Faster Than Angels

[Jonny]

[part removed]

[Ace3000]

Hmmm, I was thinking after Season 2 of FTA, which will end at the end of 2212, Season 3 would take place a few years after. I was thinking maybe it could be 2215, but now the 2229 part made me think a bit...

I still don't know when Season 3 will take place, and I won't decide for a while; I still need to get Season 2 out of the way first!

[BardicSMG]

This is a long season

[Ace3000]

COTD is technnically not part of Season 2. It's halfway between Season 2.

[BardicSMG]

When are we gonna see the signing of Portugal into the EU?

[Ace3000]

Never, because it's not a European country... apparently

(oh god the shame.)

I know it is one now, thank you.

[BardicSMG]

Duh... It's right under the country of Texas.

[Ace3000]

In the continent of London.

[Saramica12]

20th May 2210

Central Sibiria, Russian Empire

Sonja went to one of the guards "Do you think that it is okay to have my little, 9-years-old daughter in this area. A beg you, please let her go."
The guard looked at her "I'm doing you, especially her a big favour not letting her escape into the cold, vast ice desert."
She knew that it would be hopeless, but she asked "Please" she said with dry lips "let us go, I know-"
"I know that you wouldn't survive out there, in fact, you have a better life on these premisses than outside, where is nothing." he interrupted.

***

13th June 2210
Central Siberia, Russian Empire

“Help! Someone help me!”
The shouts were acute and full of frighteness, the voice of a child.
Some people make a circle around the young girl to see what was happening. An old woman is lying down on the floor of the doss-house.
“S-She’s too weak…” The young whimpers while watching powerless the scene of her mother there.
Suddently, some guards arrives too to check the situation that went out the control.
“Free the way! Пребывание на части¹!" Said one of the two guards and goes in front. Another one instead looks at the little girl. “Show your arm.”
The little girl shows up her arm and he checks the “code” on.
“Nadejda Yushkevich Leonova.” He said checking the list. “What happened to her?”
Nadejda remains silent, she remember that man, was the one who didn’t let her be free from the Gualg. “You!” And kicked his shinbone. The man makes a little gemit and then looks her in anger, but before he could react toward her action, she like explained why she did that. “You promised that we would be SAFE here! YOU PROMISED! Look now how my mum is!” She hardly speaks in her heavy sobs.
"You little brat..." Murmurs the first man.
The two men looks each other, after the kicked one looked her with a shocked and repented expression. The first one noticed that and harshly said to his man. “You really wanna help these rats who stained OUR Land with their presence?”
The other men keeps to remain silent and picks up gently what remains of the body of what once seemed a woman.
“Did you heard her? She said I promised her of their safety here. Can you see also this woman? Was her the one who wished to die than see her daughter here dying. Day. After. Day. " He takes a pause, then continues. "I can’t stay impassive in front of this, sir. Call a Medic and bring her in the "малолетки"² Zone. We are not in the 20th century.”
The first Guard is red for the anger, in the hard try to hold back the gun, cold and bitter words comes out his mouth. “I won’t shoot at you and at these two шлюхи³ just because you are a good soldier and Guard...but don’t think I won’t report this to the other men of the Tsar, Mr.Miroslav!”

“Hmph.” And puts Sonja on the bed.

Nadejda just looked at the scene, leaving the fact now with a slightly better face, but she grabs the arm of him. "W-Where do you wanna bring her?"
The man smiles at her with a shade of condolences and pats her head. "Where she'll be safe, as I promised."
Then he thoughts..."You come too."

"R-Really?" Nadejda said with a big smile.

"Da, better."

When the doctor arrives, he diagnosticated everything he expected, severe malnutrition and dehydration. In the zone where they wanna put the two have eventually a part with Medic Assistance.

In the meantime, low jets passes above them.

"Russian insignas!" Shouts a watcher toward the men down.
The Guard looks up a bit in surprise. "Hmm? Now?"

"Maybe just reinforcements."

***

The only thing that mustn't die in these periods is the Humanity, first thing that too soon be gone.

