"Do what you wanna do. Go out and seek your truth when I'm down and blue. Rather be me than you. Like the coldest winter chill. Heaven Beside you-Hell within. Like the coldest winter chill. Heaven Beside you-Hell within. And you wish you had it still, Heaven inside you. So there's problems in your life, that's f---ed up, but you're not blind. You're just see-through, faded. Overrated, and out of your mind."

Alice in Chains

"I wonder how it's going to be? When you don't know me. How's it going to be? When you're sure I'm not there. How's it going to be? When there is no one to talk to, between you and me. 'Cause I don't care. How's it going to be?"

Third Eye Blind

Lyra came into the ark while Mirage and Moonracer gave their report. The giant space bridge, Lyra opined in a transmission to her brother, would be used to bring Cybertron back. They'd done it before, they could do it again.

"Lyra! Prahme wants t' see ya!" Ironhide had performed his task. Now he could go watch "Christine" with Jazz and Prowl. She hurried in to greet a solemn pair waiting for her.

"We need to hear your report," Elita-1 said after proper greetings were given.

"Sure...I smelled carbon, which burns whenever the space bridge is used, so Mirage and I went to investigate-"

"Stop right there. How do you know what the space bridge smells like?" Elita-1 was apparently taking over this debriefing. Lyra tried not to look to Optimus Prime for support.

"When we used the space bridge."

"Which leads to the query as to how you know so much about the space bridge? Your extensive knowledge of Decepticon trivia is one thing you do not brag about, but continues to amaze me upon its unveiling." Elita-1 stood up and walked to Teletraan. Pushing a button, a scene unfolded in which an invisible mug of energon was offered to Starscream. When he finished drinking it, someone suspended another in front of him. And so forth. Lyra swallowed hard.

"This is circumstantial evidence," she supplied. "But in a time of elevated security, it calls for, minimally, justification. Would you like to explain it?"

"No." She allowed a peek at the large mech in the room. Optimus' head tilted questioningly. He would fulfill his promise, no matter where it took her.

"Would you like to account for how the Decepticons knew where to find your cohorts in the midst of a wild forest? Powerglide was shot."

"He was?" This was news to her. "Is he OK?"

"He's repaired already." Elita-1 waved it away. "There is a reason for my queries. You came from out of nowhere with no history. The only people who vouch for you knew you when you were called 'Oasis.' Yet you do not respond to that name. Moonracer, who has been watching you closely, as well as Nova-" She scowled at Lyra's snort. "Actually, everyone who knows you believes something is different about you. Your recent behavior reinforces it. There is enough inferential evidence to lead us to conclude that you are a Decepticon spy."

"WHAT!" Now Lyra looked at Prime. He shook his head. "I am an Autobot! I have pledged my allegiance to you and Optimus Prime until my death! I am an Autobot! I have been since my creation"

"Oasis was an Autobot. Oasis died an Autobot. I have no idea who you are. Perhaps you are parts of her revamped for Decepticon use. Perhaps you were programmed to BE Oasis. The fact is, whoever you are, you are a threat to us." She pressed a button and Skyfire came in, looking sorry. "Until you are ready to explain yourself, or prove you are an Autobot, I must put you in a holding cell."

"No! Optimus! Elita, I-" Skyfire picked her up and slung her over his shoulder while she continued to shriek. Several Autobots stopped what they were doing to watch, including Sideswipe, Andromeda, and Nova.

"If you would like to avoid embarrassment, I suggest you disappear." She obeyed. This was mortifying enough as it was. Skyfire remained silent as he carried her to the detention unit. She materialized in time to pass Starscream. He didn't seem surprised. Lyra felt his amusement. Skyfire set her down, walked to the edge of the cell to turn on the energon bars, and gave her a sad look.

"Why did you do it?"

Lyra sighed. "Word travels fast." She looked up to see he was serious. "I owe him my life."

"Starscream gives life to anyone who suits his purpose," Skyfire bitterly reminded her.

"And they always turn on me!" the Seeker screeched.

Skyfire ignored him. "You're hoping he'll soften because you were so good to him."

"No." Yes.

"You wanted to bond to him, even though he would never be an Autobot any more than you would be a Decepticon."

"No." Yes.

"Excellent. It will not bother you that he's already bonded to someone, making him out of your reach for the rest of your existence."

"NO!" She disappeared again at this knowledge. Starscream remained reticent. Lyra picked up a hesitant expectation, as though he were waiting for something.

"Yes. Now will you tell Elita-1 the truth?"

"You forget Skyfire, I have been put in this place on the suggestion of something that is almost true." She re-emerged as she admitted defeat. "If I confess, what's the difference? I'm still a former Decepticon, making me suspect. What does not help is a great deal of evidence suggesting that I was a somewhat loyal Decepticon, until I came to earth. I helped Starscream, enforcing their assumptions. Nobody I once knew recognizes me. I might as well be what they think. They are similar." There was also a far darker secret, one she would never admit. Telling even one person would ruin her far more than the most malicious rumor.

The jet's eyes darkened. "We shall see." He strode out of the cell and radioed Optimus and Bumblebee.

Bumblebee leapt into the room to take Skyfire's place ten minutes later.

