(Part of the Cleanse storyline.)

As soon as his eyes opened he knew something was off. Danny could feel his entire body pulsing with a new kind of energy. It was...intoxicating. Suddenly, sounds were louder, the lights seemed brighter. He could hear, smell, see feel far too much.

Footsteps sounded like a wrecking ball, a fly's wings like a helicopter. Danny's arm came up, shielding his eyes as the light blinded him. The sound of a car with squeaky brakes hit him like a fog horn, the journalist wincing and stumbling back against the wall, his head feeling like it may split open at any moment.

And then, just as quickly as it started".it stopped. The world was quiet again.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked around. The furniture in his room was floating, weightless around him. The confusion settled into his features as he looked around. A glass hovered into his periphery, the water inside shimmering gently. Slowly, he lifted his arm...reaching out his hand"

In an instant, the glass was fired into the wall, shattering into a million pieces. Danny stared wide eyed as everything dropped to the wooden floorboards with a loud bang. He sat there, blinking, stunned. What the hell just happened" What was going on"

Sounds out in the street drew his attention, the tall journalist scrambling to his feet. He looked down to see people, common folks he recognized as being wholly human, now openly using magical powers they...and he shouldn't have. They were laughing, having a great time. But something about this told him...it was wrong. This was not supposed to be.

That morning was an entirely different beast for Sari. The Telepath woke, to silence for the very first time since puberty. It was as if someone had just flipped a switch and the gift she had spent most of her adult life working to control was simply gone.

It was amazing how one became used to noise, became so adjusted to it that silence became deafening. The reports came in, acts of vandalism by magic users. It seemed strange to her. Most enhanced, non-human folks like herself were MUCH more responsible with their gifts. This was brazen, violent showboating. This was scary.

Sari peered out her window to see smoke rising in the distance, and ominous sign of what was happening in Rhy'din. Most people were either blissfully unaware of their newfound gifts or, more often, terrified of them and in hiding. It was the vocal and rambunctious minority of humans running amuck.

She paced back and forth, wringing her hands, trying to figure out what to do. The local authorities all seemed to be occupied trying to get control of things as the sun descended. Night was falling and things were only getting worse. The news reports all told residents to stay indoors, avoid public places. With each passing moment, she became more and more concerned.

The knock at her door made her jump, letting out a startled yelp. Composing herself, Sari made her way over, pressing up against the wood. "Who is it?" She said, steeling her voice.

"Very funny, Sari. It's Danny." He responded, still unaware that she could no longer sense him. Relief flooded the nullified telepath as she unlatched the door and pulled him in. Danny looked like he'd run a marathon to get there.

"Jesus, Danny, what the hell is going on out there?" She asked him.

"I have no idea. All hell's broken loose?" he responded, running a hand through his hair. "You'd know better than me."

"Guess again, Dan-o." She said leaning back against her wall.

"What, you mean-"

"I can't hear anything...it's just...it's gone. It's all gone." Sari hugged herself, staring at the floor. "For years I wanted it all to just go away, but now I just...I need it. I want it back."

Danny walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

She turned her eyes up to him. "Why is this happening?"

Danny shook his head slowly. "I woke up from a little nap and suddenly, I could move things with my mind?"

"Wait, you WHAT?" She gaped at him.

Danny stared at her a long moment. Finally, he reached out with one hand toward her bookshelf and concentrated. A book shook amongst the others and whipped, too quick at them, forcing him to duck.

Granted, Sari didn't know Danny beyond a few friendly conversations and a drink or two, but she knew that the man had the magical ability of a rock. So, firing a book across the room was well out of the realm of possibility. Or it should have been. Sari stared at her friend in shock, swallowing hard.

"HEY FREAK!" A voice called from outside the door. The pair turned toward the voice. Danny noticed the orange light brighten against the window pane, his eyes going wide.

"GET DOWN!" He yelled, wrapping his arms around her just as the explosion burst through the front door and shattered the windows, the building suddenly turned into a raging inferno.