Transformers Fall of Cybertron: Joining the Exodus

by bigvic150

Corvowing and his army of Autobots are preparing to use his foreknowledge of the Fall of Cybertron video game to make sure that some things are changed. With Shockwave and the Insecticons as Autobots in this timeline, it's only a matter of time before the Ark leaves Cybertron. Will Corvowing's efforts ensure the arrival to Earth? Rated T. Autobot Starscream and Shockwave AU.

5. Death from Above

Transformers Fall of Cybertron: Joining the Exodus.

Chapter 5: Death from Above.

(Author's notes: In this chapter, Vortex and the rest of the Combaticons will be attempting to disable an Autobot refinery transport tanker carting away a gigantic amount of Corvowing's Energon stores to throw the Decepticons off-trail and prevent them from learning about the Autobots leaving Cybertron.

Enjoy chapter 5.)

Roughstuff watches from a high enough vantage point as the Autobot Energon transport tanker slowly starts carting away the Energon.

Roughstuff sneers, "There it is! The Autobot Transport carting away MY Energon!"

Onslaught asks, "Don't you mean OUR Energon, Roughstuff?"

Roughstuff replies, "Oh, of course, Onslaught; OUR Energon. That idiot Shockwave allowed the Autobots to steal every last drop! Fortunately, I have devised a plan to steal it BACK."

Onslaught states, "You mean WE."

Roughstuff replies, "Ugh, very well, Onslaught. YOU explain the plan."

Onslaught steps up to the computer screen with the battle plan displayed and says, "Combaticons, listen up! We need to divert the transport off the main road and into a sky ambush led by Roughstuff. We will be able to accomplish this flawlessly by destroying the bridge in this sector before the transport gets across. Swindle, I want you to patrol the area and deal with any Autobot Scouts who would give us away."

Swindle replies, "You bet."

Onslaught continues, "Blast Off, Vortex, you'll need to clear a shortcut through this canyon to the bridge."

Vortex responds with, "Sounds simple enough."

Onslaught continues further, "Brawl will be following you in a dropship and he will blast the supports to bring the bridge down."

Brawl states in reply, "I like blasting stuff."

Onslaught finishes, "Once the transport changes course, we will join Roughstuff's ambush and reclaim the Energon that's rightfully ours. Remember, we have limited time and Energon to pull this off. Make it happen."

Roughstuff interjects, "Yes, make it happen, Combaticons!"

Blast Off states, "Well, I'm inspired. Let's hit it, Vortex!"

Vortex replies, "After you, Blast Off!"

Blast Off transforms to his spaceplane mode and Vortex transforms into his helicopter mode before accessing his gyrodyne mode.

The two Decepticon Fliers make their way to a section of the canyon before Blast Off disappears due to how fast he was going.

Vortex comes to a stop in helicopter mode and calls out, "Blast Off! Where'd you go?"

As Vortex's helicopter blades start whirring, Onslaught contacts Vortex and says, "Vortex, this is Onslaught. Get to the bridge and destroy it before the transport can get across."

Vortex replies, "Roger that, Onslaught, we're on it."

Vortex catches up with Blast Off and the two Decepticons continue on their way.

Along the path, Vortex asks, "What is this place anyway?"

Blast Off replies, "An ancient Autobot city. No bot has been here for ages."

Vortex remarks, "This reminds me of how we trashed Iacon."

Upon encountering the first set of detection lasers, Blast Off calls out, "Stay clear of those lasers!"

After dodging the lasers, Vortex calls out in response, "Ease off the throttle and thrusters, Blast Off; I can't keep up!"

Blast Off replies, "That's the point, Vortex! I'll flush out any trouble, you back me up."

Blast Off encounters the first flight-based Homing Mine deployment and exclaims, "What is that? Scrap! It's chasing me!"

Vortex shoots the Homing Mine and calls out, "That was close, Blast Off! I thought you said this place was deserted! Right!"

Vortex blasts the next door to provide passage and he and Blast Off continue on their way.

Upon encountering a downward tunnel leading to the next part of the canyon, Blast Off and Vortex hear Roughstuff contact Onslaught.

