McLean Saunders

**McLean Adolph Saunders** is a Panamoan terrorist that created the "peacekeeping" Nexus Global Security, a security firm that actually terrorized the state Xaneryava, under the hoax of "Establishing control amidst the chaos". He is the main antagonist in *Total Blackout*.

Under the alias of *Kirk Waylecroft*, is the CEO of Nexus Global Security. Known for his reclusive and schematic nature, he has a permanent team of advisers and confidants around him -- referred to throughout the company as the Global Circle.

## History

### Background

Born in the midnight of September 7, 1970, McLean Saunders was spoiled throughout his childhood, his mother Abbigail had nearly burned his arm by placing his hand on a boiling soup when he accidentally spilled coffee by accident. His father was a famous chef, but was extremely cynical. Because the abuse that his parents inflicted on him, it made him a very cynical, selfish and egotistical individual who wants everything to be meeting in his own needs.

### Pulling the Strings

With the Nexus Liberation Army causing chaos in Xaneryava, McLean Saunders was requested by the Sacrosanct Defense Coalition to involve his security firm on the conflict; unknowingly grifting a few corrupt officials of the SDC, in order to cover up their illegal activities.

### Operation Xaneryava/Blackout

At the start of the campaign, the NLA launches an attack on Xaneryava, Panamoan Republic to steal chemical weapons being stored there by the Naymor Evalkan Coalition and the Sacrosanct Defense Coalition, with a Nexus Global Security task force sent in to repel the NLA attack and secure the weapons. Moments before the attack, the NLA released a statement: "The chains of capitalism will be broken. The weight of economic oppression will be lifted. The plague of unfettered greed will be eradicated." Only a couple weeks after the Xaneryava attack, the NLA targeted the Eastern Hemisphere's networks in a large-scale cyber attack.

In responds to the Eastern hemisphere cyber attacks, an international summit on cybersecurity is held in Daitoshi - at which point the NLA attacks Daitoshi using the chemical weapons stolen in Xaneryava, throwing the city into chaos.

Eventually, however, it is discovered by Phoenix and Roux that the NLA have actually been under the orders of Nexus Global Security CEO Kirk Waylecroft the entire time - who is revealed to actually be the international terrorist McLean Saunders, who intends to use the chaos created by the NLA attacks to start a major global war. The NLA attack in Xaneryava was actually ordered by Saunders as a coverup to allow for the theft of the chemical weapons without NGS's involvement being discovered.

### Death in NGS Headquarters

In the final mission of the campaign, Phoenix and Tukura are sent by Roux to infiltrate NGS HQ in Shikō notoshi and steal data proving Saunders' involvement in the NLA attacks. After acquiring the data, the duo head to the roof for chopper extraction - where Saunders contacts Phoenix by radio and threatens' Phoenix's daughter Lily, and attacks the duo in his attack helicopter.

After Phoenix and Tukura clear the roof, Equalizer arrives and fires air-to-air missiles at Saunders' chopper, temporarily chasing it away, and prepares to extract Phoenix and Tukura at a helipad. However Saunders' chopper returns and shoots down Equalizer, causing the chopper to crash into the helipad and killing the pilot. As he aims for another shot, Phoenix shoots his MK50 Hawk at Saunders' cockpit, causing his own helicopter to crash onto the helipad and burst into flames.

Saunders climbs out of the burning wreck, still alive and conscious and brandishes a MK50 Hawk, ready to shoot Phoenix; however Phoenix grapples it out of his hands, and Saunders pulls out a combat knife; in the long brutal fight, Phoenix manages stab Saunders in the neck; killing him with his own knife which easily pierced his body armour. After Saunders' death, it is revealed by Roux that all the top Global Security executives and operatives were arrested, and that the SDC had Global Security troops pulled out of Daitoshi after NGS' involvement in the terrorist attacks was revealed.

## Personality

McLean Saunders is a manipulative, egotistical and materialistic individual who wants nothing but fame, power and wealth, one of the reasons why he created the Nexus Global Security, which he egotistically used to create chaos in the Panamoan Republic in the hoax of maintaining order and secur In the country, which he mainly utilized his skills in manipulation to sway the Sacrosanct Defense Coalition, so that he is viewed as the major contributor in restoring peace in Xaneryava.

At first, Saunders appears to be a reasonable, if somewhat awkward, version of William Church. However, he later reveals himself to be a manipulative and highly sociopathic individual, obsessed with getting revenge on everyone involved with Operation Blackout. His manipulative side is demonstrated when he manipulated and lured Dominique "Roux" David and her team. He also seems to be very unstable, as shown when he states very passionately he has to "cut the head off" whoever is responsible for what happened to him and the other NGS operatives.

## Abilities

Saunders is an elite-class fighter, who has a minimalist fighting style due to his endless list of martial arts knowledge and experience. It has been noted that he is an extremely skilled marksman, through a variety of firearms and ranged weapons.

* **Master Manipulator**: Saunders is best known for his skills in manipulating people, especially on Dominique "Roux" David's team of Delta HAWK operators. And manipulated the Sacrosanct Defense Coalition about that the NPGS is doing proper and rightful measures to contain the threat in Xaneryava.

* **Expert Marksman**: Saunders is an exceptionally skilled marksman who can easily shoot any target at various distances with relative ease. However his marksmanship skills in vehicular weaponry are mediocre, as he wasn't able to shoot Phoenix with guided missiles easily, despite the chopper having an integrated targeting system.

* **Peak Nevian Strength**: Saunders is strong enough to incapacitate Dominique "Roux" David with a few punches to the stomach, and briefly outmatch her in hand-to-hand combat.

* **Expert Combatant**: Despite being deemed as a "coward", he is an extremely deadly hand to hand combatant, he managed to defeat three Delta HAWK operators like they were nothing. And able to briefly outmatch Dominique "Roux" David in unarmed combat for a while.

* **Peak Physical Condition**: McLean Saunders is in peak physical condition, in fact, he can exert himself for almost twenty four hours without fatigue on any strenuous activity at hand.

* **Expert Grifter**: He grifted a handful of Sacrosanct Defense Coalition members by doing his bidding.

* **Expert Pilot**: He is capable of piloting a military chopper with ease; Though his marksmanship skills are extremely average, failed to kill Phoenix with homing missiles.

## Trivia

### General

* Though many people think he's a manipulative coward, he is still a deadly opponent in terms in the battlefield.
* He is actually a misogynistic, and never married anyone in his life; He doesn't even have any social media account.
* He is anorexic, and that's why he exercises daily, to gain sufficient weight.
* McLean Saunders had a heavily bruised face, which was the result of Phoenix nearly killing him on a assault chopper, which gave him an impression of someone underwent the effects of being a senior citizen.
* He had an athletic build, and he usually does run long distances and do strenuous exercises to keep himself in top shape, unlike what Caydan Phoenix that thinks that he is a lazy worm.