Wholesale Afterwar by Gloria Skurzynski

[Atheneum Books for Young Readers] There’s only one thing more deadly than disease, more destructive than the forces of nature: jealousy. It’s been years since the world was nearly destroyed by natural disasters, but even the biggest earthquake couldn’t shake the evils of mankind. Of course, Corgan and Brigand are not normal human beings. Brigand is the product of a cloning experiment gone wrong and Corgan was conceived and raised in a sterile environment, conditioned to be a hero for the Federation’s virtual wars. They aren’t typical humans, but they are still flesh and blood. And their virtual competition spills over into the real world when the beautiful, rebellious Sharla comes between them. Corgan’s adventure, which began with Devastation, continues as Brigand launches an attack to eliminate his rival. Corgan is about to see that even battles fought with mind controlled avatars can have very high personal stakes.