---

¹: "Prebyvaniye na chasti!" Stay apart!

²: "maloletki" Minorenns.

³: “shlyukhi” sluts.

[Ace3000]

Thanks to Bardic for making sure his characters act like they should.

FTA: Curse of the Devil - Crinale 2210-12

---

>log20.1: 22100908-22100909

Saturday, September 8th, 2210

Angelus HQ, Perth, Australia.

"I've got word that Tsar Pawel is going to St. Petersburg for a few days." Nikole informed the two men.

"Well, then. This couldn't have worked out better!" Matt said "It's time to initiate... Operation Ananke!"

"Ananke? Greek mythology?" Brandon asked.

"We're not calling it that." Nikole butted in.

"Yes we are, all of the operations I'm involved in have codenames!" Matt responded

"Ananke," Brandon thought out loud, "The personification of destiny, necessity and fate. Somewhat relevant to Ramaela."

"Exactly. Th-"

"Oh, whatever, Let's go, now!" Nikole cut in again, walking out.

"Ugh, fine, fine." Matt said, following Brandon out.

On the way to the airbase, Nikole informed the two of more info of the operation.

"There will be one more person who will be helping us, we're going to meet them at the airbase."

True enough, when they got there, a young girl walked up to them.

"Yo! I'm Tsukiko Katsuo, but you can call me Kat!" She introduced herself, "Nic's given me a brief summary of the operation. You know, I thought we could give it a cool name, like-"

"Ananke! I named it after the Greek goddess of fate."

"Heh, that's awesome. It's fitting, considering who the main target is!"

Behind Matt and Brandon, where Kat and Matt couldn't see her, Nikole had her palm over her face.

"Anyway," she said loudly, "We're on a tight schedule, I would prefer it if we stopped talking about meaningless crap and getting on with the operation. Our plane is leaving very soon, so I would appreciate it if you hurried up!"

------------
Sunday, September 9th, 2210

Moscow, Russia.

The 4 of them were sitting in an old car a few blocks down from the parliament building.

"Ugh, couldn't have you gotten a Russian car?" Brandon asked Nikole, "The Russians are fighting the Germans, so why get a German car? I mean, I like Jennter cars like this one, but still."

"I got what I could, quit complaining." Nikole responded.

In the back seat, Kat was looking at the screen watching lines of code being typed out at a high speed.

"What exactly are you doing?" She asked Matt, who was doing the typing.

"Hacking." He said simply, focused on the computer.

"Hacking what?"

"You'll see." He replied.

Suddenly, multiple screens appeared on after the other in quick succession.

"YES! Camera access granted, thank you so very much. Now..." He was clearly anticipating something, because he started to mutter "come on" over and over, until...

>>ОБНАРУЖЕНО НЕСАНКЦИОНИРОВАННЫЙ ДОСТУП¹

"Hello!" He said, as if talking to a child, or a small cute animal, "Let's play!"

He cracked his fingers, seemingly ready to code again, but then navigated to a file on his computer, opening it.

"I've always wanted to try this out." He told Kat.

Suddenly, the warning disappeared.

"BOOM! Gone." He yelled joyously. "I AM INVINCIBLE!"

"Uh, right." Kat said exasperatedly.

Matt continued to edit the camera feed to a short snippet of nothing in them. Finally, he spoke.

"Phase 1 is complete. Time for you to go into the field!" He told Kat.

"Phase 2! My turn!" She exclaimed, literally jumping out of the car and running toward the palace.

"Uhh, what exactly is she thinking?" Brandon asked, "She's going to get caught."

"No, she knows what she's doing." Nikole corrected him.

At the palace, Kat skidded to a halt, and ran down the side of it. She engaged her radio.

"Yo! This thing working?" Was the first thing that came from the radio in the car.

"We hear you, but we don't see you." Brandon turned to Matt. "Do you have the real camera feed? The one that the security doesn't have?"

"Yeah, here." He passed the monitor to the front of the car. They saw Kat running down the side of the building, then stopped by a window. She then pulled out something that looked like a gun and fired it. The grappling hook shot out and caught the roof. She pulled a button on the side and grabbed on the gun with both hands as she was pulled up an over.

