Chapter 1
Warm Welcome

Look. Look at the city.

It's a beautiful city, with the setting sun casting ruby and amber glitter across the ocean. The crimson rays reach the bay, stretching their weightless fingers to reach the reflective surfaces of the gigantic skyscrapers which, in turn, extend their silvery bodies to the clear sky above. Dark blue shadows start to flood the streets below, only to be beaten back by the street lamps that are starting to flicker on. Nameless bodies meander through the growing darkness, preparing for the relaxation that follows a hard day of work.

Now look beyond the city. On an island a little way out there stands a tower. It doesn't look like a tower. More like a statue. A giant capital 'T'.

But it is a tower. A home, even. Tourists often come to the city for the sole reason of gazing at this tower. It is not really the Tower they are interested in, however, but its inhabitants. The gods among mortals. The powerful beings that protect this city, with its skyscrapers and flickering street lamps and ocean jewels.

The Teen Titans.

Unfortunately, not all teens can be as benevolent...

--/--/-

Andrew kept a careful look out. He always kept a careful look out. After all, TJ would be angry if he didn't.

Andrew didn't like TJ when he was angry.

So the teen stood guard, his back to his friends, glancing up and down the alleyway nervously. Behind him, two of TJ's friends passed down gasoline cans into the basement of the apartment block, while TJ himself and three others poured the contents all over the basement floor and furniture.

Andrew wasn't completely sure why they were doing this. He knew it had something to do with the people living in the apartments TJ didn't like them, he wanted to chase them back to where they came from. But when Andrew asked where they came from TJ got angry.

Andrew didn't like TJ when he was angry.

Eventually the gurgling of the gas cans stopped. There was a loud clang as the friends dropped the cans to the floor, and quiet grunts as they were lifted out. Andrew felt a hand on his shoulder He turned to look, hopefully.

TJ grinned back at him.

"Did I do good?" Andrew asked him.

"Yeah kid," the older replied, wiping some sweat off his brow, "You did great."

Andrew beamed. TJ wasn't angry...

The two walked off together, TJ's arm around the smaller boy. But not before TJ whispered to his gang: "Burn the crap-piles."

A struck match flickered in the growing darkness.

--/--/-

So...This is it.

He tilted his hooded head up to look at the looming Tower above him. Satisfied, he looked back down to Earth and continued his journey to the front doors. The very, very BIG front doors.

He was reaching a rocky part now, quite steep, so he shifted his grip on his backpack and-

BREEE!BREEE!BREEE!

-Jumped as an alarm went off.

He panicked. Now he was in for it. He had tripped an alarm, the Titans were going to come storming out, thinking he's a bad guy and kick his arse.

Fwoom!

...Or maybe not. The T-car sped past him on a lower path, completely ignoring him. Though that could have been because he ducked behind some rocks, but that wasn't important.

The R-cycle soon followed its vehicular companion, with the flying form of Starfire close behind.

When they were gone...

He pushed himself out of the rocky crag he had been hiding in and stared after their silhouettes

Watching...

--/--/-

Later.

"Beast Boy, Cyborg, aim that water a little more to the centre of the fire!"

"On it!"

"Star, Raven, how many more victims are there?"

"I'm not sure Robin. I can sense at least five humans, two unconscious."

"I have located a small family of three, one unconscious. I am escorting them out now."

"Good work Starfire."

The comm. link stayed quiet for a while. the silence was filled by the roar of the flames. Smoke billowed out of the apartment block, obstructing the light of the full moon - though it was hardly needed. the light thrown out from the blaze was near blinding.

Days later, a young girl who had been rescued from the fire described it as 'a mighty dragon, trying to defend it's shining treasure.' Now, that make-believe dragon lashed out, as a good portion of the east wall collapsed. nearly three storeys worth of brick and concrete crashed to the ground, giving the inferno within access to precious oxygen.

Fire-fighters backed off hastily as the flame streamed out of the hole. One such fire-fighter found himself banging into a large, green elephant that was spurting water from its trunk. The fire-fighter moved around it, giving it space and respect. A quick glance around revealed where he was meant to be, and he jogged hurriedly to his team.

Meanwhile, Robin, the leader of the Teen Titans, landed on the elephant's back. While to some this may sound odd, the green elephant was actually one of the team members.

"Beast Boy," Robin whispered into the behemoth'sear, "I've talked to the chief. there's no way we can save this building. I need you to help stop the surrounding buildings from catching ablaze. Cyborg and I'll try to ease off the flames long enough for Starfire and Raven to get all the remaining victims out, but we need to make sure the other buildings are safe. Can you do that?"

