Ruby - Transformers: Age of Extinction fanfic

Mistakes Cannot Be Undone

Thomas Evans surveyed the broken building; the cracks, the holes, the disaster. The damage to the Chicago branch of KSI would take a long time to repair, and with such tight deadlines, he hadn't been surprised when his father ordered the move to the China facility.

He turned his back on the mangled building and flipped his phone shut, knuckles clenching tightly around it. Dust filled his nose and coated his jacket. The noise of the city on mute. His head battled his heart. He struggled to quench what he knew to be true.

Although he'd brushed Cade off, and reported the call the moment he answered it, Thomas knew, really, that he was very right about Galvatron. The Decepticon had been manipulating them the whole time. His father had made considerate effort to make Galvatron look like Optimus, and shouted himself hoarse when he always came out looking terrifying, no matter who he hired or fired.

Then there was the disaster that was Galvatron's first test run yesterday morning. Oh, and the fact that he spoke, something he was not programed to do. But still his brain struggled with a question: how?

He opened his phone again, to do the only thing about it that he could right now: "Tighten security around Galvatron and the other clones. Put every possible measure in place. Do not bring him online for anything, no matter who the order may come from."

He slammed it shut and rammed it into his pocket before anyone could object, and hurried to the airport.

****

Voices whispered to Ruby. They spoke to her in a strange tongue, ancient and wise. She couldn't see; she floated in total darkness. It felt alien.

"It was not intended to be thissss way," they said, "Dessssolation is undoing. It cannot be undone."

She shivered, unable to reply.

"Rubeeee," they purred, "Do not fear. Do not lose strength. You are great, you are strong, you are..."

A ghostly echoed haunted Ruby's mind and she felt a probe, cold and raw.

"But your heart, it is broken,"

Emotions that were not hers hit her like a tidal wave; terrible sadness, maddening frustration, blinding fear. Where did it come from? It was consuming her! Make it stop!

"Ruby!" Cade shook her awake.
She opened her eyes and Cade fell back, his face turning white.

"Y-you're eyes," he cried, "They're, I mean they were...never mind, I must have imagined it in this gloom. You were thrashing around."

"I was?" How odd. She'd been frozen in her dream.

"I thought maybe you were having a nightmare, as much as you need some rest, nightmares aren't too restful."

"No," she agreed, "Although, waking up to this darn ship isn't much better."

The largest cage in the prison ship drew her gaze. Nothing but blackness stared back at her. She shivered.

The unnatural cold combined with the shadows of the ship reminded her of the voices. They echoed in her head; it cannot be undone...

"What do you mean, your done helping humans?" Cade snapped at Optimus.

Ruby sat at Optimus' feet, twirling the silver bracelet around her wrist and keeping a wary eye on Hound's terrible piloting of the ship. Like the rest of Lockdown's ship, it appeared to be completely impervious to her powers. It was a long time since she'd been in a flying machine she couldn't take complete control of. If this thing went down, down it would go. There was nothing she could do to stop it. And she hated it.

Optimus jabbed a man-sized finger at Cade, "How many more of my kind must die to atone for your mistakes?"

Ruby recoiled at his hostility. She'd never seen him like this. Anger, rage, grief; those things came with war. But this was different. He lacked what had always made her feel safe, what kept the flame of hope burning even in the blackest of times. His faith was broken, the warmth gone from his spark.

"That's what humans do," said Cade, spreading his arms like it was obvious, "That's how we learn, how we change, by accident, totally."

"Look at Ruby," he said.

Optimus peered down at her, his large head blocking the pathetic light so all she could see was his glowing blue eyes.

"She's human. Sure, she's like a super human or whatever, with elements of your kind in her body. Wasn't that a mistake? Never meant to be? But look, the most amazing thing happened because of it. That's what it means to be human."

Optimus didn't answer, but he continued to stare at her. She went back to twirling her bracelet, unnerved by how icy it felt. It used to feel warm, like it was alive. Now it felt dead.