"Will you take over my guard duty while I speak to Prime about something important?"

"Sure!" He was endless enthusiasm. "Starscream's no-whoah!" He saw Lyra. "What are YOU in here for?"

"Littering." She may be losing her sanity but Lyra was determined to keep her sense of humor.

Skyfire gave Starscream a long stare. "I shall return."

Silence. Bumblebee inserted a CD in to his player and turned his audios off to tune them out.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. Starscream did not respond. She felt the channeling of unapologetic triumph. "That's right. You got what you wanted, what does it matter now?"

"That is the first intelligent thing you've uttered since I met you," Starscream shifted his weight, still not inured to his position. These cells were very uncomfortable.

"You told Nova about me, too. You told her to go with us and then you radioed Megatron where we were."

"Actually, no. Nova radioed Megatron herself."

"Oh dear Primus." She hid her head in her hands. She'd been replaced, with the last female they'd ever expect. No one would believe her, either.

"Why are you doing this?" she hissed at him.

"Doing what?" he smirked.

She was NOT going to play his games. "I will cut my chord right now and DIE before I see you take another victim." She pounded the wall he leaned against to show she was not joking. Starscream was bored. Bumblebee looked up, audios still off, and asked if she was planning a jailbreak. Lyra smiled and shook her head.

"Did you really think that? Too bad...Like you, she cannot stay away from me." Lyra struggled to keep from screaming in frustration. "Like you, she will betray all she stands for to help me." He enjoyed her angry silence as he settled down on the floor of his prison, trying not to laugh too much at the jamming yellow Autobot who did not listen to them communicate. He decided to pour salt on the wound. "Like you, she is disposable."

Optimus visited her while she sat on the floor and tried to get the feelings Starscream projected into her out.

"Skyfire came in to communicate."

That was something Skyfire would do. She could already imagine what he said. This was unfair, she WAS Oasis, if anyone knew about turning to the Autobots, it was he, he'd spent time with her, they were good friends, there was a reason behind her defiance, etc. "I made a mistake Optimus. I'm sorry."

He crouched down next to her, ignoring Starscream's taunts on the other side of the wall to come over and fight. "Lyra, what is going on?"

"What do you mean?" She would not make this easy.

"Disobeying orders, refusing to explain yourself, erratic behavior with Nova and Sunstreaker, you made Mirage cry-"

"I did?" That baby! Too bad he didn't come here to do it that would have been worth seeing. She caught Optimus' glare. He continued.

"There are many things you haven't told me, such as why you allow this loyalty to Starscream control your actions to the point of insubordination...even treachery."

She sighed. She was afraid it would come to this. Starscream, who had been listening the whole time, smiled broadly. She felt it.

"Go on, Mishap, explain. Tell him how you belong to me!"

She did.

It was said that almost nothing ever visibly upset Optimus, unless the enemy was threatening his troops. This particular information was no exception. He calmly listened to her tale of being a Decepticon long enough to despair her being recovered, of relating to the Seeker on a level she'd never expected, of how he had not only repaired her but given her some of his life force, a connection that could not be disregarded not matter which faction she belonged to. She regretted not being more loyal to their cause, and she knew the trouble Starscream had gotten everyone in, and how he had already bonded with another, but ignoring the one who had given her so much seemed more treacherous than anything else. If she could have seen Starscream's expression, she might have chosen her words carefully, instead of treating Optimus like her own personal Atticus Finch.

"I see," was all he said, faceplate conveying nothing, optics a blue fire. That was unsettling. Lyra waited for him to say more. He didn't. He got up, walked away, and waved to the doorway where a grave-faced Seaspray waited. He saw Optimus' motion to follow and obeyed.

Starscream gave out waves of panic that Lyra could feel, like waves off of a battle ship. "What else has Skyfire revealed in my absence?"

"That was all he said," she replied. "If you want to know if he gave a name to your beloved femme: no, he didn't."

Relief came in next, like balm over a wound. Lyra was annoyed. She resented the life force constantly absorbing his emotions. "I really hate this emotional antenna you gave me."

"Good. I want it back."

"What?"

Starscream leaned out of his bars and twisted himself to see her expression. "I'm taking my life force back."

"But I'll die!"

"You were fine with that right after you were arrested!" Lyra tried to look him in the optics as he retreated and failed. The bars were burning her circuits. He waited for her to give up. "If not, Nova has already turned. I can use hers."

"No!" This time Lyra felt her own panic. As much as Lyra disliked that femme, she could not allow that to happen. That was when everything fell apart. Moonracer came in to taunt the newest prisoner.

"I heard you got arrested!" She exclaimed, smugly.

"No, I'm in here because I wanted to get away from annoying Autobots," Lyra snarled.

Starscream snorted. "That didn't work."

Moonracer stopped mid-gallop to sneer at the Air Force Commander. "Keep it up, buddy. We know all about your stupid space bridge. Nova's got you all wrong, and I can't wait to see you mess up with her."

"That will come sooner than you anticipate!" Starscream finally decided to use the coating on his armor to walk through the energon bars. Moonracer tried to radio for backup, reaching for her weapon. She shot at Starscream, who ignored the blasts and, laughing hysterically at Lyra trying to get through the bars and shorting herself out, took off with his hostage.