Hey guys , this is the second chapter to , The Defender. Well technically you could call it the first cause the one before this was the prologue, so yeah . Thanks to Acidic Pancakes & What story will I fall into, you guys reviews helped me finish this chapter. Also , please bare with me as I try to figure out how to work this software. Some of the words might be in a different font or a different size. Review! Criticism always helps me do better but keep it at a realistic level please. UzamakiShadow out , Peace! Normal Talking Thinking …...

Chapter 2

14 years later

I cautiously stuck my head out of the alley. It was quiet, too quiet. I made a sweep of the area. Check Left ,Right ,Up , Down. Feeling a little paranoid I check behind me. Seems clear, did I lose them?. I pulled myself back in to the alley, pushing my back into the wall. It's now or never. I took a deep breath and dove out the alley to hide behind the cars that lined the street. I can practically hear the James Bond music playing in my head as I hid behind each car while walking down the sidewalk. Almost there , so close! I could just barely make out the shape of the orphanage down the street.

Then I hear it. Then sound of feet running across the snow. I raise my head slowly above the car. A group of the toughest, meanest kids in all of St. Petersburg and maybe Russia were standing across the street. And unfortunately , as always they were looking for me. If I hadn't raised my head they would've run past me , but with my bad luck I had to stick my head out. How could they miss me? My bright blond hair was basically a sign pointing at my head that said, Here he is! Now come knock his socks off.

And with the looks on their faces it looks like that's what they planned to do. Run you idiot! I mentally yelled at myself. But my feet were frozen to the spot. Coward . I shyly raised my hands and gave a little wave as the crossed the street heading towards me. "Hey you guy-ys, need me for so-something? Stop stuttering! Shut it and run!. When I had finally stopped my mental bickering with myself and decided that I should do something smart , like maybe run , they surrounded me. They boxed me in , going shoulder to shoulder with each other and getting WAY closer then I was comfy with. When I mentioned toughest and meanest earlier I should have added, the smelliest. These guys stunk , like Sister Margret's " meatball surprise" stunk. They all had stupid idiotic smiles on their faces and were cracking their knuckles. No running now. I put up my fists, which looked way tiny compared to theirs , but I know I could take them. You can't fight back! Remember what Ms. Anna told you, one more fight and it's the street for you.

I gritted my teeth and slowly lowered my arms so they sat by my sides. I looked up at the ringleader, who by far was the biggest and the smelliest. I barely even knew the guy , he just likes picking fights, mostly on people smaller then him like me. They were moving in closer, getting right up in my personal space. Finally I lost it , I looked him straight in the eye " You son of a- " I was cut off by a punch to the face. Apparently it was a signal. The rest of the guys jumped on me. About 10 minutes later I felt a final goodbye kick to the side and heard the crunch of snow as the gang walked away. I laid still till there laughter and footsteps faded away. I stood up and grimaced as I felt a pain in my side. I could have taken them, stupid Ms. Anna , trying to get me killed with her , no fighting back rule,

. As I placed my hand to my side I noticed it was missing a familiar weight. I looked down at my wrist. My id bracelet was gone. All the blood left my face as I looked around franticly , looking for the bright gleam of my bracelet gleaming in the sunlight. No , No where is it! I got on my knees and shuffled around in the snow. The pain in my side intensified as my breathing got fast and I rolled around in the snow. Look to your left , in the dark, a voice in my head whispered. But this voice sounded nothing like my inner voice. It sounded older , stronger. It sounded familiar . But I forgot about it as I looked over and I found my bracelet sitting in the dark shade of the building behind me. I shuffled over and grabbed it, pressing it to my chest like it was a small child. I turned around and leaned my back against the wall and held it in the sun so I could see it better. It was the only thing I had to remember my mother by , and if it was damaged, those idiots were dead. I turned it over and checked the clasp.

It didn't look like it had gotten damaged , just a little wet from the snow. γνῶθι σεαυτόν , Know thy self, were the words that were carved on it. I hadn't even had to look it up , I read it. Of course no one believes me when I tell them. The kid with dyslexia , reading Greek? Impossible! I sighed and looked around , replaying today's events in my head. Wonder if Ms. Anna will believe me if I tell her I was jumped. I shook my head . Probably not , that woman has it in for me. She wouldn't mind kicking me out in the dark. Wait , dark. I looked around ,it was getting dark, and I , a fourteen year old boy, was ,um, kind of sorta scared by the dark. I put the id bracelet back on my arm and turned it so the words were on top. I stood up a little too fast and quickly doubled over in pain. I'm pretty sure that last kick had broken or bruised my rib. But I picked myself up and squared my shoulders, the orphanage was just down the street. It wasn't the first time I've had a messed up rib, busted lip or been covered with bruises. Its wasn't that bad and I heal quickly. The worst part would be trying to explain it. I started forward but stopped when I heard a mysterious rattling noise coming from the ground. There was a rattlesnake standing in the middle of my path.

I took a step back and just walked around it , more concerned about the coming darkness. I think if I hadn't been so high on the pain I would have stopped to think about this little incident. A rattlesnake , in St. Petersburg , in the middle of winter. But nothing could have prepared me for what this little incident would lead to.