Marcus Austal

Spartan Marcus E. Austal (service number: 51007-99558-MA) is a supersoldier. He is a former scout for the UNSC Navy Para-Rescue Expeditionary Forces. Austal currently serves in Fireteam Eon under the callsign Eon Four.
== Early Life ==
Marcus Eric Austal was born on June 26, 2535 in Cravate, Bastia on the colony of New Corsica. His parents, Steve and Selena Austal, were wealthy diplomats affiliated with the colony's Representative Branch. Sometime in their careers, they were transferred to Earth in promotion of Earth-New Corsica foreign relations as the primary ambassadors. The Austals lived in an affluent house located in the Calabasas, California neighborhood. He would be an only child since his parents tried many times to have more children, however Selena was declared barren after a second miscarriage, disheartening both parents.
When Marcus was six years old, he had stubbornly argued against his parents and thus was left in the family's hotel suite without dinner as part of their disciplinary action. This defiant act would inadvertently save his life as a fatal gas outbreak had killed everyone in the lobby with Steve and Selena among them. He would later regret the confrontation, not remembering what it was even about in the first place.
Marcus was eventually relocated, being taken in by his godfather, Uncle Richard Austal and grew up in San Diego with him, his Aunt Jeanine and older cousin Von. The two of them went through grade school together and were stars on the gravball and basketball team. He and Von were the star point guard and shooting guards respectively. They led their team to a regional championship appearance, but lost. Marcus would later be reelected co-captain and finally win a title the next year.
== Military Career ==
Upon completing high school; Austal enlisted with the UNSC Navy Para-Rescue Expeditionary forces, a strictly volunteer high-risk unit that had rescued him from the hotel nearly ten years prior. He would be the fifth youngest to have ever completed training and was immediately transferred to active duty. Through conversations with Von, he learned that while his aunt and uncle initially disapproved of his decision, they continued to remain proud of his accomplishments, as the dropout rate for the Para-Rescue force was among the highest of all combat units. He would go on to undertake many clandestine rescue operations and built up considerable skill and experience in a short time, attaining the rank of Petty Officer at the age of 20.
Marcus participated in the and demonstrated notable bravery in rescuing the planet's governor from Covenant forces.
=== Spartan Career ===
Austal would accept an invitation to the Spartan-IV program in 2556 and become the first Naval Para-Rescueman to do so. He was assigned to Fireteam Eon in the 37th Special Shock Development Group. During training, he was squadmates with and the they formed a friendship since both were the two youngest in the induction. Prior to being assigned to Eon, he was responsible for foiling an Insurrectionist incursion on Luyten Shipyard Seven.
== Personality and Traits ==
Although he is the youngest of Eon, Austal has shown many times that he has both the physical and mental toughness to keep pace with the older veterans. He has excellent discipline and willingness to take and carry out orders as needed.
Marcus is known to even-tempered in combat and his sense of humor coupled with banter from the rest of Eon is enough to amp up the spirits of both their team and those they work with. More than once, these exchanges have raised morale enough to complete the mission.
He is shown to be very loyal to the UNSC, believing that it was solely responsible for the protection of humanity as a whole. The team is considered his family and he has shown to harbor great protectiveness towards everyone close to him, regardless of military or civilian.
Austal is New Corsican and like many, has a strong sense of pride for his homeworld.
=== Skills and Abilities ===
=== Relationships and Family ===
* Steve and Selena Austal: Marcus shared a distant relationship with both of his birth parents due to multiple reasons, including negligence; both Steve and Selena had busy careers in foreign relations and it took much of their day out from spending time with him. This relationship was further strained when the couple became heartbroken after failing to conceive a second child. Despite being shunted aside as a child, Marcus still understood his parents' dedication to their jobs and their attempts on giving him a sibling, posthumously forgiving them, knowing they still loved him as a son. He visits their grave in Los Angeles every time he comes to Earth.
* Richard and Jeanine Austal: His aunt and uncle took him in once he was orphaned and enrolled him in several youth programs alongside his cousin. Marcus admires both as parental figures, although he is slightly disappointed that they did not initially approve of his decision to join the military, but they supported him nonetheless. Even after becoming a Spartan, Austal remains in contact with his fostered parents.
* Von Austal: Marcus and Von Austal had a tumultuous relationship as kids. Being the older child, Von constantly harassed him and their parents dismissed it as simply being children. When Marcus was taken in by their family, his bullying persona had faded and the two became close as they went through grade school together. During his junior year and Von's senior, the two were co-captains of the school's basketball team when they led them to a state championship appearance, but lost to a rival school.
* Olympia Vale: Vale was Austal's classmate during Spartan training and the two are on casual terms with one another. Their friendship was initially based on both how they were previously neglected by their parents and being the youngest of the group.
=== Equipment ===
Austal previously used the Scout-class MJOLNIR GEN2 armor. As of Eon's requisition of 2558, he is one of the few Spartans to be authorized to test the Shinobi-class which is he currently wears. He is typically armed with an M57 PDW and an Acheron A9S.
== Trivia ==
* Austal is a playable character in Halo: Helljumper's Tribunal during the postwar campaign in co-op mode. He is controlled by player 3 and is armed with an M57 PDW and M6 SOCOM.
== Appearances ==
* Venomous Honor (first appearance)
* Crossfire
* Brimstone Rising
* Halo: Helljumper's Tribunal
Category:SPARTAN-IV