Taylor-B025

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Lieutenant Commander SPARTAN-B025, Taylor McCloud is a super soldier and serves as Fever Two in the black-ops attaché, Fever Team during the . He is well known for his gritty but sarcastic demeanor, and his uncommon charismatic attitude for a SPARTAN. He is a primary protagonist in the series, Halo: Endseekers.
Taylor was born on Sylium II, and when he was 6 years old, the launched an assault on the planet. Though he managed to escape the planet during the evacuations, he was separated from his parents, who he believed died, and he was left a war orphan. He was relocated to Varia, where he spent the next year in an orphanage before being taken by for the Spartan-III program. He was assimilated into , and quickly trained to be a weapon of war against the Covenant. 
==Biography==
===Childhood and Early Life===
Born Taylor Hand McCloud on October 27th, 2530, on the outer colony of Sylium II, Taylor lived a relatively quiet life as an only child, living on the suburbs of Hope's Fall. He was shy and withdrawn in his early age, and often played a passive role among other children, a pattern that discouraged his parents. His family struggled little, and were rather affluent in Hope's Fall's business scene. 
The roar of the ongoing war between the UNSC and the Covenant seemed to be distant to the inhabitants of Sylium for some time, and Taylor himself was kept blissfully ignorant to the conflict by his parents. This however, came to a horrific when the Covenant finally assaulted Sylium, completely destroying the idea of what Taylor believed was the galaxy. It was here, he witnessed his first taste of death, as his parents and hundreds of other civilians were shepherd into Hope's Fall's city center in an attempt to evacuate as many off planet as they could. In the chaos, Taylor was separated from his parents, and left alone and lost among the carnage. This ultimately saved his life, as he was rushed onboard an evac ship by UNSC forces. As the vessel left the city, a Covenant began glassing the city, killing thousands, as well as possibly Taylor's parents. 
Following the evacuation, Taylor was rerouted to the planet of Varia, which had become one of the many colonies bombarded with war refugees from across UNSC space. He spent the next year of his life largely living between orphanages and the streets when he would sneak out. It was during this period of strife that his hatred grew for the Covenant, as well as his own anger over how sheltered he was growing up, he began to believe that he hated his parents for hiding the truth from him. Taylor felt lost and alone, with no sense of direction, and ultimately, ended up wandering the streets of Varia, surviving off of pure instinct. 
It was only a year Taylor spent living as an orphan, though it felt like a lifetime. By the year 2237, a prime opportunity for revenge presented itself to Taylor in the form of two atypical UNSC recruiters. Unbeknownst to Taylor at the time, the two men worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence, and were seeking recruits for the second company of the SPARTAN-III Program. Taylor, though physically smaller than the most other candidates, was evaluated and believed to be suitable for the process, largely due to his personality and mental fortitude. He was offered a lifeline to become something more than a starving child, to become a weapon against the Covenant. Still hellbent on revenge, Taylor accepted the offer, and with that, the ONI operatives saw that all records of Taylor's existence were wiped from history. 
===SPARTAN-III Training===
====Conscription and Initial Training====
Following his conscription, Taylor was relocated to construct world of in early 2538. Seeing the strange, near mythical mechanical planet placed him in a state of awe. Two small moments occurred that played a significant role in altering his future. One, seeing this bizarre alien world, even stranger than what he knew of the Covenant opened his mind to possibility of the galaxy at large. It was in this moment he came to believe that he knew so little about the galaxy, the Covenant, and what the UNSC kept secret from its citizens. The other followed soon after, upon his arrival he witnessed other SPARTANs, specifically from operating in live fire exercises. They were cold, almost drone-like, and even the remote idea of becoming that worried Taylor. He was quickly assimilated into training, and stripped of his full name, now designated officially as Sierra-B025. He quickly befriended another recruit, Erik-B188, a talkative but cynical child, and slightly younger than Taylor. It would be this friendship that would carry both children through the initial SPARTAN testing, as they both lacked ideal characteristics in someway, their cooperation would mask these flaws. Through out his physical training, Taylor excelled through sheer determination, often outmatching the other larger and more physically capable cadets. He quietly resisted indoctrination as well, and excellently faked the process, convincing his trainers he was appropriately assimilated to the SPARTAN doctrine. It was throughout this period his angst and vengeance seemed to subside to an extent. These changes largely went unnoticed by the program personnel, aside from , a pioneer of the SPARTAN training. 
