Character Name: Bruno Hackett
Board Name: Bruno
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 36
Zoids: Iron Kong, BladeLiger
AIM Screenname: gunslinger go
Referred By: Krys

Character Description: Bruno is a big, broad, and strong man. He stands a little over six foot three and weighs around two hundred pounds. Like most retired fighters, Bruno's entire body is a mosaic of scars. The most notable facial scars include a two-inch gouge on his left cheek, a slightly smaller and lighter gash that follows the line of his left eyebrow across his temple, and a particularly nasty one across the right side of his jaw.

His black hair is kept fairly short and he usually has a well-groomed beard, in part to hide some of the various other minor scars and disfiguring marks. Another major identifying mark on the man is a highly detailed tattoo that takes up most of his back. It roughly resembles a shield, like a giant coat-of-arms. A particularly nasty looking bear takes up most of the shield, while a pair of meat cleavers cross over each other around the shield. A knightly helmet sits at the top of the shield, with a pair of demonic looking horns emerging from top of that. Various claws, fangs, and bones adorn the rest of the image. There is a scroll along the bottom of the piece, though the words are written in a long-forgotten language. His other tattoo is far simpler; a small deer skull on his chest.

Character History: A lot of kids are picked on when they're young - it's the way of the world. Some kids suck it up and take it. Some fight back. Bruno was the kid who fought back. When one good punch in the lead bully's face proved to only be a temporary fix, Bruno had to resort to violence on a fairly regular basis in the interest of his own well-being. Even when the bullies left him alone, once Bruno had acquired a taste for the violence, it was hard to stop. But he wouldn't sink to the level of a bully. And so, Bruno took up boxing.

For several years, Bruno fought in small underground joints, waiting to make his big break. It didn't take long - he was fairly talented, very strong, and as stubborn as a mule. Plus, with so many young people flocking to the ranks of zoid pilots, it was almost easy to get into a rapidly vanishing business. While Bruno did quite well for himself, earning a number of heavyweight championships over his years in the ring as well as a number of affectionate nicknames (the Butcher, the Bear, the Berserker), Bruno wasn't dumb. No matter how much he enjoyed the sport, he saw what happened to guys who were in the game too long. It's not just your face that looks like someone went at you with a hacksaw; there are internal consequences as well.

And so with a heavy heart, Bruno retired around age 28. For awhile he wasn't sure what to do with himself. He eventually took up zoid piloting simply because he had the money to spare and thirsted for a means of venting his violent tendencies. Big and burly heavy-hitters in melee like the Iron Kong and Blade Liger proved to be a perfect fit. Once again, Bruno enjoyed some small successes with his zoids. It was enough to live comfortably on, combined with all the money he had made as a fighter.

As the years went on it started to become clear he wasn't going to be able to make a living on fighting anymore. The solitary nature of the work was slowly getting to him, and he needed to get the gloves back on. Since going back to the ring wasn't an option, Bruno had to look elsewhere. Finally, the perfect opportunity came knocking - a job to be a boxing instructor for some rich kid. It was perfect. The kid turned out to be pretty cool by his standards, the rest of the gym staff was just as good... and well, it paid more than generously. Life was good. After several years of working there, once the boy grew up, Bruno stepped up to serve as the boy's bodyguard.