Red lights flashed in the Tower's central room. The first to arrive after the alarm was none other than the Boy Wonder, Robin. He gazed up at the giant monitor with a look of anger as the rest of the titans flowed into the room. "What is it this time?" Raven asked in her monotonous voice. "Madame Rouge." The Boy Wonder replied to her inquiry. "Alright Titans," he continued "Madame Rouge is downtown causing havoc at a research facility, Star your starbolts will definitely come in handy here so be prepared alright?" he told his Tamaranean friend with worry in his eyes. His eyes lingered on her for a few moments longer before he called out "Go!" as the Titans raced from their tower.

(Meanwhile downtown 4 miles south of Jump City Energy Research Facilities)

"Phase one of our plan to capture the Red one is complete." Madame Rouge spoke into her communicator. "Very well. Now that that has been taken care of, go and retrieve the boy. He is a valued research subject that we need." The Brain spoke back to her before ending their communications. Madame Rouge set off for a park in the distance, her communicator, which was also a tracker to some extent, telling her where her target was. It was a boy, whom The Brain wanted to research, The Brotherhood of Evil had been watching him for a long time. After their last encounter with the Teen Titans he had taken an interest in the one called Raven. This boy had bore many similarities with her as it seemed, making him the perfect test subject with which to find out more about the violet haired empath. Madame Rouge remembered the task of her mission as she walked up behind the young boy who was reading on a bench. "Hello young man." she murmured to get his attention. "Hi." he said looking up at the strange woman. "Who wears gloves like that in the middle of the summer." he asked, it was more of a statement than a question it seemed. "I do. You should come with me." she said reaching out to grab his arm before he could run. "Why?" he asked remaining on the bench as the elastic woman wrapped her hand and half of her forearm around his arm. "No more questions. Come." she demanded beginning to drag him away. "No." he said blankly yanking his arm free. "Enough" Madame Rouge said clearly irritated as the boy ran away from her. It was at that moment that she noticed the arrival of the Titans. "Alright Madame Rouge, you might as well just stand down! Titans, Go!" Robin called to his team charging the woman with his Bo staff. Raven only barely noticed the running figure of the teen as black orbs formed around her hands. A nearby lamp post cloaked in black energy began to rise from the ground as Raven muttered her mantra. "I am sorry, dear Titans." Madame Rouge said dodging their attacks. "I have a more important task at the moment." she finished running in the direction of the boy.

