Okay, kiddies~! Here's the rest of Infiltrator! Sooo… yikes, Artemis mah gurl… I~ do not like you very much. She was rude and condescending in the beginning, and I have to admit I agree with her being the final push that got Roy to leave the chances to rejoin YJ for good… and I know she gets better, but right now,,, I just want to paint her as a sort-of bad guy for maybe… half a chapter more after this? Then she gradually warms up to everyone and Natsu. She'll be the badass, strong, 'Lucy' that's not afraid to scare Happy with a pointy object or twelve if he gets too salty with her.

Also, I have an epic surprise for this story~! And it begins in this chapter!

{This is ASL}

"Normal Talking"

Thinking or flashback

'Telepathic linkup'

"Writing"

Salamander's moves

Emphasis for anger

~~~~*/|\*~~~~

X: Not the Only One with an Infiltrator

~~~~*\|/*~~~~

'Miss Martian, link us up. We don't want the Shadows intercepting our coms.' Natsu and Superboy winced when they felt the trail of their resident Martian's mental probe over their minds before they were linked to everyone.

'We all here?'

'Yeah. Oof it still feels strange when you do it, Miss Martian. No offense…'

'None taken, Salamander,' In the computer lab Artemis held her head. 'Ugh, this feels weird...' the professor next to her scowled. 'Not to mention distracting!' while the blonde woman started spouting off some techie-jargon Salamander glanced at the skies with a pained look, privately begging whatever gods existed to give him strength. To pass his time he started to think on what he'd play when the mission was finished, gradually easing his nerves at the possibility of a member of the Shadows being there with them.

Playing instruments was a pass-time Salamander had developed when training under Kent Nelson, the music helped him get things out that he knew words wouldn't succeed in, and his newest creation, something he'd called Last Stardust, was one he'd been working on for a while.

However, the Halfling forgot about the mind link that was still in effect.

Feeling a tap on his tail, Salamander turned back to see Superboy staring at him with a weird look in his eye. Then he noticed the whole team had gone shock silent and even Roquette had the feel of awe and ease floating off of her. 'Dude… are you playing the piano in your head?' Kid Flash asked incredulously. Salamander flushed, ducking away from the team's attention as he shuffled a bit. 'I-uh… yes?'

'…that's it. You need to do a concert or something when we get back to the Mountain, cuz when you started that, Artemis and KF stopped bitching at each other.' Robin was impressed from his place beside Kid Flash. Salamander actually puffed gold fire from his ears in his embarrassment. 'Look, that piece was amazing and all, but I really need quiet! It's hard enough to make a virus a kiddie computer with less RAM than an analog pocket watch, now I have a freaking Mozart and teen think in my head!'

'Sorry, Miss Roquette…'

Kid Flash just snorted. 'Jeez~! Lady do you always act like a jerk when someone tries to help you?' Artemis scoffed. 'Pot, Kettle. Oh, wait… you've met already~?' Robin's scowl was seen even through the mind link. 'We don't need attitude from the one who a) Drove Red Arrow from the Team, and b) tried to kill my brother and our friend!'

Salamander sighed. 'Oh, boy here we go.'

'You little ass, that is so not on me! Maybe if you kept your pets on a freaking leash-!' this time Salamander interjected the irate archer. 'DO NOT call my friend a PET! I can take you badmouthing me, but DON'T insult Happy just because he got you right on the first read… Ugly Wench~!'

Roquette slammed her hands on the desk with a mental yell of irritation. 'Fate. Of the world. At STAKE HERE!'

Artemis sniffed before turning away from the doctor. 'You know what, I'll just help Miss Martian, Superboy, and the Pyromaniac patrol the perimeter.' Salamander growled, his figure tensing before he stood. 'I'm just gonna follow you under Heat Mirage overhead, kay, SB?' getting a nod from the clone Salamander spread his wings and invoked Heat Mirage, leaping invisibly into the air. Superboy stood himself and listened to his surroundings closely before moving to where Artemis and Miss Martian were. Artemis' gaze fixed on the clone's form and her thought turned… seductive.

'Mmmm, that boy~.' Salamander actually shuddered on Superboy's behalf when she licked her lips at him. to his credit he just turned to look at her and Salamander could hear the unsaid WTF in his thoughts as he stared at Artemis with wide and, vaguely offended, blue eyes. 'He can hear you, actually, we can all hear you!' Miss Martian reprimanded the other girl. 'Ooh, I know~.' The archer didn't get the hint and Salamander hissed, smoke puffing from his spot over Superboy's position. 'Yeah, then you know enough to try and not let your ovaries explode while on mission, Artie. It's not very professional.'

