Character Name: Cody Towner
Board Name: Cody Towner
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 22
Zoids: Dark Horn and Stealth Dragon
AIM Screenname: CodyIsTheOnlyGod
Referred By: can't remember

Character Description and History:

Appearance:
Cody stands at six foot even, and weighs in at 200 pounds. He has a muscular stature though, from working on Zoids as a mechanic. He has long jet black hair, that goes down to the middle of his back. His hair is also styled with vertical lime green highlights. His face has a rather nasty looking scar on his right cheek, just one long cut he received when he was a baby. Another scar, also from the same time as his facial one, is on his back. It is a large 'X' shape that covers his whole back, looking completely fresh, despite it being almost as old as he was. The scars remain fresh looking because he was a baby when he got them, so his skin was not yet very durable.

Cody is often seen wearing a black wifebeater and blue skinny jeans. It shows off his stature and is also quite a relaxed outfit for him. He also wears a small silver chain necklace, with a ring on it. The ring is engraved with the words 'Ascend To Darkness'. The ring will be explained in his origins. His boots are black work boots, covered in various oil stains and scorch marks from work.

He is a pretty friendly guy, willing to work with others easily. He's quick to anger, but if you stay on his good side, you'll be safe. But if you anger him he'll turn to violence. He is a heavy drinker as well, often seen stumbling out of bars and such. But he never drinks if he knows he has a battle coming up. He cares for his Zoids too much. His abilities would allow him to be pretty much normal piloting drunk, he is sure, but he won't dare try it. It isn't worth getting himself or other people hurt. His favorite Zoids are the heavy Zoids, preferring the giant guns and heavy melee damages. He also favors the rougher looking Zoids, such as the sauric beasts.

Origin:
Cody was found in the North Continent by his adoptive parents, a couple scientists who were running labs in a valley on some new Zoid models they were working on. They found two destroyed Zoids and one Zoid which was completely obliterated, and only shrapnel bits could be found of it. But the make of the Zoids were clear. The obliterated pieces were of a Red Horn, and the other two Zoids were a Dark Horn and a Stealth Dragon. This was no battle. This was an assassination. The only thing they could find as any identification was the word 'Towner' on the side of the Dark Horn in gold letters. The scientists explored the wreckage more and heard a whining coming from the pieces of the Dark Horn.

At first they just thought it was a still-running engine piece, until they heard the whining coming from the cockpit. They found a baby in the lap of the apparent father, who was killed in the wreckage. The baby was badly hurt, hit by shrapnel on it's face and back, but still alive. The scientists, who were both husbands to each other, quickly wrapped the baby in First Aid supplies found in the cockpit and quickly flew out to a hospital in their Pteras. They reported the situation to the police and found out that the babe's name was Cody Towner. The trio in the valley had been Cody's parents, his father in the Dark Horn and his mother in the Red Horn. The Stealth Dragon was piloted by a friend of the family's, who was believed to be Cody's godfather. Seeing as his father had Cody in his lap, they had simply just been on a stroll with their Zoids when they were attacked. Which means someone had it out for them.

They raised Cody as their own, and telling him at six that he was adopted. He had already figured that out. Growing up with scientists, he was a pretty smart guy. He knew that two men could not procreate, so his fathers were not his true parents. But he had no idea of his real past. When he was thirteen, his dads told him HOW they actually found him, instead of getting him at an orphanage like they had told him. Upon hearing the story of this murderous act, he quickly fled to the valley the scientists described. He saw the Zoids had been cleared out, after twelve long years of course it had. He did set out anyway, and for two days straight set about digging up the ground in the valley. On the second day, he was starting to head home when he saw one of the dirt piles he had made sparkle. Just a quick flash, a reflection of light, but he saw it. He quickly fetched the object, and it was a very worn silver ring. It looked like it had been sitting in the dirt for years.

He read the words, very dulled but still legible, and they read 'Ascend To Darkness'. That was very odd, but considering his real dad had a Dark Horn, he concluded it must have belonged to him. So he pocketed the ring and headed back home. On his way back, he started thinking. If they had something out for his parents, would whoever killed him come for Cody? It was doubtful, but perhaps Cody might be the hunter instead. He decided he would have to learn more of being a Zoid pilot. After all, no war was won without a Zoid. He decided to work for the mechanics his parents had hired. At this point in life, Cody was simply a bit chubby, learning more in academics than physical ability. But when he volunteered to work with the mechanics, he learned brains weren't all you needed in life. He was nowhere near strong enough to help move most of the parts, but smaller guns and such he could help mount and screw in, and over the years he had grown stronger, eventually mounting all the same parts as all the big guys he had grown up with. Mechanics came and left, never working for any one person for too long, but Cody was always in the garage, and still learning from his parents, all in the sake of learning Zoidss.

His parents let him drive the spare Zoids, mostly Gun Snipers and other small ones. But for some reason, their small stature was unimpressive to him. Even with all their speed, and the tactical training his parents and various mechanics had taught him, they were simply inferior for him. No, he knew he was destined for the big guys. He begged one of his dads, Rob Zylbeck, to test out a bigger Zoid. His dad agreed to let him test out a modified Iron Kong they had been working on. The Kong was massive. Cody was in love with it the moment he saw it. He hopped into the cockpit, and fired up the engine. He stepped out into the plains and worked the controls. This Kong was vastly slower than the small Zoids he was used to piloting, but he didn't care. Feeling all the power under him, he knew he was a heavy Zoid pilot. After a long day of weapons training, he decided to tell his dads that it was time for him to go.

He submitted his application for a Zoid license, and when he passed, his parents threw him a going away party. Despite being his adoptive parents, his dads loved him like any real dad would. They offered to give him the Iron Kong for his dreams, but Cody declined. He knew what he was born to pilot. The Dark Horn, just like his dad. He would Ascend To Darkness, and pilot the massive creature. He thanked his parents, promising to visit often, even though like every other kid he would only visit at holidays and such or when he was in town. Then he went down to the main part of the city, and went to acquire his first Zoid, which was promised to him with his license acceptance. And guess what Zoid was available for new pilots? That's right, the Dark Horn, just like his father. He knew it was destiny.