"Titans, after her!" their leader called as they chased after the villainess. "Where are you, you little pest!?" called the angry woman looking about the trees for the teen. There with his back against the wall of a nearby building the teenager watched his assailant look for him. He was not shaking, nor was he afraid. He was just watching her, cautious and curious as to what she wanted from him. Even so, he could feel the worry begin to rise inside of him. 'I shouldn't of left, they warned me that I wouldn't be liked here. I should have just stayed in Vertith.' he thought to himself taking his eyes off of the woman. He wanted to yell or scream, to get someone to help him but he knew that approach would prove ineffective against her. His resolve was to wait. For what he didn't know he just waited. "There you are." he heard her say as his heart sank. He didn't like this woman. "Leave him alone! He's just a civilian!" Robin called having finally caught up with the elastic woman. 'Who are they?' the boy wondered looking the strange group of teenagers over. He noticed that they all seemed around his age. 'I'd make fun of their outfits but I guess I'm no better' he looked down at his ensemble. He had the same outfit as always. Black combat boots, red jeans, red shirt, and a black trench coat. One of them was staring at him he noticed a floating girl looking in his direction. She was wearing a blue cloak. While he was thinking about his situation Madame Rouge had taken the chance to grab him. He struggled as her arm wrapped its way around his entire torso. "Let me go!" he demanded, yelling at his captor. "The Brain will be pleased that I have captured you Arde!" she laughed in his face. Cyborg and Starfire prepared to blast the villainess. "Wait! You can't do that, if you miss you could kill him!" the Boy Wonder held his hand in front of them blocking their aim. "Oh. That would be most dreadful." Starfire said dropping her hands to her side. Arde continued to struggle. 'I wanted to be normal. I didn't want to do this. But I guess now I have no choice.' he thought sighing. "I'll ask you one last time. Let me go." he said the tone of his voice becoming sharp and cold. "What can you do to me, Madame Rouge. I am indestructible." she laughed tightening her grip on his abdomen. "Melvorak." he began to chant, as his eyes slowly became red. Hearing his words Raven looked up at the teenage boy with a mixture of awe and curiosity. Madame Rouge was continuing to laugh not noticing the boy who was now looking at her with pure hatred, "Vertith." Arde continued his eyes now glowing a bright red color. Finally noticing what was going on Madame Rouge began to look worried. "What're you-" she began not finishing as he grabbed her arm with his free hand. "Sendros." he finished as his hand glowed red before melting straight through her rubber like skin. The villain screamed and released him unable to immediately regenerate her melted forearm. Arde dropped to the ground and stared at her for a second, "Um...she might get up again." he mumbled looking at the shocked Titans. He was right, just as he finished his sentence Madame Rouge threw a punch and sent him flying. "BeastBoy!" Robin called as he watched Arde, unable to recuperate in the air, make a beeline for a tree. "I'm on it don't worry!" the green changeling called as he jumped and changed into a gorilla mid-air, he caught the teen and placed him back on his feet. "Titans go!" Robin called again as the others ran for the weak Rouge. Arde hesitated as he watched them. "Didn't you hear me?" Boy Wonder asked, "I said go!" he called to the confused boy. "Oh, right!" he yelled concentrating and taking to the air. He took a spot by the changeling called Beast Boy. Madame Rouge was back on her feet and was now swatting the Titans off like flies. "Hey! Your names Arde right!?" BeastBoy called to him from the ground. "Um... yes!" he hesitated sending another ball of red energy from his hands at his opponent. "Alright! Sling shot me would you!?" he called throwing himself at the teen in the form of an armadillo. Okay!" Arde called back catching the ball like animal and throwing it at Rouge. The changeling shifted into the form of a Bengal Tiger seconds before impact, causing Rouge to be caught off guard as he smashed into her. She fell to the ground. Taking the chance, Arde raised his hands. "Melovorak Vertith Sendros!" he called out his mantra as his hands and eyes glowed, an orb of red energy forming around the villain capturing her.

(Later at Titan's Tower)

