With a faintly alien looking face but a charming smile none the less, Frankie always greets his classmates cheerfully. No one knows how he manages this, as he was abandoned as a youth by his family. Having been born mutated, obviously, placed him in a category at any adoption clinic that most folks wouldn't touch.

But thankfully, the Maxwell clan stepped in to help. A family of fairly well to do fifth-generation American business owners, the Maxwells of late have noticed a terrifying trend among their peers. The rich keep ignoring the obvious needs of the poor and unwanted, while the poor seem to be able to keep their heads above water only by resorting to horrible means. Selling children, abandoning them, working sex shops - these kinds of things are what offended Maria and Tony Maxwell the most. When they began their work to clean up the ghettos near their family mansion, at first they were looked upon as 'a bunch of PC loonies with too much money for their own good' - but soon the families that lived in those run down apartments learned that the Maxwells had big hearts and bigger checkbooks.

While some families tried to take advantage of their generosity, in general the folks being helped are grateful and happy. Secure, in their now-well-tended complexes. However there are always kids that slip through the cracks, and Frankie was one of them.

His birth family left no information with him, merely depositing him on a park bench at the age of four, and vanishing into the night. Whether they lived in the neighborhood was unknown - many people lived transiently there. Frankie was silent and sullen for weeks but when the Maxwells arrived to see him - it was night and day. His attitude changed. He offered his name immediately, and they offered immediately to legally adopt him. Without children of their own, Maria and Tony were ready for the challenge and had love in their hearts waiting for a chance like this.

They didn't disappoint.

Frankie knows that he's adopted - who could spot any similarities between he and his adoptive parents anyway? But he also knows that he and his adopted sister and brother - both younger than he by six or more years - are well loved and appreciated.

By the time Frankie was able to begin using any of his obviously innate powers, the Maxwell mansion was known for its high quality tutoring and personal attention. Since he was easily targeted by bullies for his appearance in school he was rarely seen even in a private school. He's an average student, his charm and personality are where he truly shines. His siblings are, let's be blunt, far more intelligent than he is. But he's no slouch, merely not academic enough to pursue a college career.

Fortunately for him and his siblings, there's Paragon Special.

Because about the time he discovered 'girls' .... he also discovered this:

Going through clothing at an astonishing rate, Frankie would rather just wear a tanktop and shorts - but that's not quite polite enough for school. Developed for people just like him, soon enough that he benefitted from it, was a fabric that almost literally grows back after being ripped. He now enjoys a proper wardrobe as well as the ability to slice and dice!

Frankie's powers are very physical, and he enjoys it that way. Punching two feet of solid mutant spine into an invading Rikti drone means a lot to him - it means he will have a purpose when he's out of school.

But for now, he's still quite young. As a Freshman he's got 3 full more years ahead of him after this, and he intends to gain the most out of his workouts.

What about those weird dragon things? Why, he'd certainly like to see them up close and personal. There's nothing more thrilling to him than the thought that these beautiful and dangerous creatures exist. He's not afraid of heights, and he knows the city like the back of his dark, spiney hand... He could fly overhead! He could ... well, he could do real heroic things, from the back of an equally heroic dragon, now couldn't he?

And he could!

Though Frankie didn't quite understand the process, he found himself paired up with a strong looking and beautifully marked dragon! As confident as he, and as entertainingly charming at times, Yyliart and Frankie have been learning to team up against crime in the big city.

"Hey, Yyliart!" Frankie called from the roof, and the bronze spun in the air to greet his humannnnish partner.

Yes my friend! Ride with me!

With that in mind, Frankie glanced at the loose gravely rooftop tiles, dug in with his feet, and bolted to the side of the building. Flying off - without any possible hint of levitation - he drifted in the air for a split second before the smooth skin of the dragon appeared directly below him. Though they hadn't practiced that very often, the move was spectacular, indeed. He hooked his knees over the dragon's strong wing shoulders, and leaned down over the smooth bronze neck.

"There's crime out there, we're going to go find it!"

**You're going to find it and report back here immediately!** Called the strong mental voice of the Freshman councilor, **You're going to get grounded otherwise!**

Both dragon and spiney rider sighed, "yes, sir..."