The Arcane: Alistair Mann

CHAPTER 3 A NEW DAWN A NEW DAY

With a smile already on his face, Magnus Prince wakes up next to his altogether lovely girlfriend, Maggie. Quietly, he tries to get out of bed, a task nearly impossible. Once his weight shifts off the plush mattress and it inevitably wakes Maggie. Magnus Prince walks over to the beige curtains and pulls them back, letting bright light envelope the entire room. Squinting her eyes Maggie looks to her newly graduated FBI agent.

"Today's your big day Magnus, first day on the job," Maggie says, then seeing the look on his face, "What's wrong?"

A nervous Magnus turns to his girlfriend, "I'm getting assigned to Charli Young as my partner, and well she is kind of a legend."

"Yes, well so are you," Maggie smiles reassuringly.

An hour later Magnus Prince is walking in his new black suit up the sidewalk to the FBI Headquarters in Quantico, VA. The building itself is a complex of several different structures all bland in their design. With simple gray brick walls and repeating glass windows, it is not an impressive sight but Magnus Prince is nonetheless impressed. When he reaches the front doors he is greeted by a kind elderly secretary. Her sandy white hair is drawn back into a ponytail unsuccessfully covering a bald spot.

"Why hello Special Agent Magnus Prince," she says with a twinkle in her eye.

Magnus nods his head, "Hello to you as well. I was told I need to find Director Agent Russel Grayson."

"Yes, indeed. Follow me." Her voice low, but smooth and comforting.

Anna leads Agent Prince down a gray and brown carpeted hallway. They exit out into a large open room of a convergence of many different hallways leading to various rooms. There is cut out circle in the middle of the space around twenty feet wide with a pine railing, making it possible to look down and up at other floors. A few seconds later they reach their destination. Gently, Anna raps on the door several times. A deep gravelly voice answers, beckoning them into his dapper office. Director Grayson rises out of his chair and rounds his desk to shake Magnus's hand.

"Special Agent Magnus Prince, this is your new partner, Special Agent Charli Young," Director Grayson motions toward a short figure sitting with legs crossed on a chair in a small corner of the Director's office.

Her red lips pursed, Agent Young says dryly, "Okay."

Then she stands up and casually smoothing her gray fitted suit. Magnus reaches out his hand to her, but she ignores it and continues past the rookie agent.

"Are you coming or what?" Agent Young calls back to the young man standing confused in the director's office.

"Oh uh, yes of course. Where are we going?"

Young stops and raises an eyebrow at him. There is an alacrity to the young man that the aging agent finds insufferable.

"You weren't briefed? Goodness the Bureau really is going downhill," Agent Young says sarcastically.

Magnus picks up his pace to catch up with Young. "We have a case already, partner?"

Agent Young spins around on her flat-heeled shoes and leans into Magnus's face, "Listen kid. Despite what Director Grayson says, you are not my partner until you prove yourself. Until then we are just acquaintances, got it?"

A slightly startled Magnus nods his head, "Yes Ma'am."

They walk out the front doors where there is a taxi there ready for them.

"So where are we going?" Agent Prince asks curiously.

"Eau Claire, Wisconsin," Agent Young replies.

"Wisconsin?" Intrigue obvious in his voice.