The seductive edge in the archer's mind became jagged and sour. 'Yeah? Try not to let your hoarding instincts take over and covet things that don't belong to you for yourself, lizard.' Salamander's mind gained a humorous edge to it, not really surprising those who know him. 'Oh, girl… everyone on this team is my hoard. Even you, as unpleasant as that may be.'

Aqualad then contacted Miss Martian telling them phase two was a-go. Salamander felt something tickle the back of his mind, a feeling that something might happen. Reaching out, he grabbed Superboy's elbow. 'Hold up… be careful out there, okay?' Superboy raised an eyebrow as Salamander dropped Heat Mirage. Before the taller could move the Halfling gripped the boy in a tight hug before letting him go and flying away as fast as his wings could carry him. The Teen of Steel felt his heart beat faster than before and Robin had to call his name in the Mind Link several times to snap him out of it.

As the two settled in the Bioship the Boy Wonder smirked at Superboy, who, in addition to holding his chest, was flushed a light pink. 'Seems like your 'Doki-Doki ain't Okie-Dokie~!' the clone didn't even bother to ask what that meant.

As the two girls outside saw the boys off, Miss Martian had a small frown on her face. The feelings she was getting off of the two boys were confusing. They were friends, and good ones, too, but that's it… that was all it was… right?

=›◊‹=

Salamander roamed the outside of the building, putting his awkward gay panics on hold to see the mission through. He'd passed by Kid Flash a couple times when his nose caught wind of a new scent. It was familiar to him, similar, like he grew up with it even before he was saved, but it wasn't close enough to a dragon's to actually be one.

It smelt of decay… no, that wasn't right…

Salamander's eyes narrowed. 'Aqualad… get everyone into Roquette's room.' Their leader tensed from his spot beside the professor. 'Why, what is it? The Shadows?' Salamander gulped, golden eyes surveying the shadows that seemed to suddenly become darker than ever. His tone was tense, his tail flicking back and forth as he answered his leader. 'I smell something, and it ain't friendly. It doesn't seem like it cares for the doc, though… it's like… it's after me.'

"Oh, Salamander… you can bet your tailed ass that I ain't friendly~! And you can bet that pretty little face I'm about to poison off that I'm here for you." golden eyes widened before the combined sickly sweet scent of Angel's Trumpet, Foxglove, Hemlock, Monkshood, Cerbera odollam or The Suicide Tree, and a reptilian odor similar to Cobra snake poison, sea-snake, rattle snake, and so many more that screamed danger. Salamander's eyes widened as he realized what those flowers and snakes had in common on the dark side of life:

They were all producers of deadly poisons and venoms.

A clawed dark maroon dragon hand trailing a sickly purple energy at it's claws lashed out from the darkness, barely missing the Halfling before he flipped away. His gold markings flashed warningly as he glared into the dark. Poison green eyes stared from the darkest spot in front of him, a low chuckle filling the air. the scent, the one that seemed to be driving him crazy with familiarity made sense now.

"What's right, Salamander~…"a clawed dragon foot stepped into the dim lighting, coated in violet scales speckled black. Dark purple leather pants accompanied a black overcoat. Two wings, bat like and tattered at the bottom, fluttered and twitched it's barbed thumb claws and a tail with a wicked scorpion blade at the end curled over Salamander's opponent's head.

"I'm a Halfling just like you… but where Lord Acnologia comes from, we are known as the Dragon Slayers."

Salamander growled low in his chest, the scar on his throat jumping at the want to let the noise out. 'Yeah? Well guess that makes you the one dear ol' dad sent after me, huh?' the poison dragon slayer cackled. "pappy isn't happy with you, Dragneel. You spit on what it means to be one of the superior races that graces this world from the old one. Lord Acnologia wants to give you a chance to redeem yourself. This is an offer you should take."

Salamander narrowed his eyes before lighting his fists on fire. 'Yeah, how about no you crazy mamba?'

The other Halfling sighed before shrugging. "Oh, well… can't say I didn't try~! The name's Cobra by the way. Not that it matters… once my poison sinks into you, you won't be long enough in this world to remember it anyways- your insides will start shutting down within the hour of being injected." The man sucked in a breath before bellowing out the name of a spell eerily similar to Salamander's own.

"Poison Dragon's ROAAARRR!"

=›◊‹=

Cheshire Cat, fighting Aqualad, grinned under her mask as the building shook slightly. "Ooh, looks like Cobra's having some fun~! Hope your little Fire Dragon can keep up with him." The Atlantian blocked and parried a slash as the woman attacked again. "Salamander is stronger that you think. He'll be victorious!"

