I guess there were a lot of signals I missed before I heard our secretary scream.

"Sorry!" I heard Peter reply. "The door was open-"

"Peter, come on in." I ushered him into my office.

"Didn't mean to sneak up on her. I've been doing everything I can to get your attention."

"Sorry. I lost track of time." I explained.

"What happened to your head?" He asked.

"I don't know."

"You don't know how you got that big cut and a black eye?"

Oh. I touched the wound again. It just didn't hurt that much. "That's from a sucker punch yesterday."

"What did you think I was talking about?"

"Is there anybody new in town? Anybody that might be able to mess with our heads?"

"Like Mister Fear?"

"I guess it could be him, but I'm thinking about something more subtle."

"Been pretty quiet recently."

"Yes it has." I responded, looking toward him.

"Yeah?"

"Real quiet."

"Oh no, man. You think something's brewing?"

"No. I mean, I don't know. I don't know a lot, all of a sudden. My senses have disappeared."

"Whoa."

"So I'm going to be laying low a little while. But if you hear anything-"

"Yeah man. Of course."

...

The rest of my day was uneventful. Too uneventful. I got more lawyering done in five hours than the past five weeks, but clients don't hire me for my efficiency with paperwork, they hire me because of my intuition.

Foggy seemed nervous around me all of a sudden. "You wanna-"

"Go on home, Foggy. I'll be fine."

"Okay."

I can tell he hesitates before going out, but he does eventually leave me alone.

Sitting, waiting, lawyering, all of this was just boring. I needed to get out.

I stepped out of my house, turned right, and counted two hundred and three steps to the corner. I should have already known that. At least I remembered to count this time.

New York City blocks are long. Move just a few, in any direction, and the landscape changes. I stretched my legs as I moved down the sidewalk. Soon enough, I was in the one somewhat empty party of the city: Central Park.

I didn't need big and empty. I was seeking stimulation.

I moved south until I was in the most stimulating block in the City: Times Square. I usually avoid it like the plague, but today it was comforting. I eavesdropped on conversations, some of which were about me. I was assaulted with body odor. I was-

Flat on my face before I even realized what happened.