Leonardo Evans

== Leonardo Evans ==
Leonardo Evans, usually called Leo or known by his call sign Beta, is an American-Appalachian SAACC Marine commando. Once a Seaboard grunt alongside his brother, Evans turned against his squadmates and desserted. Sometime after, he trained unnoficially under Nathan Krauss, before going on to become a well respected Appalachian Marine Commando. He was the lead of Beta Squad.
== Life Before the Collapse ==
Leonardo Evans was born in Buffalo, New York, one year after the birth of his brother, Andrew, and before the birth of his two twin sisters, Sophia and Olivia. According to Leonardo, his parents maintained an upper-middle-class lifestyle, but their divorce when he was young had a significant impact on his childhood. He felt that his upbringing was mediocre, and he blamed certain marginalized groups for his personal struggles.
As a young teenager, Leonardo struggled with depression and fell from the righteous path he had been on. He began to blame others for his problems, refusing to take responsibility for his own actions. His anger and frustration fueled a growing hatred towards certain groups, and he eventually became an adamant neo-Nazi. He got Nazi symbols tattooed on his body, proudly displaying his hateful beliefs.
When the Jinanvirus pandemic hit, Leonardo's hatred and blame shifted to the virus and those he perceived as responsible for its spread. He and his brother Andrew both took similar paths, stepping away from their family and becoming more entrenched in their extremist beliefs.
== Joining and Leaving Seaboard Army ==
Leonardo Evans had drifted away from his neo-Nazi gang and enlisted in the Seaboard Army with his older brother, Andrew. They were both searching for purpose and excitement in their lives, and the military seemed like a way to achieve that. The two enlisted into the Army of Seaboard in New York.
Despite his initial skepticism with the Seaboard Army, Leonardo proved to be a quick learner and excellent marksman. He was soon transitioned to the Seaboard Marine Commandos, a highly skilled and specialized unit. However, as time passed, he became increasingly disillusioned with his mission and service to Seaboard. He began to question the government's actions and the morality of their cause.
During the Battle of the Big Indian, Leonardo was separated from his brother and found himself outnumbered and out of ammunition. He was faced with a black Appalachian soldier, who disarmed him and made him leave the battle. In that moment, he was forced to confront his deeply embedded racism and hatred towards those who were different from him. Evans began to realize that his enemy was just another human being, fighting for what he believed in as well.
The act of being saved by this soldier shattered Leonardo's worldview and led him to turn his back on Seaboard, despite his brother still fighting proudly for the Seaboard Army. In early 2021, Leonardo Evans came in contact with Appalachian General Nathan Krauss, who, at the time, was not in service. He took in Evans as an apprentice as he had done with Brian Burnett.
While searching for his brother in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, Krauss and Evans encountered Brian Burnett, who had intercepted a team of Seaboard operatives. One of the troops revealed to be Evans' older brother Andrew, whom Burnett killed. Evans was distressed, and the situation created tension between the two. After inviting Krauss to lead the Marine forces south to Harrisburg, Evans began on a path to officially join the Appalachian Marine Corps. Evans quickly forgave Burnett, though, and the two of them would later become close friends and squad mates.
== Assignment to Recon Task Force ==
While still unassigned to a formal unit, Evans stayed close to Krauss and fought in the Second Battle of Harrisburg. Once Seaboard forces were routed or withdrawn, he was among a small team of special operatives sent into the capitol to neutralize Levi Sherman. In the confrontation, already having sustained a minor injury before from hand grenade shrapnel, Evans was shot and wounded while trying to bring Brian Burnett to safety. The wound wasn't fatal, as he was wearing a modular ballistic vest. He recovered in the next couple of weeks.
After performing well in placement tests, Krauss personally recommended that Evans be assigned to the Recon Task Force, a small joint-forces battalion led by Navy Lieutenant Alex Mitchell. Krauss arranged that he be put into Angela Ellis' rifle squad, as he believed she would help him become more disciplined and adhere to military policy. This worked in the long run, however, Evans didn't initially see eye to eye with Ellis. She even tried to have him transferred out of her squad, but Krauss denied her request. Evans' fighting style began to synergize with Ellis' command during the Occupation of Stamford.
In the Battle of Cobleskill, Evans stayed in Ellis' squad, being of the first units to secure the town with most of the Recon Task Force, including Lieutenant Mitchell. After being ambushed by unexpected Seaboard units, Ellis and her squad regrouped with Nathan Krauss on the south side of Cobleskill. He assisted General Krauss, finding a converted laboratory that was emptied almost two months prior. This alerted Krauss that the entire operation was a setup, and the group was promptly ambushed. Once cornered in a church, Evans went through his arsenal until he was restrained and put at gun point, being forced to watch his mentor and General be executed by Lyons Russel. Just before killing Krauss, however, Russel, having researched on the ex-Seaboard Army rifleman, ordered for him to be released. He reasoned that someone had to survive to tell the tale of their defeat in Cobleskill.
Unknown to Russel until after it was too late, Evans was released with a note that outlined ten captured children, used as test subjects by Seaboard researchers, and where they were being held. With this, an Appalachian military team was dispatched to rescue the children, thereby fulfilling Krauss' last deed posthumously. After the Battle of Cobleskill, the Recon Task Force was destroyed, and Evans was to be reassigned.
== Integration into SAACC ==
After a period of training, Evans was assigned to Dakota Taylor's squad in the Special Appalachian Arms Commando Corps in the Appalachian Naval Special Command. Evans held the intention to become a Sergeant and lead his own squad as well, but Major Andre Davidson believed he needed more organized experience first, as he joined the military as an unprofessional militant trained by Nathan Krauss. For a time, Evans worked as Taylor's second in command, and led Taylor's rifle and scout squad when he was elsewhere.
In early 2023, Epsilon squad was assigned to recon and clearing missions with the intention of searching for Seaboard hideouts and resistance in southwest New York. After being recalled to Harrisburg for a new mission, Evans agreed to accompany Maria Burnett to Toronto so she could meet with her daughter's father. While in Toronto, Burnett and Evans connected in their shared experiences that opposed what they thought to be the sheltered views of Tyler Krauss and his family. The two slept together, and began a somewhat detached intimate relationship despite Evans being a subordinate to Maria Burnett's brother.
== Combat Style ==
A specialist in close range combat, Leonardo Evans originally trained as a guerilla fighter, specifically taught by Nathan Krauss to fight and defeat Seaboard commandos. Because of this, he is well versed in many weapons and pistol caliber carbines that are usually not seen in active service. Evans prefers cornering enemies and putting them into a defensive position with no way out.
Despite his tendency to fight in close quarters, Evans is not fond of unarmed combat. Initially only knowing how to street fight, Krauss taught him basic Marine infantry unarmed and melee combat forms. He later received additional training by Brian Burnett.