Cheshire Cat's grin could be heard through her mask as she kicked Aqualad away. "Well, that may be, but he's fighting one of our best, someone just like him." Aqualad's eyes widened in realization. There's another Halfling?!

=›◊‹=

Salamander barely had time to throw up a Fire Shield before the hissing breath attack washed over him. Letting his shield drop Salamander was shocked to see that the grass had all withered and died around him, going brown and brittle under his taloned feet. The smell of poison was strong in the air and Cobra cackled. Salamander spread his wings and flew skywards coating his wings in a cape of fire before launching it at the other Halfling as he pursued him. "Oh, you wanna go for a wide slicing attack~? L-a-m-e~!"

Golden Flame Dragon's Wing Attack!

Cobra dodged the attack with laughable ease before slicing the air with a clawed palm, rushing at the startled younger Halfling as he launched sharp disks of the sick purple energy at his Golden Flame counterpart. "Poison Dragon's Scales!" while the Halfling dodged just in time, one smashed into Salamander's chest, making pain rip through him. A choked cry came from his mouth as the flame dragon crashed back to the ground. "Can you feel it, little gecko? My venom is rushing through your blood and magic circuits as we speak." Salamander snarled and rose, shakily getting to his feet. His body burned and he felt sick to his stomach in a matter of seconds. {How did you predict my movements?!} Salamander signed furiously, too angry to speak telepathically. "I'm not predicting, I can hear you! Every move you make, every plan you cook up, I'll hear it and know!"

The black and gold Halfling snarled, smoke billowing from his grit teeth. 'You bastard!' flying at Cobra with a lit fist, the other Halfling dodged, allowing Salamander to smash his scaled fist into the concrete and create a small crater. The barbed scorpion-like tail swing in from above and Salamander used his own tail to deflect it. Crouching down, the flame-user lept into the air and powered high into the skies, followed by a cackling Cobra. The two dove and flapped against each other, sometimes almost shifting full-out on Natsu's part but pushing the urge back. Cobra scoffed derisively when Salamander let out a choked gargle when the poison user took a blow to the gut. "Pathetic… a dragon without his roar, You don't belong in these skies!" With a movement faster than the Salamander could track, Cobra grabbed his face. "Imma knock you out of the air and clip your wings, you pathetic excuse for a Halfling!" with that the elder blasted the younger with a wave of poison magic. Salamander tumbled through the air before landing with a ground-shaking crash into the ground.

The dust flew up and around the landing site and Cobra circled overhead, eyes and ears open.

'I'm getting…'

Cobra smirked as he landed on the roof of the high school. His wings folded in and his tail waved in anticipation as he listened to the irate Salamander in the dust cloud.

'Really sick of your BS, you snake!'

A pulse of heat and fire came from within the dust and Salamander's form was illuminated by the fire on his body, making Cobra sneer. "What do you mean?" the poison dragon said snidely. 'What makes you think that Acnologia is actually going to give you what you wanted if you complete this mission?' Cobra tensed before smiling evilly at the younger Halfling. "And what makes you think I wanted anything- Oh! An overhead right hook followed by a Golden Flame Dragon's Talon? It's useless!"

Cobra grabbed Salamander's leg and swung him into the side of the school building, making the whole place shake.

"How many times do I need to say it? I can hear you-!" a blast of golden and black fire cut the poison-user off and he was slammed in the gut by a vengeful Golden Flame Dragon's Sword Horn. His tapered ears strained to listen, but the most he got was static. The two ploughed through the football field, kicking up a trench in the grass before Cobra kicked the younger Halfling off of him. Glaring at Salamander Cobra realized that he literally wasn't thinking. This guy's fighting on pure instinct, isn't he?!

With a low hiss Salamander let his right fist go up in fire before slamming it into Cobra's right cheek. Next he used his tail to grab him before sending a flaming taloned foot into his ribs, sending him rolling down to the forty-yard line before Cobra staggered to his feet, coughing up blood and heaving for breath. Poison green eyes glared balefully into an almost snowy white-out gold before the com in his ear buzzed to life.

"Cobra, we need to fall back to the road where everyone else is- the martian and the speedster just arrived and you seem to have gotten caught up in some trouble as well." Cheshire's com buzzed to life as C0bra took a step back. "What?! I'm about to kick Salamander's ass!" 'If you were going to, you should have accomplished it by now. Acnologia will have to wait, right now we need to get back." Cobra scoffed before grumbling a 'fine' and shifted. His dragon form was more snake-like, giving credence to his name, and two protruding fangs dripped venom as he gave a hissing roar and turned towards the west. "Until we meet again, Salamander! The skies only have room for ONE Halfling!"

