"I'm missing your bed, I never sleep. Avoiding the spots that we have to speak and this bottle of beast is taking me home."
Dashboard Confessional
"I am still living with your ghost. Lonely and dreaming...I don't want to be your downtime. I don't want to be your stupid game."
Everclear
"Think of all the things we've shared and seen. Don't think about the way things might have been...imagine me trying too hard to put you from my mind...there will never be a day when I won't think of you."
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Elita-1 sat upright from her slightly slumped position at the computer, gasping in an attempt to cool her fevered body. She tried to respond to the request over the intercom in a calm voice.
"Affirmative. You are clear to enter." The vision, still burning in her data processor, did not disappear as quickly as it had emerged. She attempted to concentrate on the arrival of her newest covert spy and her teammates.
Chromia, Moonracer, Lyra, and Nova descended down the red ray bridge that connected the base to its ground-level entrance on Cybertron. Elita-1 gracefully rose to greet them. Lyra smiled back at her pink leader, amethyst eyes glittering in triumph.
"What did you discover?" Elita-1 asked. She had to prompt this one. She was so formal. Whoever had mentored her last trained her well. It took a month to break her from the habit of kneeling, and she still occasionally slipped, like right now.
"My leader, I have the plans for the army of triple-changers they were planning to assemble. I regret that I could not break the code." The other three resentfully stared. Was she doing this for attention? Elita-1 seemed to neither condone nor challenge her behavior, merely nodding as she accepted the disk and placed it in the computer. She asked where they got it, looking at Chromia for the report. As Chromia told the details of their energon theft that was a distraction while Lyra ransacked the computer files, Lyra realized her faux pas and slowly stood up, looking painfully uncomfortable. When Elita-1 dismissed the others she lingered.
"Yes, my dear?"
Lyra winced. She hated being called that. "I apologize for my behavior," she said. "It is not an attempt to endear me into a sycophantic level."
Elita-1 nodded. "This is inconsequential. I'm assuming you had a mentor who had a penchant for formality?"
"Yes ma'am." Every Decepticon in their strict hierarchy demanded it. A wrong gesture or lack of deference got her shot.
Elita-1 nodded, trying to get the image of this Autobot female firing a blaster at Optimus out of her CPU, where it accosted her on such frequency she could almost time it. That had never happened, and Autobots were not psychic in any way, but it made this small faction's leader look twice at everything this femme did. She dismissed Lyra to the communal recreation room for her share of the newly-acquired energon.
Elita-1 watched her go, regarding her cautiously. Autobot symbol slightly askew, eyes sometimes light years away, vague past all who were concerned with refused to discuss...Lyra was the strangest addition to their forces. They encountered her sitting in the middle of an unused Decepticon road, singing, a vast quantity of energon in neat stacks behind her. All assumed this was a trap, until a later revelation told them who Lyra (because she sang) was: Oasis, former Autobot spy. She had changed a lot, Mirage's older sister. No one had really recognized her, except for Moonracer, who was not certain enough to stake their safety. To make sure she was an Autobot, they held her captive until they could contact Optimus Prime using the radio frequency she provided. Optimus Prime endorsed her, as did several on earth knew who she was (but revealed little), asking Elita-1 to welcome her into their ranks.
Welcome her they did, especially after some of her talents were revealed. She was fantastic. Lyra knew the Decepticon headquarters inside and out. She was very sketchy on the actual mechs working there, but no matter, what Lyra did know made up for it. Her personality was what triggered Elita's hallucination. Some of her facial and verbal expressions were familiar, in an unpleasant way. No one could place it. She was such a random accumulation of her younger self, ruthless warrior, and another person altogether, that Elita-1's perspective on her changed daily. This was when the visions began. As the computer broke the code and revealed that there was another device to be built on earth (not the Triple-changer plans as they were so clearly labeled) Elita-1 decided it was time to radio Optimus. Another vision struck her motionless: Lyra's decaying corpse strangling her was shaken off. These visions were beginning to annoy her. If uncovering the mystery ended the torment, then this femme's past must be revealed.
The strangest thing to Elita-1 was the affect a vague aura that followed this particular female had on other female Autobots. Chromia had been the first to define it, stating there was something unpleasant about her. "The others have sensed it, too," Chromia informed her. "They don't like her." Elita-1 didn't either, come to think of it. Being a leader, she must rise above personal prejudices, even though when Lyra secretly smirked over something trivial it took all of Elita's sense of override to keep from shooting the cocky blue female.
