"Ronan," James said. "Can you hold it alone?"
"Define alone."
"You, Maeve, and Cillian. In the square. While Finn and I go for the cross."
The Dark Knight was already moving again, sword low, circling back toward the formation with the repaired shoulder leading.
"Then say that," Ronan said. "That's not alone."
"Can you hold it?"
"Yes."
"Then hold it."
Finn stepped up beside James. He looked at the boss, then at Ronan, and his jaw set. "I don't like leaving him in front of that thing."
"Hitting it again does nothing," James said. "The cross repairs everything we break. We kill the cross first or we die tired."
Finn exhaled once through his nose. "Fine."
"Maeve. We're going out of your range."
"I know." Her hands were still up, the circlet burning over her brow. "I'll stretch the field as far as it goes. Past that, you're on partial cover. If the corruption starts climbing, you come back. You don't push through it. Understood?"
"Understood."