"よし！²" She exclaimed, "I love doing that!"

She entered through the roof door, which was unlocked.

"Ok, I'm in" She whispered.

"Great, we see you there. Maintain radio silence, don't get caught." Nikole ordered, twiddling a pen in her hand, occasionally clicking it.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

She stealthily navigated through the palace, until she found the room their target was in.

"Wh... What gives? She's not in there!"

"Eh? Who are you?" Came a voice to her left.

---

¹UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED
² Yoshi!, translates to Alright!

Yes, those are Goldeneye references.

[BardicSMG]

I like to think that Matt says what he says in an extremely serious tone. Maybe he's senial or something

[Ace3000]

Well, I didn't intend him to be super serious, but if you want to believe that, I won't stop you.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, screw it, I'll do it now. Why not?

FTA: Curse of the Devil - Crinale 2210-12

---

>log20.2: 22100909

Sunday, September 9th, 2210

"Eh? Who are you?" Came a voice to her left.

Kat turned around quickly, then sighed.

<law card | final fantasy tactics advance_>

"Yay, just the person I wanted! We're here to save you, Ramaela."

Ramaela seemed surprised but also happy for the sudden turn of the events

"O-Oh... Wait, have to take my things here! Five minutes!" She said happily, entering her room to pack her bags.

"O-okay." Kat said nervously, she didn't want to waste time. However, Ramaela was surprisingly fast, arriving to Kat sooner than she expected.

"I only had few things, luckily. Where we go, milady..?"

"Well, the plan is to-" Kat began.

"HEY, HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" A guard had caught them.

"New plan: RUN!" Kat said, firing a tranquillizer at the guard, who passed out. "We can't run into every single guard here, I don't have enough tranquillizers"

"Agh! I-I can't run!" Ramaela said, covering her aching left eye, feeling there are more guards coming.

"Okay, let's wait here" Kat told her, firing more tranquillizers at two more guards. "You know, instead of running, we can just sneak out. Let's go."

Ramaela put her veil on her shoulder and nodded "Better... I may know a little escape door here."

"That's great!"

Ramaela looked around, then pointed to a hall "There! After that hall there's a little door to go away!" She exclaimed, beginning to walk fast to where she pointed.

"Alright, so down the hallw... oh crap." Kat stopped in her tracks. Guards were blocking the exit. Ramaela gasped.

"Uhhhh, maybe not. Let's go back." Kat suggested.

"Wait, I bet you come here not alone..." Ramaela deduced. "Where we go? I may try to run..."

"Is there any other exit on the ground apart from the front door?"

"I-I don't know more..!"

Kat sighed, "Ok, front door it is. I guess I got what I wished for, I was thinking this was a bit too easy. Screw it, I'm going to try brute force, are you sure you can run?"

Ramaela gathered up some courage and smiled positively. "Ah! I feel like back as I was 40 years ago!"

"Great. Let's do this!"

They run down the labyrinth of the palace, to the front entrance. Kat fired tranquillizers at the guards blocking the way.

"Crap! I only got two of them, I'm out of tranquillizers!" She said in shock.

Only one guard stayed standing at the entrance. Suddenly, he got knocked out.

"Kat, we heard everything on the radio." Matt said as he walked in. "I came to help. Ah, hello again, Ramaela!"

Ramaela was panting in exhaustion, but upon hearing Matt's voice it seemed to make her better.

"Matt! Picciotto!¹"

"Quick, we don't have much time." Matt said, directing them out of the building and toward the car.

"Here's the car, get in" He opened the door for them.

<tourniquet | knife party_>

Ramaela got to the door of the car, but right after she opened it, a sniper began to shoot at the team. They mostly failed, but got one successful hit on Ramaela's leg.

"Aagh!" She screamed in pain. Matt grabbed her and closed the door. "W-What happen-!"

Matt quickly yelled at Brandon "Sh*t, snipers. GO GO GO! We need to go to the hospital, Ramaela's been hit. Thankfully it was her leg, but still, I think the bullet hit an artery, she needs medical attention."