Lyra did not go directly to the common room. She took one of the many valve-like exits (propping it open) to sneak outside to look at the stars. Turning invisible, she sat on a pile of debris that had once been a building. Right ascension...declaration...there! Earth's sun shone faintly a million light-years away. She thought about the planet there. The inhabitants. Her brother, Mirage. Starscream. She sighed. He had repaired her for no good reason, giving her part of his life force, dealing with the devil to keep her alive, so that she would free herself from the bonds the Decepticons forged for her. He was mean, irritating, self-centered, fierce. His wings took up too much of the recharge plate. She missed him terribly.
After a few moments a visible Lyra slunk back into the propped valve door to the common room. Moonracer watched her politely accept her share of energon and sit in her designated spot, lost in thought. Nudging Nova, she and the green and yellow femme approached her with those fake smiles Lyra had detested in an earlier life. They asked how her brother was, the only subject that animated her. Since she had provided the radio frequency, her brother often sent personal messages to her while the rest of them were not allowed to contact their friends.
"He's good," she smiled wistfully. "He told me they thwarted Megatron's plan for human enslavement when he tried to take over all of the television stations."
"That's great!" they chorused. Lyra's smile was replaced with a sardonic grimace. These two never failed to aggravate her.
"He also thinks we're close to reconnecting to Ultra Magnus' group here on Cybertron." This was not as well received. Nova was in charge of finding the various Autobot factions hiding on Cybertron. Optimus Prime doing it first made her look bad. Before Moonracer could stop her, Nova asked how Powerglide was. Powerglide had been a mutual friend to all of them, to Moonracer especially.
Lyra smiled longingly again, an annoying habit. "The usual. Still adjusting to the Aerialbots." Knowing Powerglide, and now being one of the few flying Autobots was his favorite distinction, it had to sting to have Optimus bring in someone-five or six someone's- who were better fliers than he. Moonracer, moved down to second-in command of reconnaissance thanks to Lyra, ought to know. Nova remembered her humiliation in the hands of Mirage a long time ago, blaming Oasis/Lyra for that.
"Do you hear from Powerglide a lot?" Moonracer asked in a sweet voice she used to conceal (poorly) her envy. None of them had a radio frequency to the Autobots until she arrived.
"He sends messages through Mirage occasionally."
None for her? "Oh." Moonracer really hated her. She had no more time to find out what messages he sent because Elita-1 called them to assemble in the control room.
"I have been informed that our provided radio frequency has been intercepted by the Decepticons," she began. Her congregation collectively gasped. Lyra was indignant. How did they do that? How would she talk to Mirage? "Therefore, I will assemble a team to go to earth and present not only the data and code book to Optimus Prime, but prepare for further covert operations." The hands were up before Elita-1 finished. The pink Autobot barely contained her wry smile. A few came down when she informed them she had already selected her team. Lyra kept her hand down until after Elita-1 named the team. The others had questions: What would they be doing while the others left, how would they get there, how long the team's absence, etc. She was ignored until the disappointed/jubilant females dissolved.
"Yes, Lyra?"
"Ma'am, I noticed the omission of your name on the team."
"I am needed here."
"I have reason to believe, if you'll forgive me for saying so, that I am needed here as well; and that you being the one who cracked the code your knowledge is required on earth."
"I appreciate the thought." She did, startled at how quickly Lyra guessed her burning desire to see Optimus Prime again. "It is unnecessary. Why offer it?"
"Ma'am, I have been to earth recently. I have no-need to revisit. That was my logic in suggesting this."
"Hmm." Her spark was ruling her now. "Perhaps you are right; only I should exchange with Moonracer, not you."
"Elita-1," Lyra began, panicking. "If Moonracer is willing, then I would like her to take my place."
"Negative. I need your knowledge of Decepticon bases. She is extraneous."
"Ma'am, if I may: she does not share this view. This may cause tension." Moonracer hated her enough without legitimate fodder!
"Lyra, may I remind you that this is a spy mission, not a joyride. Moonracer! Come in here!" Moonracer entered.
'This,' Lyra thought with dread, 'Is not good.'
Moonracer angrily followed Lyra out of the main control room. In spite of Elita-1's explanations, Moonracer accused the newest member of-of-
"I tried to give you my place. She wouldn't hear of it!" Lyra was not going to take this sitting down.
"You're not going?" Nova exclaimed, slightly relieved. Now she had a friend to keep her company here!
"She's the reason!" Moonracer pointed a blaming finger at the blue femme.
"Enough!" Elita-1 on a hunch had followed the two out, hearing everything. The scene was dangerous as Lyra was surrounded by her sister Autobots. Elita-1 joined her, facing the attackers. "Many of you seem to think that this trip is an excuse to see old friends. It is not!"
