//------------------------------//
// Round 2 
// Story: Wily's Wittle Wub 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	X-P0N3 once more took the mike as she floated around the ring on Item 2.  "We're about to start the second round, folks!" she called out happily.  "Now, who wants to meet the next competitors?"  The cheers she received in response were deafening.  "Alright!  First up, the Sultan of Saute, the Fuehrer of Fire, the Master of iMmolation...Flame Man!"

The audience cheered as X-P0N3 approached the competitor.  The Robot Master was bright red, yellow, and black, his body design reminiscent of an Arabian Djinn, complete with upward pointing boot tips, turban, and green gem embedded in his forehead.  His face was more a war mask than anything, with only the area around his blue eyes looking even remotely human.  His left arm was a flamethrower, connected to a fuel tank on his back by a hose.  "So, anything you have to say to the audience before we begin?"  Reaching out, she rested her hoof on his hand.

"Don't touch me!" he shrieked out, leaping backwards.  Turning his flamethrower arm on his own hand, he gave it a quick gout of flame.  "No germs, no people, keep distance, no touchy..."

As the audience either laughed or was silent, X-P0N3 floated away.  "Huh.  O...kay then."  She then made her way around to the other competitor, a Robot Master built to look almost fully human and female, big blonde hair that was actually a helmet, pearl white skin, and black armor plates that resembled a black leather jacket and pants.  Her feet ended in heels.  "Now who's this bombshell, hmm?"

The Robot Master struck a sensual pose.  "Name's Boom Woman," she purred, her voice designed to be alluring.  "And I'm going to give you all quite a show."  This statement received a vast number of wolf whistles from the audience, followed by a concerted slap of all the women striking their male companions' cheeks simultaneously.  Boom Woman merely chuckled.  "I intend to take this tournament, and a place at Mega Man's side, and let him teach me everything about being a...hero."  She looked up at where Mega Man was watching the match, licking her lips.

"Uhh...I need an adult," Mega Man whimpered, his voice audible to the whole arena due to the microphone right in front of him.

"Oh yes you do!" Boom Woman purred in response, striking another sensual pose.

X-P0N3 stared at Boom Woman flat-eyed.  "Your maker is either a very evil woman or a very naughty boy," she stated bluntly, "and I don't really care which."

"Actually, I was inspired by some of the Wub Masters, indirectly," Boom Woman purred.

X-P0N3 turned pale.  "I feel unclean," she muttered, making sure it wasn't picked up by the mic.  Turning Item 2 away from the arena, she zoomed away as the two competitors climbed into the ring, Boom Woman making a point of twisting her body like a pole dancer as she did so.

Mr. X pulled at his collar a bit nervously.  "Getting a little hot in here," he muttered, much to the amusement of the audience.  "Ready...FIGHT!"

Boom Woman immediately leapt into battle, hydraulic pistons in her legs letting her jump much higher and faster than seemed possible.  Coming down towards Flame Man, she spun to deliver a powerful ax kick, only for him to have raced out of the way already.

"No touch!  No touch!" Flame Man shouted out as he launched a wave of flame behind him to try and make her keep her distance.

Boom Woman chuckled as she danced back from the flames.  "Aw...shy?  Don't worry...I'll be gentle.  Get ready for a flash!"  Gripping the front of her chest armor plate, she pulled it open, revealing massive twin...cannons.  Two flash bombs fired out exploding in blinding light.

"AAAHHHH!!!" Flame Man screamed out, rubbing at his eyes.  "I can't see!  I can't see!  Make the dark go away!"  He promptly began spewing flame all around him, trying to make light to see by as he hadn't realized the darkness was his optics failing due to flash overload.

Chuckling, Boom Woman aimed her chest at the flames and smoke.  "Have a taste of my Boom Bombshells!" she proclaimed happily as she fired large bullet shaped projectiles into the flames.  She frowned in irritation when she saw the bullets slamming into the energy barrier rather than hitting her target.  Growling, she continued to fire, only to continue to miss.  "Well, you seem to be bouncing around...let's see how you handle a bigger boom!"  Walking up closer to the flames, she launched out two bombs with short fuses...already burning.  "Wait, what-"

A massive explosion rocked the arena.  When the smoke cleared, Flame Man stood in the center, a little scorched and waving around his flamethrower arm, even though no flame was coming out.  The rest of the arena was scorched black.

"...what just happened?" Mr. X asked, confused.

"I saw it," Mega Man explained, "but we'd best play it back on slow motion for everyone else."

Nodding in agreement, Mr. X played the instant replay.

"As you can see," Mega Man explained as the footage played, "Boom Woman stepped a bit too close to the flames when she fired off her fuse bombs.  They were already lit when they came out, and exploded much sooner than she anticipated...and because of the design of her weapons, she'd already generated the next set of bombs inside her.  As such, when the explosion hit her while the cannons were still exposed, the blast reached the bombs inside, causing them to detonate inside her, turning her whole body into a grenade.  Since Flame Man was still mobile, the blast only knocked him backwards.  ...now would somebody please restart his optics?"

"Winner...FLAME MAN!" X-P0N3 called out.

Flame Man froze.  "I...I won?"  His optics came back online once he stopped running around.  "Oh, I can see again!"

Mr. X groaned.  "Well, here's hoping future matches will be a bit less comedic folks!  Unless of course you're enjoying that!  Fill out the survey cards on the seat in front of you and let us know!"