"Mercuria. MERCURIA!" Lyra only had to step within Mercuria's comfort zone to be pulled into an arm hold and have a blaster to her face. That ugly guy could move fast. She chose to ignore him. "I already know that!"

Her burred guffaw moved down to a snicker of contempt. "Then why are you looking for him?"

This was the first moment Lyra got a good look at the area she was standing: it was closed in, dark, with what appeared to be a lot of orange metal wall material. There could be surveillance equipment all over. But the secret had been out for a while now, thanks to all of the people she'd spoken with over it. "I know you have the one who can talk to ghosts."

All laughter ceased. "You'll have to accomplish three tasks first," she shot back.

"When I meet him/her and find out if he or she can help me, THEN we'll negotiate price," Lyra countered.

"You've already met him, and he says 'what she says goes,'" growled the being still attempting to snap her neck as subtly as possible.

"Let me go."

"We always knew you were a nutcase, but this is beyond! You are NOT in a position to give anyone any orders!" Mercuria turned away and began to walk. "Throw her body out back, I don't even want to salvage that mess!"

He was no longer trying to be subtle, but Lyra was no longer attempting to pretend to allow him control. "I'm-ugh-your only-URG-link to Mirage!"

That made her stop. It made her come over as fast as her namesake. It made her get into Lyra's purple optics and never forget the rage before her. "There is no Mirage."

Lyra flexed an arm at the proper time and velocity to hurl her irritating would-be murderer over both their shoulders. He hit the end of the hallway with a low crash and a mild grunt. "That's a lie and you know it," she retorted, dusting imaginary particles off of her chest. "You're not going to keep letting THIS guy poke his stinger into you in the dark, not when you know Mirage's been looking for you, too." She allowed a smile. "I'll see myself out."

And with that, her last hope and the only reason she functioned ceased to exist with the click of a latch.

Today was gonna be the day.

She'd hidden inside this dumpster for two cycles and had been found out, dragged out, beaten and robbed, but this could be seen as a good thing if she pretended that it was Primus' way of telling her to move on.

Her brother couldn't ignore her pleas for too long; she'd sent her notes to him via the General Autobot Message service before her trial had begun, and a few neutrals and Autobots had been picked up by loved ones so far. All you needed to do was know their name and call number, and she had that. All she had to do was wait.

It was really hard to wait, especially when no group wanted her and her invisibility function was starting to short out after a long period of starvation. She needed it powered up, but with no medium of exchange she had to wait.

Still...the wait was very difficult. They were sectioned off from other Autobot cities, fighting over scraps and trying to appear grateful to the Church of Primus people who came to give them risible assistance. The need was too great and her fighting skills were too pitiful. Many times she went without anything. Like today. In front of hundreds who HAD gotten something. She had to walk in full view of them.

"Smile! You could always go into 'rental,'" one of the tougher motorbikes sneered. "I'd throw some goodies at you for a good time." He and his friends erupted in oily, greasy glee, sneers infuriating her. If she only had a blaster…

"That face CAN'T smile. Not when it's been tore up so much." Now she REALLY wanted to kill them.

The initial speaker shrugged. "Beauty is only a light switch away," He lilted. The response was cacophonous.

But she was starving. They had four cubes just sitting there, and her invisibility function had fritzed out completely due to a lack of energon. It would be minimal work with a massive payoff. Hunger overrode pride. She walked up to him. Did she smile? She must have. He returned the gesture.

"I want a whole cube and only if it's you."

He shrugged. "Pike gets to watch."

"No deal."

"Or we could all take you on now and you get nothing."

They could. Harlotry at least put up the facade of belief that she had a choice in the matter. "Fine."

He scooped her up and tossed her against a wall, while the others crowded around, leering. She prayed that they would only watch.

He grunted, groaned, sighed, and the blast receded. The group wavered backwards to provide some space, hands shuffling the cube over to him, where he guzzled half of it.

"HEY!" she cried.

He shook his head. "You were only okay. Take it or leave it." He shoved it in her hands. "Now be a good trick and motor out of here," with that, he smacked her on the rear end and the crowd parted, still roaring with amusement.

She drank it quickly and tossed the cube back at them, where it skidded harmlessly several meters away.

'Don't cry, you need the lubricant,' she told herself.