Ruby - Origins - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Testing*

He turned his head to look at her, "That was much better," he said, stating the obvious, "How does it feel? Does it hurt or feel odd?"

"Actually," said Ruby, "It feels natural; and brilliant!"

"Ah, good," Optimus' eyes seemed to lighten a bit; perhaps her comment had lifted some of his initial worry.

"So, what's next?"

"Come on, lift it!" Sideswipe whined. He leaned against the wall of one of the big, and modern, main buildings. The top of his head could probably be seen by people on the third floor. 

Ironhide and Ratchet had left, and Jolt sulked behind Optimus. 

Ruby poked her head around the side of a large wooden transit box, not unlike those used to ship large packaged goods. It was as high as her, and almost as wide as her arm span. 

She glared at Sideswipe, "I can't lift this!" she wailed, "I can't even get a proper grip on it."

"Well, try. I'm getting bored." He whipped out his blades and held them up to the sun to see his reflection.

"I can't, what is it supposed to prove anyway?" Ruby shot at him.

"To see if you have super strength, duh."

"Fine."

Ruby curled her finger tips around the sides of the box, and then she shifted her weight, preparing to lift from the knees. She managed to lift the box about half an inch off the ground before the weight of it caused her to stumble forward and smash it back down. She brushed off her hands and took a step back, standing with her hands on her hips.

"Hmm," she said, "umm, don't think I have super strength."

"It would seem not," agreed Optimus.

"Let-down," said Sideswipe.

"What's in that thing anyway? I may have been able to lift it had it been empty," Ruby asked.

"Just parts for various machinery," said Optimus.

"Yeah, probably made of tin or something; nothing half as good as Cybertanium.

"CybertaAAN-" Ruby went to lean on the box, but it shot away from her touch like a frightened animal, dumping her on the ground.

"-nium." Ruby finished her sentence flatly, then picked her self up and fluffed her golden hair. Sideswipe erupted into laughter, great big booms of it rolling around the entire airfield.

"Ok, it wasn't that funny," Ruby flicked her hair and turned to Optimus.

"How did that happen anyway?" She looked knowingly at Sideswipe, "Did you set me up?"

He raised his metal palms, "Not this time!" he said,laughter still etched into his robotic face.

Jolt brought back an air of seriousness with his first words, "I think it was Ruby."

"You know, who moved the box." He dropped his gaze, looking as if he wished he hadn't said anything.

"Jolt, you may be right my friend," said Optimus.

The last traces of amusement faded from Sideswipe's face, "So she landed herself on the floor? Even better!" The laughter came booming back, to Ruby's dismay.

Ruby examined the hand she had placed on the box, "But, how?"

Optimus picked the box up (it fit neatly in the palm of his hand) and put it back down next to Ruby, "Try again," he said.

Ruby's eyebrows knotted together in a frown. She had absolutely no idea what to do; how to make it move. She raised her left palm and focused her vision on the tips of her fingers. She put force behind her palm, thrusting it out against the box. 

Before she had even touched it, the box shot into the air, flew across the airfield and then crashed into the ocean with a splash.

"Oh!" cried Ruby, "I hope there was nothing important in that,"

"Cool!" Sideswipe shouted.

For the next few days, Ruby was subjected to more testing. She moved objects without touching them Then she had to start hitting targets with them. The tasks became more and more complex. 

Ruby hit ten separate targets, each various distances away with one even around the corner; with ten spears that were scattered around the airfield – all at the same time. She did it in her first try. 

She found that she could move almost any object, no matter how large or heavy, as if it were a feather. Her latest trick was to roll the huge, eight-engine fighter jet down the runway seemingly pilot-less.

The NEST team wanted to test her shielding abilities. She asked what they meant by this and they answered by suddenly flinging a bunch of swords at her. She put up her hands and closed her eyes. When she opened them again she was staring at five swords hanging in the air; they clattered harmlessly to the floor when she lowered her hands. 

That type of shielding, they said.

The final test, as Ruby liked to think, was to see if she could deflect bullets. 

The team put her in a bullet proof vest baring their badge in the middle, right over what Major Lennox called 'the Quick Kill Spot'.

Ruby stood at one end of the runway, tugging awkwardly at the vest, whilst the best gunmen of NEST crouched at the other behind make-shift metal shelters. They were supposedly bullet proof. 

The plan was this: the gunmen would aim to shoot just past Ruby, not aiming directly at her; if she could stop the bullets before they passed her, awesome, if not, well no harm done. The reason why the gunmen were behind supposedly bullet proof metal shelters was in case Ruby deflected the bullets back at the shooters. Accidently, of course.

Major Lennox pulled out a bullhorn, "Ruby," he called through it, "Are you ready?"

"Er, not really," she shouted, "I don't really need to know if I can deflect bullets or not, can I leave?"

The major couldn't hear her, and he signaled to his men to take aim.

Ruby saw the barrels of five guns poke out at her. Her eyes widened.

Major Lennox held up five fingers to his men. He tucked down one.

Ruby heard the shot a split second before she felt it. The boom echoed in her head and suddenly it was as if time had slowed down. 

She watched the bullet stream towards her, rotating wildly. It leaned to the right of her.

And stopped dead, swiveled round to face the way it had come. Time sped back up to normal, and the bullet shot towards the group of men, clanging sharply into one of the metal shacks.

Ruby clapped her hands to her mouth. Did she do that? Before she had time to run forward and apologize, Major Lennox folded down another of his fingers, and a second shot went off. 

The bullet whizzed through the air. Ruby focused. She raised her right hand and directed just the right amount of force at the bullet to slow it down enough so that she could then safely catch it, as a child would catch a marble. 

It stung her palm a little, but did not break the skin; she flung it aside, ready for the next one, just like she was catching tennis balls from a tennis canon. Major Lennox folded down all of his remaining fingers at once, and three bullets came whistling Ruby's way. 

She reflected them all. They arched into the sky, over the buildings and plopped safely into the ocean. Ruby grinned.

At the other end of the runway, Major Lennox dismissed his men.

"Impressive," he said, "Your control is already really good; only one stray bullet! That's pretty good going."

"Yeah, sorry about that," replied Ruby.

"Now for the final test-" began the Major, before Ruby interrupted,

"What? I thought that was the final test, now there's a final final test, what more is there?