Transformers - Son of Primus

2: Recovery

Back at Cade Yeager's barn...

Several hours later...

"Dammit, Optimus Prime! I'm a mechanic, not god's left hand!" Cade snapped as he finished checking up on the damage to Stripes' systems, optics included.

"Listen Carefully Cade," Optimus said, his voice like razor blades. "Enough of my people have offlined fighting for humans like you. I'm not about to let one more go. Understand?"

Cade seemed to chill out after that but was still stressed. "I know, Optimus, I know! But this damage is pretty bad! The most extensive damage is with the optics! I can do my best, maybe even bypass his regular optics and give him some sort of infrared vision, but I can't promise anything!"

Those words stung Optimus in the spark. He prayed Cade could get it done.

"Just do your best, Cade..." He said, saddened. Then with a heavy spark, started to walk off to a different part of the barn.

"Optimus..." Stripes said weakly. "Don't leave..."

Optimus turned around and saw liquid Energon leaking from just below Stripes' destroyed Optics. Stripes was crying. Optimus watched the liquid ran down his faceplate. Then, came the choked words that rubbed even more salt in the Prime's wounded soul.

"Please... I'm scared..."

Prime sighed and knelt down where Stripes was laying. Honestly, he couldn't leave even if he wanted to. He wrapped his fingers around one of Stripes' servos.

"Be still, and be brave, soldier," Optimus whispered. "Everything will be fine."

[Stripes POV]

He called me a soldier... I don't understand why. But nonetheless, I was glad he didn't leave me alone in this dark, ink-black void. God... I was so scared. Just having him here made the pain seem bearable. In many ways, Optimus was like the father I never had. I grew up in an orphanage and grew out of the system. I grew up as the kid nobody wanted. No family. Well, except for My best friend, Jack, who was kinda like family. He took me in after I aged out. Gave me a home, gave me skills I could use... He may not have been the most legit man in the world, though. Planning and running illegal street races wasn't exactly okay to the cops.

Still, it seemed I had a deep connection with Optimus. I could tell just by his voice, that he also carried a deep-rooted pain on his shoulders as I did. It may not have been the exact same thing, but it was enough. Plus he was so kind, so noble... Nobility was not something I saw in many people growing up.

I could feel the sting of Cade's tools now, as they drilled and cut away damaged parts. My body tensed up, as I ground what would have been my teeth in pain. I could feel a servo pat my shoulder strut, as Optimus calmed me, made me relax. I breathed in and out in shallow breaths. It may have been painful, but Optimus made it much more tolerable.

This "robot surgery" I went through lasted about several hours. Then, there was a blinding light, as my new eyes adjusted to the lighting, and came online.