The red left before he got there.
`[HEAVY FLOOR SOLDIER — HP: 2,780 / 7,200]`
It came off the shoulders and down the back and hit the stone running, and the instant it was gone the Heavy's ruined leg mattered again — the whole thing lurched sideways and nearly went down and had to catch itself on the blade.
James turned to follow the light.
It did not go sideways.
It did not go to the nearest body, which was three metres away and bleeding.
It went *up the terrace* — past everything still fighting, past a wounded soldier, straight across forty metres of open flagstone toward the base of the stairs, and into one of the two soldiers already pulling back toward the middle level.
Further away. Further ahead.
"It's moving forward," said Maeve.
The empowered soldier turned round and came back down the stairs at them.
`[FLOOR SOLDIER — HP: 4,600 / 4,600]`
It came through Alice's line.
