Every morning, when I woke up, I hoped for the noise to be back. The noise. The pain, the smells. I would give anything to be nauseated by Foggy's cheese poofs. He even got me to eat a few, but once they were in my mouth, I could taste the chemicals.

I meditated for two hours a day. I became better at being really-blind. I even won a few fights.

I got my ass handed to me a few times, but the important part is that I won a few.

I almost got used to people sneaking up on me.

"Haven't seen you out lately."

I have ninja training, yet I'm man enough to admit that I shrieked a little at the sound of Natasha's voice in my bedroom.

"I haven't been out." I replied, steading my heart.

"You really didn't know I was here?"

"I was distracted."

Before I knew what was happening, Natasha had me pinned against the wall. "There really is something wrong with you."

"Yeah," I admitted. "Let me go."

She gently pulled away from me, but I could still smell her. Maybe I was building back my senses. At this rate, Daredevil would be effective again around the time he files for Social Security. Maybe crime-fighting would just become my retirement plan.

Natasha slapped me out of this train of thought.

"What?" I asked.

"I asked what was wrong with you."

"Your employer doesn't already have it all figured out?" I asked.

"Your absence, yet your presence here in Hell's Kitchen as Matt, has been noted."

"Maybe I just decided to give it up."

She punched me in the gut. I almost realized that it was happening in time to block it. "The truth, Matthew."

"It's gone." I said, quietly.

"What's gone?" She replied.

"My… enhancements."

She stepped away and I heard her flick at something. There was a quiet buzzing. It must be some radio frequency that would normally overwhelm my senses.

"I sort of hear that, but just barely." I admitted. At this point, I just hope she knows somebody that can help me.

Natasha moved to my bed. I could feel her staring.

"So the radar?"

"Nothing."

"And everything else?"

"I'm just a normal blind attorney with ninja training."

"Have you meditated?"

"More than ever before in my life."

"How did this happen?"

"I don't know." But I do.

"You're lying."

"It's silly."

"Living your life without your enhanced senses because you don't want to tell me how they went away is silly."

"I think one of the nuns prayed for this to happen."

"One of the nuns, or…"

"It's a silly idea. It's probably Mister Fear."

"But if it isn't, that means your powers are probably still there."

"Nobody is more in tune with their meditative state, Natasha. If I could reach inside myself and make it happen -" OOMPH!

She crashed into me, and before I could fight it, we were on the bed.

"We'll get them out."

"I've tried… this." I wasn't going to fight her as she unzipped my pants, but I didn't have much faith in a different outcome.

"With who? I doubt it was anybody as good at this as me."

"Don't you think highly of your - aaagggggh." She was definitely doing something that woke up my senses. "For the record, everything down there is just as sensitive as ev-AGGGHHH."

I fought to catch my breath. I had forgotten what she could do with just her hands.

"Feeling anything?" She asked.

"Is this some sort of sex magic?" I asked.

She silenced me with a kiss. I wrapped my fingers in her hair. It felt so good. I thought I could feel a little more, so I closed my eyes and threw out…. Nothing.

She must have seen my disappointment. "Oh, this isn't going to pull you out of your own ass, Matthew."

Before I realized what was happening, she had me handcuffed behind my back and was whispering in my ear.

"You couldn't find the power within yourself, so I'll find it in you."

"What are you talking about?"

She threw me face down on my bed, and I turned over. She was laughing.

"Without your powers you're worthless. I bet you aren't even a good lay."

Low blow.

"Oh. Well. I've never known you to struggle in bed. This is bad."

These weren't normal handcuffs. They constricted more, instead of loosening, if I worked my thumb. But I wasn't thinking about my thumb. Natasha was back against my ear. "We're going to do a little meditation exercise, Matty."

The feel of her breath against my skin always drive me mad.

"I'm going to help you put aside all other thoughts."

Then she wrapped something around my neck and pulled.

No matter how much you trust somebody-and I have no idea how much I actually trust Natasha-your body will fight when the air is cut off. Considering the circumstances, I think I put up a good fight. I wrapped my legs around her, throwing her against the wall. Somewhere along the line I wrenched my shoulder pretty well, too.

With that much effort, and whatever she had used to strangle me, I didn't fight for long. I collapsed back onto my bound hands, gasping for air that never reached my lungs.

She stroked my face. "It's okay, Matt. I'm just helping you reach within."

And then everything went quiet.

...

The first gasp of air tasted disgusting. It was the most deliciously disgusting breath I've ever taken.

"Welcome back, Matthew."

God bless her, she was whispering, and it was the loudest thing I had heard in a month.

My hands were free, and rubbing my fingers together was the most pleasant feeling I've ever had.

"Thank you." I said.

"All better?" She whispered.

"Why doesn't my throat hurt?" I ran my fingers over my skin and couldn't even feel the heat of a bruise.

"I didn't want to hurt you, just reboot your system."

The return of my senses was quickly becoming overwhelming, but I couldn't stop smiling.

"It worked."

"Then put on your tightest suit and come dancing with me."

Fin.

Thank you all for coming on this quick, roughly put-together, journey. Extra special thanks to Shelby, for helping hash all these details out.

See you all at 12:01 Pacific Time.