Welcome. First I'd like to say that this story already has four other chapters all mildly related to fanfiction so they can not be found here. If you would like to read them, my pen name is Castaway5. Moving on...

This is the first installment of the Protector Chronicles, enjoy!

The Beginning

The boy awoke suddenly. His green eyes shot open and quickly scanned the room, searching for the source of what had wakened him. Everything was as it usually was. He could see the sleeping forms of the other children, the product of the orphanage that had been his home from birth.

Then the thought hit him. It's my twelfth birthday. Almost as soon as the thought had processed another one entered his mind. I want to leave this place.

Abruptly he sat up and swung his legs out of bed in one swift movement. Quickly and quietly, so as not to wake anyone, he dressed. When he was done, he mused if he should take anything from the cupboard next to his bed. No, better not to steal, none of the stuff was really his.

Glancing around to make sure he was still alone, he made the bed so people would think he was just up and about, not running away forever. Stealthily, shoes in hand, he crept between the beds and to the window.

Opening the mold encrusted latch, the youth slipped his shoes on and lifted him self onto the prop. Carefully he lowered him self down and out of the window until he was just hanging by his fingers.

Vaguely he wondered if he would be able to drop unhurt to the ground below from the two-story window. Confidence replaced the thought and without hesitating he let go of the windowsill.

The youth landed on all fours and looked at the city around him. It was still quite early and only a few cars were out. That was almost too easy, he thought as he proceeded to walk down the street, not stopping until he had walked a few blocks.

He was slightly surprised, but not unduly worried that he had wondered into the old part of the city, full of old and forgotten buildings. Steam rose from the drainage and a stray cat streaked by him. A man dressed in rags was walking on the opposite side of the street, mumbling to himself.

None of this worried him in the slightest. He turned suddenly and mounted some steps leading to an abandoned boarding house. He was not surprised to find it unlocked and stepped inside smiling to himself. "Some adventure this is turning out to be." He thought.

Inside was a wreck. Trash and broken up pieces furniture was littered throughout the first room, the second was graffitied. The banisters that led to the second floor were chipped, destroying all forms of its former glamour. The boy slid his hand over the wormy wood as he started to climb the stairs.

He felt drawn to the landing above him. He didn't know why. He reached the landing and followed his instincts, dust rising from the carpet under foot. Three doors down the hall one of the doors was ripped almost off its hinges. The boy entered the dark room. The only source of light was filtering through a slim gap formed by the boarded up window.

Something moved in the corner causing the young adventurer to turn. He wasn't afraid, far from it. The confidence that had filled him during his drop from the window was returning.

The thing was human shaped, transparent, like a shadow. Small at first, it began to grow and shrink every few seconds.

In the back of the boy's mind he vaguely wondered how and why he had ended up here, but in the end he decided it didn't really matter. Something was beginning to happen.

The boy's eyes widened as holes began to appear on the figure's chest. Light streamed forth from a gap in the head. Then the thing exploded without a sound; dark particles slowly drifted downwards.

The youth stood there perplexed, wondering what in the world had just happened. Had he done that? Confusion was clearly written on his face. In his mind something clicked. Thoughts rushed into his head flooding conscience with information. Minutes passed.

Finally the boy rose; unaware that he had even fallen to the ground. He now understood, he now knew what he was capable of and what he wasn't. There wasn't much he couldn't do if he didn't try.

Strolling out of the hallway, he spotted a mirror standing at the end of it. Broken and shattered as it was, he could still see his reflection for the most part. He was a little disappointed that nothing about him had changed. Surely the confidence and raw power must have an outlet somewhere? He inspected his face more closely.

Suddenly he spotted it. It was so obvious that he was surprised he had missed it before. In one of the cracked mirror fragments he had seen a green spark in his eye. He drew breath sharply. His eyes were the same shade of green, but they had a deeper look about them; ageless and full of knowledge, they shone with the truths of untold secrets.

It wasn't until the boy left the building that he realized that something was missing. His name. He paused in the middle of the empty street and concentrated. While he had all of his memories and knew exactly what he was, he could not remember that simple thing.

The youth stood there a moment, thinking. After awhile he began walking again. His name would come back to him. Eventually.

Sadly, because of other pursuits with fanfiction, I have no clue when this will be updated. Maybe reviews will help?