Warnings: this and that.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Transformers.

Klik - seconds

Breem - minutes

Joor - hour

deca-cycle - weeks

Orn equal to days

cycles equal to months

Vorns- years

A slight haze hung in the air as three mechs walked out of the forest that they had been in for the last two orns. If one were to look at first glance they would see normal everyorn mechs, but the three travelers were anything but. Small details showed that they were more the ordinary. The largest of the three had oddly shaped wings that would separate him from the seekers and other flyers. Unlike other flyer type mechs this one's wings bared too much resemblance to a dragon's mesh lined wings. Shining crystal scales would peek out from between armor and still healing injures and his golden color optics shone from under his crimson chevron. He gave off an aloof feeling that made him hard to approach.

The next tallest was the youngest and stuck close to the winged mech. Red and blue and white armor dented a little and scuffed paint and a rifle on his back had him standing out. It wasn't until someone got close enough that they would see sharp denta and a smell of fire and the feel of heat that most normal mechs wouldn't have that would give the younger one away of being anything not normal. Otherwise the young mech was like any other out on the road.

The smallest didn't need much to scared away others. His silver armor and blue visor and the way he way was off putting to many. Adding in the sharp talons, the fanged smile, and his overall presence many would stay away on pretense. It didn't help a bot could tell just where the mech was looking not with the visor on. So, if there were other travelers they would give the group a wide berth.

There were no other travelers on the road that morning and the mechs preferred it that way. they had one destination in mind, but to get there they had to leave the safety of the forest. In between them and Praxus were three villages, two being small, it was the largest that was cause for concern. Though for different reasons for each mech.

Prowl knew of the large village, having been there multiple times before Praxus fell. But the chance of be notice wasn't as high since each time he was there he was wearing his Enforcer colors and his armor was in pristine shape. Now, he looked very different. Having Orion around added to that because he was always alone when he visited. Though they might recognize him even as scruffy as he looked due to his last assignment he had there. he was nearly as bad then as he was now.

He had spent over a cycle chasing a still unknown thief that led him all over the village. Prowl was still frustrated that he never caught the mech. But he did enjoy the challenge the mech provided even if he lost his first kiss to him and the punch he delivered for that was somewhat satisfying.

Jazz had some of the same but reverse reasons for the larger village. But he didn't need to tell his companions that he was one of the best thieves around and that the large village was one of his most memorable. He wondered if the Enforcer was still there and if they had time for him to pay a little visit. But he doubted that the young Enforcer was, they both left a lot of damage so he rather doubted that his chaser would be welcome to stay.

Now that Jazz thought about Prowl did remined him of that youngling. Keeping his face forward Jazz glanced at the crystal half dragon. But Jazz shook that thought as soon as it came. There were major differences between the two. The youngling showed his emotions every time that Jazz say him and the silver mech hadn't seen anything to connect him to being related to dragons. Prowl, Jazz saw that he kept a tight rein on his emotions and every action was calculated. The mech didn't even have the same colors as the young Enforcer did. Even their wings are different, the young mech back then had the normal door wings of a Praxian mech. Prowl didn't his was grayish mesh that shimmered when they caught the light. The only thing that, as far as Jazz saw, they have in common was their red chevron.

'besides that youngling might have perished when the great city fell, I can see him being all noble and dying.' Jazz thought ruefully. Back then he had only snorted at the news and continued on his way but now he hoped that the Enforcer that gave him challenged might have survived. But when Smokey and Blue had joined his clan they could not tell him what he wanted to hear. Both still reeling from the destruction and the loss of their own clan.

Jazz sighed and waved off the questioning look Prowl gave him. Prowl just flicked the tips of his wings and returned his optics to the road and answering some questions that Orion had asked to fill in the silence. Jazz only half listened until he heard the word Enforcer.

"What was tha?" he asked earning as side glance from Prowl.

"Orion asked what I did before bring captured. I was an Enforcer along with my sire and oldest brother." He turned fully to face the silver dragon one ridge quirked.

"Oh." Jazz didn't say anything else but that only caused Prowl to become suspicious. Jazz sounded like he wanted to ask something but was holding back.

"Is there something the matter Jazz?" he asked.

"nah mech just let my mind wondered there and didn't hear the question or the answer. Just curious is all." The silver dragon smile did not fool Prowl. However, the half dragon had a sudden mental jerk as a series of memories flashed across his mind all triggered by that smile, that same type that the thief had.

Just thinking about the only case, he didn't finish or the mech Prowl turned to different topics. He asked Orion more about the mechs who raised him or about his brother and former clan. He was surprised by how attentive Jazz was when they got to Orion's brother.

"Optimus was different than the rest of our clan. He was also not the oldest one but shared the title anyway with his clutch mate Megatronus. But out of the two of them Megatronus was the eldest. They were at first great with each other. Then something changed, I don't know what no one would tell me, but I knew I was one of the reasons for their fall out." he said sadly. They noticed him begin to rub to his arm. To Prowl it reminded him of those who suffered from phantom pain and it concerned him when he saw the younger mech do it.

