Marisa Bruni, 17, carries Asian features. She is petite with huge eyes. When she looks at you, she appears innocent, but don’t be fooled. She is a good fighter and will stand by you, but she won’t put up with disrespect.

Marisa's parents own The Flower Shop on Sycamore. Marisa works there on weekends and in the summer, but she also helps out other times when she is needed. The Flower Shop is a family business, and everyone chips in their time as needed. 

Marisa lives in City View Apartments where Garik Shayk lives.

Marisa's sister, Marina, disappeared into the Tower two years earlier. Marisa's main goal is to discover what happened to her sister, but she is frustrated by her lack of power to fight the “system.” She also wants to learn martial arts, join the space program, and be a graphic artist. She takes lessons at Ai Kee! martial arts. Her friends are few but treasured. She is crushed when Shayk disappears into the tower when she escapes. She is known as Mari to those who are close to her.

We first meet Marisa in Book 1 of The Human-Hybrid Project, Shattered by Glass.

Muhammad Saud is 17, Garik Shayk's age. 

Muhammad is rarely seen wiithout his skullcap, emblazoned with, guess ... a skull stitched into the fabric.

Muhammad is a longboard rider, and on the streets, he especially enjoys skipping off curbs. His board boasts a skull and bones underneath ... and red paint dripping like blood along the top. Red wheels sprout from his white trucks like blood flinging itself onto the road. He lives with his grandmother, keeps posters of the streetfighters Cord and Roy on his walls, and has a watch (combined computer and phone) that he keeps in a zippered pouch around his neck.

Muhammad goes by Mo to his friends, frequently says, "Allah be praised," and has an old tattered sweater that he feels gives him good skater vibes. 

Dundersaps (or some variation thereof) is one of his favorite terms. It can mean anything from friend, idiot, or wow, to "how did I ever get involved in this."

We first meet Muhammad in Book 1 of The Human-Hybrid Project, Shattered by Glass.

Muhammad resurfaces in Garik's story in Book 4, Reflections of the Silverback, as Garik returns to the city from his exile in the basement of the Corona Tower.

Ibn Hariri is of Arabic extraction, although he has lived in America his entire life.

Ibn is part of Garik Shayk's "posse" and enjoys spending time at the Corona Tower food court with his friends.

Ibn wears his dark hair long, and he tries his best to prove his manhood by a beard, but it is scraggly, at best. A favorite phrase of his is "my friend," which Ibn picked up from his visits with his uncle in Azerbaijan. It's not unusual for Ibn to fashion his hair into dreads and oil them to increase their shine.

Ibn's favorite music is by the alt band Jezebel and the Sticks. He rides a bright yellow skateboard emblazoned with an Arabic graphic. It's Ibn's way of sinking a hook into his Arabic culture and making it his.

We first meet Ibn in Book 1 of The Human-Hybrid Project, Shattered by Glass.  

Ibn returns in Book 4, Reflections of the Silverback, to play a major role along Garik's journey.

Hayat al-Haber is a good friend of Garik Shayk. The two youths attend Bay City High School together and share an interest in skateboards. They are used to being upside down, their world catawampus, skating the streets of the city, performing their trick moves as though an adoring crowd cheered them on, prowling to brush their trucks against every curb and bench hidden by the shadows in the dead of night.

Hayat wears a headscarf and robe, rides a longboard, and especially enjoys skipping off curbs. He often repeats words, such as, "What, what," and rarely uses contractions. His board touts a gridwork pattern overlaid with unicorns and fairy dust and sports neon pink wheels. It belonged to his sister Akilah and was too good to waste when she no longer wanted to ride.

We first meet Hayat in Book 1 of The Human-Hybrid Project, Shattered by Glass.