Lou and Miles looked on helplessly as angel and enormous battle-engine squared off. The huge machine was clutching a pitch-black sword in one of its vast three-fingered pincers, and it was apparent that it was able to move much faster than such a huge construction should be able to.

As the David and Goliath tableau played out in front of them with the fighters circling, lunging and parrying, Lou noticed something. “Miles!” she whispered furiously, “look there, on the back of the machine!”

Miles looked, and horror dawned on his face as he noticed the ravaged angel encased in crystal, slowly growing black as the energy was drained from him. With each heave of effort from the machine, Alba would twitch in sympathetic pain broadcast from the caged creature. Even Lou and Miles could feel it.

Eventually it grew too much for her. She collapsed, and a group of masked men with crystal containers on their backs emerged. Miles and Lou were summarily knocked out, as they saw the men dousing Alba in energised water.