Lenny Tyler

There are those who fear the unknown. And then there are those who are fascinated by it and strive to know more. Lenny was born to a couple who fell solidly in the latter.

Marvin Tyler and Rochelle Sinclair grew up in a time when people were still learning to acknowledge the existence of supernaturals. That they grew up in a country that would rapidly decline in the decades to come due to its prejudices only made for a difficult childhood. Yet despite all this, they came to work for Pax Deorum as scientists. Under the organization's employ, both Marvin and Rochelle came to distinguish themselves for their contributions to studying the Changing Breeds of the Fifth World. This would soon lead to them meeting on one assignment, and subsequently striking a good professional - and then personal - relationship. They would later marry in 2046, with their son coming into their lives two years later.

Lenny's upbringing was typical of a third culture kid, with much of his childhood spent in countries where his parents were posted. He was exposed at a young age to so many cultures, and his family's transient lifestyle instilled in him a strong sense of curiosity as he grew up.

This - coupled with his parents' work exposing him to ferals, and other supernaturals - made him into a very open-minded person, who didn't think twice about leaping into a new situation when it's placed before him. There was so much to see wherever he went, and both his father and mother encouraged him to learn what he could from each experience.

Unfortunately, the Tyler family's happiness would be cut short on a trip to South Africa. At the time, Lenny's parents were helping conduct a survey of the local Changing Breeds. Midway through their work, however, Rochelle suddenly collapsed, struck by a sudden fever and sending her husband, son, and colleagues into a panic.

It was the worst day in Lenny's life. No matter what his dad or any of his team did, his mother's condition kept on deteriorating. It quickly came to the point that they had to rush her back to the city for proper medical help. But they were too far, and too late.

On June 7, 2061, Rochelle Sinclair-Tyler passed away, leaving her grieving husband and 12-year old son behind.

To say that father and son were devastated was an understatement. Marvin fell apart with his wife's death, and - despite his coworkers telling him otherwise - he came to blame himself for not having done more to save her. That neither he nor anyone else could determine what had killed Rochelle only made it worse. And as he watched his father sink further into his grief, Lenny would come to realize that he'd lost both parents that day.

With his mother's death, Lenny was sent to live with his grandmother - Clarice - in San Francisco until his father could sort himself out. Having spent so long living on the move, it was difficult for him to adjust at first. He felt out of place among his new schoolmates, and more than once was he left upset by his father's absences. His grandmother did her best to look after him in the six years he was in her care.

Before long, Lenny was coming to enjoy this new life. He was doing well in school, and he managed to make friends despite being such a wallflower. He would often spend his free time on various hobbies, from reading to handcrafting to climbing. But Clarice clearly saw that her grandson needed his father, and - while he did come visit from time to time - she constantly insisted to Marvin that he had to stop running from his grief and actually raise the boy.

By 2066, it seemed like Marvin would finally listen to his mother. Over a video call with his son, he promised Lenny that he would come by to commemorate his mother's fifth death anniversary, and that he'd do what he could to make up for not being so present in his life. Lenny was both relieved and excited, and he looked forward to seeing his dad after a particularly long time. Clarice, too, was happy. She noticed that her grandson had not been feeling well lately, and Marvin's visit was something she hoped would help him get better.

They would be disappointed. On the day of the anniversary - the day Marvin was supposed to arrive, Clarice received a call from her son just as she and Lenny had prepared the house for the welcome home party. Something had come up at work, and Marvin regrettably stated that he couldn't deliver on his promise, making it the fifth time that he would not come home for Rochelle's death anniversary. This made Clarice berate her son for backing out the last minute, and she ended up arguing with Marvin on his commitments as a father and for making Lenny hope in vain for his visit.

Unfortunately, Lenny had overheard everything, and Clarice only realized this just after she ended the call. Though she tried to calm him down and assure him that his father might reconsider, the boy was too upset to listen. Just this once, his dad had promised to be with him for his mom's death anniversary, and finding out that he had chickened out caused something in him to snap.

Lenny stormed out of the house, then, angry at his father for breaking his promise, and angry at himself for thinking that things would be different, even for once. And it was only when he found himself at the park near his neighborhood that his anger boiled out... and he suddenly doubled over when his vision spun and his body was wracked with pain.

At that moment, Lenny had no idea what he was going through. He felt like he was burning up, and there was a pounding migraine in his head that threatened to make him explode. Heck, his whole body seemed to be breaking up.

The pain died down almost as quickly as it flared up, and Lenny quickly realized something was wrong when he could finally breathe. His vision was different. Everything looked a lot bigger than they were moments ago, and he practically shivered from a heightened awareness of his surroundings. Then, it dawned on him that he had actually gotten smaller, and was standing now on eight legs, and seeing things with four pairs of eyes.

Where a 17-year old boy had been standing, a spider the size of a person's hand was in his stead. But it was still Lenny, still the same kid, shocked and confused from experiencing his Storm.