DATE: ERROR – CANNOT IDENTIFY DATE – DATA CORRUPTION
LOCATION: ERROR – LOCATION REDACTED TO CLASS 4 AND ABOVE
Optimus Prime drove up into the abandoned race track's parking lot. He saw Stripes, with Nikki, Bumblebee, Cade, and the other Autobots. They did not too happy to see the Prime. Why do they look so agitated? Optimus wondered. He transformed once he was in view.
"You are late." Stripes said flatly, his servos resting on his hip struts.
"Late for what?" Optimus asked. "Why did you call me here?"
"Because I have learned the truth." Stripes replied, his voice rigid. "I've searched through tera-quads of information, for days upon days these last few weeks! I even went so far as to use this to consult the ancient primes..." Stripes held up the Matrix of leadership in one servo. "It may have been more considerate to ask you if I could use it, but I wasn't sure you would have told me what I wanted to know." Stripes handed the stunned Autobot leader the Matrix of Leadership. "Which is something I thought you would have shared with everyone by now! But not even Bumblebee, or even Elita, the one you trust most out of all of us, knew this!"
Optimus was now worried. What had he found out? Was there something he had missed?
"Stripes, what is going on...?" Optimus started to demand. Stripes held up one finger in front of Optimus Prime's faceplates, silencing the Autobot leader.
"You could have at least told someone!" Stripes continued. "Saved us a lot of time, effort, and frustration! However, there is only one thing left to say at this point… Is it ready, Nikki?"
Nikki got out a cardboard box from a bag she was carrying. She handed it to Stripes, who held it in his hand. Stripes held up the box right at Optimus's face. He slowly rose the lid.
Inside the box was a small, human-sized cake with a lit candle. Everyone's looks then changed from agitation to joy when Optimus saw the cake. Suddenly, Bumblebee started playing a song on his radio, which everyone started to sing to, happily.
For he's a jolly good fellow,for he's a jolly good fellow For he's a jolly good fellow
which nobody can deny Which nobody can deny, which nobody can deny
For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow For he's a jolly good fellow, which nobody can deny!
Everyone then cheered, and threw cardboard pieces of confetti into the air.
"Happy Birthday, Optimus!" Stripes said with a giant, cheesy grin.
Optimus then realized the date, as the pressure in his systems started to go back down. Today was his birthday!
"I must admit, you don't look a day over 40! Though I've heard you stopped counting at 300." Stripes grin didn't cease as he giggled. "Had you fooled, didn't we? Still, I thought this would be the perfect chance to celebrate after what happened." He noticed Optimus still staring at the cake, then looking back to Stripes in confusion.
"...It's customary here on earth that you blow out the candle." Stripes explained.
Optimus looked at the cake again, then sent a breath from his intake with just enough air to blow out the candle.
