Tales of the Intermezzo - Shift A Transformers Universe Story copyright 2006 by Dave Van Domelen based on properties owned by Hasbro =========================================================================== "intermezzo - n. A brief entertainment between two acts of a play." - American Heritage Dictionary Downshift bracketed the Omnicon's head with his twin Energon rifles, keeping the racketeer effectively pinned to the ground without actually touching him. As Hot Shot had told him several times before, an implied threat is often more effective than an imminent one. "Okay, talk. Who's been diverting supplies in Sector RM?" The Omnicon looked terrified, but not just of Downshift. Oh, he had good reason to be terrified of Downshift, after the way the Autobot had just finished infiltrating the dilapidated tower and defeating several squads of defenders. But he seemed to be afraid of something else. SomeONE else. "Let poor Nemecron up, lad. It's me you're looking for," came a voice from the doorway. Turning cautiously, Downshift saw a squat Autobot with massive hands and tank treads for legs. "Bump? Is that you?" Bump nodded, "The same. It's been a long time...I saw you at that big race during the Energon War, but I don't think we've talked since back before you left with Rodimus to go running around the galaxy." Downshift stepped away from the Omnicon, who scampered to a corner and cowered behind a coolant dispenser. "You're a crimelord now? What happened to your scientific career?" Bump tsked. "'Crimelord' sounds so dramatic. Science doesn't pay the rent these days, lad. And while I'm sure you all try your best to make sure Cybertron gets rebuilt in the most efficient way possible...let's just say that not everyone likes being low on the priorities list. So I help adjust that list with a nudge here and..." "And a theft there," Downshift scowled, the trapezoids on the sides of his helmet flashing in irritation. Bump held out his hands and shrugged. "Once in a while, yes. But I try to avoid it. I mean, eventually things will be back to normal, and I'd like to be able to go back to the University with as clear a conscience as anyone can manage in these post-war days." "But what about..." "The diverted Cybertronium shipments? Wasn't my people." "Then who was it?" Downshift demanded. "Andro Z. Small-time Decepticon warlord out to make a name for himself now that Megatron's out of the picture again." Downshift paused. "Wait. The war's over. All the Decepticons are in jail or on parole." Bump laughed. "What, you mean all dozen or so of them? Please. Just because only a few handfuls followed Megatron doesn't mean there aren't more out there. Some pass as Autobots, wearing Autobrands over their Decepticon symbols. Others walk openly as Decepticons in ghettos like RM Sector. You're thinking too much like a soldier, my boy. Most Decepticons are content to rule a few microsterads, lord it over the Autobots and Omnicons who try to make an honest living among the ruins. They don't come out into the light, and they certainly don't try to go toe-to-toe with Optimus Prime!" Bump laughed. "For every Decepticon you see, there's a hundred you don't. It's why they're called DECEPTICONS." Downshift brought his rifle up. "Fine. There's Decepticon criminals out there. But you're still a criminal too. Just because your brand is the same color as mine doesn't mean we're on the same side." Bump shrugged again, clearly not intimidated. "But I'm the lesser of two evils. I pay my Omnicons, Andro Z enslaves his. I don't push addictive hydrocarbon fuels, Andro Z does. And I don't steal medical supplies. Oh, I'll buy 'em illegally from corrupt couriers, and make more than a fair profit on the resale, but Andro Z just takes things he wants." "Slavery? Are you sure?" Bump nodded. "Nemecron can tell you, he used to be one of Andro Z's 'employees' before he escaped. I suppose you're going to call in your buddies and raid the sector now, looking for slaves?" he asked, a hint of hopefulness in his voice. Downshift shook his head. "I'm on detached duty." It was a sort of legal fiction that many of the soldiers of the Energon War worked under. It basically meant, "Go see if you can find any trouble and take care of it, but don't expect any backup." Given that the dozen or so detached duty Autobots (and the two or three former Decepticons) were easily among the best fighters on the planet, backup wasn't generally necessary. But Downshift sure missed it sometimes. "Oh. Too bad. You see, once I'd taken in a few too many of Andro Z's strays, he started getting personal in who he took to replace them. Including an Omnicon who's like a daughter to me...." * * * * The entire volume of Cybertron was criss-crossed by conduits that at one point had carried deadly Energon gas. It would be decades before even a useful fraction of them could be sealed off, and no one really knew where they all were. But they were sturdy, and big enough for most Omnicons to stand up in, so they ended up as squatter havens in zones where the actual buildings were too damaged to be used anymore. It was in times like these, using the conduits to sneak into the Decepticon-controlled parts of RM Sector, that Downshift wished he was just a little shorter. Not just because he had to hunch over here, though...his size also made it hard for him to pass as just another squatter in the conduits. Most of them were Omnicons, just like most of the population in general