TFP: Shrouded... (Chapter XXII: Happy Birthday...)

With red optics, combined with a keen mind, Lauren sat with her legs folded, and her hands together, she meditated as Optimus had taught her. She was successful this time in touching the matrix with her mind. The small glass container she had been placed in was under some sort of scanner sending out a most annoying sound, similar to the noise of an electronic alarm clock.

Shockwave observed the human's strange control, noting the pulsing glow from the stone on her neck, then questioned, "Child, what is that on your neck?"

"A shard of the matrix of leadership," Lauren answered, maintaining her concentration.

"What is its function for you?" asked Shockwave.

"Maintaining the functionality of my optics," answered Lauren, "It somehow serves to control the energon fused within my blood."

Shockwave noted her cooperation, and her statement, before adjusting the scanner's frequency.

"Okay, Princess, that thing is starting to annoy even me-and I think it's gonna find me," whispered Blaster.

"Send out a sound wave frequency to disrupt systems on this deck," Lauren ordered, quietly.

As expected, the scanner stopped, and other equipment began to malfunction.

"Curse this faulty technology," muttered Shockwave. "I will return, human child." The scientist then made his exit.

Lauren opened her optics, "Now, Blaster."

Blaster transformed, ripping through her backpack, and busting through the container she had been placed in.

Lauren stood, and jumped into his hands, then looked to the orb, "Blaster, we will need that orb, grab it."

Blaster picked up the orb, then exited the lab, being quick to knock out the two guards, "Princess, I was able to disable some of their security through indirect hacking, I have access to their ground bridge, so as soon as we get to Optimus we can get out of here!"

Blaster was able to blast any and all resistance away, and easily made it to the brig, where Optimus was being held. But when they entered, they found Megatron beating Optimus down again.

Lauren hovered away from Blaster, and landed on the ground, still cool and confident in her stance, "Megatron, release him."

Megatron dropped a weakened Optimus, "I see-you are the autobot who transforms into a small human media device… clever-sneaking aboard, but unwise!"

Lauren rocketed up, and hovered, "You, Megatron, have exhibited a recent lack of wisdom! You made the mistake of allowing this orb, this device to be left to any who mat use it, and you've not the true idea of what it even is!"

Behind them, Breakdown, and Knockout had appeared.

Blaster grimaced, backing towards Lauren, "Uh-Princess?"

"I have a plan, Blaster," Lauren assured.

But that plan would not come to be… Optimus acted too swiftly in an attempt to keep Megatron from firing at his human friend. The Prime had jumped up, tackling Megatron, only for the lord of the decepticons to whip around, and send his blade through Optimus's middle.

Lauren shouted, feeling the blade go through her as well, but kept standing, as Optimus looked over to her, determined to speak…

"I-be-lieve… it is the seventeenth now, Lauren… h-happy bir-thday…"

Seeing what had been a plan instantly fall apart, Lauren only saw one thing to do. She had discovered what the orb was… it was, in fact, the Prison of Vector Prime, a device capable of storing the consciousnesses of cybertronians for an eternity. Death within the prison was nearly impossible, and the only way to escape was to pass the thirteen trials… only the matrix could control the prison, but Lauren only knew how to absorb all present consciousnesses.

Blaster set the orb down, to engage the decepticons.

Lauren placed her hands on it, and with no emotion, she spoke to the prison, she ordered it to take the consciousnesses of all the cybertronians present.

Megatron shouted, falling, "What-ave-you-DONE?!"

Lauren turned to him, with a cold expression, but flaring red optics, the lord of the decepticons was the last to be taken, holding onto his body, but he was losing, "It has been a while, hasn't it, Megatronus? Since you last felt helpless… unable to stop the forces from grinding down your strength, and draining your will…"

Megatron crawled closer to her, "How have you—"

"Shall I state what you already see before you?" Lauren asked, "I rise. You fall."

Megatron fell prey to the prison.

Lauren then tapped the com, able to contact the autobot base, "Lauren to base, I am me again, and I need and emergency groundbridge."


The portal opened, and Bulkhead, Arcee, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Tracks, and Cliffjumper poured through.

Lauren rocketed up, "Grab Optimus, and Blaster…" Bulkhead and Bumblebee took Optimus, and dragged him through the portal, while Arcee and Cliffjumper took Blaster. The girl was inhumanly calm for someone who was debating whether to take the lord of the Decepticons or not. In complete honesty, the deceision was easy. This would be their only chance to capture Megatron, but did they have the resources to hold him? Surely the United Kingdom would put anything they needed towards imprisoning the lord of the decepticons. Lauren then looked to Wheeljack and Track, "Guys, grab Megatron-this'll be our only chance to capture him, and put a halt on the decepticon's plans."

"Take Megatron, are you crazy, kid?" Wheeljack asked.

"Megatron can not be brought out of the state he is in now, until I release him from it, meaning now is as good a time as any to take advantage to the situation," Lauren explained, hovering over to the orb, and shoving it towards the ground bridge, "With haste, autobots!"

On the other side of the ground bridge, chaos had irrupted.

"What happened in their to result with Lauren and Blaster being knocked out, and you bringing an unconscious Megatron back with you?!"

Lauren rocketed to the platform beside the main terminal, "Enough!"

