Ruby - Origins - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformation

Ruby couldn't remember falling asleep. She awoke, in the dark, disorientated. 

Someone must have put her in bed. How embarrassing! She didn't feel quite right: sort of feverish. She slumped back into her pillow and fell straight back to sleep.

The next time Ruby woke up, rays of light streamed into what looked very much like a hotel room. Across the room were two arm chairs and a TV. There was a white door, ajar; Ruby was quite sure it led to a bathroom. 

She sat up and felt a stab of white hot pain shoot through her right arm. Then it came again, and again, spreading through her body. Ruby lay back down. Boiling lava ran through her veins. What was happening to her?

 Panic rose in her throat. The pain grew worse, hotter, burning mercilessly in her right arm. 

Ruby rubbed at her right wrist; "AH!"

She let go instantly, her fingers blistering from where she'd touched the red hot metal of her bracelet.

 Optimus had zapped it. That must be the reason for this! For the murderous pain.

 Ruby desperately tried to claw it off, burning more of her hand. But it was as if the thing was glued to her skin. 

It glowed white. It was going to kill her. This silly little silver bangle was going to burn her alive. Ruby opened her mouth to scream, but suddenly blackness washed over her and she fell unconscious.

In her dream, Ruby was climbing. Up and up the sand dunes she went, the desert sun beating down on her back. She felt hot, so hot, and ached all over. It went all hazy, like still water being disturbed. She could hear shouting in the distance, and a cool hand touched her forehead. 

Her eyes snapped open. She looked up into the concerned face of Major Lennox, her breathing quick, and soaked in sweat.

"Ruby," said Major Lennox firmly, "What is it?"

Ruby could not stop a gasp of pain from escaping her throat.

"Hot," she murmured quietly between gasps of despair, "I'm burning." 

Her eyes fluttered, and then rolled up into her head, "I'm burning!" she shrieked. 

Major Lennox jumped backwards in surprise before whipping out his radio,

"Someone, send Optimus Prime to the housing block, east side, NOW!"

"Copy that," confirmed a voice over the receiver.

Major Lennox lifted Ruby out of her bed and swiftly took her out side. Her head fell backwards over his strong arms and her body started to lurch about in his grasp. 

She wanted it to end so badly. She felt so sick from the pain that was penetrating her cells. Every part of her was being torn in different directions, pulled by an invisible force. 

She struggled to see anything through the fiery red clouding her vision. Major Lennox gently transferred Ruby from his arms into Optimus' big and cold metal hand. The cool surface of his hand relieved some of the pain. For a split second the red cleared and she looked up into the large, anxious face of Optimus Prime. Unconsciousness claimed her once again.

The red haze must have faded. Ruby remembered blue eyes, shining out from under dark faces. At some point, somehow, the pain began to ebb away, at a very slow rate, until she slept quite pleasantly. 

---

Ruby was cold when she woke up. She didn't open her eyes straight away; she waited for the pain to come flooding back. Nothing. She curiously wiggling her toes: nothing.