Zero II
money I took?”
    “What about it?”
    “I mean, am I going to get punished
for stealing all those years? I Can’t imagine angels are big on things like
theft.”
    Danielle crossed her arms and leaned
against the doorframe. “Don’t worry, they aren’t going to lynch you or make you
pay everything back. Sure, they would rather you started to use your gifts for
something constructive but as long as your thieving ways are behind you, you’ll
be fine.”
    Alan nodded and continued to pack. He
was reminded of the voices in his head that would speak up when he was about to
steal. The whispers telling him he knew deep down he was using his gift for
self-gain when he could be helping others. “These years they were watching me,
they wanted me to make the right choice. They wanted me to stop stealing and
look deeper into why I was given my gifts.”
    Danielle’s face was solemn. It was
clear she did not enjoy the topic. “I don’t want to beat you up about it but,
yes. They were giving you a chance to make the right decision before they
stepped in and nudged you along. Who knows? They might have given you a few
more years to find your why if it hadn’t been for all the recent demonic
activity. But you’re here now and that’s what’s important.”

15
Present Day
    “No way, this is it?”
     “Sure is.”
    “And you’re sure there is no way we
could have just used my penthouse?”
    “Nope, trust me it’s not much to look
at but it’s safe and wait till you see the inside.”
    Alan was trying to imagine living in a
warehouse as Danielle pulled to a stop. The building looked like it would fall
apart during the next storm. Rust covered the steel outside paneling from warped
roof to bent door.
    Danielle had taken him to the city’s
warehouse district outside of town. “It’s perfect,” she said. “With your speed
the distance from the city won’t be an issue.”
    Alan shouldered his duffle bag as he
followed Danielle to the door. “Am I being punished?”
    “What? No.”
    “This feels like some kind of
punishment.”
    “Easy there, give it a minute.”
    Danielle walked right to the corroded
front door. From what Alan could see it was a ordinary looking door with a
rusty knob and a worn place for a key.  Danielle looked up to the roof.
Alan followed her gaze but saw nothing. “Agent Danielle Turner, code name Valkyrie.”
    There was a brief pause before the
door slid open with a puff of steam. Alan jumped back surprised by the motion
and steam rising from the door.
    “Welcome to your new home,” Danielle
smirked and walked inside.
    Alan coughed, embarrassed. He gathered
himself and slowly walked inside. Danielle was right. The inside of the place
was nothing like the outside.
    The warehouse was huge with a high-domed
ceiling and intense bright lights spread all around. Alan steadied himself so he
didn’t jump as the steel door hissed close behind him. The warehouse walls that
looked like they were ready to crumble at a moment’s notice from the outside
were actually camouflaged. Thick steel paneling met his gaze on all sides.
    “Come on, roomie,” Danielle said,
“I’ll give you a tour of the place.”
    Alan followed her through the large
building as she pointed out specific rooms and areas on the way to his own
living quarters. “So, this is the training room. You’ll be spending a lot of
time in there. Over here is the communication room, that’s where I do the bulk
of my work. Kitchen is on the left, conference room on the right and you’ll
have your own private bathroom attached to your room.”
    Alan nodded, taking in the scene. The
inside of the warehouse is what he imagined the future to be. Everything was
brightly lit with very little decoration and large amounts of free space in
every room. White mats covered the training room floor; the conference room was
one large area with an oval table and chairs and a monitor on one side of the
room.
    “And here you go,”
    Alan nearly ran into

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