Brandon asked the team "Russian hospital, or...?"

Nikole cut in. "No, that's suicide. We'll go straight to the escape helicopter, we can treat her there, then stop in Japan to take her to a hospital there."

"Alright, to the escape helicopter" He said, already on the way there at a high speed.

"Minchia!²" Ramaela clenched her teeth in pain. "T-This indeed was a sudden thing..."

Brandon's driving skill meant that they got to the helicopter in a time shorter than what Nikole thought.

"Kat, leave Plan B in the car." Nikole instructed her.

"'Kay." Kat replied, fumbling with something in the car, as the 3 of them helped Ramaela into the helicopter. Kat ran into the helicopter several seconds later.

"Phase 3: The escape." Kat said. "First, get rid of the evidence, it's set up."

"Great." Nikole replied, pulling a device out of her pockets, flipping a few switches and pressing a button.

BOOM!

The old, bullet ridden Jennter blew up as the helicopter flew to its next destination: Japan.

------------
The doctor spoke to Kat, who translated his Japanese into English.

"He says that 'She will live. They will have to operate on her to remove the bullet, but it will all be fine. If it wasn't for all of your quick thinking, she would not have made it. Thank you.'"

"No, thank you!" Matt replied. Kat translated that back to the doctor.

"So," He turned back to the other 3 people in the waiting bay, "Despite Ramaela's injury, shall we call this operation a success?"

"She's safe now, isn't she?" Nikole replied. "Of course it's a success."

---

¹Kind of affection word for "friend"
²F**k!

[BardicSMG]

Plan b was on Kat's person

[BardicSMG]

Monahd eson/i dutght ir/eei aetrro //h//n eiewC. xs/io p/dtn

When the others had left the room, Nikole confronted Kat with a completely different expression.

“How many saw you?"

“I wore a mask, you know." Kat tried to defend herself.

“That's not good enough, how many saw you."

“...I can't remember."

“You what?"

“They're practically janitors, it doesn't matter."

“I told you to reduce risk; don't use the radio frivolously, don't wait for De Rosa, and make sure no one remembers you."

Kat grew more defensive, “I told you, we don't need to kill people for-"

“And I told you, you might have to do things that are uncomfortable."

Kat remained silent.

“What am I supposed to do when the Russians start finding out who you are?" Nikole said, “In two years, you're going to be all over news media, all of us are. It was a big enough risk to drag you into this."

“So you did..."

Kat was pushed to the wall behind her. “If you can't act right," Nikole said, “then you will only be a danger to yourself. I'm going to cut you off, and you will be on your own until I'm told what to do with you."

“Nic?" Kat pleaded, “Can you at least think about this."

Nikole was already leaving the room.

“How long have you been on Earth?" Kat asked.

Nikole thought about that question, and what Katsuo was really asking. She stood in front of the door for well over a minute before silently walking out.

[Ace3000]

Monahd eson/i dutght ir/eei aetrro //h//n eiewC. xs/io p/dtn

oh, NOOOOOO! I want to know what this says, but I can't decode it nooooo~

Ahem. In any case, that was a great part!

[Jonny]

Last phrase:
Aliens

[BardicSMG]

Anyone whose been to Mars came from the alien planet of Earth, so... yes, very much aliens.

[Jonny]

[part removed]

[Saramica12]

Used a title like the ones of @Ace3000, like the last part of the trilogy xD

---

10 September 2210, Japan

Ramaela wakes up from the operation in her leg for the bullet. She looks around her, still dizzy for the morphine, but she was able to see all her friends around with a face in relief. She indeed survived.
Kat is the first to cheer. "Woohoo! Let's celebrate! She's back with us!"
Nick looks the scene a bit apart, with a little smile with her arms crossed in rest. Matt rushes at her bed, looking the happiest. "Finally you're awake! We were so worried! "
Ramaela smiles at him. "Ah, won't be a bullet to put me in three meters underground!"
And everyone chuckles, is very nice to see that her good mood is still present, means she's already fine.

