Ruby - Origins - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

If I told you, I'd Have to Kill You

It was just like any other car journey, only the car drove itself. Minor difference. Ruby sat quietly in the driver's seat, occasionally glancing up at the night sky, expecting to see Megatron swooping down on them.

Instead, a large cargo plane appeared in the sky like a dark stain against the gentle pink of the morning sky. The noise of it grew loud as it came closer, engines roaring. It passed overhead, so lowRuby felt like she could reach out and touch it. 

Ironhide followed its descent onto an abandoned runway, where shrubsgrew along the sides of the tarmac, and grass sprouted from every crack. 

Ruby got out the car when it stopped, and instantly regretted it.

The plane landed, bouncing against its suspension, and Ironhide zoomed off after it, leaving Ruby behind. What if Megatron came back for her?! She ran after him, right into the plane.

The second she stepped a foot inside, someone grabbed her and pulled her in further. Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes struggled to adjust in the blackness. Who was there? Who pushed her into a seat? What on earth was going on?

The ramp rose up, squealing shut. Metal clanked together, muffling the sound of anxious voices. Ruby blinked until her eyes started working again and saw a cluster of men around Ironhide; they were clamping him to the floor.

Other than that there wasn't much to see. The inside of the plane was mainly empty space, partially occupied by the large pickup that was Ironhide. Benches were built into the frame of the plane on each side. Its purpose was to hold cargo by the looks of it. 

The men finished tending to Ironhide and sat down on the bench next to her. Ruby stared at them in shock. It was as if someone had taken her voice away.

The men didn't offer her an explanation. They kept their eyes on Ironhide, pretending she wasn't there.

Ruby shrugged and tried to get comfortable. The men wore camouflage trousers and shirts, black boots and funny hats. They had filthy faces, slicked with dirt and sweat, like they'd been away from home for weeks. In fact they did smell a bit.

Something on the right sleeve of the man closest to Ruby caught her eye. There was a badge with a strange symbol in the middle, like an ancient helmet. 

Around it were the words, 'If I told you, I'd have to kill you.' 

Ruby nodded to herself. Right. Got it. Their silence was way better for her health.

A good few hours later, Ruby was bored and uncomfortable. She sat in the same place as before, with her head leaning back against the metal side of the plane, staring at the rounded ceiling. She had one foot on the bench and one on the floor, a position which she kept switching to stretch her muscles. 

Soft music soothed her ears; she'd found her iPod in her trouser pocket, but the battery would die any minute. Her head hurt, her stomach rumbled, and all her muscles ached. Probably from being in a vertical car crash. The small, yet deep, wounds in her shoulders, made by Megatron, ached unmercifully, sending blasts of pain down her back every now and then.

The music distracted her from the desperate questions swirling at the back of her mind; Why had she been attacked by a gigantic robot? Why was she in a plane with an alien and five men who had taken an oath to stay silent? Where were they going?

Ironhide remained silent and still throughout the entire journey. Like a normal car.

Even when Ruby felt the nose of the plane begin tip down, he didn't make a sound. Ruby put both feet back on the floor and sat up straight.

The men seemed to share her enthusiasm for getting off the plane. It had been a long flight and they were all stiff. And probably desperate for a shower, thought Ruby. 

The plane landed and came to a stop. The men quickly freed Ironhide and unbolted the ramp, keeping their voices too low for Ruby to hear. They turned silent when she moved to stand by them, eager to see where they were. 

Where ever here was, it was still dark. But floodlights filled every corner of the air field. As the ramp slowly lowered, it revealed two men standing on the ground, having awaited their arrival. They stood up straight, with serious faces and their hands behind there backs, in the same gear as the men on board the plane.

Ruby walked forwards with the others to meet them. The men she had been travelling with stood and saluted once they were on solid ground. The smaller of the two men nodded, indicating their dismissal. The men walked off, leaving Ruby facing the other two. 

One was tall with dark skin, whilst the other was of a more average height with lightly tanned skin and cropped hair. He seemed to be the one in charge. His face softened;

"Hi there, I am Major Lennox and this is Tyrese," 

Tyrese gave an odd sort of wave.

Ruby tried to smile back, "Hey, I'm Ruby." 

Their introductions were cut short by an angry revving sound from behind. Ironhide came rolling down the ramp, forcing them to step aside. As soon as he was clear of the aircraft, he transformed.

"Urghah," he groaned, "So, stiff!" There was a loud clanking of metal, followed by lots of clicks as Ironhide stretched and flexed.

"Join the club," muttered Ruby.

Ironhide peered down at her, and then turned to Major Lennox, "She needs a medic," he said, in his deep robot voice.

"I'm not that stiff!" she protested.

"Not for that! For your shoulders, and your head." Then he said, more seriously, "That was my fault. I wasn't quick enough. Megatron got to her first."

"What?!" Tyrese cried.

But Major Lennox was already steering Ruby away before she could hear anything more from Ironhide. She looked back at him, and their blue eyes met for a moment, and feelings of curiosity and friendship passed between them, before he turned away and transformed back into a car. Tyrese ran to catch up with them.

Ruby didn't bother asking any questions. She knew they wouldn't be properly answered. Not yet. She was taken to a room, not unlike one found in a hospital. Here, she saw how bad she actually looked. 

She quivered at her reflection; blood trickled down the side of her face from her matted hair, she was covered in dust and white plaster, and her shoulders had swollen to an abnormal size. A nurse came, to clean her up. She was given painkillers to numb the stinging, and eventually, she fell asleep.