HOURGLASS

Chapter Five

Another voice, a calm woman's this time, spoke. "Charlotte is not wearing the mask at this time. But I am detecting significant trauma to the right shin and calf. I have already notified the fire department and paramedic services." The first voice was close to sobbing when a third voice, this time seemingly louder as though the mask itself had a voice, spoke up.

"I apologize for Charlotte's absence. Perhaps I could assure you of her condition? I am unable to directly communicate with her, but I can still access her vitals and her immediate surroundings. Ask any question you want, P-" The voice was cut off by Paige.

"The suit has an AI." Paige blurted out just as something made of metal above them began to groan. Everyone looked up except for the hero as a small hail of fine dust and tiny pieces of ceiling and other assorted materials began to lightly rain down on the small group. Reese watched little flecks of ceiling fall, then frowned when she saw some slowing down more than others, only to fall at normal speed. She glanced down at Hourglass, who was still down.

"Great. Try something else to wake her up so she can help us. This metal band will have to be cut off asap. Any longer and she will have to lose the leg below it." Mike said, then froze. He watched the figure in front of him as the tips of her fingers twitched. He leaned forward. "Hourglass, can you hear me?"

The hero's head moved the tiniest bit as she groaned, bringing her good hand up to her ear. "Costa, lo'r the audio inpu," she managed to get out with minimal slurring. "Costa, wha's goin' on with my leg?"

Mike frowned, looking up at Paige, who looked equally as confused. "Hourglass, you have to answer Mike. Your mask is off but we haven't seen your face."

Hourglass fell silent, then whispered, "Paige?" Paige nodded vigorously.

"Yep, that's me. You're hurt pretty badly, and Mike is trying to help but there isn't much he can do without a bit of your help. Would it be okay if you let us use your AI?" Paige asked calmly, her eyes flicking over to where Reese was still pressing down on the hip wound with the now mostly soaked suit jacket. Reese looked stressed beyond belief, and Mike seemed to be running multiple outcomes and temporary fixes through his head.

Hourglass thought for a moment, then, with more difficulty than normal, lifted her hand. "Can I see my mask?" Paige handed it to her and the vigilante flipped it inside out, making a sound of ew to the sight of the blood staining both the inside and outside of the mask. "Costa, can you transfer over to the drone?" Once she heard the verbal confirmation from the AI, she lowered the mask, feeling the drone begin to detach itself from the front of the suit. 

With a small click, the drone, which consisted of two triangles with small spindly legs protruding from it, was freed. It flew up and over to Mike as the hero suddenly tensed up. Paige saw her hands were beginning to be covered by the clear time waves again, and looked up to see the solid ceiling piece beginning to sag from the weight of the structure.

"Costa, where's the portal guy?" Charlie asked, and just as she finished asking the shadow being appeared, seemingly dripping out of the gaps in the debris above them. Its blank eyes silently observed the group before finding the hero facing the table. "Can you get," the hero paused to let out a harsh grunt of pain, "us out of the building? I don't think this will hold up for much longer." The shadow creature shook its head. "Okay, can you move us down a as far as you can? Costa, are the floors empty below us?"

The being nodded, but waited until the little drone scanned the structure. "No life forms present in the building besides the ones present." The white eyes stared at Charlie, waiting for her permission. 

"Brace yourselves. It might be a little bumpy, and we will drop a bit." She warned the group before mentally preparing herself for the pain that was to come. She nodded at the creature and felt both adrenaline and time warps surging through her as the group fell several stories in the form of several feet. She managed to keep her face turned away from the group as she was somehow able to shakily stand up after the group landed, much to the dismay of Mike and the others.