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Not part of Riordanverse
The following article/section is from the Paola Santiago continuity under Rick Riordan Presents and not the Riordanverse canon. |
“ | You have a job to do. Do it. | ” |
–Franco to Pao before his death in Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows. |
Franco was the co-leader of the Niños de la Luz. He was killed when fending off El Cucuy's forces.
History[]
A hundred years ago, Franco joined the Niños de la Luz and eventually become its leader. At one point he encountered La Llorona and sent her to The Rift.
He spent years looking for a key into the Rift, which he thought was a piece of jewelry, and went after girls with expensive jewelry, one of whom being Emma Lockwood, taking their jewels and leaving them to the Ahogada, who were never far behind. One day during the third quarter, he took Naomi and Marisa Martínez to the rift without the key to try and take out all the malevolent creatures in their own world. However they were outnumbered and he told the girls to run and named Marisa his successor.
Paola Santiago series[]
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears[]
Paola Santiago believes he is the kidnapper in her word after seeing his picture and Marisa mentions him to Pao when telling her his story. He is seen by Paola four days after sacrificing himself imprisoned in a prism by La Llorona about to be sacrificed along with Pao, Dante Mata, and Emma to resurrect Ondina. After the orb powering The Rift is drained, he and the other sacrifices are freed. When Pao shatters the orb, he watches as The Rift starts to destroy itself and sees Ondina and La Llorona pass on. They float to the surface of the Gila and swim to shore. When he learns Pao had the key, which is now destroyed, he becomes silent. As they walk they run into three niños and return to camp where he and Marisa share an embrace. The two decide to lead the niños together.
Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares[]
Six months after the defeat of La Llorona, he picks up strange readings from Oregon and has the niños move north to investigate, however Naomi chooses to stay behind. After they arrive, they are taken prisoner by the Duendecillos.
Some time later, Pao and Naomi are thrown into the same holding cell as them. Franco ignores them as they say they have found the anomaly as Pao reveals what it is. He finds it hard to believe but Marisa takes her seriously. When Franco says there are timed appearances of the anomaly, he suggests using an experimental beam to catch it. But Pao, after learning he never tried it. Suggests something else. After noticing a duendecillos, he accuses her of being a spy, but Pao says she is not and goes to speak with her privately. After speaking with her, Pao says they can get out by starting a fire and the niños agree to help. After starting the fire they wait by the door. After several minutes of watching the fire grow to dangerous levels and he becomes furious that Pao might have just killed the niños when the door opens and they escape, only to come face to face with the Hitchhiker. They comes at the group and he, Pao and the rest of the niños attack them. They put up a fight but it is a losing battle and he, Pao and the niños are quickly outmatched. He uses his device but Pao says she has a plan, he ignores her and his device fails to take out the Hitchhiker, he is then knocked out. However the Hitchhiker is expelled from their work after the one who summoned them passes on. He and the other niños are led to Beto's trailer by the duendecillos.
Pao's mom rents a van to take all of them back to Silver Springs. As their camp is not safe for them anymore, the niños set up shop in a warehouse with Beto giving them his trailer.
Searching for an Entrance[]
Two months after traveling to Oregon, the Niños get a hit on a possible opening to the Rift in British Columbia and he, Beto, and Pao, go to Canada. However they find nothing and Franco desperately asks the locals if they saw anything strange, but would not speak. Since then Franco has refused to inform Pao of anything.
Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows[]
Eight months after Beto is freed from Joaquín, he has failed to find an entry since the failed search in March. When Pao asks about it, he says he has found nothing and blames her, causing the girl to leave.
A few days later he gets a call from Beto and informs Marisa about a ghost attack. As he and Beto talk, Pao informs the Niños about her trip into the Void and El Cucy's plan. She also reveals Franco is keeping them in the dark just as he and Beto arrive. The Niños berate him for keeping them in the dark as Beto berates Pao for disobeying him. Her says he will keep her away from the fighting until Pao reveals she is the entry point. Beto takes Pao to discuss this further. When Beto realizes a girl he brought to the warehouse is missing, he goes with him to retrieve her after getting the address. He and Beto find her and tie her up, They accuse Robin is a copy who was switched out with the real one after El Cucuy caught them portaling. They also theorize she stole Pao's spirit weapon, which could reveal her true nature, and ditched it before they found her. Pao, Kit, and Emma are angry upon seeing their friend tied up upon returning and try to convince them otherwise to no avail as they take Robin into the office. Pao and her friends fail to convince him to test if she is a copy of not.
