Page 154 of Tapeworld Induction

Dylan winked at Isaak, who was just as confused as Astrid.

“Sacha,” Dylan said. “Does that name ring a bell? Another one of your lost boys? Well, he’s in your office right now, and I believe he’s just stuck a Sleeper on your head.” She let out a nervous laugh. “It’s over. You lost!”

Isaak’s chest swelled. His heart felt like it was about to burst out of him. Pride suffused his insides, a glowing, warm feeling.

Astrid’s hand went immediately to her temple. She scrabbled for tape to rip off, but of course it wasn’t there now. “What? How?” Astrid recoiled. “No. My security—”

“They’re gone. Jewel sold you out.”

“Well, I still have your little friend! I’ll kill her if you don’t—” But Astrid was already gesticulating wildly at Talia’s cage, and nothing was happening. “No! Die! Why won’t you fucking die?”

Dylan sidled closer to Astrid, who was now powerless to do much more than try to back away. “This is for her.” She lifted her knee up to her chest, then rotated her back leg and body, hitting Astrid with the full force of her roundhouse kick and slamming her onto the hard floor.

Then Dylan spoke into her comm. “Talia’s here. Punch it.”

Talia dematerialised from inside the cage.

Dylan walked confidently past Astrid’s shuddering shape, towards Isaak. She looked breathtaking, each step leaving behind a spectral frame, like a ghostly vision of her. She was glowing with power, having unlocked a new talent with her last attack, a level of power within the Tapeworld he had no idea even existed.

“Wow,” he said. “This was your plan? You’re perfect—”

She grabbed his head and kissed him. She tasted like strawberries.

“You fucking meddling vegans!” Astrid raged. “Trapping me with my own invention... You can’t stop the Second Revivalists! You thought I made the Sleeper just for myself? You can’t even imagine what’s coming…” She was on her knees, trying to stand up.

Dylan snapped her fingers and jolts of energy pummelled Astrid until she was convulsing on the floor, the remaining red armour plates shattering in every direction.

The knot in his throat loosened, and the pit in his gut dissipated. He pulled Dylan close and looked into her eyes, struggling to put every emotion going through him into words.

He was free. He was safe. He was happy.

He settled on, “Thank you, girl.”

“I got you, boy.”

“You’re glowing.”

She smiled. “You too.”

He waved his hand in front of him in disbelief. Excitement flooded his chest as the gesture left the same ghostly frames behind in the air.

“Whoa…” He balled his hand into a fist, and it glowed even brighter, before the spectral fragments derezzed into pixel particles. New-found energy coursed through his veins.

“Shall we?”

“What about her?” He gestured at Astrid, a mess of blood and sweat on the tarmac, staggering like a broken-down entertainment robot. She whimpered, seizures running down her spine.

“She’s not our problem anymore. Let Elodie figure it out.”

He nodded.

Dylan held onto Isaak’s piece of tape, a naughty smile on her lips.

Isaak did the same with hers.

“Ready? Three, two, one…”

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