Miko is teaching them about human stuff :3

Jazz: A deep sea shark

Prowl: cave dwelling sea krait/eel hybrid

Bluestreak: mix of Prowl and Jazz

Sideswipe: open sea beta fish (Chinese Fighting Fish)

Sunstreaker: open sea beta fish (Chinese Fighting Fish)

A/N: I wrote this late at night, when inspiration struck. To be continued?

Smokescreen walked up to the desk fidgeting with the collar of his jacket. He had moved to Morro Bay California for the summer, having been hired on as a intern for a Mer and Sealife Research Center. He was studying to be a psychiatrist ( his rich parents thought that was the best choice, even if he disagreed strongly) but the college he was attending was offering extra credit to any one who interned in any form of biology. Smokescreen had always been fascinated with Mers (ever since he was a child) and had decided to use the extra credit as an excuse to study the elusive and rare species.

The blue eyed boy jumped, startled out of thoughts as a the door to the side of the desk swung open and a freckeled sun taned, tallish, broad-shouldered, graying ginger came storming through yelling into his phone. He was an older man, probably mid-fifties, and by the sound of it very pissed off. "Does it sound like I give a fuck! I don't care how much money your offering, THEIR NOT FOR SALE!"

Smokescreen gulped as the red-headed hung up and spun to face him. "You must be Smokescreen. I'm Head Vet here, Dr. Ratchet." He introduced sticking his hand out.

Smokescreen blinked, and shook the offered hand. " Yeah that's me and uh, please just Smokey. Um... What was that all about?"

Ratchet rocked back on his heels thumbs hooked in his belt loops. "Just some loser big-shot Aquariums wanting to buy some of the Mers. Like I'd ever allow that to happen."

"People can just buy Mers?!" Smokescreen shouted in genuine shock.

"Not when I'm in charge, but enough of that. I have a tour to give and work to do. Come." Ratchet said, before turning and walking back through the swinging doors, beckoning for Smokescreen to follow.

Smokescreen hesitated for a moment before pushing his shaggy dirty blonde hair or of his face and following the vet. Ratchet continued talking as they walked Through a door marked with a 'Staff Only' sign." We have a total of five Mers here. Two adults, two adolescents, and one pup. They are all extremely rare breeds and a bit leery of strangers."

Smokescreen nodded along interjecting a 'got it' when needed as the older man continued through the catacomb like nature of the Center continuing to point out certain rooms out him and their use. There weren't many, a break room, a security room, offices, a kitchen complete with a deepfreeze, a med-bay. The lobby where they had entered, and of course the 'aquarium' part, were the only part open to the public. As they walked Smokescreen took note of the many observation windows, and the flashes of color he was sure he was seeing. Finally Ratchet led him around a corner and to another set of swinging doors." Here we are."

Anticipation gribbed his insides, a life dream was about to be fulfilled and Smokescreen could barely stand it. Ratchet smiled knowingly before sobering up with a serious face. " Some ground rules. Mers are sentient beings, but there still wild. Rule one, don't get in the tank without a spotter. Rule two, do not call any of the Mets an it. They might not have genders like us but they are not an it. Rule three don't approach the pup, till he approaches you. Even then no sudden movements. Got that?"

"Yes sir."

"Good."

They walked through doors. The first thing Smokescreen noticed was the sound of splashing and laughing. And the inhuman but oddly toddler like squealing. "Hey, Hachet who's the new guy!" A deep growly lilting voice called out.

Smokescreen followed the sound of the unique voice, (not so subtly scanning the pool filled room) to a a non human face. The Mer had sweeping horns like fins on either side of his head, an angular jaw, a short flat snout, and blue framed dark navy eyes. "Heya!" The silver-gray Mer called raising a clawed hand.

"Hey." Smokescreen waved back.

Ratchet chuckled. "Jazz, this is Smokey. Short for Smokescreen."

Jazz grinned, his mouth filled with sharp skin tearing teeth. " Nice to meet you Smokey. I'm Jazz. They," he said motioning to the red and yellow Mers who had appeared at his sides, " are Sideswipe and Sunstreaker."

The red one, Sideswipe, waved. Both colorful Mers looked almost identical (besides color), all long flowing fins, and shiny scales. They kind of reminded Smokescreen of a beta fish he'd had as a kid.

"And I'm Prowl."

Smokescreen spun around to see a coiled, black and white, heavily frilled form, basking under a heat lamp. The coils shifted and a flat white face appeared, slanted mis-matched eyes watching him cool detatchment. "And this is Bluestreak."

A small, ( probably no longer than five feet) Mer pup peeked at him from around Prowl. Smokescreen blinked and not knowing what to say said the most obvious thing. " I didn't know Mers could move around on land?"

The room bursted into laughter. And Ratchet slapped him on the back," Well, they can more or less. Especially Mers like Prowl, he has ventral scales like a snake."

Smokescreen nodded dazily and was a bit surprised when he felt something tugging on his pants leg only to look down and come face to face with Bluestreak. "Uh, hi." He said awkwardly.

"Hi, I'm Bluestreak!" The pup said tapping his forearm and extending two finger toward to Smokescreen.

The blue eyed boy smiled, copying the small Mer and extending his own fingers. "Smokey."

Bluestreak tapped their fingers together, " you work here now?"

Smokescreen looked around at all the Mers watching him warily and suspiciously, and grinned. "Yep."

got inspired by this meme X'D

alpha trion insisted, and told him they "make a great weapon, because they make his bite stronger". So he's still super proud of them and thinks flashing a grin with his braces is a sqtisfactory intimidation technique.