Portnoy Augustus is the protagonist of Urban Malefic.
History[]
Portnoy's father died during a birthday trip to Niagara Falls and afterward he and his mother became reclusive. As a result his mother became targeted by The Cold Boy and was killed. Portnoy didn't know exactly what happened but somehow he understood that his mother had been killed by loneliness and devoted his life to not being alone. However one day he exited his bathroom through the wrong door and entered The Empty City. After a crazy test wherein he ran into a bunch of Fears and a number of alternate versions of himself, Portnoy discovers that he possess a strange connection with The Empty City that gives him power equal to it. He uses this power to fight against the City and decides to stay there to defend all the unfortunate people who end up trapped inside of it.
He later ends up meeting The Faceless Bastard in The World Through These Eyeholes when the latter is brought into the Empty City to assassinate Portnoy. Once Portnoy discovers that Faceless has secretly been a Nest the entire time, Portnoy uses his powers to turn him back into a human. The two of them start working together after the City betrays Faceless, and contact one of Portnoy's counterparts to find a way to help Faceless escape. They manage to survive the Empty City's constant attempts to kill them, only for Faceless to betray Portnoy at the last minute by removing Portnoy from the City. This caused Portnoy to lose most of his powers and left him comatose in the middle of nowhere. His fate is left uncertain, but Faceless believes he will be found soon and hospitalized.
Portnoy returns in the final story arc of TWTTE as a servant of The Archangel under the new name Percy Aaron. His involvement is established when he sends Faceless an invitation to Europe that suggests an alliance between The Archangel and the Convocation so they can help one another defeat the Brute before it is fully restored. He then reveals that since the Grove of Fetters was once a place of religious worship, the Archangel is just as powerful there as the Brute and could provide him assistance in the upcoming battle with Harold Ardy. Faceless agrees, but is shocked to discover that Portnoy no longer remembers him, and even morseo that he is working for a Fear after everything they put him through. Another servant explains that all of his memories concerning his time in the City were erased, which makes Faceless slightly less uncomfortable. Once they are ready, Portnoy tags along with Faceless to the Grove of Fetters in order to neutralize Harold's advantage. After the battle is finished and the Convocation are victorious at the cost of Faceless' life, Portnoy returns to a life of servitude.
Portnoy remains the Archangel's lackey until Metaphysical Fiction, where he meets Dr. Malice in the Empty City, the former teacher of his cousin Jayson. Malice restores his memories using the Thoughtborn powers given to him by The Manufactured Newborn, which causes Portnoy to become distraught due to his desire to be rid of his original personality's memories of the Fears.