Finally, after so long, I am back, active as ever! So sorry for the hiatus for Drawn: the Painted Tower, but hopefully i can get to that in the near future! But, for now, i have a back story for the OC that has been featured in shadow knights1121 story, Shadow Warriors. Yes, if you have read it, and if you didn't, do so, I am doing a story for my OC which i created for that story, Gauntlet, The Demigod of Fire, The Warrior of Vulcan, and member of the Shadow Warriors. I just want to say a few words before starting this off, thank you Shadow knight for including Gauntlet in Shadow Warriors and everyone else who had contributed it is truly a masterpiece to behold and be a part of, and also YOU for reading this. With that said, Review and Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER!: I do not own DC comics, and their respected characters. Nor some of the buildings from shadowknight1121's story. I have included them to make this authentic as possible to the Shadow Warriors timeline, not this timeline.


Monday.

A heavy downpour of rain cascaded over a small transit bus, the tires of the bus occasionally splashing into a puddle from time to time. The few passengers of the vehicle were looking out of the window, or checking their watches for the time.

If the driver of this bus would look up from his driving to the passengers, he would see that most of them were scruffy looking business men, two looked like drug addicts in dirty coats and fingerless gloves who were trying to hide the little ticks and twitches of their eyes or fingers, and one teenager, looking about 17 years old.

He was wearing a dark green light jacket, military style kind of look, with the shoulder patches, chest pockets, and patches on his right arm sleeve, with a hoodie underneath. His head was down, looking at the leather gloves on his hands, which was odd, since there was air conditioning on and was blasting warm air from the floor vents.

The driver, who was silent for the entire drive, called out a single stop in a gruff voice.

"Last stop, Gotham City."

The teen looked, strangely bright blue eyes underneath long brown bed head hair. He had only looked at his hands, which were folded in his lap for the entire trip. The kid stood up with the others and as the bus stopped at a seedy looking station, with blinking bulbs and walls that were heavily vandalized by unreadable graffiti, walked off of the bus.

The driver got off with them, and as soon they all stepped off the bus, the bus driver then pulled open the luggage compartment.

One by one, the business men got their luggage, with some complaints that the contents of their luggage may have been broken or had been affected some way, but the driver just rolled his eyes and continued to hand out their luggage. Then, the kid stepped up.

The driver gave a questionable look at him as he grabbed a leather trunk, a small duffel bag, and a handmade rucksack. " Any of this yours?" He asked. "Yeah." The kid said. "All that stuff is mine." The driver gave him a strange look as he handed the luggage to him. "You look a little young to be traveling by yourself aren't you?" The kid took it and replied. "Yeah, I am."

"There's someone here lookin' for you?" The driver asked again.

"Yeah."

"Well, where is he then?"

"Not here yet." The kid said, with a little suspicion in it.

"Hey, I was just asking, don't take offense to my questions."

"I'm not taking any offense, it's just that you shouldn't be asking stuff that doesn't worry you."

With that, he walked down the stairs, which lead to the exit of the station, leaving behind a bus driver, who scratched his head, then went back into his bus, which exited the station, headlights blaring on the road as it turned around to go on its reverse route.


I reached the end of the stairs, just a little after the time I finished my conversation with that nosy bus driver, what gave him the right to be in my business? I didn't say he could. "Alright." I thought as I quickly walked down stairs, "enough of that bus driver incident, time to find a map of Gotham, so I can get around and such."

Sure enough, there was one at the help desk. I quickly nabbed it and stuffed it into my pocket. I also grabbed a classified magazine at the help desk as well. I walked over to the nearest bench, and sat on it. While sitting on a bench leafing through the magazine, I finally found a place.

It was off of West and Wayne Street. It was a small apartment that was above a Korean take-out place, and it was cheap too, by Gotham standards. That should be perfect for my situation at the moment. I grabbed my rucksack from off the floor, and stuffed the magazine into it.

Then, I stood up, picked up my luggage, and slowly, turned to the exit of the bus station. I then took my first steps into Gotham, the city that would be my home, for the rest of my life.

