Ruby - Transformers: Dark of the Moon fanfic

Deception

At the back gate, Sam finished up his explanation:

"You see, Sentinel is the key!"

"Indeed I am!" boomed Sentinel, "Your see, my autobot brothers, in order for our planet to survive, a deal had to made – with Megatron!"

He spun around, all twenty tonnes of metal backing a huge cannon. He aimed it at Ironhide's turned back, and fired. Ironhide crashed to the ground. Bumble Bee dived behind a nearby wall; Major Lennox pulled Sam behind the gate. Ironhide made an attempt to crawl forwards, but Sentinel Prime shot at him again.

"I hereby discharge you from duty!" he cried, swinging a colossal axe in his other hand.

"What," began Ironhide in a hoarse voice, "have you done?" He clutched at his disintegrating chest and collapsed. The radiation ate through what was left of his body, leaving behind a large pile of stinking ash and broken parts.

Sentinel Prime fired off more shots at Bumble Bee and the NEST soldiers who came to help him. Then he transformed back into a fire truck and made for the hanger, revving his engine angrily.

Major Lennox rushed forward to help his men off the ground. The swirling gun smoke burned his eyes and made him choke, but he ripped his radio from his belt, "Do not engage Sentinel!"

It was absolute chaos. Sentinel charged through the hanger in a whirl wind of rage. He swung his axe around, and blasted gaping holes in the walls. He ripped the wings off all the NEST planes and fired at anyone who crossed his war path. The crunching and tearing of metal sent tremors through the building. Major Lennox dragged Sam with him as the team made for the air field. Already there, Mearing marched from her helicopter towards the main hanger. From inside somebody screamed: "COVER!"

She barely had time to throw herself flat on the ground as a blast of fire and debris sailed over her head from inside the hanger. A soldier tried to pull her away but she got angrily to her feet and ran into the fray.

"Sentinel!" she barked, livid, "What do you think you're doing!?"

He had reached the vault.

"I am a Prime!" he roared, "I do not take orders from anyone!"

Somebody succeeded in dragging Mearing away from the main hanger and she soon found herself in the company of Major Lennox and his team.

"Where is everyone?" she demanded, "Sentinel needs to be stopped!"

"Energon readings," stated Major Lennox, "They've been popping up all over the place in the last few hours, as far away as China. Teams of men have been deployed all over to try and deal with them,"

The ground shook with one last explosion, and then the building fell eerily silent.

"Do you think he's gone?" Sam asked quietly.

Before anyone could answer him, a couple of NEST soldier jogged over to them,

"Sir," one said to Major Lennox, "He got into the vault; the pillars are gone."

"Dam it!" swore Lennox and Mearing as one.

Gradually, Sam, Mearing and the remaining NEST team, ventured out into the hanger to examine the damage. As they did so, Optimus rolled in with Ruby hanging casually off his wing mirror. She jumped clear as he transformed, horror spreading through her. Optimus appeared to be speechless.

"Yeah Optimus, take a good look!" shouted Mearing, "This is all your fault!"

Ruby wandered through the wreckage, touching pieces as memories came to mind. The other Autobots appeared, gingerly approaching Optimus. Ruby passed them and continued deeper into the building.