In the evening, Nikole back in her room after a short call, and after she sitted next to her old friend, the two eventually begin in having a pleased chat about the life in the 70'and a bit further.

"Do you remember this...? And do you remember that...? Ohh! Is was so great!"

Then a new name comes in.

"Did I ever let you met my Helper, Selene?"

Nikole frowns. "...No, acutally I never thought that you would have a helper, but I may understand."

Ramaela makes a little smile. "She's just like a daughter to me. I am so glad to have her next to me. She's very special too, I hope you may meet her soon, she's almost like me when I was young..." And sighs, happily, remembering the time passes with her.
Carole makes a rightful question after a minute of silence. "And now where she is?"

"At first she backs in Greece, but she's allowed to remain at my home, in Panarea. She just loves to stay there, and I am more than happy, since she never messed it up."
And chuckles.

1 September 2210, Ramaela's Home, Panarea Island

A young woman walks around the streets of the little town white and blue, just like her. She did some shopping for filling the home with food and other goods, in the patient waiting to see her Master back.
Is already midday, the way of the comeback at the candid maison of Ramaela is peaceful, as ever.
But today may be a different one.
She notices some unknown cars around and the door is half open. Afraid, the lady looks at the scene unknown what do do, Ramaela did nothing at all, what they need?
She takes some courage, rushes at the door and slammed apart the door, being immediately spotted with a gun by a light blonde hairy guy, and slowly walks toward her. The white-haired woman tries to speak. "W-Who you all are!? What do you need here? R-Ramaela is not here!"
Hal lows the gun and stares at her a moment, then after a while he calls his boss. "Sterling!..."
Not caring who's calling, she makes a step backward from the entrance and squeaks.
"I-I swear I will call the Police!"

"No, no, that won't be necessary! Uhh, yes, this is... there's been a bit of an incident." Said Sterling, who rushed in front of her to stop her.
"What..? What that means? T-Talk, please!" Said with a worried expression now.
He first looks behind to Hal. "keep a look out outside..."

And Hal so leaves after a nod.
The man back then to speak to her. "...De Rosa has been, how do I put this... of inter interest to very, very powerful people-Not that we're those people, heh, we're sort of against them. So we, uhh... visited..."
At this news, she feels like mortified. "Ohh, not again!
She promised me that she would've been safe!"

"Do you mind me asking where you saw her last?"

She puts a hand on her forehead and leaves off a bit a white tuft off accompanied with a desperate sigh.
"I-Is since I lefted her in Germany that I don't see her, around two/three months, expect in some rare calls..."
She mutters. "First Madison, and now?"
"Did those call seem different in any way? Did she repeat any odd phrases, or anything of the like?"
She looks him in a questioning manner, then answer.
"No, still happy, I know when something went wrong on her...however once she said that she had to remain for an uncertain time in a place, Angelus, to be protected. Luckily I knew that she was even in Australia! But she promised me that she'd back here safe and sound. I thought those men stopped to chase her, looks like we were both so wrong!"
He makes a slightly nod "...Can you give me a minute?" Before she may answer, he already walks out of the room for a phone call.

"Oh what a Passion¹!"
She whimpers a bit while walking in the kitchen to put her shopping bags in and sits on a chair there.
Wasn't a long call, and after two minutes he's walking in with a more serious expression. "Is confirmed. De Rosa left for the airport, but, she never got on the plane. That's about what we know now."

"Oh no..."

"Do you have another place where you can stay safe? I'm not sure how safe you are after speaking on the phone with her."

"Uhm...does this island looks enough safe?"

"That depends on what happened to De Rosa, more importantly, if she was captured, who did it, and why.
If it were a government that took, and there's a hearty chance that it was, than no, it doesn't. Unless you never left your house or used the phone, which I don't see working out to well."

"T-Thanks, sir...
Please, let me know more of the situation!"
She said with a hopefully look.
But he remains thoughtful a moment... "Well, I think it would benefit the both of us if you came with us."

This was enough for her.
"What? How...How much I can trust you?"

"Well, your not shot. That has to mean something, right?"

