Summary: The Titans discover a shy heroine, and offer her a place in their family. But can she overcome her fears, herself, and her secret crush? Red X/OC

Chapter Three: Stranger

"I don't understand! Who's Red X?" Snow asked as they rushed down the highway in the T-Car. She sat in the back with Cyborg and Robin in the front. Beast Boy morphed into an eagle and flew alongside Starfire and Raven. Robin clenched his jaw at the mention.

"He's a theif who isn't really afilliated with anyone," he paused slightly, "It's my fault he even exists." Cyborg shot a sympathetic but scolding look at him.

"You know we don't blame you for that."

Snow confused, but chose not to press the issue. The car had barely stopped when Robin leapt out towards the center, followed by everyone else. They ascended the halls, and Snow looked even paler than usual at the amount of unconscious guards. She carefully made herself into stone, trying not to let her enforced feet make too much clatter on the floor. Raven glanced at her. She had never seen her fully transformed. She looked like a living statue, white, hard, and cold, without a heart, mind, or for that matter, soul. The hood of her coat soon came up, and her face was barely visible. They waited carefully outside the door their theif was. With a single flick of Robin's instructing hand, they burst in.

And it was empty. Their artifact, a heavy, filigree gold, locket, still sat inside it's glass container, safe. But Robin's eyes hardened behind the mask. He was still here. Snow was shaky under the hood. This was her first real mission, and by the sound of Red X, it would be difficult. Even with her undefeated stone, she had to be cautious. She couldn't bear to let her new family down. Then her eyes widened.

She had just realized there was something very sharp pressed against her stone neck.

Robin was next to realize it. Snow had been in the back of the group, and he had been in the front. Yet the very prescence of Red X made him alert. They all backed away carefully from the captive Snow. Red X's dark armor stood out against Snow's white skin and light clothes. He spoke out in his sultry, dark voice.

"Hey there kids. Mind handing over that pretty gem over for this one?" he asked in a sickly sweet voice. Snow was deep in thought. He obviously didn't know she was completely made of stone now....

She acted fast. Grabbing the arm that held the sharp knife to her neck, she brought it down on her hand, wincing at the sound of scratching as it went down across her skin. Gasping slightly, he pulled away as she pushed herself foward, lifting one hand to test the skin that had been scratched. As usual, flawless. She turned back towards the Red X. His face was eerie, with a skull like mask he looked like death. His hand bled from a deep cut and his uninjured one held the responisble weapon.

"Titans! Go!" Robin commanded. They leapt into action. Red X responded, ignoring the blood seeping out of his glove. Snow barely saw it, but the smallest hint of skin revealed behind the glove indicated he was still human. With renewed strength, she charged like a stone stallion. If she could gain a hold on him...she could keep him immobile. A stray punch was barely missed, and as her hand struck the wall, Red X did not miss the white, unmarred stone, nor the deep dent in the wall. He dove away and sent a spinning kick towards the approaching Beast Boy, made rhino towards Snow. She was knocked away as Beast Boy gratefully made himself human again before hitting Snow. At the same time, Robin knocked him onto his back, putting him and Snow in a rather embarassing position.

He was knocked down right in between her splayed legs with an ample view up her skirt.

Beast Boy realized it first as he was slung over Snow's waist with her flat on her back. But when he caught Red X's position, and the lewd grin that pulled the mask taunt over his face, he flapped like a fish in embarassment. Hauling himself away, he yanked Snow back onto her feet, as she looked back confused. Red X leapt in a backwards onto one of the pillars decorating the halls. Snow panicked as she realized he meant to go out by the windows. He smacked a bomb onto the window before looking back at the Titans below.

"Another time Titans." he smirked towards Snow, "Thanks for the view babe," The bomb exploded in a plume of smoke. By the time it cleared, he had vanished. The artifact was safe, but the Titans were too busy gawking at Snow, who looked back frustrated and confused.

"Thanks for the view?" Cyborg asked. Beast Boy leapt in angrily, as if he'd been waiting for it.

"That perv looked up her skirt while she was down!" he growled. The tint of pink on everyone else's faces was nothing in comparison to poor Snow. Her face arms and legs had gone almost burgundy with humiliation. She trembled in place, face stark red and horrified.

