The Bigshot's Superstar Wife

"What is this place?"

Athena and Xavier moved cautiously as they entered the abandoned facility. The heavy, rusted metal doors groaned in protest as they pushed them open.

A musty, sterile scent filled the air, mixed with something rotten and decayed.

The long, flickering fluorescent lights above barely illuminated the endless rows of glass chambers lining the cold steel walls.

Some were shattered, and their contents spilled onto the floor, grotesque remains of experiments that should never have existed.

Others still functioned, glowing dimly, revealing the eerie outlines of what remained inside.

Athena's gaze swept across the room. Suspended in thick, murky liquid were figures that resembled a grotesque fusion of human and animal.

Some had elongated limbs with claws where fingers should be, others had additional eyes sprouting from their heads, and a few looked almost alien, with smooth, silver-like skin, elongated skulls, and sharp, needle-like teeth.

Xavier walked ahead, brushing dust from the control panel at the center of the room, his brows furrowing as he scanned the data displayed on the cracked monitor.

"This place…" he murmured. "It's not just an abandoned lab. It was one of the original research facilities that worked on bioweapons before the outbreak even happened."

Athena frowned, stepping closer to one of the still-functional chambers. A nearly developed human floated inside, its eyes closed, its fingers twitching slightly as if in restless slumber.

But its features were wrong. The ears were too pointed, the skin had an unnatural sheen, and its veins pulsed with a black substance that spread like ink beneath its translucent skin.

It was alive, if such a thing could be called living. She turned to Xavier, her voice cold. "This isn't just a research facility. This was a factory for monsters."

Xavier nodded grimly, his fingers typing rapidly into the terminal. "These experiments… they weren't just meant to create soldiers. They were meant to replace humans entirely. The virus… it wasn't just an accident."

Athena's blood ran cold. She had seen too much death and fought too many mutated beings to believe that this apocalypse was a mere coincidence, but now she had proof.

Someone had planned this. As if in response to her thoughts, a sudden, piercing alarm shattered the silence.

Red warning lights flashed throughout the laboratory, and the steel doors they had entered through slammed shut with a deafening clang.

Athena and Xavier spun around just in time to see one of the larger containment tanks crack. Thick, viscous fluid spilled onto the floor, sizzling where it touched metal.

Inside, a massive, deformed creature twitched violently, its body covered in thick, bone-like plating, its four glowing eyes snapping open.

Xavier cursed under his breath, grabbing Athena by the wrist. "We need to move, now!"

They sprinted toward the far end of the lab, weaving through overturned desks and shattered glass.

Behind them, the containment chamber burst open, releasing a guttural, inhuman roar.

Heavy footsteps shook the ground as the creature heaved itself forward, its elongated arms dragging its grotesque body across the ruined facility.

Its gaze locked onto Athena and Xavier, its mouth splitting open to reveal rows of jagged, serrated teeth.

Athena didn't hesitate. She whipped out her blade and slashed at a nearby support beam, sending debris crashing down between them and the creature.

Xavier pulled out a modified rifle from his space storage, unloading a spray of specialized bullets into the monster's thick hide.

The shots barely penetrated. The creature roared again, unfazed, and lunged at them with terrifying speed.

Athena dodged just in time, her heart hammering in her chest. "This thing is faster than it looks!"

Xavier's expression was grim. "And a hell of a lot tougher than anything we've fought before."

The creature struck out again, its claws slicing through steel like butter. Athena barely managed to roll out of the way, her instincts screaming at her to move faster.

She gritted her teeth, activating her soul space and pulling out a set of explosives. "Cover me," she ordered.

Xavier nodded, unleashing a barrage of heavy firepower to distract the creature. Athena sprinted to the side, planting the explosives along the weakened structure of the lab.

The walls were old, the foundation cracked, if they could bring down enough of it, they might be able to bury the creature alive.

The monster roared again, this time charging straight for Xavier. He dodged swiftly, but even he wasn't fast enough to escape completely.

The beast's massive claws slashed across his arm, tearing through fabric and flesh. He grunted in pain, but didn't stop firing. Athena clicked the detonator.

A second later, the room was engulfed in fire and dust. The explosion rocked the facility, sending steel beams and broken glass flying in every direction.

The ceiling caved in, and Athena barely managed to grab Xavier before pulling them both into the safety of a side corridor.

They hit the ground hard, coughing as debris rained down around them. For a long moment, there was nothing but silence.

Then, slowly, Athena pushed herself up and turned to look at the destruction. The monster was nowhere in sight. Only a pile of wreckage remained where it had stood.

Xavier groaned beside her, clutching his bleeding arm. Athena immediately pulled out medical supplies from her space, working quickly to stop the bleeding. "You okay?"

He exhaled sharply but nodded. "I've had worse."

Athena rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, she turned back to the ruined lab, her expression unreadable. "We need to get out of here. There could be more of those things."

Xavier stood, shaking off the pain. "Agreed."

They moved swiftly, avoiding unstable sections of the collapsed facility. As they neared what looked like an emergency exit, Athena's mind raced.

She still had no memory of her past, but something deep inside her told her that this wasn't the first time she had been inside a place like this.

The knowledge of combat, and the instincts that had kicked in when fighting the monster, all felt too familiar.

She glanced at Xavier. "You knew what this place was, didn't you?"

Xavier didn't meet her gaze. "I had suspicions."

Athena narrowed her eyes. "And you didn't think to mention that?"

Xavier sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Because I wasn't sure if you were ready to know."

Athena frowned but didn't press further. She knew there was more he wasn't telling her. But now wasn't the time to demand answers.

They had barely made it out alive, and there were still too many questions left unanswered.