Backdrop and the Terrible No-Good Delivery

There's apparently some shingding or somesuch going on at the Circle tonight. The cream of the Cybertronian crop is out to stand in line and be admitted into the club after a careful inspection by the two large ex-Enforcers turned bouncers that protect the entrance of the club. While standing around in line there's a lot of talk about the latest techno-music drop or how much fun that they are going to have with finding someone to hobnob or just interface casually with. This, folks, in how the upper crust lives.
While this is going on, Sky Lynx is out on one of his patrols. However, as a member of the most elite of the classes of Cybertron, he notices the commotion outside of the club and makes a descent towards the Club to land gracefully on the ground as he spreads out his magnificentmagnficient wings and his tail lashes back and forth idly.
Ah, a big ol' party, and only the upper-ups can get in. Wouldn't be the first time Backdrop came across one of those and probably wouldn't be the last. But, hey, he had a delivery to make, so here he was. Just kind of... Staring at the line of very rich people.Somewhat bemused by the whole spectacle, he edged to a bouncer and handed over the delivery. A box of some kind. Looked rather fancy. Wasn't any of his business, though; he just had to hand it over and away he went!...And then Sky Lynx just... Walks on by. Backdrop looks up... And up... And up. Stares. Gapes. ... Squints. Why did that giant bot look so familiar?
As the massive mech that is Sky Lynx stands outside of the club, he pauses as he notices someone looking way way up at him. The Wyvern's head tilts downwards, the armor plates in his neck clanging lightly as he lowers his frame towards the direction of the courier who has just made the delivery. While the primordial could just /smell/ the mech and recognize him, Sky Lynx is far more sophisticated than /that/.
"I beg your pardon." he states calmly, the Wyvern's head twisting towards Backdrop to study him. "But have we previously met. I seem to recognize you for some reason, and perhaps you can help my recollection. While I usually have a rather immaculate and lucid memory of most of my journeys there are times that I tend to forget the small details. Who are you?" he asks casually, at least for him.
"...Uh..." Backdrop gapes so eloquently for a moment. "Uhm. Uh. I'm S -- Backdrop." He was still gaping. "...Yeah, you look really familiar, but I --"Suddenly, he seems to remember. "Oh! The racing club thing with the... I forgot the word, the fake Blurr that was on fire?" The effigy at the racetrack party. "I think you were there!"
Whilst getting into such a club was not something Detour could manage, he was on the outside of the ropes, watching people as the enter, jotting down notes. One may mistake the mech for paparazzi or a journalist they way he is constantly looking between his datapad and the celebrities and high caste gaining entry. Not many may notice it, but as one high caste mech strides up, an attendant following close behind dawdles just long enough for Detour to slip something into his hand. There is barely an exchange of looks but no words before th attendant continues on, simpering and fussing over his charge.Sky Lynx' arrival had gotten a glance from the stout space-faring mech, but he had otherwise ignored the gigantic being for the time being and continued taking his notes. However, once the mech seemed satisfied with gathering whatever intel he was gathering, he begins to move his way out of the mob of on-lookers.
"Indeed, I was." Sky Lynx states. If he could smile, he probably would, but really, there is very little expression to the massive Wyvern's face as his golden visor/windows study Backdrop. "That was quite the experience for you, I am sure. If it had not been for the ineptitude of the would-be terrorists and my own magnificence in destroying the incendiary device, I assure you it would have ended in a much different way than it did." the large creature comments. "But no, I do not believe it was that.. I seem to recall you from somewhere else. Hmm." the Roc seems to become thoughtful, his tail swishing idly before his large shoulders effect what amounts to a shrug. "I am sure it will come to me." he finally says with a chuckle. "Were you waiting in line to enter the Circle?" he asks. "If so, I did not mean to disturb your place."
"Somewhere else...?" Backdrop frowns a little as he tries to think of where else he might have seen this giant mech. Maybe he passed by him once? Saw him just on the street? He couldn't place it, but he didn't really seem too terribly bothered."Oh, no, I was just making a delivery. They'd never actually let someone like me in there." A shrug. "Only the super fancy guys get the super fancy stuff."
The three of them wander over to where the creature is talking to Backdrop, and one of the larger mechs gives the small mech a shove. "Hey! The boss wants to talk to you. Sorry for bothering you, big guy." the Enforcer says towards Sky Lynx, "But this guy's delivery was short several thousand shanix worth of goods, and we need to know what to do with it."