Roughstuff asks impatiently, "Onslaught, why isn't that bridge destroyed yet?!"

Onslaught replies, "We're working on it, Roughstuff."

Vortex and Blast Off come to a stop on a platform and switch to robot mode as Onslaught asks, "Blast Off, what's your status?"

Blast Off replies, "The Autobots somehow knew we were coming. They keep getting in our way!"

Several Autobot Soldiers come out of hiding and hold the two Decepticons at gunpoint.

One of them calls out, "Stop right there, Decepti-creeps! Keep your servos where we can see them!"

Onslaught calls out over the commlink, "Hey Vortex, use your Shockwave NOW!"

Vortex unleashes a Shockwave blast, completely taking the Autobot troops offline.

Blast Off starts hovering in the air as he notices the exit slowly and slowly closing.

Blast Off exclaims, "Scrap! They're trying to cut us off from that transport!"

As Blast Off takes flight before the exit can fully close, Onslaught calls out over the commlink, "Move it, Blast Off! DO NOT LOSE THAT TRANSPORT!"

Blast Off replies as he manages to make it, "Gonna be tight!"

The exit closes and Onslaught says to Vortex over the commlink, "Vortex, we're running out of time! Get to that transport NOW!"

As he starts killing some Autobot Soldiers, Vortex replies, "I'm working on it!"

Onslaught replies back, "Well, work faster! We need to bring that bridge down before the transport can get across!"

After about three minutes, Vortex manages to kill the Autobot troops in the outpost while simultaneously destroying the particle combustion pulse cannons on the outpost at the same time.

Vortex heads into a control room and flips the lever to open the door ahead.

An alarm starts blaring and more Autobots pour in, but because Vortex's weapons include machine guns and bomb launchers in helicopter mode, he managed to come out on top again.

Vortex comes across a blast door, and sets up a Nucleon Detpack to blow it open.

Vortex steps back and the Detpack destroys the vault door in the explosion.

Vortex uses an Energon Harvester shotgun to deal with the two Autobot Shotgunners posted inside the room.

As Vortex progresses, Blast Off is heard contacting Onslaught and saying, "Onslaught, the transport is equipped with heavy anti-aircraft guns!"

Onslaught asks Roughstuff, "You hear that, Roughstuff? Do NOT attack from the air!"

Roughstuff replies, "I will make my own decisions, Onslaught!"

Vortex switches back to vehicle mode and destroys two more barriers before progressing in gyrodyne mode to the platform in front of the bridge.

Vortex sees the bridge extending and exclaims, "Onslaught, we've reached the bridge! And it's HUGE! How are we supposed to take down something that size?"

Onslaught replies, "Brawl's artillery attack should be more than enough to destroy the supports underneath the bridge. Get into position and start shelling!"

Vortex transforms to robot mode and lands on the platform.

Brawl arrives in a Decepticon Dropship and emerges onto the platform.

Vortex calls out on his commlink, "We're in position!"

Onslaught states, "Brawl, get your main guns online!"

Brawl transforms into his artillery emplacement mode.

Brawl replies, "Guns are online, Onslaught! Ready to pound some metal!"

Brawl fires three shots at the first support, but the shots prove ineffective against the shielding fortifying the support.

Brawl exclaims, "What the?! Onslaught! Nothing happened!"

Onslaught replies, "I read you, Brawl. Extra shielding must be protecting the supports. Vortex! Get in there and disable the shields!"

Vortex switches to vehicle mode while replying, "Roger that, Onslaught!"

Vortex reaches the first bridge support and comes across an Autobot deployment with an Enforcer.

As Vortex dodges gunfire, he calls out over the commlink, "I've spotted the shielding controls, but they're guarded by Autobots."

Brawl asks, "You want me to shell them?"

Vortex answers, "Nah, I got this."

Vortex manages to destroy the Enforcer and the Autobot troops in under a minute, setting up a record.

Vortex proceeds to the control lever and pulls it down as hard as he could because of how heavy the lever is.

Vortex growls, "Arrgh! This lever is heavy! Couldn't they just make it a button?!"