"It is!" yelled Moonracer defiantly. "And the one Autobot least deserving of the mission is the one you're defending!" Moonracer and Nova started circling Lyra and Elita like a pair of angry sharks. "Who is she? What makes her so special? Don't you think it weird that the Decepticons already found our radio frequency? How do we know she hasn't duped Optimus and you?"
Lyra protested hotly. "I'm Lyra! I was Oasis…you've known me for years. I am an Autobot, like you. Why is that so difficult to process?"
"Why aren't you Oasis now?" Nova shot back for her friend. Even Elita-1 seemed curious about that question. Lyra was annoyed at being in the crosshairs of their distrust.
"Because I'm not. That's why. Optimus asked me to join the Autobot team here on Cybertron, and although I had my misgivings, some of which have yet to be assuaged-" she glared at her rivals. "-I am here. I'm sorry you have a tendency to trip alarms, and that you, Nova, can't make a single decision without instant gratification. If I weren't being forced to, I would be glad to let you go in my stead. I hate earth. Elita-1, if I may."
"May what?" She was constantly amazed at the strict protocol this female followed, even during a fight.
"If I may address you frankly."
"Yes, of course."
"This trip is a bad idea. We have not yet departed and already there is animosity in your team. I have no desire to go to earth. Some have no desire to remain at Cybertron. Would it be difficult to invite Optimus Prime and the others here?"
"Difficult, yes, but not impossible." She pondered this. "However, I don't see the practicality of your suggestion. I am remaining stalwart. The original names of the team will be kept, only I re-instate Moonracer. I will stay here."
"Elita, no!" gasped Moonracer.
"There will be no alterations." She glared at all of her team. "Any one with objections regarding Lyra is hereby warned. WE ARE A TEAM and this kind of petty backstabbing is behavior I would expect from male Decepticons, not US." Lyra hid a bitter grimace at that statement.
Funneling the earth team to the main room for strategizing, the Autobot leader was glad there was no time for Moonracer to further her enmity towards Lyra. Optimus had requested, as a special favor, for Elita to keep this fragile Autobot secure, a promise she regretted making. Should there be more trouble, she'd have to reassign her to Ultra Magnus' team, whenever they were found.
Starscream was downloading a CD on Stunticon repair in his private chamber when his optics noticed something missing: Mishap's Decepticon symbol had fallen off the table onto the floor. He was surprised to see the thinnest coating of dust on it, making him wonder how long had it been there? He placed it back where it used to be, the purple winking at him in the light as a reminder of the way her eyes blazed when they argued. Always an invisible watcher, she had been dredged up from the Cybertonium pits to spy on him until he aided her escape. He wondered if Megatron had replaced her. So far, no clues indicated thus. No invisible presence, no slight footfalls at night, no Seeker-style energy conservation in the form of huddling for warmth. No disembodied voice taunting him while reaching out to hold his hand to let him know where she was. Starscream was alone.
He was lying on his recharge plate, pretending he could feel her light body pressed against him again, when Megatron called for an alert. The space bridge was being used by unauthorized personnel! Backup requested. The Seekers, Megatron, and Blitzwing raced out of the underwater base to fly to the rescue.
They arrived in time to see Dirge and Thrust tied together with energon ropes (a Cybertronian binding), the area scorched with laser fire. The two were on the ground, almost unscathed, tugging desperately to get out of their hold.
"Female Autobots! At least a score of them! It was an ambush!" Dirge barely bleated this out before the laughter and taunting began.
"You were beaten by femmes?"
"Incompetent fools!"
"Where's Reflector when you need him? I want this image on my chamber wall!"
"What did they look like?" Megatron's brusque inquiry caused confusion. He motioned for Thundercracker and Skywarp to untie them.
"What do you mean?"
"What colors?" he demanded, growing annoyed.
"Oh! All sorts. Pink, light blue, a nice silver, some kind of green-"
"Seafoam," corrected Thrust. "And red!"
"Was one of them royal blue? Purple eyes?"
Now everyone but two of the Decepticons were confused. "Well, sir, it was hard to tell-"
"We didn't see that one, no."
Starscream's CPU was racing too fast for him to process clearly. "She was a jet that could disappear. She probably tied you up." Both shrugged.
"Starscream! Stay out of this!" Megatron barked. He interrogated them regarding their direction and fighting styles.
The jet scowled, silently frustrated. She had to be with them! His fists curled as the two morons stumbled over themselves. They had obviously no idea what Megatron was getting at. Starscream did, and it thrilled him. He had never expected this chance to come, and it looked as though, if he planned this right, the nagging emptiness inside of him would be filled.