The elephant's ears twitched in reply.

"Good."

The boy-hero leapt off the creature, flinging three ice-disks at the top of the gap in the wall. They flew into the fourth storey, skittered to a stop and-

FWOOM!

A giant ice crystal erupted from the inferno, it's mirror-like surface reflecting the hell of the fire. The flame attacked this new invader, melting it quickly, and the newly created water dripped into the core of the apartment block.

Robin himself landed on a fire-truck, next to where Starfire was placing a freshly-rescued family of three onto the solid ground. The mother of the family clung onto her back, while Starfire held the child and the father - unconscious and sporting a nasty welt on his right temple - in her alien arms. As soon as they had touched down, paramedics flocked to their aid, loading the father onto a stretcher and herding the two female civilians away from their ruined home.

Starfire flew to Robin's side. "Should I proceed to help Raven?"

The Boy Wonder thought. He pulled out his communicator again. "Raven, Starfire's finished escorting the family out. Do you require assistance with the last two?"

"No," came the crackled reply, "I have found the last two. I'll try to teleport them ou-"

There was a sickening crack, a child's scream and...nothing.

"Raven?" Robin shouted at his communicator desperately. "Raven!"

Starfire gasped. "Look!" She pointed at the building, where the form of a large black raven had emerged from the fifth storey. With a flap of its mighty wings, it soared past the flickering tongues of flame, over the fire-fighting crews and executed a near-crash landing next to Cyborg.

The metallic teen abandoned the hydrant he was using to spray the flames down and rushed to the aid of the incorporeal bird. The mystical energy that gave the raven its existence faded away to reveal-

Two bodies.

Raven, the final member of the Titans sat hunched over an un-moving body of an African-American woman. One African-American woman.

Cyborg stared. "Raven! Where's-"

The dark girl hacked and coughed. "I couldn't," she managed to rasp out, "reach her." Her body was racked by a violent coughing fit and she clutched her aching throat. "I couldn't reach her...when the ceiling collapsed."

Cyborg's one human eye bugged out. "She's still in there!"

Raven nodded mutely.

"Is she alive!"

"Yes, but-"

Cyborg activated the communicator in his arm hastily. "Yo, Robin! There's a girl still trapped in the room, Rae couldn't get to her!"

"It's too dangerous to send Starfire up there! The entire building's going to collapse!"

"All the more reason to get her outta there!"

"Cyborg..." Raven laid a hand on his leg, coughed a few times, then continued. "There's someone else up there."

"Another victim?"

"No..." She looked up at the burning building, towards the room she had just vacated. "Not a victim..."

--/--/-

It was gonna be OK. She knew it was gonna be OK, 'coz the Titans were here. And the Titans...well, they're superheroes. That means...everything's gonna be OK.

But it was still scary. Melanie tried not to scream, but the flames were getting so hot. She hoped Starfire or someone would come soon and save her.

..Or maybe they didn't want to save her? Was that why Raven had left without her? Were superheroes allowed to pick and choose who they saved?

"What's your name, little girl?" said a voice from behind her.

She looked around hopefully. A Titan?

It was no one she recognized A young man stood over her, wearing jeans and a blue, hooded zipper-jacket. The hood was up, blocking his face.

She blinked up at him. "Melanie," she told him. "Are you a superhero?"

"N...no, not exactly." He crouched down next to her. "But I am going to save you, OK?"

She nodded.

"Take my hand."

She had to reach up a bit to do so - the man was kinda tall, taller than Mommy. She looked at their hands clasped together, and noticed how different her small, slightly pudgy, brown hand looked from his pale, long one.

Slowly, he began to lead her out the door - towards the fire. She thought about pulling away and waiting for the Titans to come, but then she wondered how this man had come in. Maybe the Titans had sent him? Maybe he really was a super-hero and was just really shy?

They exited the room, and Melanie became sure that this man was magic. The fires parted, creating a path for them to walk through, and Melanie was reminded of the story her Mommy told her about someone parting a red sea. Melanie had always wondered why the sea was red, but now this person was parting the sea of flame...

Carefully, the stranger led her down the steps towards the lobby, the fire making a path for them all the while. Now that she knew there were no more steps, Melanie closed her eyes, hoping it would stop them from hurting. She couldn't do anything for her throat, though.

And soon she felt the wind blow at her face and she knew without opening her eyes that she was outside. People started shouting, and still the stranger led her on. Cracking one eye open, Melanie could just make out bright red fire trucks, with fire-men flocking around them, shouting. She noticed Starfire and Robin standing on top of one of the fire-trucks, and she waved giddily.

