Modernia/Story

Spoilers!*"Your greatest villain Drake shall warn you, SPOILERS AHEAD!"*The following article or section contain **spoilers!** Viewer discretion is advised.

Overview**Story**VoicelinesGallery

## Information

### Affiliation

Heretic
Counters (Formerly)

## Behind the Scenes

###

Kim Ha-ru

###

Ryan Bartley

###

Kana Hanazawa

## Description

Once known as the Nikke **Marian** of Elysion, she was corrupted by the Raptures, and the protagonist was forced to execute her. The Raptures salvaged her corpse and turned her into a Heretic, a Nikke-Rapture hybrid that opposes humanity. The protagonist managed to save her, but circumstances led to the erasure of her memory, rendering her a blank slate. Despite her now not serving the Raptures anymore, she is still classified as a member of the Heretics.

### Nikke Backstory

A plain and delicate girl who sold out mankind. A member of the Queen's elite squad, the Heretics.

## Personality

Modernia initially is portrayed with a somewhat delightful demeanor combined with a sadistic tendency to torture her opponents. Modernia's voice is somehow younger than when she was still Marian. At first glance, she appears to have not remembered her former commander or her teammates, but after she was freed of the Rapture's corrupting influence, Modernia retained part of her memories as Marian.

Due to the corruption, Marian has the demeanor comparable to that of a toddler; she is having troubles speaking some simple words such as the name of her comrades. She has also become naïve, and easily prone to pranks. For some reason, she has a particular tendency to wear her underwear on the outside and mess around with flour. She's also quite fixated on bandages, whether it be rushing over to grab a box of them or making use of them. She even wears a few bandages as a hairband, a keepsake from before she became a Heretic.

After living with the Pioneer for awhile, Marian now has all of their bad habits consist of eating insects, reading dirty magazines and drinking alcohol.

## Story

### Background

At some point after Marian was executed by the protagonist, the Raptures salvaged her corpse, hybridized it with Rapture technology, and reanimated it. But what came back wasn't Marian. It was Modernia, a Heretic that would fight against humanity at the behest of the Rapture Queen.

### Main Story

#### Chapter 6

Modernia descends in her armor as the protagonist and Snow White have Chatterbox at their mercy. The Pilgrim Nikke is none too happy to see a Heretic, but before she can engage, Modernia summons a swarm of Raptures to stall as she escapes with Chatterbox.

#### Chapter 7

Modernia takes a moment to repair Chatterbox, but before she can finish, the protagonist and Snow White appear before her again. Despite being able to overpower Snow White, Modernia doesn't predict the protagonist using the Pilgrim's gun to fire a signal, nor for Counters squad to appear and back up Snow White. Even more surprising is how the four Nikkes can overpower Modernia's armor despite technical specs and calculations guaranteeing her victory. A shot breaks her visor, revealing the face of Marian, a Nikke that used to be under the protagonist's command.

The protagonist calls out to Marian, but Modernia simply answers that she works for the Queen. She ponders the name "Marian" and repeats it a few times, finding it oddly familiar. As a black light emits from Modernia's body, she screams before her gaze changes to something warmer, recognizing the protagonist as her commander. Before anything else can happen, the black light explodes, causing the protagonist, Snow White, and Counters to be sent flying away.

#### Chapter 13

The protagonist hatches a plan to administer Vapaus to Modernia and free her from the Raptures' sway. Modernia briefly pretends to be Marian, believing he won't shoot her and beckons him to help bandage her wounds. Steeling his heart, the protagonist fires a Vapaus-infused bullet, but Modernia catches it and stabs him in the stomach with a tentacle. Counters engages Modernia in combat, but as they critically damage her armor, a black light bursts from Modernia again, and she is somehow purged of corruption, reemerging as Marian. Noticing the protagonist is in critical condition, she screams at Counters to help her administer first aid. Just as the four finish stabilizing the protagonist's wounds, a heavily-damaged Chatterbox rushes in and jabs a dose of Rapture code right into Marian's head. The corruption quickly overtakes her brain, and by the time everyone returns to the Ark, all she can do is mutter "Commander..." over and over.

