This was first posted on my transformers headcanon blog on tumblr, imagine-the-energon! Long story short I watched ROTF when I was 11 and that's what made me want to start writing for the Transformers Fandom. This little gem has been hidden until now.

This obviously takes place before Optimus dies in Revenge of the Fallen, but after he delivers the chilling "What if we leave and you're wrong?" to that asshole Galloway. This is... not a happy story. Far from it in fact. 11 year old me was on the, ah, edgy side when she wrote this.

ROTF AU; What if the President DID force the Autobots to leave Earth before the Fallen returned? What if, almost two decades later, the last bit of humanity ventured into space, desperately searching for the allies they had once exiled themselves? Annabelle Lennox-Centric

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers

I can barely remember what the sun, natural warmth, feels like. I was only a kid, not even in elementary school when the sun was destroyed. The giant robots from space, the one with red eyes, they killed everyone they could find before they killed the sun.

Perhaps it was their last bit of mercy.

For the first few weeks, we managed, only because we stocked up should a nuclear war happen. I almost wished that type of war happened. We were told, through the radios that survivors were given, that only hours before the initial attack, our last hope, a small group of blue eyed robots, had been banished, sent into space all because of one man.

The audio logs from that organization were given, passed around to see if any of the survivors could be able to identify and track the group. Mom knew, I could tell by her bloodshot eyes and shaking tone. I was almost four when the attack happened, and seven when the logs reached our bunker.

I was 13 when they found us.

The logs were playing in the background, and I was doing my best to memorize the speaker's voice, especially the way he spoke.

"Freedom is your right. If you make that request, we will honor it. But... before your president decides, please ask him this: what if we leave... and you're wrong?"

Mother turned down the radio, hands shaking. "Annabelle, you shouldn't be listening to that."

"If I get into the program, I need to recognize how they speak!" I protested, voice quiet as I replayed the robot's, mech's tone. We were wrong, I thought, praying that, some how, some way, he would hear me. We were wrong, and now we're paying the ultimate price. The same price you paid, all those years ago.

"You're not getting into the program," Mom snapped, running a hand through her blonde hair. "I've already lost your father to those things, I'm not going to loose you too!"

"Dad knew what he signed up for, and you did too," I replied, tone quiet. "Mom I... I know them. I know I know them. If anyone can get through to them, it's me."

"And if you can't?" She whispered. "If you get stuck and stranded in space? Annie, please... They left."

"They were forced to," I murmured back, but when she opened her mouth, the bunker lights flickered with an explosion, sending dust flying towards us. "Mom-,"

"Get to the safe room, now!"

I was 17 when the Decepticons won.

I was 17 when the Earth finally died.

I was 17 when myself and 80 others were sent aboard the Lythrix in a desperate attempt to humanity.

I was 17 and they were wrong.

I'm debating on whether to continue this, so please leave a review telling me what you think!