"Ahhhh!" she screamed, fleeing from the room. Ignoring the cries from her friends she kept on running, determined not to let them see her cry, to see her shame. She had not only failed to help catch Red X, but had unwillingly given him something to mock her about! She was overcome with tears, not even bothering with her stone form. She was running through the streets desperate to escape. She finally collasped in a shuddering, sobbing heap into a deserted alley. She felt useless. What was she thinking? How could she have imagined she'd be good enough for the Teen Titans?

She drew her knees up to her chest and gasped with harsh sobs in the cold air. Her first chance to prove her worth, wasted. She remained curled in the snow, tears eventually running out. She remained sniffling, until she heard a crunch in the light ice. A small gasp escaped as she burrowed further into the cold, away from the prescene. A hand fell gently on her shoulder. Snow looked up hesitantly, hands covering her hooded face. She saw a handsome boy, with long black hair and a blue aquasuit looking at her kindly.

"W-who're you?" she snuffled, wiping the dribbled snot off her face with her sleeve. She imagined she looked pathetic. The boy ignored that and helped her back to her feet.

"My name's Aqualad, I'm from Titans East. Robin called us to help find you," he said, pulling out a thick blanket and pulling it over her shoulders. She felt a pang of admiration for her leader at this, beforing looking up at Aqualad. His deep sea eyes made Snow blush, she rarely got attention from boys as she shrunk away from people in general. He put an arm over her shoulders soothingly as he pulled out a communicator, verifying he had found Snow. Snow's blush warmed her considerably as he pulled her close. But she didn't notice as they walked away, an almost angry gaze from above, envy peeking through the eyes of a skull mask...

She was met with a mix of emotion when Aqualad brought her back to the Tower. Robin was scolding, Starfire was hysterical, Raven was impassive as ever, and Cyborg and Beast Boy were gaping as Aqualad brought her in with a tender arm around her shoulders. A few extra pairs of curious eyes looked too. She looked beyond her friends and saw another group of others. Aqualad joined them, one arm lingering slightly longer before departing, leaving a line of pleasant goosebumps.

"Why did you run off? We were really worried!" Robin chided, relieved she was back. Snow began stuttering embarassed.

"I-I...I didn't think you want me back....after goofing up the whole assignment...." she mumbled. Robin looked at her unbelieveably. Raven swept beside her, a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder.

"We've been doing this for a long time and haven't managed to catch him. It's okay. You did better than expected for meeting Red X for the first time." It was the most Snow could recall her saying at once. But then, with a heavy blush, she remembered the worst.

"B-but...he saw...."

"We'll kick his ass for that one!" Beast Boy raged, a fire burning in his eyes.

"Saw what?" asked one of the people from the corner. It was a girl, who looked very much like a bumblebee in Snow's opinion.

"That pervert Red X looked up Snow's skirt!" Beast Boy yelled out. Snow wished he'd be more quiet as her face bloomed a fire truck red, while the new aquaintances blushed lightly. Snow's knees clung tightly together, as if warding off the chance of it happening again.

"Please stop mentioning it...." Snow muttered in humiliation, covering her face again. After a couple more scolds from Robin and a few for Beast Boy too, they decided to introduce them to the Titans East. Snow's prediction of the girl was correct, Bumblebee. Two small twins were Mas y Menos.

"..And you already know Aqualad right?" asked Robin. Snow blushed lightly as Aqualad smiled his dazzling grin again, and nodded. Robin didn't notice and continued, "And this is-"

"-Speedy," the boy interrupted, knocking Robin away and taking Snow's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you." He wore a mask too with a suit that matched his fiery orange hair. She went lightly pink at this too, although slightly confused at the small act of courtship. It had gotten dark outside, and not wanting to grow weary on the way home, the Titans East were invited to rest at the Tower for the night. Snow led Aqualad to his room, with aghast looks from Cyborg and Beast Boy burning into their backs and Speedy looking slightly put out when Robin went to show him his room. Before parting from Aqualad for the night, Snow shyly decided to thank him.

"I"m sorry if I was a burden...if I hadn't run off..."

"It's fine," he reassured, "I've never faced Red X myself but I've heard he's very tricky. I'm only sorry that he got away with such an act of indignity." he ended with a slight growl. Nevertheless, Snow smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you in any case. Good night."

"Sweet dreams," he answered with a wink. She blushed and trotted away happily, swaying slightly with an unrecognizeable euphoria. She entered her room and sighed against the door post. She had barely swung the door closed when a hand pulled her to a foreign waist.

"Remember me princess?" Red X whispered huskily against Snow's quivering form.