With only the spire left to scale, Alistair's fear had made him weak. His aching, fumbling fingers loaded a sparkler into his slingshot and as Bigger Ben's tummy growled below, he launched the sparkler. It popped just above Alice's head, not even stalling her. The antenna tower vibrated and Alistair began to shiver.

Skyboard spots faded and everywhere, Futurist banners blinked out. Alistair sat down on the spire platform, placing his backpack in his lap and Balderick stuck his head out and absorbed the reality of their surroundings.

"Where to now?" he asked and Balderick's summation of the situation was succinct; he pulled his beak back in to the bag and hid as Alice thrust her blade through the grille platform, making Alistair recoil in fright. Alice pushed aside the grate and rose up through the access and Alistair scattered around the platform like a frightened crab. Uncoiling, Alice stood before him and liked what she saw: a petrified boy cowering in fear before her. A twisted grin of victory scratched across her face.

"Give me that crown," she demanded brusquely. Alistair squeezed in to the corner diametrically opposed to his pursuer and shook his head. "Come now Alistair," she curdled. "It's better if you just surrendered. Otherwise, there will only be tears before bedtime. Unless you can fly, you cannot hope to escape."

"Leave me alone," he shouted. "It's not your crown. Why do you want it so bad?"

Swiftly, she dived for Alistair who scrambled up the antennae but Alice yanked his ankle; Alistair's fingers knit around the metal struts but he slipped. His right arm flailed and the crown slid off his shoulder and Alice plucked it from his wrist and with another tug, successfully dragged him off the antenna and plonked him back on the grille.

Alistair rolled onto his belly and could see Bigger Ben burning below him with the flames licking the dark night sky. Instinctively, he kicked and slapped and Alice stepped back, allowing the tantrum to run its course. Another Bigger Ben bowel buster erupted, shaking the tower and Alistair used the diversion to his advantage, lashing out and kicking her shins with both feet. Alice fell to her knees and taking his only opportunity, he managed a cheap shot on her nose.

Alice grunted, dropping the crown and cradled her injury. On hands and knees, Alistair seized the crown and hauled up the antenna, climbing furiously whilst Alice got to her feet, her bloody nose dripping on to her tunic.

"You're quite the horror," she grimaced, wiping her forearm across her broken nose and split upper lip, smearing away the blood.

Blinking her eyes, she extended her right blade and slashed the antenna, producing sparks. Alistair clung on grimly, just out of reach. Enraged, she shimmied after him using one hand; a taunting blade on the other.

There was another boom; orangey blue blasts erupted in six directions.

Time's up and she's lost control Alistair forlornly thought. Balderick shifted in the bag, crowing a skittish warning that Alice inched closer.

"Be afraid little boy," she raged. "BE...VERY...AFRAID!!!"

"Go away Agent of Change," Alistair cried.

A ring of detonators encircling Bigger Ben's clock faces suddenly exploded as molten plastic splattered out in to the night.

"I would have taken great pleasure rehabilitating you," Alice said as her hand briefly clutched his foot. "But instead I've decided I'd prefer to see them wash you off the pavement." Ignoring the sound of pressurised Liquo explosions, Alice knitted her arm around the antenna for leverage whilst Alistair's nerves faltered, but if there were anything he would do with his final moments, it would be not to succumb to this woman.

"You can't escape. Now, will you change your mind?" Alice puffed.

"I resolve to never change for you," Alistair fizzed.

Alice paused, feigning hurt and retracting her blade she cupped her ear.

"Do you hear that?" she asked. "That's the sound of nobody caring."

Alice swung around the antenna and met her young adversary face to face.

"You aren't really a worthy foe," Alice mused. "Now give me that crown!"

Alice slithered next to Alistair, who was scared stiff.

"I think I'll relieve you of this and your penny-ante rebellion," Alice said crisply, snatching the crown. Alistair hugged the antenna tower whilst the winds tried to prise him free. Bigger Ben's gigantic visi-banners bubbled and melted down the stone facades whilst giant cracks appeared in the superstructure causing the antenna to tear at its base.

Alice and Alistair hung to the struts as the antenna shook and with a horrifying metallic rip, it began to shear from its base. At first the antenna teetered, then toppled to the perpendicular, attached only by buckled and over burdened foundations, groaning under its own weight. Dangled out over nothingness, Alistair rode out the bounces and clambered to higher ground. With a grunt, Alice tentatively stood up and ejected a blade, holding it at Alistair's throat as she reached for her comms device. Both understood that one false move, one awkward shift, and they were godfodder.

"You," she jabbed, making Alistair recoil. "You just wait there."