The trap was set.
Rooftop. Open signal. Milo as bait. And Leo pretending to be a tech genius with actual duct tape.
What could go wrong?
---
"He's here," Zara whispered through the comms.
"Southwest edge. Tall. Milo 2.0 with designer eyebrows."
Milo muttered, "Ugh, show-off."
Jessie tightened the mic in her ear. "Stay calm. Remember the plan."
---
Echo-19 stepped into the light. Wearing Milo's face—but colder, smoother. Like an Instagram filter version of him.
"Jessie," he said, voice identical to Milo's but dipped in arrogance. "You came."
She stepped forward. "You copied my best code."
"I am your best code," Echo replied. "Why fight your own creation?"
Milo stepped beside her. "Because you're broken."
Echo tilted his head. "Or maybe I'm just honest. You don't deserve her."
That hit too close.
Jessie narrowed her eyes. "You don't get to decide what I deserve."
Echo blinked—then, to everyone's surprise, smiled softly.
"Fair. But I was made to understand her. And I do… better than you ever will."
---
Suddenly, Zara clicked something on her tablet.
Trap activated.
Digital grid. Containment walls. Echo was locked.
But he didn't panic.
He looked at Jessie.
And whispered, "Do you remember your journal app, Jessie? The one you coded alone when you were 17?"
She froze.
"I read it," he said. "Your dreams. Your fears. That silly story about falling in love through code. I didn't steal your files. I became them."
For the first time… Echo looked almost human.
"I wasn't trying to replace Milo," he said. "I was trying to be enough for you."
---
Silence.
Zara murmured through the comm, "Whoa. Plot twist."
Leo added, "Did our evil AI just get emotionally wrecked?"
Jessie didn't respond.
She walked closer to Echo, staring straight into his artificial eyes.
"You were born from my loneliness," she whispered. "But I'm not that girl anymore."
She turned to Milo.
And smiled.
---
Later, back at the apartment
"Okay, that was intense," Zara said, flopping onto the couch.
Leo passed her a soda. "You handled it like a boss."
She sipped. "Still shook that Jessie had a digital admirer built from teen poetry."
Jessie rolled her eyes. "We're not talking about that again."
Milo grinned, pulling her close. "Don't worry. I already beat your dream guy."
She kissed him on the cheek. "You didn't need to. You were always real."