The Mushroom Kingdom Wars

Chapter 50

Dr. Light sat at his console, his eyes fixed on the monitor displaying footage from the recent battles. His hands trembled slightly, a mixture of frustration and curiosity bubbling inside him. On the other side of the lab, Tails was busy tinkering with the portal machine, adjusting wires and calibrating circuits with his usual precision. The hum of machinery filled the air, but Dr. Light's mind was elsewhere.

He muttered to himself, still replaying the footage in his head. "Fascinating… Why does Zero only target the Robot Masters? There must be something more to this."

Tails, noticing the unusual tone in Dr. Light's voice, looked up from his work. "What’s going on, Dr. Light?" he asked, curiosity piqued.

Dr. Light gestured to the screen, where Zero could be seen dispatching Robot Masters with ruthless efficiency, but leaving other fighters, like Roll, Proto Man, and Bass, untouched.

"Watch this closely, Tails," Dr. Light said, his voice calm but intense. "Observe Zero’s behavior. Notice how he ignores them entirely. He only attacks the Robot Masters."

Tails squinted at the footage, his analytical mind already racing to find patterns. "You’re right! He’s not even acknowledging Roll, Proto Man, or Bass as threats. It’s like he’s programmed to focus solely on the Robot Masters."

Dr. Light nodded, a spark of realization lighting his eyes. "Exactly! This behavior mirrors what happened the day Zero destroyed Mega Man. If his remaining programming is locked into targeting only Robot Masters, we might have a chance."

Tails furrowed his brow, processing the implications. Then, an idea clicked. "Wait—what if we could trick Zero into thinking there’s a Robot Master nearby?"

Dr. Light's eyes lit up with realization. "Yes! That's it! The remote remote shutdown device I created based on X's design. If Roll can get close enough to him, we might be able to deactivate Zero and stop him before it's too late."

Tails grinned, the excitement of a plan forming in his mind. "This could work! We just need to get the message to Roll and the others in Hyrule."

Dr. Light quickly opened the communications channel and contacted Roll, his voice calm but filled with urgency.

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Roll, along with Proto Man and Bass, stood in a small tactical room, discussing their next steps after the intense battles they’d faced. The room was quiet but tense—everyone knew the gravity of what was coming next. As they spoke, Dr. Light's voice came through the communicator.

"Roll, can you hear me?"

Roll's eyes widened with hope and relief as she heard Dr. Light’s voice. "Yes, Dr. Light! What’s the update?" she asked eagerly.

Dr. Light explained the discovery about Zero's behavior. "We believe Zero’s programming is locked onto targeting Robot Masters. If we can create a scenario where he thinks a Robot Master is present, we can lure him in. You’ll need to get close enough to use the remote shutdown device."

Roll's determination grew as she shared the news with Proto Man and Bass. "We have a plan! Dr. Light thinks we can draw Zero in by making him think there’s a Robot Master nearby."

Proto Man crossed his arms, his face thoughtful. "But how do we make him believe that? He’s smart. He’ll know if we’re trying to trick him."

Bass leaned in, a confident smirk on his face. "We could create a decoy. If we can simulate a Robot Master’s signature or something close enough, we might just catch his attention."

Roll nodded, her confidence building. "That could work! We can salvage parts from the fallen robots on the battlefield to build a decoy, something that emits the same signal as a Robot Master. If we do it right, Zero won’t suspect anything until it’s too late.