Vladimir Varlamov is a beefy weightlifter with coarse hair and a bright if goofy smile who attends Bay City High and runs with Garik Shayk's group of friends.

Despite his smile, no one doubts Vlad's good heart, and he is quick to gather people into his circle.

Tightest in Vlad's circle is Giorgio Versace, his good friend since before junior high. They are nothing alike in appearance, but they can finish each other's sentences, and when one tells a joke, the other is already laughing because the punch line is in his head.

If you see Vlad around school or at the Corona Mall, expect to see Giorgio nearby. The two are inseparable.

We are introduced to Vlad in Book 1 of The Human-Hybrid Project, Shattered by Glass, but we don't actually make contact with him until Book 5, Taking the Tower, when Garik sees his friend in a video taken at a party in one of the upscale Stamford Suites apartments. However, Vlad is a good friend of Garik's, and Garik thinks of him from time to time and misses his company.