Edward's teeth are already sunk, and the rip of flesh beneath them and his fingers has already given with a sickening sound like steel being torn as a neck sheers from shoulders when Alice's scream of his name rips into him.

He sees it, sees through her eyes, all their eyes, even as for a second, he vanishes from her -- from the future where he should be, even before the body has enough time to fall. Gone and back. The smallest blink but gone.

No part of him wants to stop. Why should he? With what they've done? She yells an order, panic and steel, and somewhere in his brain, something saner reminds him she's there to keep it all straight, to keep him straight.

He has to get Carlisle out of here.

That's why they are here.



The body falls as Edward ducked into a crouch, clinging to her directions and to the plea behind him coming closer. He turns, needing only a millisecond to judge the proper direction before, kicking Carlisle's knees out from under him.

Then he's springing up with the same momentum, one hand catching half against Carlisle shoulder, and half under it from behind, to spin him the opposite direction without letting him drop and drag him that way until his feet find their own purchase.

Out. Out. Out. He's focused on that word, or he'll turn back to what's calling louder in form of defense.