Franklin took a special interest in Taylor, as well as several other recruits from the company. Mendez was often campaigning behind the scenes to have Spartans who displayed aptitude and potential to be removed from the company and placed in special training, Taylor was one such of these individuals. Though he continued his combat and military training with the rest of Beta Company, Taylor and the others, were given access to a variety of education and skill training as they were being prepped for long-term usage. Though at times, it was more rigorous than the physical training, Taylor excelled in the educational aspect of the program. The variation in training often separated Taylor and his friend Erik, and the extra attention Taylor received seemed to cause his friend to grow envious of him. In Erik's absence, Taylor became well acquainted with Ashlyn-B277, Travis-B081, and Aja-B173, other Spartans who often directly trained together. 
The four SPARTAN cadets formed a cohesive unit that was recognized by Mendez and the other trainers early on. Recognizing this, the group was often trained together, to continue their budding cohesion. As the age of augmentation neared, a process that had a 100% success rate, Taylor was combat talent was evaluated. He excelled in close quarters training, breeching simulations, room to room combat, and above all else, his awareness, what he referred to as his "game sense", was unmatched among the others in Beta Company. Despite his size, he utilized his weight and stature exceptionally well in hand to hand situations, and he was even compared to a "bowling ball" by Mendez and the other instructors. The assessment saw Taylor, as well as Aja, Ashlyn, and Travis, to be slated for Headhunter training. 
====Augmentation Process====
Upon reaching the age of 12, Taylor was placed into the SPARTAN augmentation process, , a process his body was prepared for in the years prior. As with all SPARTAN IIIs, he survived the augmentation process, coming out the other side much stronger, faster, more reactive, and with a nearly unbreakable skeletal system. He masked the unnecessary fear he felt going into the process, and the effects post augmentation, left Taylor with an even larger ego. He was also implanted with neural interface. 
====Continued Training and Black Ops Preparation====
Immediately following their augmentation process, Taylor, Aja, Ashlyn, and Travis were transferred out of Beta Company and relocated to . Upon their initial arrival, the group began their new training regiment at the . It was here Taylor met and befriended several individuals that would have a profound impact on him, namely , who for a limited time, served as an instructor for the young SPARTAN IIIs. Taylor grew to look up to Jorge as somewhat of an older brother figure, a sibling that he had long wished for in his life. The real motivation behind removing Taylor and the others from Beta was revealed to them. Throughout their psychological profiling, Mendez sought out SPARTANs who were uncommon amongst the others of the third generation. Mainly, rational recruits who weren't overly aggressive and borderline volatile like many of the others, as well showing the potentially to operate in high stress, contentious operations. Specifically, SPARTANs who could offer more than just body to a cause.
As their training progressed, the group found themselves constantly moving between different bases across the planet Reach. FLEETCOM, the , the , and many other locations were often utilized in their assessments. Training placed a special emphasis on special covert operations in numerous simulated situations. The group was personally trained by ONI agents as well, their focus being on teaching the SPARTANS on how to separate themselves from the work they'd likely be subjected too. Though Taylor himself was resistant against the indoctrination during the initial phases of his training, on Reach, he became more susceptible. He began to truly believe that this war would be won on the back of difficult decisions, questionable and uncomfortable situations, and that only individuals with with iron will could make these choices. He was intent on following this mindset to the letter, even if it met at times jeopardizing other humans, victory against the Covenant must be secured no matter the price. As their exercises went on, it became clearly that Taylor, though not entirely vocal enough at times, stood out as the clear leader among the four SPARTANs. 