Jazz has similar ideas but he had more info then Prowl did. He already knew that Optimus and Megatron were clutch mates and he knew that Optimus had split leaving the oldest in charge of their clan. He could imagen the leader of that clan harming a youngling. But he didn't say anything though as he was unware of there being a third brother. He had to remember to have a little talk with his leader about leaving information out when he was told to do a job.

"Was that also the reason why your brother sent you away?" he heard Prowl asked. He noticed that the two had stopped a ways back.

"I think so, but not until I was cast out of the clan. Megatronus said that he had no room for weaklings and that I would be better off dead then to continue living. Optimus saved me before he could do anything else." He rubs his arm more harshly and Prowl stepped up behind him and held his arm to stop him.

He gently took the arm and held it up. The light of the orn showed a very faint scar underneath the armor. He could just see it before it disappeared under the armor. He looked at Orion who was looking at everything but him or Jazz.

"Did he give this," Prowls voice was soft but held a lot of anger but none directed at the younger mech. He followed the arm to the shoulder and saw one end ending at the neck and shoulder joint.

"He had me pinned when Optimus found us. it was caused when he tried to pull me away from underneath Megatronus claws." Orion said softly. "even though it has been vorns…the scar still hurts."

Prowl nodded, "Scars such as this will hurt for a while, but one orn you will no longer feel as something else takes its place." He let Orion's arm go, "When you find that something this will heal."

Jazz and Orion just stared at the crystal dragon. As the silence stretched Prowls wings flicked and flared before he started walking again. "Shall we continue then, we won't reach the next village until night fall and I rather sleep in a bed then on the ground."

Orion hurried to catch up. Jazz just snickered as he followed at a more leisurely pace. He was beginning to see some sides of the half dragon that was starting to change his opinion. On the first impression Jazz, had thought the mech was over formal but that changed to being too stoic. But it was moments like this that Jazz had to rethink about Prowl. Underneath that stoic mask the dragon had been using was a mech that was just a deep and emotional as the next.

"What about you Prowl; anything interesting about your past ya want to share?" Jazz asked.

"I was just an Enforcer for Praxus. I lived with my sire and creator and two brothers, Smokescreen and Bluestreak. Smokescreen along with me and my sire were Enforcers though I was more suited to tactics I enjoyed patrolling the streets. Bluestreak was still too young to join. My creator was a cloud sculpture and loved to race. We would spend our off joors racing each other or spending time in the Praxus crystal gardens." He sighs, "during my captivity I sometimes would remember the songs she used to sing and I would remember how the clouds felt against my wings. It was one of the few things that Sentinel could not take from me."

"Whoa…Sentinel? As in the mech who calls himself a Prime?" Jazz stared in shock. There had been rumors of dragons and half dragons being taken and used as living trophies. Their lives as nothing more than property, living in conditions that not even a homeless mech would tolerate. Other rumors were on a darker trend one where younglings or those who were considered young were used as interface slaves. Jazz knew that Sentinel fell in both categories. But it was the lasted info that had caught his leader's attention was the rumor that the mech was trying to breed the half dragons he had caught. He had found the grayed bodies of several of such dragons when he was at the mech palace, he also saw the damage the place took before departing. Jazz was afraid to find out if Orion and Prowl suffered through that kind of treatment.

"yes, he wanted a rare dragon but only got the half breed offspring of one." Jazz saw those large mesh wings shiver fold themselves tight to Prowls body. "I suspect he wanted to create his own breed of dragons that would only obey him or any he gave them too. I know that he wanted my scales so he could sell them. they would fetch a high price now that there are so few crystal dragons left. Full blooded or otherwise."

"I don't know why he was interested in me," Orion added. "when I was thrown into Prowls room he mostly kept Sentinel and his mechs away, but the times that he couldn't…" the young mech trail off letting those around him to draw their own conclusion.

"I know what he had done, Sentinel is a fool to try to spark a half dragon without being bonded to them. let alone a full-blooded dragon. Only one's spark mate that had bonded with them could get them sparked." Prowl said.

Jazz nodded but mentally he was cringing. He was glad that Orion did not end up like the others that he saw. Frames tossed to the side like trash spark champers open warped almost beyond recognition. He still has fluxes of those images. All those frames lead him to Sentinel and having heard what Prowls thoughts on the matter Jazz could agree. It did not help that Megatron was doing the same thing and it worried him that while he had two tempting targets for the dragon warlord. He needed to get them to Praxus and his clan before they were caught by either party.

"Enough of all this talk," he shouted making the other too jump or in Prowls case wings flaring up and out. "let me tell you about two dragon mechs that love pranks."

They pass the first and second villages without too much trouble. Prowl suspected that Jazz had lengthen their stay in both so that they could rest up and fuel up on something other than raw wild game. The crystal dragon didn't mind it too much, it allowed him to get his barriers up for when they finally reached his home city. Prowl wasn't as sure as he made himself sound about returning home, he was glad that he wasn't alone.

