Cody Bennett

* Biography
* Threat Assessment
* Trivia and Notes
* Gallery

### Cody Bennett: 2003 - 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.

### Cody 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

#### Cody

I used to like to imagine Cody as a personification of the pure innocence that I lost. He was sweet and kind at first. Much like his mother, Cody seemed unburdened by the horrors he had suffered, but that was just as a facade. I guess I'm not the only one who wears masks. The truth was that Cody was hurting. He felt empty with the loss of his father, he eagerly latched onto me — desperate for a male role model to replace what he had lost.

While Astor was wisely doubtful of Paul upon his parole, Cody's affection for me was rescinded and relapsed to a blindly devoted admiration for his abusive asshole father. However, all that changed shortly after Paul's reincarceration. I am not certain why Cody suddenly developed intense hatred for his father, but I have theories.

The first and simplest is that Paul had made promises during his brief freedom, promises which were now broken. The second is that with Paul in prison again, Cody simply reverted. The third theory, and the one I'd wager is the closest to reality, is that upon Paul's parole being revoked, Cody was confused and angry — and either Rita or (more likely) Astor told Cody details of Paul's abuse that he was previously uninformed of, or had been suppressing.

Whatever the case, Cody began to have temper tantrums that were usually unlike him. His anger was particularly quick to burst when he felt the need to stand up for his family: particularly Rita, Astor, or even me. Still, violent outbursts aside, Cody is a good kid... He tends to not use foul language and acts respectful among most adults, and lives the life of a normal child — for the most part.

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

## Trivia and Notes

### Trivia

* Rita's son and Dexter's stepson, Cody is Dexter's number one fan. Though Cody has a complex, rose-tinted view of his biological father, he has genuinely embraced Dexter as his new father figure. Having been the "man of the house" before Dexter's arrival in the family, Cody is equally protective of his mother and older sister.

### Notes

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

## Links and References

* Appearances of Cody Bennett

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