The slicker mech approaches and places his hand up in front of the enforcer. "Forgive the manners of my bodyguard, Sky Lynx." the slicker mech says. "After all, he didn't realize whose company he was in. But yes, if you do not mind, we would like to have a private word with the courier here. It seems were missing some of the product he was supposed to deliver and we want to make sure he didn't tamper with the package. You know how these things go, right, Sky Lynx? Some little mech, seeing he is making a delivery to a place he can't go gets all curious and sticks his nose in where it doesn't belong."
"H-hey!" Backdrop flails at the shove; a look of immediate worry passes along his face. "I didn't t-take anything! You can c-check, I have a total of th-three things in my subspace, and one of them is edible!" Oh, he's trying very hard to be brave, there.Still, he doesn't actually resist being led off. He just seems terribly concerned by the whole thing.
The little skirmish, or at least, something that could have turned into a skirmish if Backdrop weren't so compliant, attracts Detour's attention. His datapad is out and he quikly jots a few of the notes down. Detour makes it his business to know who's who in the upper caste, since a fair amount of his products are aimed at that demographic.Detour does his best to keep close to the mechs and the courier without being too inconspicuous.
"Very well.." Sky Lynx starts to state, though something doesn't feel right about the situation. "By the way, you have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am surely by sight alone, but I do not believe I know who you are?"
The slick mech looks back and grins. "Name's Vaporlock, I hope we can do business sometime, big man." he comments as he continues to lead Backdrop off with his two goons around the corner and into an alley just out of sight (and comfortable fit) of Sky Lynx. Once there, the smile disappears from Vaporlock's face and he grabs Backdrop by the shoulder and shoves him into the wall. "You think you're funny, huh?" he comments, a hiss in his voice as chemical vapors leak from his fingers and onto the former drone's shoulder. "Thought you wanted to get a little kick for free, did you? Took a few vials for yourself?" Another rough shake of the courier. "Yeah, I bet you knew what it was too. That was a cool hundred grand of Syk that you just stole from me, and you're going to cough it up and return it right now or..."
The vapor on the mech's fingers becomes more liquid and drips into Backdrop's shoulder joint, causing it to tingle and sieze up painfully. "...things ain't going to go too well for you, understand?"
It takes a total of ten seconds for Backdrop to do three things. First, he completely freezes up at being grabbed and shoved in to a wall. Completely rigid; not a bit of fight at all. Then, he takes in a sharp intake of terror; it might be an expression familiar to Vaporlock if he's in the business of doing this often.Then, Backdrop just... Tosses a few things out of his subspace. A quarter of a very low grade energon cube, a cracked and dented datapad that holds a very old fictional novel, and a total of two shanix. Two. Not two hundred; two. "That's all I have on me, I swear!"
Eavesdropping is useful for any entrepreneur, and Detour's drab paint job and practice in slinking, despite his stout build, allow him to keep within audial range, even if not visual. The mech takes no action to help the poor little courier out of a dangerous situation. He merely listens for now, carefully shuffling closer to try and get a visual.
"You've cost me a small fortune in sales tonight, not to mention the time you are making me waste with your useless hide and this.." Vaporlock's hand gestures about towards the small hoard of useless trinkets that Backdrop has expelled. "Ain't even worth the spit it would take to kill you." No, Detour, he's not a user. You just found a dealer. A High Caste dealer. The mech steps away. "You owe me a lot. A whole lot. And killing you tonight won't even start to pay that back. So here's the deal. You're going to be my little delivery drone from now on. You deliver what and when I tell you, and in return, I let you live. Double-cross me or sell me out?" he gestures to his enforcers. "They won't find enough of you for a proper internment."
"Listen, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!" Backdrop is pretty much flat against the back of the wall. "I got a box, I delivered the box! I did the thing! I --" Suddenly, a look of absolute perplexed confusion crosses his face. "...Wait, something was missing from the box?"
Detour quietly continues to listen, putting pieces together and makes some notes. Satisfied with whatever it is he was seeking, he slowly edges away from the scene. Detour's path causes him to pass under Sky ynx' magnificent shadow, but the mech seems to hardly pay Sky Lynx any mind at first. But then the mech slows his stroll and glances up. "With a configuration and size like that, you can only be Sky Lynx."
"Yeah. And now your responsible for it. Don't even think about playing stupid with me, mech, or I'll kill you now and call it a loss. So, do you agree to the terms, or are you scrap?" Vaporlock comments as he lifts his hand, acidic drops falling from his fingers. "As it stands, you owe me hundred grand in shanix for my missing Syk. So you tell me. You wanna be a dead mech walking or just a dead mech?" he says as he leans in, allowing the acid to drip onto the chestplate of the mech. If it moves up just a little higher...