Vortex successfully pulls down the lever to expose the bridge support.

Vortex calls out, "Shield's down – light it up, Brawl!"

Brawl replies, "Keep clear, Vortex! One broken bridge coming up!"

Brawl fires five rockets from his artillery/tank cannons at the support and the support crumbles.

The Teletraan 1 P.A. announces, "Structural integrity compromised! Shifting balance for additional support."

Vortex calls out, "The bridge is still holding! I'll hit that second support!"

Vortex makes it to the second support and he manages to kill the Autobot troops in under fifty seconds, all without taking damage thanks to his flight capabilities combined with the equipment he acquired beforehand.

Vortex makes his way to the second lever and as he pulls down on it, he calls out, "Brawl, I'm at the lever! Ready your guns!"

Vortex successfully retracts the second shielding for the second support.

Vortex calls out again, "Second shield is disabled! Let's bring this bridge down!"

Brawl exclaims while firing four more rockets, "INCOMING!"

The second bridge support crumbled under the explosion from the artillery rockets.

The P.A. announces again, "Structural integrity critical! Adjusting internal stabilizers. Center support is now holding maximum load."

Brawl growls, "This bridge is really starting to grind my gears!"

Vortex remarks, "They don't make them like this anymore. What now?"

Brawl replies, "The only thing holding it up at this point is that center support! Get up there, Vortex!"

Vortex makes it to where the control tower would be, only for the P.A. to announce, "Deploying defenses."

More and more Autobots come in to defend the control tower.

Roughstuff calls out, "Onslaught, the transport is nearly at the bridge. I assume your team was successful in destroying it?"

Onslaught states to his interrogation expert, "Vortex, our fearless leader is growing impatient."

Vortex replies, "Roger that, Onslaught. Brawl! I don't see a control panel, or even an access panel to get inside!"

As Autobots start firing on Vortex, Brawl replies himself, "I'm tired of this scrap! Get out of the way, Vortex! I'll make you an entrance!"

Brawl fires a ton of rockets that manages to blow a hole into the control tower while dealing with all other nuisances.

Vortex snarks, "Brawl, why didn't you just do that to begin with?"

Brawl rebukes him and snarls, "Stop jabbering and get in there!"

Vortex enters the hole and finds the room to be dark, but bright enough for him to somewhat be able to see.

Vortex bemoans, "Oh, great. It's spooky dark down here."

Brawl asks amusedly, "You're afraid of the dark?"

Vortex replies, "Well, it DOES make it hard to see!"

Onslaught calls out, "Vortex, Brawl! Shut it! We need that bridge offline! Now!"

Vortex manages to kill the Autobots on the current level before taking the elevator to the lower level.

Vortex goes to the next room and lowers the walls in the room, only to be attacked by more Autobots.

As Vortex kills the last Autobot, Onslaught calls out over the commlink, "Vortex, the transport has reached the bridge! What's the status on that last support?"

Vortex replies, "Stupid security! This could take a cycle or two!"

Onslaught replies back, "Vortex, you need to hurry! That bridge needs to come down NOW!"

Vortex lowers the lever for the final bridge support's shielding, and the shielding is retracted.

But before Vortex could do anything further, an Autobot Titan emerges from an elevator in the floor.

Vortex grumbles, "Oh, nuts and bolts! This looks like trouble!"

Onslaught replies, "Deal with it, Vortex!"

Remembering crucial information from a previously collected audio log, Vortex damages the Titan, takes out its helper drones and takes out the Titan himself.

More Autobots pour in, but they were no match for the interdimensional portal generator that Vortex used to kill them all in one shot.

Vortex puts a Nucleon Detpack on the bridge center support and calls out, "Combaticons! The charges are set!"

The support blows up, and Vortex initiates gyrodyne mode to escape as Onslaught calls out, "About time, Vortex!"

Brawl adds, "Get out of there, Vortex, or you're going down WITH the bridge!"

Vortex manages to escape the collapsing bridge and beat the time countdown.

Vortex flies off to rendezvous with the others at the sky ambush as the bridge crumbles to pieces.

The End.