Athena moved cautiously down the dimly lit hallway, her senses sharp. The base had quieted, the echoes of distant conversations and hurried footsteps fading into the background. Xavier had retired to his quarters, leaving her with an opportunity she couldn't waste.
Her mind whirled with the possibilities. If she had been created in a lab, did that mean she was nothing more than an experiment? And if there were others like her, why hadn't she met them? The thought unsettled her. She needed answers, and the only place she was going to find them was in Xavier's private study.
She reached his office door and hesitated. Xavier was unpredictable. One moment, he acted like he cared, the next, he became a stranger. But despite his conflicting behavior, he was the only person she felt a connection to. That, in itself, terrified her.
Steeling herself, she carefully turned the handle and slipped inside.