For the record, Backdrop, a shady looking mech named Vaporlock, a couple of ex-Enforcers and maybe a Detour are in a narrow alleyway near the Circle. As for Sky Lynx saving him? Well, the large Roc is currently talking with several members of the upper castes and carrying on and telling stories, and then as Detour approaches, the Roc nods his head in agreement. "There is only one as magnificent as I, yes." he agrees with Detour. "And you are?"
Expectedly, Backdrop tries to flatten himself even more against the wall. "L-Listen, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not 'playing dumb', I've only been doing this job for a few weeks!" And if anyone checked his ID -- which is conveniently attached to the broken datapad by a string -- it'd claim he's only a couple of months old. "I don't even know what 'Syk' IS!"
"Humbled. But I'm sure you meant to ask my designation. As for that, I am Detour, an entrepeneur dealing in rarified energon, insecticon, hatching pods and insecticon themed novelties." The mech grins. "I would give you my holocard, but I think it would be a bit small for you." The mech smiles pleasantly, since he actually CAN smile, standing with the air of your typical salesperson.
"You just keep telling yourself that." Vaporlock states as he moves to pick up Backdrop's datapad ID. "Backdrop, huh. I see that we're going to have a long partnership. And profitable. At least for me. For you? The profit is that you get to see another cycle." the dark and shady mech comments as he puts away the datapad. So much for that one, Backdrop. "We'll be in touch. Mechs." The two large mech step back as Vaporlock releases Backdrop to allow him to slide to the ground as the threesome turn to leave the alley.
In good news, Backdrop has steady employment?
Sky Lynx chuckles. "Ah, I see. Well met, Detour." the large creature states as he looks around. "Now where did that small mech go.. ah, nevermind, I'm sure he had things to attend to." As his attention returns to Detour, the dinobird hmms. "Such a unique niche you run in, I suppose that business would be up as of late considering the amount of Insecticons I have seen as of late. But I tend to hear more of the Arachnids than any of them. At least not since Kickback was released after nearly bonding with Arcee."
Eventually, Backdrop stumbles out of the alleyway.He doesn't look particularly happy. Somewhere between 'terrified' and 'pissed off'. He walks right up to Sky Lynx.
"Do you have a spare empty datapad? I just got robbed of mine."
Detour offers up a shrug. "Yes, well, there seems to be increasing opinion that Insecticons are more intelligent than previously stated, but I have yet to meet an intelligent one from Cybertron. There's that... ahem.... vile one from Animatron who certainly is intelligent enough not only to speak, but to scheme and exhibit premeditated malice." Detour frowns deeply as he recollects his encounter with Scorn. "But my business is sanctioned by the law, and until that changes, my business wo--" Detour pauses as the tiny courier speaks and gives him a single side glance, then resumes speaking, "..my business won't change."
Blurr wanders out of the Circle, looking very...distraught. It's definitely not his typical demeanor, and for once he appears to be alone. He hasn't been seen for a while--well, more like he just hasn't been seen on the datanets or public broadcasts recently as per usual. More dedicated fans of his would probably be perturbed by his sudden lack of appearance in the media, while others might just find it odd or even a relief. He notices Backdrop, Sky Lynx and Detour standing outside the club but doesn't say anything, instead watching them gloomily.
"Hmm. Perhaps that is a debate best settled for another time, because I do have a fair share of ideas on the subject, Detour." Sky Lynx offers, before Backdrop comes wandering back out and the large Roc seems confused. "Just now? Ah, that is terrible. Oh dear. Let me see." A moment of reflection and Sky Lynx shakes his head. "Unfortunately I do not have any datapads in my storage at the moment. Perhaps.." he pauses as he notices the racer, and ahas. "Blurr, old chap! Perhaps you can assist this mech in need? He seems to have been robbed of his datapad. I must return to my patrol, and I do not have a spare that would be appropriate, so hopefully you can assist him." he states as he starts to rise upwards.
Wait, BLURR? Backdrop looks up in alarm. This night couldn't possibly be THAT bad, could it?Oh, but it is. There he was. Looking... Not quite himself. Backdrop didn't really know what to do with that information, so he just freezes up. Stands there. Optics wide, unmoving.They're BOTH having terrible evenings, it looks like.