Robin stared at her. Starfire giggled and waved back.

Melanie and the man kept walking away from the apartment, setting a steady pace.

Behind them, the building collapsed in a great fireball.

--/--/-

The fire had long since been extinguished, but a few teams of fire-fighters still lingered, trawling through the ruins of the apartment block to find salvage and put out any remaining embers.

Little Melanie seemed none the worse for wear, despite her late rescue. She sat quite happily in the back of one of the ambulances, sharing a cookie and mug of warm cocoa with her now-conscious mother.

As for her rescuer...

He stood alone, watching the ashes dance in the breeze. And, in turn, he himself was being watched.

"Hi."

He turned slightly at the voice. Raven stood next to him.

"Hey there." He answered softly.

They stood in silence, watching the fire-crews at work.

"I..appreciate what you did." Raven said slowly.

"Oh? When?"

"With the girl. When the ceiling collapsed, she pulled away. I couldn't reach her in time to get us all out safely. I thought I'd be able to go back in, but..."

"Smoke inhalation. It sucks, but it happens. You might want to get yourself checked out, though, before the ambulances leave. People have been known to leave a fire fine then collapse later."

Raven nodded. "Already done. Just because I take on armed thugs everyday doesn't mean I'm reckless."

"Never said you were."

There was another, companionable silence. Yet again, Raven was the one to break it.

"So...I'm guessing pyrokinetic?"

"Hm?"

"Your powers."

"Oh. Not exactly." The stranger shifted his weight to his other leg. "I can change the temperature of the area around me and sometimes send it off in small blasts or pulses. Though I tend to favor lowering the temperature, so I guess you can call me a cryokinetic. I can also use a large body of flame as a means of teleportation, like I did to enter the building."

"But not to exit?"

"Teleportation is probably the wrong word to use. I basically burn myself to death, become part of the flame and 'zip' to where I want to go. I didn't think people would take too kindly to me barbecuing a small girl."

"I see your point." Raven looked at the new hero. "So why do you want to join the Titans?"

A grin could be seen through the shadows cast by the hood. "Am I that obvious?"

Raven didn't reply.

"I'm Frost, by the way," the stranger informed her, dodging the question.

Raven ignored the avoidance. "Is that because of your powers or your problems with sunlight?."

Frost didn't reply, seemingly confused. Then he started to chuckle, lightly. "Miss Raven, you seem to be reading me like a book. Might I ask how you know?"

She gestured towards his hands. "Your skin. It's near white. The only way it can be that pale is if you've never been in the sun in your life. And the only reasons why that be is if you were born a Goth or if you were..."

"Albino." Frost finished for her. He sighed and pulled down his hood. "You think people'll stare?"

"Beast Boy's green, Starfire's nearly orange and Cyborg's half metal. People in this city are used to weird things."

"P'rhaps." Frost ran a hand through his hair, the usually snowy-white tresses turned pale grey from the smoke. His hand paused when it reached his neck, before moving forwards again to remove the rectangular, almost visor-like glasses resting on his nose. He wiped them off on his grey-blue jacket, pensively.

A swish of a cloak made him turn around. Raven had made to leave.

He blinked after her. "Where're you going?" he asked, slipping his glasses back on.

She stopped momentarily. "To introduce you to the team. Are you coming?"

Frost hesitated, then pulled his hood back up and strode after her.

--/--/-

"...Like I said, I don't even want to think about what might've happened if you hadn't of come."

Robin smiled graciously. "I just wish we could've saved the building."

The fire-chief returned the facial expression. "Buildings can be replaced, Boy Wonder, lives can't. There's no way my people would've been able to get everyone out, what with the speed of the fire and weakness the building. It's a wonder the building didn't collapse on its own. If anything, the arsonists saved the city the trouble of demolishing it. Of course, if the city had demolished it the residents wouldn't have lost their things, but..."

"Of course."

"...Can I have my hand back now, sir?"

The fire-chief looked down and noticed he was still shaking the Titan's gloved hand furiously. He let it go sharpish. "Sorry." He mumbled, blushing.

"It's no problem." Robin insisted, trying to massage some feeling back into the limb.

He heard footsteps approaching and, judging by the speed the fire-chief hurried off at, it was probably Raven. Robin turned to face her, and was hardly surprised that the new hero was with her.

At the sign of Raven's arrival the other three Titans also crowded around, forming a semi-circle with Robin to face the two dark newcomers. Raven stood in front of the stranger.

