The small, faded sign outside read simply "Neutral Ground", but surprisingly, it was what drew most of it's clientele inside. This was surprising because the place simply didn't do any advertising, at least none beyond simple word of mouth. Neutral Ground was, of course, a bar. Located in a rather run-down (and, appropriately, neutral) part of Cybertron, it catered to most anyone. To enter, you had to put aside whatever factional disputes you might have had and just enjoy yourself. Almost like the Autobot/Decepticon conflict wasn't happening. Of course the autoguns behind the bar helped everyone to keep their cool. Neutral Ground's fare was as widely varied as its customers, ranging from simple energon (all varieties), to inorganic Cybertronian delicacies, and even to human-style organics (for which the proprietor acquired a taste for some years back).

   The bar usually had at least a few patrons in it at any given time, even if they were just using the gaming machines and computer terminals in back.

   But not today.

   The lights were dark, the game machines silent, the terminals offline. A group of five bots were sitting in a cramped room in the back of the bar watching a bank of monitors that showed several different views of the neighborhood the bar was in.

   A few hours earlier, local vidcast station CVIS (where Neutral Ground regular Stardrive was program director) interrupted its afternoon movie with a special news report. This was doubly significant since CVIS was a completely neutral and NEVER did news reports.

   After a fairly sizable length of near-peacetime between the Autobots and Decepticons, it seemed the War was back on.

-***-

   It was mid-afternoon, and thus the crowd in Neutral Ground was fairly small. Several people were at the bar watching that afternoon's movie, "Jurassic Park". Even Admiral Lilwall had been coaxed from his usual table at the back of the bar to watch. As the T-Rex was chasing the Ford Explorer, Lil spoke up.

   "Seeing this again after 300 years, I have one thing to say: Those lizards look FAKE."

   The group chuckled. "I just feel sorry for that poor car," said Artifice with a smile.

   Maximus started to say something, but was hushed by Waitstate. "Look... 'Special Report'?" said a confused Waitstate.

   After the 'Special Report' graphic had cleared, a nervous looking bot Waitstate recognized as the CVIS station manager appeared on the screen. "Um... Fifteen minutes ago, 16:30 Iacon Standard Time, the Decepticon Empire officially renewed hostilities against the Autobot federation and claimed all of Cybertron as their own. Five minutes ago, a Decepticon siege group cordoned off this sector of Cybertron. Official Decepticon spokesmen have said that.. that no one would be harmed if they did not interfere and surrendered peacefully. Our Autobot contacts have told us to do as they say for now, and that they will try and help us as soon as.. as possible. We advise that everyone stay where they are and to not do anything to antagonize the Decepticons."

   The bot suddenly seemed to lose his nerve, and panicked. Hysteria lining his voice, the bot exclaimed "No! Get out while you can! We are NEUTRAL here... if they don't impress you into their army, they'll kill you, or worse! Get out, any way you can, but get out-".

   There was the sound of an explosion, and then station abruptly went dead.

   Maximus was the first to speak. "By Primus..."

   "There are over a dozen people working there... including Stardrive," said Waitstate, sounding very shaken.

   Just then the front door opened. Several people raised their weapons, nearly attacking the figure at the door. Waitstate sighed in relief as Stardrive walked in.

   "Stardrive! I was worried. I thought you had been at work."

   Stardrive, visibly upset, replied "No. Widescreen.. the station manager.. he told everyone to leave. That we'd be safer at home. If I had know he was going to do that...." Stardrive collapsed into one of the bar chairs.

   Waitstate sighed heavily. "Well, this explains why we didn't have any Decepticons in today...." Raising his voice, he addressed the small crowd in the bar "I'd advise all of you to get home quickly. If you're an Autobot, try and get out if you can. It will be doubly dangerous for you if they catch you."

   As the bar started to clear out, Waitstate turned to the group at the bar. "All of you, except Stardrive, live outside of this sector. I'd appreciate it if you stayed here. I'll be slagged if anyone thinks I'm gonna let the 'Cons have MY bar, and I'd appreciate it I had your support."

   "My place got slagged when they took out the station," said Stardrive. "I have nowhere else to be at the moment."

   "I love a good fight, 'specially against the 'Cons," added Maximus.

   "It may not come to that. I hope it doesn't," responded Waitstate.

   Artifice replied, "It may not, but if it DOES, well... I'll be here to help. I don't have anything better to do at the moment."

   Waitstate smiled and looked toward Lil.

   The Admiral had a look of such intense hatred that it made Waitstate recoil a bit in fear. "If a single one of them enters this bar, I will PERSONALLY sever their core processors. As painfully as possible."

   After taking a moment to recover from that, Waitstate motioned the four to the back of the bar. "I have a fortified section back there. We can watch the entire neighborhood from it."

-***-

   Apparently, most of the siege party's number was busy maintaining the border patrol, because only one group came down street the bar was on.

   "It's a group of 3 'Cons. They should be here in about ten minutes by my estimate. They appear to be searching each building, but we can't figure out exactly what they are doing," said Waitstate.