Back at the Ark, the protagonist is told that Marian's corruption is approaching the point of no return, and the only recourse would be to wipe her memories. Absolutely nothing would remain of the "original Marian", but at least she would be alive. The protagonist agrees in order to save Marian, and in doing so, Ingrid and Andersen agree to place her in his squad, to keep her as far away as possible from the agendas of certain groups.

Some time later, Marian is taken to the Outpost to join Counters. Rapi, Anis, and Neon all introduce themselves, but Marian can only babble in response. She hugs the protagonist, leading Ingrid to explain that despite the memory wipe, she somehow remembers her name and her commander.

#### Chapter 14

Over the course of a month, Marian spends time with Counters, learning how to speak again, and even joining them in expeditions on the surface. Marian's advanced technology and rapidly-developing combat skills make her a force to be reckoned with, though her personality is still that of a child, and she has an odd fixation on bandages. Trouble arises when Marian seemingly sympathizes with a fallen Rapture, leading some in the Central Government to fear her returning to the Raptures.

This, combined with the Ark's desire to dissect Marian for insights into Rapture and Pilgrim technology, causes several factions, from outlaws to Heavenly Ascension to even Triangle and the Central Government Army to raid the Outpost trying to abduct Marian, a good chunk of it at the machination of Deputy Chief Burningum.

After a narrow scrape with Perilous Siege, and escalating intrusions on the Outpost, the protagonist makes a difficult decision. He goes to meet with Snow White, requesting she take Marian somewhere far away from the Ark, despite protests and tearful pleas by the latter to stay with him and Counters. A black light begins to surge from Marian's body again, but Snow White pacifies her with the help of Scarlet and Rapunzel, and she falls unconscious. Extracting a final promise to protect Marian, the protagonist watches as the Pioneers take his comrade with them, fading into the fog...

#### Chapter 17

While not appearing directly, the Pilgrims of Pioneer mention that Marian is doing fine in their care, but since they were going to meet up with the protagonist and co., they decided to put her in the care of the Pilgrim duo Crown and Chime of the White Knights.

Before Counters and Pioneer part ways, Snow White has a question about Marian. It would seem she's taken to wearing her underwear on the outside again, leaving Counters exasperated yet unsurprised.

#### Brand New Year

As the protagonist wraps up his mission on the surface, watching the sun rise over the sea with Helm, Sugar, and Julia, he sees a figure in the distance that seems faintly familiar, but before he can get a good look, it vanishes, leaving behind a bandage...

### Character Story

*Set between the events of Chapters 13 and 14*

#### Episode 1 - Communication

As Marian is still speaking in incoherent babbles, Anis declares they need to teach the ex-Heretic how to speak, despite reservations from Neon and Rapi as no one in the squad has teaching experience. Anis decides they should start with introducing themselves, to which she immediately gives up after Marian fails to pronounce her entire name. Neon tries to get Marian to say "Firepower!", which she does on the first try, delighting Neon. But when she chants "Firepower" a few more times, Neon realizes Marian might've thought her name was "Firepower". She makes a few more attempts to get Modernia to say her name before throwing in the towel herself. Rapi immediately bows out without even trying, leaving the protagonist to attempt communication.

The moment the protagonist tries talking to Marian, she recognizes him as her commander and heaps praise on him, much to Rapi's surprise. With everyone(?) having tried(?) and failed, Rapi declares this isn't working, and that Marian should get a proper education. To that end, Counters will undergo training to receive accreditations as educators to teach their newest member. The Nikkes of Counters steel their resolve to become educators and teach Marian, to help her in a way beyond pointing a gun and pulling the trigger. The protagonist tries to slink out of the task, only for the squad to pull him right back in.

#### Episode 2 - Conversation

3 days after the educator training, and Anis is teaching Marian basic words and actions, such as "bed" and "sleep".