After a year into their training, the group was introduced to Commander Byron-A013, a veteran of Alpha Company, the predecessor SPARTAN III unit to Beta. Byron would be serving as the commanding officer of the SPARTAN's future operations team. Upon first meeting each other, Taylor, who had become protective over his team, was at odds with Byron. He worried about the possible fracturing of comradery with Byron involved, and often wondered if Byron was a possible lone wolf who would see the other SPARTANs as sacrificial to the cause. It would be this tension that put the prospects of the special operations team in jeopardy over the next several months, despite Byron only being involved with the group sporadically in their training. This eventually was settled after a face to face meeting between the Byron and Taylor. The Commander was quick to open up his life before he was a SPARTAN, as well as what he had been through since joining the UNSC. Byron was pulled from Alpha Company before the ill-fated Operation:PROMETHEUS, but had served in several operations with the company prior. He then became a Headhunter, and spent years working in duo operations, often behind enemy lines and on hostile worlds, this was until he lost his partner. It was a mistake that Bryon swore to Taylor still haunts him, and he sympathized with the young Spartan, despite the fact Taylor had not seen actual combat yet. He persuaded him to believe that first and foremost he'd do whatever necessary to keep the team alive, and that with Taylor's help, the team could assimilate under Byron's command much more efficiently. 
===Fever Team===
===Early Operations===
====Operation Martyr====
====Operation Bug-Bomb====
====Operation Hazard Pay====
===Mission to Emerald Cove Raid===
====The Resistance====
====The Forerunner Artifact====
====The Covenant Assault====
===Search For the Forgotten Fleet===
===Post-War and the UNSC Silent Earth===
==Description==
Taylor McCloud, by all accounts, is considered to be of small stature for a SPARTAN, even for those from the SPARTAN III Program. He stands at 180.75 centimeters(5 ft 10 in) outside of his MJOLNIR armor. Though at this height, his build is stout and powerful, at 102.9 kilograms (225 lb), he is often describe as a honey badger by others within the UNSC. His skin is fair, and most notably supported a strong jawline, covered by a trim copper blonde beard. His lips a slightly thinner and narrow, and his noes bares a slight hook in the bridge, while his dark blue eyes are often perceived as being sharp and cold. Taylor's hair is a thin bush of dirty blonde, swept back towards the back of his skull, the sides of his head are shaved nearly to the scalp, and his hairline is ever so slightly receded. Unlike many SPARTANs, his complexion is clean, baring no battle damage from his experience, a surprising feat considering his job as a CQC specialist. 
==Personality==
Despite years of trauma in his youth, as well as the rigorous training, and borderline brainwashing during the SPARTAN Program, Taylor's personality development is a stark contrast from most other SPARTANs, and his experiences have had the opposite affect on his psyche than ONI would of anticipated, at least on the surface level. He held strong to the mindset he adopted while living on the streets as a war orphan, "keep your eyes forward and you mind open". His desire for revenge drove him to ONI and to becoming a SPARTAN, but as he aged and matured, he refused to allow ONI to control what he knew. He has developed a sense of great self awareness, understanding his role in this conflict, and as a black ops agent. Taylor would be the first to admit, he is not a very "good" person, but he is not a hollow shell like many other SPARTANs. He relies heavily on a sense of sarcasm, so strong it mask any possible doubt, guilt, fear, or any other negative feeling he could express, his attitude is his crutch. This sense of derision nearly mask his absolute grit and robust persona that carries him through battle. He is bothered by little of what he experiences in war and life, he barrels through most pain, both physical and mental. 