Gotham. Not a bad city to move to, once you think about it. Since my old apartment in New York had been ratted out by the police force there, I had been on the lookout for a place somewhere else to start myself up again. I already had my luggage in my right hand and necessary items in the duffel bag that I clutched in my left. My rucksack was already on my back, thank goodness.

My leather gloves were already on my hands, even on the bus since, it was pretty chilly outside, and I didn't want to freeze my hands off, if you were wondering. Still, it didn't do anything for my other parts, like my ass. At least it wasn't snowing, or worse. I don't know, but- Oh! Well, look at that!

As I walked out of the station, I caught a glimpse of huge buildings, just above the horizon. There were four of them, and all of the most of them looked fancy, with the logos on the top of them.

One read, " Kinsley Medical Building", another read, "Franz International." Both buildings were massive, but there was a slight difference with the design. The Medical building was white, with reflective windows and paneling. It also narrow, with a small ledge at the top of it. Franz International was a big, chunky rectangular building with small radars and antennas peeking out from the top of it.

But, the two biggest towers were… imposing.

Being a New Yorker, an Ex-New Yorker, I reminded myself, and all, I've seen some impressive buildings in my time. But the sight of these two skyscrapers? I wasn't ready for them at all, apparently. I gaped at what would be my welcoming sight of Gotham; the massive buildings of Wayne-Tech, and the smaller, but still imposing, Warney-Tec. I nodded at them, impressed.

Eat your heart out, Empire State. I thought as I stared at them both. Both buildings were tall, tall enough to actually touch the sky, and had silver paneling on them. Yet Warney-Tec was a little smaller and, I noticed, and I though it strange, in the Wayne-Tech building's shadow. It was also a little darker than the larger building in color. Still it was impressive, even though I wasn't in the main city plaza so I can truly gape at it.

Then, I realized that I was too deep in my thoughts about the buildings that I didn't notice my shivering body. Also, I didn't notice my nose was dripping. I need to get out of this rain, or else I'll catch something nasty. I turned to the left, then the right. No taxi to pick me up. I sighed and adjusted my load.

Well. I thought. Looks like I have to hoof it. The apartment doesn't look far away, and I can hail a taxi if I have to. If I can find one, that is. I peeled myself away from the sight of the buildings and walked to my right, searching for the illusive corner where the open apartment was. As I walked passed small shops and apartment buildings with brick outsides, not to mention smaller houses that had seen better days.

People started to give me strange looks as they walked by me, I got the feeling that I was building up a status already as a local hoodlum from some other sad-ass place, like Metropolis or somewhere else.

"Tch" I snorted.

I wish I lived there; instead I was holed up in New York, until I had made enough money for the bus here. At least there was some dignity of being part of bigger picture with the alliance that these two cities have put up with ever since the justice league was set up, with all the heroes it produced and made famous, including that ass-kisser Superman and the gothic, tight assed man himself; Batman.

I should be afraid; this is his city after all. But, why should I be afraid? I haven't done anything… yet. I walked a little more, quickening my pace because of the rain and the slowly numbing cold. That's when I heard a scream. It sounded like a woman's, and it was quickly followed by the sound of jeering of men. Judging by the sound of them, there were probably four of the guys.

My pace quickened and before I knew it, I was jogging towards an alleyway. It was pretty spacious, with trashcans and bags aligned against the brick walls, some of the bags had holes in them, spilling out garbage onto the concrete. Another scream, a little louder, and a little closer too, came from the end of the alley.

"Help!"

"Aww whatza matta? Scared, bitch?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"That's talking to 'er Larry!"

"Shut up!"

"Both of you, shaddap!"

"Sorry boss…"

The lady and the thugs were at the end of it, I guessed, and sadly they were.

The woman in question was a petite looking blonde in an overcoat, her short frizzy blonde hair was wet from the rain. She was about my size, 5-10-ish in height, and was frightened, as anyone would be if these guys, brutes in height, muscles, and small in the brains department, hopefully, and judging by their language that I had overheard. "Please!" she cried, desperately. "Don't do this!"

A Thug with a Mohawk and a torn prison uniform, Larry, I think it was, cackled some more. "Oh? And why shouldn't I, Bitch?" He mocked, grabbing her arm, and in turn, ripped a sleeve of the overcoat. I sighed, " Just like in New York." I thought as I rolled my neck around, relaxing some muscles in there. I then called to the bozos.

