Nadja "Schützerin Mädel" Müller

There's many things to cherish, you just need to remember them well!

Mu Mirai (Associate)

Apollo (Acquintance)

"Wanna have another go?"

— Nadja, usually after a fight.

**Nadja** is a minor character within the **Gray Zone.**

Mädel is an overly ambitious girl that struggles with holding back her destructive nature.

Casually, she can often be seen wearing leather jackets combined with some jeans. However, if she wishes to explore some place or expects a fight. She will be wearing her blue suit with a red tie on top of a white shirt with very short sleeves, exposing her rather beefy arms to the world.

Her short hair is a very light tint of blue, complementing her orange eyes. There's also two large, often called demonic, horns sticking outside of sides of her skull. A few people also claimed that occasionally a small spark appears between them.

## History

### **High School**

Nadja was quite a troublemaker back in her high school days. Skipping classes, beating people up for money and being an overall nasty person. However, it was quite difficult to punish the girl as she had prestige from representing the school during various national competitions. Therefore, teachers decided to not intervene unless absolutely necessary.

Naturally, she ended up pushing people away from herself, which definitely didn't help her grades. She was barely managing to pass each semester, and even that required countless hours spent in the library.

One day, someone was brave enough to approach her. It was a boy with a pair of animal ears, he asked if he could sit by. There weren't that many desks in the library so another pair forming wasn't something out of ordinary, there were many things that Nadja was but being petty wasn't one of them. His intentions however surfaced quickly, as he asked the girl if she was struggling with a math problem after she didn't switch the page for half an hour. Next, he offered help.

Usually Nadja would would blow up at this point and say something horrible, but this day she was somewhat docile. Her marks were at all time low and someone offered her help, she decided to give it a try. They introduced themselves to each other, the boy was called Azura. Nadja rarely spoke to other people about things other than money and competitions, naturally she felt a bit embarrassed while being tutored. In about an hour they were done with all the material. About four times her normal pace.

Nadja was grateful for the act of kindness but she had no idea how to pay it back, she left the library and returned to her own devices without even muttering a simple "thank you". However, just before she left the school's gates she realized she forgot to return a book to the library. She turned back, there was already enough to worry, she didn't want to make more problems for herself.

On the stairway she noticed the "green club", which was a loose bunch of troublemakers from some disbanded after-school clubs. Three male, two female, they were talking to someone. Bullying after most of teachers were out of school was getting quite common recently, usually included taking the victim's money and threats too. As she took the last step to the final floor, she heard a familiar voice. She realized they were picking on that boy who helped her earlier, obviously, who else could it be? Nadja took a step down, she could it take it anymore. Her embarrassment, pent up stress and anger all resurfaced at once.

The gang was wiped out this day.

Nobody believed the green club that they were beat up by a single girl, additionally. The boy she stood up for claimed that the group started the fight with both of them as they went to the library, which Nadja supported. Though she wasn't a natural liar, this was enough to make her suspension last only a day.

The pair had developed quite a relationship, Nadja protected the boy from any harm in exchange for help in her studies. They exchanged their phone numbers, only for their benefit obviously. They eventually started hanging out more often, be that in the hallways or back in the city. During the last year they even had a sleepover at Azura's place, their mutual **crush** was on a steady way up.

### **University**

After their graduation, they each went to different universities. Nadja thought she had a good shot in electrical engineering, it was a spark that Azura awoke in her during their countless study nights. They both kept in touch and their relationship happily progressed, that was until Azura finished his logistics studies and left for his first job. A big job it was, fixing a bunch of crippling issues of a certain industry in the south. But Nadja believed in his skills, the boy she used to know grew to be quite capable and trustworthy though still a bit frail.

The two rarely had a moment to message each other as they both had a lot of work to do, the little time Nadja had left for herself she dedicated to improving herself at gym. The only thing that could sooth her, Azura, was gone. Her violent nature started once again resurfacing, though she was prepared for it to come back more than ever. She couldn't fight it back on her own after such a long break however, there was a need for an output and she found it in a local fight club. Though at first reluctant as gambling was involved, the place was popular enough for her to trust in it's legitimacy.

To the surprise of the locals, the girl quickly became one of the strongest contenders in the arena. Her fights would bring disgusting wealth to shareholders, both thanks to her performance as the appeal of a "Horned Demon". She couldn't help but grin at the mirror every time she came back home, once Azura comes back home they will surely live in abundance of wealth in no time.

One evening she wasn't as tired as usual, she fought someone who challenged a top dog like her in order to prove themselves. Normally, Nadja would go all out for the small audience that would gather on such occasions. But today something was amiss, she preferred to keep herself composed for one reason or another. She lied on her coach and picked up a diary from between the pillows, she started reading it as if she was looking for something. The girl finally found it after a few minutes, their first sleepover. She completely forgot about it. Nadja kept reading, there was plenty of quite important things she forgot. She wasn't that old yet, why were the memories failing her? What if something she still remembered were fabricated by her mind?