There was a moment of silence, "For those who were not listening to my hail, I am Lauren, and Optimus Prime is once again himself. Megatron, Blaster, and Optimus are not merely unconscious, their minds are not present within their bodies because I trapped all of them within the prison of Vector Prime… now you may ask questions."

"Lauren, you sound different, what happened?" asked Rachet. "Why are your optics red?"

"I changed," replied Lauren, plainly, "Next question."

"What is the Prison of Verctor Prime?" asked Cliffjumper.

"Wait-wait-wait," Rachet muttered, "What do you mean 'changed', Lauren?"

Lauren looked at Rachet again, "I mean that the Prime in me has become dominant, the matrix of leadership altered my mind to protect my humanity from Shockwave's experiments."

Rachet looked at her closer, "After you finish debriefing us, you and I need to speak. Continue."

Lauren went on, "The Prison of Vector Prime is a complex artifact capable of absorbing and preserving cybertronians consciousnesses. Only a Prime is capable of exiting the prison, and only the matrix can activate it. While Optimus's body is recovering, he is most likely escaping the prison with Blaster in tow."

After a long series of questions, the time finally came for Rachet to take her to his lab, with Perceptor following.

Rachet placed her on the table, "Lay back please."

Lauren did so, "What has you so alarmed, Rachet?"

"Your lack of… of…"

"Emotion," finished Perceptor, performing a different series of scans.

"By the Allspark… you're right," Rachet whispered, "Optimus Prime's part of your mind has taken over… over fifty percent of your brain… i-impressive."

Lauren looked at Rachet, "Impressive, perhaps, but what has you so concerned, Rachet?" She stood back up, and adjusted her armor.

"Your manner, Lauren-this just… isn't you," Rachet said.

Lauren looked at him, emotionless, "If you are finished, I need to attend to the other autobots, and the prison of Vector Prime."

"What do you mean 'attend' to?" asked Rachet.

"I want to make sure all autobots are doing well, and see how their duties are fairing," stated Lauren.

"Do you intend to take command of the autobots?" asked Rachet.

"The day I grow so bold as to simply assume command of the autobots is the very day I resign," Lauren stated, "I wouldn't dream of making such an assumption, I merely expected that Optimus would have checked on all of the autobots upon his return." The girl then jumped off the table, and exited the lab.

"That is just… scary," murmured Perceptor.

Rachet nodded, "Yes, I would never have expected to see Lauren like that, that just not like he to be so… emotionless."

"Rachet, if the matrix changed her to protect her, then the damage Shockwave must have been inflicting was… horrible," Percceptor whispered.

"Lauren herself may not even realize the extent of the damage that was being done to her, I just hope this lack of feeling will fade with time… so much for her happy birthday," Rachet sighed.


Starscream slowly approached the shell of his former master, talons prepared… the current guard had left to attend to his friend in the medical bay… and now he could snuff Megatron's spark once and for all-he knew better than any that Megatron could not be contained… he would fix it-once and for all.

"What are you doing, Starscream?"

"Yah!" Starscream yelped, jumping around.

"Leave him be, Starscream," Lauren stated, plainly, "Killing him in this state would serve no purpose. Only a coward kills the vulnerable… and I know that you are no coward."

Starscream blinked as the girl walked on, without seeing to it that he leave the lord of the decepticons, and began realizing that perhaps… the child truly did trust him… "Fine… my, Master… I will leave you alive for the child-she has saved you yet again."


After her rounds, Lauren returned to the bridge room, and began organizing the transfer of Megatron to a much more secure facility. It was requiring a great number of lengthy explanations, and more time than Rachet would have anticipated. Tracks walked into the bridge room, and over behind her at the human terminals, with her fingers a blur over the key boards. "May I help you, Tracks?"

"Princess, what happened?" asked Tracks, "You are so-different-so cold."

"I understand how you might feel that way in comparison to my former, vibrantly emotional self…" she paused, and looked at him, "But the matrix knew that this was best for me, and for the autobots."

"Why?" Tracks reiterated, "What happened to you? What was Shockwave doing?"

Lauren resumed her organizing as she spoke, "Shockwave initially began running scenarios through something short of a cordical psycic link. In each scenario, he made it seem like I was becoming some kind of animal, and in turn, I began assuming the mentality of that animal, returning to primitive human roots. Deep down, we homo-sapiens are merely blood-thirsty animals… or so Shockwave was trying to prove."

"That sounds horrible," Tracks murmured.

"I thought so, I had become a beast in Optimus's body, I even broke free of the restraints, nearly killed Megatron… until the matrix took over my condition, and somehow strengthened the Prime within me, and sheltered my emotions so that they could heal from whatever Shockwave was doing to me," Lauren went on, "Only when they are ready, will my emotions reemerge."

Tracks frowned, "And… when might that be, Princess?"

"I care not," Lauren replied, "This is suppression of my emotions is proving to be much more productive."

"May I… stay here, and be with you?" asked Tracks. "Without a Blaster here… the base is much-quieter."

"Certainly," Lauren replied, resuming full speed of her work.

"I forgot to tell you, Princess. Happy Birthday."

"I am seventeen now?" Lauren asked.

"I believe so," muttered Tracks.

"Excellent."