when a large green tail wraps around her from behind, restraining her movements and turning her toward the tail's owner.

"You should really keep your eyes on the one your fighting if you want to survive, ya know?" Taunts Tammy with a mischievous smile. The next second Violet is being electrocuted.

Navy seeing his friends hurt like that resists the urge to rush to them knowing the moment he does the new girl would strike him down, so instead he rushes the girl with his sword but she raises her hand to block and it transforms. The moment the sword makes contact it snaps in two. Navy can only look on in horror.

"Hey, can I eat you? The blue haired girl asks as if she were a child asking for a cookie. The next moment her arm becomes a huge jaw and moves to devour Navy as he lets out a blood gurgling scream.

As Tammy stopped the electricity and showed what had become of Violets friends to her, tears begin to stream down her face. "Don't worry you'll see them again in a few moments." Realizing that she meant to kill her as well, Violet began to let out a plea but Tammy snapped her neck before the first word was finished and let her body drop.

The heroes defeated, the three stand near each other. The two girls begin talking discussing their missions and what happened during them, while Frei contacts Cocoon to report. "Area is secured, ready for pick up."

"Any problems?" a voice on the other end asks.

"A few heroes showed up but they were neutralized with Tammy and Ellen's aid." Reported Frei.

"Frei was able to beat one of the leader hero by himself, even with his injuries." Announced Ellen wanting to give Frei praise.

"Injuries?" inquired the voice on the other end.

"Just a few broken bones in my left arm. Nothing serious." explains Frei.

"Just to be sure report to the medical team upon arrival." says the voice softly.

"Yes Professor." replies Frei.

"Pick up will be in five minutes." says the Professor.

"I'm still hungry. Can I go look for some food Professor?", pleas Ellen.

After a bit of silence a reply comes in. "Only for 3 minutes, but if you go over you will be doing more training exorcises tomorrow."

"Wha? You're so mean Professor!" Whines Ellen.

After a few more seconds the Professor replies "Two minutes forty-nine seconds."

"IT STARTED ALREADY!? Ahhh~" moans Ellen in discontent. When suddenly...

"You monsters! Where are the heroes!?" shouted Lt Qualls. As he scans the area he sees the remains of the Guardians.

Frei then points his gun toward them but Ellen steps in his way with a pleading look.

"Frei I want them, please can I have them?" pleading like a child wanting some desert Ellen asks Frei.

Frei lowers his gun and sits on a nearby rock to wait to pick up. "You only have two minutes and ten seconds left, there are 19 of them." says Frei.

"I know~. Thanks a bunch Frei~" chimes Ellen as she twirls around to the soldiers. And rushes at them.

Whilst Ellen was having fun eating. Tammy sits down to Frei's left and inquires, "Does it hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." replies Frei, but the Frei notices a mischievous smile on Tammy's face from his reply.

Before Frei can react Tammy had wrapped her tail around Frei and was leaning against his shoulder next to him, effectively pinning him.

Upon seeing her content innocent smile, Frei submitted. He didn't have the strength to free himself with his left arm as it was anyway.

After finishing, Ellen returned over to where Frei and Tammy were sitting.

"El, you got something oat the corner of your mouth." Tammy informs while pointing on her own mouth where.

As Ellen tries to reach it with her tongue the ship for pick up arrives. Seeing as Ellen wasn't going to reach it Tammy wipes it off with her own finger and licks it off her finger.

As they board the ship the professor is on a monitor holding a timer. He turns it toward Ellen, it says three minute and three seconds.

"We'll begin at nine am tomorrow Ellen" The Professor informs Ellen.