Pao calls her mom, who contacts Robin's dads, and brings them to the warehouse. Pao's mother demands Beto let them in. Beto tries to keep them out and says it is a delicate matter that they are dealing with as Maria forces her way inside. The Longs are shocked to find their daughter tied up. Jonathan demands they call the authorities while Todd says to hear them out. Pao says they need to think of a memory with very little emotional attachment Robin might have and they ask her what she called the cat belonging to an old neighbor of theirs. Robin answers sprinkles and they are happy she answered right and untie her. Franco protests as Marisa returns and scolds him for his behavior before pinning him against the wall. Soon the ground starts to shake. After Pao informs him Dante is the copy and has just opened a gateway to the Void, he informs Pao he has no clue how to close an entrance as the girl reveals she absorbed her shadow self, who knew how to close portals with a phrase, but she does not know it but Shadow Dante might. Soon Shadow Dante projects the nightmares of all present and threatens to kill those who aided Pao last, after watching their families and friends die. Shadow Dante vanishes, along with their hope of learning the phrase, and the images stop. After Pao informs him Dante is the copy and has just opened a gateway to the Void, he informs Pao he has no clue how to close an entrance as his daughter reveals she absorbed her shadow self, who knew how to close portals with a phrase, but she does not know it but Shadow Dante might. Soon Shadow Dante projects the nightmares of all present and threatens to kill those who aided Pao last, after watching their families and friends die. Shadow Dante vanishes, along with their hope of learning the phrase, and the images stop. As everyone in the warehouse panics, Pao gets everyone’s attention and reveals that she is the granddaughter of La Llorona. Most of the crowd is shocked as Pao holds out her magnifying glass and says she will fight for them. Naomi, Marisa, Beto, and half those present stand with her while the other half declare their loyalty after Franco does. After the Longs reappear, Jonathan puts something about the fight on social media hoping some people come. Pao joins him and Beto in the office to strategize. Franco thinks El Cucuy is scaring them into thinning their ranks until beto reveals recent articles around the world confirming El Cucuy is targeting everywhere. When Naomi comes in they have no plan, but Beto is working on one.
Soon the shadows start coming out one at a time and the Niños manage to hold them off for a while by forming two defensive rings and switching positions that takes out most of the shadows. However El Cucuy traps the Niños in illusions of their worst nightmares. Pao manages to slap him, Naomi, and Marisa awake and they go back to fighting, After learning the town is overrun with shadows, Marisa decides their forces between town and warehouse. He is sent into town, but goes to the office to find his research destroyed and finds Pao with a copy of Beto. He tells Pao to run and do what she has to to stop this as he holds off the copy. Franco is stabbed soon after. After El Cucuy is defeated the Niños mourn him.
Appearance[]
Franco is a Hispanic boy in his late teens with dark wavy hair.
Personality[]
Franco is driven by a desire to destroy the creatures of the Rift to keep others safe. However this drive leads him to make impulsive decisions and ignore the suggestions of others in favor of his own choices.
Paola Santiago series | |
Books: | Paola Santiago and the River of Tears | Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares | Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows |
Main Characters: | Paola Santiago | Dante Mata | Emma Lockwood | Bruto | Naomi |
Secondary Characters: | Maria Santiago | Ondina | Marisa Martínez | Carmela Mata | Beto | Joaquín | Kit | Robin Long |
Minor Characters: | Karen Lockwood | Sal | Franco | Aaron | Johnny | Shadow Dante |
Mythical Creatures: | Chupacabra | La Llorona | Ahogada | La Mano Panchona | Lechuza | Duendecillos | Cadejo | The Hitchhiker | El Cucuy | Falsita |
Related Content: | Tehlor Kay Mejia | Rick Riordan Presents | Bruto and the Freaky Flower | Disney+ series |