Deep in Salamander's mind, he gradually clawed back into awareness.

His kneed shook before he fell to the grass, feeling the effects of the hits Cobra landed during their fight. 'shit… poison is a BITCH to deal with…' the Halfling groaned. His eyes itched and his stomach churned violently, and moments later he lurched to the side, vomiting his last meal into the turf. 'Damnit… can't decide which is worse… all the other missions I was injured in combined… or this mission's shitstorm.'

Salamander forced himself to his feet and staggered towards the forest where Aqualad's scent came in the breeze.

'Salamander, can you hear me?'

Miss Martian's voice came faintly through his mental barriers and the Halfling sighed in relief- at least one of his team mates sounded like they were alright. 'Yeah… loud and clear. What's the status on Roquette?'

'Artemis, Kid, and I are stalling Black Spider, Cheshire Cat, and Hook. Meet Aqualad in the Sandbar Internet Café!' Salamander nodded, even if she couldn't see him, and flew clumsily into the air to make his way to the new location.

=›◊‹=

Aqualad stood guard by Roquette, eyes and ears peeled for any unwelcome movement, when he heard a THUMP come from outside. Silver eyes went wide when he saw Salamander panting for air. his eyes were squinted as if he found it hard to see, and his body was shaking. 'There's another Halfling, Aqualad…' the fire-user said as his friend helped him up. 'He uses poison. He had to retreat, but he got me good… it'll take a bit for my fire to flush it completely out, and that's if he doesn't try to track me down.' "Are you still able to help stand guard?" Salamander had to think about it for a moment.

'I should be okay to… I'm just-.' The fire-user hunched over before a surge of nausea raced through the mind link. Roquette, despite having the fate of the world on her shoulders, managed to kick an empty trash bin over and Aqualad barely had time to set it up before Salamander vomited into the container, his tail curling upwards and his wings bending at an uncomfortable angle.

'Aqualad, we need to focus on the mission. Don't worry about me, just protect Roquette.' Kaldur let uncertain silver eyes linger on his younger companion before he turned to their charge. "How much longer?" he asked, worry in his tone. "Not too long, I just need five more minutes."

"That's five minutes you just don't have, Doc~!"

Aqualad drew his water blades just as several vials of toxin contained in small crossbow bolts attached themselves to his chest. "Let's test the limits of your Jellyfish immunity, shall we?" the two traded blows as Salamander forced himself to his feet. His vision was warping and his body shook even more than before, but he had a job to do. He stood next to Roquette even as she shot him a concerned look while she finished the virus.

THUD!

Golden eyes snapped up to see Aqualad on the ground. Cheshire Cat's body language held a grin as she drew her daggers and advanced on Roquette and Salamander. When Salamander let out a growl of warning Cheshire scoffed. "You're barely able to stand and Cobra's poison is flowing in your veins. Just step out of the way and you'll have it much easier."

'If I had a quarter for every time someone told us to cease and desist…' Salamander said, his tone not betraying any of his exhaustion. He lit up, standing a little straighter even when his magic was tainted by Cobra's poison. As Cheshire lunged and Salamander prepared for a clash, a green arrow came whistling from behind him, making the assassin jump away. Behind Salamander Artemis appeared with another arrow ready to fly. "Try me, bitch. We have unfinished business."

Cheshire Cat looked at the blonde archer before spying movement- Aqualad was back up, and behind him Roquette's screen showed that the virus was complete and transmitted. KF appeared in the doorway and Miss Martian flew in close behind him. "Very well~." The woman in the mask purred. "There's no point in me completing the objective anyway since I was to kill her before she finished. Very well… like the Cheshire Cat… I'll just vanish." The space was suddenly filled with smoke, and the shattering of a window was heard. "I'll get her!" Artemis shouted. Salamander's vision started to dim, the poison running through his body and his temperature climbing to burn it out.

'Hey… Natsu, you can rest now. We'll wake you when we arrive at the mountain.' Kid Flash's voice sounded calm for once, soothing and reassuring. Settling to lean back against the counter, Natsu's eyes slid closed as his temperature continued to climb, actually sending out small tongues of fire as it did.

'Promise?' he mumbled.

A cool hand was settled on his forehead before the speedster answered.

'Yeah.'

And thus the mission was complete.

However, questions spun in Natsu's mind even after slipping into sleep- how many more Halflings were there? What did cobra mean when he said they came from a different world?

Why were they called Dragon Slayers?