Nadja heard a bell, she instantly jumped out of her coach and gazed at the entrance to her house. There was a letter on her welcome mat, likely slipped under the doors. She picked it up, the contents conveniently addressed exactly what she was worrying about.

The note suggested that she comes to the Gray Zone and that the only way to get an answer to her questions lies there, supposedly someone from the **Melodica** gang had some information for them. Something was wrong here, she needed help, she quickly picked up her phone and wrote a message to Azura. Nadja suddenly felt tired as the pent up stress was about to release, she needed to rest.

It was then when her phone rang, she turned her gaze to the weak flash of blue light across her dark room. Nadja's heart was pounding, she read the message. Her **best friend** just came back home and he wanted to meet up with her as well.

This couldn't be a coincidence.

### **Way to Hell**

For details about the reunion event, refer to the material here.

The couple had quite an awkward reunion, they both had a lot of trouble finding a common tongue. One thing they could assess however, they both missed a lot of memories and neither side was sure what kind of relationship they even had. They had their suspicions, but neither side was courageous to come out with it.

After the girl revealed the details about the letter she found, Azura proposed they just give up and stay friend. At first that option seemed logical for both of them, Gray Zone was a well known place for the rejects from the society and the pair had a bright future ahead in the normal world.

With each attempt at conversation, the idea of giving up about their past grew less and less obvious to each of them. The boy didn't remember what their favourite food joint was, the girl felt butterflies when they got a bit too close to each other, the boy refused staying overnight explaining that he still has to unpack back at home, the girl forgot how they first met.

There was no way they could let it go, the hollowness in their heart was just too big to overcome with just good intentions. They had to do something or else *it* wouldn't progress.

Finally, they agreed to pay Gray Zone a visit. Nadja started preparations right there while Azura went to side to make two calls. One of his private contracts, and their supposed favourite pizza place.

### **Arrival**

Naturally, the pair didn't come to the **Gray** **Zone** unprepared. Azura discovered a single safe spot in this anarchy, it was called **Paradise Four's**. At first they thought the place and it's price were suspicious, however Azura's contact assured them through the phone's speakers that it was entirely legit. The pair trusted the contractor and booked a spot.

It all went well there, they took a taxi ride through the almost empty streets of the Zone. At one point Nadja thought she saw someone with a CRT screen instead of head, but her attention shifted when the driver stopped in front of some parking lot. The hotel was exactly the same as on the website, it was fairly clean but the rest of the city and it's crushing aura of indifference gave it a harrowing feeling. As if something was horribly out of place.

Azura asked the girl what she was doing as she stared into distance. She regained composure and picked up all of their bags. Though the boy protested at first, Nadja refused to give up any work as this entire trip was coming out of his pocket.

When they finally unpacked, their minds were focused on the work. Stay alive and find their gangster. There was a lot material and rumours to go through, Nadja browsed through the internet while Azura asked other guests of **Paradise** about said gang. Unfortunately for the pair, **Melodica** were apparently wiped out by a single man and the only remnants left were their associates.

Azura came back to his friend who was making a really worried expression, the girl short circuited the laptop when he was absent and was working on getting it to work again. But neither of them had the patience to fix it at this point, it was late and they were getting sleepy. They chatted for a bit until it got late, despite getting a room with separate beds. They both fell asleep on the couch.

### **Where All Roads End**

About two days after their arrival, Nadja took a task of pursuing a clue they found while Azura was making a deal with **Mr. Y**, the owner of Paradise. The girl was able to find one associate of Melodica on a certain shady website, though it wasn't much to go about she still felt like she had to at least give anything they find a try.

Nadja's clue was one of the gang's outpost, it was an old VHS store that had an activity going inside of it recently. Though she scouted it around the noon, she only arrived at the place around 6 PM.

The backroom was closed, however nothing could beat Nadja's lockpicking skills. As she entered, she noticed the room was tidy. She looked around but the only thing she found was an old computer and some tapes. As she looked through them, she noticed they were mostly broken. Either the insides spilled outside or straight broken beyond any use. There was one exception to this rule however, it was a tape with a bit of purple marker on it's back. She picked it up, it was called "A Heart Breaks" as the sticker in front said. Nadja instinctively put it into her pocket.

As she was about to head back, she heard steps from the shop - which happened to be the only entrance. She quickly slid behind a small wardrobe.

Next, a shade entered the room with a gun pointed in Nadja's, she didn't dare to move as she assessed the situation. It was a woman wearing some bright colored hoodie. The intruder started talking, she said something about not resisting arrest and some police formula that Nadja was certain the woman got wrong. Horned girl awaited a good opportunity, the assaulted was dangerous but they seemed very frail. One good strike should bring her freedom if there was nobody else outside, lack of chatter and lights outside seemed to be on Nadja's side.