Another 3 days later, Neon teaches Marian how to count and the days of the week

Another 3 days later, Rapi is teaching Marian basic behavior, such as saying "sorry" when you break someone else's things, though the example becomes a bit...unorthodox.

3 more days later, the protagonist is trying to teach Marian how to thank someone, but all she does is tell him how much she likes him. Anis asks the same question, to which Marian answers correctly. The protagonist is puzzled on why his attempts to teach aren't working.

Another 3 days later, Marian complains about studying being boring, and wants to go play. Anis shoots her down, saying she'll end up dumb like Neon, much to the latter's chagrin and the former's horror. Jokes aside, Marian is learning quite quickly, though the Nikke in question immediately roasts Anis and Neon as slipshod teachers compared to Rapi. The protagonist and Rapi watch as Marian tries to eat tomorrow's breakfast, only for Anis to stop her. The two argue back and forth about Marian's eating habits, which she claims she learned from Anis. Anis calls on the protagonist for help, but despite his best attempts, Marian ends up feasting on tomorrow's breakfast anyway.

At that moment, the protagonist is messaged by Ingrid, saying she'll be there in 10 seconds for a progress update. 10 seconds later, Ingrid steps into the room, spooking Marian as she asks to talk with the protagonist.

In the protagonist's room, the two discuss Marian's progress, going from acting like a babbling baby to a fluent, if childlike, mind in just 15 days. It can't just be the teachings of Counters, Ingrid deduces something else must be going on, and tells the protagonist she'll be doing a medical examination on Marian. She promises that Marian won't be in danger, though at this point, she's not sure there's anything Ingrid can bring to bear that *would* threaten Marian...

#### Episode 3 - Her Origin

Outside the exam room, Marian is apprehensive about the examination being painful, even after the protagonist and Counter repeatedly assure her it won't hurt. She eventually acquiesces, and enters the examination room.

3 hours later, Ingrid walks out with the results. Marian is in the lounge, snacking on the ice cream and chocolate she demanded as a reward for sitting through the exam. Ignoring Neon's request for snacks, Ingrid details the results, which are...not very enlightening.

They attempted a fluid examination, but the needle failed to even penetrate Marian's skin, which was unmarred even with a titanium needle. Tissue tests were similarly unfruitful for similar reasons. Hair and saliva extractions were successful, but the moment the specimens left Marian's body, they quickly evaporated. X-rays are useless, Marian's body showing up a blank white. The physical tests show Marian exhibits strength beyond that of any Nikke from the Ark. Mentally speaking, Marian's IQ is equivalent to a 7-10 y.o. child in just 15 days of activity and education. Ingrid grumbles about how this leaves the investigation at a complete dead end, with no further leads on what Marian is or how she became this way now.

Before Counters can adjourn, Ingrid makes one final suggestion. They use a high-power laser and blast a hole right in Marian's body, and effectively dissect her.

#### Episode 4 - Her Secret

Anis is most certainly against Ingrid's proposal, even threatening her with violence. Neon deescalates, saying that if Ingrid really *was* going to go through with it, she wouldn't even be obligated to tell them. Ingrid admits she too finds the idea infeasible, and wants an alternative solution. While she tries to brainstorm, she tells Counters to take Marian back to the Outpost, keep doing what they did before, and be ready to cooperate when she's comes asking for another inspection. She also warns the protagonist that he *needs* to keep Marian in check, as there are so many eyes on the ex-Heretic, and very few of them are friendly. As the protagonist affirms his resolve, Marian steps in, having finished her snacks. She notices the heavy mood in the air, and presses the protagonist for information. Despite his insistence that everything's fine, Marian suddenly starts crying, wondering if he's mad that she ate chocolate and ice cream all by herself. Counters is quick to reassure her, making the excuse that since needles can't even get through her skin, she can't get the shots that will keep her healthy, worrying the protagonist. He quickly plays along, and Marian accepts "getting her shots." It turns out that Marian was actually resisting the whole examination period, which was why the needles and other instruments couldn't get any specimens or readings from her, much to Ingrid's exasperation.

