Chapter 6: Rescue

Ugh…if he really thinks I'm going to stay with him after this, he's sadly mistaken, Lexi thought as she slowly lifted her head to see where Pierce was at. When she decided he wasn't anywhere in sight, she tried again to blast herself out of the power-zapper-thingy. She abruptly stopped when she heard footsteps. She hung her head so she wouldn't have to look at him as he walked in. She squeezed her eyes shut as she listened to him tread lightly up to her. She tilted her head away from him when his hand came up under her chin.

"My love, why must you break my heart?" he asked, then moved over to where the lever of death was. The one that started the electrocutions. She knew she shouldn't say it, but it slipped out from between her lips: "You don't have a heart to break." He glared over at her, and reached for the handle.

Just as his fingers brushed it, a loud crash echoed through the building. "What the—?" Pierce whirled around in time to see Ace and the rest of the Loonatics enter the lair.

"What's up, Doc?" Ace said, raising an eyebrow. He looked over at Lexi in the machine, then motioned to Tech that the coyote was to take over while Ace got her out. Tech stepped forward, and his leader went over to free Lexi from the evil machine.

"Ace…?" Lexi said, unsure of whether she was hallucinating or not. "I'm so sorry, Lex," he murmured, cupping her face in his hand. He laser-blasted her cuffs off, and caught her when she fell. He helped her to stand upright, but kept an arm around her as he escorted her to the rest of the team. She received many hugs from her teammates, when Pierce started chuckling.

"Aww how nice," he crooned, taking in the scene. "But too bad you will all be crushed to death because you blew a hole in one of the main support structures of the building!" He indicated the gaping opening in the wall. "I shall have to rebuild another lab now!"

Ace shook his head. "If you think you're going anywhere but jail after this, you've got another think coming." He stepped forward to get him, but Lexi, having regained her strength, held him back.

"No!" she said, and he turned to look at her. "That jacket he's wearing?"—she pointed—"It renders your powers useless. You would be at a high disadvantage if he even so much as touched you."

The enemy smiled, and said, "Ahh, so you remember, my dear. Yes, one of my better experiments, it is indeed." The building trembled, and Ace ordered everyone out. They all obeyed, except for Ace himself, Lexi, and Pierce.

"Well, I think we should get going now, my love," Pierce said, extending a hand to her. She recoiled, and said, "You're not going anywhere." Her former boyfriend smiled ruefully, and said, "Then take me on, if you're so tough."

"Lex, this isn't a good idea," Ace said, gazing at her. She shook her head. "I know…but I have to do this. He's something of a genius, and…and I have some unfinished business to get done and over with," she said, glaring at Pierce. The structure shook again, and she turned to face Ace.

"You have to get out of here," she yelled over the noise. "No," he returned, "I'm not gonna leave you!" She searched his eyes for a moment, then launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for all she was worth. She felt his arms come around her waist and lifted her off the ground as he kissed her back.

She broke away, looked up at him, said, "I love you," and pushed him out the hole, just as that side of the building fell in.

She then whirled around to face a stunned Pierce. "You…you love him?" he stuttered, then he gained ferocity. "Then there isn't any reason to keep you alive now, is there?"