When the apparent officer turned her sight slightly to the other side of the room, Nadja jumped out of the shadows and struck vertically. Cop shot into the shade while moving to side but the bullet was swallowed by darkness, Nadja followed up with her elbow going directly into the officer's stomach and grabbed onto her weapon. They struggled for a moment as Nadja kept receiving punches, in the end the horned girl prevailed by headbutting the cop and pulling the gun out of her hands.

In their struggle, the magazine fell out, realizing the weapon won't be much of use to her anymore. Nadja run towards the front exit, next thing she felt was a burning feeling in her her shoulder, after that she realized her ears were ringing from the loud bang from behind. She turned back in terror, the cop was pointing at her with that gun. A brim light from the outside lightened the cop's vest, there was a name tag there. It read Kelly Rousseau.

Whoever that person was, they really wanted to get Nadja. Luckily for the horned girl she could still run despite the injury, she safely arrived at the Paradise without any pursuers.

### A Bit of Paradise

For details on the first memory rekindling event, refer to the material here.

Although the damage was nothing for the extremely tough body that Nadja possessed, the bullet still had to be extracted. The pair chatted for a bit as Azura did the dirty work for the girl. The whole ordeal was pretty funny to her, in her eyes he grew so much from being a little crybaby that had to be protected from bullies to such a capable man. Yet, inside he was still a very gentle person. From time to time, Nadja joked that she would get him a warning plate for his hat that would read " Careful: Handle with care."

Nadja found it easy to hide her embarrassment as her back was exposed to her friend, the same couldn't be said about the boy however. He was glad she was shot in the back and not the front, there's no way he could work with her smug expression watching him at all times.

That day, they both slept in their separate beds. Though neither of them enjoyed it that much deep down.

## **Personality**

Nadja is a very blunt person that struggles with subtlety and enjoys trying new things. She has a more violent and jealous side that she keeps suppressed for the sake of her wellbeing.

## **Abilities**

### Inhuman Physique

Mädel's body is incredibly resistant, the reason why however is a secret to both her physician as well as the girl.

### Electrician Practice

Mädel is interested in circuitry and has vast experience in the field, from part time jobs to corporate assistance.

## Relationships

### Apollo

Ever since Nadja saw Apollo's imposing posture, she had a goal to get a fight out of him. Though many attempts to anger the giant have failed, eventually he agreed to give her exactly one punch if she stops bothering him. Naturally, the girl agreed. Eager to see if the attack would actually move her.

As her flying body created quite a large hole in the building on the other side of the street, Nadja realized that for the first time in years she felt an actual pain. And a few broken ribs. Naturally, she didn't stop there. However upon hearing about the past beef Nadja have been creating, Azura made it his own personal responsibility to hold the girl back from making more mess. Thankfully his fluff was considered a fair compensation for the troubles his companion created.

Though their "fight" was quite short lived, Nadja felt some sort of bond forming.

### Azura

Young boy that Nadja saved from abuse back in the high school days. Eventually grew up to be a "fine young man", according to the girl. Though their relationship was possibly lost forever, Nadja doesn't want to give up on him neither today nor tomorrow.

### Kelly

A slim girl that attacked Nadja during one of her first investigations of the Melodica gang. Though much weaker than Nadja, her accurate aim is something to be wary of.

### Zora Pudel

At one point Nadja ended up in a curious bar run by some ex-mercenary, who also happened to have a matching pair of cat ears. She heard that such place would be a good lace to start looking for information. In order to not stand out too much from the regular crowd, Nadja purchased some dark ale.

Horned girl struck a conversation with the owner by mentioning the rifle behind a reinforced glass exhibit. For her, it was a genuine display of curiosity as Nadja had never seen an old rifle like that. Zora was pleased by the client's question and lectured the girl on weapon's origins and quirks. As the pleasantry was finished, Nadja went straight to the point and asked the cat about the Melodica remnants. Upon hearing the gang's name, the smile turned into a smug expression as Zora asked the girl what she has to offer. Of course, Nadja mentioned money. Nadja was turned down and Zora went on a short rant, switching to her native long at the very last sentence.

"Ah, Boss, For just a Fullful of Nelson, all I ever knew about these folks would be yours. Miau"

It just so happened that Nadja was also a native German speaker herself. She accepted, to which Zora reacted by opening her mouth and one eye in disbelief, dropping the pipe out of her lips. An agreement was forged between the two.

## **Trivia**

* Her self given nickname, Schützerin Mädel is a combination of two German words. Schützerin, being a feminine version "protector" and Mädel, an obscure colloquial word for a "girl" or "gal".
* Nadja discovered her toughness after surviving a direct hit by a truck, which left her with just one minor bone fracture and a few bruises. Though, she did notice before that electric charge would barely hurt her.
* Though her violent side is part of the girl's nature, there has been thus far no accidents of someone being hurt beyond recognition. For Nadja to hurt someone with malice, some kind of breaking point would have to be reached.
* Nadja confessed to Azura, by grabbing his collar and pushing against a wall.
* Nadja never breaks "change of priority" signs.
* She possesses no supernatural strength, though she is top of her class when it comes to it.