The next day, the protagonist gets a message from Ingrid. Marian's results are in, and she wants him to come to M.M.R. alone.

At M.M.R., Mana and Ether are detailing the results of the examinations. The fluid exam was nothing new, what runs through Marian's systems isn't beyond what any other Nikke has for "blood". It's the skin specimen where things get interesting. It turns out Ether managed to grab a specimen when Marian wasn't paying attention, meaning she can only harden her skin when she's consciously aware of a possible threat. Additionally, Marian's skin is a hybrid mix of both Nikke and Rapture materials, each one filling in for the weaknesses of the other to make, in Mana's words, a nigh-perfect combination. Ether further details that Mariana's tissues are able to harden at will with electrical stimulus while still maintaining its range of motion and flexibility. If Marian's specs and results could be replicated, the Ark's technological base could jump nearly 100 years ahead. Mana and Ether further detail how it seems Marian was made to be a Nikke-Rapture hybrid from the get-go before Ingrid orders them to stop.

Effective immediately, all records and results of the examination are to be erased, and everyone, even the protagonist, are not to speak a word of this to anyone, if not forget it completely. Ingrid tells the protagonist to go back to the Outpost, and declares an end to all experiments and examinations on Marian, believing this poses too great of a danger to the Ark.

Back at the Outpost, Counters is huddled around a table. It turns out Ingrid sent chocolates as a reward for Marian sitting through her "shots." Marian herself already ate most of them, but she saved one for the protagonist. She pushes the chocolate into his mouth, the bittersweet taste spreading over him.

#### Episode 5 - Her Question

Some time later, Anis is angrily interrogating the others, asking who spilled sauce all over her blanket. Marian briefly jolts before relaxing, as Neon points out Anis had dirtied the blanket herself, and said she would wash it later. Rapi corroborates this, leading Anis to simply shrug and say it can't be helped if her blanket's already stained. Neon notices Marian has a blank, slightly downcast expression, before bidding Anis to check the foot of her bed. Scrawled there is a message, as though the bed is pleading someone to save it from being crushed by Anis' weight. A brief silence ensues before Anis starts chasing Marian around the dorm, the latter grinning and giggling as she makes her escape. Rapi and the protagonist agree to let it be and simply eat breakfast.

Later, Marian and Neon are attempting to cook. In turning the heat all the way up while screaming "Firepower!", they end up burning whatever it is they're trying to make, much to Anis' chagrin. Rapi decides to take over for cooking, and the protagonist volunteers his assistance.

1 hour later, Counters is seated around the table for their meal. Marian wolfs down bowl after bowl of food, even going so far as to steal Anis' ham. She tries to steal Neon's piece, only to spit it out as she whines about spice. Turns out Neon decided to slather hot sauce on her ham as a way of punishing would-be food thieves. At Marian's behest, the protagonist brings a glass of water, only for it to slip out of the former's hands and land square on Rapi's head, much to the Counters leader's quiet exasperation.

30 minutes later, Counters is sitting around drinking tea. Anis and Neon ponder over how tiring mealtime has become now, and decide to go to sleep once they finish their tea. Marian takes that moment to ask the protagonist a question; what was he going to do if she didn't pull the trigger for him back then?

The question is a surprise to Counters, especially to the three who were there at that moment. Anis is shocked Marian remembers, but the latter herself can't quite grasp the details, only remembering the protagonist standing over her, pointing a gun in quivering hands before she pulled the trigger herself. At Rapi's questioning, Marian admits she has no recollection of what came after before repeating her question to the protagonist. He waffles on the question before confessing he has no idea what he would do beyond knowing he didn't want to kill her. She asks what he'd do if it happened now before the squad affirms that it will never come to pass again. Marian smiles before telling everyone that this kindness is why she likes all of them so much.