was of that subfaction. But even the civilian Autobots were kinda puny. Of course, a lot of them had been Omnicons once, but had been rebuilt without the ability to handle raw Energon. They didn't want to be exploited for that ability anymore. Too bad no one wanted them for anything but that these days. So they joined their former brethren on the streets and in the conduits. He stopped. His seismics were picking up someone walking through the conduit up ahead, around a few corners. "Must be getting close," he thought to himself as another moment's listening told him it was someone pacing back and forth. Like a guard. From what Bump had said, Andro Z had built his power base during the war. In one of the many bunkers where the less fortunate had holed up during the gas attacks, he had climbed to the top of the heap and organized things ruthlessly, keeping everyone alive until the gas dissipated. But it wasn't like he was a generous sort...those he'd saved had become the core of his criminal empire, an empire that had gotten frighteningly large right under the noses of the Autobots. RM sector practically belonged to him. Downshift summoned one of his Energon rifles, then gripped it by the barrel as a club. Easing around the last bend in the conduit as quietly as he could manage, he sprang out and smashed the rifle into the faceplate of the sentry, a reddish robot who wore a large Decepticon symbol on one shoulder. The sentry dropped without a sound. He waited a moment to see if the muffled thump of his Energon rifle hitting the sentry's face would draw any attention, but none was coming. He deactivated the sentry's commlink and took its ID codes. If anyone tried to contact the sentry, they'd get Downshift instead. Pausing a moment, Downshift also ripped a copy of the sentry's vocalizer patterns using a probe in one of his fingers. Offshoot had built it for him before he went on detached duty, and it had come in useful more than once. Never helped to answer someone's comm with the wrong voice, after all. * * * * "Your father is being unreasonable," Andro Z purred to the slender Omnicon chained to the wall next to his throne. "There is a place for him in my organization, but he refuses to take it." "You and I both know the only place you have planned for him is the smelter pits," she spat, her deep bronze face twisted in fury. Andro Z laughed. "Well, he'll have plenty of company there, my dear. Especially since you refuse to work in my fuel conversion lab." "You're right," she snarled. "I'll die before I help you spread that poison you call fuel. Slag it, I'd probably die in a few dekacycles from that stuff if I *did* work for you. You go through Omnicons like Megatron went through second in commands...no wonder so many are asking to be rebuilt as Autobots!" "And what's so bad about being an Autobot?" came a voice from the doorway. "Who's there?" Andro Z demanded. "Downshift, detached duty Autobot warrior. And I take it you're Andro Z, you sawed-off Scorponok clone?" he asked. Andro Z snarled. He did indeed bear a strong resemblance to the old Terrorcon general, if you ignored his red and black coloration and the fact that he was only about a third as tall as Scorponok. His snarl quickly turned into a look of concern. "Ah, you've noticed I'm jamming your alarm signal," Downshift noted, his "ears" flashing with amusement. "Most of your guards have run off to deal with a fake attack on the south perimeter anyway. They think Bump's people are trying to break open your slave pits." "So, you're working for that small-time hustler?" Andro Z scoffed. "I'm doing him a favor," Downshift nodded to the Omnicon. "And he's going to do me a favor in return." "What would that be? Giving you a proper funeral?" Andro Z stepped towards Downshift, the spike on his tail hissing to energized life as his shovel-like claws snapped open and closed loudly. Suddenly, there was an Energon rifle in Downshift's hand. Just as suddenly, there was a smoking hole in Andro Z's forehead. The Decepticon crimelord took one more step forward, confused and hesitant. Then he crashed to the floor. "Nope. Making sure no other Decepticon steps in to take your place. If there's gonna be a crimelord in RM, I'd rather it be an Autobot than a Decepticon." "Thanks, handsome," the Omnicon smiled. "Now," she held up the manacles that secured her to the wall, "mind putting that big gun of yours to some other use?" "Of course, ma'am. Never let it be said I didn't know how to use my gun to make a lady happy." ============================================================================ Author's Notes: Yes, this is based (VERY) loosely on the 1971 Shaft movie. :) When I had the first glimmerings of an idea for this story, I was going to focus on the idea of the romance between Downshift and his unnamed life partner (as seen in the Key Code info for Downshift on Hasbro's website). But that very quickly shifted to more of an action story, with the couple meeting only at the very end. Of course, Downshift isn't really a Shaft-like character here. Even in his Cybertron incarnation, he's a little too green yet (no pun intended). And as this story is set before the start of Cybertron, he's still in his previous Wheeljack-ish altmode, a bit of a young punk in attitude. But he's been learning, and someday he'll be a bad mother...(shut yo' mouth!) Just talkin' about Downshift! Don't expect "Downshift's Big Score" or "Downshift In Africa" though.