Leave Me Lonely - A Donald Pierce/X-Men Story

Three

Logan took Zoe to his little hide out just over the border in Mexico. The entire drive, she argued with him. It was quite the reunion, but typical of them. They wouldn't argue if they didn't care. Zoe continued to fight against his willingness to save Laura. He claimed she's gone and it's over, but Zoe wasn't giving up. She had decided to go to his place, see Charles, and regroup, forming a solid plan. Then she'd be gone once more.

Before Zoe was blind to Transigen. She never let whatever they did effect her because it was out of sight, out of mind. Now, she had experienced a result of their evilness staring her right in the face. Things were much different. Laura was living proof and what they were doing. To children nonetheless. 

"Where is he?" They pulled up to a rather run down, old building. Zoe hesitantly got out of the vehicle. Something didn't feel right. Caliban, a mutant who Zoe had a rather unpleasant altercation with in the past, came out of the abandoned smelting plant. "What the hell is he doing here?" From what she could remember, Caliban was the enemy. Countless mutants had been killed over the years because of him. A mutant basically against his own kind.

"He's fine." 

"Whatever." Zoe mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest, feeling uncomfortable. 

"I knew it was you..." Caliban approached her and she took a step back.

"Leave her alone." Logan interjected. 

"I mean no harm." Caliban walked past them and over to the vehicle. "What happened?" He inquired, looking around in confusion. Zoe ignored them and went straight for the building, in search for Charles. The building was empty until the sound of the back door opening could be heard. Charles opened the door and his wheelchair came gliding in the kitchen area. 

"Charles!" Zoe spoke, happiness clear in her voice. It had been so long, and she assumed him to be dead. Rushing over to him, she kneeled before him, and pulled him into her arms. "I've missed you so much." Finally, Zoe had felt like she still belonged in this world. She wasn't as alone as she thought. Logan and Charles had been not too far all along. 

"My dear..." She pulled away. "Did you get my message?" 

"I knew it was you." She smiled. "There were..complications, but don't worry. I'll will take care of her."

"So, you found her. The other mutant."

"Yes, but she is missing." Charles frowned. "Rest assured, I will get her back."

"And Logan?"

"Less than willing to help because of said complications, but I think I can talk him into it."

The sound of a familiar truck pulling into the gravel driveway drove Zoe's attention away from Charles. In a slight panic, Zoe rushed to the dingy window and carefully peaked outside. Looking out, Zoe saw him. The love of her life, Donald Pierce. Was he here for her, Laura, or Logan? Quite frankly, she didn't want to know. Neither was better than the other, but she'd rather it be her.

He stepped out of the vehicle and before Zoe could act, Charles was outside. "No." She whispered harshly after him, but it was too late. He was gone. "Fuck." She mumbled to herself. This wasn't going to end well. They were having a increasingly heated discussion, and Zoe watched silently through the window. She couldn't make out their words, but she didn't need to. Obviously their conversation was about Laura. Then suddenly, a long pipe went flying in the air, knocking Pierce over the head. He collapsed to the ground and Zoe panicked. "No!" She screamed, running out as fast as her legs would allow, fearing the worst.

Zoe slid to the ground beside Pierce, cradling his head in her hands. He was knocked out cold. She touched the side of his head where the pipe hit to find a small bump forming. Zoe looked over the where it came from and glared. It was Laura. She was alive...and not in Transigen's custody. Zoe wanted to be angry, but in seeing her, she couldn't. Pierce was the enemy to her, a terrible man sent to bring her back to Transigen. She couldn't even imagine how Pierce might have treated her at the facility.