"We'd like to thank you for your help Arde. Madame Rouge has never been taken down so easily." Robin praised the pale teen in front of him. "It wasn't a problem." he said plainly. "You know. If you'd like you could stay here in Titan's Tower. The team could do much more with a sixth member." he continued extending his hand out to the boy. In it was a T-Phone. "You want me to join the Teen Titans?" he muttered shocked. "Yeah. We could really use your help around Jump City." he said his hand unwavering. The other Titans surrounded their leader. Cyborg was to Robin's left giving the confused Arde a reassuring grin. Starfire was to his left trying to resist the urge to cheer, as Arde thought the offer over. Raven was next to Starfire her hood still covered her expression. BeastBoy was next to Robin nodding at him like he was urging him to take it. 'These guys are like me. We may not fit in with normal people, but we fit in with each other. I could live her. I could protect people, and they wouldn't fear me.' he thought as he firmly grabbed the T-Phone in his hands and nodded "I'll do it." "Alright then. Arde. You're officially an honorary member of Titans West." Robin said slapping his new friend on the back. "Oh what a joyous day! I am so pleased you chose to stay here friend Arde!" the bubbly orange girl laughed as she hugged him with the force of an Iron Maiden. "Oh, I forgot you haven't had a chance to meet the others yet." Robin said looking at the confused look on his face. The group moved to the living room and sat down. "Well let's get this over with shall we. You can call me Robin, I came here from Gotham a while back around that time is when the Titans were created. You've met Starfire, we call her Star, she's from a planet called Tameran she came her when the Gordanians took her from her home planet. She's pretty much why we are even here now actually." The Boy Wonder looked at Starfire fondly, "That's Cyborg, he's the chef of the house I guess, and SUCKS at video games." Robin looked at Cyborg as if he was challenging him. "I suck!?" Cyborg scoffed in disbelief, Robin ignored him and continued with introductions. "That's BeastBoy, he's a vegetarian" Robin continued deciding he'd let the other Titans give their own in depth descriptions later. "Her name is Raven." he sighed noticing she was already leaving. Arde stared as the doors closed behind her. "Well. What about you? What's your story?" Robin asked leaning forward with interest. "Oh. My names Arde, but I guess you already know that. I'm from a place called Vertith. My mother is dead, my father sent me here so I could live a normal life." Arde looked at his feet thinking about his mother's death. "I'm sorry to hear that. What about your powers? Do you use magic?" he continued asking questions, "Yes. My father taught me. I was born with the ability to use heat magic, hence my name, my father just taught me how to use more advanced magic." Arde answered. "Any idea why Madame Rouge was after you?" he asked as his facial expression hardened. "No, she did say something about needing me for a test subject or something. Do you think it had anything to do with my powers?" he answered his interest peaked "It could have. But anyway right now you should go and relax, maybe you should go talk to Raven. She could probably relate to you with the whole magic thing." Robin set off for the evidence room. Cyborg and BeastBoy had started up a game on the couch, and Starfire was in the kitchen making something that looked like toxic waste. 'Maybe that would be a good idea' he thought to himself after looking over his other options. He set off for Raven's room. He searched about for Raven before figuring out she was in a room in the middle of the hall. 'Guess this is it' he thought as he reached out his hand to knock, "Come in."Raven called to him before he could even touch the door. The door swished open and he stepped in. Raven's room was dark, the only light was coming from the candles that were lit and the window. "Um hi. You're Raven right?" he asked as he stood awkwardly in the room. Raven was sitting on her bed book in hand, "Yes, do you need something?" she asked in her usual monotone. "Everyone else is doing something either utterly boring...or life threatening. Does anyone here actually eat Starfire's cooking?" he asked getting over his cowardice. "No." she answered. He wasn't very annoying so she decided she would let him stay for a bit longer. Arde sat on the floor and crossed his legs before chanting his mantra to himself. "What're you doing?" she asked glancing at him. "Meditating." he paused to look at her with one eye open. "Why?" she asked shocked. "It helps me keep from blowing things up on accident." he admitted to her before continuing to chant. She tried to leave him alone but she was curious, "Where are you from?" she asked noticing his skin. It was almost the same shade of gray as hers, just a bit darker. "Vertith." he muttered not breaking his concentration. "Vertith? Where's that?" she continued putting down her book. "In an alternate dimension." he continued, beginning to hover off of the ground. "So you use magic then?" she was now on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling off of the side. "Yes I do." he continued meditating. 'He must have really good concentration to be able to meditate like this.' she thought to herself "What kind?" she asked freely now, noticing she wasn't going to bother him. "Heat magic mostly. I can use other types of magic though." he said finally opening his eyes. "Oh. Why are you here?" she said "I mean in this dimension" she corrected herself. "My father sent me here, because he was afraid I would kill him." Arde decided he could tell her the truth. "Why was he afraid?" Raven continued asking questions. "I was born with the ability to use heat magic, when I was a kid my magic was erratic which eventually led to my mother's death. My father is just paranoid that I will kill him too, he thinks I'm a monster." he finished. "You're not a monster, you seem to have perfect control over your magic." she said in monotone. "Thanks Raven." Arde said smiling at her. Raven was glad her hood was still covering her face. She'd hate to have to kill him for seeing her blush.