She gestured towards the other. "His name's Frost. He wants to join."

Frost was silent, almost broody.

Beast Boy rolled his eyes at this. "Great, just what we need. Another Raven."

A vein pulsed on Raven's forehead. Frost said nothing.

Robin broke the semi-circle and stepped forward, past Raven, and stopped in front of Frost. "You're very quiet." He remarked.

Frost nodded respectfully and made a little 'hm' sound.

Robin took this as a good sign and continued; "Why do you want to join the Titans, Frost?"

The hooded stranger seemed apprehensive to say, but did admit; "I owe it."

Robin didn't say anymore on the subject. He was familiar with the concept of both atonement and promises, and, though he was curious as to which applied to Frost, knew that they were both touchy subjects. So instead he just nodded, satisfied.

"You can stay the night at the Tower, but in the morning we'll need to assess-"

"Oh, come on, man! The dude saved someone's life! Ain't that enough proof of his 'Titan-icity'?"

Robin's eyes narrowed. "Cyborg," he said, trying to stay calm, "meaning no disrespect to Frost here, we cannot just let any meta-human that walks through our doors become a Titan."

"But technically he ain't walked through our doors yet."

Starfire tried to calm them down. "Friends, please, do you not remember what happened last time you argued?"

The boys ignored her and carried on with their squabbling.

"That's beside the point!"

"No, it ain't! He ain't just walked in from off the street and asked to join! He saved that girl!"

"For which, I am sure, both her and her mother are extremely greatful. But just because he can save people from fires doesn't mean he can fight!"

"Man, I don't get you! How come you can give out communicators to nearly every known teenaged superhero on the planet when you've never actually met them, but refuse to do the same for this guy?"

"Because they were already superheroes, Cyborg! I could trust them-"

"You mean like you trusted Hotspot?"

Robin was shocked into silence. Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy winced. Robin was still sore that he had almost caused the downfall of the entire young superhero community. To remind him of it was dangerous. To remind him of it when he was upset...you'd might as well just dig your own grave and jump in it.

The leader opened his mouth at retaliate, but Frost got there first.

"Please." He said softly. Cyborg and Robin looked at him. The newcomer, now he had their attention, continued.

"I did not come here to cause arguments. I came to join the Titans. I appreciate you defending me, Mr. Cyborg, but it is not necessary. I am willing to do anything I must to become a Titan, and believe me, I will do it." He turned to Robin. "I thank you for letting me stay at your Tower, and I will complete any assessment you wish of me. But please, do not ask my about my past."

The Titans looked at him, slightly surprised.

Robin nodded. "Of course. I, of all people, respect your need for a secret identity"

"It is not so much a secret identity. It is more..." He struggled to find a word.

Cyborg laid a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to explain yourself to us, man. Not if you don't want to."

Though his face was obstructed because of the shadows of his hood, Frost seemed relieved. "Thank you."

There was a small period of calm quiet. Nobody really moved much.

FWOOMPH!

"ACK!" Frost fell on his butt, propelled by the Tameranean Princess at his middle.

"Oh, hello new friend! We shall have much joyness together, and shall take part in such acts as the sharing of ice-cream and the playing of video games together!" She gasped suddenly. "And you are new to this city, no? Then I must show you the mall of shopping! It is bigger than a drebfim!"

Frost had just managed to stop his hood from falling down, but the bottom of his glasses just managed to catch the light. One hand still lingered on his hood edge, whilst the other stopped him from falling over backwards. He shifted uncomfortably in her grasp. "U-h-um?" he asked dazedly.

Beast Boy snickered. Raven rolled her eyes. Cyborg grinned. Robin tried to fight his own smirk and failed terribly. "Uh, Star? Remember that talk we had about 'touching'?"

Starfire gasped. "Eep! I apologize, my friend, sometimes I forget how humans do not show affection as physically as Tamerainians." As she was saying this, she jumped up, grabbed Frost by the arm, yanked him up (yet again Frost had to stop his hood from falling down) and tried to brush some of the dust off of him.

Beast Boy snickered louder.

Starfire blushed cutely. "Um...I shall...go ahead to prepare the Tower for your arrival! Yes, I...um..." She seemed at a loss. "Bye!" She shouted over her shoulder as she left in a rush.

It was a good thing Frost still had a grasp on his hood.

Robin stood next to him. "You okay?" He asked.

Frost looked at him boredly. "I've just been glomphed by one of the most popular girls on the planet. I am more than okay. I'm damn skippy."