The blast had barely settled before Seojun sprang into action, lunging at Thanatos with a cry torn from the deepest part of his soul. Their bodies collided with bone-cracking force—fist against fist, memory against machine.
"You remember me," Seojun growled, blocking a blow.
"I remember everything," Thanatos hissed. "That's the curse they gave me."
His movements were fluid—faster than any normal human. Cybernetic enhancements weaved seamlessly with old martial arts forms. But Seojun had something the Prototype lacked: control, and the burning will to protect.
Hana ducked behind shattered equipment, pulling a backup EMP grenade from her belt.
"Seojun! Thirty seconds, I need a clear shot!"
"Buy me fifteen," he grunted, slamming Thanatos into a bulkhead.
The corridor quaked. Sparks rained down. Thanatos laughed—short, bitter.
"I begged them to let me die, you know. But then I remembered... you got away. You left me."
"I didn't know!" Seojun's voice cracked. "They told me you were gone!"
The fight turned brutal. Thanatos' synthetic spine absorbed most damage, but Seojun's precision strikes began to wear him down. Then, in a sudden blur, Thanatos grabbed Seojun by the throat and lifted him.
"Let's see if they lied to you again."
He reached into Seojun's chest—fingers glowing, poised to destroy the power core embedded there.
Hana moved.
She rolled, tossed the grenade—and it detonated in a pulse of blue light.
Thanatos screamed. Circuits shorted. Sparks flew. He collapsed, twitching, the agony of self-awareness flooding back into his face.
"What have you done...?" he rasped.
Seojun staggered to his knees, gripping his brother's shaking frame.
"I stopped them from using you again."
But Thanatos wasn't finished.
"You're too late. The Syndicate… already launched Phase Three. I was just the distraction."
His eyes flickered—and then went dark.
Behind them, Facility Zeta began its self-destruct countdown.