"This is so boring. Is there nothing interesting to do here?"
Prime commented beside Sara while tapping his foot on the ground. Although Prime wanted to scold her, he couldn't really do it, as she was right. Even Prime was bored. Despite the event being full of celebrities, he had no interest in meeting any of them.
"Dad! Look, Uncle Tony is on TV!"
Hearing Ema's words, Prime turned his head, followed by Sara and Annie. They all looked at the television, and as Ema pointed out, Tony was indeed on it. No matter how they looked, Tony seemed ready to drive one of the cars.
By the way, Prime wasn't exactly sure when it happened, but before he knew it, Ema started calling Tony "uncle." Prime sincerely didn't want to believe it was because of the presents Tony constantly sent the girls, but he had no proof to dispute his suspicion.
"What's this guy up to now?"
Hearing Sara's comment, Prime turned to her and noticed an amused smile on her face. It seemed the fun was just beginning. As he thought about it, Annie's words made Prime nod in agreement.
"He's quite a… unique guy, if I can put it that way"
Prime couldn't deny Annie's words. Among all the people he knew, who were few, Tony was definitely the most eccentric. However, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, at least from Prime's point of view.
"Let's take a closer look. We might be able to get there before the race starts"
Hearing Prime's words, Annie, Sara, and Ema stood up and started walking through the crowd. Although many people tried to approach Prime, they were all blocked by the aura he exuded. To others, it seemed almost impossible to get close to him, as if they felt their hearts tightening.
Soon, they arrived at the track and settled into the stands, watching as the drivers finished preparing. Tony was also visible. Within seconds, the race began, and the cars shot off at high speeds. However, to Prime, the cars seemed to be moving in slow motion—of course, that was just a way of saying it.
Shortly after the race started, Prime began to feel a sense of hostility, although not directed at him. He wasn't sure who it was aimed at, but nonetheless, he started looking around, trying to identify the person radiating this hostility.
His eyes finally fixed on a man dressed in an orange uniform, apparently a team member. There was something odd about him; his body seemed bulkier than normal, as if something was hidden under his clothes.
"Dad, is something wrong?"
Hearing Annie's words, Prime turned and found his eyes locked with hers. Her hand rested on the fabric of his shirt's sleeve. Prime pondered what to say for a few seconds. Although he wasn't sure, it was almost certain that the hostility was directed at Tony, as he was the only prominent figure in the race. However, Prime couldn't pinpoint the reason.
"It seems someone here is trying to attack Tony"
Hearing this, Annie's eyes widened slightly. Instead of being shocked, she seemed more surprised, as if she was thinking about something. After a few seconds, Annie asked.
"Should we... help him?"
Prime didn't respond immediately. He didn't believe Tony would actually get hurt, especially considering Prime had his armor with him. However, even though Tony had mentioned bringing it earlier, Prime didn't know where it was at the moment.
"If the situation gets really complicated..."
Although he said this, Prime hoped nothing truly serious would happen. He genuinely considered Tony a good friend—an immature and flawed friend, but still a friend.
"... Dad, I'm going to the bathroom"
After saying this, Annie stood up and went out of Prime's sight. However, he could still sense Annie's location in real-time, thanks to his ability to perceive her position. A small smile appeared on his lips.
"Let's see then"
With those words, Prime decided to focus on the race. At a certain moment, the cars began to approach the area where the man was. Prime watched as the vehicles drew closer, and suddenly, the man stepped onto the track, revealing a device through an opening in the chest of his outfit.
Prime watched closely as wires fell from the man's arms, and then electricity began to be generated. The top of the man's outfit started to catch fire, fully exposing the device he was using. Prime found the scene quite interesting.
Then, to everyone's surprise, except for Prime and Sara, the man cracked his whip and split a car in half. The vehicle rolled over several times, but Prime noticed that the driver was still alive.
After that, the man continued cutting car after car, advancing relentlessly. When Tony's car approached, the man began to spin his whip, and a powerful lash from the whip split the vehicle in half. Prime watched the scene closely and quickly got up. Although he wasn't the only one to stand up, Prime's reason was quite different from the others.
"Sara, get up, we need to help Tony!"
Prime said in a serious tone. Hearing Prime's words, Sara stood up and quickly looked around. They were surrounded by people, and it would be impossible not to be seen if they transformed. Additionally, several people were filming the scene. If anyone saw them, their secret lives would be instantly exposed.
"Are you sure? We'd be filmed immediately, and our days of peace would be over"
Sara commented. Prime also looked around and, as Sara had said, they were surrounded. It would be impossible not to be noticed. Besides, they wouldn't have time to help Tony if they decided to go elsewhere to transform. Again, Prime looked at Tony.
He was leaning on one of the cars and seemed to be watching the rearview mirror, probably focusing on the man. Tony raised his head and their eyes met. The man, in turn, began to spin his whips again; if that strike hit Tony, it would be the end.
"Damn, we have no choice"
Prime murmured. Saying that, Prime prepared to turn to Sara. But just before he could do that, something leaped in front of Tony. As the man spun his whips towards Tony, Scream suddenly appeared, intercepting the blow and absorbing all the damage Tony would have taken.
"Sister!"
Ema murmured beside Prime, her eyes wide. Prime was also surprised; although he knew Annie was keeping an eye on Tony, he didn't expect her to get directly involved in the fight. It seemed that the girls cared about Tony more than Prime had initially thought.
"What kind of creature are you?"
Prime also heard the man murmuring as he tried to attack Tony. Although his gaze was confused for a moment, he quickly refocused on Tony as he saw him getting up. It seemed that the man's target was indeed Tony.
These thoughts were interrupted for Prime when a black car arrived at the scene. Scream still seemed disoriented; although not exactly a weakness, the constant shocks were likely limiting Annie's attack options.
Prime looked at Sara, who nodded, and prepared to transform again. At that moment, a briefcase was thrown out of the car. The man spun his whip, slicing the front of the vehicle, but Tony had already grabbed the briefcase.
Then, the transformation began: the briefcase adjusted to Tony's arms and expanded from his chest. Within seconds, the helmet closed, revealing a metallic face.
"How about playing with someone your size and leaving my niece alone? I still have a lot to worry about with her, like when she gets her first boyfriend"
Prime heard Tony's murmur and calmed down a bit. Although the situation was somewhat out of control, he knew Scream would protect Annie. Additionally, symbiotes are extremely resilient. Even though Annie didn't have full control of her powers yet, it was unlikely she would be seriously hurt.
Tony, in turn, would probably be able to handle the situation without Prime needing to reveal himself. Even so, Prime was prepared to act if he saw any sign of greater danger. For now, he decided to let Tony and Annie handle the situation.