Michael Axtonn

In Armor

## **Physical Description:**

Extremely athletic build before being inducted to the Spartan Corps, the modifications have only lead to increase his natural talents and abilities. With weathered hazel eyes and hair that has a few streaks of grey in it, his years in combat are noticeable from a wide variety of scars on his body with he is always ready to boisterously talk about when not on duty. The most noticeable trait is the massive scar on the left side of his face that he received from a glancing strike from an energy sword.

## **Bio:**

Born in 2522 to David and Sarah Axtonn in the Greater Chicago Industrial Zone, Michael had a deep appreciation for the UNSC based on his family’s long standing tradition of military service. Since he could hold a gun he’d been practicing his skills with it to eventually be the best soldier he can be. While Michael’s father was a trainer of ODSTs on Earth, when the Covenant were discovered David was brought back into active service and participated in the battle of Arcadia. Eventually was declared MIA like the rest of the ODSTs that served on the Spirit of Fire.

As soon as Michael could he volunteered for the UNSC Marine Corps becoming a grunt like the rest of his family before him. During boot camp his extreme accuracy with a rifle saw him receive a sharpshooter qualification and caught the eyes of the powers that be. It wasn’t till the battle of Jericho VII that he would be officially considered for the Orbital Drop troops, being able to lead a team of marines behind Covenant lined to ambush small patrols, eliminating their targets, and retrieving valuable covie tech before enemy RRF (Rapid Reaction Forces) could assault them. Once the marine passed training and became a Helljumper like his dad, Michael’s military career soon saw him at nearly every combat zone. Assigned to mostly long range recon and assassinations during the war, however he would find himself on the frontlines of battle during many evacuations. During the Battle of Sargassos, his squad’s position was overrun by enemy forces with a majority of the civilians they were assigned to protect killed. What little remained of his squad and the civies were saved by a group of Spartan II’s. While he had a deep seated mistrust toward these war machines, Michael couldn’t deny the sheer skill and godly power that they possessed gaining the Helljumper’s respect.

Soon after the battle Axtonn was assigned to the 105th Shock Troops Division and given the promotion to Gunnery Sergeant. He felt the promotion was unwarranted because of his failure to keep the civilians and his team safe, this pushed him to strive for perfection and trying to match the Spartans’ skills. While never being able to meet their prowess, Michael had one of the highest confirmed kills of Elites in the regular UNSC forces.

When Earth was finally found by the Covenant, Michael took it as a personal mission to kill every alien bastard that set foot on his home. Where much of the 105th was deployed to New Mombasa, Axtonn and his platoon was sent to Chicago to fight the Covenant forces there who were trying to destroy the manufacturing center of North America. While the unit was tasked with evacing the civilian population and reclaiming the factories, he was sent deep behind enemy lines to take out the commander of the covie forces in the area. After five days of stalking his prey and avoiding spec-ops and patrols, he finally found his mark and was ready to fire. However one spec-ops elite found his position and attacked him. During the altercation Axtonn took a glancing blow from an energy sword to his face. He was able to get the upper hand when Michael was able to get a flashbang off, blinding the Elite long enough to kill it. Though with his position exposed, he rushed back to his rifle and through the grace of all that was good with the world fired his rifle and killed his target.

The next 48 hours of his escape back to friendly lines were some of the most terrifying and exhilarating moments of his life. The only reason he was able to keep ahead of the covies was that around that time the Schism began, providing an ample distraction for him to get back. Years later when the war was over and the Spartan IV program was starting up, Axtonn’s actions during the battle of Earth and his skills earned him the opportunity to join up. Seeing it as his chance to possibly match the Spartans that had saved him all those years ago, he accepted without a moment of hesitation.