However, Prowl soon found himself acting like himself again as they left the first village and as the enter the second. Before they left the first Prowl had caught and brought in several thieves and one crime lord.

All unintendedly.

The local village enforcers were stun and though Prowl had tried to refuse had given him the reward credits that the group had. It was the same when they got to the second village but instead of thieves or crime lords it was a group of sky racers dive bombing the village and causing general disruption. With the help of Orion and Jazz the former Enforcer took down the group shaming them in the process. Orion had also had caught some fame when he saved the sparkling of one of the village elders from one of the racers out for a last breem revenge.

Prowl only step in because the racers were annoying and one just so happen to try one dive on him. he felt insulted and had launched into the sky before Jazz and Orion knew what had happen. Jazz found himself trying to stop his companion from beating up a group of young adult dragons. Until one decided that Jazz would be a target. let be said that something a small as a sparklings ball could not drop a dragon out of the sky.

The younglings learned that there were others out in the world who were better flyers then them and had been cowed as they laid in a heap of tangle wings and metal. With a frowning Prowl standing over them until the local authorities collected them.

That earned them a few grateful nods and verbal thanks but it was Orion that became the center of attention. One dragon mech decided that he didn't want to be taken in and had shot out of the pile of flyers he was in. he for some reason got it in his helm to take and sparkling hostage, he didn't count on another mech seeing him and stepping in.

Orion's involvement got them a room in one of the better inns in the village. The elder had wanted to show how his family was thankful by inviting the young mech and what the villagers thought were his guardians. Prowl had said that it would be rude to denied the invite but Jazz had disappeared before they left. Annoyed, Prowl had to think up a viable excuse to explain his absence. He made plans to have a little talk with the silver scaled dragon upon his return.

Unbeknown to both Prowl and Orion, Jazz was out in the more shadowy parts of the village. He wanted to get a message out to his clan but also this was one area where he could get information about Decepticon movements and to see if Sentinel is still on the hunt for his two companions.

"Ya know Mirage, it's not nice to sneak up on bots that can sense ya," his grin holding no warmth as he looked over his left shoulder.

"True, but that only applies to non-clan members or targets. Which are non-existent and besides Hound would be very displease if you did anything." A cultured voice drifted through the darkness before a blue and white mech shimmered into view.

"that is true, I rather not have to fight the mech hate to spend energy knocking through that tough armor of his," Jazz said clapping the mech on the shoulder. "Been awhile friend you two had me worried when word reached us about the Towers being razed to the ground."

"Yes, Hound felt that we should stay hidden until we were sure that any survivors of the Towers had given up on capturing us." the mostly white mech shuddered. "I have no intention being killed."

"Far as I could see no mech survived. So, I don't think you have to worry about being used as a sacrifice now."

"Well good riddance," Mirage sniffed. "So, what do I owe the pleasure of your company this find night," Jazz ignored the bit of impatience he hear in the mechs question.

"Not much, just some information about a mech or two."

Mirage lifted an optic ridge, "Oh? Would one mech be a clan leader and the other a certain Prime?" Jazz didn't nod or show any emotion but Mirage knew him too well, haven been trained by the silver dragon. "Would these two mechs happen to be connect to the rumors of two half breeds escaping and setting fire to the Primes Palace?"

"And if it was?" it wasn't asked with too much of a threat in the Jazz's tone.

Mirage gave a one shoulder shrug. "No reason, just that Sentinel isn't happy about losing two prizes. He has set a bounty on them. Megatron haven't heard a thing except that he has been gathering other clans to him. Other than that, nothing connecting to your two half dragons."

Jazz's visor brightens and a low growl fills the alley that they were in. Mirage freezes knowing that if he moved he would be seen as prey or a threat. When the silver mechs visor dims does, Mirage relaxed but not enough that his guard is down.

"Sorry mech, wasn't you I was growling at." He apologizes.

Mirage just nods, "There isn't much of a description of your two mechs and if they stayed in their mech forms then they would be harder to find. And if you could hide the wings on the crystal dragon then they wouldn't be able to tell him from one mech to another." He says hoping to be a little bit of help.

"Yeah thought about it." Jazz says absent mindedly before he huffs. "Well it's been fun mech but I got to get back to Prowl and the youngling before they miss me."

"Of course, Primus forbid that they find out that you deal with unsavory characters," the blue and white mech rolls his optics before fading out of sight.

"If you and Hound want you can catch up with Optimus and join us." he lets the wind throw the offer as Mirages signature disappears. "Well, I wonder if they brought me anything back from that dinner?" he muttered to himself as he went back to the inn.

The next orn they left the village before the sun had touch the sky. They made no plans of stopping until they reached the third and final village before Praxus. However, what neither knew was that the village they were trying to reach was hosting the one mech that Jazz was hoping that they never crossed paths with.

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Chapter end.

Thank you for reading.