Cody Lyman

Cody Lyman is the protagonist of the main Zombie Tails storyline. 

   Cody was having the best night of his life. The backup Quarterback for the Warner-Grossman Hornets, Cody had just led an amazing comeback to defeat the best football team in the state. (They had already locked in the 1 seed and were playing with their backups but let's not let that dull the moment) Even better, the win sealed the team a playoff berth for the first time in almost 10 years. An already perfect night capped off by an epic party at his girlfriend's place to celebrate. The soft drinks are flowing, (and even a few hard ones) the music is thumping so hard the floor's vibrating, and you're the most popular kid at the party. His girlfriend even wants to get intimate... though Cody says that'll have to wait till prom. All his cares feel so far away...  

     The next day was the worst day of Cody's life. It's one thing to wake up after the most epic party of your life and have to trudge your way to school. But when your school bus happens to be shared with a zombie, things are about to get a whole lot worse. A girl in the back row suddenly starts lashing out at other students, casusing absolute pandemonium. Cody manages to stop the zombies from reaching the front of the bus, getting bitten in the process (though he doesn't know it yet). He order the bus driver to stop, but it's too late and the bus has arrived at school. The zombies surge past and into the bustling crowd of arriving students, and the apocalypse has arrived at Warner-Grossman high school. 

      Watching the chaos unfold, Cody realizes what's going on, and that he's been bitten. Assuming the worst, he knows he has to warn his girlfriend and the other students before it's too late. He runs through the school, beating up zombies and helping other students protect themselves along the way until he succumbs to the virus. Locking himself inside one of the bathrooms, he prepares for the worst.  

      Unbeknownst to Cody, due to a particular mutation in his system, the virus infects but doesn't kill him, and he's surprised to wake up several hours later as a still-alive, still kicking zombie. By then his school has been overrun, and Cody finds that nearly all of his fellow students have been slaughtered. On top of that, the virus has control of his brain and he is maddeningly driven to hunt down any survivors that he comes across. He is left to wander to ruined cityscape for any sign of his family and friends, though never actually wanting to meet them due to his infection. What happens after that still needs to be figured out, but eventually Cody is captured and taken for study in hopes of developing a cure/vaccine. 

         For the most part, Cody has control of his faculties except for when his senses perceive a non-infected entity. Then he is filled with an overpowering instinct to consume, which Cody compares to "the predatory instinct of a wild animal". Most zombies appear to be reduced to a feral state similar to their wild counterparts (except for prey anthros exhibiting predatory behavior) and appear to have lost their capacity for higher thought. Cody however has the full use of his former intelligence even when chasing down "prey".  While most zombies cannot use tools and only use teeth, claws, and their bodies, Cody can use tools and weapons as well as his mind to take down opponents even when not in control of himself. He also possesses a limited capability to resist his impulses, though for a short time.  Cody also possesses the ability to heal from injuries and can feel pain although not as much as a normal person. Cody has heightened senses (believed to be a trait of all infected) of smell, hearing, and sight. Taste and touch however are rather diminished. In an ironic twist Cody's immune system seems to be functioning at a higher level than normal, the virus keeping him from succumbing to other diseases. Cody's wounds are also surprisingly clear of infection, despite some of them being open for days. Cody has increased endurance but his physical strength hasn't changed much from the virus. Cody says he constantly feels sick, like how one might feel with the flu or a stomach bug. It has been discovered that drinking chlorine can mitigate some of these effects, making Cody feel better temporarily and allow him to briefly associate with uninfected people without going into murder mode. 

       Physically Cody has several injuries (I might change these design elements later), the biggest one being a partially chewed off leg (happened while he was asleep in the school bathroom the day of the outbreak) Other injuries might be scattered and aren't consistent throughout the design. His main outfit is a beat up letterman jacket with "hornets" on the side and torn up jeans, though he changes his outfit sometimes if he finds a clothing store or mall.  There are usually blood stains somewhere on the design (though I'm not sure if it's his or someone else's) His eyes are a sickly green.  

BACKSTORY:

     Before High school Cody's life was anything but remarkable. His dad installed HVAC units, and his mom was a nurse who quit to take care of Cody and his 2 brothers.  Cody tussled with his 2 siblings (one older and one younger) often, which instilled a competitive and sporting nature in him early. He loved watching sports with his dad and would play catch in their front yard (which usually devolved into a fight) 

   Cody's dad was a fairly normal blue-collar parent apart from some occasional anger issues and late nights out with friends. Mom was a bit high-strung at times but loved and took care of all 3 of them. On weekend nights they'd all go to Burger King for cheeseburgers and fries, a family tradition the kids loved. The family wasn't wealthy by any means but they had a home, paid the bills on time, and had 3 meals a day. There wasn't much luxury in the Lyman household but they were comfortable. 

    He met his girlfriend in the 2nd grade, a tigress named Jasmine, though they were only friends till middle school when things started getting serious. She became a cheerleader and one of the most popular girls in high school, which in turn made Cody popular. 

      Cody started playing sports in elementary school, his rough and tumble nature quickly cementing football as his sport of choice. With the speed, agility, and musculature of a large cat, Cody fit in well to the sport despite not showing extraordinary talent. It was mostly seen as a leisure activity to get the zoomies out rather than a professional career. His older brother went on to play Quarterback for a D II school (where he was when the outbreak happened) and Cody naturally wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps. Upon reaching Warner-Grossman high school he quickly fit in with his teammates, though he struggled as the competition grew more intense. He got the starting QB job as a sophomore, something very rare for a varsity high school team. However, Cody soon found out why, as the team lacked any kind of talent whatsoever. The Hornets were at the bottom of the rankings when Cody arrived, which didn't help. Every time he got a chance he would get steamrolled before he could even throw the ball. His confidence and skill were quickly shot, which resulted in a very bad inaugural season. He got pulled in the last game, as much for performance as it was for a sprained ankle. 

He wound up falling into the backup QB job as a junior, but midway through the season he was thrust back into the starting role when the starter got injured. However, this year was different. The hornets had a new player on the team, a transfer from one of the best high school squads in the country. It was a cheetah named Keenan Chase.  As it turns out, he was one of the best players on that team. (and a total tryhard) Family reasons had forced him to move here. 

   When Keenan arrived, he whipped the whole team into shape. He practiced with Cody often despite not being the starter, (as the starting QB was more interested in girls and drugs than football) which helped him rebuild his confidence and grow his skills. But more than Cody the whole team got better. By the time Cody took the helm they were 5-6. Not great, but leagues better than last year. 

    The new and improved Cody sent the team on a winning streak, allowing him to discover his strengths as a player. It also allowed Cody to really step into his role as leader of the team and build his sense of responsibility, The Hornets finished 12-6 heading into the last week of the season, on the verge of the first playoff berth in over 10 years. If Cody could win this game, then life would be just peachy... 

Character Notes:  

Name:  Cody Lyman 

Species: Puma (anthro)  

Age: 17  (high school Junior)

Hometown: Atlanta, GA 

School: Warner-Grossman High School  

Personality:  Helpful, caring, jock, good leader, action oriented and a quick thinker, intelligent but not book smart, hard working (unless it's studying, he hates studying)