Ruby - Origins - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Strange Symbols

Ironhide picked Ruby's limp form off the ground and cradled her in his hand. He looked to Ratchet: "Is she going to be OK?" he asked.

"I can't be sure, after what she just did," replied Ratchet, "Let me try this,"

Ratchet curled his right hand into a fist and straightened his arm out, as if he was about to fire missiles at Ruby. Instead, he sprayed her with water.

Ruby stirred in Ironhide's hand.

"Phew," said Sideswipe, peering over Ratchet's shoulder, "Thought she might be out for days again,"

Ironhide growled at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked Ruby.

She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, but slumped forwards. She would have fallen if Ironhide had not steadied her with his other hand.

"What happened?" she said, her voice barely a whisper.

It was Ratchet who answered, "You channeled too much of your own energy to Optimus, you were draining yourself of life. Luckily we stopped you."

"But if I hadn't of been stopped," said Ruby, her voice stronger now, "Would I have brought Optimus back?" Even as she said it, tears welled up in her eyes.

Ratchet looked away from her, trying to hide his own grief, "I can't be sure," he said, "It's possible, but not worth finding out. It would definitely cost you your life."

Ruby felt herself being pulled into the cold, choking grip of guilt, her throat constricted as she tried to swallow back the tears, but they came tumbling down her cheeks anyway.

"It was my fault," she wailed, "He turned his back on the decepticons to see if I was OK, and all I'd done was fall over a rock!"

"Ruby, don't do this to yourself," said Ironhide sharply, the ground rumbling from the throaty nature of his voice, "The only way Optimus' death could have been your fault is if you had impaled him yourself."

Ruby knew he was right, but still, she couldn't help feeling responsible. A wave of exhaustion came over her suddenly, she welcomed it as a distraction from the grief.

"We'll go back to base," said Ironhide. "Command of the autobots now falls to me." The others did not question him; "Ruby needs to rest."

"No," said Ruby, "I need to try again,"

"Did you not just hear Ratchet?" snapped Sideswipe, You'll die." 

"I don't care," she said, "The world needs Optimus more than it does me."

"It's not would he would want, and I won't allow it!" bellowed Ironhide.

And that was the end of that discussion.

Before they could return to base, they had to find Sam and Bumble Bee. They never did get the chance to tell them about the stolen shard. The twins were desperate to go, but Ironhide was reluctant to let them go anywhere without the supervision of an experienced, more responsible autobot. 

In the end it was decided that Ironhide and Ruby would go with the Twins to find Sam, whilst Ratchet, Sideswipe and Jolt went back to base and to organize the retrieval of Optimus' body.

Ironhide found Bumble Bee in a flash. He was barely twenty minutes drive away with Sam, in the court yard of an old abandoned prison. It was dusk, and the air was cooling down. Bumble Bee sat around a small trash-can fire with Sam and his two friends, Mikaela and Leo. 

 Ironhide waited for a few moments to allow Ruby to get out of his truck, but proceeded to transform after she didn't move. Ruby felt numb to everything; she acted almost subconsciously as Ironhide transformed, moving herself carefully whilst he changed until she ended up sitting on his rough metal shoulder.