Zayne Voss sat in silence, staring into the dark.
The battle with the Nemesis Engine had left more than bruises. It had left questions that clawed at his mind — questions about Milo, about the project, and about himself.
Across the room, Milo lay hooked to a neural stabilizer, twitching. Sweat beaded on his skin. His breathing was uneven.
Zayne clenched his fists.
He had fought so hard to protect Milo… but what if Milo was already lost?
Flashback: Ten Years Ago
The training room echoed with the clash of metal. A younger Zayne sparred with Milo — faster, sharper, laughing with each strike.
Dr. Riven stood in the shadows, arms folded, watching like a god admiring unfinished creations.
"You're both strong," he had said. "But only one of you will become necessary."
Zayne remembered those words now.
Because maybe this wasn't a fight for survival anymore.
Maybe it had always been a test.
Back in the Present
Sierra paced the corridor, a tablet in hand. "Zayne, I scanned Milo's neural feed. Something's changed. His cerebral network is—"
She paused. "It's evolving."
Zayne looked up. "He's activating, isn't he?"
Sierra nodded slowly. "The Nemesis Engine didn't kill him. It triggered him. Milo's body… it's adapting to a second protocol."
Zayne whispered, "A failsafe."
At that moment, Milo's body seized. His eyes shot open — glowing red.
The air around him warped. Energy pulsed from his veins.
Sierra yelled, "ZAYNE, MOVE!"
A telekinetic blast exploded from Milo's chest — tearing metal off the walls and sending Zayne flying across the room.
Zayne groaned, rising from debris. "Milo! Fight it!"
But Milo stood — calm, controlled… and burning with power.
"No more fighting," he said, voice deeper, synthetic. "I understand now."
Sierra whispered, "Oh my god… he's not Milo anymore…"
He was Nemesis Protocol II — encoded with pain, driven by vengeance, and programmed to surpass Zayne.
The Showdown: Brother vs. Brother
Zayne stepped forward, hands igniting with the Inferno flame.
"You want this?" he growled. "Then burn with me."
Milo blurred, striking first — a punch that cratered the wall behind Zayne's head.
Zayne countered, spinning mid-air, landing a backfist laced with heat. Milo absorbed it — smiled — and unleashed a wave of raw force that threw Zayne through a console.
Every hit felt like history.
Every blow carried ten years of betrayal, rage, guilt.
They were no longer just fighting.
They were redefining their bond with fists and fire.
Zayne landed a devastating elbow to Milo's ribs — felt something crack.
Milo roared, unleashed a screamwave that shook the structure.
And then — both paused.
Chest heaving.
Blood mixing with sweat.
Their eyes met — and for just one second — Zayne saw the real Milo inside.
The scared boy.
The brother.
"I didn't choose this…" Milo whispered.
Zayne's voice cracked. "Then fight it, damn you."
Milo's hands trembled.
And then…
A final burst of power exploded from him — but not at Zayne.
At the ceiling.
He collapsed to his knees, screaming — not in rage… in resistance.
The red glow faded from his eyes.
He was still in there.
Barely.
Outside: Riven Watches
From his lab high above Sector Zero, Dr. Riven watched the feed.
Nyrix stepped beside him. "He resisted. The protocol didn't take full control."
Riven grinned. "Even better. The real test was never total control. It was conflict. When two souls fight in one body… evolution thrives."
He turned off the screen.
"Let them destroy each other. Then we collect what remains."
Later: The Calm Before the Fire
Milo slept, sedated again. This time, by his own request.
Zayne stood over him, whispering, "I'm going to end this, brother. I promise."
Sierra entered, quietly. "You don't have to do this alone."
Zayne looked at her. "Yes, I do."
She handed him a datapad.
"The location of the original lab. Riven's first failure. It's not just where Jericho began… it's where you began."
Zayne tightened his grip on the pad.
"Then that's where it ends."
END OF CHAPTER 17
Next:Chapter 18 – "The Origin Lab"