Transformers - Son of Primus

3: Past and Present

Rosewood...

The city of Rockport...

Clarence Callahan drove through Rockport in his Mustang, still angry about what had happened with Carlos Lopez several months ago. He still was unable to accept he was beaten by that... that punk!

Now he had just found out Carlos was dead, and there was no way to reclaim what was once his! There was no way to get revenge, no way to redeem his pride!

Suddenly, a cop pulled up behind him. A Ford Mustang, the same model as his. Razor would have usually taken off, but this time, he pulled over. After all, he was still on probation.

The cop got out of the car and walked up to Razor's Mustang. He knocked on the window.

Razor rolled down the window. "What did I do, sir?" He asked.

"That isn't as important as what you can do for us, Mr. Callahan." The officer said. "My boss wants to have a word with you."

Razor then saw the figure of the cop flicker, as if it was some sort of projection! He was starting to get bad vibes from this guy.

"Indeed, Mr. Callahan, I am not human. Call me Barricade. I am employed by the government. I'm here to tell you, Carlos Lopez is alive. My boss wants you to find him. If you are interested in this proposition, follow me."

The cop then went back into his car and started driving away.

Razor immediately followed. He always had a feeling Carlos had cheated death. How could he refuse such an offer?

Palmont City, Carbon Canyon...

Sometime later...

Darius drove through his old neighborhood in the Silverton area of Palmont, unsure of what he was even doing here. This was no longer his turf, Carlos or no Carlos. Even though he had beaten him fair and square, the bitter aftertaste of defeat was still strong.

Cross then drove up behind him. They both pulled over and parked their cars.

"What do you want, Croc?" Darius asked, getting out his phone to check his messages.

"It's Cross, and I think I should be the one asking that," Cross replied.

Darius looked at Cross. "I'm just passing through. No big deal."

That's when two Mustangs drove up. One had a flame paint job, the other was a police unit.

Cross recognized one of them. He found this whole situation a little strange. Why would Razor hang around with a cop?

As Razor got out of his car, followed by the officer, Darius remained cool. "Is there a problem, officer?"

"None at all." The officer replied. "We are just the messengers."

Cross raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Razor then grinned. "How would you like to get revenge on the man who ruined your lives?"

Cade Yeager's Farm...

Stripes was starting to get used to his new life as a Cybertronian. It was all taking some time to get used to. But luckily, not one of the Autobots seemed to notice. Stripes was scared to tell any of them about him once being human, especially Optimus Prime. Because of this, he was very reserved when he talked about his past.

Right now, he was hanging out with Bumblebee and Optimus. It was night, and they were all inside the barn except for Hound, Drift, and Crosshairs. They were outside, stargazing. Things were quiet. Yeager was also in the barn, watching TV on a Projector. A well-known street racing movie, "2 Fast 2 Furious" was playing on a rerun. Stripes was absorbed in the movie, considering his love of street racing. So was Bee, as he was fascinated by human culture. Optimus, however, wasn't as absorbed. But he watched it anyway.

"Didn't know you guys were into movies..." Cade Yeager said.

"...Are you kidding?" Stripes said. "Some... Humans may be a little... loopy, but they do have good entertainment, right?" He seemed to have trouble finding his words, as he tread carefully. He was immediately distracted by the movie again. "Oh, man! Did you just see that?! Brian pulled out that car harpoon with just a rag and his hands!"

Bumblebee played a crowd cheer over his radio. He was clearly rooting for Brian.

Stripes then turned to Optimus, smiling. Optimus however, appeared deeper in thought, rather than watching the movie. Stripes' smile faded.

"...Optimus? Is something wrong?" He asked. Bumblebee also looked over, noticing.

Optimus then put on a pained smile. "...Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Just need some air." He got up and walked out of the barn. Stripes followed.

"Optimus, if something is wrong, you can tell me." Stripes said, thinking it might be him.

Optimus sighed, looking up at the sky. "Primus So much has been lost over the vorns this war has been fought..." He whispered. "It seems I've failed everyone at this point. I can't even find a place for my people to have a peaceful life..."

Stripes was silent. He looked down at the ground, saddened. He knew he would never fully understand or know Prime's pain. He wanted to help him.

Finally, he stepped in front of Optimus and put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't know what else to do.

"A wise Autobot once told me that it's always darkest before the dawn." Stripes said. "Optimus, you are like a father to me. To us all. Just have faith and hold on. You'll get through this. Don't be afraid, we are all standing beside you."

Optimus was surprised by this. But he didn't shove Stripes away. He accepted the embrace. Afterward, Stripes let go, patting Optimus on the shoulder strut, and walked back into the barn. He saw Bumblebee at the doorway.

"Bee, please don't mention that to Hound, Crosshairs, or Drift." Stripes said.

Bee made a motion of "zipping the lips." He understood.