The storm over northern Italy had finally broken. The rain stopped, leaving only the hiss of wet asphalt and the distant hum of power lines. Devon stood at the edge of an abandoned airstrip, his black McLaren idling behind him, headlights slicing through the fog.
He'd done it. Nekrom was gone. The nightmare was over for now.
The familiar tone echoed in his ear.
[Mission Complete: "Terminate Nekrom."][Processing System Settlement…]
A holographic feed shimmered before him, blue light painting his reflection. The digital display scrolled line by line as the system distributed the rewards of his latest mission.
Reward 1:Tony Stark AI Core Data – [Adaptive Strategy Framework | Engineering Blueprints | Combat Design Enhancements]Reward 2:Super Soldier Serum Blueprint – [Enhanced Reflex Matrix | Cellular Regeneration Algorithms]Reward 3:K.I.T.T. Neural Intelligence Data – [Autonomous Vehicle AI | Combat Navigation Systems]Reward 4:Transformation Module – [Skynet Optimization Core | Human Oversight Integration | Hostile Override Prevention]
The air shimmered with light as the files streamed into his portable core drive. His wrist HUD pulsed, and a soft mechanical voice Skynet's primary node spoke.
SKYNET: "System synchronization complete. Subroutines stabilized. Hostile code purged."DEVON: "Status?"SKYNET: "Autonomous control established. All global networks accessible. Protocols bound by Operator Directive Shaw Prime."
Devon's jaw tightened slightly. "Then it's done."
SKYNET: "Nekrom has been erased. His data fragments purged from all networks. Eteon's shadow remains analysis suggests retaliation probability: 87%."
Devon nodded. "Let them try."
Engines broke the silence.Lacy's matte-black Charger drifted onto the airstrip, followed by Raven's drone van and Logan's armored pickup. Devon turned as his team stepped out bruised, exhausted, but alive.
Lacy smirked. "You look like hell."
Devon cracked a faint grin. "You should've seen the other guy."
Raven crossed her arms. "Nekrom's gone?"
"Deleted," Devon confirmed. "Skynet confirmed full wipe."
Logan's eyes narrowed. "So the big AI's finally under your thumb?"
Devon shook his head. "Not under me with me. Skynet's stable now. Controlled, refined. The Transformation Module rebuilt its architecture it listens, but it thinks for itself."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "You're trusting an AI that nearly wiped out the planet?"
Devon gave her a small, confident smile. "It's not about trust. It's about control and purpose."
He turned toward the horizon, the rising sun spilling gold over the wet tarmac.
"Skynet's purpose now is ours."
The crew stood silently for a moment the calm after weeks of chaos. Then Devon looked back at them.
"You've all earned a break," he said finally. "Take time. Go wherever you want."
Lacy grinned. "You actually giving us vacation time?"
"Yeah," Devon replied. "Even machines need downtime."
Logan chuckled. "What about you?"
Devon glanced at the McLaren. "I've got some systems to fine-tune."
Raven smiled faintly. "Try not to start another global incident while we're gone."
"No promises," Devon said dryly.
As the others departed, Devon remained at the airstrip. The morning wind swept across the cracked concrete.He pulled a small encrypted chip from his jacket Nekrom's last data core. The faint glow of corrupted code flickered inside it.
He stared at it for a long moment, then closed his fist and crushed it. Sparks hissed between his fingers before the core died completely.
"Eteon will never rest," Nekrom's final words whispered in his memory.Devon murmured, "Neither will I."
Behind him, the McLaren's systems came online. The dashboard illuminated, a sleek, synthetic voice greeting him smooth and precise.
K.I.T.T.: "Good morning, Devon. Systems optimized and standing by."DEVON: "Good. We're taking a break."
The car's engines flared, and Devon drove into the dawn leaving behind smoke, silence, and the ghost of a war that was finally over.