" Trained to be the greatest spy in the world since childhood, Natasha Romanoff is a former KGB assassin, an ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and an Avenger... or at least, she was. After the events of Civil War, Natasha now faces a new wave of persecutions l...
After meeting with her old Avengers friend, Natasha returned to the apartment in Harlem where she was staying, thanks to Luke Cage's help. He had reached out through his network to find her a place to stay until things settled down. She spent the night there, unable to sleep due to frequent nightmares about the events in Germany. Though not one to express her feelings openly, Natasha considered the Avengers her family, now shattered and scattered. Would this be the end of the superhero team? This question haunted her dreams. Unable to continue this way, she stayed awake all night. It didn't take long for her to find something to occupy her mind—planning the invasion with Steve to General Ross's maximum-security prison to free Captain America's team arrested in Germany. Through her old contacts, she came across a specific individual—a former friend from her S.H.I.E.L.D. days named Isaiah Ross. They had completed several missions together for the organization and were close until S.H.I.E.L.D. revealed itself to be Hydra in disguise. Natasha had believed him to be dead after the battle that exposed Hydra, but further research revealed he was now practicing law in New York, though his exact whereabouts were unknown. She recalled Matt Murdock's offer to help her find Isaiah when she first arrived in New York—an idea she now considered pursuing.
Pausing her steps on the plan revisions with Steve and the potential meeting with Matthew, she checked her phone for the time, watching the night fade into sunrise, realizing she had spent the entire night awake with these thoughts. Starting to feel hungry, she decided breakfast was in order. Unsure if Luke's bar had food, she knew a visit would allow her to catch up with him. She made her way to the corner bar, her face still concealed by a hood. Entering the establishment, the sound of bells above the door signaled the presence of its first customer. Luke approached her, wiping down glasses for the morning rush.
- Nat? Wow, so you took the promise seriously. Congratulations on keeping it. - Luke said, passing a cloth over a few glasses.
- Don't celebrate too soon, okay? I still don't know how long this will last, so try not to get used to my presence. - She warned, her expression serious from the exhaustion of a sleepless night after a full day on the run.
- Let me guess... you spent the night awake?
- I couldn't sleep... too many nightmares... that kind of thing. - She said, rubbing her face in an attempt to stay awake.
- Look, Nat, I know things are tough, but... you need to allow yourself to deal with this in the best way possible for your mental health. - Luke urged.
- What mental health, Luke? - She retorted, her tone ironic but her expression full of disbelief and seriousness. - In what... reality... do you think an ex-Avenger, ex-assassin, ex-spy can just lie down and sleep peacefully?
Despite her words, she noticed Luke's compassion-filled gaze and sighed. - Look... I'm sorry. I... I don't want pity from anyone. I'm just... tired. That's all.
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