Two figures stand amid a swath of death that they had carved for themselves, an extra perk to their continued existence. They moved with the efficiency of those who had done this before, but the wariness of those who were still too new to be arrogant. There was an art to destroying entire cities; fire did not sweep the countryside all by itself. There must be a spark, a source, and a will.

The bodies were of various scientists, technicians and guards all trying desperately to defend the fission reactor core that powered the entire District of Columbia. The main doors blocked the entryway to the pools, which held the radioactive uranium rods. Thick steel and long lines of code blocked their immediate entry.

"Damn, they are using string based code for their encryption. Even with rotating code breakers, it would take up to three days. Better to just blow the door." The mass who looked more like a box with arms and legs said to the other, one who resembled more of a space man with drills for hands.

"You do it then, you are going to be powering back up anyways." The red metallic space man threw back.

The boxy robot waddled up to the thick doors and laid his hands upon the cold steel, closed his eyes.

Time passes...

The red space man stands watching the hallway entrances, in the case that some more victims would be so stupid as to try to retake the fortress. A great deep metallic moan shakes the walls and the great doors begin to curl in on themselves, turning a deep red. Foot thick doors shy from their constraints, their color paling from a bloody red to lighter and lighter hues. Seconds later the doors are no longer recognizable as barriers but are white and fall to the ground inwards to the pools. The boxy robot opens his eyes, "We should probably wait for those to cool down."

"No time, we have a visitor. Same reading as from New York, but it isn't Proto Man. Strange."

"Damn, keep him busy. I need five minutes in the reactor core to be fully charged, then that little blue bastard will know true power." The boxy robot said while disappearing into the reactor's core.

A minute later MegaMan runs into the room, blaster searching the walls for anyone, though he only looks at the gaping hole. Standing in the centre is the red robot, nonchalantly waiting for his quarry to come to him. "Bomb Man, it's time for you to die again."

"Tut-tut Rock; I am no longer that weak, pathetic robot. I am Crash Man." Crash Man retorts, lifting his arm to meet Mega Man's. "I do however have bombs. Combined with your plasma rifle, we may very well destroy this plant causing a meltdown or at the very least, a radiation leak. Two things you are trying to stop with your combat. Face it Rock, you have already lost for your love of humanity."

Distance can do many things. It can cause a heart to grow fonder, however most of the time it allows time for someone to count the flaws of another. It can determine speed and acceleration over time, however it is inaccurate. It can split families, tear countries, and define tragedy. Mostly it just allows itself to be defined and measured. Now distance does none of the aforementioned abilities, but it does do something. It is just perfect enough of a measurement that Crash Man sees the slight smirk on Rock's face while being just far enough that he is able to anticipate Rocks first shot well enough to dodge.

A volley of plasma shots rock the antechamber to the reactor's core, Crash Man rolls to a stop pointing his arms towards Rock, the drills fire from the sockets. They fly at an already dodging Rock and bury themselves deep into the wall behind him, miniature arms coming from the bulb attached to the rear, attaching deep into the wall. Another volley of plasma pummel the area around Crash man, shaking the building more, barely missing their target.

The bulbs buried in the walls flash three times, once per second, and explode with enough force to knock rock onto his face. The ceiling begins to collapse as the building shakes on it's foundation, like a small earthquake just for the two combatants. Crash Man whips his forearms away from his body, two new drills replacing the empty sockets while Rock returns to his feet. Both unsteadily double take behind pieces of falling rubble, firing blindly into the walls.

"You see Rock, I may not survive this but in a minute it will all be for nothing. My partner will make all this ash; we are too powerful to be defeated by a weakling like you." Crash Man yelled to the room in general, ducking behind new shelters from the collapsing room and the plasma shots. The battle was becoming more and more an obstacle course. "Come on. If you just give up now I will ask Wily to spare your life. You may even become a Robot Master."

The answer of the silence of the failing room is all Crash Man hears. Even the shots have stopped.

Crash Man moves faster and faster between hiding spots, unsure even where Rock has come. The fallen walls have taken all direction away, everywhere he goes there is always somewhere behind him that Rock could be. Curse the little blue boy! "Show yourself dammit!"

A guttural scream behind him is his new response, immediately Crash Man knew he liked the silence better. He turns, too late; the blue boy is already two steps away and in full sprint. Both hands seem to have boomerangs in them, Quick Man's weapons?

Rock buries the left-handed boomerang deep up into Crash Man's chest, lifting the robot inches from the ground. "You talk too much." The right hand sweeps its way across Crash man's neck, relieving his neck from his head. Then pushes the body from him.

"Pathetic. Where are you Fire Man?"

"Actually it is Heat Man now, and when you die: tell Crash Man 'thanks for the five'." Comes the answer from the boxy robot, now back in what used to be the doorway leading to the reactor's core. "I am all nice and charged up from the delicious fission energy, you will now taste my power."

Heat Man turns a deep red, just like the door he had done earlier, with heat waves distorting the air around him. The red brightens, as before, until his body turns a brilliant white. "Time to die, Mega Man." The energy sapped from the core is transferred inside Heat Man to fire, which emanate from his body in a sphere of destruction, reaching out like an atomic bomb blast.

The flames stretch out feet from Heat Man's body but abruptly stop and fizzle into nothing. Heat Man falls onto his face, steam pouring skywards and a partially melted metal blade fused into the back of his skull.

"Damn, what a waste of metal."

...