Often described as a tactical mastermind, Taylor is an innovative thinker, and quick on his feet. In combat scenarios he is quick and reactive, his mind constantly evaluating his situation to provide the best route of action. This feat is Taylor's strongest asset, he is not the quickest or strongest SPARTAN, nor is he the best marksman, but his tactical expertise outweighs these traits exponentially. However, it should be noted that even though he posses an Admiral's mind, Taylor himself is the first to admit, he doesn't make a great primary leader. He himself believes in leading by example, and thrives on operating as the XO of Fever Team. Taylor also adheres to the ideals of clear communication, believing every bit of communicable information can be vital in operations. Though, his communication is littered with satire and irony. 
Taylor believes in adherence to the chain of command, to an extent that is. He values variety of personality, an ideal he often pushes to the others of Fever Team. Another contradiction for a SPARTAN, the idea of individuality and conscious is key in Taylor's behavior. Though this has been conflicted numerous times throughout his service as a black ops specialist. He counters these notions often however, and normally convinces himself that in war, everything is necessary. The older he has become, and the longer the war with the Covenant has grown, Taylor has begun to question his assignments more and more, as he often wonders if what he's doing, is always what's best for humanity. 
The motivation of survival, for humanity in particular, is Taylor's largest guiding force in his actions. It is this ideal that pushes him to nearly overworking all of his peers. He possesses an engine that is unmatched by many, and physically and mentally grinds through most challenges. This also feeds his covert competitive nature, and though he'd never say it aloud, Taylor always wants to be the very best, mainly to keep on impressing himself. His only interest, is to break his own boundaries and prove just how capable he is to satisfy his own ego. This does have the tendency to lead to some bit of heavy self-disappointment however. 
Even though to those close to him, Taylor comes off as arrogant and sharp, his affection and care for the rest of Fever Team is unmistakable. Despite his constant jokes, he does everything necessary to protect the only family he has left. It also goes beyond simply caring for their lives, but he tries mightily to effect their mentality as well, and though the efforts are slow, he has overtime, broken the hollow shells of the other members of Fever Team, and brought them closer together. Taylor also has a soft spot for military and civilian lives as well, often decisively putting his life on the line to save the lives that he can. This trait is often ridiculed by the other SPARTANs in Fever at times. He is also known to be tempted by a pretty face, often mocked as a "simp" by Erik B188. This feature was brought to the forefront when he first met Rikka Watakabe on Emerald Cove. It has also been noted by the other members of Fever that Taylor is notorious for being promiscuous with numerous other UNSC personnel. 
===Relationships===
====Rikka Watakabe====
====Fever Team====
==Skills and Abilities==
==Equipment==
===Armor===
===Weapon Loadout===
==Career Service Vitae==
{| class="property" style="padding:0px; border-radius: 0 0.5em 0 0.5em;"		
;McCloud, Taylor
;Lieutenant Commander
FULL NAME: Taylor Hand McClellan
SERVICE #: 59282-66025-TM
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Unit: Fever Team
(P)MOS: CQC-3119
Enlistment Date: 12/8/2537
Location: UNSC Silent Earth
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Gender: M
Birthplace: Hope's Fall, Petersburgh, Sylium II
Birth Date: 10/27/2530
Blood Type: A-
Height: 180.75 cm
Weight: 102.9 kg
;General Notes
;Performance
;Service History
[REDACTED]
;Special Notice[s]
Lieutenant Commander Taylor McCloud filed a Personal Relationship Form on August 30, 2553, and is thus officially recognized as being involved in a romantic relationship with . As such, Lieutenant Commander McCloud and his partner are obligated to conform to all official UNSC codes and regulations pursuant to personal relationships of this nature.
==Gallery==
==Appearances==
==Quotes by Appearance==
==Trivia==
*On multiple occasions it's been confirmed Taylor loves the sport of soccer, and in particular, supports Newcastle United.
*He speaks in a slight North English accent. 
*He loves to impersonate Sangheili.
*Taylor is a fan of syth-funk music, and in particular, the Reach based band, The Moonlight.
==Related Pages==
*Fever Team
*Rikka Watakabe
Category:SPARTAN-IIIs
Category:Humans
Category:Human-Covenant War