"Hey!" The lady said don't do… whatever you were going to do to her..."

Dammit. Messed up my line, bad look, bad look. I coughed, trying to hide my embarrassment, and tried again. Thankfully none of the thugs had heard me.

"Yeah! Don't do it! Someone could get hurt! Probably you guys to top it off!"

The thugs noticed, turned, and stared at me in a "What the Hell?" sort of way. Larry turned his back to the girl and called out to me. "Hey! Who the hell are you?!" I thought for a second before replying, "Oh, well, I heard the ruckus and now I find you guys ganging up on that there lady, so, I'm here to stop you… fiends?"

The thugs looked at each other, and did something that astounded me.

They started to laugh.

"What-what the hell is this clown doing in our turf?"

"He ain't the Joker, fool, he's Joker JR!"

"Bwahahahahah!"

"Oh man, my sides, my sides!"

A vein started to pop in my forehead and my right eye started to twitch in anger. Clown? Joker Jr? They thought I was some stupid-ass comedian? Well, that does it!

"I'm not Joker Jr, By the way." I said, walking up to them. When I walked up to one of the thugs, I threw my luggage at him, while muttering, "Hold this." The suitcases surprised him so much that his eyes widened as they connected to his ugly mug and chest. I then cracked my knuckles and threw the first punch.

"I'M-", I shouted, punching a thug in the face, and then kneeing him in the stomach. He groaned and I grabbed his head and smashed it into the wall, knocking him out with a bloody nose. "THE GUY-" I continued, performing two haymakers on two charging thugs. They had pulled out pipes from a dumpster and tried to use them on me. I then grabbed one thug by his collar and kicked him in the chin which drove him into the garbage dumpster; the other I round-house kicked in the chest, then I grabbed his face and put it into the bricks, holding him there.

"Stop!" I turned to see that the last one had pulled a black snub-nosed revolver with an oak handle from the back of his pants. He pulled back the hammer with a click and held it in his left hand, then moved it to his right. I looked at him, then back to the whimpering thug in my right hand and pulled his head back, then slammed it into the wall. He gave out a small groan as he sunk to the pavement. "I said stop, fool!"

I sighed and turned around, putting up my hands. "Yeah, that's right, you turn around. Don't you come any closer!" I nodded, and took a small step towards him. "Yo! Don't come any closer!' He gestured with his gun that I shouldn't take another step, but I ignored him. I took another step. He was sweating a little, or was it the rain? I didn't care. But at the last moment, he fired a bullet at me.

Thunder boomed from the sky and the rain started to come down harder. The thug pulled back the hammer again. I looked up from blocked arms, a bullet hole in my right sleeve, yet no blood. The thug 's eyes widened and he backed up. "Who-what- what are you?" he whispered, stammering a little. A small flash of silver and the thug was out, groaning. I looked down at him, and then walked over to the thug I threw my luggage at and picked up said luggage.

"The guy who kicked your ass." I told the unconscious body. I poked his head with my sneaker.

"Hey."

I turned. The speaker was the woman I saved. "Hey, um, wow, I- I don't know what to say, but… That was impressive!"

I snorted,

"Yeah, I guess that was impressive."

The woman smiled, "You guess? That was amazing! And- wait, are you a new hero or something? Cause, I saw that bullet hit you in the arm, and I didn't see any blood, so, are you a mutant or something? I mean, do you have skin hardening powers?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "No, I'm not a mutant, less a hero, I just heard a scream and got lucky with those thugs, I mean-" I tried to explain, but the woman interrupted me " Can we not talk in the rain? It's a little cold outside and I'm freezing." I nodded, and, as if it was scripted, sneezed. She giggled, then gave me a questioning look.

"By the way, what was your name, i didn't catch it when you kicked those thugs to the curb."

I nodded and slung the duffel bag across my chest to hold out my left hand.

"My name is Sam, Sam Jackson."

She took it, "Missy Samson." she said with a smile. With that, she walked me out of the alley, leaving behind the groaning thugs in our wake.