She frowns. "Ramaela doesn't even have a gun, she doesn't like them... What assure me that you're not the same men who kidnapped her?"

Sterling grins in amusement. "If we took her, I would not ask that come with us. Best case scenario; you wouldn't have a say in the matter.
Worst case scenario; you wouldn't do anything, ever."

At that answer, she makes a dry gulp, understanding his speech. "O-Ok...I think I can trust you guys..."

"Alright, you can take five minutes to take what you need, and then we'll take you to an aircraft, and we'll talk more from there."

"Got it!"
She disappears to then comes back in time.

In the aircraft, she looks at the departure in a shade of sadness, but then she smiles and looks at Sterling and Hal.
"Anyway my name is Selene, pleased to meet you."

11 September 2210, Japan

Sterling walks in with a special guest with.
"Nikole? Ramaela? Selene is here."

At her name, Ramaela almost jumps out the bed and looks her helper with eyes fullfilled of joy.
"Selenella! Mia cara!"²

Nick smiles more, also this mini mission was complete, The Reunion.

---

¹: In meaning of a great painful moment.

²: "Selenella! My dear!"

[Jonny]

Nico laid on the table, not moving.
"Grip!" shouted the project leader and trusted the output of the screen.

Nico found himself back in the white room, not able to gain orientation.
He looked down on himself, he was wearing his usual Jennter uniform, in white. He wasn't able to spot smaller details.
"Madison!" he shouted, trying to find her in the Electrosphere.
Nico started running, to the place he expected the last fight.

After some running, longer than it would have actually taken, he spotted something on the horizon.
"M-Madison?" he asked, rather confused.
Nico continued running, what he spotted was indeed a woman, laying on the blank, white ground.

He was more curious than anything else and brought some words over his lips shyly "Hello?"
The woman stood up and turned around to face him.
"Oh, what a nice surprise." she smiled warmly, Nico knew that face.
"Hello!" the woman greeted him.

Nico glazed at her "Errr...Hello, I'm Nico von Bovier." he began.
"Oh, a Bovier, I was one before ending here." she explained.
"Really? How did you came here, I thought that-" Nico tried to find words.
The woman smiled "What do you expect this place to be?"
Nico thought about the term "The Electrosphere!" he said confidently.
"Why is this place like this?" she asked him, challenging.
Nico didn't knew an answear, for him everything had a reason, but he could only guess. He shruged.

"When you are a Bovier, you are certainly my...great-great-great-great-grandson?" the woman started.
"Depends on who you are." Nico said cheeky.
The woman smiled again "May I should introduce myself first."
"I am Rebecca Bovier." she said.

Nico knew his family tree a bit, but Rebecca Bovier was known to everyone.
"Rebecca" he slowly spelled her name "I am your great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson Nico" he cleared up.
"Interesting to see what we have today, what year is it?" she asked.
"2210, July 15th" he simply said.
"Oh wow, how time passes, I didn't even reached the 22nd century. Well, not the real I." she already noticed Nicos face.
"I guess you want to know a lot, should I tell?" she didn't really asked.

"Everything you see here, is just because Jonathan made it like this.
The whole rules you are currently following are made by Jonathan, my husband, your great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather." she explained.
"You seem a lot like him, sadly you never met him." she noted, looking warmly at her decendant.
Nico almost started laughing "I indeed met him, he is really...a special one."
"He IS?" Rebecca asked surprised "How old is he now?"
"Went 212 years old two months ago." Nico proudly announced.
"212 years? So he really reached his target." she whristled out of respect "Noone expected that, not even I."
Nico let his eyes wander around, signalising that he was a bit unpatient.
"Oh right, this is just a program in the Electrosphere, to make it more...confortable, giving human enough to actually live like usual." Rebecca continued explaining.
"In the end, I am just a copy of my own conciuosness he added, as some kind of warden. Oh right, did you payed entrance?" she then laughed.

Nico thought about that and asked "Can you help me finding Madison Larough, I am sure she is inside the Electrosphere."
Rebecca looked at him, forming her lips, showing Nico that she was thinking.
"Maybe I can."