   "They aren't using any comm that I can detect, so I doubt they are checking in with a commanding officer. It should be safe to take them out," added Stardrive.

   A few minutes later, the 'Cons entered the bar. Two were tetrajet seeker types, one red/yellow, the other purple/blue. The third was an olive drab/dark tan tank of some sort. The red/yellow seeker carried a sensor device of some sort. He waved it towards the rear of the bar. "I think we've got a few in hiding," he said with an evil smile.

   With Stardrive providing a localized communications jamming field, and the bar's autoguns providing cover, the other four leaped from their hiding places. Maximus hit the tank-bot with a narrow stream from his plasma rifle, then leaped across the room using a table for leverage. He tackled the tank-bot, and the two began struggling, each of them attempting to crush the other.

   The other three flew across the room, close behind Maximus and took on the remaining two. The Admiral landed in a fighting stance. As the purple and blue seeker made a move to fire her weapon, he disarmed her. Literally. He then proceeded to deliver a frightening array of blows, far faster than his opponent could block.

   Waitstate and Artifice took on the third invading 'Con. The two self-trained swordsmen were surprised when the seeker produced his own set of twin blades. Titanium-carbon-steel met titanium-carbon-steel and convected energy as they battled the ambidextrous Decepticon.

   Maximus was at a slight disadvantage. The tank-bot he was facing was somewhat larger than him, and was better armed. However, he had it pinned, thus neutralizing some of that arm's functionality. Just to be certain, he violently removed the mounted pulse cannon. This enraged the green and tan behemoth under him, who proceeded to push Maximus off of him. Using one of the heavy stools at the far end of the bar as a club, the tank slammed Maximus back several meters. He landed hard against the bar. Maximus got up quickly, but was shaken. Seeing a half-empty ener-tankard that somehow hadn't been spilled on the bar to his right, he formed a quick plan. "Hey you!" Maximus yelled, "Have a DRINK!" On 'drink', Maximus flung the contents of the tankard at his opponent. A split second later, he fired his plasma rifle. As the normally stable energon-derivative currently soaking the tank-bot's head and chest came into contact with the high energy and heat of the condensed plasma burst of Maximus' rifle. the resulting explosion, though small, appeared to be totally incompatible with the continued consolidated existence of the tank's upper torso. Bits of charred Decepticon flew across the entire room, distracting everyone still living from their battles, with the exception of the rage-frenzied Admiral Lilwall.

   Waitstate was the first to recover, and he didn't waste the advantage in the least. He quickly charged a laser pulse from his arm-mounted emitter, and made a surgical strike at the seeker's current most vulnerable spot. The sound of the seeker's right-hand sword blade hitting the ground brought back both his, and Artifice's attention. Artifice chuckled evilly as the two went back to the attack. The seeker fought hard, but couldn't catch back up, especially since he lacked his other weapon. Finally, the red and yellow (and now black from charring a bit) bot fell, Artifice shorting out his power systems with a hard stab to the chest, and finally, irretrievable death as Waitstate severed his head with his beamsabre.

   As the three ended their battles, they looked up for Lil to see if he needed assistance. Reactions ranged from surprise to horror at what they saw. The Admiral had long ago defeated his opponent. An arm here, a foot there, the head jammed into the upward thrusting strut of a broken chair. The rest had been systematically dismantled. With a laser blaster. Into pieces no larger than a cubic centimeter.

   "Lil! What are you DOING?!" yelled out Waitstate.

   Waitstate began walking toward his raging friend.

   "Lil?"

   At the sound of the sudden close voice in the now otherwise quiet bar, the red and blue robot began to slow his frenzied work, and then stopped. As he looked over the carnage he had wrought, he began to do something unmistakably human. He was sobbing.

   Waitstate walked over to his distraught friend and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I think we should talk."

   With a low growl in his voice, the Admiral replied simply and menacingly: "No."

   Waitstate started to say something, but was interrupted by Stardrive's voice coming over the comm speaker. "Good work guys. Looks like we won't have to worry about any more attacks. The Autobot cavalry is on its way!"

   "Oh... good," Waitstate said, distastefully. "C'mon Lil... lets get you a drink. I think you need one."

-***-

   It is midafternoon once more. The lights are bright, the game machines are noisy, and the computer terminals are humming.

   Most of the usual group of neutrals are in the bar, though a few are notably absent. No Decepticons though, none at all. And there are Autobots. Lots of Autobots

   Artifice was at the bar talking with Waitstate. The TV is off for once, the usual station having been taken off-air two days prior. "The place has been busy, and quiet, since the 'Bots occupied this sector."

   Waitstate sighed. "Yeah... sure has. To hell with 'neutrality' though. Once the Autobots claimed this sector and put their full support behind it, the 'Cons pulled out in a hurry. The whole place just -fell in line-. Makes me sick. I've heard talk of official annexation."

   "Hey, could be good for the place."

   "Maybe," said Waitstate, "I dunno. It's just... not the same anymore, ya know?"

   "Yeah," sighed Artifice. "I know."

end