Astor Bennett

* Biography
* Threat Assessment
* Trivia and Notes
* Gallery

### Astor Bennett: 2002 - 2010

Astor and her younger brother Cody, are the biological children of my wife Rita and her ex-husband Paul Bennett. Though Astor's exact paternity is questionable due to some suspicious math, the fact remains that Paul Bennett is the father listed on Astor's birth certificate — which may quite possibly be the most honorable thing Paul did for Rita. You see, Astor and Cody grew in a house where they saw their father regularly abuse drugs and beat their mother.

Astor and Cody's father Paul also had some particularly unscrupulous criminal associates that he has many dealings with, and sometimes, this failure as a father would bring his children to illicit business meetings, where the kids were further exposed to all manner of things that children should never witness — lest they risk growing up into a monster... like I did.

There is also a debate as to exactly what led to Rita finding the nerve to trust law enforcement to intervene, especially after having put up with Paul's criminal and abusive behavior for the better part of the decade. Both Rita and my sister Deb claim that there was an instant connection between the pair when Deb approached Rita for information against Paul, but I suspect Paul also grew tired of limiting his abuse to Rita alone and may have been branching out with his cruelty, with Astor and/or Cody the most likely victims.

When Debra arrested Paul for domestic abuse, Rita only testified about her own injuries, but then I entered the picture. As she and Rita remained good friends after Paul's incarceration, my sister decided to set me up with Rita. Though we did not quite hit it off right away, I decided to put some real effort into a relationship with Rita. In addition to having a girlfriend who could help deflect some suspicion off any serial killer vibes I may emit when my mask slips, there were other things I liked about Rita. She was fun and sweet, in a manner that no one who had suffered as she did had any right to be; but I would be lying if I didn't admit that the first real thing that drew me in with Rita was her kids.

I have always liked kids. Maybe it's the cliché reasons: they are adorable, they are innocent, they are without blame, they have so much untapped potential, they are.... our future. But with Astor and Cody, they were something else, they were broken — just as I was... or rather, *am*. I'm a bit ashamed to say that I did not recognize it at first, but neither did Rita... and what we didn't know would end up hurting people.

### Astor Bennett: 2010 - Present

By virtue of my relationship with Rita, I became the de facto father figure in Astor and Cody's life. They accepted me in a way that I had not expected. I thought there would be some pushback, some resistance to accepting their mom's boyfriend — especially right after the ordeal of their father being sent to prison. However, after what they had been through, I guess a dorky serial killer was an upgrade from the abusive crack addict. I have many faults, I'll admit, but at least I'm not a raging asshole... at least as far I know.

What I had not expected was that the reason Astor and Cody developed a quick kinship with me was because they actually sensed something in me... not just something, but the very thing that I try to keep more hidden than anything else. I don't understand how they did it, as it took me years to develop my ability to sense the Dark Passenger in others and even then, it's not always right. They could sense this because they shared my affliction — they had a Dark Passenger of their own.

In all my years of stalking and slicing scourges like me, I have never encountered sibling scourges like Astor and Cody. My brother Brian also had a Dark Passenger of his own, but through Brian and I may have walked down the same dark path, we did so on our own, in our own ways... and that made all the difference. Yet. That is not how it is Astor and Cody. Not only do they have each other to rely on, but the genuinely fascinating thing about my stepdaughter and stepson is that they actually appear to share the same Dark Passenger, an entity by the name of Niya.

## Threat Assessment

### Methodology

#### Astor

To the less discerning eye, one might suspect Astor is your average teenager girl going through the typical stages of teenage rebellion. Though most of this rebellion is directed at her mother, Astor has some angsty bouts with other representations of authority, such as her father, teachers, and even most of my cop friends. For reasons, I am usually spared this side of Astor's personality. When I first met Astor, she was quiet and reserved but still friendly, in her own way. As the trauma of whatever her father had done to her passed, Astor began to open up to me, even becoming downright chatty and inquisitive. Rita noticed this change and encouraged us to spend time together, allowing Astor and I to form a deep bond with each other.

With this rapport built, I gained a particular insight into Astor. Before I realized the dark truth of what was affecting her, I noticed certain... promiscuous behaviors that went unnoticed by Rita and Cody. I was suspicious that Astor may be keeping secrets. As first suspected this might be evidence of Paul abusing Astor, but I looked into the issue (in that I stalked Astor's after-school activity) and what I learned surprised me.

In attempt to cope with all the trauma put on her plate, Astor had fallen in with some friends that were drinking and smoking weed behind the school gym. If that was not enough, the teens were getting the weed from a dirtbag teacher who was clearly grooming the children for his own twisted purposes.

There have been only a handful of times I have broken Harry's Code. One time to avoid capture, twice in a fit of rage... but those were incidents that were crimes of passion. Make no mistake, they were bad people. All three deserved what they got, but I had not planned their demise. I didn't stalk them or confront them in my usual ritual. They were brutal and heated ends, born out of necessity... but the fourth? I wanted this teacher to fit Harry's Code, and though he would no doubt ruin countless precious lives if I had let him, Astor's included, he had not taken a life... yet. In order to protect Astor any further harm, I made the decision to take this piece of scum out of the equation. He didn't fit the Code, but I felt no regret — not that I usually do. I am confident Harry would have done the same for Deb.

#### Niya

The Dark Passenger affecting Astor and Cody is mostly an enigma. It's hidden from me for over five years, so it is either particularly elusive or is still weak and slowly growing in power and influence — possibly due to splitting itself between two hosts. Aside from compelling its hosts to kill neighborhood pets (got to start somewhere), Niya has also given Astor and Cody some form of subliminal connection to each other. This allows them greater insight into one another and incredible synergy.

### Visage Score

* **Vitality:** 1
* **Intellect:** 2
* **Strategy:** 3
* **Ambit:** 2
* **Gnostic:** 3
* **Expertise:** 2

## Trivia and Notes

### Trivia

* It's unknown if Paul is Astor's true father. Rita quickly married him when she realized she was pregnant. The other possible parent is John Ackerman, Rita's previous husband. Nevertheless, Paul is the one who ended up on the birth certificate.
* Rita's oldest child and Dexter's teenage stepdaughter. Though a seemingly nice girl, Astor is in truth deeply damaged stemming from her biological father's abuse and as a result, she struggles in school. Due to Astor often being in trouble with her teachers, she and Rita have a strained relationship. Astor tolerates Dexter, finding him to be a nice guy that she can't really find fault with, but she is hesitant to accept another male role model for fear of being hurt once again.
* When Paul Bennett was released she was doubtful of him.

### Notes

* Astor Bennett is a character from the *Dexter* novels and TV series.
* Astor having a Dark Passenger is a nod to the book version of the character.

## Links and References

* Appearances of Astor Bennett

1. ↑ Codex of Blood: Astor and Cody Bennett
2. ↑ Codex of Blood: Rita Morgan
3. ↑ Roy Reimagines... Dexter